EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN VOL. 35 - January 2022

Everything Old Is New Again
Vol. 35 - January 2022

By: Hunter Bush

Happy New Year, y’all! I hope that as you’re reading this you are filled with an overabundance of joy and hope and other warm, squishy feelings towards the year stretched out ahead of you. I hope I am too. As you may or may not know, I write these up a li’l bit in advance, so it’s actually the Christmas weekend for me and lemme tell you all: I. Am. Tired.

This year, like the last couple, has really worn me down. Is this normal? I frequently wonder if, like going through puberty, this general, directionless, soul-crushingly grey ennui I’ve been feeling is just A THING that everybody goes through as they age. But I don’t think so. I think we really are trapped in a terrible universe from which there is no escape. There’s no killswitch for it. All we can do is try our best to do what we can to improve our quality of life. Not just our own, but of others.

As I write this, yet another strain of the covid virus is sweeping the nation like a shitty, life ruining Beatlemania that you can’t even dance to. My day job has me interacting with the public and I see so, so many people that are seemingly unconcerned with what is obviously happening all around. It’s …disheartening to say the least.

So let me be Stern Lecture Guy once again and plead with anyone reading this to: get vaxxed, get boosted, stay socially distance as much as humanly possible, wear a mask (or two) when you DO go out there, and keep your distance from most people. I mean, I get it. We all wanna fuck, and see our friends and loves ones, and go to the movies, and all that but like - is it worth it? Let’s all get big into astral projection, physical media, and tantric masturbation and see if we can change the world! But I digress.

All of this above is to say: It’s the end of the year, a long and exhausting year, and I’m phoning this one in a little bit. We’ve got three major new releases that fit into the Everything Old Is New Again mold - meaning they are based upon some form of previously existing Intellectual Property, whether it be some other form of media or even an older movie of some variety - and I’ve found a few older films that fit in as well to SPOTLIGHT if you’re looking for something fun.

Let’s take care of each other in 2022, hunh? Okay, here we go:

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PREMIERS

New films coming to screens this January

13th

Peacemaker (series)
Where: HBO max

I dunno about y’all but I really enjoyed James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad (2021), both on its own merits (Weird characters! Great performances! Big starfish alien kaiju!) and also as an antidote to the self serious, grim ‘n’ gritty version from David Ayer that preceded it in 2016. But honestly, that’s such a low bar. It’s hard to pinpoint certain characters in Gunn’s flick as “standouts” over others really, but as a lover of professional wrestlers in films, John Cena’s turn as Peacemaker comes close. A man so hell bent for leather over the concept of peace that he ends up becoming the worst apple in a bunch of killers and lunatics (and one man-shark), PM ended that film getting the Million Dollar Man treatment (no, this time I’m not talking about wrestlers - he was rescued from a collapsed building a nursed back to health, presumably by his gov’t overseers). This series finds him slightly introspective after the whole experience, returning home to  talk to his father (Robert Patrick!) and making friends with a fellow vigilante, named appropriately enough Vigilante (Freddie Stroma) and some other non-super people. I’m not exactly sure what this group (which seem, only slightly beyond being a neighborhood watch) are up against - there’s some potentially mind-controlled/possessed/etc behavior from people in the trailer and a shot of what look like a hundred tiny spaceships landing, so… more aliens? Doesn’t really matter though, I guess. All I’m looking for from this is to have a good time and John Cena with a CGI eagle (that I THINK is named Eagly?!?) would seem to foot that bill perfects.

14th

Scream 5 (dir. Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett)
Where: in theaters

I’ve praised the original Scream (directed by Wes Craven, released in 1996) for initiating me into horror before - listen to Hate Watch/Great Watch episode 10 for instance - so I won’t go into the whole thing again, but needless to say I hold the original in very high regard. So I won’t lie to you when I say I am not excited for this legacy sequel. I’m not against the proposal entirely, but if we’re going to go back to Woodsboro, back to the original cast (Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courtney Cox, possibly more?), I just want to feel like the film is going to have something to say. To that end, the trailer footage I’ve seen really doesn’t deliver. I see teens getting sliced up, a modern technology twist on the classic Drew Barrymore cold open, and a lot of familiar faces. I don’t really want to get into the whole Who Could Be Behind The Mask of it all, despite that being most of what the marketing is hanging its hat on, because I feel like the movie should have more meat on its bones than that. To really be worth doing after all this time, I’m going to need more than just some aggrieved acquaintance from somewhere back in the previous four films who’s got an axe to grind. I mean, that CAN be who’s behind it, but it’s got to really MEAN something more. For that reason, I’m interested to hear what the reactions to this are like.

28th

Morbius (dir. Daniel Espinosa)
Where: in theaters

Jared Leto has to be one of the worst people around right? I mean, not at the level of like Joe Rogan or Jeff Bezos or whatever, he’s not evil (I don’t think) he’s just The Worst. Obnoxious. Takes himself too seriously. He’s the kind of “method” actor who completely misunderstands the point of The Method and instead just acts like an asshat all the time. So anyway, here he plays Michael Morbius, a doctor afflicted with a rare blood disease who decides to use vampire bats to cure himself. Michael Morbius is a villain/antihero from the Spider-Man comics and the whole “I’ll use ___ animal to cure myself” line of logic is pretty prevalent there. So of course, what happens but Mikey becomes Morbius the Living Vampire, which means he’s not technically undead but he still has all kinds of vampirish superpowers and needs that sweet vein gravy like all good vampires do. It’s not super clear why, but at some point he’s imprisoned (and passes by Michael Keaton, but put a pin in that for a second) and then escapes and is wanted by like a whole strike team for whatever reason (maybe just crimes? Or maybe also experimentation? Or maybe for being Jared Leto?) So, having not seen the most recent Spider-Man, I’m unclear on the state of the Sony Spider-Man Continuity. There’s a whole complicated legal history between Marvel/Disney and Sony over the legal Spider-rights and the two seem to have repeatedly reached agreements allowing Spidey to appear in the MCU while Sony holds onto certain other characters (including notably Venom). That most recent Spidey movie No Way Home has both cinematic universes collapsing and intermingling and whatnot, so when Michael Keaton shows up, I’m guessing he’s reprising his role as Adrian Toomes/The Vulture? But there’s anti-Spider-Man graffiti on the wall in the background of a shot, and I’m not sure exactly which Spider-Man that is - Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, Tom Holland, or god forbid yet another one). Regardless, this trailer has my attention because it’s different. Adding a vampire (strongly mystical/magical) to the largely sci-fi Sony Spider-Man film franchise could be a lot of fun. The cast certainly doesn’t hurt, as it includes Tyrese, Jared Harris, and Matt Smith. And for what its worth I think Leto is perfectly cast here because much like a vampire, he totally sucks.

SPOTLIGHT

Not new releases, but still EOINA material worth checking out

3rd

Blood For Dracula (dir. Paul Morrissey)
Where: Shudder

This adaptation and elaboration upon the character of Dracula - created by Bram Stoker in 1897 - find Drac not fairing very well. Played by a young and oddly beautiful Udo Kier, Drac has travelled to an Italian villa under the auspices of finding a “marryable” (read: virgin) wife. In this version, he can only drink virgins’ blood or else fall violently and (spoilers: hilariously) ill. The villa is home to three sisters and Joe Dallesandro, playing a worker who has lived on the grounds his entire life. I know this all sounds fairly standard, but I cannot stress enough how entertaining it is as a trash fire. Dallesandro is very good looking, but he has a THICC east coast accent, so his casting as a lifelong Italian worker/Marxist is absolutely hysterical!

Apocryphally, Andy Warhol (famed photographer/artist/personality and producer on this film) fell in love with Dallesandro and thought he could be the Next Big Thing, recommending him for this role and his performance, while completely serviceable, gets completely lost in the cacophony of accents. While most of the rest of the cast are European, and speak thusly, Dallesandro chews through his dialogue with a real Brooklyn swagger. When one of the sisters - who has been sleeping with Dallesandro’s Mario - explains that Dracula is “looking to marry a virgin”, Mario responds “Then what’s he doin’ wit yew two hoo-ers?” and, readers: I died. I laughed so hard I gave myself a headache.

It absolutely rules. It’s not Kevin Costner and his wishy-washy Robin of Locksley dialect from Prince of Thieves; no one is trying to “fool” you into thinking Dallesandro is actually Italian. It’s more like watching an amazing community theater performance recorded for all time. It’s punk rock and I love it. The film itself is absolutely fine, but what makes it a must watch is the execution; the sheer DIY who-cares-lets-just-do-it gusto of the production. Watch it.

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Thank you for reading. I hope, as I said above, that the coming year treats us all better than the year behind us. I’ll be back next month for more and, Satan willing, I’ll have more energy, more vitriol, more verve. Fingers crossed!

Thanks as always to MovieJawn for hosting and posting. If you’d like to read more from me you can find me all around the MJ site, OR you can listen to the Hate Watch/Great Watch podcast which I cohost with Allison Yakulis. Coming up in January we’ve got an episode on the 1996 Schwarzenegger meta action send-up Last Action Hero with returning guest Celso Garcia. It’ll be fun, just tune in.

Until next time - Long Live the Movies!

EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN - Vol. 28

EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN
Vol. 28 - June 2021

By Hunter Bush


Howdy friends. Welcome to another installment of Everything Old Is New Again! The column where I peer into my crystal ball (which has Google) and see what films are coming to screens in the next month, and then specifically whittle them down by only addressing the ones based on some previously existing intellectual property. If it used to be a book, a TV show, a toy line or was inspired by an older movie, it's EOINA material!

So, when can we start talking about the lockdown, the pandemic, all the misery and uncertainty of the past year plus in the past tense? I eagerly look forward to the day when this is all firmly in the past. But that day is not today, not as long as there are still covid-19 alerts in place when you google theatrical release dates. But we're close! We're actually genuinely close to some semblance of normalcy.

So if you're planning on visiting a theater, please be safe. Now let's look at what's coming in June:


PREMIERS

These are new releases coming to screens great and small alike in the coming month.

4th

Sweet Tooth (series)
Where: Netflix

Based on the comic books series by author & illustrator Jeff Lemire about a young half-deer half-boy named Gus living in a post-apocalyptic world where such animal-human hybrids exist, this looks incredible! When "The Last Men" (survivors of the time before the hybrids) come looking to exterminate Gus (Christian Convery) he is rescued by a man (Nonso Anozie) who agrees to help him get to Colorado where Gus believes he can be safe. I've read some of Lemire's other work, but hadn't gotten around to Sweet Tooth just yet, so I had no idea what to expect from this trailer and it just ticked so many boxes for me. The design work shown in the costumes and the effects on the hybrids, the cast (if Will Forte is in it, I will be there), the balance of the slightly heightened visual style with the almost fable-like backstory & narration - it all worked for me. Even the cover of Duran Duran's "Ordinary World" works because it has bombast and motion to it (as opposed to the largely audibly static breathy covers popular in recent trailers). I'm all in on this one, gang. 

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (dir. Michael Chaves)
Where: HBO Max / Theaters

This 3rd direct installment of the franchise begun in 2013 - which has also spawned 4 spin-off films (3 starring the haunted doll Annabelle, and one starring a scary nun) - looks fun despite, y'know, all the murder and terror and whatnot. Set in 1981, the Warrens (played by Patrick Wilson & Vera Farmiga, doing a lot of heavy lifting in rehabilitating the legacy of the actual Warrens who were hucksters) are brought in as consultants/investigators on a murder case where the accused (Ruairi O'Connor) claims, as the title states: that he is not responsible for a murder he apparently committed. We don;t see the murder in the trailer (I don't think) instead focusing on a lot of creepy waterbed shenanigans and the Warrens' investigation. I'm a sucker for horror movies and generally like more of the Conjuring extended universe than not (I maintain that Annabelle Creation whips absolute ass) so I'll be more than happy to check this one out. Especially because it features an appearance from John Noble!

5th


Rams (dir. Jeremy Sims)
Where: Hulu

Based on a 2015 film of the same name by Icelandic writer/director Grímur Hákonarson, this English-language-friendly remake stars Sam Neill and Michael Caton as brothers who each raise award-contender sheep in a small town. They haven't spoken in 40 years but when some kind of disease begins spreading through the sheep in town, they might have to learn to reconcile if either of them want to keep their livelihoods safe from the government agents sent to exterminate the animals. If any of you haven't seen Cathy Yan's truly excellent Dead Pigs, a similar event lends that film its title, though in that instance it's relegated to a subplot. (Also, if you haven't: see Dead Pigs!) Overall this looks cute in a way that gives me very strong late '90s indie comedy vibes - not a bad thing necessarily - and the cast, which also features Miranda Richardson, doesn't hurt. This is a strong maybe from me. I'll have to be in the right mood for this one.

9th


Loki (series)
Where: Disney+

Picking up where that last Avengers film left things, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) is now in trouble with one of Marvel Comics' least appreciated bureaucratic groups: the Time Variance Authority. Y'see, since comic books have a lot of timey-wimey nonsense happen pretty much on the reg, there exists an organization whose entire job is to make sure that all the time-hopping, retconning, revenging, prevenging and whatnot doesn't Swiss cheese their reality so badly that the whole thing collapses and everybody dies so bad they never even existed. And it seems that after snagging the Cosmic Cube, Loki went Spring Break levels of crazy, dipping in and out of the time stream, causing numerous divergent branches, so he's gotten caught and, as a sort of community service (continuity service?) been drafted by Mobius M. Mobius (Owen Wilson) into correcting these variances. So this series looks like it could have a LOT of fun with familiar characters presented in new ways (or by new actors as a result of Loki's time-fuckery). I'm here for it, of course. I've never shied away from the MCU flicks/series, and I am loving some of the Easter Eggs & eye candy in the trailer - my favorite is a neon sign reading "ROXXCART" which seems like the Roxxon Corp. (one of Marvel's routinely nefarious big organizations) mashed up with Amazon (one of real life's most nefarious ones).

NOTE: This is the drop date for the 1st episode, as Dis+ will be continuing the weekly drop schedule with this one.

11th


In the Heights (dir. Jon M. Chu)
Where: HBO

Based on the stage musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda & Quiara Alegría Hudes, In the Heights is centered around a number of characters living and interacting around a specific block of the Washington Heights neighborhood in Manhattan. The trailer is narrated by Usnavi (Anthony Ramos) who runs a small bodega, but he's got family, friends, and etc. and they've all got their own interconnected stories, desires, and conflicts. The musical takes place over the hottest weekend of the year and involves a winning lottery ticket and all the changes taking place. There are a lot of really stellar visuals in the trailer (the flick is directed by Jon M. Chu, recently of Crazy Rich Asians) like people dancing up the side of a building and a strobing, neon-lit tunnel! I'm a sucker for musicals, so I'm all in for this one, plus I've been a fan of LMM since he showed up for an episode of House M.D. to freestyle with Hugh Laurie. So, yeah, I'm in.

24th


Godzilla Singular Point (series)
Where: Netflix

Based on everybody's favorite gargantuan prehistoric monster lizard / tangible metaphor for man's complete disregard for nature and tendency to poison all he touches created in 1954 (who looks great for 67!) this animated series looks pretty spectacular! It's got kind of everything you could want in a new Godzilla series: tons of kaiju (obvs), great music (!), and a big honkin' robot (Jet Jaguar, baybee!). Plus the plot seems completely insane, but seems to have something to do with predicting the future? And it looking bad? And stopping it? Seriously, the dialogue in just one 2-minute trailer contains phrases like: "A magic lamp that enables the impossible", "So it would be like if the universe never existed", and "Bones with a secret will". I am confident I have no idea what is happening, but it looks fun! It's also gorgeously animated, with plenty of movement, color and fun character designs. I'm pretty excited for this.


SPOTLIGHT

These are older EOINA-friendly releases that I personally recommend.

1st


Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (dir. Tim Burton)
Where: Hulu

Based on the musical by Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler, this is yet another Burton/Depp/Bonham Carter joint that hit me right before I began to find those to be really tedious and just has a special place in my esteem. I love musicals and genuinely enjoy this one which, like the best musicals, leans into the sort of silly, heightened unreality inherent in their nature. When I first moved to South Philly this was one of the handful of DVDs I had with me. It's got fantastic musical numbers and a great cast including the late great Alan Rickman. This is just a fun, splattery horror-adjacent flick with catchy tunes, over-the-top characters and a plot that doesn't really matter beyond tying all the characters together. And while I'll admit that most of my appreciation for this may be a sort of Stockholm Syndrome effect from having been without a lot of options that first summer in South Philly, I still think it's an enjoyable time.

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (dir. Kevin Reynolds)
Where: HBO

Based on the Robin Hood stories, this one is just a big dumb joy to watch. Sure, Kevin Costner's accent is famously wishy-washy. Sure, there's some troubling characterizations and actions. Sure, Will Scarlett is just straight up Christian Slater at all times (also: his accent). But it kind of doesn't matter? Watching this feels like when the Looney Tunes would reappropriate a public domain story and imbue it with their particularly chaotic brand of energy while ostensibly existing in a different time or place. Plus, again: Alan Rickman! And the rest of the cast (Morgan Freeman! Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio! Michael McShane! Brian Blessed! Michael Wincott!) ain't half bad either. Above all though, it’s just really versatile: the action pops, the romance is sweeping, it dips its toe into horror with Mortianna (Geraldine McEwan) and the bit with the scar on the statue of the Sheriff of Nottingham (Rickman) is so funny that for years I thought it was from Men in Tights! A solid popcorn movie, and perfect for summer.


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There you have it, June 2021's EOINA. I hope you spotted something up there that you might not have been aware of or, dare I dream aloud, that my writing might have swayed you one direction or another. Either way, drop a comment below, or on social media and let's start a dialogue. Let's be friends through movies!

If you're looking for a podcast to listen to, might I suggest mine: Hate Watch/Great Watch, which I co host with Allison Yakulis, can be found right here on the MovieJawn Podcast Network. Right around the time you're reading this, our episode on the 1999 Shakespearian RomCom adaptation 10 Things I Hate About You should be available. I'd never actually seen it before, believe it or not, so give a listen to find out what I thought!

Until next time, Long Live the Movies!

EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN - Vol. 26

Hello and welcome to Everything Old Is New Again, the column where I take a look into the very near future to see what films & TV series are debuting in a given month that are originally based on some previously existing concept. Is this movie inspired by that much older one? Is that original series based on a YA novel? I'm here to shed a little light on some of what's out there and maybe help you find something to watch.

I just want to get out in front of  this - I know it's newly April, but I will not be perpetrating any April Fools goofs upon you, my readers. I REALLY WANT TO because it is in my nature to goof, but I won't. Things are still too ...weird. They're just too off-kilter already to properly goof. So I won't. That's my promise to you. So, armed with that knowledge, I want you to relax and read on.

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PREMIERS

The movies and series making their debuts this month

1st:

Creepshow: Season 2

Where: Shudder

Though it's premiering on April 1st, Shudder isn't kidding around with the 2nd season of anthology series revival of the 1982 anthology flick from Stephen King and director George Romero. Except when they are. That's the thing with Creepshow as a brand - it's as fun as it is, well, creepy. For every giant spider, or voodoo doll, or powerfully dangerous artifact (that may in fact unleash some form of Hell on live TV no less!), you've got top tier genre actors like Keith David, Ted Raimi, and even Hellraiser's Ashley Laurence (!) lending the stories their chops as well as a bit of "hey I know that guy" enjoyment! Being an anthology series, your enjoyment may vary from installment to installment, but over all I was a big fan of the first season and am excited for them to get back to the format after releasing two seasonal specials through the end of last year.

Train to Busan: Peninsula (dir. Sang-ho Yeon)

Where: Shudder

Taking place four years after the original film (released 4 years earlier irl) Peninsula follows a new group of people who survived the original zombie outbreak as they are "asked" by mobsters to venture back into the quarantined peninsula to retrieve a truck with $20 million. Things, as you might expect, don't seem to go perfectly smoothly and they end up on the run from not only zombies but also other humans (who are the real monsters?) who're playing some kind of survival game using uninfected humans as game pieces. There seems to be some extra attention paid to light in this one - as in the zombies being drawn to it? Or scared of it? - which I don't remember being a thing quite so much in the first one. There's also a few hyper-brief shots where I think the zombies may have started to kind of get stuck in/to one another maybe forming like a zombie rat king? Which is maybe the coolest thing I've ever heard - HUGE IF TRUE. Again, I don't know that to be the case, I'm just going on my presumptions. The trailer is very action heavy and has some incredible visuals, and I'm a HUGE fan of the original Train to Busan (I cry) so I'll absolutely watch this.

16th:

Mortal Kombat (dir. Simon McQuoid)

Where: HBO Max

I am weirdly excited for this adaptation of the fighting game phenomenon that flying kicked it's way into the public consciousness in 1992 by simply adding blood to the equation. There was a uproar but that didn't hurt Mortal Kombat at all and it has remained a popular (and fun!) franchise ever since. Like most fighting games, there's little by way of plot: a clandestine fighting competition attracts fighters from all walks of life, each with their own goals. Some want power, some want glory, some want conquest and some want revenge. Yadda yadda yadda. Over the years characters have changed, backstories have expanded to the point that now MK has a whole mythology of its own that's no longer just "Bloodsport, but with magic". This trailer smartly leans into some of the "sillier" aspects in a straight-faced way that I think is going to allow it to just be a blast. For example: Why don't we chuckle at Jax's (Mehcad Brooks') cyborg arms? Because nobody else is, because of course he has cyborg arms; his human arms were frozen by an ice ninja and then shattered! It would be rude of you to mock the hardships this man has suffered! Plus, the focus is on the "Kombat" which you'd think would be a no-brainer, but then you would be surprised. Joe Taslim (who plays the aforementioned ice ninja Sub-Zero and whom you may know from The Raid or The Night Comes For Us) is one of the best physical performers - fighting, stunt work, choreography - maybe ever and I cannot wait to see how well this MK utilizes him! So I'm not trying to tell you what to do, but I would kindly ask you to "Get over here" and watch Mortal Kombat with me.

23rd:

Shadow and Bone

Where: Netflix

Books. We all love 'em (right?), and if you've bought enough of them from Amazon, you probably get notifications like "Hey we thought you'd like to know we have more books for you to buy". That is basically my entire relationship with the first book in author Leigh Bardugo's "Grisha" universe of books and stories, but I will say the book has been on my To Read list for a while now because it sounds interesting: a fantasy world, but instead of using medieval Europe as the setting - which is often the case - Berdugo uses Tsarist Russia, which lends the whole thing a pseudo-steampunk feeling that I dig. This trailer for the Netflix series showcases that quite well, too! There's gunplay and a train car of some kind as well as the grand sailing ships you could find in almost any other fantasy world. The plot here is that classic heroine with a special ability who must be trained in how to use it to help save the world. Here, her name is Alina (Jessie Mei Li) and she's a "sun summoner" meaning she has the ability to summon and control light (but she is also full of it to the point that when cut, a blinding light shines through), which is not only rare but exactly what is needed to fix/dispel/cure an area of the nearby sea permanently cloaked in darkness and therefor full of monsters! This set-up seems a bit obvious and over-simplified, so I'm actually betting that there's more going on than what we're seeing here. It also looks a little Avatar: The Last Air-Bender-y, which like, we already have one of those and it rules! (I have not yet seen Legend of Korra, so no spoilers) Regardless, this looks decently fun but not something I'd exactly think of as "appointment viewing", though I am definitely likely to check it out because I love a good fantasy world. I just do, y'all. That's just something you have to accept about me.

25th:

Wild Mountain Thyme (dir. John Patrick Shanley)

Where: HULU

Based on the play "Outside Mullingar" by writer/director John Patrick Shanley (who has one of the weirdest big screen resumes ever - more on that in a moment), this is the story of a father (Christopher Walken) whose son (Jamie Dornan) is a bit of a weirdo and has been dragging his feet about marrying the girl next door (Emily Blunt) who's obviously - for some reason - head over heels in love with his weird ass. BUT ALSO, poppa Walken doesn't think Dornan is capable of taking over the family farm, so he invites Dornan's American cousin (Sir Jon of Hamm) to see if he'd be a better option. There seems to also be a bit of a Dornan-Blunt-Hamm love triangle as well because in contrast to flighty Dornan, Hamm is very direct. This all seems very charming and cute but I've gotta be honest: this trailer had me inside of the first 5 seconds because *ahem* Christopher Walken narrates it in an approximation of an Irish brogue! Sold. Now, just to clue you in to J.P.S.'s credits: he has written such notable films as Moonstruck, We're Back: A Dinosaur's Story, and the film adaptation of Congo and has directed Joe Versus the Volcano and the adaptation of Doubt - both of which he also wrote! You CANNOT box this man in!

30th:

Tom Clancy's Without Remorse (dir. Stefano Sollima)

Where: Amazon Prime

To be honest, these kinds of movies are a hard sell for me. I've got nothing against a decent military-set flick, and I'm deep in the pocket for a specific type of action movie, but something about the frequent Tom Clancy narrative of "this great patriotic killing machine is just the coolest, right gang?" just turns me off. This story seems to follow that familiar path by having Michael B. Jordan survive an attempted assassination which left his wife dead and him on a path of revenge. Y'know how one of the things that made John Wick work was that it showed by contrast how trite and well-worn this particular revenge narrative is? Just wanted to mention that. What this movie does have going for it is: Michael B. Jordan. I will watch this man in anything. I can't imagine that he doesn't have a massive career ahead of him and in that regard I guess doing a Clancy is a smart move. The other thing going for this is that some of the action (well, one scene in the trailer) looks pretty great: MBJ traps a target in a car, lights it on fire and then ... GETS INTO THE CAR! I mean, that is pretty rad. I guess it really *was* a pleasure to burn (this joke is in reference to MBJ having appeared in 2018's Fahrenheit 451 adaptation).

SPOTLIGHT

A few EOINA-appropriate flicks that aren't new but still might deserve a look

1st:

The Warriors (Director's Cut) (dir. Walter Hill)

Where: HBO Max

You may have seen Walter Hill's influential cult film The Warriors (based on the 1979 novel by Sol Yurick where gangs in a post-apocalyptic future New York decide to "Come out and plaaaaay...!" by fighting each other). You may have in fact seen it many times, but perhaps you haven't seen the director's cut? I'm honestly not sure which version(s) I've seen, but any time I've thrown The Warriors on to watch, I've been fully engrossed. It's sometimes hard to watch what's happening, but I still can't drag myself away! If by some chance you've never seen The Warriors - settle in.

Bug (dir. William Friedkin)

Where: Hulu

My other recommendation is a bit of a weird one, especially at a time when out country is only just now approaching the end of a massive year-long viral pandemic, that has seen most of us stuck inside and losing perspective on reality, but: Bug is based on the play by Tracy Letts about two people who lock themselves in a motel room on a bender and slowly lose perspective on reality! Fun! Actually, no. It isn't. It's directed (masterfully) by William (The Exorcist / Sorcerer / The French Connection) Friedkin, constantly ratcheting up the tension as the two leads Ashley Judd and a young Michael Shannon (!!!) go crazier and crazier. It might be tough to watch but it is an absolute firm recommend from me.

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Well there you have it for April. We've hit an odd part of the film landscape where studios are starting to eye the nearby horizon for places to stake their tentpoles and set up financial camp, so potentially future installment of the column will begin to have more Coming to Theaters entries, but for now this is what we're working with.

Thank you as always for reading, and thanks to MovieJawn for hosting and posting. Please visit the MovieJawn Podcast Network and listen to some pods, and if you're especially into my points of view you can find me on Hate Watch/Great Watch alongside Allison Yakulis. Until next time - Long Live the Movies!

EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN - Vol. 25

 Hail and well met, internet scroller! Welcome to EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN, my column focused on Remakes, Adaptations and Long-Gap Sequels (a.k.a. Legacy Sequels). If a movie (or TV show) is based on some previously existing concept, it probably counts and I’ll probably talk about it.

So what’s new with all of you? If you think I’m just being “cute” because I can’t hear your responses, I encourage you to drop a comment below: tell me what actually IS new with you! What are YOU working on? What are YOU excited about? Because I’m extremely excited to be handling the MovieJawn Podcast Network! It’s a lot of logistics, not usually always my strong suit - I’m an Idea Man, not traditionally a Details Guy - but I’m having a lot of fun with it. We just dropped the premier episode of our newest pod Killer Bs (all about B-movie/genre/character actors) and you should listen to it HERE.

But enough about podcasts (for now…), we’re here to talk about MOVIES, baybee! So let’s do that. The way EOINA works is: I watch trailers for all appropriate films/series, summarize the (for lack of a better term) vibe I’m getting from the project, give my best educated guess as to where things might be headed and let you know whether I’ll be tuning in.

PREMIERS

These are all the movies coming to the various streaming services in March.

4th:

Pacific Rim: The Black (season 1)

Where: Netflix

Based in the same universe as the 2013 Guillermo del Toro original that pitted dual-piloted giant mecha called Jaegers (German for “Hunter”) against the equally giant monstrous Kaiju (Japanese for “Strange Beast”) this animated series for Netflix follows a teenage brother and sister who have been in hiding in their unspecified city for 5 years following a devastating Kaiju attack, waiting for their parents to return. Somehow they stumble into a hidden hanger that houses an unused Jaeger which is still powered-up and just needs pilots, so the siblings suit up and set off to find their parents. I loved the original Pacific Rim quite a bit and while I’m not adverse to a YA series set in that world, there are a lot of really convenient things at play in just the trailer: Stumbling into a government facility? The Jaeger being fully operational? Didn’t it take whole teams to run the systems that allowed the Jaegers to operate, like a NASA command center? Etc. So while I am fully on board to check this out, I’m not sure I’ll be able to completely suspend my disbelief to the degree that I’d want to. Beyond that, the art looks pretty decent - it resembles the style of the Netflix Godzilla animated movies from the last few years but smoother and less janky - and I’m literally never not in the mood for a giant monster movie / series, so I will definitely be checking this out, I just hope it can hook me and tell me a decent story.

5th:

Coming 2 America (dir. Craig Brewer)

Where: Amazon Prime

The long-gap sequel to 1988’s original, Coming 2 America finds Akeem (Eddie Murphy) returning to New York with his friend and aide Semmi (Arsenio Hall) to find his (male) heir. The first trailer didn’t make a very convincing argument for this flick’s existence beyond watching Murphy & Hall - who both look amazing btw! - rehash gags and characters from the original, luckily there exists a second trailer. This one establishes that Akeem’s home nation of Zamunda is under threat of a coup (imagine that) from wannabe ruler General Izzy (my man Wesley Snipes) and also adds some modern day social context in the form of Meeka, Akeem’s daughter (you can tell because her name is his name backwards) who would be a fine ruler except that “A woman isn’t allowed to rule Zamunda. It’s the law.” It’s not that I’m necessarily dying for the characters from a 33 year-old comedy to weigh in on modern social issues, but the inclusion of some new ground for them to cover makes me infinitely more interested in watching that just the shallow retread I first took this for.

19th:

The Falcon and The Winter Solider (episode 1)

Where: Disney+

Just a few weeks after the finale of WandaVision (Ryan Silberstein’s recaps of which can be read HERE), Disney+ is back in the Marvel expanded cinematic universe game with The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. We last saw these boys (Anthony Mackie & Sebastian Stan respectively) in Avengers: Endgame where they left things on seemingly decent footing. However, this trailer opens with them in whatever amounts to the Marvel espionage world’s equivalent of couples counselling. They seem to be butting heads over each other’s way of doing things or possibly who should be the leader, though potentially it’s over who should get to wield Captain America’s famous shield (in the comics both Sam and Bucky have been Captains America at some point or another). Beyond that, we don’t get too much info on what the series might be about: Zemo (Daniel Brühl) - the villain from The Avengers: Age of Ultron - has returned, carrying a purple mask that’s a bit of nerdy fanservice which I totally popped for as has international spy Sharon Carter (Emily VanCamp)! If I’m being honest, what’s got me most hyped about this after seeing the trailer ...is another show entirely. WandaVision did such an enjoyable and entertaining job of keeping me invested in these characters, and of growing the universe, that it actually gives me hope that F&WS will exceed its seeming Mission-of-the-Week spy set-up and do the same!

25th:

DOTA: Dragon’s Blood (season 1)

Where: Netflix

Let’s get some infodumping out of the way: DOTA is a MOBA. Are you unfamiliar with either of these acronyms? Ok boomer, I’ll explain them for you (I’m kidding; I myself am a million years old). DOTA stands for Defense of the Ancients and is the title of a series of Multiplayer Online Battle Arena games, the modern incarnation of real-time strategy games like Starcraft and Warcraft (the original DOTA was a mod built on top of one of the Warcraft sequels actually). What that all means is that the player is in a league with other players against rival leagues of players, all using magic and weaponry to kill each other and claim land or special tokens or what have you. What’s that got to do with being adapted into another of Netflix’s anime series? Well, the lore in DOTA is pretty cool and reasonably elaborate and that’s kind of a huge thing in certain corners of the gaming world. There are whole YouTube accounts that do nothing but unpack the lore of various properties, from Destiny to Dungeons and Dragons. Anywhere that a story is being doled out in little, sometimes conflicting bits and bobs, you’ll find some industrious nerd willing to parse it all out. So anyway, DOTA exists in a fantasy setting not unlike the aforementioned D&D. There were a lot of bulletpoints being thrown at me in the trailer but the key conflict seems to revolve around some magic lotus flowers, the possession of which will make someone the goddess of the moon? So those get stolen in some sort of power bid. There’s also a knight named Devion who wants to kill all dragons for some reason and he teams up with a lady archer who wants to steal back the lotuses. I’m not really sure who any of these characters are, or whom I should be rooting for, but if I’m being honest I love this kind of lore. I know about those lore-heavy podcasts because I enjoy hearing these elaborate mythologies laid out in a satisfyingly linear fashion. Will Dragon’s Blood give that to me? Maybe. Here’s hoping.

26th:

Invincible (season 1)

Where: Amazon Prime

This animated series based on the Image Comics series created by Robert Kirkman & artist Cory Walker looks great! Kirkman (creator of The Walking Dead) has a knack for taking a story that feels threadbare and finding new angles with which to appreciate it, so when I tell you that Invincible is the story about a kid (Steven Yeun) whose father (J.K. Simmons) is a superhero, and who longs for superpowers of his own, trust that things are not going to consistently play out in ways you are familiar. This book (most of which I have read) is so full of fantastic twists and character growth as well as a really satisfying weight applied to its more violent moments, I’ve been recommending it to people for years! Hard to say for sure whether this Amazon series will deliver the same dopamine high, but with the quality of animation (very similar to the book’s art style which was maintained by artist Ryan Ottley) and as stacked a voice cast as this thing has (come for the Jason Mantzoukas, stay for dozen or so other greats including Michael Dorn!) at the very least I’ll be entertained!

The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers (episode 1)

Where: Disney+

It may be hard to understand if you weren’t there (hashtag only ‘90s kids will understand) but in the ‘90s The Mighty Ducks had a Moment. The original 1992 film spawned two sequels, a bizarre cartoon (seriously - it involves a race of sentient ducks from a world where hockey is everything, embroiled in a forever war with a race of conqueror lizard people) and, wildest of all perhaps, an actual hockey team (still active)! This latest series, despite a line of dialogue dropped early in the trailer stating “...little different than the Ducks of the ‘90s.” seems like exactly the same story: group of misfits bad at hockey seek out former hockey great Gordon Bombay (Emilio Estevez) to coach them. I dunno, I like The Mighty Ducks just fine but don’t really know that I need to watch it again in a new form. Like, I can just watch the original if I so crave, yes? I kind of wish there was another trailer that gave me a better idea of what else might be going on in this series, if anything. There are some decent laughs in the trailer though - particularly when one kid (Maxwell Simkins - Philadelphia native!) who says he has “more of a podcast body” which made me laugh, not just because I could sympathize but he nailed that delivery. So maybe this series can get by on the charm of its cast alone (that has been hockey-mom Lauren Graham’s steez since forever, so...)? 

The Irregulars (season 1)

Where: Netflix

This Sherlock Holmes spin-off only has a teaser trailer, not a full one, so I’m going off of the barest bones here, but it actually looks vaguely interesting. In the Holmes stories, “the Baker Street Irregulars” were orphans and urchins that Holmes paid to be his eyes and ears as to the goings-on of London, since it’s not exactly a small place. I don’t know that they’re ever explicitly aged, but in my head they were kids; the Oliver Twist type image of orphans has become inextricably linked in my head to London as a city. The first of The Irregulars’ changes is to age them up so that they’re all steamy teens with ...I dunno simmering loins and hormonal drama, or whatever. More interestingly, this also heavily implies that the central mystery involves magic. Sherlock Holmes stories & their various adaptations have skirted around magic occasionally but as far as I recall they’ve always ended up being explained through Victorian-era science. This Irregulars trailer is primarily a trail of blue CGI fire circuitously racing across a map of London with narration about evil that uses phrases like “...shadow of a nightmare…” and the like, and shows footage that includes what appears to be a man igniting from the inside with the same blue flame and later a women apparently breathing similarly blue steam? I’m wondering if what makes them “irregular” in this new context is some kind of bobo X-Men mutant powers? I might check this out as my partner (Allison Yakulis) loves Sherlock Holmes things but our continued interest will depend on either the pure quality of their addition to Holmes as a conceptual property or, if things get truly wild, the talent and watchability of the cast. 

SPOTLIGHT

These are some EOINA-appropriate flicks that, though they’re not premiers, are still worth a look:

1st:

Constantine (dir. Francis Lawrence)

Where: HBO Max

Keanu Reeves starring in an adaptation of a comic book whose main character is a snarky film noir-esque supernatural crime solver? OF COURSE I like this movie! But, and this is what’s really important, it’s really damn good. When supernatural detective John Constantine (Reeves) is hired by a beautiful dame (Rachel Weisz) to investigate the suspicious death of her twin sister, he quickly realizes that he’d be in over his head if he was anyone other than John Constantine. There’s a ton of really fun and engaging world building (which I LOVE), great action and a stellar supporting cast (Pruitt Taylor Vince, Djimon Hounsou, Peter Stormare! - a beautifully ambiguous Tilda Swinton! - Bush singer Gavin Rossdale?) and a fantastic lead performance from Keanu. The same sort of beaten-down confidence and reluctance to escalate a situation that will serve him well in the John Wick franchise are on full display here, plus some really brilliant pitch black humor. A personal favorite. The pic above features a piece of my art inspired by a scene from the flick, made for a friend who also loves it (Hi Sandy!).

5th:

Iron Mask (2019) (dir. Oleg Stepchenko)

Where: Hulu

This flick is not what you might traditionally call “good”. It doesn’t make what you might traditionally call “sense”, the stakes and rules are not what you might traditionally call “clear”, the little CGI pseudo-Pokémonster looks like what you might traditionally call “Chris Kattan”. BUT. It’s a lot of fun if you can get on its level. Inspired by a bunch of myths and legends all poured into a blender and intended to appeal to an international audience, this movie features a fight scene between Arnold Schwarzenegger (who I *think* is supposed to be British in this?!?!) and Jackie Chan (long may he reign)! What more could you possibly need to know? Monsters, magic, wuxia action and honestly great lighting abound. If you like the batshit crazy, sure-why-not, anything can happen style of Big Trouble in Little China, I can’t imagine you being disappointed in Iron Mask. 

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This is a film-light / TV series-heavy EOINA which is maybe unsurprising given the past year’s difficulties. I hope wherever you are, reading this, that you’re safe and healthy and doing everything to stay that way. Thank you as always for reading and for potentially sharing this with friends (?). If you’ve got something to say about the column, or about any of the items covered, feel free to leave a comment below or on social media! Follow the MJ Podcast Network and my own pod (co-hosted by Allison Yakulis) Hate Watch / Great Watch - we’re about to drop our 50th episode! I’m very proud of us and I hope you’ll check it out. Until next time, Long Live the Movies!

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This piece was written for Moviejawn where you can find tons of other excellent movie-centric writings, a shop where you can subscribe to the quarterly physical zine and also listen to the  I Saw It In a Movie,  Cinematic Crypt  or  Hate Watch / Great Watch  podcasts!

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EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN, Vol. 22 - December 2020

Everything OId Is New Again
Vol. 22 - December 2020

by Hunter Bush


Greetings, greetings! One and all! Welcome to another installment of EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN, the column where I scan the horizon for upcoming film & TV projects based in some way on previously existing concepts. If it’s inspired by a book, or a modern update of an earlier film, or one of those long gap sequels, then it’s definitely EOINA material! Since we’ve all been spending a lot more time indoors, I’ve also taken to listing the EONIA-friendly titles that will be arriving on certain streaming services. They might not be new releases but hey, in a pinch they’ll do just fine.

Before we move on, I’d just like to take a second to mourn the passing of my local multiplex, the Regal/United Artists Riverview Plaza, a.k.a. The Riverview. I had already seen so many movies there in my lifetime that it would be impossible to keep track and that was before I moved to a place about 15 minutes’ walk away. I attended special screenings, limited engagement showings and organized group outings of friends. I even saw Speed Racer there, high on acid with my best friend and though that may not be “the only way to see it”, it’s definitely recommended. Philadelphia has many theaters. So my options aren’t nearly what I’d call “limited” and there are tons of unsavory stories surrounding the Riverview, but it will nonetheless always have a special place in my heart.

R.I.P. Riverview, you’ll be missed.

EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN, Vol.21 - November 2020

EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN
Vol. 21 - November, 2020

by Hunter Bush


Howdy once again, y’all. This is one of the more difficult intros for me to write in my two-ish years on this column. I’m writing this before Election Day y’see and have no way of knowing what will happen, and it’s twisting up my guts not knowing. I’ve been putting it off and putting it off and now I’m into the final week of October and haven’t done diddly. By the time this comes out, things will hopefully be looking up, but there is the chance that they’ll be somehow even darker than before and that’s a reality that I’ve been chewing on for weeks. More likely that not though, they’ll be in some horrible liminal space where we don’t know what will happen.

So before I get into this month’s column proper, let me just say to you all that I know things have been difficult for a while now and it may be a while longer until they’re, not but I have to believe that they will get better. Whenever I needed a break from what I used to consider stress (oh how naive I was) I’d pop over to the nearest movie theater and see something. Anything really. Whatever was playing next. Obviously current circumstances and concerns make that impossible (or at least staggeringly ill-advised) but I’m here with the latest Everything Old Is New Again to help you keep an eye on what’s coming to screens in the near future.

EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN, Vol. 19 - September 2020

‘Sup gang? Let’s start things off with some good news: The Spooky Season has begun! I don’t make the rules, y’all: Shudder has started their 61 Days of Halloween programming block and stores nationwide are rolling out their H’ween wares earlier than ever! Another bit of positivity: Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 & 2 are getting a remastered double game re release on Sept. 4th! [Or check out the documentary Pretending I’m Superman about the game here. -ed.] If like me, you’ll be spending All Hallow’s Eve at home this year for safety, maybe the kinds of tricks you’ll be treating yourself to will be sick grinds (that’s one’s for you, Ashley Jane!) and general shredding of the gnar! (*)

(*) DISCLAIMER: I haven’t skateboarded in 20-ish years and even when I did, I didn’t speak it.

On that upbeat note: welcome to Everything Old is New Again! My now-monthly column covering the Remakes, Adaptations and Long-Gap Sequel concepts coming to screens in September. Basically, if it’s a movie or series based on a previous idea in any appreciable way, I will endeavor to find out about it, watch the trailer(s) and give you my opinion on what you can expect. That’s why I opened with the THPS news, it’s essentially a reboot.

EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN 18

Everything Old Is New Again

Vol. 18 - August 2020

by Hunter Bush

Howdy, howdy one and all. How's everybody doing? Dark lord but it is hot out! I dunno how things'll be where you are, or when this drops but as I'm writing it we are heading into the dog days of summer in Philly. Nevertheless I'm back hunched over my laptop, the click clack of my fingers on the keys battling the susurration of a fan and clink of ice cubes in my glass, all to bring YOU, dear reader, the latest installment of Everything Old is New Again!

EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN 16

EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN
VOL. 16 - JUNE 2020

by: Hunter Bush

Welcome welcome, one and all. The quarantine persists and I would hope that if you're reading this, you are still social distancing and taking care of yourself. But - to paraphrase my jr. high sex ed teacher - just because you're playing it safe doesn't mean you can't have fun. And around here, fun means Movies! In EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN it specifically means the movies that are Remakes of older flicks, or Adaptations of some other work or even Long-Gap Sequels to some long ago film that someone was just dying to add to the legacy of.

Since the film world is currently light on premiers, I've expanded the scope of the column to include films meeting EOINA criteria coming to streaming services no matter when they were originally released. BUT, streaming services are notoriously difficult to track down release date info for so... basically I'm doing my best  here, y'all and many many thanks to Allison Yakulis, my partner-in-crime, for helping with the research here.

Without any further ado, let the Quarant-EOINA commence...

Article: Animal Actors

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The following is my original, unedited article written in May, 2017.

Plus some pictures for added pizzazz.

The final, finished & edited version can be found in the Moviejawn zine
(Vol. 3, #6) which may be available in the Moviejawn shop.

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Moviejawn: Animal Actors

by Hunter Bush

May 2017

I’ve always enjoyed animal actors, starting when I was a kid watching LASSIE films, sitting too close to the TV on my Grandmother’s rug. Today I still enjoy, take note of, and mention any impressive animal acting I see in a film. Truly good animal acting is as rare as truly good human acting, just the requirements are a bit different.

Animal actors learn their craft much like human actors do, only they learn to perform actions rather than manifest emotions. While acting coaches might have a number of tricks to learning their technique, animal trainers essentially use the techniques you would if you were teaching your dog to sit, stay or roll over: vocal commands, hand signals, maybe a clicker.

A lot of animal actors are like a lot of human ones: they're just okay and bad acting is always easy to spot, regardless of species. When I see a cat looking just to the side of the camera and twitching their head, I feel the same as when I watch glassy-eyed child actors recite dialogue from memory without a shred of believable emotion. When I watch a dog walk completely unnaturally from Point A to B to C, I feel the same as when I watch January Jones or Vince Vaughn sleepwalk through a performance. If that feels like an unfair comparison, that's because it is. It's apples and oranges; physical actions vs emotional credibility and you can't teach animals to emote (not really; you can get some flattened ears, maybe a scowl here and there...).

And therein lies one of the reasons my heart goes out to animal actors: if you see one in a scenario where they seem afraid or panicked, they usually are. Stunt work has been a part of cinema from pretty much the get go (everything from slapstick fisticuffs to building demolishing explosions, et al.) and over the years, safety standards have increased to the point that (some guerrilla / low budget / indie films aside) supervisors or stunt coordinators are on-set anytime a performer is in any amount of physical danger, but while your average human actor may be aware of the precautions in place, an animal actor may only see the dangers.

Since 1940, the American Humane Association has monitored animal activity on film sets, prompted by an incident during the filming of JESSE JAMES (1939) wherein a horse was forced to perform a dangerous stunt, broke its back and had to be euthanized. This is the organization responsible for the "No Animals Were Harmed" certification at the end of a film. They currently have a 132 page Guideline for the Safe Use of Animals in Filmed Media (available online) that explains the kinds of care and treatment necessary for animal actors through the various stages of making a film or TV show. It’s comprehensive to say the least. They even have a chapter dedicated to "Species-Specific Guidelines" subdivided into eleven parts.

In 1978 and again in 2004, the AHA has attempted to update its ratings system with currently six possible ratings from "Outstanding" to "Unacceptable" for productions they've monitored. Unmonitored films are simply rated "Not Monitored" and there is a special stipulation for productions that upheld the AHA Guidelines despite lack of monitoring, "Production Compliant". However, an organization with less than 200 employees can't be expected to monitor every use of animals on every set.

In 2010, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals lead an investigation into the filming of HBO's horse racing-centered drama LUCK, having been brought to set by "an anonymous whistleblower" (which is an incredibly fun phrase to type) reporting mistreatment of the horses used. Despite there being AHA representation present, the alleged mistreatment included malnourishment and drugging of the animals and generally using racehorses physically unfit to perform the required actions. Two horses, Outlaw Yodeler and Marc's Shadow, had suffered leg injuries during the production and a third, Real Awesome Jet, received a head injury. All three were euthanized. Claims were made that the AHA monitors on set had been pressured into allowing filming to continue despite not meeting the Association's guidelines and HBO eventually cancelled production on a second season.

We're moving into an era where the availability of special effects will hopefully greatly decrease the need to endanger animal actors to produce our entertainment, but we're not there yet. Allegations of mistreatment and/or animal endangerment were raised against the productions of LIFE OF PI (2012), which I mention here in the context of it being a CGI-heavy film, and more recently and publicly A DOG'S PURPOSE (2017). I will say that the allegations in both instances were stated to be "misreported" but I will also say that I am a suspicious person by nature so I am taking this with a grain of salt. There's also the issue of international productions as the AHA's reach is hindered by various manpower and financial constraints which can lead to situations like with the Japanese production KONEKO MONOGATARI (A Kitten’s Story) which was edited, dubbed and released in the U.S. as 1986's THE ADVENTURES OF MILO AND OTIS. I loved this film as a kid, but there are numerous and horrible allegations of animal cruelty that can't be disproven and make the film impossible for me to ever watch again.

Recently however I did rewatch 1993's HOMEWARD BOUND: THE INCREDIBLE JOURNEY. In the movie Shadow, Chance and Sassy (two dogs and a cat) traverse the Sierra Nevada mountains to reunite with their human family. You may remember this as starring Don Ameche, Michael J. Fox and Sally Field, which is true but you may be overlooking that is also stars Ben the Golden Retriever, Rattler the American Pit Bull and Tiki the Himalayan cat. And you know what? ALL their performances were great, but Don, Michael J and Sally got to do theirs from the comfort of a recording booth. I mean no disrespect with that, voice actor is on my list of 'dream jobs'; I'm only trying to point out an imbalance.

How many animal actors can you name? If you said Mr. Ed, Buck from MARRIED WITH CHILDREN or Happy from 7TH HEAVEN, you got lucky as those all happen to be the animal actors' real names. If you said Air Bud you can have half a point since the Golden Retriever playing him was actually named Buddy (if you knew he was the same animal actor to play Comet on FULL HOUSE you can have the other half point). If you said Lassie or Benji though, sorry. Those are both stage names. Starting in 1943, Lassie was played by a Rough Collie named Pal (and thereafter played exclusively by her descendants, making Lassie a dynasty) and Benji was a mixed-breed shelter dog named Higgins.

Did you know Flipper was played by five different dolphins on the show FLIPPER? Their names were Susie, Patty, Squirt, Scottie and Kathy.

Did you know Eddie from FRASIER was played by a Parson Russel Terrier named Moose and that his son Enzo acted as his stand-in on the set? They also both played the part of Skip in MY DOG SKIP (2000).

I'm not saying that every animal actor deserves their own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame; though Bugs Bunny has one and he's not even a real bunny but I digress. Just consider adding a few animal films to your movie night rotation. You can't go wrong with BEETHOVEN (1996), BABE (1995) or FREE WILLY (1993); or maybe WILLARD (1971/2003), CUJO (1983) or THE BIRDS (1963) if you're in the mood for fright flicks. You'll most likely want to stay away from tear-jerkers like OLD YELLER (1957) or PROJECT X (1987).

But if you're planning on showing MILO AND OTIS, don't invite me.