Wednesday

Can you believe I was gonna originally post this on Monday? My senile ass is losing it.




It was a friggin' treat watching this series. I mean obviously from the offset it had my attention, a Wednesday Addams show by Tim Burton, very much in my wheelhouse. And what I got was thankfully far and away from my reservations and fears, cause when that trailer hit I was like, okay guys...you're on the knife's edge of being a CW show please be careful. It played it's cards just right. So our story involves young Wednesday Addams having to transfer to a new school where fairly immediately a mystery pops up that she's hell bent on solving, taking us over the course of eight 45 minute episodes of humor, twists, intrigue, and more than plenty morbid dialogue. And I truly must admit, during that first episode I was teetering on the fence, I saw a lot that won me over but some stuff was holding me back, but then I took a good few paces back and looked at it. The Addams Family just simply has not had a show like this, it's digging into new grounds and therefore has the right to make it's own adaptation. It's own world, characters, dilemmas, and choices. Once I remembered that, at the 20 minute mark I was all in. I am saying it. I am not taking it back. Jenna Ortega, best Wednesday. Because she takes the core baseline of Christina Ricci's Wednesday and expounds upon it immensely, hilariously grim, highly inquisitive, more blunt than a dull knife, and endlessly entertaining. I cannot express this enough, she is flawless. I thought her bubbly roomate Enid was gonna grind my gears, nope! Cute as a button, bless her heart, she's great fun and that lovely cheery balance to a child filled with woe. Pretty great to see Gwendoline Christie again, Christ she is difficult in this show though but I understand that's the point, this hardheaded principal who holds much annoyance with Wednesday and is a hurdle for her to get across. The semi-love triangle thing I could have lived without, but Hunter Doohan and Percy Hynes White did do very well and were nice characters for Wednesday to bounce off of. When I heard Catherine Zeta Jones was Morticia I could picture that incredibly well and I will admit there is one scene with her and like duuude, her acting sent a blade of ice straight through my heart. Like a chill ran through me for just the briefest of instances so color me impressed. I very foolishly held reservations with Luis Guzman as Gomez and it took exactly 3 seconds of him serenading Morticia with a Buddy Holly song and I was sold. Needed more Lurch though. Bastards. And of course, we actually get Christina Ricci in this show, and she is sooo not a cute little cameo, and then bye we never see her again. She is in every episode! Thank you for that showrunners I loved seeing her. Obviously no spoilers of even a miniscule kind, but it will be super interesting to rewatch this season I mean that's how great mysteries stand the test of time, on repeat viewings do you still get something out of it? I felt it was a very competent and interestingly woven mystery of murders and monsters, I had some theories which were wrong but I pulled a Hail Mary theory throw and it by God stuck and it was the big secret reveal. Totally didn't have any back up evidence, I just got lucky as shit. Major props to the writers though for this dialogue, it really was everything I expected and more, completely what I loved, I was laughing consistently and strongly throughout. Also brownie points for totally just pulling the rug out at certain tropes, good ol' subverting expectations! Ooh there's this secret society in the school, found out about it early on and quickly moved on. Oh there's this rivalry between Wednesday and a more popular girl Bianca, they sort it out halfway through the show and work together. But there's this weird guy who was trying to off Wednesday and fortells of her doom, he gets sliced stone dead nowhere near the end of the show. I friggin' love that man! Anything but predictable. This is the way. Teeny tiny little note, the music choices though incredibly rare throughout, there is some good stuff right there buddy boy. Seeing Wednesday craned over her cello, belting out Paint It Black by The Rolling Stones, I genuinely believe I saw musical genius for the first time in my life. Hearing this downbeat, orchestral, almost dirge like rendition of Nothing Else Matters by Metallica is easily the best damn song in the show. Holy batshit that was fuggin' goooood! Even just the regular score music is mighty good, enriching and contributing to the gothic architecture, the bleak atmosphere, the cool dark colors, yet is still photographed exceptionally well. It never is too dark, or murky, or flat they knew what the hell they were doing. I'm serious man, I didn't hold high expectations by a country mile but I was incredibly entertained and fully recommend this series to anyone with even the most passing of interests in The Addams Family. Rightfully different from other adaptations, so damn funny, engaging to watch, and gold stars for our main cast. I was kinda hoping this would be a mini-series but it appears season two is at least alluded to, but hey I like this environment and Jenna in this role so screw it, I'm there. 4 stars, 8/10, and now comes the part where we shift from mysterious and spooky, to merry and bright. The cold touch of death beckons, sweet oblivion open your arms!!

The Addams Family Values

I'll be totally clear, I don't hate this movie. In fact I enjoy this movie but does it surpass the first? Yes and no.

Our story focuses once again on Uncle Fester who ends up actually getting married to a seemingly nice lady named Debbie who turns out to be a money obssesed psycho. It happens. Meanwhile Gomez and Morticia have had their third child and due to Wednesday and Pugsley not liking the baby much along with Debbie's suggestion get sent to a summer camp. Now I think I can safely say everyone loves the camp scenes in this movie, and most will agree it is the best parts of the movie. But why exactly? It's by no means an admission to the marriage plot line being bad, but there's really not much going on except for several humorous attempts on Fester's life. So there's a hell of a lot of comedy in the camp scenes and genuinely has a conflict and story, and to be brutally honest I feel much the same way Wednesday and Pugsley feel toward the camp. I'd rather choke and die than go there, it's so....suburban. But it leads to some great comedy, this is so much more the film where Christina Ricci gets to shine, she's outstanding in this movie! Again, not to say the rest of the cast does bad cause Christopher Lloyd still does good and he is completely whipped in this movie which causes turmoil in the family which is an element I like, Anjelica Huston is still lovely and has some great lines, Carol Kane actually really cracked me up as the grandmother and I just adore Carol Kane so nothing but love there, and Raul Julia though not having much to do this film around still gives a great and very funny performance with a killer dance scene with Morticia. I think the reason this film does not surpass the first is, though it does have excellent scenes there's not much for the family to do, we're either focused on the marriage or the camp scenes despite there being a new member of the family. So it just doesn't give as much time to the other family members, and I know the entire conflict of the last movie is a bit shoehorned in because The Addams Family is above such scenarios but it still worked, and though the idea of a black widow marrying into the family could be quite funny not much is made of it. But you should still see it to judge it on it's own merits and to see if you liked it more than me. The only highlights are the camp scenes and Raul Julia, which is a shame because I love these actors and I love these characters very much and I know you can make entertaining stories and great humor from one of pop culture's most famous families. Regardless of decade or iteration, from the 60s series, to the 70s animated show, to friggin' Scooby-Doo, to these movies and beyond, The Addams Family always holds a place of undying love in my heart and I am always happy to see them time and again. Especially Lurch, because he's my favorite. I'm very interested to see what the new movie has in store, and already was putting it on my calendar just from seeing the comic strip designs for the characters, and I'll tell you what I think of it on Friday. But don't be afraid to pay a call on The Addams Family throughout this month, for it is always a grand spooky time in their house regardless of day or season. Until we meet again.

The Addams Family

I love this movie.

I've always been a fan of The Addams Family since I was dreadfully young, and this movie has always been a favorite. I'm absolutely thrilled to finally be able to see an Addams Family movie in theaters so it was high time to talk about the still loved duology from the 90s. So our story begins with Uncle Fester returning after 25 years since he disappeared, but all is not as it seems since Uncle Fester has suffered amnesia and is part of a team ready to rob the Addams blind, so we spend time with the family and see the connection begin to grow between Fester and the family before the final resolution. Yeah, this isn't a film for it's plot but more just to be a very fun movie for everyone and it succeeds greatly. This is the better of the two movies but more on the second next time, but for now let us delve deeper. This is such a funny and entertaining movie, I dare even say that the reason it's took about 25+ years for a new Addams Family movie is because the casting could not have been more perfect. I mean really ask yourself, who could have played these parts better during that time and place in the world? No one. Raul Julia is the stuff of legend, Anjelica Huston does give Carolyn Jones a run for her money, Christopher Lloyd is great and because the story focuses on Uncle Fester you get a lot of screen time with him, and well let's be honest Christina Ricci was created to be Wednesday, and the rest of the cast is just as great. The comedy is really good, it can easily make me either smile or bust out laughing, but when you have a good script and expertly delivered lines by great actors it's hard not to laugh! There's just a lot to love in this movie from the design, to the comedy, the timeless characters, even the effects. I was surprised by the effects to be honest, I mean I don't know how they pulled half of it off from Thing to even just simple throwaway gags like the books, it's quite amazing. I could praise the movie all day, but this movie grabbed my love from the very get go where our macabre family greet Christmas carolers by pouring hot oil on them. It speaks to my very soul. Though easily the best scene in the entire movie is the Mamushka, such great music and energy! This movie really does showcase Raul Julia the more I think about it, he can dance, sing, swordfight, his charisma leaps off the screen and is a bittersweet joy to experience. Raul Julia always said this was his favorite role to play because he enjoyed entertaining children and it always brought a smile to his face to see people recognize him as Gomez, and if there ever was just one single reason to watch this movie it is because of him. I definitely recommend this movie to all ages and all families, this is a funny and well done movie, easily a solid 4 stars check it out!

And we'll be back next time to look at the sequel.