I never had the pleasure of riding the famous Disney attraction but I know enough about it to understand the particulars of the story and its appeal. After the somewhat awful 2003 attempt with Eddie Murphy, Disney takes another crack at adapting one of their most iconic attractions. In the end it amounts to a very entertaining and heartfelt horror comedy that I imagine will allow for a good gateway for budding horror fans. I won’t proclaim it as a masterpiece, but when all was said and done, I was so much more satisfied than I was with the 2003 first attempt.
Five Great Haunted House Movies
With “The Haunted Mansion” reboot coming to theaters Friday it’s a great time to recommend some great haunted house movies you could watch before or after. Or if you’re not planning to see “The Haunted Mansion,” you could watch these movies instead. In either case, here are five great haunted house movies I highly recommend if you want some good chills, thrills, and scares.
Blackout (2023) [Fantasia Film Festival 2023]
In a small town, a werewolf is causing mayhem. A local artist seems to believe that he is the werewolf.
Western Wednesdays: Galloping Dynamite (1937)
SYNOPSIS:
Bob Dillon [David Sharpe] discovers gold on his boss, Mr. Foster’s range. He enthusiastically goes to tell Foster the good news only to be shot in the back by Reed [John Merton]. As it turns out, Bob’s brother is Texas ranger Jim Dillon [Kermit Maynard] who comes out to investigate.
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Every Bugs Bunny Ever: Hare-Ribbin’ (1944)
2023 marks the 85th Anniversary of Bug Bunny’s first animated appearance in 1938’s “Porky’s Hare Hunt.” Debuting originally as Happy Rabbit, Bugs eventually became one of the most iconic animated characters of all time. In honor of the landmark anniversary, we’re discussing every animated appearance by Bugs Bunny. We’re big fans of Bugsy and we hope that you are, too.
Follow us on this massive journey where we discover and re-discover Every Bugs Bunny Ever.
Hare-Ribbin’ (1944)
Directed by Bob Clampett
Written by Lou Lilly
Music by Carl W. Stalling
Animation by Bob McKimson
It’s pretty surprising how many of Bugs Bunny’s shorts were trimmed down or censored over the years once they made it to cable television. The syndicated airings always opted to take out certain scenes, which is indicative of where Warner’s head space was when approaching these characters. Bugs Bunny’s original appeal was to a general, wider audience, so he was able to realty wreak havoc most of the time. I’m not referencing the black face or horrible racial stereotypes, none of that is even remotely funny. I talk about more in the terms of death and how these shorts handle it. Although I can appreciate the rule of not having Bugs Bunny perceived as either murdering another character, or being murdered, sometimes the joke is necessary for a pay off.
Sympathy for the Devil (2023)
A man jumps in the back of another man’s car while he’s on the phone with his pregnant wife who is in delivery. Soon, it turns to a hostage situation with a lot of discussion and discoveries.
The Primevals (2023) [Fantasia Film Festival 2023]
Although Charles Band and his studios are mainly known for horror, Band also dabbled heavily in to action, comedy, porn, and yes, especially fantasy films. “The Primevals” in spite of its limited budget is perhaps the most complete and richly developed Charles Band backed film I’ve ever seen in the studio’s entire history. David Allen has a clear vision of what kind of adventure film and he fully realizes it in what is such a fun, inventive and vintage action adventure. With obvious influences from Harryhausen, RKO Pictures, movie serials, and the Fleischers, “The Primevals” is a damn good bit of matinee fare that I could easily myself re-watching and re-watching on VHS when I was a kid.