I guess the mission statement for Disney lately is to modernize a lot of their classics, no matter how big or small by—copying them to the tee. “Under Wraps” is the much anticipated remake of the original 1997 TV movie that doesn’t realty offer a new angle toward the movie. Even though it’s a perfectly good Halloween treat and solid DCOM, it misses out on emphasizing the more emotional themes the original didn’t.
Tag Archives: Fantasy
Under Wraps (1997)
I don’t know why but “Under Wraps” is one of those DCOM’s that slipped right by me as a kid. I loved the DCOM’s when I was a kid and I still watch them to this day if they interest me. Despite having seen most of them, “Under Wraps” never crossed paths with me. That’s a shame since Greg Beeman’s film is pretty much peak Disney Channel TV movie entertainment. There are cameos from Disney channel stars, a reliable child cast, and a lovable monster. There’s also the Halloween back drop that completes the full circle turning the movie in to a mini-Halloween classic.
30 Years Later, I’m Still a Big Fan of “Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare”
You could probably make a great argument that the only reason why I love “Freddy’s Dead” is because of the memories attached to it. Back in 1991, Freddy Krueger was still a household name, and him dying on film was a big deal. My dad took my brother and I to see “Freddy’s Dead” when it premiered and it was the first (probably only) 3D movie going experience I’d ever had. We had a great time, and then afterward we went to have pizza and we were allowed to blow quarters on a Simpson arcade in the pizzeria. We then went home to watch “Eerie, Indiana.”
Prisoners of the Ghostland (2021)
A peculiar Governor sends a prisoner off to save his beloved granddaughter from a faraway land.
Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings (2021)
Director Destin Daniel Cretton’s adaptation of the 1973 action comic book is Marvel Studios in its wisest. Their inability to grab top tier superheroes from their stable has enabled them to lend a spotlight to some of the more obscure and less featured superheroes from their universe. Thankfully the focus slides over to “Shang-Chi” one of their most dynamic and down to Earth superheroes who has proven a mainstay since his inception in the seventies and is brought to life in a truly exciting cinematic debut.
Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone (2001): Magical Movie Mode (DVD)
Harry Potter came seemingly out of nowhere over twenty years ago. It was a fantasy series that quickly blasted off in to a cultural phenomenon and began to re-think the whole fantasy genre for a new generation. Say what you want about the “Harry Potter” series. I was never a fan. But the book series and its cultural influence is powerful, as is its long, long (read: long) series of movies that started twenty years ago.
Superman ’78 #1 [of 6]
What’s old is new again, and now with Warner seemingly acknowledging the Tim Burton Batman 1989 movies as their own universe in “Elseworlds” on TV, DC dives head first in to expanding the original movie universes of their respective character properties. After “Batman ’89,” DC Comics follows up with “Superman ’78.” It’s an expansion and exploration of the beloved movie universe from Richard Donner’s Superman, and it wholeheartedly embraces everything about the movies we loved right down to the silly dialogue.