Rating: Full

Genre: Fantasy, Comedy, Horror

Studios: Warner Bros

Cast: Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci, Jenna Ortega and Willem Dafoe

Director: Tim Burton

Writers: Alfred Gough, Seth Grahame-Smith and Miles Miller

Producers: Tim Burton, Dede Garrdner, Tommy Harper, Jeremy Kleiner, Brad Pitt and Marc Toberoff

Music by: Danny Elfman

Rated: PG-13 for violent content, macabre and bloody images, strong language, some suggestive material and brief drug use

Release Date: 09/06/24

Runtime: 1h 45m

Tagline: The Ghost with the Most is back

Favorite Character: Beetlejuice

Quote: “The juice is loose”- Beetlejuice

Fun Fact: The Maitland’s from the first film was meant to have a cameo, but Burton felt that there isn’t any de aging technology that could match Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis age from 1988

The Review: Classic films just keeps coming back, whatever you like it or not, all because Hollywood just wanted to make an extra buck. Some should really be left alone. While others just aren’t too bad as long as they keep the original director and cast in the film, like Tim Burton’s sequel to the 1988 hit.

There are so many theories about the afterlife, I mean like so many. Tim Burton’ s own version of the afterlife in Beetlejuice was one of those settings that was definition of a good time. For those giving a deep thought about after death, I should let you know that this was meant for comedic purposes and shouldn’t be taken too seriously. Whatever it’s true or not.

Winona Ryder returns as a still-a-goth adult Lydia now hosting her own paranormal show with her manager (Justin Theroux). She also has a daughter (Scream queen Jenna Ortega) in boarding school who acts just like a normal teenager and isn’t very ‘strange and unusual’ It does sound like she’s having a normal life so far.

But that normal life get interrupted when she was called by her artistic stepmother (Catherine O’Hara) to come to her own museum just so she could tell Lydia that Charles Deetz has died. Meaning the three generations of the Deetz ladies must return to the Maitland house in Connecticut for the funeral.

Meanwhile, our big star Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton) also has a career of his own with most of his workers being a bunch of people with shrunken heads. That doesn’t stop him from haunting Lydia in her dreams, since 36 years ago when he ALMOST married her. Yet, he is still not giving up his dream of making Lydia his beloved bride

Although he should be more worried about his other romance problem. His soul sucking ex-wife (Monica Belluci) had escaped from the boxes and attacked Danny Devito like she was a horror movie serial killer. Oh wait… this IS kinda a horror movie…actually, here is more horror into this sequel than the original.

It is a horror adjacent movie that is themed to grief but unlike Ari Aster’s Hereditary, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is that kind of film with so much high energy and wacky hijinks added on to it. And to me Charles Deetz death shown in stop motion is the most memorable of them all.

Songs are pretty important when it comes to making movies, but the song selection for the film ended up being a letdown. There is not one song that would exceed Harry Belafonte’s songs that made the original so charming (remember that dinner party scene?) And no, having a choir singing ‘Day-O’ at Charles’ funeral just wasn’t enough.

Despite that and the new characters having less spirit this time around, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice was so far the most time I had laughed or chuckled in the cinema auditorium this year revealing that Tim Burton did not lose his mojo after all these years. I believe you will also get a kick out of this juice.

Imagine you are staying at the Maitland house and are board. Say Beetlejuice’s name three time. Go on. Get the party started. (WARNING: the therapy scene may contain some gross out moments, so maybe cease the popcorn eating just for that scene).

Rating: Empty

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Studios: Netflix/Columbus 81 Productions

Cast: Jerry Seinfeld, Melissa McCarthy, Jim Gaffigan, Max Greenfield, Hugh Grant and Amy Schumer

Director: Jerry Seinfeld

Writers: Spike Feresten, Barry Marder, Andy Robin and Jerry Seinfeld

Producers: Beau Bauman, Spike Feresten and Jerry Seinfeld

Music by: Christophe Beck

Rated: PG-13 for some suggestive references and language

Release Date: 05/03/24

Runtime: 1h 33m

Tagline: A Pop-Tart will rise

Favorite Character: Bob Cabana

Quote: N/A

Fun Fact: It wasn’t confirmed in the credits but doesn’t take a genius to figure that Jon Hamm and John Slattery probably reprise their ‘Mad Men’ roles in one scene

The Review: I don’t know if you know this before, but people everywhere had considered Pop Tarts one of the most unhealthiest breakfast items for your body as it is very processed and has no actual nutrients. Unfortunally, that is also what iconic comedian Jerry Seinfeld’s first directorial film is.

Sure, he has landed in his high point in the 90s with his TV show and while his animated ‘Bee Movie’ may have received mediocre reviews, it did gain a cult following. And although I have never seen any his works, one thing for sure, his so called ‘Biopic’ here just happened to be his low point.

It was a good idea for Seinfeld to get put into the director’s chair. It’s also acceptable to make a biopic on how Pop Tarts are made. But as I found out, putting those two together is a lot like pouring orange juice instead of milk in your cereal.

In the 1960’s America, Bob Cabana (Seinfeld) was telling the runaway boy in a diner about how he had invented America’s favorite pastry with his twisted version of a ‘true story’ From the way it’s going, the comic the boy read on the back of the box earlier sounds like it would be way more accurate than what we’re about to see.

Landing in the flashback all the way until the end is the good ol days of 1960’s America in Battle Creek, Michigan home of the famous battle of the cereals between Kellogg’s and Post. Seinfeld at first acts like any father from a black and white TV show, kissing his wife goodbye and drove off to work (which is at Kellogg’s in case you didn’t know). by that time, the nostalgia was cut down by half.

Bob and his boss Edsel Kellogg III (Jim Gaffigan) are very upset that the CEO of their rival company (real life person played by Amy Schumer) stole their latest product idea. That very idea that was made by their former worker Donna Stancowski (Melissa McCarthy) who couldn’t help that much because she now working for NASA. That is until Bob comes in to hire her back.

Now as you know, I am not gonna yell at Netflix for adding fictional characters to the true story. I really think it is a great idea to create a realistic fictional characters just so they can match the actor’s likeness rather than try to get a certain British actor (ahem, Hugh Grant) to insult the great gruff-voice actor Thurl Ravenscroft.

It was actually so disappointing in how the trailer gave us a false advertising, claiming it’s going to be this year’s own Flamin Hot. Instead what we have is Seinfeld botching the feel of the biopic by making everything up along the whole film. In fact, I just happened to read that Seinfeld claimed that he didn’t get permission from Kellogg’s to use their products and characters, making it way more obvious that he made the movie as a joke.

Once the movie is finished, I lost my trust in Seinfeld doing anymore biopics because he has just proved that he cannot try to be serious without rushing everything with endless breakfast jokes and adding a few disgusting pitches (like creamed Corn Pops). I do have to admit, it is still a little entertaining with the breakfast jokes if you want to laugh at how terrible the movie is.