Featuring dramatic recitations from the pen of the master of mystery and macabre, “An Evening of Edgar Allan Poe” will take place at Waterloo’s historic Peterstown House at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 13.
Listen as historic interpreter and actor Anne Louise Williams shares some of the author’s most memorable works. Anne has performed in New York, Philadelphia, Richmond, and throughout the Saint Louis region. She will recite from memory several selections, including: “The Black Cat” “The Tell-Tale Heart” “The Cask of Amantillado” “The Oval Portrait” “Morella” “The Masque of the Red Death” “The Fall of the House of Usher” (abridged) “The Raven” “Annabelle Lee” And other poems.
Edgar Allan Poe
Best known for his poetry and short stories, Poe was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic who gained fame during the early 19th century.. He was born in Boston, the second child of actors, on Jan. 19, 1809, and died under mysterious circumstances in Baltimore at age 40 on Oct. 7, 1849 (both cause of death and circumstances leading up to it).
After enlisting in the Army in 1827, he published his first collection of poems. When he failed as an officer cadet at West Point, he decided to become a writer, and switched to prose.
He worked for literary journals and periodicals, and became known for his literary criticism, moving between Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York City. At age 27, he married Virginia Clemm, his 13-year-old cousin, and she died of tuberculosis in 1847. He published his poem “The Raven” to instant success in 1845.
Known for his impact on literature throughout the world, his writings are part of popular culture in art, photography, music, movies and television. The Mystery Writers of America present the annual Edgar Awards for distinguished work in the mystery genre.
This event is for ages 17+. Ticket pricing: $16 per person in advance, $20 per person at the door
Please send us a private message to purchase tickets. Phone is 618-939-4222 and email is: peterstownheritagesociety@gmail.com. You may also visit us Saturday and Sunday between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Oct. 12 and 13 to purchase and pick-up tickets. Those are the regular visiting hours, or by appointment.
50% of the proceeds will benefit the Peterstown Heritage Society (501c3), and to go towards the preservation of the Peterstown House.
The Peterstown House, 275 N. Main St., Waterloo, IL.
Peterstown House is the last remaining-intact stage stop along the Kaskaskia-Cahokia Trail and Waterloo’s first museum. The colonial saltbox building was constructed in the mid-1830s. then an addition was placed on its north side around the 1860s. Emory Peter Rogers, who first owned the house, and bought it for back taxes for $4.
The house was later an inn and stagecoach stop along the Kaskaskia-Cahokia Trail, the first road in Illinois, which connected the French settlements at Kaskaskia and Cahokia. In the late 19th century, the Peterstown House became a social hall.
The Peterstown Heritage Society operates a museum in the house, with exhibits featuring antique furniture and artifacts of the mid-1880s as well as other pieces from different eras. The original room is laid out as a early 18th century country store. Two log cabins, both over 100 years old, have been relocated to the property. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on Nov. 16, 1977.
The Peterstown Heritage Society was formed in 1973 after the Monroe County Historical Society found out the historic building was slated to be razed by the property’s new owner.
According to President Andrew Juelfs, the group would not be around 51 years later if it weren’t for all of the hard-working volunteers that saved the building from demolition. “They put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into the initial restoration and creation of our beautiful museum,” he said.
“Our volunteers still keep us going strong! If you are passionate about the preservation of historic places, history and/or museums, please consider volunteering your time with us. It takes people like you to keep us going,” Juelfs said.
For more information, visit the website: peterstownheritagesociety.org.
The Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis (RACSTL), in partnership with Continuity, is excited to invite filmmakers, creators, motion visual, and media artists to apply for a grant of up to $100,000 in its latest initiative, the St. Louis Film Project.
The St. Louis Film Project is part of the ARPA for the Arts Tourism Recovery grants and is modeled after the successful St. Louis Mural Project. It aims to foster a vibrant local film and media arts scene by investing a total of $500,000 in local creators and bringing together film/TV and content enthusiasts, industry professionals, and the public for screenings, panel discussions, and networking opportunities.
The grant application opens on Monday, Oct. 7, 2024. Submissions are due on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, and grants will be awarded by Friday, Jan. 24, 2025. Filmmakers/creators can review the grant guidelines carefully on the RACSTL or Continuity website.
“We’re excited to provide a platform where our local filmmakers can shine,” said Vanessa Cooksey, President and CEO of RACSTL, and Kyle Montgomery, TITLE of Continuity, in a joint statement. “The St. Louis Film Project is more than just a grant program and screening event—it’s a celebration of the rich storytelling and creative expression right here in St. Louis. We believe this program will inspire other film investors to support our efforts to elevate the narrative about St. Louis through the power of cinema.”
With the help of a panel of experts, RACSTL and Continuity will select up to seven (7) creators to receive unrestricted grants of up to $100,000 for their projects. The St. Louis Film Project will highlight a diverse selection of films/content and TV episodes, all produced by creators in St. Louis.
In addition to grants and film screenings, The St. Louis Film Project will host a variety of events intended to promote awardees, create industry access, and elevate St. Louis as a hub for creatives, including:
Curated Events: Engage with filmmakers, creators, media artists, industry experts, and critics in insightful conversations about the art and craft of filmmaking and overall content creation.
Q&A Sessions: Interact with the finance and legal experts to identify other funding sources, such as Missouri Film Tax Credits.
Networking Opportunities: Meet fellow filmmakers, creators, motion visual, media artists, and industry professionals.
A visual feast with a soulful narrative to back it up, director Chris Sanders’ “The Wild Robot” is a rousing, if not completely unmitigated, success for mainstream animation.
Based on the book by Peter Brown, Sanders’ film takes place in a perhaps-not-so-distant future affected by environmental catastrophe, where artificial intelligence robots (created by a company called “Universal Dynamics”) assist humans with day-to-day tasks within the sleek cityscapes that remain. During a typhoon, one of Universal Dynamics’ cargo ships crashes on a remote island, dumping out its robotic occupant, ROZZUM-7134 (voiced by Lupita Nyong’o) in a strange land. “Roz,” as she’s later called, is a robot with a sleek, long-armed, vaguely ominous design who is immediately viewed as a “monster” by the island’s exclusively non-human inhabitants. After translating the local animals’ languages, she clumsily advertises her services to any and every critter she lays eyes on, who don’t take kindly to her outreach. Chaos ensues.
After a harrowing encounter with a bear (voiced by Mark Hamill) in which Roz tumbles from a cliffside, she ends up destroying a goose nest, killing the parent and cracking the unhatched eggs, except for one — bearing the wide-eyed, cute-as-a-button gosling who is later named Brightbill (first voiced by Boone Storm, then by Kit Connor). Brightbill imprints on her, seeing Roz as his mother. Brightbill also, conveniently, destroys Roz’s emergency transponder, which is the only ticket back home to the safety of sterilized automation.
Unsure what to do with this unfamiliar being following her around, Roz eventually bumps into a family of hilariously morbid possums, whose mother (Catherine O’Hara) “tasks” Roz with parenting Brightbill. Thus, Roz takes on her most challenging objective yet — helped along by a mischievous yet sympathetic fox named Fink (Pedro Pascal) — of teaching Brightbill to learn to feed himself, swim, and fly, in preparation for southbound migration come Winter. As time passes, Roz also develops a love for Brightbill that grows beyond her programming. She turns into an increasingly sentient being, powered by her previously-repressed heart, and ultimately brings her newfound family together to fight for their survival in a (sometimes) unforgiving world.
Indeed, “The Wild Robot” — reportedly the last in-house animated production from Dreamworks Studios — maintains an emotional purity that’s a breath of fresh air in our current times. Starting small and adding layer upon layer, Sanders’ film weaves numerous themes — the joys and travails of parenting, the search for purpose in an unfamiliar world, the rewards of breaking from tradition to follow one’s own path, and cooperation as an essential tool for survival — into a (mostly) cohesive whole, complemented by breathtaking animation and a stellar voice cast.
It’s difficult to do justice to the painterly, vibrantly alive animation on display here — eschewing naturalism for a more impressionistic, storybook quality that resembles hand-crafted concept art brought to life. Crisp sunsets blanket tree-covered skylines in warm hues, fog drenches imposing cliffsides kissed by turbulent (immaculately well-animated) waters, and multicolored butterflies wrap around tree trunks, unleashing vibrant splashes of fluttering wings upon takeoff. The visuals pair beautifully with Kris Bowers’ score, which lends a fitting sense of grandiosity to the well-choreographed set-pieces.
Character designs, rough around the edges in the best way possible, eschew photorealism for emotion and narrative symbolism: Roz’s appearance evolves as she evolves, becoming scratched and stained as a new life opens before her, gradually operating by her own designs rather than what’s been preordained for her. The various critters that surround her, both big and small, are bursting with personality, voiced by an exceptional cast that doesn’t throw in big names just for the sake of it. Each of these characters inhabits the same environment, side-by-side but in their own little worlds, not yet realizing that working together determines their survival.
As Roz raises the young Brightbill in her own unconventional ways — her robotic behaviors and inputs are mirrored by Brightbill, which “other” him from his peers — “The Wild Robot” overcomes its predictability with heart and charm to spare. Sanders and Brown’s screenplay buffets its occasionally heavy-handed messaging and slapstick humor with a sense of melancholy, and finally, of hope in the power of kindness, understanding, and community.
Nyong’o poignantly conveys Roz’s changing thoughts and mounting existential panic, lending emotional heft to Roz’s internal and external changes. “The Wild Robot” is ultimately Roz’s story, not Brightbill’s, zeroing in on the sacrifices of raising a child, the anxiety of releasing that child into the world, and embracing a new “home” far separated from her corporate, dystopian beginnings. It’s frustrating that the film’s uneven pacing doesn’t quite do justice to Roz’s arc, not fully allowing pivotal scenes in the latter half space to breathe and becoming schematic as a result.
Connor tugs heart-strings as the unconventional yet resilient Brightbill struggles to fit in and, over time, recognizes the deep love that his surrogate mother has for him. Pascal is nearly unrecognizable as the rascally, surprisingly complex Fink who’s looking for his own sense of belonging. Matt Berry is wryly funny as Paddler the beaver, while Bill Nighy as an elder goose named Longbill, is typically dignified but saddled with the screenplay’s more explanatory (a.k.a. eye-rolling) dialogue.
The finale — chaotic, action-packed, and delivering emotional moments that are easy to see coming — is too tidy and beholden to modern sensibilities, neglecting the film’s otherwise graceful attention to world-building and character development. It also requires a distracting suspension of disbelief in the denouement.
Still, the otherwise exceptional storytelling on display overshadows most hiccups down the road. There’s real merit to Sanders’ direct call for unity going into an uncertain future. It’s the kind of soulful, all-ages experience we need more of right now, one that pairs spectacular visuals with a heartfelt story to match.
“The Wild Robot” is a 2024 animated family comedy-drama-science fiction film directed by Chris Sanders and stars Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal, Kit Connor, Boone Storm, Matt Berry, Bill Nighy, and Mark Hamill. It is rated PG for action/peril and thematic elements, and its runtime is 1 hour, 42 minutes. It opened in theaters September 27. Alex’s Grade: B+.
Perceptively directed and thoughtfully acted, “Trayf” is an ode to friendship, an exploration of faith and tradition, and finding one’s own path to enlightenment.
New Jewish Theatre’s St. Louis premiere of Lindsey Joelle’s 2018 play is noteworthy for its heart and humor, but also in the painstaking care that they have used in sharing this story.
One need not be an expert or be all that familiar with Jewish customs to enjoy this warm and winsome story of young men at crossroads.
The universal coming-of-age theme has specific elements to seamlessly educate in an insightful way about an ultra-Orthodox sect of Judaism — Chabad Hasidism.
Director Aaron Sparks has masterfully interpreted the material so that we witness how these two 18-year-olds have been shaped by their religious teachings. Joelle’s dialogue snaps and crackles, and the convincing actors make it pop with peppy patter and engaging portrayals.
Spencer Sickmann, Jacob Schmidt and Bryce Miller. Photo by ProPhotoSTL.
Best friends Schmuel and Zalmy grew up in Crown Heights in Brooklyn, New York. It’s the summer of 1991. Together, they drive a Chabad “Mitzvah Tank” in borough neighborhoods as lamplighters, to zealously spread their faith. They’re ready to take on the world, but they discover they have much to learn.
The pair are similar but have different personalities, and dynamic duo Jacob Schmidt and Bryce Miller convey a deep commitment to each other, their families and their community. They are funny in their exchanges, for Joelle’s wit sparkles, and their enthusiasm is refreshing.
As Schmuel, Miller is an absolute, a by-the-book guy who doesn’t veer off course, and who is always guided by the principles of faith. He is fervent about his beliefs.
He doesn’t grasp Zalmy’s yearning, his curiosity about the secular world. Why would his childhood friend not be content with the way things always have been and want to learn more?
As Zalmy is beguiled by the modern world and the freedom to broaden his horizons, Schmidt has a childlike wonder about him, like “The Little Mermaid” Ariel and her fascination with all things above the sea, on land.
Schmuel is disapproving. Life is following the rules, not seeing how they can break them. He’s not open to Zalmy’s desires and temptations. They may be growing apart, but they still love each other.
The conversations are candid, and a tad irreverent, indicating both are naïve They share their innermost thoughts on sex and romance and express their fears and doubts. There is always that nagging feeling that they don’t fit in as they go about their journeys.
Schmuel wants them to have the exact same experiences, but Zalmy’s interest in other music, roller-skating and wearing blue jeans is blasphemous to Schmuel.
One day, a charismatic stranger tells them he just learned that his father was Jewish and wants to learn more about Judaism. Spencer Sickmann plays Johnathan, who works at a music store, and gives Zalmy samples of the latest music.
While teaching him about their faith, Zalmy is enamored with Johnathan’s lifestyle. He has a girlfriend. He wears jeans and cool T-shirts, perfectly selected by costume designer
Annie Zigman, Bryce Miller. Photo by ProPhotoSTL.
Sickmann, who always disappears into a role, had taken a break from the stage before returning to direct at the LaBute New Play Festival this past summer. He was last seen in NJT’s “My Name is Asher Lev” in 2020, right before the pandemic shut social activities down. He is reunited with the “Asher Lev” director Aaron Sparks.
He becomes pals with both young men, but spends more time with Zalmy, who is conflicted about the strict rules of his faith, while Johnathan has given up a lot of his secular customs, including breaking up with his girlfriend Leah. As played by Annie Zigman, she has one scene discussing how Johnathan has changed because of their teachings.
Schmuel is jealous of Johnathan and Zalmy’s bond, and there are reflections by each on their growth.
The play is full of music – both the Orthodox religious music that Schmuly and Zalmy love, as well as the mainstream music that Jonathan introduces to Zalmy, and highlights the connection of music to religious experience. Sound designer Kareem Deanes gets it right.
It is set in the summer of 1991 – just prior to the Crown Heights riots that took place in August of that year. The play shows the Chabad community before it was changed by those events.
The Crown Heights riot was a race riot that took place from August 19 to August 21, 1991, in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, New York City. Black residents attacked Orthodox Jewish residents, damaged their homes, and looted businesses. It was caused by the collision of a Chabad motorcade with Guyanese children, killing one. The statistics are sobering: 129 arrested and injuries to 152 police officers and 38 civilians.
The play is described as “a road-trip bromance that is a funny and heartwarming ode to the turbulence of youth, the universal suspicion that we don’t quite fit in, and the friends that see us through.”
The story is lived-in, and the conflicts are genuine, with Sparks at the helm. He’s the son of Zelda Sparks, who was the director of cultural arts at the J for many years
It is directed by Aaron Sparks, who was last at NJT for My Name is Asher Lev in 2020, the last production at NJT before COVID shut everything down. Aaron is also the son of Zelda Sparks, who was the Director of Cultural Arts at the J for many years, so this is a homecoming for him to direct this play in the community that raised him.
The creative team’s work also stands out, with Lily Tomasic’s grid-like set and functional Mitzvah Tank, lit well by lighting designer Michael Sullivan.
The yearning for connection and the importance of community is palpable, with the acting ensemble in top form.
New Jewish Theatre presents “Trayf” Thursdays at 7:30 pm, Saturdays at 4 and 8 pm and Sundays at 2 pm from Sept. 12 through Sept. 29. It is 95 minutes without intermission. Performances take place at the SFC Performing Arts Center, 2 Millstone Campus Drive. Tickets are available by phone at 314.442.3283 or online at newjewishtheatre.org. For more information: jccstl.com/arts-ideas/new-jewish-theatre/current-productions.
A saucy, sultry and soulful trio of supremely talented women take us on their rocky road of hard-fought life lessons in a stylishly framed musical “Blues in the Night.” They sure have earned the right to sing the blues, and the Black Rep’s polished gem of a show is evocative of divine romance and the light that breaks through after darkness.
The enchanting Adrianna Jones as “The Woman,” Amber Alexandria Rose as “The Girl,’ and De-Rance Blaylock as “The Lady” conjure up past lives of sorrows, heartbreak and triumphs as they take us through an appealing catalogue of 27 classic blues and jazz songs.
In their skilled delivery, while projecting attitude and emotion, they bring those experiences to life with a vitality that’s mesmerizing. These songs may have been written in days gone by, but there is a freshness because the numbers are presented with a vibrancy and good nature.
The time is the 1930s and the place is Chicago. And we are swept away to an era immortalized in music and movies. I can see/hear images of Duke Ellington, Bessie Smith, Louie Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald.
The women get to shine in solos – think of their voices as the luxurious textures of silk, satin and velvet.
De-Rance Blaylock as “The Lady.” Photo by Keshon Campbell.
As the eldest woman “The Lady,” Blaylock, who won the St. Louis Theater Circle Award for Best Performance in a Musical, Female or Non-Binary Role, last year for “Caroline, or Change,” imbues Bessie Smith’s dramatic standards “New Orleans Hop Scop Blues,” “Dirty No-Gooder’s Blues” and “Wasted Life Blues” with grit, then is playful in “Take Me for a Buggy Ride” and “Kitchen Man.” She’s sorrowful in Billie Holiday’s “Lover Man.”
As “The Woman” in her prime, Jones makes a memorable Black Rep debut, swinging in the famous Benny Goodman song named after the famous Harlem nightspot, “Stompin’ at the Savoy,” and Billy Strayhorn’s jazz standard “Lush Life.” She’s longing – and assertive –in “Rough and Ready Man.”
As the youngest “The Girl,” Amber Alexandria Rose is already a veteran of multiple musicals produced at The Black Rep and was part of the noteworthy Fisk Jubilee Singers at the Tennessee university. She’s dynamic in the Big Band favorite “Taking a Chance on Love,” “Willow Weep for Me” and “Reckless Blues.” Jones and Rose duet in the great torch song “When Your Lover Is Gone.”
However, the women aren’t the only ones adding sass and class to the show. As “The Man,” J Samuel Davis displays a remarkable gift for singing – who knew? (I mean he’s one of our finest dramatic actors, but an accomplished vocalist? Heck, yeah! More, please).
J Samuel Davis as “The Man.” Photo by Keshon Campbell.
Well, he gets to play the cad, the guy who done them wrong, but also a fellow with considerable charm. He opens with a rousing “T-Bone Walker’s “The Blues Is a Woman” and has fun with Louie Armstrong’s “I’m Just a Lucky So-and-So” and “Wild Women Don’t Have No Blues.” Davis is a two-time St. Louis Theater Circle Award winner, for performances in “Bashir Lazhar” at Upstream Theater and “District Merchants” at New Jewish Theatre. He’s recently been seen in “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” at the Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis and in The Black Rep’s “King Hedley II.”
A tight quintet of superb musicians makes the magic happen, with music director Khalid McGee giving the piano a mighty fine workout, along with Willem von Hombracht on bass, Brady Lewis on trumpet, Stan Coleman on reeds and Bernard Long Jr. on drums smoothly jiving, wailing and scorching the compositions.
The original vocal arrangements were by Chapman Roberts, with orchestrations and additional vocal arrangements by Sy Johnson. It’s a satiny-smooth trip through the best representations of the genre.
Their second act opening jam session to “Wild Women Don’t Get the Blues” gets the joint a jumping, while their Exit Music at the show’s end is enough to keep you in your seats. What a delight they are to listen to all evening. And special shout-out to sound designer Justin Schmitz on his outstanding work.
The way the set is structured, with Davis often presiding over a bar, you feel like the musicians are masters of their destination nightclub, and you feel part of a very ‘inside’ cool experience.
Adrianna Jones as “The Girl.” Photo by Keshon Campbell
The women are placed in individual rooms that appear to be the same floor of a hotel — each of various ages and different reasons to be home alone.
Scenic designer Jamie Bullins’ attention to detail is admirable and sets a terrific nostalgic tone, which is carried through by prop designer Mikhail Lynn.
Travis Richardson’s lighting design enhances those spaces and adds so much to the shifting moods. It feels elegant despite hearing tales of woe (but often resilience and strength, too).
Director Ron Himes has enlivened this show – part jukebox musical, part revue and totally entertaining with a breezy staging that also offers comfort, joy and inspiration.
Sheldon Epps, well-known for his work as artistic director at the Pasadena Playhouse, earned Tony nominations and much acclaim for his musical on Duke Ellington called “Play On!” He then conceived and put together “Blues in the Night,” which opened off-Broadway in 1980 before it moved to Broadway in 1982. It was nominated for a Tony as best musical but mostly (inexplicably) has had short runs.
It deserves to be noticed, for its depth of material and sharp execution are worth seeing because of the band’s rhythms and the cast’s vocal power and emotional intensity. It results in a charming evening of good tunes, sumptuous vocals and a fun atmosphere.
Amber Alexandria Rose as “The Girl.” Photo by Keshon Campbell.
The company’s group numbers showcase their abilities to harmonize beautifully, with “It Makes My Love Come Down” and a feisty “Take It All Back” wrapping up the first act.
Decked out in shades of blue, the women coming out swinging in the second act with “Blues in the Night,” followed by stellar renditions of “When A Woman Loves a Man” and “Am I Blue?” and a wistful “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out” with the entire company.
After baring their souls and singing their hearts out, the women present a moving “I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues,” the well-known Harold Arlen standard, before the “Four Walls Blues” encore/finale.
Heather Beal’s light touch on choreography is well-suited to this show, and the characters. For the most movements, the women sashay, the man struts, and any dance is attuned to the times.
Gregory J. Horton’s gorgeous selection of vintage formal attire, cocktail dresses, and loungewear provides a sumptuous assortment of fabrics and styles ideally representing time periods and happenings.
The Women. Photo by Keshon Campbell.
Tracy Holliway-Wiggins is the stage manager with Daija Jones as assistant stage manager.
The blues provide a universal language into the soul, and the Black Rep has splendidly guided us through a pleasurable excursion into the urban blues of Chicago and a post-Great Depression America.
Photo by Keshon Campbell.
The Black Rep presents the musical “Blues in the Night” Sept. 4 through Sept. 29 at the Edison Theatre on the Washington University campus. Performances are at 7 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 3 p.m. Sunday. The show is recommended for mature audiences ages 14 and up. Tickets are available at theblackrep.org or through the Box Office at 314-534-3807. Reduced pricing is available for seniors, educators, museum staff, students, and groups of 12 or more. For more information: www.theblackrep.org.
An electric cast brings to life Green Day’s turbo-charged punk rock opera “American Idiot,” accompanied by an exceptional group of eight musicians whose propulsive rhythms invigorate New Line Theatre’s 98th production.
New Line first presented this youthful alienation statement as a regional premiere in 2016, and with a fresh crop of performers, has turned The Marcelle Theatre into a scorching experience that ramps up passion and urgency. Heads will be banged.
Green Day’s 2004 Grammy-winning rock album “American Idiot,” its seventh, is combined with additional songs from their “21st Century Breakdown” album in 2009 and previously unreleased material.
For the stage adaptation, it was formatted as a coming-of-age tale that delved into disillusionment in post-9-11 America. The explosive, in-your-face 2010 Broadway show was nominated for three Tony Awards, including best musical, and won two – for scenic and lighting designs.
Frontman Billie Joe Armstrong collaborated with director Michael Mayer to write the book, which attacked George W. Bush’s presidency, corporate greed, warmongering (“the War on Terror” in Afghanistan and Iraq), hypocrisy in politics, and being submissive, paranoid and apathetic, fueled by mass media.
Clayton Humburg and Bee Mecey as Johnny and St. Jimmy. Photo by Jill Ritter Lindberg
Guided by familiar songs that are rooted in realism, the ensemble is full of energy and attitude, snarling and in pain, confused about their lives’ directions as they struggle to find meaning. They hit the ground running with the title song “American Idiot” and crank it up to 11 from there. You always feel their convictions, no matter how dark it gets.
The ensemble’s momentum is strong in the group numbers, but also in the small vignettes that presents snapshots of lives in transition. Because there is minimal dialogue, the emotions must be conveyed to fill in the blanks about their confusion and malaise.
Temptations beckon ‘in the big city,’ relationships are messy, and the women seemed destined for disillusionment – with strong vocal showings from Lauren Tenenbaum as Whatshername, Adrienne Spann as Extraordinary Girl, and Rachel Parker as Heather.
Directors Chris Moore and Scott Miller have focused on the constant motion aspect of the material, where the band’s raw punk power is maintained, and the performers’ vibrancy comes through, even when playing angsty, restless characters.
Triple threats Clayton Humburg, Rafael DaCosta and DeAnte Bryant are a tight-knit trio of friends — Johnny, Tunny and Will, who are alternately angry and apathetic young men seeking to flee the stifling conformity of suburbia.
Rafael DaCosta, Adrienne Spann as Tunny and Extraordinary Girl. Photo by Jill Ritter Lindberg
Their robust voices harmonize as they verbalize their distress in “City of the Damned” and “I Don’t Care,” and their feelings coalesce in the soulful ballad “Wake Me Up When September Ends” with the company.
They are visibly agitated in several numbers, including “Tales of a Broken Home” trying to make sense of a world that keeps spinning and not in good ways.
Rebel without a cause, Johnny aka “Jesus of Suburbia,” just wants to be anesthetized and escape in most situations, saying yes to drugs and no to hygiene: “Give Me Novacaine” but shows a hopeful side in “Last of the American Girls” and “She’s a Rebel.”
Living in squalor, wallowing in drug hazes, not being nice to his “dream girl” that gets away, and wrestling inner demons, he hooks up with bad idea drug dealer St. Jimmy.
As a hero’s journey lynchpin, Johnny isn’t a sympathetic character, but Humburg’s verve for every role he takes on comes through, so that he demands you pay attention: Will he self-destruct or get it together? And he’s a naturally compelling performer, so you hope Johnny moves beyond cynicism.
Humburg, Lauren Tenenbaum. Photo by Jill Ritter Lindberg.
Tenenbaum becomes a forceful match for Johnny. At first, seductive Whatshername is misguided, then she grows bolder and more resourceful before she’s gone. In one of the show’s best numbers, Tenenbaum is a standout in the company’s “21 Guns.” She then leads the women in a feisty “Letterbomb.”
Trouble always comes by when St. Jimmy is around, and those pesky drugs that Whatshername is a willing participant in taking. She’s in the number with St. Jimmy and Johnny “Last Night on Earth.”
Bee Mecey is full of swagger as St. Jimmy, equal parts cocky and creepy. Mecey leans into the bombastic, snarling delivery of the vocals, and is an unremorseful ‘son of a gun’ in “The Death of St. Jimmy.”
Tunny joins the military, recruited for the Army by Favorite Son (a noteworthy Jordan Ray Duncan, who bears a striking resemblance to actor Paul Dano). DaCosta and Duncan are powerful in “Are We the Waiting,” joined by others, then they discover they are in for a rude awakening.
These scenes of combat and convalescences are the most powerful. After he is severely wounded in the War on Terror, Da Costa’s torment is palpable, and he agonizes about a crazy world — “Before the Lobotomy.” He attempts to adapt with help from the compassionate Spann, whose silky voice soars in “Extraordinary Girl.”
Gabriel Anderson, Kaylin Penninger. Photo by Jill Ritter Lindberg.
Bryant displays his shock at becoming a father when his girlfriend Heather (Parker) becomes pregnant. They clash as they deal with parenthood, and Parker is moving as she wrestles with Will’s lack of interest and the demands of a baby.
Parker’s sturdy vocal work is impressive as she delivers a rollercoaster of emotion. Her “Dearly Beloved” is a cry for help, her exasperation evident, while “Too Much Too Soon” reveals her frustration and desperation, and in a defiant “Rock and Roll Boyfriend,” she clearly has moved on from Will dragging her down.
As the characters grow, the band of brothers reunite for “We’re Coming Home Again,” and Johnny is sincerely regretful in “Whatshername.”
The zealous company includes Gabriel Anderson, Kaylin “Kat” Penninger, Alex Giordano, Amora Marie, Ian McCreary, Nathan Mecey, Hannah Renee and Vanessa Simpson. They do a fine job raging at the machine.
Anderson and Penninger are impressive as graceful and skilled featured dancers, and they were also the dance captains. Choreographer Chelsie Johnston pushed a passionate intensity in the movements, which brought out the group’s fire and never let up.
The finale is effectively staged, having the cast sit or stand scattered on the floor, singing a heartfelt “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life).” It is a surprisingly emotional ending after the group has poured out their hearts and souls into this rousing material.
Alex Giordano and Rachel Parker in “Rock and Roll Boyfriend.” Photo by Jill Ritter Lindberg.
Green Day was organized by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong in the Bay Area of California in 1987, and musicians Mike Dirnt (bassist) and Tre Cool (drums) came aboard awhile later. They are best known as a rock band that brought punk out of the underground and into the mainstream, starting with breakout success in 1994.
Thirty years later, they’ve sold 75 million records worldwide, been nominated for 20 Grammy Awards, winning five, and were inducted into the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame in 2015, their first year of eligibility.
Bassist John Gerdes’ pulsing power chords are a definite highlight, as are the strings that add so much – violin, viola and cello, along with the robust rock beats of the guitars and drums.
The musicians are a tight group that maintained a driving pace important to the Green Day sound, and carry out the throbbing musical arrangements and orchestrations by Broadway composer Tom Kitt
Gerdes was an outstanding music director, capably getting the best from conducting Chelsea Zak on keyboards (also assistant music director), Adam Rugo and Xander Gerdes on guitars, Jake Luebbert on drums, Steve Frisbee on violin, Mallory Golden on viola, and Marie Brown alternating with Michaela Kuba on cello.
Ensemble in “Holiday.” Photo by Jill Ritter Lindberg.
Ryan Day’s sound design is bold, Ryan Thorp’s lighting design is effective, Lauren Smith Bearden’s costume design captures the club scene and scruffy daily casual. Rob Lippert’s scenic design sets up three distinct areas for the action, with minimal set pieces.
Nathan Mecey put the pieces together as tech director, Mallory Golden mastered the props, and Ashwini Arora was the intimacy coordinator. Gabriel Scott Lawrence is listed as the directing intern.
Every generation has its seminal rock operas – like the Boomers’ “Hair” and “Tommy,” Gen X’s “Rent” and Millennials’ “Spring Awakening.” Millennials identify with Green Day, although there are shades of Gen X’ers too, so its multi-generations.
This cast shows their bond as mostly Gen Z’ers presenting a specific era. It’s hard to think of “American Idiot” as a period piece, for it remains relevant with its blistering screeds and hopeful ballads.
Johnny leads the company in “East 12th Street.” Photo by Jill Ritter Lindberg.
With a complexity that you may not have thought about while hearing the music in radio play or through sound systems, “American Idiot” shakes things awake in a rant against complacency and manipulation – and that can be heard loud and clear at any age.
New Line Theatre presents “American Idiot” from Sept. 12 to Oct. 5 on Thursdays through Saturdays at p.m. at the Marcelle Theatre, 3310 Samuel Shepard Drive, St. Louis. There is no performance Sept. 14. This 90-minute show is presented without intermission and is the 33rd season opener.
Tickets: Metrotix: 314-534-1111 or visit the Fox Theatre box office or the MetroTix website. Discounts: for students, educators and military. For more information, visit www.newlinetheatre.com.
There are 10 free seats for every performance that are open to any college student with a valid student ID. It is valid only at the door.
There is a lighted parking lot across the street from the theatre, and there is lots of free street parking. There is no dress code and there are refreshments available in the lobby, including alcohol.
Company in “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life).” Photo by Jill Ritter Lindberg.
Crowd-pleasing but toothless, director James Watkins’ “Speak No Evil” mixes potent themes into a sanitized experience that, when it’s not doing a shabby copy-and-paste job of Christian Tafdrup’s 2022 original, turns its powerful setup into easily-digestible fodder for the masses.
For its first moments, Watkins’ film replicates Tafdrup’s shot-for-shot and line-for-line, albeit changing the nationalities of its central players. We follow Ben and Louise Dalton (Scoot McNairy and Mackenzie Davis), an American couple living in London who are vacationing in Italy with their middle-school-aged daughter, Agnes (Alix West Lefler), and Agnes’ stuffed animal rabbit, Hoppy.
Amidst their wealth and privilege, Ben and Louise have a troubled marriage as they deal with the fallout from Ben’s recent unemployment and a marital betrayal bubbling to the surface.
While relaxing at a pool, Ben and Louise are approached by the English Paddy (James McAvoy) and his wife Ciara (Aisling Franciosi) and they strike up a near-immediate friendship. Paddy is confident, charismatic, rowdy, and unafraid to make himself the center of attention.
The Daltons (especially Ben) are pulled into his orbit, both by their own accord as well as by Paddy’s not-so-subtle pushiness that they just can’t say no to. Paddy and Ciara are accompanied by their son Ant (Dan Hough), who is around Agnes’ age and has difficulty speaking. This is explained away as “congenital aglossia” by Paddy, who claims to be a doctor.
Shortly after the trip ends and the Daltons are back in gloomy, rain-soaked London, where their upper-middle-class contentment frays at the seams, they get a letter from Paddy and Ciara inviting them to their remote farmhouse in the English countryside. Although Louise is skeptical, she begrudgingly agrees with Ben — who sees a form of “alpha male” masculinity in Paddy that he craves in his own life — that a change of scenery would be good for them as well as for Agnes.
Thus, against their better judgment and moviegoers yelling “No!” at the screen, the Daltons drive their Tesla to the in-your-face creepy house in the countryside. Everything is off from the get-go and proceeds to get worse: from Paddy and Ciara’s increasingly overstepping of boundaries (often of a sexual nature), to the concerning ways they treat Ant and Agnes, to the calm-and-collected explaining-away of any worries that the Daltons have about their vacation destination.
It’s just weird. And Ben and Louise — too uncomfortable and cowardly to stand up for themselves and what they believe in — are soon trapped in a hell of their own making.
Indeed, in its interrogation of social niceties, malaise, toxic masculinity, and inaction in the face of evil, Watkins’ “Speak No Evil” speaks to our current political climate.
The Daltons’ predicament is not completely implausible; they’re led away from their normal lives by the allure of the unfamiliar, not unlike the followers of a cult leader, falling victim to impulses that they’re unwilling or unable to counter with rational thought.
Unlike Tafdrup before him, though — who fully gives in to the nihilistic, misanthropic leanings of the premise— Watkins definitely pulls his punches this time around.
Not even an unhinged performance from McAvoy can save a film that’s seemingly scared of what its characters are capable, or incapable, of doing.
That’s not to say 2024’s “Speak No Evil” doesn’t have its merits. McAvoy slides comfortably into making viewers uncomfortable every step of the way. It’s not exactly a “novel” performance for McAvoy, who’s played similar characters in the past, but he’s chilling and (more so than his 2022 equivalent played by Fedja van Huêt) darkly funny — pushing the Daltons’ buttons with mischievous pleasure.
Paddy’s smile and frat boy-esque behavior belies a propensity to lash out if his authority and “control” is questioned. Franciosi is suitably creepy and off-kilter, although Watkins’ screenplay gives her a new backstory that robs Ciara of her chilling ambiguity.
McNairy definitely embodies Ben’s insecure, “beta male” attitude, but it’s occasionally difficult to discern between what is an intentionally awkward delivery and what is just plain awkward. He doesn’t get enough chances to show the fire burning beneath Ben’s eyes, making it difficult to buy Ben’s attraction to Paddy.
Davis fares marginally better, but, like the other characters, Watkins’ script doesn’t grant her much subtlety or ambiguity. Louise knows something’s very wrong from the outset, yet she remains hesitant to act on her beliefs out of guilt for her husband and a desire to keep the peace.
Hough shines brighter than McNairy and Davis as the damaged Ant. It’s too bad he’s forced into scenarios that, when they’re not outright copying what’s been done better before, turn Ant’s arc into a seen-it-before spectacle.
And this is emblematic of where 2024’s “Speak No Evil” falters more broadly. There’s a general lack of tension — the film’s editing is clunky and imprecise, only sometimes slowing down to let us get immersed in the at-times agonizing situations the characters find themselves in.
Gone from the new film is the memorably jarring score by Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans, the no-holds-barred commitment to the bit, and the heartbreaking sensation of watching an inevitable catastrophe.
Instead, by the time the third act rolls around, 2024’s “Speak No Evil” slides into derivative territory that leaves us cheering instead of disturbed, swapping poignancy for “fun” that is just that: disposable and disappointingly safe.
It is, admittedly, amusing to experience in a crowded theater, where everyone can have a ball watching the film turn into a haunted house of cathartic set-pieces and slapstick violence. Watkins gives these characters far more agency than Tafdrup does.
Still, by altering the trajectory of their story so drastically, Watkins tones down the ballsiness that made Tafdrup’s telling memorable, almost rendering it a parody of what’s come before.
“Speak No Evil” ultimately doesn’t have much faith in viewers’ attention or ability to embrace the unexpected. It’s a frustrating, if campily enjoyable, remake that never quite proves its worth.
“Speak No Evil” is a 2024 horror-comedy written and directed by James Watkins and starring James McAvoy, Aisling Franciosi, Scoot McNairy, Mackenzie Davis, Alix West Lefler and Dan Hough. It is rated R for some strong violence, language, some sexual content and brief drug use, and its runtime is 1 hour, 50 minutes. It opens in theatres Sept. 13. Alex’s Grade: C.
By Lynn Venhaus Ah, polite society vs. listening to your natural instincts is at the heart of this intriguing psychological thriller-horror film “Speak No Evil,” which is an American remake of a bleaker 2022 Danish film.
In the hands of genre specialists Blumhouse Productions, the horrormeisters behind such franchises as “Insidious,” “Paranormal Activity” and “The Purge,” in addition to “Get Out,” M. Night Shyamalan’s “Split” and many more, this American version has been reimagined as a family pushed to the brink who fights back in a hair-raising showdown.
After meeting on vacation in Italy, an American family who uprooted their lives for the dad’s job in London is invited by a fun-loving British couple to their farmhouse in the remote countryside in southwest England called “the West Country.” Even though the hosts aren’t well-known, they decide to be spontaneous and go, as their kids hit it off. However, the weekend turns into a psychological nightmare that wreaks havoc on their lives.
Writer-director James Watkins, who crafted the thrillers “Eden Lake” and “The Woman in Black,” stuck to the original’s plot rhythms at first, but veered away from Danish writer-director Christian Tafdrup’s European social commentary, and then swapped out the unsettling gruesome ending for American-style action mayhem, although still disturbing overall. Tafdrup is one of the executive producers on this film.
This is one of those mainstream, no-frills, straight-up suspense movies injected with humor that must be seen at the theaters with an audience, for the laughs, gasps, cheers, and applause responses are as much fun to experience as watching all hell break loose on screen.
The Daltons – Agnes (Alix West Lefler), Louise (Mackenzie Davis) and Ben (Scoot McNairy) in “Speak No Evil.”
While it does take a while to get to the unnerving conflicts, that feeling of uneasiness when you don’t listen to your hunches keeps building to a discomforting second-guessing level. There are so many red flags and tell-tale signs that the American guests ignore or brush away at the risk of not being gracious and offending their hosts.
You know that phrase by Maya Angelou about when people show you their real selves, believe it? These are the nagging doubts that escalate with the psychological thriller set-up. The couple from the states, the Daltons Ben (Scoot McNairy) and Louise (Mackenzie Davis), are parents of an 11-year-old daughter Agnes (Alix West Lefler) who frets and is never without her ‘worry bunny’ Hoppy, a stuffed animal. While on vacation in idyllic resort in Tuscany, the trio doesn’t seem to be having much fun.
Enter James McAvoy as Paddy, a life-of-the-party guy whose wife Ciara (Aisling Franciosi) is friendly, too. Their son Ant (Dan Hough) doesn’t speak, which is explained as a condition he was born with, a malformed tongue. Paddy is a doctor, after all, so nobody questions why the son seems so sullen.
The British couple is so jovial and engaging in conversation that when the Americans receive an invite for a weekend in the country, they dismiss their fears about strangers and show up at this remote estate. A getaway from rainy London seemed like a good idea, and they’re trying to fit into their new home, make friends.
McAvoy, a favorite since his impressive work in “The Last King of Scotland” in 2006 and “Atonement” in 2007, goes all in as a convivial host who’s at first a tad pushy, then some toxic masculinity surfaces. As the guests start sensing something isn’t quite right, he then reveals what a sociopath he really is in bursts of aggressive and crossing-the-line behavior.
Why is he acting so different, seething and not respecting boundaries? The three guests will soon find out and be freaked out, questioning his intentions.
McAvoy is one of those intense actors who can play the hero (Charles Xavier aka ‘Professor X’ in the “X-Men” prequel series “First Class,” “Days of Future Past,” “Apocalypse” and “Dark Phoenix,” and attorney Frederick Aiken in “The Conspirator”) or the villain (multiple personalities in “Split” and “Glass”) and be believable as both.
Couples out to dinner in the “West Country.” Aisling Franciosi, James McAvoy, McNairy and Davis.
Here, he is gleefully over the top as a sinister con artist masquerading as a company-loving gentleman farmer but hiding ugly truths and terrible secrets. He is the most fun to watch when going ballistic, but he has a flair for comedy that his film roles don’t often indicate (obviously humorless in “It Chapter Two” and “Atomic Blonde”).
The other adults are believable as they wrestle with fight-or-flight impulses, and the two youths are surprisingly effective. Their dance routine to “Cotton-Eye Joe” is a sweet example of something innocuous that turns ugly.
McNairy, often in supporting roles (“Argo,” “Men”), excels as a guy going through some things, questioning his role as a husband and a father. He is not the alpha-male Paddy is, making him look weak and indecisive, more on the passive-aggressive side.
His wife, who appears to have the upper hand, is played by the likable Davis, who starred with him for four seasons on the AMC series “Halt and Catch Fire.” She’s more forceful, but is trying to be amenable in a social setting. She also made her mark in “Terminator: Dark Fate” as an action star.
They realistically portray an unhappy married couple going through some bumps and trying to work through them, yet disagreeing on parenting philosophies while trying to be polite as guests.
They keep shaking off their doubts, much to the dismay of the audience who knows what “I’ll be back” usually means. Of course, with all horror movies, some logic and credibility are stretched. We’re put in their shoes as they make decisions, both smart and very unwise.
Dan Hough and Lefler as Ant and Agnes.
The darkness is creepy, but we’re not going to be getting too many answers here as survivor skills kick in. Jon Harris’ editing is first-rate, and so is the cinematography by Tim Maurice-Jones, and the isolated feeling adds to the story.
Comparisons to the 1971 Sam Peckingpah film “Straw Dogs” are fitting, with an American astrophysicist (Dustin Hoffman) and his beautiful British wife (Susan George) pushed to the breaking point by locals harassing them, only sex never enters into this scenario. (Well, except for Paddy-Ciara getting frisky in public).
“Speak No Evil” satisfies mostly as a crowd-pleaser that is ideally suited as an entertaining end-of-summer romp without too much gore or any jump scares. It’s certain to make your staycation plans all the more appealing – or have you think twice when people you don’t know well invite you somewhere.
“Speak No Evil” is a 2024 horror-comedy written and directed by James Watkins and starring James McAvoy, Aisling Franciosi, Scoot McNairy, Mackenzie Davis, Alix West Lefler and Dan Hough. It is rated R for some strong violence, language, some sexual content and brief drug use, and its runtime is 1 hour, 50 minutes. It opens in theatres Sept. 13. Lynn’s Grade: B.
Messy and overstuffed, but bursting with personality, director Tim Burton’s “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” is a worthy follow-up to the 1988 original that provides another excellent showcase for Michael Keaton’s comedic talents.
“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” takes place 36 years after the events of the first film. It continues the story of Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder), last seen dancing to Harry Belafonte with a ghostly football team. She has become a successful television host and essentially cashed in on her supernatural abilities to see ghosts, making a living off others’ trauma.
But she’s haunted by visions of “Beetle Breakfast” himself (Keaton), popping pills to keep them at bay. She’s accompanied by her TV show producer and romantic partner Rory (Justin Theroux), who barely conceals his toxicity behind platitudes and emotional manipulation, valuing money and external validation above all else.
Lydia is abruptly summoned to New York City by her stepmother, Delia (Catherine O’Hara), a vain yet lovable diva having now become a performance artist in the Big Apple. She informs Lydia that her father, Charles (Jeffrey Jones), has unceremoniously died en route to a bird-watching trip.
Lydia, Delia, and Rory decide to have Charles buried at the Maitland family house in Winter River, Connecticut (the Maitlands are abruptly written out of this story), picking up Lydia’s estranged daughter Astrid (Jenna Ortega) from boarding school along the way. Astrid is highly resentful of her mother, who cannot see the ghost of her deceased father, and immerses herself in climate activism to rebel against her family’s opportunistic ways.
In the Afterlife, the titular Beetlejuice, as unhinged as ever, has opened a call center for his “bio-exorcism” gig. He’s staffed his office with ghouls with shrunken heads and uses one poor lad, Bob, as his personal assistant. Beetlejuice seems pretty content with all that power, but his past has other plans.
An unlucky janitor (played by Danny DeVito) ends up accidentally unleashing Beetlejuice’s ex lover, Delores (Monica Belluci), upon the world — a literal soul-sucking badass who physically staples herself back together — and she’s out for revenge. Beetlejuice needs to find a way out of the Afterlife.
Young love, a marriage proposal, betrayal, rebellion, alternative waiting room visits, and wacky, charmingly grotesque antics ensue as Beetlejuice enters the Deetz’s lives once again.
Let’s just say, there is a lot going on in “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” too much for any single plot strand to get the attention it really deserves. But Burton’s sequel is more than the sum of its parts. Without sanding down the caustic wit of the original or sacrificing its visual pizazz, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” is an immensely fun watch, albeit an experience that works best if viewed purely as an excuse to get the gang back together to riff on old times.
“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” largely captures the feel of Burton’s classic, from the gothic-inspired, lived-in set design (given a slightly too crisp digital sheen this time around), to Danny Elfman’s score, to its blunt satire of bureaucracy and greed, to the zany performances and a proud refusal to adapt to “modern” sensibilities. It’s just a fun time at the movies–-scattershot in its storytelling but knowingly so, retaining a distinctive style that only Burton’s mind can conjure.
The entire ensemble of returning players and new faces seems to be having a ball on screen. Keaton is the obvious standout, slipping back into the iconic role with ease. Beetlejuice’s signature gross-out, form-breaking, shape-shifting antics are rendered as vividly as ever without relying on CGI.
He’s alternately funny, likable, and squirm-inducing as the flamboyant trickster with surprises up his sleeve and havoc on his mind — manipulating anyone and everyone to his advantage. Keaton’s commitment to the bit makes one wish that he had even more screen time; however; the film has too much ground to cover to make him center-stage consistently.
Keaton steals his scenes all the same, delivering some genuinely shocking moments with sincerity, and taking part in some memorable set-pieces in the finale that really go for it. On his performance alone, the film soars.
Ryder excels yet again as Lydia, uptight and deflated but willing to fight for her family and what’s right. O’Hara, as before, is hilarious, particularly regarding the creation of artwork where she “deals with grief” in outlandish fashion. Ortega fits the role of the moody Astrid well, but stays within the bounds of her previous efforts in shows like “Wednesday.”
Arthur Conti as Jeremy, a neighborhood boy who sparks a romance with Astrid, is charming though mysterious. Theroux is enjoyably annoying, while Bellucci is threatening but disappointingly underused. (Delores is one of the most egregious sacrifices to the film’s narrative restlessness.)
Willem Dafoe, as movie-star-turned-Afterlife-detective Wolf Jackson tracking Delores’s reign of terror, is amusing, with some excellent makeup, but the screenplay ultimately doesn’t do much with him.
Indeed, much of “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” doesn’t dig beneath the surface. And, to be fair, it didn’t need to. It’s as if Burton wants us to relinquish deeper thought and go along for the ride — playing into nostalgia while introducing new characters and environments into the “Beetlejuice” universe.
The closer one looks at any particular thread of “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” the less it holds up, and the few instances where Burton aims for poignancy don’t quite land effectively, as do early set-up scenes in the real world that take a while to kick into gear. Fortunately, much of “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” operates at too fast a clip to dwell on these shortcomings.
Many of the characters struggle with being authentic, both to themselves and others, and this truthfulness (or lack thereof) often determines their fates. “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” on the other hand, knows exactly what it is and largely embraces its instincts, remaining a wholly satisfying way to kick off the spooky season. It’s the rare legacy sequel that really delivers.
“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” is a 2024 horror-comedy directed by Tim Burton and starring Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Jenna Ortega, Catherine O’Hara, Monica Bellucci, Justin Theroux and Willem Dafoe. It is rated PG-13 for violent content, macabre and bloody images, strong language, some suggestive material and brief drug use and the run time is 1 hour, 45 minutes. It started in theatres Sept. 6. Alex’s Grade: B+.
By Lynn Venhaus It’s silly fun but hampered by uneven storytelling, nevertheless “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” dips heavily into nostalgia and director Tim Burton’s irrepressible comic-horror sensibilities.
Thirty-six years after Burton’s distinctive original hybrid, he’s gotten the band back together — with a couple exceptions — for a madcap romp that’s gorier, goofier and goes off on nonsensical tangents.
After an unexpected family tragedy, three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River after an unexpected family tragedy. Lydia discovers she’s still haunted by Beetlejuice, and her life is turned upside down when her rebellious teenage daughter, Astrid (Jenny Ortega), discovers the Maitlands’ model of the town in the attic, accidentally opening the portal to the Afterlife. It’s only a matter of time until someone says Beetlejuice’s name three times, unleashing the mischievous demon once more.
While it is a real treat to see 73-year-old Michael Keaton re-inhabit the afterlife’s unpredictable bio-exorcist Betelgeuse with gleefully ghoulish visuals, that grating voice and his crackerjack comic timing, there are too many plot threads that distract from a couple crucial weddings that should be the focus.
To reconnect to the core Deetz family, Lydia is now a paranormal specialist with a TV series called “Ghost House.” Her husband died, and Ortega plays her hostile, angsty teenage daughter with appropriate disgust.
They return to the picturesque Connecticut town for Lydia’s father’s funeral. Charlie was chomped by a shark after one of his bird-watching expeditions when his plane crashed into the ocean.
Because Jeffrey Jones is unavailable (look it up), Burton has used an animated Claymation sequence to deal with his character’s demise.
Catherine O’Hara is back in all her flamboyant fiery red-haired glory as the vain artist Stepmom Delia. She can’t hide her disdain for Lydia’s opportunist boyfriend Rory (Justin Theroux), her show producer that speaks in psychobabble and spells trouble.
There’s also a new romance for anti-social Astrid — Jeremy (Arthur Conti), who has a complicated backstory and his motives aren’t clear at first, but wind up crystal clear down. And Beetlejuice’s sinister ex-wife Delores returns. As played by Monica Bellucci, she is a re-animated evil mistress that looks like a cross between Morticia Addams and Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. She is wreaking gruesome havoc like demons do.
In an interesting departure, Willem Dafoe has fun playing it straight as a hard-boiled detective from the afterlife.
The CGI-heavy story hinges on weddings, a funeral and a grotesque birth that is a mini-me Beetlejuice who is as demonic as the Chucky doll from “Child’s Play.”
It’s all ridiculous, with the added oomph of Burton’s funhouse aesthetic. The waiting room is as daffy as the original, and Bob, the shrunken-head spirit, reappears as Keaton’s wingman – a more prominent role.
The needle drops are funny but the song choices can be head-scratching. A dream sequence prominently uses both hit versions of Jimmy Webb’s “MacArthur Park” that were recorded by Richard Harris and Donna Summer. Not sure if it is more than a Boomer in-joke.
Don’t think too hard and enjoy the fan service. Danny Elfman’s score, the weird sandworms, and bizarre happenings are commonplace in this spirit world. The spirited screenplay writers are Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, Emmy-nominated for “Wednesday” TV series, who also developed the story, along with Seth Grahame-Smith, based on characters created by Larry Wilson and the late Michael McDowell.
I did miss Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis as the recently deceased Maitlands, and the decorator character Otho (played by the dearly departed Glenn Shadix).
But watching Keaton dive back into one of his most iconic roles reminds us of how funny he was in ‘80s movie comedies (before “Batman” and showing his dramatic skills in serious acting roles).
Production designer Mark Scruton, also from “Wednesday,” has a field day with the macabre and the malevolence, but also with the daffiness. Costume designer Colleen Atwood, four-time Oscar winner including “Chicago,” “Fantastic Beasts” and “Alice in Wonderland” (2011), leans into the Halloween costume, steam-punk, and avant-garde artsy vibe with lively zest. The makeup artists and hairstylists did an outstanding job that also enhances the characters’ unusual looks.
Burton doesn’t quite know how to end the film, but he has pulled off an entertaining sequel that gives beloved characters another moment.
“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” is a 2024 horror-comedy directed by Tim Burton and starring Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Jenna Ortega, Catherine O’Hara, Monica Bellucci, Justin Theroux and Willem Dafoe. It is rated PG-13 for violent content, macabre and bloody images, strong language, some suggestive material and brief drug use and the run time is 1 hour, 45 minutes. It started in theatres Sept. 6. Lynn’s Grade: B.
