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Tim Burton Was Asked Why His Movies Stand Out

Matthew Trzcinski — Sun, 11 Aug 2024 06:11:42 +0000

Tim Burton’s movies have a memorable visual style that keeps fans coming back to them again and again. The Batman director himself was asked what makes his movies different and his response was unusual. Burton noted that even people who aren’t film buffs can sense his aesthetic.

Tim Burton’s movies take inspiration from a slew of oddities

Burton’s films combine some of the dark, distorted visuals of silent horror films like The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari with elements of fairy tales and Ray Harryhausen’s stop-motion creations. He’s also heavily pulled from Gothic fiction, such as the Edgar Allan Poe adaptations starring horror legend Vincent Price. While he usually makes color films, he still emphasizes black and white in his color palettes. Even when his movies have subpar stories, they’re usually interesting to look at, whether you are touring the spooky 18th-century woods of Sleepy Hollow or the dingy Underland of Alice in Wonderland.

During a 2007 interview with Total Film, Burton was asked what made his movies “Burton-esque.” “I try not to think about it,” he replied. “No honestly, I’ve always hated labels. It’s like we all get labeled from the day we start going to school.”

How Tim Burton feels about fan reactions to his films

Despite this, the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory director said it’s nice to know that his movies are distinctive. “But I guess I consider it flattering because when you make a movie, you hope at the end that people can recognize you in it, even if they don’t know your work or whatever,” he said. “I mean you watch a Roman Polanski film and you know it’s Polanski. [David] Cronenberg, too. I think it’s a compliment if people recognize something in it, even if they don’t like it.”

A reporter told Burton that even people who know little about movies can sense his aesthetic. “You see, that’s meaningful to me because that has nothing to do with money or box office or anything like that — it just has to do with the connection that I find really strong and emotional,” he said. “And that’s what makes me the happiest, that connection. It’s like [The Nightmare Before Christmas]. That’s had the strangest life because it did OK and then took on a life of its own.”

The movies that inspired a visionary

Vox reports that Burton’s artistry is so famous that it inspired a museum exhibit. In 2009, the Museum of Modern Art presented a popular exhibit called “Tim Burton and the Lurid Beauty of Monsters,” which explored the director’s influences. As part of the exhibit, Burton named a few of the movies that inspired him.

The list included stop-motion movies like Jason and the Argonauts and The Brain from Planet Arous, Gothic classics like the Bela Lugosi versions of Dracula and The Raven, and B-movie oddities like Edward D. Wood, Jr.’s Plan 9 from Outer Space and Bride of the Monster. Put these all together in a blender, and you’ll get a taste of the imagery of films like The Nightmare Before Christmas, Beetlejuice, and Edward Scissorhands. If you’re a Burton fan and want to understand why his work is so unusual, watching any one of these films is a good place to start.

Biggest D23 2024 Announcements: ‘Snow White’ Trailer, ‘Inside Out’ Spinoff, and More

Megan Elliott — Sun, 11 Aug 2024 01:08:42 +0000

Disney is delivering the goods. D23, the biennial event for Disney fans, kicked off on August 9 with a slew of announcements, trailer reveals, and more.

What’s on the horizon for the mouse? Sequels to The Incredibles, Frozen, and Zootopia, as well as a new Pixar movie, Hoppers. Plus, Disney shared first-look footage and teasers for the upcoming live-action Snow White movie, Moana 2, and Mufasa: The Lion King.

Live-action ‘Snow White’ trailer revealed

Disney is adding to its list of live-action remakes of classic animated films with a new version of 1937’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Snow White stars Rachel Zegler as the title character and Gal Gadot as the evil queen. Filming took place back in 2022, but fans are just now getting a look at the footage. In the teaser, Zegler sings a bit of “Whistle While You Work.” Snow White is in theaters on March 21, 2025.

‘The Lion King’ prequel explores the relationship between Scar and Mufasa

Director Barry Jenkins and Lin Manuel-Miranda were on hand at D23 to introduce the trailer for Mufasa: The Lion King. The prequel explores the relationship between an the orphaned Mufasa and his adopted brother Scar (aka Taka). It’s in theaters on Dec. 20.

‘Frozen 3,’ ‘Incredibles 3’ in the works

Disney shared more details about sequels to several much-loved films. Frozen 3 is set for a 2027 release, and it sounds like Frozen 4 is also in the works. Fans can also look forward to Incredibles 3 from Brad Bird. In addition, Pixar has a new movie on the horizon, Hoppers, which will star Jon Hamm and Bobby Moynihan and is about a beaver and a human who swap bodies.

D23 also featured the reveal of a trailer for Moana 2, in theaters on Nov. 27, and a teaser for Toy Story 5 (via YouTube), which will have a “toys vs. tech” theme and is set for a summer 2026 release. Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan has also joined the cast of Zootopia 2.

‘Inside Out’ spinoff coming to Disney+

Following the massive box office success of Inside Out 2 (which is now the highest-grossing animated movie of all time), Disney is planning a show called Dream Productions. It’s set between Inside Out and Inside Out 2 and will be streaming on Disney+ sometime in 2025. Another original Pixar series, Win or Lose, premieres Dec. 6 on Disney+.

Nine Inch Nails to score ‘Tron: Ares’

Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross of Nine Inch Nail at the Disney Entertainment Showcase at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event in Anaheim, Calif. on August 9, 2024 | Araya Doheny/Getty Images for Disney

This year’s D23 also delivered some big news about the upcoming Tron movie, Tron: Ares. The third film in the franchise, after 1982’s Tron, and 2010’s Tron: Legacy, will feature a score by Nine Inch Nails. The movie stars Jeff Bridges, Greta Lee, and Jared Leto and is in theaters on Oct. 10, 2025.

‘Freaky Friday’ sequel gets title

Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan | Corey Nickols/Getty Images for IMDb

Original Freaky Friday stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan were also in attendance at D23 2024 to share some news about the highly anticipated sequel to the 2003 movie. The new movie will be called Freakier Friday. Production began this summer, with Curtis and Lohan reprising their roles as Tess and Anna Coleman. The movie is set for a 2025 release.

Other news from D23 includes the announcement that the third Avatar film will be called Avatar: Fire and Ash; a teaser (via YouTube) for the new series, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew with Jude Law (on Disney+ in December 2024); footage from Andor Season 2; and footage from Daredevil: Born Again (coming to Disney+ in March 2025).

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Tim Burton Said He Could Live in 3 of His Movies

Matthew Trzcinski — Sat, 10 Aug 2024 18:41:08 +0000

Biographical movies usually celebrate the great people of history. In contrast, one of Tim Burton’s movies highlights an obscure figure who wasn’t very good at making art. During an interview, the Batman director revealed that he was a huge fan of the movie in question even though it bombed. He also said he would be willing to live in that movie, alongside two of his other projects.

Tim Burton made a movie about movies in the weirdest way possible

Great directors like Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Federico Fellini, and Bob Fosse have all made movies about the glories of making movies. When Burton made his crack at that subgenre, he took a different approach. He decided to lionize Edward D. Wood, Jr., a B-movie maestro who is often considered the worst film director of all time. Rather than knocking Wood down for making schlock like Plan 9 from Outer Space and Bride of the Monster, Burton praised Wood for his boundless enthusiasm for cinema. Much like one of Wood’s actual films, Burton’s Ed Wood didn’t make money.

During a 2007 interview with Total Film, the Batman Returns director was asked if he was upset by the commercial failure of Ed Wood. “That’s the weird thing about movies,” he replied. “I loved Ed Wood. For me, it’s as good, if not better, than a lot of the other ones I’ve done that made a lot more money.

“I’m surprised if a movie does well, or I’m surprised if it doesn’t do well,” he said. “It’s always a surprise. Ed Wood was a surprise because it was [a] complete bomb! Yet it’s probably one of the favorites of mine.”

The director said he could live in ‘Ed Wood’ and 2 of his other movies

The interviewer noted that Ed Wood became popular after it was released on DVD. “When it first showed at the New York Film Festival, it got a great response,” Burton noted. “I guess it’s a real film crowd there but it was, ‘Wow.’ But then I realized that the only people who were going to see it probably saw it that night!”

Afterward, Burton was asked to name which of his films he would like to live in. “Oh boy,” he replied. “High up on the list would probably be [The Nightmare Before Christmas] because it was the first film I really conceived of, so that was special. Edward Scissorhands is one that is very personal to me, too. And Ed Wood. It’s those three that are up there for me.” Notably, Burton didn’t direct The Nightmare Before Christmas, but he conceived of its story and produced it.

Tim Burton said time colors his feelings about his films

Like the rest of us, Burton falls prey to nostalgia. That should be pretty obvious, since he gave us remakes of classic movies like Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and Dumbo! However, in 2001, he flatly told the BBC that nostalgia colors his perceptions of his films.

He revealed he gets fonder of his movies the more time passes. In his opinion, he’s only able to objectively evaluate one of his projects five years after completing it. Maybe he only liked Ed Wood so much because he made it a long time ago — or maybe he just recognizes its brilliance.

Tim Burton’s 5 Best Movies, Ranked

Matthew Trzcinski — Sat, 10 Aug 2024 07:08:06 +0000

Tim Burton gave us some of the most visually striking movies in Hollywood history — and coaxed some brilliant performances out of Johnny Depp. Some of his films are rightly regarded as classics, while others are horribly overrated. Here’s a look at his five best.

5. ‘Alice in Wonderland’

Many Burton fans regard Alice in Wonderland as the beginning of his slide into mediocrity. They are dead wrong. Burton’s Alice in Wonderland is an emotionally affecting coming-of-age story about a young woman finding herself in a surreal world halfway between the artistic sensibilities of Walt Disney and H. R. Giger. As the Mad Hatter, Depp gives one of his most underrated performances, crafting a character who is both campy and tragic.

Some fans of Lewis Caroll’s Alice books have complained that Burton took too many liberties with the source material. That’s fine. There are so many Alice in Wonderland films that we don’t need another faithful one.

4. ‘Batman Returns’

The 1989 film Batman returned the Caped Crusader to his dark roots, proved Burton could make a blockbuster, and revolutionized superhero movies forever. Its sequel isn’t as beloved. After all, it was darker than a lot of younger children could handle.

While the storytelling in Batman Returns is off-kilter, the performances are pitch-perfect. Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman is one of the most gloriously strange characters ever to grace a Hollywood film. She’s so compelling that it becomes clear that Burton was more interested in her than Batman — and who could blame him?

3. ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’

The Nightmare Before Christmas was directed by Henry Selick, and based on a story by Burton, who also produced the film. While Burton didn’t direct The Nightmare Before Christmas, it has his fingerprints all over it and it’s usually seen as a cornerstone of his filmography. In its small way, The Nightmare Before Christmas was a brave film, as it recast the lexicon of Christmas films into something Gothic and gleefully twisted.

The Nightmare Before Christmas works perfectly. It’s sweet enough and edgy enough to become a Christmas classic while pleasing the Goth subculture. Whether you love or hate Christmas, The Nightmare Before Christmas is the movie for you.

2. ‘Edward Scissorhands’

Burton’s best films always draw from fairytale optimism just as much as Universal Classic Monsters. Here, Burton made something that matched his influences, a beautiful retelling of the Frankenstein myth that speaks to the adolescent in all of us. Depp’s gentle character performance changed his career trajectory forever.

Burton isn’t known for tearjerkers, but it’s hard not to be moved by the film’s final sequence. The best love stories are bittersweet. With Edward Scissorhands, Burton created his Romeo and Juliet or Casablanca.

1. ‘Ed Wood’

Hollywood often likes to portray itself as glamorous. With his biopic of notorious B-movie director Edward D. Wood, Jr., Burton found the poetry in the seedy underbelly of old-school exploitation cinema. Anyone who’s ever found joy in a cheesy monster movie will be tickled pink by the sweetness of Ed Wood.

Depp plays Wood almost as wonderfully as Martin Landau brought Bela Lugosi back from the grave. Together, they make one of cinema’s best buddy teams. Ed Wood isn’t exactly a work of history, but it lets Wood have the last laugh after a lifetime of hardship and derision. In a 2007 Total Film interview, Burton named The Nightmare Before Christmas, Edward Scissorhands, and Ed Wood as his best films — and he’s right.

Jennifer Lopez Said Her Popularity Was the Reason ‘Gigli’ Flopped

Emma McKee — Fri, 09 Aug 2024 20:38:00 +0000

Jennifer Lopez starred in Gigli in 2003, a film that still sits as her lowest rated on Rotten Tomatoes over two decades later. While Lopez acknowledged that the film didn’t receive the reception she wanted, she didn’t think it was as bad as people believed. She thought the biggest problem for the film was that not enough people saw it. This was something she attributed to her own popularity.

Jennifer Lopez said her level of fame was not good for ‘Gigli’

Gigli was met with near-universal ridicule upon its release. Lopez thought this was unfortunate, as she believed parts of the film were “genius.” She hoped people would come to view the film the same way once they saw it on television.

“I really think it will have a resurgence on cable!” she told W Magazine in 2003. “Now people may look at me and say, ‘She’s totally off her f***ing rocker,’ but hey, that’s my theory.”

Lopez thought the film fared terribly in theaters because people were fed up with hearing about her. At the time, her relationship with Ben Affleck was constantly on the cover of tabloids.

“But if you’re in the paper every damn day, people are like, ‘Who cares?’ And then nobody goes to see your movie!” she said. “It’s like, ‘Why should we? We see her every day,’ and then you’re like, ‘Wait a minute! That’s the only reason I’m doing this!’”

Ben Affleck said his relationship with Jennifer Lopez hurt the success of ‘Gigli’

Affleck agreed with Lopez’s assessment. He thought their romantic relationship overshadowed the film entirely.

“It’s just that it became a story in and of itself,” he told Entertainment Weekly. “The funny name, the Jennifer Lopez romance and overexposure of that, it was kind of a perfect storm.”

Affleck felt that this was “the worst of both worlds.” He was so famous that his private life had all but evaporated, but this didn’t translate to high ticket sales.

“Jennifer and I happened to be together at a time where the whole industry of celebrity journalism, if you want to call it that, sort of exploded,” he said. “But I thought, “S***, this is really not how I had hoped to go, where I’m going to be, what? Famous for being an a**hole or a failure and not able to work?”

The film’s director had nothing positive to say about it

The director of Gigli, Martin Brest, didn’t have any particularly positive thoughts to share about it.

“Of all the movies that I’ve worked on, I know them inside and out. I don’t even know what that movie looks like, frankly, because of the manner in which it took shape,” he told Variety. “Even the name … I refer to it as ‘the G movie.’ Probably the less said about it the better.”

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez | Albert L. Ortega/WireImage

Brest said that the original vision for the film barely resembled the finished product. Still, he blamed himself for the result and said it deserved to be decimated at the box office.

“The themes of the movie were radically different. The plot was different. The purpose of the movie was different. But I can’t escape blame,” he said. “[But] it’s so weird — I literally don’t remember the movie that was released, because I wasn’t underneath it in the way I was under the hood of all my other movies. So it’s really a bloody mess that deserved its excoriation.”

Why Stephen King Is Wrong About Pennywise the Clown

Matthew Trzcinski — Wed, 07 Aug 2024 03:57:14 +0000

Pennywise the Clown is arguably horror author Stephen King’s most famous creation. During an interview, he discussed the impact his novel It will have on popular culture after his death. His take on the situation seems a little myopic. The Carrie author doesn’t take his cinematic legacy into account as much as he should.

Stephen King said Pennywise the Clown will be around forever

During a 2022 interview with Bloody Disgusting, King revealed that he viewed Pennywise as his sturdiest creation. “I think that when I die I will kind of disappear from the paperback racks,” he opined. “But that f****** clown is going to live forever. That’s one thing I’ve got going for me.”

While King has written several sequels over the years, he won’t write a sequel to It. “Well, I don’t have a relationship to Pennywise now,” King said. “Because I have no intention of going back to It… it’s in the hands of people who are doing this. [Filmmakers] Andy and Barbara [Muschietti] are going to do Welcome to Derry, they’re talking about it anyway. And they’ve got sort of a handshake deal, I think, with HBO Max.”

Where Pennywise the Clown could go from here

King thought that a prequel about his malevolent gesture was a decent concept. “It’s an interesting possibility to do that,” he said. “They talked about a prequel. Which struck me as an OK idea. I’d love to see what Pennywise was up to 27 years before the ’50s. Or, I guess it would be the ’80s, because they updated the [setting]. So it would be, you know, before World War II or something. It’ll be interesting to see what will happen with that.”

While King was never a critical darling, he has inspired a number of critically acclaimed movies. Carrie, The Shawshank Redemption, and The Shining are often cited as some of the greatest films of all time and they continue to inspire filmmakers to this day. For this reason, it’s hard to imagine the world forgetting all of his work besides Pennywise the Clown.

Stephen King’s deep legacy

On top of that, there are few authors who have gained the level of recognition that King has had in the horror genre. Mary Shelley and Bram Stoker helped make the genre what it is today, however, they were both one-hit wonders. H. P. Lovecraft and Edgar Allan Poe released more horror classics, but they rarely wrote novels. King wrote more popular horror novels than anyone else. Now, he’s been derided by critics from time to time, but so many many authors who remained popular after their deaths, including Agatha Christie and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. In addition, King’s literary reputation might improve after he dies.

On top of that, King has had a huge impact on his genre. It’s hard to name a living horror author who hasn’t been inspired by his work to some extent. For better or worse, his longstanding popularity ensures we will all be talking about characters like Carrie White and Jack Torrence for many years to come.

Love of hate Pennywise the Clown, he’s far from the only famous character that King created.

Top 5 Songs From ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’

Matthew Trzcinski — Sat, 03 Aug 2024 05:58:05 +0000

The new Marvel Cinematic Universe film Deadpool & Wolverine uses pop songs more prominently than any superhero movie since Guardians of the Galaxy. Deadpool & Wolverine uses some songs brilliantly. Others, not so much.

5. ‘The Power of Love’ by Huey Lewis and the News

“The Power of Love” has been definitively claimed by Back to the Future. The track is so associated with that movie that it appears in Back to the Future: The Musical. Deadpool & Wolverine made a bold move by trying to make the song its own.

Regardless, “The Power of Love” was never a very interesting song. It’s a middle-of-the-road combination of new wave music and easy-listening. Those two genres have nothing in common and they don’t work together. Why did Deadpool & Wolverine try to resurrect this tune?

4. ‘I’m with You’ by Avril Lavigne

Avril Lavigne has two modes. Sometimes, she’s a pop-punk brat who gave us tunes like “Girlfriend,” “What the Hell,” and “Sk8r Boi.” The rest of the time, she is a tormented balladeer in the vein of Alanis Morissette. The latter side of Lavinge is both more respectable and less attractive.

“I’m with You” is one of Lavinge’s classier singles. That doesn’t make it very interesting. It’s precisely the sort of song you can hear a million times without feeling much of a response, positive or negative. Oddly enough, Rihanna sampled “I’m with You” for her boozy hit “Cheers (Drink to That).”

3. ‘Bye Bye Bye’ by NSYNC

NSYNC looked ridiculous in the 1990s. The group still looks ridiculous today. Despite that, they gave us some stomping hooks that will be with us until the end of time. “Bye Bye Bye” remains one of their most memorable tunes and it perfectly captures the go-for-broke sensibilities of early Max Martin.

Deadpool & Wolverine uses a lot of songs haphazardly. On the other hand, it uses “Bye Bye Bye” to set the film’s over-the-top tone. Pop songs should only appear in Hollywood movies if they have the synergy of “Bye Bye Bye” and Deadpool & Wolverine.

2. ‘Iris’ by the Goo Goo Dolls

When “Iris” by the Goo Goo Dolls came out in the 1990s, it was easy to dismiss it as an indie band cynically trying to make something for the easy-listening crowd. These days, the writing is on the wall: “Iris” is simply one of the best songs ever written. Few songs capture longing as well as “Iris.”

Of course, “Iris” will always be attached to the horrid Nicolas Cage/Meg Ryan romance City of Angels. Perhaps Deadpool & Wolverine will make “Iris” more respectable to snobs. It’s odd that Deadpool & Wolverine is classier than City of Angels, but here we are.

1. ‘Like a Prayer’ by Madonna

“Like a Prayer” is, arguably, the best song by one of the best pop stars ever. No film should should use it lightly. Deadpool & Wolverine took it very seriously.

During a 2024 interview with Sirius XM, Ryan Reynolds discussed using “Like a Prayer.” “It was a big deal to ask for and certainly a bigger deal to use it,” Reynolds said. “We went over and met with her and showed her how it was being used, and where and why.”

“I even asked someone who worked with her, I was like, ‘Am I allowed to just say Madonna?'” Reynolds adds. “Like, ‘Hello, Madonna. I’m f*****’ Ryan.’ That was one of the great thrills of my life.”

Why Madonna’s ‘Like a Prayer’ Doesn’t Work in ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’

Matthew Trzcinski — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 03:55:40 +0000

Certain songs become irrevocably associated with certain movies. Deadpool & Wolverine makes memorable use of Madonna’s “Like a Prayer,” so the younger generation will be exposed to the song for the first time through Marvel. But the track’s appearance in the film feels disingenuous.

Madonna’s ‘Like a Prayer’ is in ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ because it’s a Christian spoof

On one level, the Material Girl‘s “Like a Prayer” is a classic. On another level, it’s a naughty little novelty song in the vein of Chuck Berry’s “My Ding-a-Ling.” The track is supposed to sound like a sincere gospel song but it’s actually a thinly veiled tune about sex. “Down on my knees” indeed.

In Deadpool & Wolverine, Deadpool is set up as a Christ figure. Without giving away the plot, he makes a heroic sacrifice in the movie. “Like a Prayer” plays over that scene, making the comparison between Deadpool and Jesus so obvious that you’ll notice it even if you missed the times they make the comparison through dialog.

Of course, using “Like a Prayer” in this scene rather than a religious song like “How Great Thou Art” or “Amazing Grace” makes the whole sequence feel like a joke. In fact, everything in the film is a smarmy joke. If Deadpool & Wolverine was just a comedy, that would be fine, but the movie wants us to get invested in its story.

‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ uses the Goo Goo Dolls’ ‘Iris’ in a similar way to ‘Like a Prayer’

The use of “Like a Prayer” also lets the film have some Christian undertones without alienating anyone with a negative attitute toward Christianity. The same thing happens immediately after when the film uses the Goo Goo Dolls’ “Iris.” “Iris” isn’t a Christian song per se, but it’s from a movie about an angel.

If Deadpool & Wolverine wants to have Christian themes, that’s fine. If it doesn’t, that’s fine too. However, the film plays both sides in a cowardly bid to appeal to everyone. Big movies like this are crafted in boardroom meetings to appeal to the broadest possible audience.

Ryan Reynolds explained what Madonna thought of the scene

During a 2024 interview with Sirius XM, Deadpool & Wolverine star Ryan Reynolds discussed getting the rights to the song. “It was a big deal to ask for and certainly a bigger deal to use it,” Reynolds said. “We went over and met with her and showed her how it was being used, and where and why.”

Reynolds said the “Like a Virgin” singer had some ideas for the film should use her song. “She watched it, and I’m not kidding, just was like ‘You need to do this, this, and this, in this moment and damn it if she wasn’t like, spot on,” he recalled. “We literally went into a new recording session within 48 hours to do this one note. She had only one note, and it was a great note, and it made the sequence better.”

“Like a Prayer” doesn’t work in Deadpool & Wolverine but at least Madonna seemed to approve of its use in the film.

Why ‘In a Violent Nature’ Doesn’t Need a Sequel

Matthew Trzcinski — Mon, 29 Jul 2024 03:57:22 +0000

In one regard, In a Violent Nature is one of the most unusual horror films in recent memory. So maybe it’s no surprise a sequel has been announced. But while endless sequels are part of the fun of slasher series, In a Violent Nature isn’t the sort of story that needs a follow-up.

‘In a Violent Nature’ has a nod to a famous horror sequel

From a storytelling perspective, In a Violent Nature is pedestrian. It’s the tale of a killer who rises from the grave, slaughters some teenagers, and gets defeated. The film doesn’t even try to hide how derivative it is. The film has some geeky homages to earlier slasher movies like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Friday the 13th Part 2 just to let genre fans know the filmmakers know exactly what they are doing.

The one aspect of In a Violent Nature that feels novel is its pacing. The sequences are excessively slow, much like certain arthouse films that try for realism. It’s a bizarre choice. Why give a film with a trashy, midnight movie storyline the same style as a French realist classic like Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles?

‘In a Violent Nature’ doesn’t live up to the standard of cheap horror sequels

Of course, a novel mix of subject and style could make compelling art. However, that’s not what happens here. The deliberate pacing makes many scenes feel needlessly long and destroys any suspense. The best horror films scare people into averting their gaze from the screen. This one will make you avert your gaze to have a nice nap.

Slowburn horror films are great. Tacky gore fests are great (if you are in the right mood). However, combining the two leads to some tonal dissonance and a tedious watch. In a Violent Nature has pleased critics with its style-over-substance approach. However, your average horror fan will get more enjoyment from any cheap 1980s slasher sequel available on streaming. At least those movies have some nostalgia value.

What the director of ‘In a Violent Nature’ was going for

During a 2024 interview with USA Today, director Chris Nash explained what he was thinking when he directed In a Violent Nature. “We always wanted to treat this almost like a nature documentary,” he said. “It’s lulling you into a sense (that) the danger isn’t quite there.

“When you see tourists getting really close to bears, they’re just like, ‘Oh, no, look, it’s not doing anything. It’s fine,'” he added. “And then all of a sudden, the bear just turns around and charges at you. You’re way too defenseless and you just have no idea that they’re capable of this much power and brutality. Not to besmirch bears, they’re great, but (we wanted) that kind of design with Johnny, of being an animal in the woods.”

Nash didn’t want to regurgitate slasher film cliches. “Once you learn certain magic tricks, they’re just not that much fun anymore,” he said. “We didn’t want a whole bunch of throat slashes or anything like that.”

“I always want to see things that I haven’t seen before on screen,” Nash explained. “So it’s a selfish thing just to see if like, ‘Oh, man, I wonder if we can actually make this work?'”

In a Violent Nature did create something new — just not something that anyone needed.

Review: ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Is the Most Cynical Movie of the Year

Matthew Trzcinski — Sun, 28 Jul 2024 06:01:25 +0000

Judging from the trailers, Deadpool & Wolverine seems like another cheeky, fun Marvel Cinematic Universe movie centering on Ryan Reynolds’ unforgettable performance as Deadpool. That’s what it should have been. Instead, it’s the most cynical film of the year so far. It’s the sort of movie that only filmmakers who hold their audience in contempt could have made.

‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ reviews itself and seems to know that it’s bad

After Wolverine died in Logan, Deadpool is tasked with saving another version of Wolverine in a different universe to set things right. This kicks off a chase through different parts of the multiverse. The whole multiverse idea has been so played out in popular culture that even casual fans know that it’s overdone. In fact, Deadpool himself points out that the concept is stale in Deadpool & Wolverine.

Does this self-awareness make the film any better? No. Is it funny? No. But one lousy joke isn’t enough to ruin a film. The problem with Deadpool & Wolverine is the constant use of meta-humor to distract from poor writing. While breaking the fourth wall is Deadpool’s calling card, it shouldn’t come at the expense of the story.

We get gags about Hugh Jackman’s Broadway career, Reynolds’ romantic turn in The Proposal, and all the companies behind the movie. There’s nothing inherently clever about making nods to real life, but director Shawn Levy and company seem to think it’s their job to reward the audience for knowing a bunch of nerdy (and, frankly, useless) trivia. Is this a superhero movie or an extended Jeopardy! episode?

The movie tries to trick reviewers with good music

After a certain point, Deadpool & Wolverine feels painfully formulaic. The two heroes do something cliche, Deadpool acknowledges that it’s a cliche or swears or makes a pop culture reference (frequently all three), and then there’s an action scene set to a pop song. For a movie that’s supposed to shake things up, Deadpool & Wolverine is just as predictable as Marvel’s more serious outings; it just has a sense of smug self-awareness that makes the filmmakers seem lazy and cynical. They don’t need to make a good movie, they just need to dazzle the audience with nostalgia, dance beats, and scatological humor.

There’s nothing wrong with pop music. In fact, a lot of pop music is great. However, the creators of Deadpool & Wolverine seem to think that action scenes don’t need to be well-made. If you just slap a hit by Madonna or Avril Lavigne or the Goo Goo Dolls or Huey Lewis and the News or NSYNC over a fight or a car chase, the scene will automatically be good.

‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ finds a toxic centrism

Perhaps some of the most cynical jokes in the film surround its noncommittal relationship with masculinity. Superhero movies are hypermasculine, even when they star women. Of course, that’s not going to play well with everyone these days. How do you balance machismo with modern feminism?

Deadpool & Wolverine tries to deflate its own masculinity with constant one-liners about gay sex and homoeroticism. Of course, this is all a ploy. Review after review will laud Deadpool & Wolverine for its “inclusive masculinity,” while fans the world over will laugh at any reference to gay sex with derision. The film swindles both sides. In trying to please everyone, Deadpool & Wolverine becomes blatantly insincere.