Ashley -
While I appreciate the many stories & adaptations in The Crow universe I'll be focusing on the original 1994 film. I do recommend the graphic novels but know they're different from the film in parts & a bit darker.
"People once believed that when someone dies, a crow carries their soul to the land of the dead. But sometimes, something so bad happens that a terrible sadness is carried with it and the soul can't rest. Then sometimes, just sometimes, the crow can bring that soul back to put the wrong things right." James O'Barr, The Crow
The film focuses on Eric Draven, a rock musician who is murdered along with his bride to be on the night before their wedding. A year later he is brought back to life by a crow who leads him to the people responsible for the horrific events so he can dish out a nice hearty helping of revenge. He crosses paths with Sarah, a teenage girl who he & his fiance had befriended as well as one of the officers who worked the scene that night who assist him when they can.
Unfortunately Brandon Lee was accidentally killed while filming & the movie was dedicated to him & his fiance ?
James O'Barr wrote The Crow graphic novels that released in 1989 as a way to work with the grief of loosing his fiancé in a car accident. I didn't know that when I saw the movie (which was made 5 years after the first comic was released) but after finding that out I loved it even more. He took a huge tragedy & was able to create something beautiful and brilliant. He's said in interviews that it was, "one last love letter to that person & a chance for him to get some justice that we don't really get in the real world."
About The Author -
Ashley Brilinski is the queen of Halloween and can loves everything to do with it. She regularly provides awesome fandom items for Muser Giveaways AND sends in amazing items for Melanie and Greg. Her attention to detail is second to none. This is her third guest article for Melanie's Muses but we hope there are many more to come! Dave -
The film is amazing. One of my first obsessions. Saw it twice in theaters and tracked down a bootleg VHS copy from theaters before the official release and proceeded to watch it every night for a week straight. I was completely enamored with the look, feel and of course the story. That’s the main thing. The movie can look amazing but if the story isn’t there, it will be a dud.
Then there are the ways the film could have changed. The soundtrack keeps the pace moving and is almost like a character itself. It’s very much a sign of the times. Grunge music and the alternative scene was taking hold and is well represented here. A couple years earlier and we could have different sounds laying the basis underneath the spectacular visuals. Following news articles about the movie, you are bound to hear all about scenes filmed but were cut out. It would be several years before the special edition DVD release where we actually see these scenes. The most famous one being the Cowboy scene, where Eric Draven is warned about working for the living and leaving him vulnerable. No longer invincible, his path for vengeance could be paved with his own blood instead of the blood of his victims. Even though this is important information in the final battle, this scene ends up on the cutting room floor.
It spawned a couple sequels and a tv series. Some fared better than others but still cannot compare to the original. It’s safe to say it should have been left alone rather than tarnish the legend with lesser products.
As we rapidly approach 30 years since the initial 1994 release, I have to ask. If you haven’t seen this yet, WHY NOT?
Dave Christy loves horror, music, documentaries and more. He is also the co-runner of several fan based groups including Morningstars (THE Lucifer fan group also run by Melanie), and now is a member of the VIPers Spotlight Lounge team for Melanie's Muses. Other than "In The Spotlight" Features -check out his "31 Days Of Halloween Movies"
Melanie Here - My fun fact for this article - Christian Slater was considered for the role of Eric Draven! Imagine how THAT would have turned out!
Also no code word on this article - the code words for the week have been posted already and you can enter one already found by clicking the button below!
All Links To Buy / Subscribe to Amazon Programs On Amazon in this article are Amazon Affiliate Links (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do!)
Jenn says-
We all love a good mystery and this movie is no different. And better yet, it's from a book by one of the most famous mystery authors of all time that I’m sure everyone has heard of. That movie is "Murder on the Orient Express" by Agatha Christie. Now, I’ve never read the book or watched the older movies so I’ll leave those two to my other partners in crime. I want to focus on and talk about the most recent movie version.
Johnny Depp was the guy who ended up murdered in it, that’s basically where our story begins. Like any mystery, the detective on this case soon realizes that things may not be as he first thought. Meaning expect twists and turns along the way with this mystery. Who did it you ask? Well, the only thing I’ll tell you is that you’ll never see this coming, well maybe if you read the book you already know, but when I first saw it, I was shocked. Now, if you haven’t read or watched this tale. I highly suggest you do, because you’re definitely in for a ride and remember it’s one that takes you through loops along the way, which is never a bad thing. Surprises are good especially in a mystery that needs solving!
Dave Says -
"Murder on the Orient Express". One of the most popular murder mysteries of all time. One of the best-selling mystery writers of all time. It’s been adapted for US television, German television, Japanese television, the BBC, and twice for the big screen. This 1934 Agatha Christie novel is absolute classic. The downside of being so well known is that it also has one of the famous endings to ever be written and filmed. There is a very good chance that you have actually heard of the ending before seeing or reading it.
The versions I have seen have all had wonderful casting. As witnessed here, the big screen features went all out for more star power. One thing I noticed when rewatching all the versions is the difference in the time when the watch was broken. They changed it for the 2010 version.
2010 -- Toby Jones, Jessica Chastain, Barbara Hershey (watch broken at 12:40)
Private detective Hercule Poirot is last minute addition aboard the infamous Orient Express.
The two tv versions were slimmed down 90 minutes each, speeding along the investigations and conclusions. The 2001 version has updates for a more modern setting. Uses of fax machines, cell phones, jeans, VHS tapes (which are now ancient. Go figure!), laptops, gawdy gold chains, pinkie rings, and watches that look like they came out of the 1980's-- even though the year is clearly mentioned as 2001 during the interrogation of Mrs Hubbard. Also mentions of laser eye surgery and tattoo removal, which wouldn't have existed in the original novel, surge it into a modern era. A complete disregard for fingerprints is agonizing to watch. The suspects should know better than to pick up evidence with bare hands. Even Poirot blows off checking for prints on the knife that a suspect handled because he's sure no other ones would be found. By the way, gloves were not worn by the killer. In fact, the entire room would have been full of prints.
A few suspects were already eliminated before the murder since they were left out of the script. Poirot's job just got a little easier. Also of note, the spitting on the dead body from the 1974 version is removed. Since the 1974 version was still set in the 30's and DNA didn't exist there was no reason to remove it. But it was removed from the 2010 and 2017 versions also set in the 30's. Blood is also a factor in these movies. In the '74 version, a little blood around the mouth and a little on the chest with the wounds. The subsequent versions had a significant amount more. I guess we can chalk that up to the sign of the times.
So many versions to choose from. Pick one or watch them all. You're sure to go for a ride. If you choose the 2017 version, the ending is used to set up the forthcoming sequel, "Death on the Nile" coming soon (hopefully) to a theatre or streaming service near you.
Melanie Says-
I love Agatha Christie stories! The mysteries are always so cleverly done and she was clearly way ahead of her time. The stories are so good that they hold up today, and obviously her characters have been played by numerous actors as Dave already mentioned. For me though, Poirot will always be Sir David Suchet, and nobody will ever convince me otherwise.
So whilst the story has been discussed so well by my colleagues I want to take a moment to discuss something that really interests me - and that is the mystery revolving around Agatha Christie's real life. What happened to her can definitely rival any of her novels, and remained a mystery even after her death. You see on December 3rd 1926 Agatha Christie disappeared. All that remained was her abandoned car, and everybody thought the worst. There is a lot of backstory involving her mental state, her duplicitous husband, and even the idea it was a publicity stunt, but the fact remains she vanished only to appear almost 11 days later in a hotel miles from her home, with no apparent memory of what had happened. Doctor Who actually addressed this in an episode called The Unicorn and the Wasp (trailer below), and obviously I feel that their reasoning as to what happened is probably the most likely, all things considered lol. (For those that don't watch Doctor Who but loves Agatha Christie, it is worth watching just for the numerous references made to her various works through the years - recognizable even to those that have no idea about The Doctor and his antics. (Watch time note - 4.15 - just to carry on with Dave's notes above lol) For those looking for suggestions slightly more grounded in boring reality, I have included the link to the recent Buzzfeed unsolved video that actually discusses all the accepted theories (although not the one fashioned by The Doctor *rolls eyes* ) If you love a mystery - check out any of the versions, or any of her other tales. There is always a twist to catch you off guard. One of my favorites is the 2015 TV Adaptation of "And Then There Were None". So if you don't know where to start - try there!
The Code Word For This Article Is Mystery!
All Links To Buy / Subscribe to Amazon Programs On Amazon in this article are Amazon Affiliate Links (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do!) Giveaway!
GIVEAWAY DETAILS & HOW TO ENTER! Melanie's Muses will be giving away a "Mystery Prize Pack featuring the The 2017 DVD and Script book sent in by Jennifer Rhodes, 2 Genevieve Cogman books and a Boardwalk Empire Postcard from the Melanie's Muses Prize Hoard!! For your chance to win- leave a comment ON THIS POST ON THE WEBSITE (comments left on shares around other social media WILL NOT COUNT) - What is your favorite Book or TV Mystery Series? The winner will be picked randomly from qualifying comments. Other comments about the article are very welcome but only entrants with the qualifying comments will go in the hat! What your answer is will not influence whether you go into the hat - Only that you answer the question! Winner will be announced during the Live show on August 8th (and then posted here on the blog as well on August 9th Full Rules Below! Good luck everyone! Rules
Today I am thrilled to welcome Vicky Pond to the Spotlight Lounge! She is here with a spoiler free review of Susan's book "Shattered Memories". Be sure to let us know what you think of her review in the comments!
Vicky -
Standalone or series?
Standalone Why did I choose to read this book: Shattered Memories had been sitting in my TBR list for awhile now. I hadn’t made myself pick it up yet but instead had let Mel’s warning get into my head. And Now To The Review! First Impressions: I really wish I hadn’t waited so long to read this. Susan first starts off with a little history lesson, which didn’t interest me to much but I was definitely glad was there as I continued reading. General Review I always enjoy when a book has both person’s perspectives, so I loved going back and forth from Alana and Daniel’s as they go through their journeys to find out what happened to Alana and her family. It is hard to give a review without giving any spoilers but Susan had me hooked from beginning to end. Final Thoughts The ending did have my jaw hanging but as most of us that have read Susan’s books will know she is the queen of cliffhangers. Even though this is a standalone that signature impact is still there! Rating: I definitely give this book a 5 star rating and if you still have this book sitting in your TBR list like I did then you should really go and grab it and start reading.
Vicky Pond loves to read and has been a Muser since the beginning! Living in Canada she regularly provides awesome prizes for Muser Giveaways, and keeps Melanie and Emily supplied with fabulous chocolate! This is her first guest article for Melanie's Muses.
CODE WORD FOR THIS ARTICLE IS Shattered! ** Disclosure** Any Links To Buy On Amazon in this page may be Amazon Affiliate Links (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do)
Jenn -
If you’re looking for a series that’s fun, whole hearted and family friendly then you should definitely check out "Everybody Loves Raymond". What would you do if your parents lived right across the street from you? Well, follow this family and find out.
The thing I love about this show is you can see yourself or maybe someone you know or love in these characters. I do. Maybe it’s how Robert and Raymond react with each other. Call it sibling rivalry or brotherly love. Or maybe you can relate to your in-laws always butting in. Whatever the case may be for you, the viewer, I promise this is a show that you cannot get enough of.
This show with its crazy cast of characters will always leave you laughing or maybe just saying yes, I can understand that. I like shows that can be relatable, and this is definitely one of those. It ended awhile ago but you can still find episodes on either TNT or Tvland. Also with everything going on, I think we could use a few laughs every know and then. Don’t you?
Jennifer Rhodes met Melanie back when True Blood was popular and they have been friends ever since. She loves TV (especially things that make you smile), Doctor Who, Finding new shows, and regularly provides awesome fandom items for Muser Giveaways. Jennifer is now a proud member of the VIPers - the Melanie's Muses Spotlight Feature Team!
Melanie Here - The Code Word For This Article Is BROS Make a note - Then Tune In Sunday For More Details!
All Links To Buy / Subscribe to Amazon Programs On Amazon in this article are Amazon Affiliate Links (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do!)
Dave -
The mid-80's was a hell of a time for movies. One of the biggest and best of the bunch was "Back to the Future". It had action, adventure, comedy! And it also had Michael J Fox, one of the biggest tv stars of the time ("Family Ties") breaking out from the small screen on to the big screen. It was the beginning of some major things happening. He had to juggle his tv and movie schedule for a while.
Back to the movie. Doc Brown makes a DeLorean into a time machine when you hit 88 mph. Marty McFly ends up back in 1955 and kinda sorta interrupts his parents meeting for the first time which could spell trouble. If it doesn't fix things fast, he may not exist anymore. Also, there are consequences in the past. Mess with things too much and the future could change too. Now for one small detail which no one remembered except me. In theatres, at the end when the car flew over the screen, that was end. When I rented the VHS later, they added "To be Continued...." after the car flew. I thought I was going crazy. Everyone I talked to somehow remembered that being there. But a commentary confirmed that it was added later.
Huge successful box office meant this one-time movie became a trilogy. They aren't just making one more movie, they are filming 2 movies back-to-back. They aren't wasting any time between them. A 4-year gap between the releases of the first and second movie seemed to be more than they wanted. So, they opted for only 6-month gap between the release of the 2nd and 3rd part. That being said, Doc Brown and Marty spend 3 going to the past, the present, the future, further to the past, back to the present and all over the timeline. It's a miracle the Doctor didn't show up and tell them to stop meddling with the timeline.
It's a great trilogy to play around with and fun to see what they thought the future would be like back then. Loved the first and second films. Liked the third but it definitely wasn't my favorite. Maybe because I'm not a huge fan of westerns and it's mostly in the old west. Who knows but it was a nice, well-rounded addition to the franchise. Not sure what else I would have liked to see in it though.
Dave Christy loves horror, music, documentaries and more. He is also the co-runner of several fan based groups including Morningstars (THE Lucifer fan group also run by Melanie), and now is a member of the VIPers Spotlight Lounge team for Melanie's Muses. Other than "In The Spotlight" Features -check out his "31 Days Of Halloween Movies"
Melanie here - Did you know Michael J Fox wasn't originally going to be Marty? Nope that role originally belonged to Eric Stoltz! Check out the YouTube video below to see more!
Also The Code Word For This Article Is Back! Make a note - Then Tune In Sunday For More Details!
All Links To Buy / Subscribe to Amazon Programs On Amazon in this article are Amazon Affiliate Links(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do!)
And Now For The Giveaway!
GIVEAWAY DETAILS & HOW TO ENTER!
Melanie's Muses will be giving away a "Back To The Future" Prize Pack featuring the The DVD and Marty Funko Pop sent in by Jennifer Rhodes, A Doc Funko Pop sent in by Dave Christy and Stickers from the Melanie's Muses Prize Hoard!! For your chance to win- leave a comment ON THIS POST ON THE WEBSITE (comments left on shares around other social media WILL NOT COUNT) - If you had a time machine, when and where would you go? The winner will be picked randomly from qualifying comments. Other comments about the article are very welcome but only entrants with the qualifying comments will go in the hat! What your answer is will not influence whether you go into the hat - Only that you answer the question! Winner will be announced during the Live show on August 1st (and then posted here on the blog as well on August 2nd. Full Rules Below! Good luck everyone! Rules
This little guy needs a name! Susan Harris picked him up (she adds to her collection every time a new book creation comes together) but the name on the tag was LAVERNE! Well that doesn't work - and so she is asking you to tell us what YOU think its name should be! PLUS that book creation - this will ACTUALLY be a character - so the winner will see the name in print PLUS get credit in the acknowledgments!
GIVEAWAY DETAILS & HOW TO ENTER!
So sadly you will not be winning the little statue - I know I know - but the whole point is that Susan needs a name for him because SHE is keeping him! If you DO win though, you will be able to have your choice of a Signed Paperback from Susan of ANY of her books INCLUDING the NEW cover version of Shattered Memories PLUS Your character's name will be IN THE BOOK (that I can't talk about yet - and hasn't been announced - and IS BRAND NEW ... OK OK I'm done ........) For your chance to win- leave a comment ON THIS POST ON THE WEBSITE (comments left on shares around other social media WILL NOT COUNT) - What do you think it's name should be - and why? As this is a competition to find the name that Susan will be using - the winner will be the name that Susan chooses! Winner will be announced during the Live show on July ```18th (and then posted here on the blog as well on July 26th. Full Rules Below! Good luck everyone! ***The Code Word For This Article Is DUDE! Make a note - Then Tune In Sunday For More Details!*** Rules
Jenn -
We all have those go to funny shows that just make you laugh and laugh no matter how many times you watch them. Well, like many of you I have one and that show is "Miranda".
"Miranda" is a BBC show but luckily when I started watching it, it was on Hulu. It also helped me get through a rough time but I won’t mention that so moving on. "Miranda" is also different in that it breaks the fourth wall, meaning she actually talks to us, the audience. It’s something that not many movies or shows do. Actually, I’m not really sure if they could even pull that off right, not like "Miranda" does. Miranda is about a woman and her tiny friend who own a joke shop, that she lives above. Her mom is a different story and not very supportive of what her daughter does.
There’s also a romantic interest but I’ll leave that for you to see for yourself, because I think this is one show not many have heard of before. Also, Miranda is the best person I’ve ever seen and by that I just mean I love how unapologetically herself she is no matter what anyone else says or thinks.
Jennifer Rhodes met Melanie back when True Blood was popular and they have been friends ever since. She loves TV (especially things that make you smile), Doctor Who, Finding new shows, and regularly provides awesome fandom items for Muser Giveaways. Jennifer is now a proud member of the VIPers - the Melanie's Muses Spotlight Feature Team!
Melanie -
I am a sucker for a show that breaks the 4th wall, especially when they do it well and this show does it EXCEPTIONALLY well! I absolutely LOVE Miranda!
I know most Americans associate Tom Ellis with his breakout role being Lucifer, but the fact is he had been a hit in the UK for YEARS Before! From Merlin, to Doctor Who, and of course Miranda just to mention a few! In fact in the UK when Tom Ellis goes to conventions you would often see Miranda listed with as much importance as Lucifer! 
As Jenn said, Miranda is just a feel good show, and has great rewatch potential! Some episodes (like the one with the therapy) are watched quite often just because they never get old! The supporting cast is filled with famous (well English type famous) faces including Patricia Hodge who is just brilliant! Dysfuctional families, the non-perfect people, and just the sort of situations that seem ridiculous at first but then you can totally imagine someone you know having it happen to them!
Everyone in this house loves this show, and I highly recommend it. You may have seen "Heather" pop up on the live show - well this is what it's from! Watch for running jokes, fabulous callbacks, and my favorite - hiding in plain sight (SHE WAS A COAT RACK!!!!) As of right now in the US Seasons 1-3 are airing on Hulu - Or are available to watch via Amazon or IMDB with Ads. The 2014 Christmas special is also known Season 4 - depending how they choose to label it. And to make matters forever interesting - it is usually not available on the same sites as the first 3 seasons (because why would it be) - and right now that part is on Amazon Prime! **Note - the trailer isn't technically Season 1 - because this show is apparently obscure enough that even YouTube doesn't have all the trailers *rolls eyes* but fear not - nothing in here will ruin anything!
The Code Word For This Article Is GARY! Make a note - Then Tune In Sunday For More Details! All Links To Buy / Subscribe to Amazon Programs On Amazon in this article are Amazon Affiliate Links(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do!)
Jenn -
This is an older movie, but it recently just had a sequel come out not too long ago, so I will be talking about both. "Mary Poppins" is just one of those feel-good movies. By that I mean when you watch it you just can’t stop smiling. The first movie is set around the Banks children and their nanny, Mary Poppins, who seems to not be your ordinary nanny. She can do things that, well, normal people can’t. Taking the Banks children on the adventure of a lifetime, she also helps them learn valuable life lessons along with their father.
Now, I mentioned that second movie well it’s "Mary Poppins Returns", and yes it still features the Banks children, but not in the way you may think. The original two, Michael and Jane are all grown up, and Michael has kids of his own, but needing help again. Mary returns, this time taking care of all of them in her own little way. You’d think after all this time a sequel to the beloved classic would be terrible, but nope. I can tell you this. I love both movies just as much. Well, I can say the songs in the sequel I do listen to a little bit more. So, whenever you’re feeling down you should watch "Mary Poppins" because trust me afterwards you’ll feel a lot better. I think we all need a Mary Poppins in our life, especially now and if you haven’t seen it then come on! What exactly are you waiting for?
Jennifer Rhodes met Melanie back when True Blood was popular and they have been friends ever since. She loves TV (especially things that make you smile), Doctor Who, Finding new shows, and regularly provides awesome fandom items for Muser Giveaways. Jennifer is now a proud member of the VIPers - the Melanie's Muses Spotlight Feature Team!
Melanie Here - The Code Word For This Article Is Mary! Make a note - Then Tune In Sunday For More Details!
Both movies are available on Amazon - or watch them for free with your Disney + Subscription.
All Links To Buy / Subscribe to Amazon Programs On Amazon in this article are Amazon Affiliate Links (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do!)
Giveaway!
GIVEAWAY DETAILS & HOW TO ENTER!
Melanie's Muses will be giving away a "Mary Poppins" Prize Pack featuring the 2 DVD's, sent in by Jennifer Rhodes, And the Spoon, Marvel Sticker, & Spiderman Play Pack from the Melanie's Muses Prize Hoard!! For your chance to win- leave a comment ON THIS POST ON THE WEBSITE (comments left on shares around other social media WILL NOT COUNT) - Can you say supercalafragalisticexpialadoshus? The winner will be picked randomly from qualifying comments. Other comments about the article are very welcome but only entrants with the qualifying comments will go in the hat! What your answer is will not influence whether you go into the hat - Only that you answer the question! Winner will be announced during the Live show on July ```18th (and then posted here on the blog as well on July 19th. Full Rules Below! Good luck everyone! Rules
Dave -
Now for something completely different. It’s a book review from me. Yes, you read that correctly- a book. Not a movie, or music or tv show. It’s a first for me so let’s see how this goes.
I previously collaborated on the Ready Player One article with Jenn about the movie which we loved. It was based on a book. In November, they released a sequel to the book called Ready Player Two. Since I don't read much, I didn't actually read the first book but loved the movie. I wanted to see what happened next so I decided to pick up the new book and give it a shot. No word on if a movie deal is in place so I know it would be at least 2 years with all the special effects if a deal is worked out.
Ready Player Two picks up shortly after Ready Player One ends. Wade Watts aka Parzival and the rest of the High Five are now the owners of GSS and in control of the Oasis. We start out mostly seeing Wade living the Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous and insights to his daily life as the others are just popping in for video chats for the owners’ meetings. Wade releases a Halliday invention on Oasis users-- ONI headsets which dominate all your senses, making everything in the Oasis seems more real. With the ONI headset and the inherited Robes of Anorak, which give him invulnerability and invisibility, he is free to roam the Oasis and hide from fans and haters alike. One of his fans is LOhengrin, and her team dubbed themselves the LOw Five. More on them later. Parzival finds another of Halliday's hidden quests specifically designed for whoever won the first contest. It a quest to find the Seven Shards of the Sirens Soul.
The book starts a little slow. A lot of the early stuff is used to set up things that happen later. But there is a 3-year gap between everything that happens early on and when things really get going. It's roughly 70 or so pages into the story when Lo contacts Parzival about finding the first shard. That's when things pick up. The good news about that is the story gets steamrolled from there. The rest of our team -- Art3mis, Aech, and Shoto join Parzival on his quest to find the rest of the shards.
As a movie fan, I was reading trying to imagine everything how things would happen if they made the movie. We already have the main character designs from the first movie so that gives us an advantage. But these challenges are immersive. I have to say, I don’t know it would turn out. This quest is fantastic but incorporates going into video games, and 80's movies-- actually into the movies, and one involving Prince (as in The Artist Formally Known As, His Royal Badness, The Purple One)! Yes, THAT Prince! Recreating the movies could be done with a lot of work but I know Prince doesn't license his songs very often and that he is no longer with us, his estate may not either and it would also involve licensing his likeness. If they can't do that, they are going to have to rewrite that whole section. With all the rights they'd have to get for recreation of everything, I see it inflating the budget.
The story of Ready Player Two is one hell of a ride through 80's Pop Culture with references and Easter eggs sprinkled throughout. So, keep those eyes peeled and be ready to geek out over everything you are about to read.
Dave Christy loves horror, music, documentaries and more. He is also the co-runner of several fan based groups including Morningstars (THE Lucifer fan group also run by Melanie), and now is a member of the VIPers Spotlight Lounge team for Melanie's Muses. Other than "In The Spotlight" Features -check out his "31 Days Of Halloween Movies"
Melanie here - The Code Word For This Article Is Play! Make a note - Then Tune In Sunday For More Details! All Links To Buy / Subscribe to Amazon Programs On Amazon in this article are Amazon Affiliate Links(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do!)
Dave -
By the time 2001 rolled around, combining live action and animation wasn't new, unique, and groundbreaking anymore. However, having a film accomplish it successfully and become a hit isn't done very often. "Monkeybone" tried to change that. Keyword being "tried". Like some ventures before, it failed miserably becoming a certified box office bomb. Only making back about 10% of its overall budget. That does not mean it was a bad movie. Everyone loves at least one box office flop that failed to find its core audience. Maybe it missed the mark with some people. Maybe some people just didn't get it. We will explore some points here and you can chime in below and let us know where you land with this underground treasure.
Brendan Fraser stars as Stu Miley, comic creator on the verge of a big time deal turning his creation, Monkeybone, into an animated series. Leaving a promotional meeting, where people are throwing licensing products at him to sign off on, he gets into a car accident and ends up in a coma. (Sidenote: More on this later. I have issues with this scene the way it is in the final cut of the movie.) His subconscious ends up in Down Town, a dreamlike place that that also inhabits other peoples creations and figments of their imagination. Stu ends up stuck here while Monkeybone escapes to the real world and take over Stu's body. Yeah, I can tell I am losing you here. Sounds a bit corny but we can't have everything so serious all the time. I never said this was an Oscar winner.
The movie is directed by Henry Selick ("Nightmare Before Christmas", "Coraline", "James and the Giant Peach"). Also starring Bridget Fonda, Whoopi Goldberg, Rose McGowan, Megan Mullally, Giancarlo Esposito, and Chris Kattan in a bit more than a cameo. More like only the last 10-15 minutes but the performance is spot on, practically stealing the show and well worth the time spent watching it. The names behind this film are enough to attract the attention of an audience but something along the way just didn't connect. The story? The marketing/promotion? Maybe just the timing and genre? Dark humor and fantasy looking for the correct niche to carve its way into pop culture. It just never found its way.
Whenever I bring it up to anybody, I always get a confused look staring back at me. If it was released today, they'd have Funko Pops and everything to give it a promotional push. Even though I loved this movie for its quirkiness, while watching the DVD I was left puzzled by some things until I watched the deleted scenes. WTF were they thinking? They trimmed it to a slim 92 minutes. I guess that's about average length for this type of movie and wanted to stream along the plot but some of those cuts made the plot pay the price. There is a reason studios have a person in charge on continuity on the set. They are cutting vital info in exchange for time and leaving the audience scratching their heads. For instance, the car accident that send Stu to Down Town in his coma wasn't even supposed to be what sends him there in the first place. He was in the car with his girlfriend when he ran into a pole and somehow its just him in the coma. Yeah its possible but the rest of the cut scene shows him getting out the car unscathed for the most part, and going over to a pay phone (remember-- 2001, before everyone had cell phones) where the pole he hit falls on him. That's how he was supposed to be in a coma. More continuity errors with Death's assistant because of a cut scene where he get pea soup on him from picking up a body. But we don't see that so he just appears with this stain and we have no idea how or why. Adding all the deleted scenes back in would have only been an extra 11 minutes to the length. Little things like this tend to irritate the hell out of me. It really wouldn't add that much to length to movie when these are key details but they end up getting cut. I would really like Shout Factory to pick this up for a Special Edition blu ray release. Is anyone at Shout listening to me here? Please? I know its longshot but I can hope. Its so hard to even find on DVD now. They are out of print and never had a blu ray release in the US. Someone has to give it a little more press. That's why I'm here. End rant. Roll the trailer.
Dave Christy loves horror, music, documentaries and more. He is also the co-runner of several fan based groups including Morningstars (THE Lucifer fan group also run by Melanie), and now is a member of the VIPers Spotlight Lounge team for Melanie's Muses. Other than "In The Spotlight" Features -check out his "31 Days Of Halloween Movies"
Melanie here - The Code Word For This Article Is Bone! Make a note - Then Tune In Sunday For More Details!
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