October 30, 2022 by L.

Miguel, I Give You My Blessing, To Go Home And…Never Forget How Much Your Family Cares For You.: Coco (2017)

Miguel, I give you my blessing, to go home and…never play music again. [Mamá Imelda looks at Héctor and smiles]…And never forget how much your family cares for you.

I’m going to start with just letting out my true feelings, I don’t like the movie Coco (2017).

I know, I know so many love it, but I don’t. It all started back in 2013, when Disney wanted to make a Dia de Los Muertos film and tried to copyright the name.

Yep, they wanted to trademark both “Día de los Muertos” and “Day of the Dead,” as they wanted to own it so they would control “such themed merchandise as fruit preserves, fruit-based snacks, toys, games, clothing, footwear, backpacks, clocks and jewelry.” They apologized saying it was an “oversight” and a “misunderstanding”.

Yeah right, I don’t believe it for one second. There is no way they would have ever tried that with Christmas, in my opinion they were just trying to pull a fast one and found themselves called out by the Latino community. Being Latina myself, I was extremely offended at this and while it has died down I still haven’t forgiven the heads of Disney who attempted that.

In 2014, an adorable film come out called The Book of Life, that I adored as it had a cute story, wonderful animation, and incorporated different Latin American folklore and culture; (although it did summarize it and make changes so it was more palatable to American audiences that ranged from those who know the history of Dia de Los Muertos and those who have zero knowledge or assume it is Mexican Halloween).

The story of The Book of Life is that La Muerte/La Catrina is the ruler of the Land of the Remembered and her husband Xibalba is the ruler of the Land of the Forgotten. The film’s premise is that as long as the dead are remembered by the people who live on Earth they will stay in the “Land of the Remembered” and if there is nobody alive to remember them they will go to the “Land of the Forgotten”; a terrible place no one wants to go. Not surprisingly, Xibalba does not like living there and he and La Muerte make a deal; there is a love triangle between Joaquin, Manolo, and Maria and whoever’s chosen victor wins Maria’s heart will also win the Land of the Remembered. La Muerte supports Manolo and Xibalba supports Joaquin. Fast forward to when they are adults and Joaquin has become a war hero, while Manolo wants to be a musician, something his father doesn’t approve of as he comes from a long line of bullfighters. The two try to woo Maria and Manolo is the clear winner. This upsets Xilbalbe and he tricks Manolo into killing himself to save Maria (who wasn’t really dead) sending him to the afterlife, winning the bet. Manolo reunits with his family, eventually baring his soul with his father and getting the family blessing to be a musician, outwits Xilbalbe, and defeats the terrible bandit while reuniting with Maria. I loved it.

When Coco came out three years later I wasn’t interested. I know “they said” they were sorry for their “blunder” and sent a team to Mexico to study Mexican culture in order to make a better film, I was still very hesitant that they would follow through. Eventually I did watch it as my niece wanted to see it and after watching Coco, I did not like it.

First of all the storyline was nothing new for an “original film” as I felt they copied The Book of Life. There were too many similarities for it to be accidental: like the being remembered you have a fun party in the afterlife while if you are forgotten you are gone forever, the way they made the afterlife a big party (extremely similar), the whole central theme about the youngest family member wanting to pursue music opposed to the family business (BOL bullfighting while C cobbling), the meeting the family in the afterlife and mending fences, not supposed to be dead an in the afterlife, etc.

And they combined all those components with Up, as it was the same story of our main character idolizing a person only to meet them and discover that he was actually a terrible person.

The other thing that really annoyed me was the “music is evil” plot with Miguel’s great-great grandma and grandma banning it from all family members. Music is such a huge part of Latino culture, that the way Miguel’s family barred it like a Latino Footloose town was odd and in my mind impossible. Its such a strong part of the Latino identity. I felt this story point was better done in The Book of Life, as the family wasn’t opposed to any music, but just did not want to break family tradition.

To me this just felt like Disney was not really giving it their all but just trying their best to make money off the holiday and Latino culture.

The only thing that I felt was actually well done with the film was the music. I like that they used traditional songs and actual mariachi songs. While I don’t care for the film, I am always down to listen to the soundtrack.

I know I am probably the only dissenter to this film, but I won’t apologize for how I feel. That’s what I think of it. If you enjoyed it that’s great.

For more on Dia de Los Muertos, go to Feliz Día de Muertos: Celebrando con Mi Ofrenda de Jane Austen

For more animated films, go to Zombie Pirates and Werecats: Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island (1998)

For more Disney reviews, go to Mysteries & Meddling Kids: Austin & Ally (2015)

October 3, 2021 by L.

Zombie Pirates and Werecats: Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island (1998)

So every year I review an animated film, and here we are with Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island

I am such a huge Scooby-Doo fan and I remember being so excited when this came out, it was also interesting to see that it was going to have real monsters! I mean in the older films like Scooby-Doo and the Reluctant Werewolf or The Ghoul School, 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo, etc. had monsters, but this was a world where monsters didn’t “exist” and now there was going to be some! My six year old self was super, super excited to watch this on TV and I was not disappointed.

Last year I reviewed Stephen King’s Sleepwalkers, a truly horrible film about werecat people. It doesn’t surprise me that an animated Scooby-Doo film has better Werecat people. Yes, this low budget animated film is the far superior one.

Plus no dead cats!

So this film picks up after years have passed and the gang has ended their crime solving days to do other pursuits.

Fred is a cameraman for Daphne’s show, which investigates paranormal things and uncovers the truth. I think it is cute that Fred loved Daphne enough to move from being the frontman of the group to taking the behind the scenes role. They are adorable and I don’t like that people keep trying to put Daphne and Velma together, it is Fred and Daphne all the way.

Velma had opened her own mystery book shop, which makes sense. Although you think with all the technology she figures out and the mysteries she solved she would go into movie making, technology creating, or even mystery writing. But maybe she likes running a shop instead. After all, having a bookstore does sound like fun.

Shaggy and Scooby work as airport security, especially customs as they like to take food away from the customers. I can see it.

It is Daphne’s birthday and she is wishing for a real mystery to solve instead of it always being a man in a mask. Fred wants to make her feel better and brings the mystery machine back from the grave and gets the gang back together for a cross country ghost trip. He’s so sweet!

But no “real” monsters or ghosts are found.

They are in New Orleans, bemoaning the fact that there are no real monsters when they are overheard and approached by a Lena Dupree. She is a cook on Moonscar Island and shares that there are mysterious occurrences on the island and it is believed to be haunted by the ghost of the pirate Morgan Moonscar. The gang decide to go along with them and meet Jacques the ferryman who reminds me a lot of the Captain in The Creature from the Black Lagoon. Once on the island they meet Simone Lenoir, the owner of the chili pepper plantation, where the gang all stay.

There are some weird things going on at the plantation, like a chill in the air, which they replay to later see a ghost caught on camera. Then Shaggy sees a confederate ghost in his room. Velma thinks everything it fake while Shaggy is scared and Daphne hopes it is real. Velma also discovers that the plantation is created from pieces of the pirate ship, which is puzzling to her. Typically people would use woods from ships to create houses and homes, as any ready wood would be used. But this is odd as why would pirates agree to it? They would need their ship to continue their adventures? And who were the people who built it? How were they able to take that wood from the pirates.

But even with all the strange and unusual things happening, I would be down to go to Moonscar Island, or should I say Meowsca Island as it is full of cats. Cats are everywhere and Simone and Lena’s favorite creatures. If I lived here this is how it would be, it would be like 101 Dalmatians but 101 cats. It would be like Aoshima Island.

The only problem with all the cats is that even though Scooby has never had any serious doglike behavior before and has never chased cats in any previous episodes or films that I can remember, in this he cannot stop barking and chasing the cats. It gets so bad that he and Shaggy are banished to the mystery machine.

Later Shaggy and Scooby are chased by Zombies, all kinds of Zombies as in from all different time periods. As a kid when I first watched this I remember us commenting on the ghosts/zombies and how they are supposed to be from the past, then why are there modern people too? One guy is in a big Hawaiian shirt and camera, looking very much like a ‘90s tourist. When did he get turned and how come Lena and Simone didn’t mention anything about those confederate and modern zombies?

So Daphne is thrilled that these could be real, while Fred and Velma are still not convinced. Fred thinks Lena is so sweet and charming, and starts thinking that Beau-the very handsome broody gardener that made both girls give a second look at him-is the one behind it. Velma starts thinking it is him as well as she finds his behavior suspicious.

They have this scene when Velma is questioning him and you think he is going to hurt her, but it turns out that he saves her. Even so, Velma is still uncertain about him.

Meanwhile that evening, Daphne and Fred capture a zombie and think that it is fake, but when they try to remove the head, they discover that it can’t come off. Now a lot of people will probably think it was rude of Fred to try after Daphne failed, but I have never been anywhere where something is locked or unable to be opened and other people, even though they see it is locked, they always has to give it a try. When the two realize that it is real, they also scream in terror, run, and of course drop the camera in quicksand hiding all proof of real zombies.

One thing Scooby-Doo always gets right in their films are the soundtrack. This one is great as usual as their terror time song is catchy and fun.

Scooby and Shaggy are running and they fall into a cave. There they find these little dolls made out of wax that look just like Fred, Daphne, Velma, and Beau. They do the most relatable thing anyone would do in their situation and play with them, but what they don’t realize is that the dolls are actually voodoo dolls. So everything they do, such as having one friend smack another in the face (again super relatable), cause their buds to actually do that. They end up stopping when they hear bats and run scared from the cave. As they are running around, the rest of the gang plus Beau head off to keep investigating.

They go into the house and and find a secret passageway to the cave. Lena comes running and tells them that Simone was dragged away by zombies, all want to help but Velma who keeps staring at the ground. They go follow Lena and come upon the voodoo dolls and a perfectly fine Simone, all of which Velma knew as she noticed there weren’t any dragged marks on the ground but footsteps.

Simone and Lena reveal that they are Sleepwalkers, no just kidding- but they are similar in that they are werecats. They came to the island with a group of others to worship their cat god and lead peaceful lives, but were attacked by pirates. Lena and Simone were the only ones to survive and they made an exchange to the moon goddess to rid change themselves and destroy the pirates, but didn’t realize that they will now always be werecats. They need to drain the life force of people every harvest moon to survive. They also turned Jacques the ferryman to help bring tourists on and use them to survive.

They made the voodoo dolls of them but not of Shaggy and Scooby as they believe Jacques could handle them. As they control the figurines and their real life counterparts, they are interrupted by a terrified Shaggy and Scooby running amuck and causing them problems.

After a classic Scooby Doo run around, they end up getting captured. The three werecats prepare to destroy the gang + Beau, but just as it looks as if all hope is lost, it turns out that they did too much messing around and the ritual time has passsed. The three werecats turn into dust and blow away in the wind.

In the end all is well on island and the gang wonder how will they tell the police what happened? Who would believe them?

But in a surprising twist, Beau reveals he is an undercover police officer, sent to the island to investigate the disappearances. He is at a loss of how to convince the rest of the police force of what happened, but Daphne sort of saves the day by asking him to be on her show. I mean it still sounds crazy, but the Mystery gang are established people so I guess it will all work out?

They all leave the island which is now free form evil and at rest, or at least until the sequel in 2019.

So I loved this film. It was so much fun and I remember that having “real” monsters was such a big deal. It still is just as good and I rewatched it with my niece who also loved it.

No Facebook cover for this film as I couldn’t find an image large enough that I liked.

For more Scooby-Doo, go to Goofy Ghosts and a Treasure Hunt: Scooby-Doo Meets the Boo Brothers (1987)

For more animated films, go to In the Spa House of the Spirits: Spirited Away (2001)

For more zombies, go to Holy Crap, Leonard’s a Zombie: Epidemiology, Community (2010)

For more ghosts, go to No Haunt Me Then!…I Know That Ghosts Have Wandered On The Earth. Be With Me Always…Drive Me Mad, Only Do Not Leave Me in This Dark Alone…I Cannot Live Without My Life! I Cannot Die Without My Soul.: Wuthering Heights (1939)

October 15, 2020 by L.

Goofy Ghosts and a Treasure Hunt: Scooby-Doo Meets the Boo Brothers (1987)

Goofy Ghosts and a Treasure Hunt

So every year I review an animated film, and here we are with Scooby-Doo and the Boo Brothers.

This was the first of three Shaggy, Scooby, and Scrappy stand alone films. It followed The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo which featured a smaller number of the Scooby crew with Daphne, Shaggy, Scooby-Doo, and Scrappy-Doo.

This however, is my least favorite of all the Scooby-Doo films. It was followed by Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School and Scooby-Doo and the Reluctant Werewolf (both of which I think are far superior). Really the reason I don’t like this is because of the second half of the title, the Boo Brothers. The Boo Brothers are fashioned after The Three Stooges, and while I liked them (espechially as a kid), I don’t like the Boo Brothers.

So annoying

I also remember there being this weird girl that bothers Shaggy.

So annoying

I do remember there being a pretty good treasure hunt that involved all these riddles to find where the treasure was hidden. I really enjoyed that part and I wish they had included more of it-or just featured it and cut out the Boo Brothers.

Shaggy’s uncle, Colonel Beauregard has passed away and left his house and all his belongings to Shaggy. Shaggy, Scooby, and Scrappy head down to the South.

They run into Sheriff Rufus Buzby who warns them of a curse on the property, and leaves when he gets a call about a derailed circus train and an ape that got out. Of course Scooby and Shaggy are scared but Scrappy urges them on.

When they do get to the property they are attacked by a headless horseman, ghost wolf, and ghost colonel.

Ghosts are bad, but the one that’s cursed,
Is the Headless Horseman; he’s the worst!

They also meet the creepy manservant Farquard who lets them know that there is a fortune buried on the estate.

This sounds so familiar…

Hmmm…

A distant relative leaving someone their spooky house, a creepy housekeeper/butler, buried treasure somewhere on the large estate, an escaped “creature” chasing them on the property…

This is The Cat and the Canary!

This is basically the same film except they threw in the three stooges ghostbrothers.

Shaggy wants to leave but can’t as his truck is stuck in mud, so they have to spend the night there. To get rid of the ghosts they call some ghostbusters, (not the Ghostbusters). Why didn’t he just call a tow truck?

Seriously

Surprise, surprise they are the most annoying things ever. This movie isn’t that bad, it’s just the Boo Brothers are really annoying and dumb. The film would be better without them.

Basically they stink at their job and just do a lot of dumb things that are supposed to be funny.

Ugh…

Sadie Mae Scroggins comes calling and falls for Shaggy, and her brother threatens him as the Scroggins and Beauregards (Shaggy’s uncle) have a terrible feud.

The guys are starving, as always, and do what they always love to do, eat. They make a sandwich and bite into a clue.

Dear Shaggy, knowing your appetite I thought this would be the best place to hide this message and this jewel. It’s only one of many in my fortune, which I hid to keep them away from my enemies. To find the next clue to their hiding place, go outside. Then look for the part of the house with its knee out.

This leads them to the Chimney where they find a diamond. This is the interesting part of the film.

You’re nearer the family jewels than before. A broken key unlocks the next door. – Piano

Look for a relative who is quite old, whose face cannot look, and whose hands cannot hold. – Grandfather Clock

There is no pendulum in this clock. So, what does it lack besides a tock? – Attic

For the next clue, don’t look any higher. Think what you are when you’re not the buyer. – Cellar

The next clue you seek is large and flat. It’s the kind of stone you use as a hat. – Colonel Beauregard’s headstone in cemetery

You’re nearing the end of this obstacle course, so if you go buggy, you won’t need a horse. – Barn

To get to the bottom of things is the trick. Think how you’re feeling when you are not sick. – Well

At the end of this tunnel, are many more pearls but on the way, many more perils. – Basement

There’s no mystery about this clue. Inside Bear Cave, the jewels are in plain view.- Bear Cave

Go to a place that covers the tide. To find the last clue, just “pier” inside. – Boathouse

As they continue the Boo Brothers have crazy antics that don’t help at all, the gorilla keeps coming, the Scroggins are driving Shaggy crazy, and multiple ghosts are attacking them,

They go to the last place and find the final clue.

No more riddles, here ends the chase. The treasure’s in the fireplace. – Fireplace

They go for the treasure but the Ghost holds them at gunpoint, the real ghosts finally come in handy-all are saved and unmask the ghost to be the Sheriff-who is unmasked as the Sherif’s twin brother who wanted the money.

Shaggy decides to give the mansion to the Boo Brothers, give the money to orphans, and takes off. His next plan is to be a gym teacher at a girl’s school, but you know Shaggy-he doesn’t always pay attention.

So yeah, it was okay. I liked half of it, but the Boo Brothers killed it for me.

For more Scooby-Doo, go to To All the Ghouls I’ve Loved Before: The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo (1985)

For more ’80s films, go to Holy Smokes! Your Mom’s a Werewolf!: My Mom’s a Werewolf (1989)

For more animated films, go to In the Spa House of the Spirits: Spirited Away (2001)

For more hidden treasure, go to Trapped in a Mansion in the Middle of Nowhere with a Psycho: The Cat and the Canary (1939)

For more ghosts, go to A Psychic Arrives and a Ghost Haunts the Ship: High Seas Season Two (2019)

February 2, 2020 by L.

Kiss the Girl: The Little Mermaid (1989)

The Little Mermaid (1989)

I have reviewed this movie before for Valentine’s Day, but decided to pick another moment from it. You can never have too many!

hearts banner

So The Little Mermaid is based on the fairy tale of the same name by Hans Christian Anderson (Love him).

So Ariel is a mermaid, but she really loves human things. She is always collecting things from shipwrecks and going to the surface to talk to birds and see land. One night she is watching a ship that is bringing Prince Eric home. A huge storm occurs and causes the ship to be destroyed.

Ariel saves Eric and brings him to land singing “Part of Your World“.

When she gets home her father discovers her treasure trove of human items and destroys them. In typical, teenage fashion, she throws a temper tantrum and goes to see the evil witch Ursula, who takes her voice in exchange for giving her legs. Ariel has three days to get Eric to kiss her, if he does she will be a human forever- but if he doesn’t then she will turn back into a mermaid and belong to Ursula.

That’s not good.

Ariel goes topside but has difficulties getting Eric to kiss her, as he doesn’t want to take advantage of a mute girl and is in love with the girl who saved him (couldn’t see her only heard her); along with Ursula’s lackeys getting in the way. Ursula transforms herself into a beautiful woman, takes Ariel’s voice, puts a spell on Eric, and gets him to agree to marry her. Ariel and friends are trying to stop the wedding, but will they be able to in time? Or is it too late?

Most Romantic Moment: Kiss the Girl

This is a great song and a great scene. You have the perfect atmosphere with the blue lagoon, a rowboat for two, a group singing in perfect harmony a romantic song; and to top it all off you have them in the weeping willow!

I love it!

I LOVE weeping willows and find them beautiful, magical, and incredibly romantic. I love this part of the song.

For more on The Little Mermaid, go to Waiter, There’s Some Disney in My Jane Austen

For more Disney films, go to In the Spa House of the Spirits: Spirited Away (2001)

November 4, 2019 by L.

Let That Catherine Morland Flag Fly Free

So Horrorfest started I couldn’t tell you exactly when. I’ve always been a fan of horror, thriller, suspense, mystery, film-noir, etc. I would watch them all the time, but every day in October.

When I went to college, I continued and my roommates were thrown into my 31 Days of Horror films celebration.

Who knows?!

So when I started blogging in 2012 I decided to include it and officially create “Horrorfest”-blogging about a film every day. That way it would save my friends/roommates from something they weren’t as interested in.

Yay!!!

Over the years I have established a set of rules and annual films categories. Every year I have enjoyed doing it although sometimes I have fallen behind because of life getting in the way. Usually I have the posts written, like this year I had all 31 done extremely early-the best I have ever been, it is just the editing that slowed me down. If you have someone willing to edit your work-give them a lot of love, because it takes a LOT of time to do.

So last year I received quite a few comments questioning Horrorfest as it has nothing to do with Jane Austen. They felt that there was no reason to do it and didn’t want me to continue.

Hmmm

Well, they are right it does have nothing to do with Jane Austen.

Even though Horrorfest doesn’t really have anything to do with Jane Austen, I have tried to input anything Jane Austen related-I’ve reviewed Death Comes to Pemberley, Death by Persuasion-or things with Austen actors in it like Ruby in the Smoke and Dead Again. I’ve even reviewed some films that while not Jane Austen-are films that Austen fans will love.

But even if I don’t review something Jane Austen, I think its okay to include Horrorfest as there is one character who would love this:

Yep the Regency spooky girl:

So for this year’s review: how I do Horrorfest VIII is that I watch whatever, and review it. I mean I usually plan the first and last film-and of course I planned The Planet of the Apes series review after someone donated the set to the library-yet it always amazes me how many match up themewise.

This year we had gothic films with the Horror of Dracula and Rebecca.

We also had a multicultural Horrorfest VIII as my Jane Austen profile pic was inspired from my Mexican culture, we had Horror of Dracula from England, High Seas AKA Alta Mar from Spain, Spirited Away from Japan, and Strong Woman Bong Soon from Korea.

We had dystopian futures with Planet of the Apes, Beneath the Planet of the Apes, Escape from Planet of the Apes, Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, Battle for Planet of the Apes, Logan’s Run, and The Running Man.

We had Non-Austen Films for Austen Fans with Alta Mar AKA High Seas, “Death By Persuasion” from Midsomer Murders, Rebecca, and Strong Woman Bong Soon.

We had superheroes with Batman, Strong Woman Bong Soon, and Unbreakable.

Ghosts with The Fog, R.I.P.D., Spirited Away, and 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo.

And apes with the Planet of the Apes series and King Kong.

And of course our Annual films:

A movie or TV episode from every decade of 1930s-2010s
Doubledose of Alfred Hitchcock with Alfred Hitchcock Presents and Rebecca
Animated Film with Spirited Away,
Disney with Spirited Away,
Doubledose of Lifetime with Death of a Cheerleader and Psycho Mother-in-Law,
Stephen King with The Running Man
Tim Burton with Batman
Vincent Price with 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo