“Horror fans got some unexpected but intriguing news today, as it was reported that Rob Zombie has been hired to reboot The Munstersfor Universal, with the 3 From Hell director set to make a movie based on the beloved 60s sitcom about the monster mash-up family.
Wife and regular leading lady Sheri Moon Zombie is believed to be playing vampire matriarch Lily, while Jeff Daniel Phillips – another of the filmmaker’s frequent collaborators – is on board as Herman, the Frankenstein’s Monster-alike father of the clan. Cassandra Peterson AKA Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, meanwhile, is likewise expected to be part of the cast.
Obviously, this is pretty wild news, and the announcement that Zombie – known for his bloody, vulgar, no-holds-barred R-rated pictures – is helming a reboot of a kooky but ultimately wholesome old sitcom is blowing up on social media. After all, nobody had this headline on their 2021 bingo card…”
I watched Lucky last night and...I dug it! It puts an interesting twist on a tried and true concept. It's a movie about a slasher, but I'd barely call it a slasher movie. Nah, this movie takes you into an uncanny valley, and that ambiguity and psychological aspect give us a lot more to mull over. So is it good? Is it scary? What's it saying? Let's do a deeper dive!
So what is Lucky about? It's got a great idea for a premise. May, a self-help author, gets home from a book tour and wakes up to a killer outside her home. Her husband informs her that the killer shows up every night. Whenever they stop the killer, he vanishes before the police arrive. This creates some interesting dynamics. Her husband is aware of the situation but seems indifferent; the police don't seem to take her fear seriously since there's no body. Everyone else around May hints at knowing something is going on...but no one says anything with clarity.
The movie takes on some patterns. May is attacked by the killer, fights for survival, and then struggles with the fallout. People either don't take her seriously or don't understand what's happening to her. To keep the threat fresh, people who take May seriously and try to help wind up getting hurt themselves. May can't escape this killer, she can't stop him, and whether people believe her or not, she's left alienated. This isolation sticks throughout the whole damned run time.
But the scariest aspect of this film isn't in the kill scenes. I already told you, this isn't a typical slasher. It's the conversations that May has after being attacked that are most unsettling. Whether her husband, police, or therapists are treating her like a hysterical lunatic, or her friends are offering vague support that suggests they may know more than they're letting on, the conversations are uncomfortable. A LOT of this movie is about making May (and us by extension) feel isolated despite being surrounded by people who "care." You're right there with her wondering wtf is going on.
By the end of the run time, I think the ambiguity gives way to a fairly clear allegory. The concluding act is both the most dream/nightmare-like portion and the part where everything makes a bit more sense (at least I put together my theory). I'ma spoiler a couple of takeaways here, though I'm still gonna try not to give away much.
I think this is what gaslighting feels like. Specifically gaslighting after traumatic experiences. But then the movie goes a step further as it shows ALL of the women that May meets dealing with their own killer stalker. This isn't just about big traumatic moments. It's about the everyday traumas a person can go through and how that stuff goes unseen or misunderstood. This felt clear as day to me after the final act and, specifically, the movie's very last scene.
And just to throw this in. As art imitates life, I witnessed a scenario recently that really reflected the sort of gaslighting that happens in the movie. Well-meaning police with one foot out the door offering tips and advice to a woman that just got a restraining order against someone she is clearly afraid of...and thank god she asked a LOT of questions because the man showed up with a gun just as the police were leaving her with a "change your locks or move" tip. It's not something I would go into detail on, but I did need to reference it because this movie resonated as a result. I might have slept on the message or thought it was hyperbole if not for seeing the very worst-case scenarios of this stuff play out just recently. Maybe that's why this hit...I might not overlook an overt situation like in the movie, but I could have missteps in empathy all the same.
So is it good? Yes..it's creative and different; not a home run but one that I'll def be watching twice. The threat is a bit laughable early on, but I think that's done on purpose. The "am I going nuts" question is where the real fear or discomfort comes from.
Is it scary? I don't classify this one as scary. But it has a psychological aspect that ought to stick with plenty of viewers.
What's it about? On the surface, it's about a woman being stalked by a killer who won't die and cannot be escaped. As an allegory, it's a lot more about how we deal with and handle trauma, especially from a female perspective.
☰ The Munsters Movie Is Happening with Director Rob Zombie
Rumor is Rob Zombie will write and direct The Munsters, a new movie based on the classic sitcom, with Sheri Moon Zombie playing Lily.
Because Zombie's movies are known for their vulgarity and excessive violence, the director might seem like an odd choice as the right filmmaker to reimagine The Munsters. However, his fandom and appreciation of the classic sitcom are very well documented. As a musician, he has previously covered the show's iconic theme song and his popular song "Dragula" is a direct reference to the series. Howard Stern has also described Zombie as a Munsterssuperfan, revealing in January that the 3 from Hell director gifted him with a Herman Munster puppet.
Developed by Norm Liebmann and Ed Haas, The Munsters originally aired for 70 episodes between 1964 and 1966. Despite its short run, the show later found a new life with much greater popularity through airing the old episodes in syndication. The original cast featured Fred Gwynne as Herman Munster, Yvonne De Carlo as Lily, Al Lewis as Grandpa, Butch Patrick as Eddie, and Pat Priest and Beverly Owen sharing the role of Marilyn. Mel Blanc and Bob Hastings also voiced The Raven.
The Unholy The Unholy follows Alice, a young hearing-impaired girl who, after a supposed visitation from the Virgin Mary, is inexplicably able to hear, speak and heal the sick. As word spreads and people from near and far flock to witness her miracles, a disgraced journalist (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) hoping to revive his career visits the small New England town to investigate. When terrifying events begin to happen all around, he starts to question if these phenomena are the works of the Virgin Mary or something much more sinister.
The Unholy is produced by Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert and Evan Spiliotopoulos, written for the screen and directed by Evan Spiliotopoulos, and is based upon James Herbert’s best-selling book Shrine.
That is the biggest question will his reverence for The Munsters make him force himself to create something that is close in look, tone, spirit to the source material or will he just go in and "Zombify" The Munsters into usual dusty hillbilly trailer park car crash we are used to from him?
I watched Lucky last night and...I dug it! It puts an interesting twist on a tried and true concept. It's a movie about a slasher, but I'd barely call it a slasher movie. Nah, this movie takes you into an uncanny valley, and that ambiguity and psychological aspect give us a lot more to mull over. So is it good? Is it scary? What's it saying? Let's do a deeper dive!
So what is Lucky about? It's got a great idea for a premise. May, a self-help author, gets home from a book tour and wakes up to a killer outside her home. Her husband informs her that the killer shows up every night. Whenever they stop the killer, he vanishes before the police arrive. This creates some interesting dynamics. Her husband is aware of the situation but seems indifferent; the police don't seem to take her fear seriously since there's no body. Everyone else around May hints at knowing something is going on...but no one says anything with clarity.
The movie takes on some patterns. May is attacked by the killer, fights for survival, and then struggles with the fallout. People either don't take her seriously or don't understand what's happening to her. To keep the threat fresh, people who take May seriously and try to help wind up getting hurt themselves. May can't escape this killer, she can't stop him, and whether people believe her or not, she's left alienated. This isolation sticks throughout the whole damned run time.
But the scariest aspect of this film isn't in the kill scenes. I already told you, this isn't a typical slasher. It's the conversations that May has after being attacked that are most unsettling. Whether her husband, police, or therapists are treating her like a hysterical lunatic, or her friends are offering vague support that suggests they may know more than they're letting on, the conversations are uncomfortable. A LOT of this movie is about making May (and us by extension) feel isolated despite being surrounded by people who "care." You're right there with her wondering wtf is going on.
By the end of the run time, I think the ambiguity gives way to a fairly clear allegory. The concluding act is both the most dream/nightmare-like portion and the part where everything makes a bit more sense (at least I put together my theory). I'ma spoiler a couple of takeaways here, though I'm still gonna try not to give away much.
I think this is what gaslighting feels like. Specifically gaslighting after traumatic experiences. But then the movie goes a step further as it shows ALL of the women that May meets dealing with their own killer stalker. This isn't just about big traumatic moments. It's about the everyday traumas a person can go through and how that stuff goes unseen or misunderstood. This felt clear as day to me after the final act and, specifically, the movie's very last scene.
And just to throw this in. As art imitates life, I witnessed a scenario recently that really reflected the sort of gaslighting that happens in the movie. Well-meaning police with one foot out the door offering tips and advice to a woman that just got a restraining order against someone she is clearly afraid of...and thank god she asked a LOT of questions because the man showed up with a gun just as the police were leaving her with a "change your locks or move" tip. It's not something I would go into detail on, but I did need to reference it because this movie resonated as a result. I might have slept on the message or thought it was hyperbole if not for seeing the very worst-case scenarios of this stuff play out just recently. Maybe that's why this hit...I might not overlook an overt situation like in the movie, but I could have missteps in empathy all the same.
So is it good? Yes..it's creative and different; not a home run but one that I'll def be watching twice. The threat is a bit laughable early on, but I think that's done on purpose. The "am I going nuts" question is where the real fear or discomfort comes from.
Is it scary? I don't classify this one as scary. But it has a psychological aspect that ought to stick with plenty of viewers.
What's it about? On the surface, it's about a woman being stalked by a killer who won't die and cannot be escaped. As an allegory, it's a lot more about how we deal with and handle trauma, especially from a female perspective.
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