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[SXSW Review] ‘Upgrade’ Is a Searingly-Cool, Brutal Sci-Fi Gorefest

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Upgrade

I habitually follow whatever director/writer Leigh Whannell is up to. He has a trusted lineup of films out there, ranging from Saw to Insidious that I’ve always enjoyed. The really cool thing about this guy is that he innately feels like one of us. Just a regular ole horror fan. So, it’s par for the course that I was all aboard his latest sci-fi, horror, action film, Upgrade.

Upgrade is the first culmination of Blumhouse and Neon under the name of “Blumhouse Tilt.” I wasn’t sure where we were gonna go from there. Neon has done a lot of cool stuff in their own right, while Blumhouse has a primarily paranormal background. The peanut butter and sandwich that these two houses managed to make is a beast entirely up my alley. I say peanut butter, but Upgrade is more like peanut butter and jelly with a little bit of ecstasy sprinkled on top.

The film follows, Grey Trace after he and his girlfriend are savagely attacked leaving Grey, paralyzed from the neck down. When he is offered a chance at a normal life again by means of a microchip implant called Stem, he takes the opportunity. Once Stem is implanted, Grey begins hearing Stem talk to him, asking for control over his Grey’s body to assist in finding the dudes responsible for the attack.

Upgrade has a really cool ability to swerve in and out lanes that are made of the hilarious and over the top fun and can easily swerve back to the heavy hitting emotional stuff. This is the most Whannell film I have seen from him. This one feels like his voice more than previous work and I’m here for it.

Logan Marshall-Green plays Grey Trace and the guy seriously brings all aspects of the gambit. He can go from the emotional bits to the bloody bits in .5 seconds before coming back and hitting us with those heavy moving gut punches. Without giving too much away, I gotta say… Green is a badass on the levels of a melding of The Terminator and John Wick.

Upgrade is an indie film that manages to feel larger. It’s bridging the gap between an indie horror film and a kick-ass big action film. That bridge is where the undeniable charm of the film lay. It’s accomplishing big strides within its indie heart. I also really like that the film is obviously making an allgeroy about where we currently are with technology and the dangers of where that could lead. What Upgrade does really well with that, is how it doesn’t ever get pretentious or preachy with that message. Its got the message in there but it can also just be a fun action flick to have beer and pizza with.

I was taken completely by surprise by this one. It played as a midnight film at SXSW on the night of the daylight savings switch. As its establishing its characters and narrative I ordered a coffee to stay awake. Little did I know that I wasn’t gonna need that coffee because the action scenes that this movie shoves into your synapses is a speed-ball of action. After the first (and unexpected) fight scene broke out, I was up in my chair, laughing and cheering at the badassery of every aspect of how cool Whannell made these fight scenes look and feel.

One fight that highlights a kitchen knife being used on a badguy essentially turning him into a mangled PAC-Man, set the tone for the film and had the entire crowd cheering and cracking up.

Upgrade is a cool movie. It’s Ghost in the Shell by way of Cronenberg serving that is somehow wrapped in a Terminator exterior. It’s filled with intense, brutal action heightened by a substantial amount of awesome gore. This movie is seriously my jam and a great first outing by the folks at Blumhouse Tilt.

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The Original ‘Beetlejuice’ Sequel Had an Interesting Location

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beetlejuice in Hawaii Movie

Back in the late ’80s and early ’90s sequels to hit movies weren’t as linear as they are today. It was more like “let’s re-do the situation but in a different location.” Remember Speed 2, or National Lampoon’s European Vacation? Even Aliens, as good as it is, follows a lot of the plot points of the original; people stuck on a ship, an android, a little girl in peril instead of a cat. So it makes sense that one of the most popular supernatural comedies of all time, Beetlejuice would follow the same pattern.

In 1991 Tim Burton was interested in doing a sequel to his 1988 original, it was called Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian:

“The Deetz family moves to Hawaii to develop a resort. Construction begins, and it’s quickly discovered that the hotel will be sitting on top of an ancient burial ground. Beetlejuice comes in to save the day.”

Burton liked the script but wanted some re-writes so he asked then-hot screenwriter Daniel Waters who had just got done contributing to Heathers. He passed on the opportunity so producer David Geffen offered it to Troop Beverly Hills scribe Pamela Norris to no avail.

Eventually, Warner Bros. asked Kevin Smith to punch up Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian, he scoffed at the idea, saying, “Didn’t we say all we needed to say in the first Beetlejuice? Must we go tropical?”

Nine years later the sequel was killed. The studio said Winona Ryder was now too old for the part and an entire re-cast needed to happen. But Burton never gave up, there were a lot of directions he wanted to take his characters, including a Disney crossover.

“We talked about lots of different things,” the director said in Entertainment Weekly. “That was early on when we were going, Beetlejuice and the Haunted MansionBeetlejuice Goes West, whatever. Lots of things came up.”

Fast-forward to 2011 when another script was pitched for a sequel. This time the writer of Burton’s Dark Shadows,  Seth Grahame-Smith was hired and he wanted to make sure the story wasn’t a cash-grabbing remake or reboot. Four years later, in 2015, a script was approved with both Ryder and Keaton saying they would return to their respective roles. In 2017 that script was revamped and then eventually shelved in 2019.

During the time the sequel script was being tossed around in Hollywood, in 2016 an artist named Alex Murillo posted what looked like one-sheets for a Beetlejuice sequel. Although they were fabricated and had no affiliation with Warner Bros. people thought they were real.

Perhaps the virality of the artwork sparked interest in a Beetlejuice sequel once again, and finally, it was confirmed in 2022 Beetlejuice 2 had a green light from a script written by Wednesday writers  Alfred Gough and Miles Millar. The star of that series Jenna Ortega signed on to the new movie with filming starting in 2023. It was also confirmed that Danny Elfman would return to do the score.

Burton and Keaton agreed that the new film titled Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice wouldn’t rely on CGI or other other forms of technology. They wanted the film to feel “handmade.” The film wrapped in November 2023.

It’s been over three decades to come up with a sequel to Beetlejuice. Hopefully, since they said aloha to Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian there has been enough time and creativity to ensure Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice will not only honor the characters, but fans of the original.

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice will open theatrically on September 6.

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Russell Crowe To Star in Another Exorcism Movie & It’s Not a Sequel

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Maybe it’s because The Exorcist just celebrated its 50th-anniversary last year, or maybe it’s because aging Academy Award-winning actors aren’t too proud to take on obscure roles, but Russell Crowe is visiting the Devil once again in yet another possession film. And it’s not related to his last one, The Pope’s Exorcist.

According to Collider, the film titled The Exorcism was originally going to be released under the name The Georgetown Project. Rights for its North American release were once in the hands of Miramax but then went to Vertical Entertainment. It will release on June 7 in theaters then head over to Shudder for subscribers.

Crowe will also star in this year’s upcoming Kraven the Hunter which is set to drop in theaters on August 30.

As for The Exorcism, Collider provides us with what it’s about:

“The film centers around actor Anthony Miller (Crowe), whose troubles come to the forefront as he shoots a supernatural horror movie. His estranged daughter (Ryan Simpkins) has to figure out whether he’s lapsing into his past addictions, or if something even more horrific is occurring. “

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New F-Bomb Laden ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Trailer: Bloody Buddy Movie

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Deadpool & Wolverine might be the buddy movie of the decade. The two heterodox superheroes are back in the latest trailer for the summer blockbuster, this time with more f-bombs than a gangster film.

‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Movie Trailer

This time the focus is on Wolverine played by Hugh Jackman. The adamantium-infused X-Man is having a bit of a pity party when Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) arrives on the scene who then tries to convince him to team up for selfish reasons. The result is a profanity-filled trailer with a Strange surprise at the end.

Deadpool & Wolverine is one of the most anticipated movies of the year. It comes out on July 26. Here is the latest trailer, and we suggest if you are at work and your space isn’t private, you might want to put in headphones.

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