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TADFF Review: ‘The Furies’ is a Brutal, Bloody, Battle Royale

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From writer/director Tony D’Aquino, The Furies follows Kayla (Airlie Dodds, Killing Ground) as she wakes up alone, in a box, in the middle of the Australian outback. She soon discovers that she’s not as alone as she had initially thought — there are other young women all on the run from a collective of hulking masked men who are hunting them down one by one. 

It feels like a familiar concept, but The Furies brings enough blood and guts to the table that it all evens out. The film is chock-full of gnarly practical effects and clever character designs that pay homage to some of the great killers in horror. Visually, the film has that same frantic, sun-scorched quality as visceral slasher classics like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and it works to heighten the tension. There are no shadows to hide behind here. 

One thing that D’Aquino did not pull from the slasher films of yore is the hyper-sexualization of their female characters. In The Furies, the focus is solely on our leading women, who always remain fully dressed and in uncompromised positions. There’s never any discussion of boyfriends coming to save them or romantic partners who might miss them; the film absolutely smashes the Bechdel test. As a female horror fan, it’s good to see a group of young female characters with distinct personalities, flaws, and fears — particularly in a film where they’re being hunted down as prey. It would be far too easy to slip into the trap of triviality, but D’Aquino steers clear. 

The film’s titular Furies — in Greco-Roman mythology — were the chthonic goddesses of vengeance, each with their own distinct role. We can see the characteristics of the three Furies represented in the film’s characters, sealing their fate as the story unfolds. It’s a lovely nod to the mythology while keeping the creative focus on the classic horror elements. 

via IMDb

One of the film’s hiccups is the plot. It’s not particularly complex, but the somewhat incomplete explanation ends up just overcomplicating the whole ordeal. There are unanswered questions, which in itself isn’t necessarily a bad thing — sometimes it’s better to leave it up to interpretation — but the ends feel a bit too loose for it to be a nice tight finish. It sets up a conclusion that has a lot of built up energy, but it doesn’t quite stick the landing. 

Performance wise, The Furies gets exactly what it needs from its actors. Dodds as Kayla dives head-first into the role, sinking her teeth into every scrap of meat she can find. Taylor Ferguson (Glitch) only has limited screen time as Sheena, but she makes a big impression. The character of Rose, however, (Linda Ngo, Mako Mermaids) is perhaps a bit heavy-handed for the purpose she has to serve. She’s a bit too childish, and it’s a little on-the-nose. 

When we first meet Kayla, she holds herself in a state of timid unease; she’s reluctant to indulge in a bit of anarchic fun as her best friend Maddie (Ebony Vagulans, My Life is Murder) goads her on. It builds her as a self-restrained character who makes excuses for herself. She’s not one to joyously scream at the top of her lungs. Once both Maddie and Kayla are abducted and brought into this battle royale nightmare, we see Kayla gradually letting herself — letting everything — go. 

Kayla is determined to find her friend and get the hell out; in order to survive, she pushes herself beyond what she could possibly imagine. The strength she finds within herself is a dramatic shift away from the Kayla we met at the beginning of the film. As with any classic Final Girl, she walks through fire and comes out on the other side a changed woman. She’s shaped by her trauma, but she finds a way to harness that fury.    

The Furies TADFF

via IMDb

For even the pickiest of gore hounds, The Furies delivers some truly satisfying effects. One scene in particular that involves an axe had me clenching in my seat (and I was so happy about it). D’Aquino lingers on the action, selling the hell out of every drop of blood. In cooperation, the foley work and sound effects are maximized for the ultimate cringe factor. Though the more gruesome aspects are used economically, there are some memorable moments that make it worthwhile. 

The Furies is a blood-drenched female-focused take on the hunter-and-hunted subgenre that plucks out the tired tropes of classic slashers. It’s an homage to horror that works hard for its scares, even though it can get a bit bogged down by its own ideas. But if you’re looking for a night of tension and pristine practical effects, pop this one on. It just might kill your expectations.

 

For more from Toronto After Dark, check out our coverage here, and click here to read my interview with writer/director Tony D’Aquino.

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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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