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Micah Gallo’s ‘Itsy Bitsy’ Fails to Successfully Spin its Web

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Itsy Bitsy

Micah Gallo’s new eight-legged creature feature Itsy Bitsy is a film that has all the elements needed for a fun popcorn movie. Unfortunately, those elements fail to fully work together to create an entirely enjoyable film.

Based on a story by Gallo with a script he wrote with Bryan Dick, and Jason Alvino, Itsy Bitsy is the story of a woman named Kara (Elizabeth Roberts) who travels halfway across the country with her children Jesse (Arman Darbo) and Cambria (Chloe Perrin) to take a job as an in-home nurse to Walter Clark (Bruce Davison), a man who has spent his life traveling the world, exploring, and collecting exotic treasures.

Now losing his mobility, Walter needs all the help he can get, especially after a mysterious artifact is delivered to his home with a deadly surprise inside: a spider tied to an ancient curse.

On the surface, it’s the perfect setup for a creature feature paying homage to its predecessors like Arachnophobia while creating their world.

Both Davison and Darbo give really great performances. Darbo, in particular, is a young actor to watch. He seems to have a maturity that others his age sometimes lack, and he brings emotional depth to his character in spite of the sometimes uneven writing.

The scenes the actors share are some of the most poignant and emotionally effective in the film.

Likewise, Gallo’s special effects team rose to the occasion, creating practical special effects for his creatures, giving them an interesting texture and allowing the actors to really interact with them during the film.

Unfortunately, where Itsy Bitsy drops the ball is in editing and pacing.

The first two acts of the film bog down repeatedly, dispersing what little tension they manage to build in key moments almost immediately. This makes for a particularly long first hour of the film which unfortunately the viewer cannot quite forget when the action finally does begin to ramp up toward the end.

Gallo manages a couple of genuine moments as Kara faces down the dog-sized spiders in an attempt to save her children, and Denise Crosby (Pet Sematary, 1989) gets to flex a bit as the local sheriff who made a connection with Jesse earlier in the film here.

It’s as if they know how to set up really great moments, but are unsure how to complete them. It’s rather like having that one person you really like asking you out on a date over and over again, but they never show.

The final showdown and denouement ultimately gives way to a somewhat saccharine, optimistic ending that just did not feel genuine given the previous events in the film.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with a horror film with a happy ending. This one simply did not land, mostly because of a couple of gaping plot holes, one of which they attempted to cover in 30-second tag after the family rides away into the sunset.

Gallo and his cast and crew attempted to make a horror film with heart. Sadly, the film’s issues prevented it from solidly landing its emotional message for this reviewer, and without that element the rest just seems to fall flat.

Itsy Bitsy is currently available on multiple streaming platforms and will be available on Blu Ray on October 1, 2019 from Shout Factory so you can watch and decide for yourself.

To learn more about the film, you can visit their official website or give them a follow on their Facebook page. Check out the trailer below.

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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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