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A Folkloric Primer for Netflix’s ‘Sabrina’ Holiday Episode ‘A Midwinter’s Tale’

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Seances, ghosts, and a demon or two…sounds about right for a scary story on the longest night of the year, and Netflix’s Chilling Adventures of Sabrina gathered them all together to spin their first ever holiday episode, A Midwinter’s Tale which debuted on the streaming service today.

**Author’s Note: This article contains a few small, necessary spoilers in discussing the folklore behind the holiday episode of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.**

As the episode opens, we find Sabrina and the rest of the Spellman clan preparing to celebrate the Winter Solstice, but they’re also still dealing with all those loose and fraying ends from the first season finale.

Sabrina (Kiernan Shipka)is trying to find common ground with the friends who now know she’s a witch, and Zelda (Miranda Otto) and Hilda (Lucy Davis) are caring for baby Lettitia, whom Zelda abducted to protect her from Father Blackwood. All the while, Ambrose (Chance Perdomo) is testing the limits of his freedom and exploring his growing relationship with the oh-so-delectable Luke (Darren Mann).

Of course, the holidays add a layer of tension to everything, and in the Spellman house, that generally means spells to cast and demons to vanquish.

While the episode is a little uneven in its opening letting us know that things are still awkward on almost every front, it finds its feet by the 20 minute mark and it does so by digging deep into the lore of Yule, the Solstice, and folkloric traditions from around the world.

It all begins with lighting the Yule Log. A long-standing tradition with roots in Germanic pagan practices, the Yule Log was burned through the long solstice night as a reminder that the darkest night of the year and the winter months themselves eventually give way to the light of the coming Spring as the wheel of the year turned. Its bright light was a balance to dispel the darkness, but also a promise of luck and prosperity.

The tradition continues in many pagan groups to this day, when the great Yule Log is burned save for a small piece that will be used to light the Yule Log the following year.

And you thought it was just a hokey background for schmaltzy Christmas music!

Of course, letting the fire go out before the dawn could bring dire consequences, and of course, that’s just what happens in the Spellman home!

Aunt Hilda (Lucy Davis) is ready for anything when things get weird in A Midwinter’s Tale on Netflix (Photo by Diyah Pera/Netflix)

The fire goes out when Sabrina and the Weird Sisters are performing a seance to contact the spirit of her mother which opens the house to an infestation by a group of pesky Icelandic spirits called the Yule Lads.

In the traditional lore, the Yule Lads are a bit like the Seven Dwarfs with mischievous attitudes and a tendency, in some instances, to dabble in cannibalism. In more modern tellings, they run amok in the days leading up to Christmas leaving gifts or the occasional rotting potato on children’s windowsills depending on the child’s behavior throughout the year.

There’s really only one person who could ever control the Yule Lads, and that was their mother, the ogress Gryla, who as it happens, also plays a major role in the episode. Gryla also has a history of eating disobedient children, but the writers on Sabrina softened her story, portraying her as a powerful witch mother who protects wayward, orphaned children.

This latter part of her rebranded mythology comes in handy when one of Sabrina’s friends finds themselves at the mercy of Mr. Bartel, an evil demon who has apparently watched House of Wax one too many times!

Bartel, as some of you may know, is the South Austrian name associated with none other than Krampus, the Christmas Devil, himself.

If it seems like that’s a lot to pack into one episode, you’re right, but somehow it all seems to fit into the magical world of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina quite nicely.

The real Winter Solstice will begin at 5:23 pm EST on Friday, December 21, 2018, and A Midwinter’s Tale might be just the entertainment you’re looking for to kick off the longest night of the year. Of course, you don’t have to wait, the episode is available today on Netflix!

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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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