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Scoob! Without the Doo?

19 May

Scoob 2020 film poster.pngBy Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

* Spoiler Alert

It’s not tough to know what the minds behind Scoob! are up to in this reboot of a beloved franchise. This modern update is a mixed bag, designed with moments to appease long-time fans and have a plot for dog-lovers to enjoy. Plus, there are a few in-jokes that pays tribute to this series’ humble beginnings.

This film serves to reintroduce the gang and set up the fact other Hanna-Barbera properties can come in. I’m all for the shared universe and hope to see Space Ghost!

In what I miss is the completely supernatural angle of the gang busting ghosts. Hopefully later films will address this shortcoming, but as for bringing Blue Falcon and Dynomutt in, the idea is not new; they’ve teamed up before. The idea in this story is to explore man’s relationship with their beloved canine between different series. The same rule is applied for Dastardly, but where’s Muttley?

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On Aliens, UFOs & Proximity with Eric Demusey

9 May

By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Arrives on VOD
May 15, 2020

DVD Release
July 7, 2020

Eric Demusey is a Los Angeles based filmmaker making his directorial debut with a young adult sci-fi drama Proximity. He’s no stranger to the industry. He was part of the creative team who made the fantastic intro title sequences you see on Stranger Things, Game of Thrones and Tron Legacy. However, it’s his background in animation and visual effects that makes him in demand. Plus, his passion is not limited to creating but also with storytelling/directing–a goal for most filmmakers. He wants the impossible to be possible, and what you see on screen as believable as it can get.

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Instead of focusing on getting people to believe in UFOs, this movie explores the lasting effects of those who have been abducted and experimented upon for unknown reasons–hence the title. For once, we get an explanation. In this modern tale, this creator does not rewrite Fire in the Sky. I was reminded of this story because of the introduction–where loggers in Alaska are whisked away by a UFO and the trauma they had was much worse. Fast forward a few years and change the setting from the boonies to a metropolis, Issac (Ryan Masson) has to learn how to deal with a very close call. This welcome change deals less with horror and more with character drama.

When considering this movie was made on a budget, Demusey has to be mindful in how to make those special effects shots count and not overshadow where this film needs to be. For fans of FX films and UFOs, this movie has a lot of detail to love, and I spoke to Demusey, courtesy of Shout! Factory.

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LEGO DC: Shazam–Magic, Mayhem and Monsters!

1 May
LEGO DC Shazam! Magic and Monsters Digital, Blu-ray Release Date ...

Available to pre-order on Amazon USA

By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Available on digital:
April 28, 2020

Coming to Blu-ray/DVD on
June 16, 2020.

The ever-expanding LEGO DC universe has a new hero! The past couple of years have seen the Justice League take on various threats, but we’ve never seen the ethereal realm get examined. Shazam: Magic and Monsters is a very welcome addition which re-introduces the mystical superhero (voiced by Sean Astin) and hopefully sets the tone for what else to come.

The worm Mr. Mind (Jonny Rees) has plans for the Justice League in his bid to rule Earth. When he becomes much too powerful, enter Shazam’s rival Black Adam (Imari Williams), and a nastier scheme which shows not even Mind has thought of plotting.

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There’s No Place Like Home with The Willoughbys … or Not!

27 Apr

By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Available on Netflix

The Willoughbys is a CGI film that doesn’t quite work as a surreal experience like Coraline. It tries, but doesn’t quite nail the fantasy bang-on. It does, however, perfectly hit the various characterizations on the nose. The snobbish bourgeois attitude of the parents is one anyone can easily despise. They are way out there and pay no heed to the children who are left to fend for themselves.

Tim (Will Forte), Jane (Alessia Cara), and twins Barnaby and Barnaby (Seán Cullen) plot to separate from them, but when a very purple toned baby (no reason is given as to why this child is off colour) gets dropped off at their doorstep, all the plans are for naught. The parents hire a nanny, and she gives the kids the love they so need.

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