The Spooky Spectator

2024 Final Edition

Welcome back to the Spooky Spectator! This is the final edition of the Spooky Spectator for this year and whew… it’s been a ride. There were downs, and further downs (mostly all I want to do is work on my book and writing anything else during this month has been a heavy lift) but I’m happy I was able to release 3 editions for you. This edition features a few movies I haven’t seen in many years and revisiting them as a more experienced adult was incredibly fulfilling. I really appreciate all of the love and support for this series and I hope I can continue to write them for you in the future! That being said, let’s jump in:

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The Cast of “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” (2024)

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024):

I’ve never been so excited and relieved after watching a sequel. Truth be told my expectations were in the gutter. I have experienced years of disappointment at reboots and sequels and I had no reason to believe this movie would be any different. Decades between films, returning cast, same settings- a recipe for film disaster. But they decided to forge ahead and nail it anyway. When Winona Ryder said that they were “waiting for Jenna to be born and grow up” before making this movie, she chewed because Jenna is really the heart of this film. Her role was really to tie every competing storyline together and she executed it with the grace and talent we’ve come to expect from her. Truly, a spooky young queen. I’m also amazed at Michael Keaton’s ability to still play this character with the same energy he had 40 years ago. What kind of vitamins is he on to do this, is it Lion’s Mane? Anyway he was phenomenal. Everything just really worked from the story, to the humor (we breathe a sigh of relief that it was actually funny), to the effects. If this isn’t a sign to Hollywood that the people are clamoring for more puppets I don’t know what would be. I even enjoyed the “here is my beautiful girlfriend Monica Belluci” of it all. Like, yes she was a little irrelevant to the film overall but honestly she looked great so she didn’t have to. It was also so heartwarming and sincere. I hope when filmmakers try to replicate the movie’s success that they pick up on that and spend some time writing with an actual emotion-having audience in mind. (8/10)

Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman in “Practical Magic” (1998)

Practical Magic (1998):

This film is aging better than any other that came out in the same year. This movie’s atmosphere is truly it’s strongest aspect. Few films make you feel cozy just from watching but Practical Magic accomplishes this and then some. I threw this on and all of a sudden I had pumpkin bars baking in the oven and a vanilla candle lit on the table. The story itself weaves its tension into moments of quiet sisterhood so well that you’re invested but never worried. The film imbued you with the confidence that the power of their bond can’t overcome anything they face. After I finished the movie, I had to suppress the urge to put it back on again. People tend to overlook vibes as an important part of storytelling and focus on the plot, which I totally get or whatever. But isn’t this more fun? Look at the pretty clothes! (7/10)

It (2017)

It (2017):

I put this one back on because I wanted to see Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise again and he didn’t disappoint. He was really made for this role. For the film itself I remember really liking it and finding it terrifying when I saw it at 21. At 28, it just didn’t hit the same. If anything I found Pennywise’s scares and quips a little funny and I think that’s a sign of some desensitizing I’ve undergone. Ultimately I felt pretty meh about the entire experience. (6/10)

The Visit (2015)

The Visit (2015):

Chile, this sucked. Really bad. I’m so sorry M. Night you have failed me again. To be fair this is another re-watch that I haven’t seen since age 19 so I thought the way I disliked it then was a sign of childish behavior. Well, it turns out I was right. The best part is the twist and even then it’s more unintentionally funny that anything else. Oh and it’s boring too so there’s that. (4.5/10)

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I think next year I’m going to add more shows. This list needs to feature more short form watches and you know I like to switch it up when I can. My hardline is documentaries and any true crime though. At the end of the day the Spooky Spectator should be fun before anything else and I don’t want to exploit anyone’s real stories for my writing. Unless it’s my own story. Even then, I haven’t posted any of my short stories here and I don’t have any plans to do so in the near future. Ultimately if WWW still exists in this current form next October, you can count on a Spooky Spectator or two from me.

Happy Halloween, y’all!

-whit