September Movies Part 1: Blink Twice & Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

I got back from my honeymoon and immediately headed to the movie theaters to see what September had to offer. So far, I have been pleasantly surprised!

Blink Twice: The directorial debut of Zoe Kravitz (who also co-wrote the screenplay with E.T. Feigenbaum), this movie really threw me for a loop. I spent the first hour thinking it was entirely too vibey and going nowhere, and then all of a sudden, things took a thrilling (but somehow also hilarious) turn that had me on the edge of my seat with a big smile on my face.

Naomi Ackie and Alia Shawkat star as Frida and Jess, two women who are waitresses at an event for Slater King (Channing Tatum), a tech billionaire. Halfway through the party, they change into fancy dresses and infiltrate the party as guests, where they quickly get thrown into King's friend group. They all have a great night, at the end of which, King invites Frida and Jess to fly back with him and his friends to his private island. This is the stuff that dreams are made of, right? Well, yes, but also...nightmares.

For the first half of the film, everything is a bit of an ethereal drunken and drugged up bacchanal on the island and everyone seems to be having a great time. But then, Jess starts to feel like something is a little bit off. And that's when the fun/horror begins. This movie proceeds to be an amazing feminist romp and takedown of the patriarchy, and there's a particular line that Frida delivers to a character played by Geena Davis (yes, she's on the island too!) that feels like it is a commentary on how women of color feel all the time when a white woman chooses to ignore their plight in favor of a rich white man instead. This is an extremely weird but self-assured little movie, and I thoroughly enjoyed the ride.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice: I had no memory of the original 1988 film, so I first watched it in the morning before I saw this sequel in the afternoon. If it's been a while since you've seen the original, I highly recommend you do the same, because I do not think anything in the sequel would have made much sense to me if I hadn't prepped beforehand. I'm sure the story can stand alone, but it's a much richer tale when you already know who all these characters are and what happened to them thirty-six years ago.

The sequel is essentially a retread of the original, except this time around, Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder), is all grown up and now has a teenage daughter of her own, Astrid (Jenna Ortega). Astrid is a typical teenage girl who hates her mom, and now Lydia can empathize with her stepmom, Delia (Catherine O'Hara), for the hard time she always gave her as a teenager. When they have to return to Winter River for a funeral (natch), Astrid gets into trouble, and the only way Lydia can save her is by invoking Beetlejuice's name three times. And thus, much mayhem ensues.

It's silly but perfectly entertaining if you loved the original. Special effects have obviously improved a great deal since 1988, but this film still keeps some of the kitschy special effects from the 80s for peak nostalgia value. And the soundtrack is particularly delightful, including a nod to one of my favorite Bee Gees songs. If that's sufficiently intriguing, head right over to the theater and check out what happens when the juice is loose!