For a series of one-panel gag comics, Charles Addams’ family of macabre eccentrics have had a surprisingly lasting effect on popular culture. Addams’ characters, unnamed in their original illustrated context, would go on to wider recognition with the iconic 1964 television series. That series would beget two animated series, a TV movie, a trilogy of popular live action films, a second TV show, a hit Broadway musical, video games and other forms of merchandise. An animated theatrical film, supposedly drawing its visuals from Addams’ original comics, was first floated years back with (an incredibly on-brand) Tim Burton directing. Nitrogen Studios, making their second feature after “Sausage Party,” would end up being the ones to bring the Addams back to theater screens. And just in time for Halloween too.
This new “Addams Family” is an origin story of sorts. It begins with Gomez and Morticia’s wedding and shows how they settled in a haunted asylum in suburban New Jersey (where Charles Addams was from), its lumbering and mute sole inhabitant becoming their man-servant. Thirteen years later, the family has grown with daughter Wednesday and son Pugsley. As Pugsley’s Mazurka, the Addams family manhood ritual, approaches, the entire Addams clan is gathering in the near-by town of Assimilation. The town is the creation of home renovation show host, Margaux Needler. Needler sees the eerie Addams as an eyesore and is determined to force them out.
If “The Addams Family” has a serious flaw, it is one adaptations of comic stripes and TV shows often struggle with. The film has a seriously episodic narrative. Which story line the film is focused on shifts from scene-to-scene. The conflict between the proudly weird Addams and appearances-obsessed control freak Needler forms the backbone of the story. Yet even this spends most of the movie disconnected from the story involving Pugsley’s Mazurka, the internal conflict Gomez is most concerned with. The storyline of Wednesday deciding to attend public school and befriending Needler’s daughter feels like another digression, thrown in because it’s a funny idea but doesn’t connect with the rest of the movie until the last act. It’s as if the producers had multiple ideas for an “Addams Family” movie and, instead of running with only one of them, shoved them all together.
Helping make even some of the weaker comedic set pieces land is the star-studded cast. When the names were announced last year, I was far from the only person to observe that you could easily transfer this cast into live action and it would be just as good. Maybe even better, as Oscar Isaac's natural charisma is held back a little when only given his voice to work with, as Gomez. (And the somewhat grotesque character design, lovingly recreated from Addams' comics, certainly aren't as handsome.) Everyone else is pretty much perfect though. Charlize Theron's grim but studied delivery is ideal for Morticia. Chloe Moretz' glum sarcasm matches Wednesday. Allison Janney is frequently funny as Needler, an ideal foil to the Addams. A big name star like Finn Wolfhard probably wasn't necessary for Pugsley, though Finn does fine.
Jack Ketchum's books are notorious for being difficult reads, packed full of the kind of graphic violence and depravity that makes you flinch. And “The Girl Next Door” is widely considered his most disturbing novel. Probably because it's closely based on a true story. The torture-murder of Sylvia Likens is among the most distressing crimes ever committed in America. Read the Wikipedia page about that if you ever want to loose faith in humanity. Despite being such a visceral, disturbing read, a film adaptation of “The Girl Next Door” exists. When released in 2007, the film was hailed as nearly as upsetting as the book that inspired it. Since I read the book this last summer, I figured I was emotionally prepared for the movie too.
In 1958, David was twelve years old and living in suburban New Jersey. He frequently spent time at the house next door, where middle-age Ruth Chandler let her four sons get away with almost everything. Ruth is now taking care of thirteen year old Meg Loughlin and her invalid little sister, Susan. David soon develops a crush on the beautiful, lively Meg. However, Ruth begins to direct a stream of verbal abuse and violence at Meg. The girl tolerates the treatment to protect her sister. Soon, Meg has been roped up in the Chandler basement, where Ruth allows the boys to do whatever sick and twist thing they want to her. David at first watches but is soon forced to do something to help her.
This stagy quality sometimes extends to the acting, which ranges wildly from performance to performance. Daniel Manche seems somewhat stiff and inexperienced as the young David, though he grows better as the film goes on. You don't always believe him as a regular boy but you buy him as a traumatized voyeur and victim. The quality of the child actors vary wildly. Madeline Taylor is a bit wooden as Susan. The boys playing Ruth's sons can be realistically rough at times but are not always threatening. Blythe Auffarth is always convincing as Meg, though the actress' bravery must be commended considering what she goes through. The best performance belongs to Blanche Baker as Ruth. Baker's ability to spit Ruth's absolutely venomous dialogue while always maintaining her civility as an authority figure, the character directing a lifetime of resentment at the innocent teen girl, is truly terrifying.
“The Girl Next Door” is not the kind of movie you enjoy It's a deeply disturbing motion picture that exposes the darkness the human heart is capable of. (Both Ketchum's novel and the film are known in Europe as simply “Evil,” which is an accurate title.) Unlike “The Lost,” there's a point to its cruelty and the filmmaker approaches the material with tact, though not by downplaying the horrors of the crime. Oddly, the fictional adaptation proves a more disturbing depiction of the Likens case than the same year's “An American Crime,” which adapted the true life case and had a more high-profile cast. I'm attributing that to the power of Ketchum's text, which the film comes closer to capturing than most of us would dare try. [7/10]
The influence of “The Twilight Zone” on American pop culture really can't be overstated. Rod Serling's anthology series would teach an entire generation of viewers that sci-fi, fantasy, and horror could be used for social commentary. As well as educating the world on how to pull off a twist ending. Despite its place in genre history, I've never found “The Twilight Zone” especially scary. However, I've always only seen a fraction of its many episode. “The Howling Man” is frequently cited as the scariest visit to the “Twilight Zone” and it's also one I've never taken before. Time to correct that.
David Ellington is a sickly traveler seeking shelter from a raging storm. He winds up inside a strange monastery run by mysterious monks. They claim to be part of a religious order, with Moses-like beards and staffs, with Brother Jerome as their leader. David doesn't know what to make of the sect. Moreover, he's disturbed by the howling he hears near-by. The howling man is being kept in a prison cell, telling David that the monks are keeping him there against his will. Brother Jerome, meanwhile, is convinced the man is literally the Devil himself. David isn't sure what to think but he learns the truth soon enough.
With its opening episode of goofy special effects out of the way, “A New Binge” actually sets out developing its story in its second part. We learn a lot more about Christopher, how he's bullied by kids at school and has a poor relationship with his promiscuous mom. Of his real friends, Charlie talks him into signing up for a hot dog eating contest and Uncle Murray seems mildly demented. Meanwhile, the Crites continue to track their missing countryman. They hunt down an elderly couple that will lead them on their way, all while trying very hard to resist their natural bite-y instincts.
“Beginnings” has a few decent comedic gags. Gilbert Gottfried appears as Uncle Murray. Gottfried is clearly capable of delivering a rambling monologue about fate and personal happiness, while going on probably improvised digressions about penis size. The Crites remain lovably goofy creatures, especially when their commanding officer is giving them shit for not controlling their appetite. I also like the reappearance of the Critters' ability to shoot paralyzing barbs. The pot-shots at Chris' slutty mom are pretty lame though and an asshole boyfriend is unamusing. This is an episode clearly devoted to setting up future storylines, so we'll see where that goes. [6/10]
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