Wicked: For Good (2025)

Here we are, it's the end point for a fantastical tale, the end point for a fervent fandom, and the end point (or maybe just a pause) on a friendship that we've seen blossom both onscreen and off. Everyone seemed to be keeping their expectations in check for the release of Wicked: For Good, and that caution was justified, considering the general consensus of the first half ending on such an unsurpassable high point with "Defying Gravity".

We join the action almost where we left off at the end of the first movie. Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) is leaning fully into her "Wicked Witch" image as she attempts to get people to see what a fraud The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz (Jeff Goldblum) really is. Glinda (Ariana Grande) remains an ally to the Wizard, being used by both him and Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) to feed a specific narrative to the people of Oz. Despite this, however, Glinda secretly remains a friend to Elphaba, although that looks set to come to an end when Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) confesses that he is in love with Elphaba. Meanwhile, Elphaba's sister, Nessarose (Marissa Bode) has taken on a role in politics that sees her at odds with her sibling, but also allows her to put rules and restrictions in place to keep Boq (Ethan Slater) close to her. Big changes seem to be inevitable, and it may be in the shape of a tornado-relocated house.

If you liked the first instalment of this epic tale of friendship, betrayal, and yellow road-building materials then you're unlikely to be disappointed by this. Filming both films concurrently allows for an easy continuity and consistency from writers Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox, as well as director Jon M. Chu. Everyone knew what a hot property this was, but the dream pairing of Erivo and Grande managed to somehow take everything to another level (as much to do with their wonderful press tour moments that went viral as to do with their superb onscreen work). While the visuals can sometimes appear a bit too busy and bright, it's all in line with the vision of a land shaped and manipulated by a charlatan looking to distract and placate the people who look up to him. Would I have liked some more inventive staging and choreography with some of the musical numbers? Absolutely, but there's also a satisfaction to be moved by the simple emotion and powerful voices of the leads when singing the likes of "For Good" and "No Good Deed". And at least both "Wonderful" and "The Girl In The Bubble" try to make up for things with a great selection of tricks and flourishes.

I feel as if I've already said everything I needed to say about Erivo, Grande, Goldblum, and Yeoh, as well as Bailey. They all deliver performances here that are in line with their performances from the first film, although arguably a bit better while freed from having to do all of the establishing scenes that brought them all together. Bode and Slater definitely have a bit more to do, in terms of how their characters affect the main storyline anyway, and it's a good decision to show us fleeting glimpses of a never-fully-visible Dorothy that we can continue to imagine is the iconic Judy Garland version of the character. 

This was very enjoyable, especially if you're already familiar with other Oz tales, the Gregory Maguire novel, and the live stage show. Watching the pieces come together in time for the expected finale is a delight, although, as mentioned at the very start of this review, the film can't ever reach the heights that were reached in the first instalment. Die-hard fans can probably add a point or two to my own rating, and I can only imagine the many themed singalong evenings and fancy-dress parties being planned now that this has hit home viewing platforms. I might even plan my own mega Oz-a-thon one day soon. I have tended to love every cinematic adventure set in this world.

7/10

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Wicked (2024)

I am fortunate to have seen the musical Wicked live on stage in Edinburgh. It's one of those musicals that almost everyone has seen nowadays, or so it seems, but there's also a prohibitive price element to live musical theatre that makes any major movie adaptation an appealing option to those unable to afford the time and money of a big trip to a live show. I'm not making any major complaint here, by the way, but just putting forward a reason why this film would seem like such a great idea in the first place. You have a built-in fanbase and you have a whole group of people who may be converted into fans once they finally get the chance to experience it.

Cynthia Erivo plays Elphaba, a young Oz resident with green skin who has a natural talent for magic. That puts her on a path that will one day lead to her being known as the Wicked Witch Of The West, of course, but we end up seeing the start of her main journey at Shiz University, where she ends up sharing a room with the vain and slightly ditzy Galinda/Glinda (Ariana Grande). Elphaba also has a wheelchair-bound sister (Nessarose, played by Marissa Bode) that she cares about more than anyone else in her immediate vicinity, although she soon starts enjoying her time being privately tutored by Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh). She's doing so well that she may end up actually gaining an audience with The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz (Jeff Goldblum). There's also an anthropomorphic goat (Dr. Dillamond, voiced by Peter Dinklage) teaching history classes, a young man who thinks life is better for those who don't bother applying themselves to their studies (Fiyero, played by Jonathan Bailey), and a munchkin (Boq, played by Ethan Slater) who finds himself spending time with Nessarose for the sake of impressing Galinda.

Written by Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox, adapting the book by Holzman (with music by John Powell and Stephen Schwartz, the latter having written the music and lyrics for the stage version), itself adapted from the book by Gregory Maguire, stemming from the evergreen classic fantasy tale from L. Frank Baum, Wicked is helped by a great blend of wit, earnestness, and eye-catching choreography that allows everything to gather momentum on the way to a final act that makes the film feel much shorter than the 160-minute runtime. Director Jon M. Chu is also a valuable asset, and this is a reminder of just how many times he has done excellent work with major song and dance elements, either in his features or in his many music videos. It's a shame that I don't have time to list off every other main contributor though, because this has great care and attention to detail running throughout every scene, from the gorgeous costuming and accessories to the sets, the shot choices and framing, the makeup, and so much more.

Then we have the cast. Erivo has been a huge talent to keep an eye on for some time now, which makes it no surprise that she's such a great choice for her role. Grande, on the other hand, is making a huge leap here, but she does absolutely fantastic work for every minute that she's onscreen. Obviously able to handle the singing and dancing, she shows a great knack for playing the naïveté and comedy of her character. Bailey also provides a good bit of comedy, as well as obvious complications when everyone starts having feelings that aren't necessarily reciprocated, while both Bode and Slater try to do their best in characters that may yet become more important before the full tale is told. Because, yes, it's good to remember that this is only the first of a two-parter. Dinklage does his Game Of Thrones voice well, with a layering of goat noises, Goldblum is a perfect choice for the charming charlatan that is the Wizard, Yeoh is her usual regal and imposing greatness, and there are very satisfying, and unobtrusive, cameos from Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth (AKA Elphaba Prime and Glinda Prime).

I was worried during the opening scenes, struggling to remember how the stage musical began and when I might recognise a memorable song, but things improved massively once the opening titles came up. The characters start to interact in fun and interesting ways, and the music really starts to have the desired effect by the time our leads belt out "What Is This Feeling?" Other highlights include "Dancing Through Life", "Popular", "One Short Day", and, of course, "Defying Gravity". Not every number is great, but the better ones more than make up for those that don't quite hit the highest heights.

I put this viewing off for far too long. I won't be making that mistake when part two is released. This is a very rewarding and rewatchable musical treat. Fans of all things Oz-related should find plenty to enjoy, and newcomers should also end up being won over as they watch the familiar story of a young woman being villainised simply for refusing to be passive and controlled. There is wickedness on display here, but it doesn't come from who might be the most likely candidate in your own preconceptions.

8/10

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Mubi Monday: Between The Lines (1977)

I've only very recently discovered the films of director Joan Micklin Silver, having just seen both this film and Hester Street in the past week or so. While I haven't been completely won over by either film, there's something very interesting in both, helped by the fact that Silver has a knack for assembling a great cast of people who feel perfect in their roles, whether they are the leads or supporting players, or even (as is the case here) part of a large ensemble that doesn't spend too much time focusing on just one character.

What you get here is the story of a small Boston newspaper that is poised to be taken over by a big business. The writers all have various strengths and weaknesses, and various fluid relationships between one another, and some already have dreams of moving on to bigger and better things. Some have a great book waiting to be written, some have a move to another city planned, and some think that they can use their place in the paper to make themselves into a revered writer worthy of far more than the relatively meagre paycheck that the paper can afford to pay them.

Written by Fred Barron and David Helpern, two people I am even less familiar with than Silver, Between The Lines is most interested in showing newspaper work as an unglamorous and slightly shambolic. It's a lifestyle, a skewed work/life balance, that will actually feel familiar to anyone who has spent time in any industry where they made firm friendships, and substitute family units, be it a writing job, hospitality, a small boutique business, or even factory/warehouse work. The work may differ wildly, but what keeps you getting through every day is the same, it's the connections made with other people and the idea of having something else on the horizon.

Silver does well in allowing the whole thing to feel so loosely assembled and frantic, presenting the characters and story in a way that could best be described as Altman-esque (I know, I know, that's lazy, but sometimes I'm lazy . . . and you know what I mean), while always moving back to one or two characters just in time to give the feeling of a proper story arc for them. She's helped enormously by the fact that those characters are played by the likes of John Heard, Lindsay Crouse, Jeff Goldblum, Jill Eikenberry, and Bruno Kirby.

I'm not going to single out any one performance, particularly when everyone works best while showing what they add and subtract from the group during any main sequence, but there's also room for performances from Stephen Collins, Lewis J. Stadlen (a bit of a standout as someone trying to keep an eye on the business side of things), Michael J. Pollard, Joe Morton, and Lane Smith, as well as a number of other familiar faces. As individual as each performer is, they make a wonderful addition, for better or worse, to the fluid group dynamic.

There's also now an undeniable romanticism about journalism that requires people to do more than scan social media for soundbites and write speculative pieces far removed from genuine news stories that result from hours of blood, sweat, and tears, and Between The Lines benefits from that romanticism. It's how you imagine the life of many writers to be, or to have been at one point, with these characters maintaining their erratic levels of energy thanks to bursts of creativity, numerous alcoholic drinks, and nicotine hits. 

7/10

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Noirvember: Deep Cover (1992)

Starting with a couple of scenes in a row that should startle any viewer, Deep Cover is a crime thriller/neo-noir directed by Bill Duke (a badass actor arguably best-known for his roles in a couple of prime Schwarzenegger action movies) that provides two brilliant roles for the lead actors. And when those lead actors are Lawrence Fishburne and Jeff Goldblum, both proving to be perfect fits in their roles, then it doesn’t take long to realise that you’re in for a fantastic time.

Fishburne plays Russell Stevens Jr, a cop who is deemed a perfect candidate for undercover work. If he hadn’t become a cop then he could have easily become a criminal. Quickly repaying the faith put in him, Russell soon works his way up the ranks of the drug-dealing organisation that he has been ordered to infiltrate. He ends up forming a strong bond with David Jason (Jeff Goldblum), a slick lawyer who has started to take on more and more work from his superior, Barbosa (Gregory Sierra). Unfortunately, Barbosa also seems to resent their success. 

Deep Cover isn’t interested in plausibility or reality. The central character is an undercover officer who commits various crimes, including murder, without regard for any attempts to remain within some recognisable moral framework that would show him to still ultimately be on the side of good. And yet, despite the slick movie moments and the brilliant thrills, there’s a strong core message about the ramifications of the drug trade, and how people are left with n a bad position by officials who can change their priorities, and allegiances, at the drop of a hat. As the misdeeds pile up, to put it mildly, it clarifies how far a good man is willing to go in order to effect some real change.

Duke directs well, helped by the fact that both leads are effortlessly cool and photogenic, and Michael Tolkin and Henry Bean give him a great script to work with. This may well be the best movie written by either man, despite a great variety of projects in their respective filmographies.

Fishburne and Goldblum are both on top form, and the film is energised by a middle section that allows some time for viewers to see a strong friendship between them. Sierra is easy to hate, a menacing figure overshadowing both the lead characters, but also an obstacle in the way of Fishburne’s character moving one more place up the ladder, and his network of cronies allows for some great little turns from Roger Guenveur Smith and Sydney Lassick. Clarence Williams III is excellent, playing a detective who keeps trying to help someone he just thinks is a regular drug-dealer who might still be able to get his life in order, and there are a couple of great moments feature James T. Morris and Alisa Christensen, a duo working in tandem to claim ownership of drug-dealing territory. Victoria Dillard is Betty, a young woman who is able to launder money, and she does good work, despite feeling as if her character is just there for Russell to take a shine to. And I cannot believe that I almost forgot to mention Charles Martin Smith, the man who almost steals the entire movie, brilliant as the cop in charge of the undercover operation, and the man responsible for giving the job to our “hero”.

Deep Cover has everything you could want from an early ‘90s crime thriller. The cast is a great mix of ascending talent and established faces, the pacing and dialogue are pretty perfect, the soundtrack is banging (as I believe the kids might say . . . joking here, but the soundtrack is genuinely excellent, complemented well by Michel Colombier’s score), and it never loses sight of what it’s really about, even if viewers temporarily forget it while being thrilled and entertained. The good is always there. It’s just obscured under deep cover.

10/10

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Jurassic World Dominion (2022)

I had heard a variety of opinions on Jurassic World Dominion before I finally got around to seeing it, which meant I was perhaps better prepared for it than I otherwise might have been. I heard that Chris Pratt tries to defuse every dinosaur encounter by doing that hand gesture he does (true). I heard that some of the connective tissue to the first film was very tenuous (also true). I heard that there was a disappointing lack of actual dinosaurs, with them being pushed aside in favour of a plot about dangerous bugs (tosh and piffle).

Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) and Owen (Chris Pratt) live in a cabin in the woods, being parental figures to Maisie Lockwood (Isabella Sermon). They try to stress to Isabella how important it is that she stays hidden away, due to the value of her DNA, but that doesn’t work. In a double-whammy of villainy, both Maisie and a new baby raptor (Blue’s baby, no less) are kidnapped and taken away to the main villain of the piece. I won’t name them, but it is obvious from the very start. Meanwhile, Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) is investigating the source of some dangerous new species of locust, which leads to her dragging Alan Grant (Sam Neill) along to the HQ of a company called Biosyn, headed up by Lewis Dodgson (Campbell Scott). Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) works at Biosyn, but he would like someone to get proof of what he suspects are misdeeds. 

With director Colin Trevorrow returning to direct this instalment of the franchise, continuing the story he worked out with Derek Connolly, shaped into a finalised screenplay by himself and Emily Carmichael, this feels like exactly what it is, a film that is part standard blockbuster spectacle and part celebration of an enduring modern franchise. I wasn’t too impressed by the first Jurassic World movie, and I initially felt the same about Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (a film I have subsequently viewed in a more favourable light), but maybe I have been too harsh, perhaps because I have always been hoping to experience the thrill of that Spielberg original all over again.

This is a really solid slice of dino-filled action. It may have a lengthy runtime, but it doesn’t feel overlong. Set-pieces and exciting moments are sprinkled throughout, with the sequence set in Malts being one of the most entertaining blockbuster moments I have seen in some time, the locust sub-plot adds some more tension (and, more importantly, provides a good reason for everyone ending up together in the same place), and there’s a feeling of plausibility in this world that now has dinosaurs free to roam certain areas of our planet. 

Dern, Neill, and Goldblum are very welcome in their reprised roles, all three settling into a comfortable rapport with one another, and also working well when they eventually encounter the new characters. Pratt and Howard are just fine, although they have never been as good in the lead roles as other options we could have had, and Scott has fun as the typical rich guy who wants to play god in ways that might have unforeseen consequences. There are also enjoyable performances from DeWanda Wise (playing Kayla, a pilot who ends up helping our main characters) and Mamoudou Athie (as Ramsay, the nervous young man tasked with showing Sattler and Grant around Biosyn). The one sour note is, unfortunately, Sermon. As decent as she was in the last film, she feels completely out of place and unconvincing here. Perhaps the writing also works against her, or maybe her performance just feels more full of affectation now she is a bit older and a bit more self-conscious.

The other main performances come from the dinosaurs, of course, and they are as good as ever. You get another enjoyable variety of creatures, with some of them being VERY cute (baby triceratops WILL make you go “awwwwww”), and the blending of animatronics and CGI is pretty flawless throughout.

What more could you want? The score brings in the obvious cues when expected, there are some fun lines of dialogue that work on a meta level without stopping everything to wink at the audience, and it once again allows our old pal, the t-rex, to steal a couple of scenes and remind everyone of how much we all love to gape at a t-rex. 

8/10

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Mubi Monday: Le Week-End (2013)

A tale of love, financial woes, and relationship stagnation, Le Week-End is a film that so often risks falling into a precipice no viewer cares to look into, but also keeps pulling things back. It could have been impossible to care about the central characters, but the main performances get around that issue.

Jim Broadbent and Lindsay Duncan are a married couple who are spending some time in Paris, hoping to maybe rekindle a spark that seems to have dwindled to nearly nothing over the years. They cannot afford to eat in the places they used to, cannot afford the lovely hotel room they have booked into, and cannot afford to support a friend who is oblivious to their problems. But that friend, Jeff Goldblum, may provide them with an opportunity to be completely honest, to confess their current woes and put all their cards on the table.

Directed by Roger Michell and written by Hanif Kureishi, Le Week-End is, from start to finish, a film that tiptoes around the very edges of preciousness and cutesy affectation. This seems to be a major case of upper-middle-class people with “first world problems”, and that’s not a very engaging viewing experience for most people. Thankfully, Kureishi knows how to flesh out the characters and have their journey show what they are losing balanced by what they gain, and you could argue that they gain everything they need by the time the end credits roll. And Michell manages to keep Paris looking lovely as he maintains focus on a small cast of strong actors.

Broadbent may not be at his best here, but he certainly has a couple of his best moments, one being a speech and one being a lovely bit of physical work. Duncan is easily equal to him, having to work a bit harder, in subtle ways, because of the way her husband views her (vision shaded by jealousy and insecurity). Goldblum is the perfect third party, showing a life that the leads have been used to, effortlessly charming and erudite, yet also exemplifying the overwhelming need to finally be as honest as possible, even if that seems painful.

There are different lessons that you can take from Le Week-End, whether you see how important it is to recognise the strong core of love in any long-lasting relationship or how, as cheesy as it may sound, the truth can set you free. A problem shared is a problem halved, and other homilies, etc.

Aside from that, even if you don’t think this film has anything to offer you, the three main performances make it worth your time. So I recommend it, but with reservations for those who may bristle throughout most of the first half.

7/10

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Sci-Fi September: Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1978)

There are lots of people who love Invasion Of The Body Snatchers. They will tell you that it's one of the best remakes ever. I am not one of those people, although I DO really like the film.

Taking the classic plot, adapted from the book by Jack Finney, this interpretation of the material stars Brooke Adams and Donald Sutherland as the two main humans who stumble upon a subtle alien invasion. People are being copied, with bodies born and developed while the original human being sleeps, and the only indication that anything is majorly different comes from a lack of emotion. Can these two people, accompanied by some scared friends, inform the general public and put a stop to everything before it's too late? Or will they witness the development of a very different kind of i-Pod generation?

Directed by Philip Kaufman, there's no denying that this version of Invasion Of The Body Snatchers mixes the familiar elements of the plot with a number of touches that cement it firmly in the time it was made, the late '70s. Paranoia and cynicism were both running rife at this point. It was, in many ways, similar to the atmosphere of the '50s, which is probably why both versions work so well as two movies that are the same but different (if you know what I mean).

The screenplay by W. D. Richter doesn't waste much time, and builds everything beautifully towards a tense finale. Details are sprinkled liberally throughout every major scene that shows just how the invasion is supposed to move forward, and the science of the process feels much more scarily realistic, and visceral, than it did in the original movie. It's just a shame, however, that a lot seems to happen in such a short space of time, making the third act something of a foregone conclusion once viewers see the rapid exponential growth of the problem.

Adams and Sutherland are both excellent in their lead roles, with both offering believable performances as they stumble upon one oddity after another and eventually piece everything together. They're joined, for part of the movie, by Veronica Cartwright and Jeff Goldblum, who also do some great work. And then there's Leonard Nimoy, a suitable inclusion for two main reasons. One, he's a sci-fi icon. Two, he's best known for playing a character who doesn't show any emotion, making his role both ironic and nicely ambiguous (because it's hard to watch Nimoy onscreen and not still think of him as Spock, a character he will always be so thoroughly intertwined with). Art Hindle plays Adams' husband, and does solid work with his relatively small role.

While the special effects may not be up there with the likes of The Thing, The Fly and other great sci-fi horrors that would appear in the next decade, they're quite impressive. Used sparingly, the practical work is as life-like as it needs to be, without ever being given too much time in the spotlight. This isn't an FX showcase - they serve the story, and that's all (although, for those who have already seen it, there's one detail in the final half hour that remains one of the most enjoyably bizarre ever included in any version of the material).

There's so much to like here that I feel slightly guilty for not liking it quite as much as most sci-fi horror fans. Hell, the Kevin McCarthy cameo alone gives it a bonus point. Yet I just can't help yearning for the simpler, more streamlined execution of the story that we got with the original version. This film doesn't necessarily feel bloated, but the layering added throughout detracts slightly from the beautiful simplicity of the core premise.

Already enjoyed by so many, be sure to give this one a watch if you've missed it up until now. Or people may point at you and make strange noises.

8/10

http://www.amazon.com/Invasion-Snatchers-Collectors-Donald-Sutherland/dp/B000QQJ3Q0/ref=sr_1_3?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1410500929&sr=1-3&keywords=invasion+of+the+body+snatchers

Although anyone with multi-region capabilities should really go with the Arrow Bluray release.

You know what you can do if you liked this review, or any of the other reviews here at For It Is Man's Number? Yes, you can buy my e-book, that has almost every review I've written over the past 5 years. It's packed full of gems (the movies, not the actual writing - hey, I know my limits) and very reasonably priced for the sheer amount of content.

The UK version can be bought here - http://www.amazon.co.uk/TJs-Ramshackle-Movie-Guide-Reviews-ebook/dp/B00J9PLT6Q/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1395945647&sr=1-3&keywords=movie+guide

And American folks can buy it here - http://www.amazon.com/TJs-Ramshackle-Movie-Guide-Reviews-ebook/dp/B00J9PLT6Q/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395945752&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=TJs+ramshackle+mov

As much as I love the rest of the world, I can't keep up with all of the different links in different territories, but trust me when I say that it should be there on your local Amazon.

Death Wish (1974)

Everyone already knows the concept of Death Wish. Sort of. It's a Dirty Harry film with one big difference, the lead character isn't a policeman. In fact, he's an architect. But he's played by the legendary Charles Bronson so believing that he can hold and shoot a gun is very easy.

Bronson plays Paul Kersey, a man driven to dark thoughts of revenge after his world is torn apart by a trio of vicious thugs. Kersey begins to consider the state of society and what can be done when the law doesn't seem to be doing enough. Ironically, considering that Bronson has the main role, he starts to see how much better the world could be if things were still done "the cowboy way". And so he becomes a vigilante. And a damn fine one.

Directed by Michael Winner, and written by Wendell Mayes (adapting the novel by Brian Garfield), it's surprising how thought-provoking and effective Death Wish remains to this day. The issue at the core of the movie is one that pops up in almost every pub conversation you could listen in on ever. People want to feel safe, they want criminals to be too afraid to commit crimes, and they often verbally admit to the temptation of vigilante justice. Some have even, sadly, followed up their words with misguided actions.

The whole thing is lifted way above average by a sterling central performance from Charles Bronson (an actor I once stupidly failed to see the superstar status in . . . . . . I have since given myself a severe talking to). As Paul Kersey, Bronson's performance enhances the material no end and his transformation from happy architect to brooding vigilante, who still keeps his day job in the world of architecture, is shown in a fairly believable series of steps.

The rest of the cast consist of little more than people giving opinions on the mystery vigilante or scumbags waiting to be shot. Vincent Gardenia is the other standout, the cop who ends up in a very peculiar situation. And it's certainly worth watching the movie if you're a Jeff Goldblum fan, just to see his very first screen role even if it only adds up to a few minutes of screentime.

The film certainly makes a case for some of the "justice" administered onscreen but I have to say that it also, admirably, also shows Kersey as a damaged man, someone dealing with pain in a very bad way and who then finds himself in a spiral of almost addictive behaviour. If you've never seen Death Wish and only heard of it as some sensationalistic, violent, pro-gun advert then do yourself a favour and watch it for yourself before dismissing it as some others have done.

8/10.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Death-Wish-DVD/dp/B000HWXQZM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1328483560&sr=8-1

Transylvania 6-5000 (1985)

From the very title of the movie (itself a reference to the old Glenn Miller tune, Pennsylvania 65000) to the set up and development of the plot to the large number of groansome gags, Transylvania 6-5000 feels very much like a dated movie unlikely to appeal to modern audiences. Using archetypal horror icons can work (just see the excellent The Monster Squad for an example of just how well) but this film uses them ineffectually and can't even compensate for failing in that department with any comedy consolation.

Jeff Goldblum is the journo rolling his eyes in exasperation and disbelief as he's sent on a job to Transylvania to investigate the background of a video received by his newspaper (that reportedly shows Frankenstein's monster scaring two unsuspecting tourists). Ed Begley Jr. is the editor's son who is along for the ride, making up for in enthusiasm what he lacks in common sense. Once they have arrived at their destination they are treated to a bizarre experience, staying in a hotel that caters specifically for tourists by catering to every Transylvanian stereotype and cliche. Are there monsters on the loose or is the whole thing just a lot of nonsense?

Written and directed by Rudy De Luca, Transylvania 6-5000 at least benefits from a decent cast. Jeff Goldblum has never, in my view, been unwatchable and his cynical presence helps lift this vehicle just above the very bottom of the barrel. Ed Begley Jr is slightly irritating at times but he's not the worst comedy actor ever. Jeffrey Jones has fun, Michael Richards plays a butler who is essentially "Kramer with a fondness for practical jokes" and Carol Kane steals every scenes that she's in as an overly affectionate wife pestering her husband (John Byner) while he tries to get on with his work. There's also a decent turn from Teresa Ganzel as Elizabeth Ellison and Geena Davis looks gorgeous in a vamp outfit. Joseph Bologna is slightly disappointing as a potential mad scientist, Dr. Malavaqua, but he doesn't drag the film down severely, mainly because it never really reaches any higher than average anyway.

The jokes occasionally raise the shadow of a smile but this kind of material was mined for far superior comedy gold by the likes of Mel Brooks, Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis and even Abbott & Costello. By 1985 you would think that something sharper and smarter could have been created but that's not the case (I even enjoyed Transylmania and Stan Helsing more than this movie). A revelatory finale proves to be surprisingly sweet and gently amusing but it's also lacking in anything that actually makes up for the rest of the film being so disappointing and stale.

4/10

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