The Monster Mash: Announcement and Schedule

I recently rewatched Todd Browning’s Dracula. It’d been a long time since I’d seen it, and it resparked my passion for Universal’s classic monster movies. So, this October I’m doing something special. In 31 days, there will be 31 reviews. I’ll be covering the six Universal Legacy Collection boxsets that contain every major, Golden Age film starring Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, the Mummy, the Invisible Man, the Wolf Man, and the Creature from the Black Lagoon. That’s a grand total of 27. To round out the month, I’ll even be reviewing some of the Abbott and Costello Meet films that were made in the late 40s to mid-50s. With this being Dracula‘s and Frankenstein’s 85th anniversary, I can’t see a better time to do this. Below is my reviewing list and schedule for the month. Get excited, because in seven days, the Monster Mash begins!

Mini-Review Monday: The Italian Job (2003)

Release: May 30, 2003

Story: Six thieves pull off the greatest heist of their careers when they steal $35 million worth of gold bricks from Venice gangsters. “Handsome Rob” (the team’s wheelman played by Jason Statham), Lyle (a computer expert played by Seth Green), “Left Ear” (a master of demolition and explosives played by Mos Def), Charlie (the team leader and brains behind the operation played by Mark Wahlberg) and John Bridger (a safe cracker, played by Donald Sutherland, who is Charlie’s mentor and father figure) are betrayed by their fellow team member Steve (played by Edward Norton). Steve kills John and leaves the others for dead at the bottom of a frigid lake. The team survives, and with the help of John’s daughter (a civilian safe and vault technician for the authorities) they are out to get revenge on Steve and take back the gold.

Mini-Review: Kubo and the Two Strings

NOTE: There sadly isn’t a Queued in Fridays post this week. Hopefully, this little review helps make up for it.

Release: August 19, 2016

Story: Kubo and the Two Strings is about a young, one-eyed boy, Kubo (voiced by young actor Art Parkinson), who lives in ancient Japan with his mother (voiced by Charlize Theron). Kubo is a storyteller and shamisen (a string instrument) player. Kubo, who possesses magical powers, must come home everyday before dark or else his evil grandfather (Ralph Fiennes) and creepy, masked aunts (both voiced by Rooney Mara) will find him and take him away. After Kubo accidentally stays out too late in a vain attempt to contact his dead father, his relatives discover his whereabouts. Kubo goes on the run and is forced to find three powerful magical artifacts that will help him defeat his grandfather. Aiding Kubo is a talking monkey and a giant talking beetle named…um…Beetle (Matthew McConaughey). Monkey was formerly Kubo’s small wooden monkey charm and Beetle claims to be a former apprentice to Kubo’s father before he was cursed and transformed into a beetle-man. With fricken scary sisters, giant skeletons and dangerous ocean creatures standing in their way, it won’t be easy for Kubo and his friends to find the artifacts before they are hunted down by Kubo’s terrible grandfather.