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It’s been thirty six years since the ghost with most, Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton) tormented the Deetz family in their Winter River home, and, while life has been anything but normal in the subsequent years for Lydia (Winona Ryder) and her daughter, Astrid (Jenna Ortega), there’s a new panic in the afterlife when Beetlejuice’s ex wife Delores (Monica Bellucci) rolls in; her appearance might just be enough to spur Beetlejuice back into the world of the living, things could get messy. Written by Alfred Gough, Miles Millar, and Seth Grahame-Smith and Directed by Tim Burton this family reunion of cast and crew delivers oodles of fan service to the highlights of 1988’s classic hit Beetlejuice. Sandworm’s, yep, afterlife nuttiness, mmmhmmm, shrunken heads, many of them, light black comedy, dim the lights yes, all the characteristics of a Beetlejuice tale are here, including the premise of a forced wedding…again. It’s as if to say, Burton and company waited all this time to really double down on their successes and throw in the kitchen sink while they’re at it, unfortunately, that’s not necessarily a good thing here in round 2. While nods and appreciation exist for keeping the tone, texture, and artistic aesthetic as close to the original, there’s also not a lot of advancement into the characters, that is to say, for its convoluted mess and many plotlines, there’s not much story arc happening, end result, a film that comes across a bit underwhelming for trying so hard. Sure the ensemble is clearly having fun with their assignment, it’s too bad they weren’t give much fresh material to really expand and explore in. Mediocre marks this go round, running a brisk hour and forty four minutes, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is rated PG-13.

When a tech billionaire, Slater King (Channing Tatum), emerges from a self imposed social media blackout to make an appearance at a fancy soiree fundraiser, he appears smitten with cocktail waitress Frida (Naomi Ackie). Before the night is through Frida finds herself invited to vacation and party with Slater and his friends on a private island far from the disturbances of modern life and technology. But, before long odd events seem to have Frida questioning her own reality, what is she forgetting to remember? Written by Zoë Kravitz and E.T. Feigenbaum and Directed by Zoë Kravitz this psychological thriller/horror makes for a stylized and fun first attempt for Kravitz as a Director. Bringing sharp visuals and punchy sound design to the forefront Kravitz definitely has an eye and ear for the task, but towards act III, her initial efforts seem to make way for a more straightforward and pulpy reveal. Regardless, the ensemble including Christian Slater, Simon Rex, Haley Joel Osment, Kyle MacLachlan, and Geena Davis all bring sufficiently creepy, disturbing, and sometimes laughable performances to this wild romp. With echoes of A Cure for Wellness, and Bodies Bodies Bodies as possible recent shelf mates, it would appear Kravitz and company may be part of a bigger new wave for young cinematic minds and ready to carry the torch. Running one hour and forty three minutes Blink Twice is rated R.

On a distant space colony, a group of young workers looking to get off their miserable planet discover a derelict space craft capable of transporting them to a better world; unfortunately, once on board the ship, the previous crew’s fate is revealed along with the most terrifying life form in the known universe.Written by Fede Alvarez, Rodo Sayagues, and Dan O’Bannon and Directed by Alvarez this return to franchise origins brings about plenty of stylistic throwbacks to 1979’s Alien, extra close shots in tight claustrophobic spaces, terrifyingly violated characters, shattering sound design, and of course the nightmare fuel of H.R. Giger’s creature design with both phallic and yonic references. It’s this latter point that gets emphasized repeatedly throughout the film, and in an essence is kind of the “secret sauce” of Alien, genitalia brutalized and on display in a most grotesque manner to unsettle the audience in the name of Sci-fi horror, and it’s effective. Digging deeper, the splatter and the spatter of Xenomorph acid and human flesh tortured further deliver the finer points of toe curling and seat shuffling as the ensemble is slowly dismembered. Of note, leads Cailee Spaeny and David Jonsson carry the torch well giving memorable performances and delivering a few pulpy lines along the way. Running one hour and fifty nine minutes, this well edited and efficient carrier for terror is ready to make you hold your breath, even though you’ll want to scream. Alien: Romulus is rated R.