Hotel Transylvania 2

 HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 2

Title--  Hotel Transylvania 2

Release Year--  2015

Running Time--  1 Hour and 29 Minutes

Director--  Genndy Tartakovsky

Cast--  Adam Sandler, Selena Gomez, Andy Samberg, Asher Blinkoff, David Spade, Kevin James, Steve Buscemi, Keegan-Michael Key, Fran Drescher, Molly Shannon, Megan Mullally, Nick Offerman, Dana Carvey, Rob Riggle, Mel Brooks, Jonny Solomon

Set 7 years after the first, Mavis and Dennis have a baby and when he shows no signs of being a monster, Mavis begins to consider raising her child among humans, much to her father’s dismay.

A year after the conclusion of the first film, vampire Mavis (Selena Gomez) is marrying her human fiancée Johnny (Andy Samberg), with the approval of Mavis’ father Dracula (Adam Sandler).  With Johnny’s help, Drac has introduced the world to monsters and has integrated the hotel to accommodate both human and monster clients.  Mavis soon reveals to Drac that she is pregnant and nine months later she gives birth to Dennis (Asher Blinkoff) who is the spitting image of his father Johnny.  Drac falls in love with his grandson and begins baby proofing the hotel in order to keep the child safe.

Drac has faith that his grandson will become a powerful vampire due to his bloodline but as Dennis’ fifth birthday approaches, he knows that the window for his fangs to appear are quickly fading.  Mavis, also realizing that Dennis may not gain vampire powers, begins to see how dangerous the monster world is for humans and begins to consider raising Dennis where Johnny was raised.  Drac disapproves of this, not wanting his daughter to take his grandson away and approaches Johnny with a plan to keep Mavis at the hotel after learning that Johnny also has no interest in leaving the hotel.

Johnny takes Mavis to California with the intention of making her not want to move while Drac babysits Dennis at the hotel.  However, instead of staying at the hotel, Drac devises a plan to train Dennis to be a monster with the help of his friends Wayne the wolfman (Steve Buscemi), Murray the mummy (Keegan-Michael Key), Griffin the invisible man (David Spade), Frankenstein (Kevin James) and Blobby the blob (Jonny Solomon).

After a series of events that causes Mavis to return home angrier and more resolute to move away than ever and Dennis not gaining monster powers, Mavis decides to have one last party at the hotel for Dennis.  She plans his fifth birthday party and she invites her grandfather Vlad (Mel Brooks) who hates humans to the party to meet her son.  In an attempt to keep the humans a secret from Vlad, Drac dresses Johnny and his family as monsters to hide and protect them from Vlad’s impending wrath.

The second film in this franchise did not disappoint.  It is everything you would expect, especially after watching the first film.  We have the same cast (with the exception of Keegan-Michael Key stepping in as Murray in this film, replacing CeeLo Green from the first film) which makes for a very familiar feel going into the film.  Knowing that this is just a continuation set linearly behind the first film helps it flow into the story, almost as if we had never left it to begin with.  

There were a few times that the story got a little tedious but I think that sometimes that needs to happen a little to get the story from one plot point to the next.

Overall, it was a really good film.  Not better than the first but perhaps just a step below.  It’s a good film to get together with your little monsters and watch but Don’t Forget the Popcorn!

LONG SHOT

Title--  Long Shot

Release Year--  2017

Running Time--  40 Minutes

Director--  Jacob La Mendola

Cast--  Juan Catalan, Alma Oseguera, Melissa Catalan, Larry David, Todd Melnik, Beth Silverman, Sam Fernandez, Tim Gibbons, Kym Whitley, Robert Gajic, Eric Gagne, Tasha Boggs, Judge Leslie Dunn, Detective Martin Pinner, Detective Juan Rodriguez, Deborah Wong Yang 

In 2003 Los Angeles Dodgers fan Juan Catalan, is wrongly charged with the murder of Martha Puebla when his lawyer turns to an unlikely source to get him freed.

On May 13, 2003 Juan Catalan shows up for his job and is arrested for the murder of 16 year old Martha Puebla.  Martha Puebla testified against Juan’s brother and after being picked out of a picture lineup by a reliable witness the police arrested and charged Juan with the thoughts of revenge on their minds.  Juan, knowing that he was innocent and in trouble, remembered his cousin recommending Las Vegas lawyer Todd Melnik.  

Melnik goes to Los Angeles to meet with Juan and find out Juan’s alilby.  Juan tells Melnik that he could not have killed Martha because he was at a Dodgers game.  He then explained that he bought his mother Dodgers tickets, knowing that she was not interested in going so that he could go to the game.  He then took his daughter and two of his buddies with him to the game.  Melnik goes to Dodgers Stadium and speaks to the owner, Sam Fernandez, explaining about his client and is given access to all the video that the stadium filmed.  Melnik finds Juan and his daughter on the video but it is too grainy to use in court.

Melnik goes back to Juan and tells him about this and Juan recalls that something was being filmed at the stadium that day.  He says that he attends games all the time and he had never seen any kind of film crews there before, so he remembered that day being different.  Melnik then goes back to the stadium and contacts media relations to find that some kind of production company was there and a phone number is listed.  Melnik calls the number to find that it is HBO.  Melnik goes to the HBO studios and talks to someone to find out that an episode of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” was being filmed there.  From there Melnik gets permission to view the tapes to find out if there is anything that can save his client.

This is such a good film.  The story is compelling.  It is another story of false identification and redemption but it is different somehow.  Juan’s ability to remember that something was different about the Dodgers game that day is truly what saved his life.

My favorite part is when they are looking at the tapes and see the moment that would help free him.  Robert Gajic, the PA that allowed Juan and his daughter to return to their seats after they had gone to get ice cream is the most amazing.  From the moment the audience is shown the piece of tape and then show the look on Gajic’s face as he is being shown the tape is just so emotional.

There is one thing I did not like about this film and that is the camera.  When they interviewed the people in the film, it was only from forehead to chin in most shots that weren’t file footage of other events.  To me it is a little unnerving, that close to someone the entire time.  The other negative (not for me personally but it may be for other viewers) is that this is a Netflix only film.  So if you don’t have Netflix, you don’t get to catch this one, which really is a shame because it is pretty good watch.  It’s only 40 minutes long, so take the time to catch this one and Don’t Forget the Popcorn!

Did the theater get bigger or smaller?

Hi everyone!  It has been way too long since we have enjoyed a movie together, hasn’t it?  I have, in the three years since I last posted, had a second child making my total 2.  So for me, the theater has gotten a little smaller but has it really?  Now, in the time where the world has gone a little crazy, there is so much more streaming available.  Just look for yourself, Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime, Hulu, HBO/Max, Showtime, Shudder, the list goes on and on (because I am sure I have missed someone’s favorite streaming service!) and never has it been easier to watch a movie.  So, why don’t we?  Why don’t we start watching movies together again?

I learned from before that posting every day is a little challenging and it becomes a BIG job.  With two children in the single digits, there is NO WAY an every day post will be possible like before but I can try.  If I have content for you, I will post it every day but you are more likely to get one post a week and that is what I am here to say.  Come back, come back at least once a week and see what is going on.  I’ll keep a theater seat warm for you and a fresh bucket of popcorn ready.  Come see what I have been watching and maybe you will find your new favorite.  I’ve missed you and I hope you’ve missed me too, so until next time, Don’t Forget the Popcorn!