Tim Burton could have easily fallen into the trap of making yet another Hollywood “legacyquel” by reviving his 1988 breakout hit “Beetlejuice.” He’s not entirely immune from providing fan service in “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” a proclivity demonstrated as early on as the opening credits that mimic the helicopter tracking shot of the original … just with darker color grading now. But overall, Burton grasps the need not merely to resurrect the beloved characters—he must also revivify them.

Continue reading ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ Review: Tim Burton Is Back & At His Best in Decades [Venice] at The Playlist.

Thirty-six years after the original, and after years of pursuing different follow-up ideas, director Tim Burton’s “Beetlejuice,” sequel, titled “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” is finally coming to theaters this year. Written by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, based on a story by Seth Grahame-Smith (Burton’s “Dark Shadows” and “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter”), not much is known about the film other than it’s a follow-up to the original, about a ghost who’s recruited to help haunt a house.

Continue reading ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ Trailer: Tim Burton’s Classic Horror Comedy Starring Michael Keaton September 6 at The Playlist.

Season one of Netflix’s “Stranger Things” came out of nowhere and became a pop culture phenomenon fast in the summer of 2016. By this point, Netflix had already had a big hit with 2013’s “House Of Cards,” which earned the company its first Emmy nominations. But even then, some didn’t really understand or know what Netflix or streaming was. Or at least Winona Ryder didn’t.

Continue reading ‘Stranger Things’: Shawn Levy Says Winona Ryder Didn’t Know What Netflix Or Streaming Was When First Pitched The Show at The Playlist.

Even knowing that the final two episodes of “Stranger Things 4” would be downright epic in length, there was a sense that the Duffer Brothers had bitten off a bit more than they could chew this year, sending their characters on separate arcs that made this chapter feel more bloated than the previous three. How could they possibly wrap all of this up in two remaining episodes, dropping today on Netflix?

Continue reading ‘Stranger Things’ Volume 2 Review: The Fourth Season Ends With A Bloated Bang at The Playlist.

From “Beetlejuice” to “Stranger Things,” Winona Ryder has grounded herself as an actress in the weird and wonderful. From her very first role in the 1985 film “Lucas,” Ryder has made her name for herself, starring in franchises like “Star Trek” and “Friends.” The “Stranger Things” star is more famously known for her work with director Tim Burton, but her latest project is neither gothic and strange nor part of the upside-down.

Continue reading ‘Gone In The Night’ Trailer: Winona Ryder & John Gallagher Jr. Can’t Stop Losing People at The Playlist.

It’s felt like a lifetime since Netflix subscribers left Hawkins, Indiana in July 2019, when the third season of “Stranger Things” came to a close. What do the characters of this universe still mean to a fan base that has watched them grow up (and arguably age out) on camera? Can a show that started as a riff on the ‘80s work of Stephen King and Steven Spielberg prove that it’s grown up too?

Continue reading ‘Stranger Things’ Finally Returns With An Entertaining But Scattered Fourth Season [Review] at The Playlist.

Later this month will finally see the return of Netflix‘s hit genre-hodgepodge YA/sci-fi series “Stranger Things.” The kids are again faced with another threat from the Upside Down; the interdimensional space that is home to all sorts of nasty creatures looking to cause havoc on the sleepy town of Hawkings.

The streaming service has released the first eight minutes of the first episode from season four (see below), a group of episodes that reportedly have cost them $30 million a pop.

Continue reading ‘Stranger Things’ Season 4: Watch First 8-Minutes Of Episode 1 & Duffer Brothers Are Upset Over A ‘Monopoly’ Leak at The Playlist.

There are certain actors who seem to have grown up before the public’s eye. Whose very existence serve to remind us of our own mortality. It’s fitting then that a movie about the relentlessness of time and the horror of aging would star Winona Ryder, who we’ve seen from her breakout teen years age through every phase Hollywood allows women. Co-written and directed by Eli Horowitz (“Homecoming”), the romantic horror, “The Cow,” stars Ryder as Kath, an older woman thrown for a loop when her younger boyfriend suddenly leaves her seemingly for a younger woman. 

Ryder is fantastic, in her first film role since 2018’s “Destination Wedding,” bringing her trademark wry humor, expressive eyes, and fiery energy to Kath.

Continue reading ‘The Cow’ Review: Winona Ryder Shines In Eli Horowitz’s Romance Horror [SXSW] at The Playlist.

Netflix‘s big event this weekend, TUDUM, has kicked off and has given us new looks at upcoming projects from the streaming giant. The kids from Hawkins, Indiana, have not commanded the spotlight in a while. Season Three of “Stranger Things” came and went as successfully as ever, but the Duffer Brothers left the gang in different spots. Hopper appeared to have died, and Eleven and the Byers’ family moved out of Hawkins.

Continue reading ‘Stranger Things’ Season 4 Teaser Footage: A Spooky Look At A New Corner Of This Sci-Fi Universe at The Playlist.

It’s not even been two years since the third season of “Stranger Things” premiered on the 4th of July 2019; in COVID-19 years, however, that feels like eons ago. With how out of sorts the world has been since the last time audiences saw the Hawkins crew, it’s easy to forget where the Duffer Brothers left things after all of the excitement at the Starcourt Mall.

READ MORE: The 65 Most Anticipated TV Shows & Mini-Series Of 2021

Well, “Stranger Things” fans better brush up on their theories because it appears that the fourth season of the beloved show is imminent.

Continue reading ‘Stranger Things’ Season 4 Teaser: The Hawkins Crew Returns To Netflix… Soon? at The Playlist.

Every Tuesday, discriminating viewers are confronted with a flurry of choices: new releases on disc and on-demand, vintage, and original movies on any number of streaming platforms, catalog titles making a splash on Blu-ray or 4K. This biweekly column sifts through all of those choices to pluck out the movies most worth your time, no matter how you’re watching. 

Charlie Kaufman is back to rearrange your brain, Kelly Reichardt is back to reconfigure your toxic masculinity, Universal is back to sell you those Hitchcock movies all over again (and they will), and Criterion is back to see you those Jules Dassin movies all over again (ditto).

Continue reading The 8 Best Movies To Buy Or Stream This Week: ‘First Cow,’ ‘I’m Thinking Of Ending Things’ & More at The Playlist.

Mel Gibson is no stranger to controversy. Over the years, he’s said a number of things that have made headlines, whether its due to his ultra-religious/conservative views, misogynistic comments, or anti-Semitic remarks. And while it appears that over the years, people have been forgiving of his words, there are some in Hollywood that won’t forget the things he’s said and done, including Winona Ryder.

READ MORE: ‘Force Of Nature’ Trailer: Mel Gibson & Emile Hirsch Kill Bad Guys During A Hurricane

Speaking to The Sunday Times, Ryder explained that she was at a party and ran into Mel Gibson.

Continue reading Winona Ryder Details Story About Mel Gibson Saying Homophobic & Anti-Semitic Remarks at The Playlist.

“I stick my neck out for nobody. The problems of this world are not in my department,” Humphrey Bogart’s Rick Blaine famously says – having made a mantra and a reputation out of the statement – in the World War II classic, “Casablanca.” The patriarchal figure at the center of David Simon and Ed Burns’ scorching adaptation of Philip Roth’s alternate history novel, “The Plot Against America,” a man of principle named Herman Levin (Morgan Spector), has the exact opposite problem, sometimes sticking his neck out for his ethnic community even when the anti-Semitism threatens the safety of his family.

Continue reading ‘The Plot Against America’ Powerfully Illustrates Why It’s Essential Humanity Sticks Its Neck Out For One Another In The Face of Fascism [Review] at The Playlist.

What would America have become if FDR never won the presidency? Well, that’s a question that HBO’s upcoming series, “The Plot Against America” attempts to answer. Based on the Phillip Roth novel of the same name, the new HBO six-part miniseries tells the story of an alternate version of American history — one where the xenophobic populist Charles Lindbergh becomes president and guides America towards fascism.

Continue reading ‘The Plot Against America’ Trailer: An Alternate Look At American History From The Creator Of ‘The Wire’ at The Playlist.

Selective amnesia is an essential part of the “Stranger Things” experience, as a viewer and a character in the series. Why the hell else would you still live in the monster-infested Hawkins, Indiana, also home to a shadowy government agency who’s repeatedly demonstrated no regard for human life? As “Stranger Things” repeats the same tired, Stephen King-inspired sci-fi-y story each season—supernatural creatures crawl back from the Upside Down into Hawkins in the 1980s and the same group of kids and adults fight them back, including one girl with psionic abilities —audiences are expected to hold their suspension of disbelief and buy into the same increasingly-dubious concept.

Continue reading ‘Stranger Things’ Doesn’t Wanna Grow Up & Its Overstyled ’80s Nostalgia Is Running On Fumes [Season 3 Review] at The Playlist.

On November 6th, 1983, Will Byers disappeared, leaving the residents of the fictional town Hawkins (and a million Netflix viewers) never the same again.

READ MORE: ‘Stranger Things’ Season 3 Will Premiere Next Summer And “Will Be Worth The Wait”

Netflix has been turning heads ever since it jumped into the original content game, but the release of “Stranger Things” back in 2016 by the Duffer Brothers (“Hidden,” “Wayward Pines”) took it to a whole other level.

Continue reading ‘Stranger Things 3’ Teaser: Titles Are Revealed & The Adventure Continues Next Summer at The Playlist.

Starring two ’90s favorites in Keanu Reeves and Winona Ryder, this is the kind of rom-com we thought would always be drowning in 20 years ago but has largely been in short supply this decade. Alas, we didn’t know how good we had it. Like those much-missed cinematic relics, “Destination Wedding” is built around a pair of likable stars who bounce off one another for a couple of hours, moving from meet-cute to will-they-or-won’t-they to a (probably) happy ending.

Continue reading ‘Destination Wedding’ Showcases Incredible, But Mean, Chemistry Between Keanu Reeves & Winona Ryder [Review] at The Playlist.

Wow, that was the worst “John Wick” trailer I’ve ever seen.

Seriously, it’s hard watching the new trailer for “Destination Wedding” when all you can think about is Keanu Reeves pulling out a couple guns and murdering everyone on screen. Sadly, this is no “John Wick,” no matter how low and raspy Keanu’s voice is. Instead, “Destination Wedding” is a romantic comedy featuring Reeves and Winona Ryder.

Continue reading ‘Destination Wedding’ Trailer: Keanu Reeves And Winona Ryder Awkwardly Fall In Love In New Rom-Com at The Playlist.

Unless you have found yourself trapped in an alternate dimension, you’ve heard about “Stranger Things.” And if you’ve heard of the original Netflix super-hit, you know about the hype surrounding the latest season, or sequel. The brainchild of twin brothers Matt and Ross Duffer, “Stranger Things” wandered its way into the homes of millions. With a young cast and a nostalgic vibe thanks to its homage to 80s horror and science fiction films, the show became an instant hit.

Continue reading ‘Stranger Things 2’ Takes You To A Bigger And Darker Upside Down [Bingeworthy Breakdown] at The Playlist.

The weather is getting chillier, which makes it the perfect time of year to curl up with the return of the astonishing Netflix smash, “Stranger Things.” The second season is on the way, and the streaming site has unveiled its last preview of the new run of episodes, before we all dive back into the Upside Down at the end of the month.

While the series from creators Matt and Ross Duffer delivered on the supernatural side in the first season, there was also an emotional punch too, courtesy of Winona Ryder.

Continue reading ‘Stranger Things’ Season 2 Final Trailer: Take Another Leap Into The Upside Down at The Playlist.

Ever since Netflix’s “Stranger Things” came out of nowhere a year ago to become a pop-culture sensation unlike any other of recent memory, an air of mystery has surrounded its upcoming sophomore season. With a release date of Halloween 2017, a chilling Super Bowl teaser, and cast members referring to season 2 as “a lot more dark [than season 1], a lot more horror-oriented,” you can rest assured that the ‘80s throwback series is indeed upping the ante in its impending return.

Continue reading New ‘Stranger Things’ Season 2 Trailer Returns To The Upside Down at The Playlist.

This is going to be a very tight race between Moss and Foy, but the former “Mad Men” star has a slight edge. [Updated July 20]

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

1. Elisabeth Moss (“The Handmaid’s Tale”)
2. Claire Foy (“The Crown”)
3. Evan Rachel Wood (“Westworld”)
4. Keri Russell (“The Americans”)
5. Robin Wright (“House of Cards”)
6.

Continue reading 2017 Best Lead Actress In A Drama Series Emmy Awards Predictions at The Playlist.

From an ’80s set curiosity to a full-blown cultural phenomenon, it has been quite a journey for “Stranger Things.” And now Netflix‘s hit series is coming to the Super Bowl, with the first footage of the new season revealed in a brand new promo. And while details are being kept tightly under wraps — the logline only offers: “A year after Will’s return, everything seems back to normal… but a darkness lurks just beneath the surface, threatening all of Hawkins” — producer Shawn Levy sure knows how to setup a tease.

Continue reading ‘Stranger Things’ Delivers Spine-Tingling Super Bowl Spot For Season 2 at The Playlist.

Things are going to get a little bit weird and a little bit magical this summer on Netflix. The streaming service is bringing what looks to be something touched with a little bit of Amblin Entertainment inspiration with the series “Stranger Things,” and a new trailer has dropped boosting the magic, mystery and wonder that’s coming with the new show.

READ MORE: Watch: First Trailer For Netflix Supernatural Mystery Series ‘Stranger Things’ Starring Winona Ryder

Starring Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Noah Schnapp, Natalia Dyer, Cara Buono, Charlie Heaton, and Matthew Modine, the story will center around the sudden disappearance of a young boy in a small town, and what happens as the investigation unfolds.

Continue reading It’s Time To Believe In New Trailer For Netflix’s ‘Stranger Things’ Starring Winona Ryder at The Playlist.

Earlier this year, Fox revived “The X-Files,” giving TV audiences another taste of something they haven’t really had on the small screen in a while: a dedicated series to the supernatural. But there’s another one coming. The upcoming Netflix series “Stranger Things” will bring the paranormal to an ’80s set mystery, and it should be some intriguing stuff.

READ MORE: The Empire Expands In Trailer For Netflix’s ‘Marco Polo’ Season 2

Starring Winona Ryder, Matthew Modine, David Harbour, Charlie Heaton, and Natalia Dyer, the show will take viewers to Hawkins, Indiana and kicks off when a young boy who vanishes into thin air under highly suspicious circumstances.

Continue reading Watch: First Trailer For Netflix Supernatural Mystery Series ‘Stranger Things’ Starring Winona Ryder at The Playlist.