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Blu Review – The Addams Family/Addams Family Values

Blu Release – 3/5
Special Features:
Theatrical Trailers

The Addams Family
Director – Barry Sonnenfeld (Addams Family Values, Men in Black)
Starring – Anjelica Huston (The Witches, This is Spinal Tap), Raul Julia (Street Fighter, Addams Family Values), and Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future, Who Framed Roger Rabbit)
Release Date – 1991
Rating – 4/5

Tagline – “Weird is relative”

I’m a living product of the 90s and it’s because I grew up in the 90s that I love horror so much. Goosebumps was the catalyst and soon Are You Afraid of the Dark, Big Bad Beetleborgs, The Addams Family, Big Wolf on Campus, and other shows snowballed the obsession out of control. Movies from the decade often catch a bad rap but the horror-centric television shows were fantastic especially those aimed for children.

I remember renting The Addams Family when it hit tape as a kid and then begging my dad to buy me a copy. I fucking loved the movie and watched it so many times I made myself sick of it. I often do that with my favorite movies. It has been a good 15 years since I saw the film last but I popped open the DVD I bought sometime ago last year to show my daughter who was bitten by the Addams Family bug. It was fun revisiting it. I recently took her to see the new animated Addams Family movie in theaters and neither of us was a fan of it so when we got home I tossed in the brand new blu of the film to clean our pallets.

**Spoiler Alert**The film follows Gomez, Morticia, their two children Wednesday and Puglesy who live with their almost mute servant Lurch and Grandmama. Gomez as been heartbroken for over 25 years after his brother Fester was lost at sea when visiting the Bermuda Triangle. Things get complicated when the family accountant teams up with his loan shark to disguise her son as the lost brother of Gomez to gain access to their fortune. Gordon (Lloyd), now disguised as Fester, rejoins their family but loses focus on his task when he becomes too close to them and eventually starts to love them like the family he never had. When Gordon’s love for the Addams family out weighs his love for his mother we learn that she found him many years ago on the beach and he really is the long lost Fester that Gomez has been missing.**Spoiler Alert**

I don’t know if it’s nostalgia of watching this movie after spending a good portion of my childhood watching it or if its a legitimately good film but it’s so damn difficult not to give this a perfect 5 out of 5. I love everything about this film from the acting down to the sets and wardrobe. It’s such an amazing film.

The acting in this one is damn near perfect from the entire cast. I’ve never seen a film so perfectly cast. Raul Julia and Anjelica Huston were born to play these two characters. You almost believe that they love each other which must stem from a real life relationship outside of the movie. They are fucking phenomenal together and their chemistry on camera is unmatched.

Christopher Lloyd would not be who I would think of as Uncle Fester before this movie but after I can’t imagine anyone else playing him. He brought this unforgettable character to life and made it his own. He owned every scene he was in and his charisma is what made this character become my favorite within the family. The remainder of the cast is fucking perfect as well but I don’t have the time to name each one individually. They all deserve the credit but I’m a lazy piece of shit.

The story for this one works. I can remember the part of the movie where they get kicked out of their home would give me anxiety and I would almost panic. The family is all close and the comedy and suspense work perfectly together. The dark, almost black comedy, humor works very well with the story. Every scene holds your attention and if it’s not story rich you still watch to see how they turned something innocent into something macabre to fit the family.

Finally, this one doesn’t have blood and gore. Instead, we get amazing sets and scenery, unforgettable wardrobes, and a rich story full of the characters you are here to see. Overall, The Addams Family should be a part of anyone’s childhood. Young and old can enjoy this movie and the humor still finds it’s mark all these years later. I highly recommend checking it out on blu. It looks amazing!

Addams Family Values
Director – Barry Sonnenfeld (The Addams Family, Men in Black)
Starring – Anjelica Huston (The Addams Family, The Witches), Raul Julia (The Addams Family, Street Fighter), and Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future, Who Framed Roger Rabbit)
Release Date – 1993
Rating – 4/5

Tagline – “The family just got a little stranger”

The Addams Family was a huge part of my childhood. The movies, the animated shows, and the live action show were a huge part of my upbringing. Sure, some were better than others but they were still fun in their own right. The first Addams Family film from 1991 was damn near perfect to me. I absolutely loved the film and when the sequel was released I almost shit my pants.

When I tossed it in I was shocked to see that the film was just as good, if not better, than the first one. This movie is now just as iconic as the first and some of the scenes are now legendary among movie fans. Even if you are one of the few people alive today that had never seen this film you have at least seen images of Wednesday drinking poison. I couldn’t wait to revisit this one on blu after watching these previous two Addams’ films.

**Spoiler Alert**The film follows Morticia, Gomez, Wednesday, Pugsley and Uncle Fester who welcome a new baby to the family, Pubert. Morticia and Gomez need to hire a nanny to take care of the baby and they strike gold with Debbie (Joan Cusack). Debbie is perfect with the kids and takes a liking to the worlds richest bachelor Fester. What they don’t know is that Debbie is the notorious serial killer The Black Widow who kills her rich husbands on their wedding night. She see’s Wednesday and Pusgley as a threat and tricks Gomez and Morticia into sending them to summer camp so she can get close to Fester. Her plan works and she gets close to Fester and eventually they marry. However, killing him finds to be tricky as every method fails. When she can’t kill him and make it look like an accident she decides to just murder the whole family and leave town with the money before the police arrive but she forgot one Addams, Pubert, who accidentally stops her before she can kill the family.**Spoiler Alert**

This is one of the few movies where the sequel surpasses the first film. I’m not saying it’s leagues better but I do enjoy this one more than the other film by a small percentage. My favorite part of this film is Joan Cusack’s character. She really makes the movie that much more fun.

The acting in this one is fucking unforgettable. Aside from the memorable performances from Raul Julia, Anjelica Huston, and Christopher Lloyd, you are character growth from Wednesday with an extremely fun and iconic performance from Christina Ricci but you get an all new character that is just a memorable as the family. Joan Cusack kills it as a serial killer (pun) and stills the show in each scene she is in. I’ll admit I’m not a fan of hers but I fucking love her in this movie.

The story for this one gives the viewer something completely different than what was delivered in the first film. We get some great character development along with some very interesting scenarios that the family finds themselves in. Their love of the macabre and death floods every scene which makes it even more enjoyable. I really loved the black widow angle along with the whole camp aspect. These always stood out to me and still do after revisiting it. I find myself wanting more movie when the credit rolls.

Finally, this is another one void of blood and gore. We once again get amazing sets, wardrobes, and visuals to enjoy but none of the red stuff. Overall, Addams Family Values is a worthy follow up to a now classic film and synonymous with the Addams name. When you mention the Addams to most people they immediately think of these two movies. I highly recommend this one and this installment looks fantastic on the blu.

Blacktooth

(Staff Writer) Lover of all things horror and metal. Also likes boobs and booze.

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