Tag Archives: angela bettis

Brooklyn Horror FF review: ‘The Weird Kidz’ features adult animation and horror? Hey Girl, I’m listening.

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THE WEIRD KIDZ

This raunchy hand-drawn animated feature set in the 80s features three twelve-year-old “Dug,” his two buddies, Mel and Fatt, older brother Wyatt, and his brother’s girlfriend, Mary. On their way to an overnight camping trip, a gas station owner tells Dug to be careful of “The Night Child”, a creature that allegedly tore her brother to pieces years ago. But this BHFF 2022 creature feature has a second act you won’t see coming.

The character Mary is a badass feminist horror icon. Did I yell, ‘Hell, Yeah,” at the screen every time she surprised me with her choices? You know it. Horror legend Angela Bettis voices Duana, the gas station owner. That was quite the treat. Ella Coltrane is Wyatt. Walking a fine line between loathsome, cliche, and redemptive, it’s a memorable turn. The best voice performances come from Glen Bolton and Brian Ceely as Mel and Fatt. They stand out way above the rest with pitch-perfect tone and timing.

The era jokes and visual cues are kickass. Wyatt says, “Penis wrinkles,” a phrase I know from my first feature film in theaters, E.T. High five for the obscure homage. Also, the fact that I can remember the lyrics to, “Hey Girl,” days later, says a lot. 

There’s an overall snappiness that’s missing from The Weird Kidz. Even if the runtime currently stands at an hour and fifteen minutes, it feels much longer. It might benefit from some editing and a few 80s metal tracks. Writer-director Zach Passero does an excellent job flipping the script on the classic monster. The work is there, and Gen X will thank you.

  • Runtime:
    80 minutes
  • Country:
    USA
  • Premiere:
    World Premiere
  • Director:
    Zach Pass

Review: ‘GHOSTS OF THE OZARKS’ has a brilliant cast with a familiar endgame.

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In GHOSTS OF THE OZARKS, TimBlake Nelson, David Arquette, Angela Bettis, Thomas Hobson, Phil Norris and Tara Perry star in this exciting new take on the southern ghost story. In post-Civil War Arkansas, a young doctor is mysteriously summoned to a remote town in the Ozarks only to discover that the utopian paradise is filled with secrets and surrounded by a menacing, supernatural presence.

Ghosts of the Ozarks is a bit of an oddity. As a sci-fi western, it boasts an extraordinary ensemble cast. It’s incredibly refreshing to see actors of color in a western period piece. Until lately, they have been erased from Hollywood and history. Particularly in roles of authority. Thomas Hobson playing leading man Doc pulls you in with his genuine need to help and protect. Bouncing between anxiety and passion, this performance invites you to ride along for the journey of this tumultuous script. There’s no denying the similarities to The Village. Ghosts of the Ozarks is ultimately about control and greed through the lens of folk horror.

Torb and Lucille’s (Tim Blake Nelson and genre legend Angela Bettis) performance at the piano, which encores over the credits, is a standout moment. Although, it’s one of the times that causes me to question the writing. It moves Ghosts of the Ozarks into a genre obliterating territory. Part of me believes the film might fare better as a series. As it stands, it’s so over the top, at times, it feels silly. There’s no denying that Ghosts Of The Ozarks has potential. While the script feels long at moments, there is a lot of great material. Cool, handcrafted sets and costumes are highlights, a casting director who nailed it. Overall, I’m not entirely sure what to make of it. Ghosts Of The Ozarks is absolutely unique. In that respect, it’s a winner.

XYZ Films will release the mystery thriller GHOSTS OF THE OZARKS in Select Theaters and Demand and on Digital on February 3, 2022.  

  GHOSTS OF THE OZARKS stars Thomas Hobson (That Girl Lay Lay), Phil Morris (Star Trek III: The Search for Spock), Tara Perry (Proxy), Tim Blake Nelson (Old Henry), Angela Bettis (Girl Interrupted), and David Arquette (Scream Franchise). 

The film is directed by Matt Glass (The Party’s Just Beginning) along with Jordan Wayne Long (12 Hour Shift). Long also co-wrote the film with Sean Anthony Davis (Think Brilliance) and Tara Perry (Proxy).

Tribeca Film Festival 2020 review: Angela Bettis clocks in for ’12 Hour Shift’

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It’s 1998 and over the course of one 12 Hour Shift at an Arkansas Hospital, A Junkie Nurse (Angela Bettis), Her Scheming Cousin (Chloe Farnworth) and a group of black market Organ-Trading criminals (Mick Foley, David Arquette, Dusty Warren) start a heist that could lead to all of their demises.

Angela Bettis is horror royalty in my book. Watching her interpret Brea Grant’s script is heaven. During this uncertain, weird, and exhausting time in our history, watching an overworked nurse with vices for days adds an extra element of terrifying WTF. Bettis is a revelation. The weight of desperation and the constant barrage of emotional abuse is palpable. It is written on her face. There is so much backstory bubbling under the surface. I would watch an entire series developed from 12 Hour Shift. (Hint, Hint)

The opening scene is divine in establishing the attitude of Bettis’ character. It’s a symphonic white trash word vomit. The attention detail of Y2K paranoia and the late ’90’s in general land perfectly between over-the-top and completely legit. If you lived through it, you’ll laugh and nod. But it’s the delicious moral dilemma that Grant has given us that keeps your eyes glued to the screen. We’re definitely rooting for bad over worse and it is fun as hell. The climax is so batshit crazy it’s like watching a ping-pong tournament; super fast and just as fantastically absurd. Performances all around are stellar. Practical FX are gagworthy and wonderful. The final scene is actually the most frightening. Brea Grant, I’ll be looking forward to a sequel to 12 Hour Shift, ASAP.