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[Review] ‘Hotel Transylvania’ Made For the MTV Generation

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Fans of classic creature features may want to book a trip to Hotel Transylvania, Sony Pictures Animation’s 3-D horror comedy that features the voice acting of Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Fran Drescher, David Spade, Jon Lovitz, Cee Lo Green, Steve Buscemi, Molly Shannon and Selena Gomez. While the film leaves much to be desired, it’s a pretty focused comedy that does carry a few laughs, along with an incredible amount if energy.

In the film Dracula opens a five-stake resort in the hopes of giving monsters a safe place to be themselves. Every year, he opens the hotel alongside his most precious event: the birthday of his young daughter Mavis (her 118th, to be exact!). This year, however, a human stumbles into the party and causes everything to go wrong… for Drac.

Hotel Transylvania caters to the MTV generation’s lack of attention, and blitzes through the gates without a breath. The characters are introduced at lightning speed, and many of the set pieces are injected with the same energy. There’s even a slight meta vibe (that occasionally goes a bit too far) as Dracula’s party is constantly referenced as “old” and “outdated.” The pace is what keeps this generic fable interesting, moving between characters and set pieces in a way to keep it visual fresh.

And while the main story may be outdated, there’s an injection of life in the way the ideas are presented. One of the cooler aspects is that the characters actually leave the hotel and enter real/modern world. It’s unclear if the writers have any social commentary, or if they’re just going through the motions (I suspect the latter), but there’s an interesting sense of space created throughout. Huge props go out to the digital animation team for creating this world, and pushing the boundaries of animation. The castle is absolutely gorgeous, as are all of the other background drawings. The characters themselves have a modern feel, albeit some of the jokes are focused on Dracula being an old fart.

The biggest disappointment is that it’s obviously a film made for young teens, mostly void of any adult humor. The writing lacks any sort of real punch, but is cutesy enough to warm the hearts of some parents out there. Horror fans? ParaNorman, while I dislike the film, was more aimed towards the horror audience. Although Hotel Transylvania is way more focused, entertaining, and isn’t trying to be something it’s not.

Hotel Transylvania isn’t really for the average Bloody Disgusting reader, but fans of the classic universal monsters will enjoy seeing their favorite creature on screen, and the jokes that accompany them. The 3-D feels a bit unnecessary, so check this one out on home video.

Horror movie fanatic who co-founded Bloody Disgusting in 2001. Producer on Southbound, V/H/S/2/3/94, SiREN, Under the Bed, and A Horrible Way to Die. Chicago-based. Horror, pizza and basketball connoisseur. Taco Bell daily. Franchise favs: Hellraiser, Child's Play, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, Scream and Friday the 13th. Horror 365 days a year.

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SCREAMBOX Investigates UFOs and Extraterrestrials: Several Documentaries Streaming Right Now!

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As someone who is obsessed with UFOS (or more recently known as UAPs) and the concept of extraterrestrials, I love a good documentary. Sightings have been on the rise since the 1940s, with the atomic bomb seemingly acting as a catalyst for new visitors. But what are these UFOs/UAPs? Is there an explanation or are they simply beyond our explanation? Why are they here? Who are they? How much do our governments know? The questions are endless and so are the documentaries that attempt to uncover the secrets behind decades of sightings and alleged confrontations.

Whether you’re a seasoned viewer or new to the rabbit hole, there’s always a handful of interesting documentaries to get your neurons firing and leave you with sleepless nights. SCREAMBOX is investigating with the addition of several docs, all streaming now on the Bloody Disgusting-powered service. Here’s the breakdown:

Aliens (2021): Beam into this unidentified streaming documentary for a glimpse into Extraterrestrial life. Aliens are hypothetical life forms that may occur outside Earth or that did not originate on Earth.

Aliens Uncovered: Origins (2021): Before Area 51, hidden deep in the desert, the military discovered a hidden gem that helped them create Project Bluebook.

Aliens Uncovered: ET or Man-Made (2022): The crash of Roswell wasn’t meant for New Mexico. In 1947, a neighboring state had 3 major sightings that were swept under the rug.

Aliens Uncovered: The Golden Record (2023): In the late 70s, the US government launched a message to our distant neighbors.

Roswell (2021): This high-flying documentary examines the July 1947 crash of a United States Army Air Forces balloon at a ranch near Roswell, New Mexico. Theories claim the crash was actually that of a flying saucer, but what is the truth?

Also check out:

The British UFO Files (2004): Since the 1940’s the British Government has been investigating the Flying Saucer phenomenon. High-ranking military and government personnel, speak out for the first time, offering unique eyewitness accounts and inside information.

Alien Abductions and Paranormal Sightings (2016): Amazing Footage and stories from real people as they reveal their personal encounters of being abducted by Aliens.

And do not miss Hellier (2019): A crew of paranormal researchers find themselves in a dying coal town, where a series of strange coincidences lead them to a decades-old mystery.

These documentaries join SCREAMBOX’s growing library of unique horror content, including Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls, Here for Blood, Terrifier 2, RoboDoc: The Creation of RoboCop, Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story, The Outwaters, Living with Chucky, Project Wolf Hunting, and Pennywise: The Story of IT.

Start screaming now with SCREAMBOX on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Prime Video, Roku, YouTube TV, Samsung, Comcast, Cox, and Screambox.com.

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