The Casper Trilogy

Casper (1995)

C. – 100m.
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 – Widescreen.
Starring: Bill Pullman, Christina Ricci, Cathy Moriarty, Malachi Pearson, Eric Idle, Ben Stein, Don Novello, Fred Rogers, Terry Murphy, Joe Nipote, Joe Alaskey, Brad Garrett, Dan Aykroyd, Rodney Dangerfield, Clint Eastwood, Mel Gibson and Devon Sawa.

A paranormal expert and his daughter stay at a mansion in Maine while they try to rid it of three mischievous ghosts and one nice one. But are they helping the wrong entity? 

Trivia: Turing the filming Christina Ricci, Bill, Pullman, etc. had to speak to tennis balls, as the ghosts were C.G.I.ed in later. A piece of fishing line filled in for Casper during the scene where Kat gets dragged out the window and taken to the lighthouse. And finally: This is the second movie where Christina Ricci’s love interest, in this case the human form of Casper, is played by Devon Sawa. The other was: Now And Then (1995). 

Rated: [PG] – Mild Language & Thematic Elements.
Out Of Print on VHS & Laserdisc, but Available on Blu–ray, DVD & Digital Copy.

Casper: A Spirited Beginning (1997)

C. – 90m.
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 – Fullscreen.
A.K.A.: Casper II: Ghost Central Station, Casper: The Beginning
Starring: Steve Guttenberg, Lori Loughlin, Michael McKean, Sherman Hemsley, Brian Doyle–Murray, Casper Van Dien, James Earl Jones, Pauly Shore, Michael McDonald, Jeremy Foley, Bill Farmer, Jess Harnell, and Jim Ward.

Casper tells the story of how he became a friendly ghost. A little less spirited than the title would suggest but still an easy watch. Story takes a back seat in this one while cameos abound.

Trivia: Ben Stein and Rodney Dangerfield previously appeared in Casper (1995).

Rated: [PG] – Language, Crude Humor & Threatening Situations.
Out Of Print on VHS but Available on DVD & Digital Copy.

Casper Meets Wendy (1998)

C. – 90m.
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 – Widescreen.
Starring: Cathy Moriarty, Shelley Duvall, Teri Garr, George Hamilton, Hilary Duff, Vincent Schiavelli, Michael McDonald, Travis McKenna, Patrick Richwood, Alan Thicke, Casper Van Dien, Pauly Shore, Jeremy Foley, Jim Ward, Bill Farmer, Jess Harnell, Norm MacDonald, Joel Ross and Ben Stein.

Casper the friendly ghost teams up with Wendy the witch (Hilary Duff) against an evil warlock (George Hamilton). A very entertaining third entry in the series is a step up from its predecessor. A spunky cast make this a delight to watch. Note that George Hamilton’s flamboyant performance as the wicked warlock keeps this from getting too scary for young viewers.

Trivia: The voices of the ghosts from Casper: A Spirited Beginning (1997) are back along with Casper Van Dien and series runner Ben Stein. This was Hilary Duff’s television debut. And finally: Cathy Moriarty, who plays Wendy’s Aunt Geri here, played Carrigan in the first Casper (1995).

Rated: [PG] – Mildly Scary Scenes, Some Thematic Elements & Language.
Out Of Print on VHS but Available on DVD & Digital Copy.

The Beguiled (1971 & 2017)

The Beguiled (1971)

C. – 105m
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 – Widescreen
Dir.: Don Siegel
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Geraldine Page, Elizabeth Hartman and others.

While imprisoned in in a Confederate girls’ boarding school, an injured Union soldier works his way into all their hearts only to have them turn on him. The question is: Who is conning whom?

This is the classic and dark version of the story that everyone has come to know since 1971. Eastwood and the women are in great form here. More than anything else, this plays as a drama with a sexual edge (which in a couple of ways is a bit creepy in and of itself) up until the final twenty minutes. Then it is out and out thriller. While very little happens in terms of location changes, there is an array of verbal and non-verbal communication to read from some masterful performances by the actors. See if you can figure out who is conning whom before the film tells you outright. Part of what makes this film great is the sense of mystery behind the cons. Clearly the film favors the man’s prospective. A must watch!

Rated: [R] – Perverse Sexual Content Including Nudity, Some Violence, Adult Drinking & Frightening And Intense Images.
Available on DVD, Blu–ray & Digital Copy.

The Beguiled (2017)

C. – 93 Minutes
Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1 – Widescreen
Dir. / Screenwriter: Sophia Coppola
Starring: Colin Farrell Nicole Kidman, Kristen Dunst & Elle Fanning.

An unexpected arrival of a wounded Union soldier at a girls’ school in Virginia during the American Civil War leads to jealousy and betrayal. Sophia Coppola is back in the saddle with this feminist version of the classic Clint Eastwood starring film. The film is toned down and frankly lacks the mystery that made the original so haunting. Given the omission of that aspect of the story makes this less riveting and more an interesting character study. The feminist approach to the story that originally favored the man’s perspective makes this worth watching. It is different enough to make it more of a companion film than a remake. It should also be noted that this was beautifully filmed on film and then finished in 4K digital with a wonderful visual outcome. Extra credit for Coppola for adding film noire – ish lighting effects! A pop classic here!   

Rated: [R] – Some Sexuality - Note: There is also violence and language that was not mentioned as reasons for the rating.
Available on DVD, Blu–ray & Digital Copy.