TheArchive: Reviewing the Rare, Retro, and Restored

( Parisa Taghizadeh/Warner Bros.) In the forever-evolving landscape of film and television, one thing is constant: sequels. Hollywood's impulse to extend popular narratives has become a regular feature of contemporary entertainment. However, most fan bases and film buffs are often weary of sequels. While sequels can sometimes breathe new life into a franchise, they usually dilute the original's success and charm. Let's explore the phenomenon of sequel culture through the lens of Beetlejuice and a few lesser-known yet intriguing titles like The Worst Witch , Weird Sister College , The Legend of Boggy Creek , and Boggy Creek II: And the Legend Continues .  A typical critique of sequel culture is that you take a film that was a labor of love and then try to make a sequel without the originality or the heart to make a profit. Travis Knox , a film producer and professor at Chapman University, said, “It’s purely financial. The cost of marketing feature releases is enormous, and ...

Labor Day, a national holiday celebrated on the first Monday of September, honors the contributions of American workers and their relentless fight for fair labor practices. While it's a day often associated with barbecues, parades, and the unofficial end of summer, Labor Day's roots are steeped in the labor movement's history—a history marked by both progress and setbacks. One film in our library that captures the harsh realities workers have faced is the 1993 made-for-TV movie For Their Own Good , directed by Ed Kaplan. For Their Own Good tells the harrowing story of Sally Wheeler, a factory worker at the crossroads of personal freedom and economic survival. Set in a small-town factory, Sally and her fellow female workers are given an unimaginable ultimatum: agree to be sterilized or lose their jobs. The film is based on true events , reflecting a dark chapter in labor history where workers, particularly women, were subjected to coercive practices under the guise of ...

As the summer box office season of 2024 comes to a close, the film industry is emerging stronger and more resilient than it was just a few months ago. Alien: Romulus , directed by Fede Álvarez, is leading this comeback , a film that has not only breathed new life into a classic franchise but also brings some hope to an industry that’s been through the wringer . After a period of uncertainty and a string of lackluster releases, Alien: Romulus has electrified the box office, proving that the allure of the big screen is far from fading. Alien: Romulus has done more than just revive the iconic sci-fi horror series—it has blown expectations out of the water. With a domestic opening weekend haul of $45.1 million, the film didn’t just meet its projected debut numbers in the high $20 million range; it nearly doubled them . This stellar performance marks the second-best opening for the Alien franchise, only surpassed by the inflation-adjusted numbers of James Cameron’s Aliens . The film'...