Willy's Wonderland (2021)
July 4, 2021 1:10 PM - Subscribe
A quiet drifter (Nicolas Cage) is tricked into a janitorial job at the now condemned Willy's Wonderland. The mundane tasks suddenly become an all-out fight for survival against wave after wave of demonic animatronics. Fists fly, kicks land, titans clash -- and only one side will make it out alive.
Currently streaming in the US on Hulu.
Currently streaming in the US on Hulu.
This is a movie for people who thought Meet the Feebles fucked around too much with subtext.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 1:58 PM on July 4, 2021 [9 favorites]
posted by DirtyOldTown at 1:58 PM on July 4, 2021 [9 favorites]
I've been tempted to watch this just to see how bad it is based the The Red Letter Media review. Their paired it with The Banana Splits movie, another dark temptation. And Rajinikanth...that's a deep cut, in the best way.
posted by beowulf573 at 2:53 PM on July 4, 2021
posted by beowulf573 at 2:53 PM on July 4, 2021
It was soooooo bad, it was good? Maybe.
I am still in awe at how Nic Cage committed fully to his characters dialog… (no spoilers from me here)
Of course, according to my daughter it was a blatant rip-off of one of her favourite video games, so….
posted by rozcakj at 7:31 PM on July 4, 2021 [2 favorites]
I am still in awe at how Nic Cage committed fully to his characters dialog… (no spoilers from me here)
Of course, according to my daughter it was a blatant rip-off of one of her favourite video games, so….
posted by rozcakj at 7:31 PM on July 4, 2021 [2 favorites]
My 8yo yelled "this is just like five nights at freddie's" just about a hundred times.
posted by M Edward at 4:03 PM on July 5, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by M Edward at 4:03 PM on July 5, 2021 [2 favorites]
I watched it on my phone at the laundromat and thought it was an adaptation of Five Nights at Freddie's until I checked the Wikipedia page.
This is great film for when you're tired of watching your clothes tumble about in the dryer.
posted by betweenthebars at 7:19 PM on July 5, 2021 [3 favorites]
This is great film for when you're tired of watching your clothes tumble about in the dryer.
posted by betweenthebars at 7:19 PM on July 5, 2021 [3 favorites]
The weirdness, and Cage's dialogue absolves to me any sins this movie may have committed. It has some style and is only about 80 minutes long.
The Sheriff has a bunch of choice lines. Oooh, that's ... "sometimes i doubt your commitment to sparkle motion" Beth Grant! Awesome!
It looks to me that Cage taking the role made this production fundable and that got a bunch of earlier-career film-makers (actors and behind the scene people) paid and some experience. $5.5M budget, ~1M gross as of right now (likely not counting the Hulu deal).
Going physical effects is more expensive than pure CG, and I love that there are young film-makers who are still interested in practicing traditional craft and continually expanding on it.
posted by porpoise at 10:04 PM on July 5, 2021 [7 favorites]
The Sheriff has a bunch of choice lines. Oooh, that's ... "sometimes i doubt your commitment to sparkle motion" Beth Grant! Awesome!
It looks to me that Cage taking the role made this production fundable and that got a bunch of earlier-career film-makers (actors and behind the scene people) paid and some experience. $5.5M budget, ~1M gross as of right now (likely not counting the Hulu deal).
Going physical effects is more expensive than pure CG, and I love that there are young film-makers who are still interested in practicing traditional craft and continually expanding on it.
posted by porpoise at 10:04 PM on July 5, 2021 [7 favorites]
This was enjoyable! 100% with porpoise on this one: weird Cage, yes, but possibly *weirdest* Cage (dunno, haven't seen Mandy yet). On reflection, it's great that the script completely removed any possibility of the "Nick Cage loses his shit" trope.
*slight spoilers*
It's been pointed out that his behavior calls to mind a video game protagonist, but the other characters just... rolling with it is the cherry on top. The NPCs don't (can't?) care that the protagonist disappears during the main quest line to pound soda and work on a mini-game. That kind of blithe acceptance of irreality was also used to good effect in Psycho Goreman, but I found it more palatable here. The Janitor is very weird, but he's not crawling brain weird.
*end spoilers*
posted by Anonymous Function at 2:13 PM on July 6, 2021 [3 favorites]
*slight spoilers*
It's been pointed out that his behavior calls to mind a video game protagonist, but the other characters just... rolling with it is the cherry on top. The NPCs don't (can't?) care that the protagonist disappears during the main quest line to pound soda and work on a mini-game. That kind of blithe acceptance of irreality was also used to good effect in Psycho Goreman, but I found it more palatable here. The Janitor is very weird, but he's not crawling brain weird.
*end spoilers*
posted by Anonymous Function at 2:13 PM on July 6, 2021 [3 favorites]
You are not logged in, either login or create an account to post comments
posted by DirtyOldTown at 1:54 PM on July 4, 2021 [2 favorites]