Scooby-Doo and the Curse of the 13th Ghost (2019)

Scooby-Doo and the Curse of the 13th Ghost (Dir: Cecilia Aranovich Hamilton, 2019).

Scooby-Doo Where are You! debuted on US TV network CBS in the late summer of 1969 and was an instant success for creators Joe Ruby and Ken Spears and producers Hanna-Barbera. In the 50 years since, Scooby-Doo, through various reboots and reruns, has rarely been off TV screens. In recent years the franchise has spawned a handful of live action feature films, the recent CGI reboot Scoob! (Tony Cervone, 2020) and an incredible 37 animated features produced for the home market. A recent entry in the feature film series is Scooby Doo and the Curse of the 13th Ghost. This Warner Bros Animation effort is the continuation and conclusion of the 1985 series The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo. 

Virtually everyone of a certain age who enjoyed Saturday Morning Cartoons in the 1970s to 1990s will have an affinity for Scooby-Doo. The series was adapted and retooled many times in the course of its history. Premiering in September 1985, The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo was its most radical re-invention to date. Ditching Fred and Velma from the gang, Mystery Incorporated team up with the mystical Vincent Van Ghoul in order to capture 13 ‘real’ spirits accidentally released from a magic chest by Scooby. While this was arguably the freshest version of the show since the original series, it drew criticism from those who accused the show of endorsing the occult. As a result the show was cancelled before the season end and the final pesky paranormal entities were never captured. 

Picking up the plot presumably some years after the series (but who knows as the gang never seem to age), the movie finds Mystery Inc on the verge of retirement following the bungling of a recent case when the gang are contacted, via a crystal ball, by old friend and associate Vincent Van Ghoul. Van Ghoul is eager to find the 13th missing spirit (not discovered before the show was cancelled) and the gang are once again on a ghost hunt. This time around there is no janitor in a rubber mask as the ghosts are real! Or are they? A skeptical Velma is out to prove to the gang that 'ghoul' is not always how it appears.

In a neat twist Daphne ditches her dumb blonde persona to lead the gang, as in the original 13 Ghosts... While Fred, who was absent from the original show, has a existential crisis when relegated to the backseat of the Mystery Machine. Vincent Van Ghoul, voiced by the great Vincent Price on TV, is here voiced by Maurice LaMarche, giving a creditable impersonation of Price. The character retains the late actor's physical appearance. Missing from the TV show, but not necessarily missed are gang members Scrappy-Doo, Scooby's annoying nephew and a granite voiced pre-teen Flim-Flam, who was thankfully retired with the series demise. 

Scooby-Doo and the Curse of the 13th Ghost is a good looking movie. Lacking the scope of bigger budget features but a step up from traditional Saturday morning fare; the bright colours and appealing character design somewhat make up for a lack of finesse in the animation department. That it is based on a largely overlooked TV show from 35 years earlier may suggest that this is aimed more at nostalgic grown-ups than younger Scooby fans. Yet there are enough of the requisite mild frights and goofy humour to please younger Doo devotees; a little knowledge of the original show would be a bonus but is not essential. A worthy addition to the ever growing franchise, the movie offers pretty solid family fun. It won’t change your life, but it should keep you out of mischief for 80 minutes. 

Stan & Ollie (2018)

Stan & Ollie (Dir: Jon S Baird, 2018).

The big screen biopic has had a resurgence in popularity in recent years. From the stories of British rock stars Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody (Bryan Singer, 2018) and Elton John in Rocketman (Dexter Fletcher, 2019) to Hollywood's own golden age legends Judy Garland in Judy (Rupert Goold, 2019) and this biopic of beloved comedy duo Laurel and Hardy. 

Movies about the movies have long been a staple in Hollywood, but Stan & Ollie has a somewhat different approach to many of the biographical titles which have preceded it. Most notably, it ignores the the duo’s well documented heyday, being with the stars’ falling out over a contractual dispute with producer Hal Wallis in 1937. From here we jump to the early 1950s when the pair, reunited but still nursing wounds over the quarrel, embark on a comeback tour of the UK and Ireland. Here the tour is initially mishandled by promoter Bernard Delfont and the pair are playing to largely empty venues, although the duo are eventually afforded the warm welcome they deserve. Stan & Ollie chronicles the stars' strained relationships with each other and their partners, while also detailing their attempts to reignite a movie career. Eventually Hardy's failing health brings an abrupt halt to the tour but also signals a renewed reconciliation between the pair. 

Of course a movie like this succeeds or fails on the strength of the performances. I am happy to report that both Steve Coogan and John Reilly are excellent in their respective roles as Stan and Ollie. Not only do they look like the stars (with help from prosthetics) their studied physicality and vocal performances are spot on. In a narrative interspersed with comedy skits, the stars are entirely convincing as the comic legends; a recreation of a song and dance routine from the pair's classic Way Out West (James W Horne, 1937) is meticulously recreated. Standout among the supporting cast are Rufus Jones, excellent in the small but important role of Delfont and Shirley Henderson and Nina Arianda as the duo's wives Lucille Hardy and Ida Kitaeva Laurel respectively. 

The backstreet theatres and dive hotels of the initial phase of the tour are lovingly recreated in an evocative portrayal of post-War Britain. Plaudits to cinematographer Laurie Rose's muted colour pallet and soft focus photography which add immensely to the warmly nostalgic period atmosphere. 

While Stan & Ollie may appeal most to fans of the duo, the movie is strong enough to appeal to the most casual admirers. Indeed I would recommend the movie to anyone with the slightest interest in Golden Age Hollywood or the halcyon days of British variety theatre. Both Mr Coogan and Mr Reilly offer career best performances in their respective roles in this warmhearted, affectionate account of Hollywood's most fondly remembered comedy performers in the twilight of their careers.