An in DEATH Preview of Hubie Halloween
Hubie riding away from bully kids in masks.
Photo by: Netflix
In late August of 2020, a new Adam Sandler Movie called Hubie Halloween was announced. Social media (especially Tik Tok) is having a field day with this movie, producing fancy edits of the trailer with comments under it like, "This is going to be the best movie of 2020" and "This is the movie that will save 2020". In this article I will be breaking down the fundamental aspects of this movie from its cast to its director, to its projected plot, and will try to provide the reader with the most in-depth pre-premier analysis of this movie. Expectations are high, but will the movie live up to the hype?
Plot
A new statement by Netflix was released recently, giving even more insight on the overall plot of the movie. It reads as follows; "Hubie Dubois thanklessly spends every Halloween making sure the residents of his hometown, Salem, celebrate safely and play by the rules. But this year, an escaped criminal and a mysterious new neighbor have Hubie on high alert. When people start disappearing, it’s up to Hubie to convince the police and townsfolk that the monsters are real, and only he can stop them."
"It sounds kind of boring," says Moeller freshman, varsity soccer player, and Rainbow Six Siege extraordinaire, Erik Warncke, after reading the description, "I'm not excited for the movie at all".
However, not all people agree with Erik's Debbie Downer attitude. “It actually sounds really good,” said Moeller Freshman Luke Oliver, “I’m totally gonna watch it when it comes out”.
Director and cast
The director of this movie is Steven Brill, an American director and writer who has directed movies such as Heavyweights and The Do Over. Most of his films average below a 7/10 on IMDB and some even dip below a 10% on Rotten Tomatoes. Some of his notable achievements include being nominated for both the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director and the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Screenplay for the film Little Nicky released in 2000 and starring Adam Sandler. He also won the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director in 2013 for his movie Movie 43. “Dang that’s a pretty bad record,” says basketball star and Moeller Senior Zachary T. George, “I didn’t even know those awards existed”. Based on his record, this movie's destiny is uncertain.
The movie boasts a diverse and talented cast, showcasing a plethora of old Disney Channel characters and celebrities. Some examples include Bradley Perry who played Gabe in Good Luck Charlie, Karan Brar who played Chirag Gupta in Diary of a Wimpy kid, and China Anne McClain who played Chyna Parks in Ant Farm. Along with these stars, the cast also includes world renowned actor Kevin James, and famous basketball player Shaquille O’Neil. The director Steve Brill has a history of packing as many celebrities as possible into his movies. This is showcased with the diverse cast of Movie 43, featuring Hugh Jackman, Emma Stone, Chris Pratt, and Johnny Knoxville among many other big names. What's interesting about this "star power" approach is that it seems to work. Movie 43, a terribly reviewed movie that scored a measly 5% on Rotten Tomatoes, cost 6 million to make but grossed over 30 million in the box office. It is uncertain whether or not Hubie Halloween can mimic this success, especially because it will debut on Netflix and will thus not bring in box office cash. Even so, this strategy worked once for Brill so why shouldn't it work again?
Adam Sandler’s Role
Adam Sandler is well known among many moviegoers; he is practically a household name at this point. “Oh yeah everyone knows Adam Sandler,” said Moeller sophomore Michael Roncallo, “Everyone’s seen at least one of his movies. Even my mom knows who he is.”
He’s starred in feel-good and comedy movies such as Happy Gilmore and Grown Ups (respectively) and even stars in some sophisticated, serious movies like his most recent film: Uncut Gems. Although most of his comedy movies are fairly successful, some of his methods of comedy acting have been called into question. Sandler has created many movies in which he talks in a “funny voice”, some examples being Waterboy and Little Nicky. This “funny voice” has been the topic of controversy for many years. "I like his voices," says Moeller Senior, movie connoisseur, and NHS president, Ben Broughton. "They add an element of depth to his character that wouldn't be otherwise achieved with a normal adult voice.”
Some agree with Mr. Broughton's view, others, not so much. “I’ve seen the character before” says author and Moeller teacher Geoffrey Girard, “It’s just not cute anymore. It’s not a movie I’m going to watch.” In Hubie Halloween, Sandler once again employs a “funny voice” as seen in the trailer. In the movie, it seems as though Hubie is portrayed to be a loser. Hopefully, the voice will be used to supplement this portrayal and will not be used as a cheap gag for cheap laughs as it has in other movies (Little Nicky). As the main character of Hubie Halloween, Sandler has a lot of pressure on him to perform. As in any movie, the main character is a vital part of the film, to have a bad main character is to have a bad movie.
Predictions
I predict that Hubie will see some people being murdered or kidnapped by a bad guy and will think something supernatural is happening. He will blow a bunch of whistles and try to convince everyone that monsters are real and are abducting people, but it will just be a normal human murderer. Hubie will be ridiculed all movie, and then he will accidentally capture the crook (probably with his trusty grappling hook) and will be celebrated for saving the day. From then on, Hubie will no longer be a loser and be regarded as the hero he’s always wanted to be. I also predict that he will end up kissing Noah Schnapp’s mom by the end of the movie.
Editorial: I’m really excited for this movie. If you are into Halloween or even like movies like the Goonies and TV shows like Stranger things, I would highly recommend watching this. Halloween movies are rare, and I truly believe this one will be worth a watch.