Introduction
What a relief! Finally, a classic show modernized in a way that is fun, intriguing, new, current, and all together awesome! Yes, it has the director’s signature style too. Wednesday Netflix series is a family fun series that my wife and I recently binged and loved. I’m an Addams Family fan and a Tim Burton fan so, going in, I was already expecting something cool. The show took my expectations and exceeded them. Let’s talk about Wednesday Netflix series, Tim Burton’s take on the Addams Family.
Characters Look Like the Original Characters
It’s such a relief for me when I watch a remake of something old and I can tell who is supposed to be who. When I think of Morticia Addams, naturally I have in mind her long jet-black hair, pale skin, and tight bell-shaped black dress that drags the floor. Gomez would be in a pinstriped suit and Pugsley would be a chunky kid in a striped shirt. Fester would be draped in all black with a shaven head. Thing, well he’s a human hand and that’s it. Literally, a human hand with no body attached. Lurch would stand tall, silent, and resemble Frankenstein’s monster. Finally, there’s Wednesday Addams. She’s grown up a good bit and has a very interesting attitude now but, has the same jet-black pig tails, bangs, and dark eyes.
Castles in Romania Always Make Great Sets
Set designers these days can work miracles, but nothing beats the real thing. I personally am a fan of the old Universal set designs and Wizard of Oz (1939) type stuff where everything is made or painted and it’s on a stage. This forced certain artistic element to the scenes. In a way, filming something spooky like this in a castle is another guarantee of forcing artistic awesomeness. Then factor in that the castle is in Romania – the home of the original vampire story – and you’ve really got something perfect for an Addams Family show. Cantacuzino Castle, in Prahova Valley near the Bucegi Mountains was a large portion of this film’s back drop. This castle was built in 1911 and you can learn more about it here. It wasn’t around for Vlad Dracula to visit but, it’s still cool.
Wow! The Effects are Great!
Netflix was footing the bill on the Wednesday Netflix series, and you know they have deep pockets. You should expect the effects, production, etc. to be the best. Rest assured that you won’t be let down. There’s not really a lot of what I technically special effects but, what was there was great. When the sirens sign their song, a student sees his medusa snakes, a girl transform into a werewolf (for the first time in her were-life), Fester’s fingers shoot lighting, and many other scenes flex Netflix’s effects budget and abilities. I really don’t know that any of this was special effects so much as computer software at work, but it’s very well done. Another super cool effect is Thing. He is very present, very active, and very realistic.
Wednesday Netflix Series is Binge Worthy, NO DOUBT!
I don’t know if “trending” is the right word to describe the saying “binge worthy” or not because I am not hip anymore, but I’m putting that adjective on this series. Wednesday is binge worthy without a doubt. My wife and I certainly thought so – we watched all 8 episodes of the Wednesday Netflix series over 3 days. The plot of the show holds your attention and keeps you guessing. It’s a detective story in its essence with Wednesday Addams as the sleuth. There are puzzles, there’s twists in the plot, there’s spooky and cooky, and even Shaolin Kung Fu. There’s even some tears and drama with the occasional laugh too. One scene for instance, features Fester using his electric shock powers to be an AED for Thing. It’s just like a scene from Chicago Med except the patient is missing a body.
Tim Burton Style in Wednesday Netflix Series
Tim Burton’s style is iconic and can be recognized immediately. If you watch a film he directed and you didn’t know he was in charge, you will likely say “that looks like something Tim Burton would do.” It’s like looking at a painting by Van Gogh, you already know it’s Van Gogh. Anyway, signature Tim Burton things were in this television series.
First, much like Edward Scissorhands (1990), there’s a lot of symbolism in this film. Remember how everything in the town was colorful and Edward was dark? And how everyone drove the same car and their conformity didn’t except Edward’s difference? You get a lot of that same feel in Wednesday. The best example is how her dorm room is divided by a literal line. Her side is dark and antiquated while her roommate’s is colorful and modern. The window is even modified by Wednesday Addams who removes the color on her side. One scene has Wednesday sat in the center of the room on both sides of the dividing line. This was clearly a statement.
Burton’s signature style is evident in the black and white stripe pattern he is fond of using. Anyone familiar with Beetlejuice (1988) or The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) has seen this. Clearly, there is a dark vibe to this show. Wednesday’s assigned shrink’s office has a Tim Burton interior decorating style thick enough to be cut. It wouldn’t be Tim Burton without black, gray, white, and muted colors. The monster has an evident CGI look to it but not so much so that it looks cartoony. It looks like it walked out of The Corpse Bride (2005) but with much of the animation feel scraped off. The limbs are slender and its round eyes bulge from its sockets. A few times Wednesday is using a flashlight that’s glow is orange. The light behind her is purple which creates such a great contrast. From an artist’s perspective, this is great.
Conclusion
After watching Wednesday, I don’t have anything bad to say. In fact, what I have to say is I can’t wait for season II. Of course, season I was left open ended. I mean, this is the norm today but, I hope this art project doesn’t end yet. This movie has accurate representations of the original characters, awesome filming locations, a Netflix budget for effects that they made use of, it’s binge worthy, and is loaded with Tim Burton style. This is a must watch. IMDB has this at 8/10 and you can read some reviews from them here. The New York times even has an article to check out here if you want someone else’s opinion.
Really, you need to see the Netflix series Wednesday. It’s very well done. Please link up with me on social media and continue to read, share, and support my blogs and artwork. You can find me on Instagram here and on Facebook here. Check out my art portfolio here and more of my blogs here. On a closing note, I’m having the hardest time finding information on the limousine the family uses. It is black, has red velvet interior, is obviously old, and fits the Addams family. I wanted to comment on it but, I don’t know what it is. I imagine it’s a mod. Does anyone out there know what kind of car they used for this awesome limousine?