Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events

Brad Silberling’s film folds the first three of Lemony Snicket’s thirteen books, The Bad Beginning, The Reptile Room and The Wide Window, into one feature. Silberling told SYFY Wire the books are episodic, each “like a penny dreadful”, and the first three offered a through-line. It still plays as three stops, Count Olaf’s house, Uncle Monty’s reptiles and Aunt Josephine’s home, tied together by Olaf reaching the last two in a new disguise each time. Jim Carrey developed Stefano and Captain Sham in makeup tests while Silberling questioned him in character; the director says the best of that improvisation often made the film. Fearing the studios would soften it, Silberling videotaped a focus group of readers aged 10 to 14 who insisted Olaf must be allowed to kill, and sent the tape to Sherry Lansing at Paramount. Every set was built, including Lake Lachrymose in the Space Shuttle hangar at Downey Studios. At the 77th Academy Awards it won Makeup (Valli O’Reilly, Bill Corso) and was nominated for Art Direction, Costume Design and Music (Original Score). No sequel followed; Netflix later adapted the whole series. A good fit if Carrey’s Olaf, switching disguises through improvised routines, is why you are watching. Not for anyone wanting one steadily building plot, or a story past book three.