Reel Facts & Opinions: The Curious Case of TWICE UPON A TIME

This week, Lucasfilm pulled a minor surprise when they announced that their new animated film, STRANGE MAGIC, will be released by Touchstone Pictures in January 2015. The film, which is set up as a fairy tale inspired by William Shakespeare’s A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, is a musical using popular songs from the past six decades to help tell the adventures of goblins, elves, fairies and imps. Lucasfilm Animation and Industrial Light and Magic, which created the CGI animation for 2011’s Best Animated Picture RANGO, brings life to the project. 

While the screenplay is credited to three different writers, the story itself is being credited to George Lucas, who has been out of the public eye since retiring in 2012. Lucas, who is mostly known for his STAR WARS saga of films, is serving as Executive Producer. With this being only the second animated film that Lucas has had an active hand in, it seems like a good time to look at his first; the obscure TWICE UPON A TIME from 1983.

TWICE UPON A TIME was a film saturated in fantasy. An evil outfit called the Murkworks wants to replace the world’s sweet dreams with nightmares, which are delivered as bomb-like eardrops by legions of winged creatures. Standing in their way is Ralph, an all-purpose creature who can change into any animal at will. 

George Lucas, whose first student film at USC was an animated short, would serve as Producer in the 1983 film, which would eventually be called one of the most important movies in the history of stop-motion animation. The technique, called cutout animation, was new and groundbreaking. The images were prefabricated plastic pieces which were cut out and lit from below, which gave the characters and the surroundings a unique and special glow. Background photographs of cityscapes were added into the frame to create a surrealistic quality, and the overall result was a stunning picture which would hold up even today. 

TWICE UPON A TIME would generate some controversy because of its boldness. The dialogue was unconventional as it was loaded with raunchy humor and foul language. Many of the jokes sailed right over the heads of the kiddos, and eventually two different versions of the film (PG and PG13) would see a home release. Controversy erupted in the late 1980’s when the PG13 version aired on HBO, and programmers pulled the film until they could receive the more kid-friendly version, and Showtime would have a similar issue. 

The legacy of TWICE UPON A TIME, despite the controversy, remains intact. Its new form of animation would inspire animators to think outside the box, and the adult-themed humor would be reflected in animated films in the next few decades. In 2012, the DreamWorks film RISE OF THE GUARDIANS shared some of the same plot. But perhaps the film’s biggest legacy is that it is currently an unreachable film. It has not seen a proper DVD or Blu-Ray release, and its last television broadcast was in 1998. The fate of TWICE UPON A TIME is unclear, but it will always be an interesting and colorful footnote in not only George Lucas’ career but animated movies in general.

 

A Reel Review: INTERSTELLAR

 

In 1970, NASA’s third attempt to land on the Moon would ultimately be known in the history books as a “successful failure”; although the mission had not been accomplished, its story did not end in tragedy. Such a label or metaphor can easily be applied to any film which succeeds overall even if it fails at its goals. Enter the universe of Christopher Nolan’s INTERSTELLAR.

In the near future, the Earth is dying and unable to sustain life for mankind. Taking advantage of a newly discovered “wormhole” near Saturn, astronaut Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) and scientist Brand (Anne Hathaway) lead a small crew on a mission to find a new habitat. Their trip takes them to new galaxies…and while time passes on Earth, it moves slowly for them.

INTERSTELLAR is 100% composed of science-fiction elements much in the spirit of names such as Asimov, Clarke, Bradbury…and even Einstein. It is saturated in the spirit of exploration-and-survival and science-and-technology…with every type of spaceship, spacesuit, space-walk, space-roll and spaced-out trip re-imagined for a new generation. The stakes are high and the mission is clear, and director Christopher Nolan fully embraces the sciences and theories that our voyagers and scientists have grappled with for decades. As Cooper’s crew journeys through the cosmos, time moves as normal for them…while decades pass on Earth. It’s the Theory of Relativity unfolded for real, and Nolan challenges our minds ten-fold to keep up with what is happening in space and on Earth as time is bent and folded and unfolded before our very eyes. In that regard, INTERSTALLAR soars and soars far.

But where Nolan loses altitude is when he tries to bring us back to the human side of the story. Although INTERSTELLAR is all sci-fi with lots of theories and thick lingo, ultimately the movie is all about saving humanity, so the narrative is forced to come back to that no matter what. Nolan uses the relationship between Cooper and his daughter to represent this, and the attempts to pull emotion out of this dynamic falls flat. Generating an emotional response on film is usually best handled by being subtle or coy and letting the emotions take the viewer by surprise. This is a gentle touch that Nolan has yet to develop as he bluntly tries to force emotion out of it. Like space itself, this is a very cold film…and it’s difficult to root for humanity or even Cooper, leaving INTERSTELLAR with no moral center.

There is still a ton to enjoy. Nolan’s knack for showing scale is on full display, as the vastness of space and the planets we explore is startling and stunning and beautiful all at once. The blackness of space with her celestial bodies are gorgeous, and some stressful scenes where things go wrong for the astronauts are pulse-pounding and executed with precision. This is big-screen spectacle at its best and perhaps greatest.

Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway are brilliant and have great chemistry together. As star-voyagers with family they know they might never see again, both actors have to show great burden and they both handle is very well. Jessica Chastain and Casey Affleck come into the film as older versions of the children Cooper had left behind, and they both perform well as characters who actually have something vital to do on Earth while dad is out exploring. The supporting cast; Michael Caine, John Lithgow, Wes Bentley, Ellen Burstyn, and a certain un-named, un-credited whopper of a cameo…are all excellent. Major props need to go towards young MacKenzie Foy, who plays the younger version of Cooper’s daughter.

The finale really pushes the limits of what you want to believe, and how much you buy into it depends on how much you love your science fiction. That sort of un-balance makes INTERSTELLAR a genre-specific film and not for everybody. Christopher Nolan succeeds on many things; spectacle, story, thought-provoking, thrill and adventure…but he fails to make us care. It’s not a tragedy of a movie, but it doesn’t quite accomplish what it sets out to do either. INTERSTELLAR soars and crashes, with a slight edge towards getting it right more often than not.

BOTTOM LINE: See it

 

 

 

Reel Facts & Opinions: The Year in Film 2014, Episode X

The year is down to its final two months, and although the push towards Awards Nominations is in full swing, there is an odd amount of cold turkey to tolerate. Here are the notable films for the month of November.

It all takes off with…

INTERSTELLAR – Christopher Nolan (INCEPTION, THE DARK KNIGHT) directs this sci-fi epic in which two astronauts travel beyond our galaxy to find a new home for humankind. Stars our reigning Best Actor Matthew McConaughey, and he is joined by Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine, Casey Affleck, Topher Grace, Ellen Burstyn, John Lithgow, and Jessica Chastain (ZERO DARK THIRTY).

BIG HERO 6 – This animated romp is Disney’s adaptation of the Marvel Comics property.

THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING – A possible Oscar sleeper, Eddie Redmayne (LES MISERABLES) plays one of the world’s greatest minds, Stephen Hawking, in this biopic. Co-stars Felicity Jones and David Thewlis (HARRY POTTER), and directed by James Marsh (PROJECT NIM, MAN ON WIRE).

DUMB AND DUMBER TO – Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels reprise their roles of everyone’s favorite idiots.

FOXCATCHER – A favortie of this Awards Season, this true story/psychological thriller tells the tale of an Olympic wrestler who is summoned onto the estate of a millionaire to train. Stars Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo, Vanessa Redgrave, and Sienna Miller. Directed by Bennet Miller (MONEYBALL).

THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 1 – For better or for worse, the final book in THE HUNGER GAMES series has been split into two parts. Returning to this future world where everyone dresses and acts weird for no reason are Jennifer Lawrence, Julianne Moore, Donald Sutherland, Woody Harrelson, Stanley Tucci, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and the kid who looks like a Lego-man, Josh Hutcherson.

THE IMITIATION GAME – Benedict Cumberbatch (STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS) plays Alan Turing, the genius mathematician who helped break the secret Nazi codes which enabled the Allies to win WWII. Co-stars Keira Knightley and Mark Strong.

V/H/S: VIRAL – Another entry in this well-intentioned, yet goofy horror franchise. This is another anthology film composed of five found-footage shorts helmed by five different directors.

THE PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR – Those annoying penguins from the MADAGASCAR animated films finally get a solo career.

HAPPY VALLEY – This documentary film, which won Best Documentary Feature at the Sarasota Film Festival this year, narrates the events which occurred at Penn State University following the Sandusky abuse scandal.

HORRIBLE BOSSES 2 – Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, and Charlie Day return for another yarn about employees getting even against their bosses. Directed by Sean Anders (THAT’S MY BOY), and also stars Jennifer Aniston, Jamie Foxx, Kevin Spacey, Chris Pine (STAR TREK), and Christoph Waltz (DJANGO UNCHAINED).

ESCOBAR: PARADISE LOST – Benicio Del Toro (THE WOLFMAN, SIN CITY) plays drug-lord Pablo Escobar in this romantic-thriller film. Co-stars Lego-boy Josh Hutcherson.

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Next month, the final Episode of 2014.                                                                                                            

A Reel Review: NIGHTCRAWLER

 

There are two common catchphrases in television news which many in that business will often deny ever coining. The first, if it bleeds it leads…means that death and destruction will always be the lead story of any newscast. The second, never let the truth get in the way of a good story…means that the truth can be twisted or altered or omitted if it means getting a good story on the air. NIGHTCRAWLER is a film which embraces and examines both phrases, but that’s only part of its story.

Lou (Jake Gyllenhall) breaks into the world of free-lance television news journalism (called stringers), where he excels at rushing to a crime or accident scene to capture footage and sell it to the highest bidder. He develops a working relationship at a struggling news station managed by Nina (Rene Russo), and takes on the overnight beat while competing with a fellow stringer (Bill Paxton).

NIGHTCRAWLER is a film of two intertwining parts. The first being Lou’s meteoric rise through the ranks as he fine-tunes his skills, and the second being the lengths that journalists, both rookies and veterans, will go through to get that lead story before anybody else. The decisions that both Lou and Nina make border upon questionable to disgusting to a hot-topic of debate in any journalistic ethics class; from manipulating crime and accident scenes, omitting facts, and flat-out fibbing…NIGHTCRAWLER is a film that will certainly be discussed and debated and its fascinating to see the characters weave that tangled web.

But NIGHTCRAWLER doesn’t spend all of its time standing at the front of a lecture hall. At the heart of everything is Gyllenhall’s Lou, who is one of the most unlikeable characters ever to grace the screens. He is a bottom-feeder when we first meet him and he remains a bottom-feeder throughout the film. He doesn’t grow or learn any morals as a character, but what he does learn he does through his growing power and success. On top of that, Lou is basically a soul-less man. He communicates to people through catch-phrases and slogans he reads online, and his barrage of factual dialogue against his co-workers is as cold as ice. Director Dan Gilroy doesn’t want us to like him, but he does want us to be fascinated by him, and in that he succeeds greatly.

Another common catchphrase in the biz is nothing good ever happens after midnight. Lou spends all of his working time after-hours when the bloodiest crimes and accidents happen, and this gives Gilroy the opportunity to film some stunning night-time shots. The underground of Los Angeles is shown as ugly and beautiful; other-worldly but very real.

Jake Gyllenhall sells the character with his odd mannerisms, sunken-eye look and just plain-old great acting. There is a constant creepiness to him which gets under your skin but you somehow want more of it. Rene Russo seems more inspired than she’s been in years, and Bill Paxton makes good use of his limited time.

After a shocking climax and the eventual wrap, some viewers may feel a little frustrated because a certain character didn’t get what they deserved, but that may be Gilroy’s statement on the business that NIGHTCRAWLER explores. There are no real heroes in this film, and there is certainly no one to love…but it stands as a twisted version of the little-engine-that-could, and a way to make us really think about what we see on TV every night.

BOTTOM LINE: See it

 

 

 

Reel Facts & Opinions: Ladies First

 

Ever since the dawn of the superhero in the comic pages over 70 years ago, the world of superheroes has been a near-exclusive, little-boys club. It has been a male-dominated collection of characters and stories, and although female characters did come around and play a large role in the overall history and mythology, they never seemed to be able to get up front and center…and have often been left to figure out the secret knock to the clubhouse on their own.

This unfortunate trend has carried over into the many comic-to-film adaptations, although some minor strides have been made. Marvel has brought forward popular characters such as Black Widow and Lady Sif, while DC has had success with their female villains such as Catwoman in Christopher Nolan’s DARK KNIGHT TRILOGY. Fox Studios has been the most successful in developing their female characters in their X-MEN franchise (Storm, Rogue, Jean Grey, Mystique), while Sony has just made the girls of their SPIDER-MAN films screaming damsels-in-distress. Female characters have been playing second-fiddle in superhero films just as much as they have been in their comic origins, but all that is about to change.

Within the past few weeks, rival comic-book studios Marvel/Disney and DC/Warner Bros. made some major announcements concerning their upcoming movies. First, DC unleashed a full slate of films, nine in total, up to the year 2020. Among those films is the first ever WONDER WOMAN movie; marking the first major studio production of a female hero-led film. The character, which is one of DC’s most iconic and long-lasting, will be played by Gal Gadot. Gadot will actually debut the character in DC’s BATMAN V. SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE in 2016.

Not to be outdone, Marvel and Disney just this week announced their schedule of films to great fanfare; nine in total up the year 2019. Among the impressive and ambitious lineup was Marvel’s first female-led superhero film, CAPTAIN MARVEL. No casting announcement was made.

Both studios deserve major credit and a round of applause for committing to these films which would be the first of their kind. Both Marvel and DC have the chance to make a long-lasting impression in the same way Sigourney Weaver did in the ALIEN franchise, and Uma Thurman did in the KILL BILL films.

And of course, talk and speculation began over who should direct these two history-making films, and the opportunity for both studios to open up the clubhouse a little bit more seems to be presenting itself. Along with the lack of female superheroes, there has also been a lack of female directors working in the genre. Both Marvel and DC have the chance here to not only get some diversity behind the camera, but to offer a unique viewpoint that the overabundance of superhero films have yet to find. After all, no one understands a woman better than a woman, so maybe having that perspective at the helm will make both WONDER WOMAN and CAPTAIN MARVEL special movies for more than just the obvious reasons. Both studios should be open to this, but of course…the real goal is to find the best person for the job; what’s best for the movie comes first, and that’s what the decision must be based on. WONDER WOMAN and CAPTAIN MARVEL may be two of the most important movies in their respective universes and they need to be treated like a lady; with respect, care, and as if they’re the only lady in the world.

What say you?

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DC’s WONDER WOMAN arrives in 2017. Marvel’s CAPTAIN MARVEL lands in 2018.

 

 

 

A Reel Review: JOHN WICK

 

Shoot-em-up action movies often fall into distinct categories; men-on-a-mission, defeat-the-baddies, and the good old fashioned out-for-revenge movie. The newest asskicker of a movie by directors David Leitch and Chad Stahelski, JOHN WICK…goes for the path of revenge, and not much else.

John Wick (Keanu Reeves) is a retired hitman who has just lost his wife (Bridget Moynahan). When his newly adopted puppy is murdered by the Russian mob, Wick embraces his old self and goes on a revenge-fueled rampage.

Payback is a bitch, and JOHN WICK is a film which embraces that approach 110%. The trick to revenge films is giving the audience a reason to hope that the revenge comes about, and JOHN WICK spends a lot of time setting that up. A good portion of the film is spent with Wick as he loses his wife, and then his so-adorable-you-could-puke puppy to some very despicable people. A surprising amount of emotion and feeling is generated in the opening act of the film, and once the bullets and fists and blood starts to fly, you are certainly rooting for those despicable bad-guys to get what they deserve.

Directors David Leitch and Chad Stahelski stage some stunning and big-nuts fun action sequences surrounded by some glorious looking setpieces. The gunfights and fistfights are not only loads of fun, but they are easy to follow thanks to some fluid camerawork and editing. The battles are important, because with so little plot or script to work with, JOHN WICK hangs all of its hats on those action sequences…nearly to its demise. In presenting fight-after-fight, and bloodspill-after-bloodspill, the film falls into the redundancy of a Ferris Wheel; just the same thing every few minutes only under different scenery. The fight scenes begin to lose their peril because we already know what the endgame is, and none of the battles, as great as they are, move the plot (what there is of if) forward. With so much redundancy, JOHN WICK oddly feels a lot longer than its 96-minute running time, and it’s easy to zone-out once the 568^th fistfight rolls around.

Keanu Reeves is magnificent in what may be the best he’s ever acted. The early goings of the film have him carrying a great amount of quiet emotion which is let loose in small bursts. Reeves shows great range in going from sadness to raging wrath in a blink. The physical and emotional demands of his responsibilities are massive, and he handles them with ease. The rest of the cast is solid as well; Michael Nyqvist, Alfie Allen, Willem Dafoe, Adrianne Palicki, Bridget Moynahan, John Leguizamo, and Ian Mcshane.

JOHN WICK spends a lot of effective time in building the universe that Wick and his fellow assassins inhabit, and the film gives enough to make us want to visit it again…only with maybe a little more story. One’s enjoyment of the film hinges upon their lust for guns and booms and asskicking, because that’s all the movie wants to be. It’s an un-ambitious effort, and that alone is a fault.

BOTTOM LINE: Rent it

 

 

 

A Reel Review: BIRDMAN or (THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE)

 

When viewing BIRDMAN, the newest film from director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, it’s difficult to not take it as an autobiography of its star, Michael Keaton. Centered around a former action star who is trying to recapture his old glory, it very much is a large chapter out of Keaton’s career. But once you get your head around that, BIRDMAN (subtitled THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE), has a lot more to offer.

Riggan Thomson (Keaton) is a former action movie-star who hasn’t had a hit in 20 years, and is now hearing the voice of his old character, a winged superhero, in his head. Thomson is directing and starring in his Broadway play with the help of his manager (Zach Galifianakis), and angsty daughter (Emma Stone), and is constantly banging heads with the play’s star (Edward Norton).

On the surface, BIRDMAN feels a little like a standard superhero film, only put in reverse. Where the standard template has a hero struggling with his true self, BIRDMAN goes behind the scenes and inside the head of the actor who once was famous for wearing the costume. The Birdman persona he hears acts as an antagonist in the film, as it pokes and prods Thomson in all the wrong directions; where Thomson wants to move on with his life and have meaning in the world again, the Birdman persona wants to recapture the old glory. Reality merges with fantasy several times as Thomson’s imagination unleashes some wild and stunning happenings that we aren’t quite sure are real or not, and BIRDMAN soars as it tears through Thomson’s mind.

And under the surface, BIRDMAN has a lot more to say. Set in modern times, director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu uses the film as an opportunity to say a few things about fame and its price, and what it can do to a person and his family. The film has a lot going on as Thomson struggles with staging his play, his daughter who hates him, a girlfriend on the outs, and the star of the play…whom he needs for the production to succeed, constantly mocking him. The many storylines converge together nicely, and Inarritu makes every character worthwhile. The writing is razor-sharp and full of wit, and the laughs come at you so fast you need a minute to catch up.

BIRDMAN is a technical marvel. Made to look like the entire movie is shot in one long take (you will never spot the edit points), most of it is an illusion with clever camera trickery but a lot of it is done in real-time…even with the film taking place over several days. BIRDMAN very much feels like a stage production, or even a live television event, as the fluid camera movement and on-the-spot performances by the cast gives it a very realistic feel. From start to finish, BIRDMAN is fascinating to behold.

Performances are spectacular and should serve as an acting clinic to all new up-and-comers. Michael Keaton is tremendous as he balances one emotion after another while shouldering the burden of an actor whose best days may be behind him. It would be dismissive to say that Keaton is just playing himself, as he works much harder and deeper than that. Edward Norton performs at an unbelievable level and is probably at his best ever. The supporting cast of Zach Galifianakis, Naomi Watts, Andrea Riseborough, and Amy Ryan are rock-solid…and Emma Stone nearly steals the show with the best work she’s ever done.

BIRDMAN really shoots for the stars with its many plotlines and themes and statements, and it may not hit the bullseye on every single one of them, but it certainly gets close enough to earn a high score. Funny and dark, real and honest, this an unabridged look inside of a man’s head, and it is nothing short of a glorious flight.

BOTTOM LINE: See it

 

 

 

Reel Facts & Opinions: Everything You Need to Know About BIRDMAN

 

Now that Awards Season is gaining some momentum, one of the films flying just under the radar is Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s newest film, BIRDMAN. Here is everything you need to know about it…

What is this about? – BIRDMAN (subtitled THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE), is about an actor (played by Michael Keaton) who once played a superhero in the movies, but has struggled to find work since the role ended.

Who is in this? – Michael Keaton, who once thrilled audiences as the Caped Crusader in Tim Burton’s BATMAN films, is joined by Zach Galifianakis, Edward Norton, Andrea Riseborough (OBLIVION), Emma Stone (ZOMBIELAND), Naomi Watts (KING KONG), and Amy Ryan (GONE BABY GONE).

Who is directing? – BIRDMAN is directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, who was the first Mexican director to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director and the Directors Guild of America for Best Director. This feat was accomplished with his Oscar-darling film BABEL (2006). His other credits include 21 GRAMS (2003), and BIUTIFUL (2010).

Random Facts – This is the first leading role for Michael Keaton since 2008 * The film’s camerawork and editing were manipulated to give the appearance that the movie is one continuous long take * The continuous-take work in BIRDMAN is helped along by famed cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, who did similar work in Alfonso Cuaron’s CHILDREN OF MEN (2006) and GRAVITY (2013). Lubezki has also worked on Terrence Malick’s THE TREE OF LIFE (2011), and THE NEW WORLD (2005) * Michael Keaton, Edward Norton, and Emma Stone have all played comic-book characters in their careers * Keaton, Norton, Amy Ryan, and Naomi Watts have all been nominated for Oscars in their careers * BIRDMAN won four awards at the 71^st Venice International Film Festival this year.

What to expect? – BIRDMAN is listed as a black comedy, so right away expect some darkness with a fair amount of laughs. Michael Keaton has proven in the past that he has some serious range; the guy can go from funny to dramatic to batshit crazy in the blink of an eye…and with this being his first time in the spotlight in six years, expect him to give it his all. The geek-side of this story (Keaton playing an actor who once played a superhero on film), is the most interesting. BIRDMAN feels a little auto-biographical, as Keaton never really did maintain his A-lister status after his BATMAN role ended. You honestly have to wonder if BIRDMAN could have been a post-mortem BATMAN film if the rights could have been attained. Either way, this seems like a very brave role for Keaton to take, and this Blogger can’t wait to see what he does with it.

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BIRDMAN or (THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE) reaches wide-release October 23^rd.

 

A Reel 30: THE TERMINATOR

“I’ll be back.”

 

 

This month marks the 30^th anniversary of James Cameron’s THE TERMINATOR.

A hybrid of the science-fiction, horror, and action-film genres, THE TERMINATOR dealt with a cyborg assassin sent back in time from the year 2029 to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor, who was destined to give birth to a future resistance leader. The time-travel element was ironic, because THE TERMINATOR and its creator were both ahead of its time.

The idea for THE TERMINATOR came to director James Cameron not long after he wrapped production on his debut film, PIRANHA II: THE SPAWNING. It came to him in a dream, in which he saw a metal torso dragging itself from an explosion. Cameron immediately wrote a story around the vision, in which two Terminators were sent to the past. Cameron’s agent hated the idea and told him to work on something else. Cameron, confident in his material, fired his agent.

The project pressed on, and Cameron’s vivid imagination already began to leap past the limits of movie technology in the early 1980’s. His initial outline of the script had one of the two cyborgs composed of liquid metal, but the visual effects at the time were not up to the task, so THE TERMNATOR went to just one. It would take nearly seven years for the industry to catch up with Cameron’s imagination, as the liquid-metal cyborg would finally see the light of day in the sequel in 1991. The metal-torso vision would eventually play into the film’s climax.

During the casting process, the studio had suggested former football player O.J. Simpson for the role of the Terminator, while Austrian import/bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger was considered for the role of Kyle Reese, the human soldier sent back in time to protect Sarah. Once Arnie took the role of the Terminator, the role of Reese went to Michael Biehn. The central role of Sarah went to Linda Hamilton, who just wrapped up filming Stephen King’s CHILDREN OF THE CORN. The job of providing visual effects went to effects expert Stan Winston.

The results were spectacular. THE TERMINATOR was No. 1 at the box office for two weeks upon release and gained critical acclaim; acclaim that would only grow as the movie got older. The American Film Institute ranks the film on many of its lists, including Greatest Movie Quotes and 100 Heroes and Villains. Total Film named it the 72^nd best film ever made, and Empire Magazine selected it in its 500 Greatest Movies of All Time list. In 2008, the film was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States Film Registry. THE TERMINATOR would live on in three movie sequels and a television series, and its success would empower James Cameron to pursue his bigger dreams in film.

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As a wee-lad in 1984, this Blogger wasn’t really going to the theatre to see R-rated movies. The earliest memories of the film came from a good Uncle who hated the film to pieces. It wouldn’t be until several years later when THE TERMINATOR would come to HBO when this Blogger could experience it for himself, and the mind was instantly blown. Between the time-travel concept (which a person could go crazy trying to make sense of), the eye-popping visuals and the absolute feeling of dread and menace when Arnie/cyborg walked in the room…THE TERMINATOR was a perfect watch. It was a great balance of sci-fi (time travel), action (gunfights), horror (mysterious stalker), and even a little bit of a love story (Kyle and Sarah). But more importantly, THE TERMINATOR moved the industry forward. Cameron, whose visions almost always move too fast for the rest of the world, would capitalize on new technologies that THE TERMINATOR sparked…and would then change our movie futures.

“The future is not set…”

 

 

A Reel Review: FURY

 

The Second World War seems like an over-used backdrop for movies to set their stories in, but the clear fact is…WWII was just too big an event which affected too many lives to ever run out of material. Director David Ayer’s FURY is another small piece of the gigantic WWII canvas; a canvas which is always worth looking deeper into.

In the waning days of WWII as the Allies make a final push for victory, a battle-hardened tank commander named Wardaddy (Brad Pitt) commands a Sherman tank (nicknamed Fury) and her five-man crew (Shia LaBeouf, Michael Pena, Jon Bernthal), which includes a rookie (Logan Lerman).

War is hell, and FURY embraces every last flame of it. The film is put together as an old fashioned, classic-Hollywood, blood-and-guts war story full of dirt, mud, explosions, and body parts getting blown to bits all over the place. FURY does not have much by way of plot, and is very much episodic as the crew goes from mission-to-mission, predicament-to-predicament. During it all we spend a lot of time with the characters who crew the tank…characters who we have a hard time caring about because they are the biggest bunch of assholes in all of Europe. With the exception of the rookie Norman (we experience the film through his eyes), the crew are animalistic and without souls. Maybe that’s the message that FURY is trying to get across…what war does to the men who fight it, but it makes for difficult viewing when you really don’t care about the characters. FURY is a very tight film with very little room for heart and soul, and although we do get a break now and then from the most-excellent battle scenes with some nice intimate moments, it will likely leave you cold.

Director David Ayer stages some stunning set-pieces with practical effects and very little to no CGI. Shooting on 35mm allows FURY to show the gory and muddy detail perfectly, and the film has a very classic feel to it. Ayer spends a lot of time inside and around the tank nicknamed Fury; so much that the tank becomes a character in the film, and we actually care about the tank more than the characters. Ayer doesn’t bother with any sort of morality tale and only occasionally tries to generate some tears, as he is too busy putting together a great-looking, pulse-pounding, bowel-moving war film.

Prior to filming, Ayer put his actors through a boxing boot-camp in which the cast basically fought each other to generate some hostility. This technique shows in the final product as the crew is just as hostile to each other as they are to the enemy. Brad Pitt gets most of the attention and shoulders most of the film. His character is kept distant and isn’t developed past the commander who needs to keep everyone alive. He is gruff and tough with small peeks beneath the thick skin, and Pitt sells it perfectly. Logan Lerman has a lot do, including keeping pace with Pitt, and does so very well. The rest of the cast is stellar, with Shia LaBeouf turning some surprisingly very good work.

After a tremendous final battle with an outcome that’s a little predictable, FURY wraps with a little bit of a “that’s it?” type of feeling. With no ultimate objective, no real narrative, and no heart-and-soul it’s likely to leave you cold, but maybe that’s the message FURY is trying to get across. This is a film about war and nothing else, and not all war stories have rainbows.

BOTTOM LINE: See it