Christopher Lee 1922-2015

Sir Christopher Lee; actor, singer, author, and knight…has passed away at 93. 

Perhaps the most prolific actor of our time with over 275 credits on the big and small screen, Christopher Frank Carandini Lee was born in England in 1922, and eventually served time in World War II in the Royal Air Force and Special Forces. The seeds of his eventual legend were planted during this time, as his time as a spy and a Nazi hunter would partially inspire his step-cousin, writer Ian Fleming, to create a super spy character known as James Bond. 

After a decorated service, he took the advice of his uncle, who was the Italian ambassador in London, to give acting a try. Lee, with his towering and lean 6’5 frame and deep booming voice which would send chills down the most hardened spines, became a natural fit for the horror genre and villains of every type. His first big break came with THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN in 1957, which was the first color adaptation of the story, in which he played Frankenstein’s monster. It was the first of many films he would make for horror-factory Hammer Films, and in 1958 he would play the vampire Count Dracula in DRACULA; a role which many fans still relate him to this day. Lee would reprise the role eight times over the next 20 years. It was during this time that he would solidify a friendship and working relationship with fellow horror actor Peter Cushing…who would go on to play Grand Moff Tarkin in STAR WARS in 1977. 

Achieving status as a horror icon in the late 1950’s and 1960’s, which would include THE MUMMY (1959), Lee would branch out by playing Sir Henry Baskerville in the Sherlock Holmes adventure THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES, also in 1959. He played Holmes himself in SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE DEADLY NECKLACE in 1962, and would play Sherlock’s brother Mycroft in Billy Wilder’s THE PRIVATE LIFE OF SHERLOCK HOLMES in 1970. 

After another string of horror films which included a series of FU MANCHU films from 1957 to 1977, along with I, MONSTER (1971), THE CREEPING FLESH (1972), and his personal favorite, THE WICKER MAN (1973), Lee came full circle when he appeared in his step-cousin Ian Fleming’s adaptation of the James Bond film THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN in 1974…a role in which many Bond fans keep in high regard as one of the best Bond villains. 

In the late 1970’s he moved from England to America in a move to avoid being typecast in horror films. He appeared in AIRPORT ’77 (1977), Steven Spielberg’s 1941 (1979), and THE RETURN OF CAPTAIN INVINCIBLE (1982), in which he sang on two songs in the film. He would try his hand at comedy in GREMLINS 2: THE NEW BATCH (1990), POLICE ACADEMY: MISSION TO MOSCOW (1994), and serious drama as the founder of modern Pakistan in JINNAH (1998). 

He would enjoy a string of films with stylistic director Tim Burton, appearing in SLEEPY HOLLOW (2005), CORPSE BRIDE (2005), CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY (2005), SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET (2007), ALICE IN WONDERLAND (2010), and DARK SHADOWS (2012). Other notable appearances include THE GOLDEN COMPASS (2007), THE RESIDENT (2011), and Martin Scorsese’s HUGO (2011). 

In the early 2000’s, it would be with George Lucas and JRR Tolkien, Lee’s favorite author, where he would enjoy a successful second life as a pop culture icon. In Lucas’ STAR WARS films ATTACK OF THE CLONES and REVENGE OF THE SITH, Lee would dip back into his villain roots by playing the evil Count Dooku; a role in which he put his extensive knowledge of fencing to use and loosely followed in the footsteps of his friend Peter Cushing.  As the evil wizard Saruman in Peter Jackson’s adaptations of JRR Tolkien’s’ THE LORD OF THE RINGS and THE HOBBIT, Lee would come full-circle once again much like he did with Bond; he was the only cast member to have actually met Tolkien…making his casting in the films not only appropriate but it added another layer to his growing legend. 

And that legend grew even more outside of acting. He appeared and sang in operas and recorded heavy metal albums. He appeared on the cover of Paul McCartney & Wings’ 1973 album Band on the Run. He was the first actor to be inducted into the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers. His devotion to charity and the advancement of the dramatic arts would earn him a knighthood in 2009. 

*

This Blogger, like many others, have grown up watching Christopher Lee. From vampires to detectives to madmen, from wizards to Jedi to men with golden guns, Lee may have been the face of evil and monsters…but that face was one of comfort; comfort knowing that the role he inhabited and the movie he was in would be better because of his dominating presence. Off the silver screen he exhibited a life fuller than most of the world can even dream of; from dedicated service and seeing and doing unspeakable things in the name of God and country, to a commitment to the arts and the industry which treated him so well. Christopher Lee may have been the face of evil, but his life was and is the standard of all that is good. 

A Reel Opinion: Original vs. Retread

The vast universe of movies has always served as a grand battleground for debates and unanswered questions; questions such as who played the role of James Bond the best, or who made the better Bruce Wayne, or did Leonardo DiCaprio’s character in INCEPTION ever wake up from his dream, or which of the ten-thousand versions of BLADE RUNNER is the definitive? These questions have fueled debates among movie buffs and casual filmgoers for decades, and recently, a new question has been resurrected; which is better…a bad original film or a good remake or sequel? 

The question comes around due to the odd era that mainstream Hollywood has placed itself in lately. While churning out remakes and sequels (lets’ call them retreads, for brevity’s sake) is not a brand new practice, this day and age finds Hollywood heavily favoring them over original stories. So far this year, we’ve received an 11^th entry in the ongoing series of Marvel’s superhero films, and a 4^th entry in the 30-year old MAD MAX franchise. On top of that, this weekend sees the third sequel to JURASSIC PARK, and next month, a fifth overall entry in the TERMINATOR franchise. If a time traveler landed in the summer of 2015 and looked at the upcoming schedule of movies (which includes a seventh STAR WARS film and a 25^th JAMES BOND movie), that traveler would not know which year he had landed in. 

There have still been some high-profile original films this year; Disney’s TOMORROWLAND, the indie-flick EX MACHINA, the Wachowski Siblings’ JUPITER ASCENDING, and Neill Blomkamp’s CHAPPIE. None of these films were based on a pre-existing source like a book, comic, or another movie…but they are clearly outnumbered by the vast amount of retreads which will be released by the end of the year.

Original or not, most of the films released so far this year have been met with reviews and fan-reactions which are all over the map; ranging from very good to ho-hum to downright awful…and this is where the real question comes in; is it better to take in an original film which is bad, or a retread which is very good? 

Clearly, a movie fan should value not only entertainment but the art of storytelling itself. Original filmmaking should always be sought after and supported, because without that, the medium of film will eventually wither and die…no matter how many JAMES BONDS or STAR TREKS or MAD MAX’s roll out every year. Mainstream Hollywood values storytelling and art but they value dollars more. It is still a business and an industry, after all, and if Hollywood doesn’t make bank, there will be no more movies no matter what. Based on that alone, those of us who go to see a retread shouldn’t be feeling guilty about feeding the big machine and supporting the industry we love, and so far this year people have indeed spoken with their wallets. Marvel’s AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON has already surpassed the billion dollar mark, and MAD MAX: FURY ROAD is bringing in the green just fine. 

So we should be supporting originality and it’s OK to enjoy a sequel or remake, but which is better? The often overlooked piece to the puzzle is quality. People have come in hordes to see what Marvel and MAD MAX has to offer, but they shied away from original works such as TOMORRROWLAND and JUPITER ASCENDING. But here’s the hidden factor: both TOMORROWLAND, JUPITER ASCENDING, and CHAPPIE received mixed to dismal reviews. Bad movies rarely do well, and people spoke loudly this year.

This Blogger has always believed that a good movie can be found anywhere. It doesn’t matter if it’s based on a book, comic, news article, or a drawing on a cave. Hollywood’s task isn’t just to make movies, but to make good movies…no matter the story. 

What say you? 

A Reel 40: JAWS - Part 2: Why It Worked

This month marks the 45^th anniversary of Steven Spielberg’s JAWS. Widely regarded as one of the best films of all time, Reel Speak will celebrate this game-changing film with a three-part Blog. Part One (HERE) explored The Beginnings, Part Two explores Why it Worked 

"This shark, swallow ya whole..."

By the time Steven Spielberg’s new film JAWS had finished its theatrical run in 1975, history had been made; the film had broken box office records on its way to becoming the highest grossing of all time, awards and nominations were on the way, and the names Spielberg and John Williams were now on the radar of every movie buff in the world. All this success was a miracle considering the choppy waters the film had to navigate during production; between a mechanical shark that wouldn’t work, harsh weather conditions while shooting at sea, seasick crew members and cast members, and a schedule and budget that went way over the initial projections. Somehow it all came together in the end, but how did such a troubled start finish so strong? 

The answer is not a simple one, but can be traced back to the very beginning…which was Peter Benchley’s best-selling novel of the same name. JAWS the movie ultimately was a story about a killer shark which terrorized a resort town and the efforts of the town’s police chief, Martin Brody, to end the bloodshed. Benchley’s novel as written was a dense thriller which included many sub-plots including the mob’s involvement with the town and a love affair between Brody’s wife and his eventual shark-hunting colleague, Matt Hooper. The first step to making JAWS an digestible dish was to trim away the fat and to just deal with a lean cut of an A to Z adventure story. Down to the depths went the sub-plots of the mob and the love affair, which just left us with the shark and the people trying to end the shark. The trimming was effective on film, and perhaps left JAWS as the prime example of what can happen when filmmakers are brave enough to make changes from the book to the screen. 

The structure of JAWS gave audiences something to latch onto. The main character of Brody, played by Roy Scheider, was a police officer but was presented as an every-day man faced with a frightening task. Brody had real fears (he was afraid of the water), and was a grounded family-man…and this gave audiences a true and likeable hero to root for. The early goings of the film were a straight-up horror film, as audiences jumped out of their seats with popcorn flying as the shark, only hinted at with John Williams’ primal music cues, spilled blood and unleashed terror in an environment that people most associate with happiness; the beach. It was not quite based on a true story, but it was something that could easily happen at any time…which made the film all the more terrifying. As great as the horror elements were, the film would shift into another gear in the third act, when the main characters, Brody, Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) and shark-hunter Sam Quint (Robert Shaw) head out to sea to hunt down the shark. At this point the film shifts from straight-up horror to an adventure at sea, very much akin to MOBY DICK or something out of a Greek myth. The scares still came, but this time they came in a whimsical environment of rolling seas, harpoon guns, sea stories and songs, and a larger-than-life-looking boat which had such personality it was basically a character in the film. 

And character was where JAWS really brought home the big fish. The three men alone at sea hunting the shark; Brody, Hooper, and Quint…were on a common mission but had differences which gave Spielberg, his writers, and his actors great material to play with. Contrasting characters makes for great drama, storytelling, and character development…and the differences between the three made JAWS function incredibly well and was also fun to watch. Brody was a lawman who was afraid of the water, Hooper was an educated oceanographer who loved sharks, and Quint was a bloodthirsty shark hunter who wanted them all dead. Nothing about the three characters was alike, other than the final mission. 

All these elements, along with Spielberg’s exquisite eye for framing a shot, John Williams’ simple yet effective score, and the masterful editing by Verna Fields…came together beautifully much like a thousand pieces and parts all coming together to create a well-running race engine. Audiences reacted with their wallets and their screams, and critics reacted with showers of five-star reviews. JAWS worked because of great efforts from all involved, but also because it invoked classic storytelling in character and form…along with a finale not afraid to go for arm-raising cheers. JAWS was a triumph then and is a triumph now with a lasting legacy moving forward. 

*

Read Part 3: The Legacy HERE

A Reel Preview: The Year in Film 2015, Episode VI

The Summer Movie Season of 2015 thus far has seen plenty of ups and downs; with a handful of major releases pleasing audiences and surpassing expectations, and another fistful coming up way short. The coming month doesn’t look to be much different, with plenty to look forward to and a fair amount to groan over. Here are the notable films of June…

It all sneaks in with…

SPY- Melissa McCarthy is a first-time international secret agent in this comedy of watch-the-fat-girl-fall-down. Co-stars Jason Statham, Rose Byrne, and Jude Law. Directed by Paul Feig (BRIDESMAIDS). 

ENTOURAGE – This comedy is a continuation of the HBO TV series. Stars Kevin Connolly, Adrain Grenier, Kevin Dillon, Jerry Ferrara, and Jeremy Piven. 

LOVE AND MERCY – Paul Dano (THERE WILL BE BLOOD) plays Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys in this biographical film. Co-stars Elizabeth Banks and Paul Giamatti. It is the directorial debut of Bill Pohlad, who has served as a producer for acclaimed films WILD (2014), BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN (2005), and TREE OF LIFE (2011).

INSIDIOUS 3 – Leigh Whannel, who created the SAW horror series, makes his directorial debut with this supernatural thriller. Stars Dermot Mulroney and Stefanie Scott. 

INFINITELY POLAR BEAR – Mark Ruffalo (THE AVENGERS, ZODIAC), plays a man who suffers from bipolar disorder. Co-stars Zoe Saldana (STAR TREK, AVATAR), and Keir Dullea (2001 A SPACE ODYSSEY). 

JURASSIC WORLD – The fourth installment of the get-chased-by-dinosaurs franchise is directed by Colin Trevorrow, and stars Chris Pratt (GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY), Bryce Dallas Howard (THE VILLAGE), and Vincent D’Onofrio (WEDDING CRASHERS). 

MADAME BOVARY – This is the seventh film adaptation of the classic novel of the same name. This version stars Mia Wasikowska (ALICE IN WONDERLAND) and Paul Giamatti. 

INSIDE OUT – Our first Pixar film in two years looks to be one of their most ambitious efforts. The film is set in the mind of a young girl, where her emotions are characters (Joy, Anger, Disgust, Fear, and Sadness), who try to lead the girl through her life. Features the voice-talents of Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Lewis Black, Diane Lane, Kyle MacLachlan, and John Ratzenberger. Directed by Pixar veteran Pete Doctor (UP, MONSTERS INC.)

TED 2 – The sequel to the 2012 smash-hit. Seth MacFarlane directs and once again provides the voice of the walking and talking teddy bear. Co-stars Mark Wahlberg and Amanda Seyfried. 

MAX – In what may be the tearjerker of the year, a military dog named Max returns from service in Afghanistan traumatized by his handler’s death…and is adopted by the fallen Marine’s family. Stars Josh Wiggins and Jay Hernandez. 

JAWS – Steven Spielberg’s industry-changing thriller swims back into theatres for a limited two-day run to commemorate the films’ 40^th anniversary (June 21 and 24). 

*

Next month, Reel Speak looks at the month of July. 

A Reel 40: JAWS - Part 1: The Beginning

This month marks the 40^th anniversary of Steven Spielberg’s JAWS. Widely regarded as one of the best films of all time, Reel Speak will celebrate this game-changing film with a three-part blog. 

"You're gonna need a bigger boat."

Based on the 1974 novel of the same name by Peter Benchley, JAWS was a film that probably should not have worked as well as it did. A thriller film in which a giant man-eating great white shark terrorizes a New England-based resort town, JAWS had the deck stacked against it from day one. The production was ambitious in the decision to film not in a controlled-environment water tank, but in the elements of the actual ocean. Throw in a script which had been through numerous revisions, countless problems with equipment, weather, seasick crewmembers, mechanical sharks that either broke or sunk, and a very young (28 years old) director by the name of Steven Spielberg, who was only making his second feature-length film…and JAWS seemed destined to sink before it left the dock. 

Despite going over-budget and past schedule (on a good day they would come away with five good shots, on a bad day…zero), producers Richard D. Zanuck and David Brown kept their faith in Spielberg, who had said that he expected to be thrown out of Hollywood forever if JAWS turned into a disaster. But Spielberg and his cast and crew persevered through the issues and the on-location shooting (they shot off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard), and wrapped in October of 1974…after 159 days of filming. 

Thanks to Spielberg’s eye for framing a shot and talent for telling a story, JAWS came together brilliantly in the post-production phase. Editor Verna Fields cut together a tight and intimate thriller, and composer John Williams, in his first of many collaborations with Spielberg, contributed a primal and minimalistic score which 40 years later, could very well be one of the most recognizable music cues in history. The cast, which included Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss, Lorraine Gray, and Murray Hamilton…showed tremendous chemistry together on film and gave JAWS a very human element. The decision to film on-location gave Spielberg the chance to bring local flavor into JAWS, giving it a very authentic feel. 

 

In the final product, the many issues with the always-breaking mechanical sharks turned into a blessing in disguise. Spielberg decided to mostly suggest the presence of the shark, using Williams’ ominous theme and other devices to indicate the pending killer’s approach. In film, what we don’t see is always more frightening than what we can see, and Spielberg capitalized on it. JAWS came off as a thriller with a touch of horror as audiences jumped out of their seats in showings across the country. But the real genius of JAWS began in the third act, when the main characters played by Scheider, Shaw, and Dreyfuss left shore to hunt the shark. From there the film shifts into an adventure at sea, akin to MOBY DICK or maybe even something Sinbad or Jason’s Argonauts would take on. JAWS goes from scary to adventure in a seamless shift…but still retains that feeling of dread when Williams’score kicks in. 

JAWS would not only become the biggest box-office smash of that year, but would become the No. 1 film of all-time. The model of JAWS would change the industry forever; from the way films are made, marketed, budgeted, and released. It was the first “summer blockbuster” and set a model that studios still use today. The film would win three Academy Awards for Best Editing, Original Dramatic Score, and Sound. John Williams would also win a Grammy Award. The film appears on many of the American Film Institute’s Top 100 lists, and in 2001, the U.S. Library of Congress selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry. The film is analyzed to this day not only by filmmakers, but by film-teachers and scholars. 

*

If you were born past 1970, there was a Holy Trilogy of Films which likely defined your childhood; STAR WARS, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, and JAWS. Adventures and thrills were all that mattered, and those three films captured it all…and it all began with JAWS. This Blogger did not discover JAWS until the late 1970’s, when the film began heavy rotation on a new cable device called HBO. As a wee-lad, it was frightening but fun, and the music was something you ran away from when someone started humming it. Later on in college, this Blogger was required to watch and analyze the famous scene when Robert Shaw’s character recounts the story of the doomed battleship USS Indianapolis as a lesson in writing. With that lesson began a long study of the film; a study that continues to this day. This Blogger, along with his friends and countless other fans, quotes JAWS often (the movie has a memorable quote every minute), and it is a satisfying thing to always know that one of your favorite films is also one that is forever embedded into pop-culture. Everyone knows the story of JAWS; the music, the characters, the adventure...and that awareness will swim on for another 45 years and beyond. 

**

Read Part 2: Why It Worked HERE
Read Part 3: The Legacy HERE