Fascinating doc about little-understood holiday. Sort of 2 films; 1st half could easily be great standalone doc on African-American history.
Poster:
Trailer:
Author: mfordfeeney
-
The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978)
140 Character Movie Review – #140RVW
If they would simply rebroadcast this 1 time, all criticism of the prequels would immediately cease. Worst moment in history; can’t unsee…
Spoiler-free Movie Review of The Star Wars Holiday Special:
35 years ago, on Thanksgiving 1978, the world ended. Everything since then has been simply trying to pick up the pieces.
To see the Star Wars Holiday Special is to die a little. Think of the Nazis looking into the Ark of the Covenant at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark.
It’s entirely possible that the special is in fact an anti-drug educational film. After all, no one would ever consider using cocaine after a single glance at Carrie Fisher. And the whole experience seems to mirror some terrible 1960’s bad trip.
Actually, despite growing up with the Wars, I have no memory of this special whatsoever, and considered it an urban legend before I finally tracked down a VHS bootleg in the 90’s.
Too many fine people have written extensively on this not to be believed train-wreck for me to go into it in great detail, so I’ll keep this brief(ish). I’ll just run over some of the main points for those of you who’d rather not experience it first-hand:
- The big draw of the show was new footage from that galaxy far, far away. Pity then that what you get is clearly deleted footage of Vader wandering around the recently destroyed Death Star with new lines over-dubbed. Helps to not have to lip-sync…
- Shame that Life Day never really caught on as a new holiday. Beat Festivus by years…
Love the decision to make the main characters non-English (Basic) speaking…and not subtitle. Entire minutes go by with no comprehensible dialogue. It’s like watching a Senate hearing…- Chewie’s family – yikes. Let’s just say you don’t see a lot of these cosplayers. Which name is worse, Lumpy or Itchy? I’ll give you a few minutes…
Mark Hamill looks terrifying under all that makeup, but do remember that he had been in a horrible car crash only weeks before. He alone gets a pass…- The single most fascinating aspect of this show is how they seem determined to bring back the old-time variety show. Ironically, this must have been the nail in the coffin for that crap. Art Carney, Harvey Korman? Was Carol Burnett busy? What about Tim Conway?
- There’s a kind of perverse joy in seeing Harrison Ford trying to roll with the crap dialogue in the cardboard mock-up of the Falcon. It’s like anticipatory karma for being such a stuck-up grouch for the rest of his career…
- Speaking of perverse, I’m fairly sure that this is the first example of sci-fi porn on broadcast television. If you haven’t seen it, and I recommend that you don’t, Carney gives grandpa Itchy some sort of virtual reality visor that allows him to participate in the first known wookiee/human hologram phone sex in the galaxy. I wonder how many kids weren’t allowed to watch the 2nd hour of this show after this segment…
- Oh, did I not mention that this show was TWO HOURS LONG?
Fortunately, fans of the movie can recover from Itchy’s indiscretions as we now check in with Princess Leia & C-3P0. One of these characters is stilted and expressionless; the other is a droid. (Alright, you’ve heard it…)- Kids, don’t do drugs…
- Art Carney shows a new dimension of his ability by distracting a Death Star Trooper (with an impressive 1970’s stache) with a video of The Jefferson Starship. In the long sad history of military strategy, this gambit certainly has the element of surprise.
- Many fans of the trilogy will tell you that the only good thing about this is the cartoon by Nelvana which introduces Boba Fett. Don’t believe it. The cartoon is also awful.
Fortunately, we will now check in on the scene at the cantina at Mos Eisley, where BEA ARTHUR carouses with all the aliens from the movie when not being hit on by Harvey Korman. This was probably the breaking point for most kids. Bea Arthur singing. What’s next?- What’s next is that all the wookiees get wrapped up in red gowns and solemnly go to celebrate Life Day, when…
- LEIA ADDS WORDS TO THE MAIN STAR WARS THEME AND SINGS THEM! I told you not to turn the page! (In Grover voice)
For more: http://www.starwarsholidayspecial.com/
Bonnie Burton just this week sticks up for it: http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57616191-1/in-defense-of-the-star-wars-holiday-special/?tag=mobile_social
The most in-depth article I’ve read on the debacle: http://www.vanityfair.com/magazine/2008/12/star_wars_special200812
Poster:
Coming up next CBS ad:
Kenner toy commercial:
All the commercials:
And finally, if you’ve made it this far…
-
We’re No Angels (1955)
#140RVW
Curtiz-directed comedy at times feels like adapted play (it is). My all-time favorite Christmas movie. Bogie should have done more comedies.
What’s more:
Watch this one while wrapping presents every year. There are better Christmas movies, of course, ones that more completely reflect the season, but this is a very nice mix of heartwarming and dark comedy. Not black comedy, exactly, just moments of darkness. After all, the main characters played by Bogart, Ray & Ustinov are hard (if not hardened) criminals. What’s truly wonderful about their performances is that while they spend most of the film showing their tender and kind side, there are a few moments where they let their genuine menace show.
It’s a slow burn, not hiding its origins as a play. Two plays, actually, as it was originally put on in France. There are lots of quiet moments, meaningful glances, pregnant pauses. It really is a nice feel, because at the heart of all the silences are the layered emotions of these convicts and their realization that not all prisoners are behind steel bars.
Just one more thing: there is another movie of the same name made in 1989 by the otherwise reliable Neil Jordan. Ostensibly based on the two original plays and the 1955 movie, it is truly dreadful. Avoid like the plague…
Poster:
Trailer:
-
Hogfather (2006)
#140RVW
Very good considering this is 1st live-action Pratchett. The 2-night tv model is one that should be used for all adaptations. New classic…
What’s more:
Was very excited when they made this. I have been a huge fan of author Terry Pratchett for decades. His stuff is so cinematic on the page, but has failed to be filmed for a number of reasons.
The idea of filming this for tv as a two night mini-series was brilliant. I would love to see far more books adapted for the screen in this manner. It really removes the necessity to keep things brief, thus at a stroke nullifying the biggest challenge behind any adaptation: gut the thing for brevity, or cram in as much as you can and overstay your welcome.
For newcomers, this is a pretty accessible story, although there are others that would be much better. I highly recommend reading the book first, but then I’d always recommend reading Pratchett. (Note: usually I would dissuade people from reading source material prior to seeing an adaptation; it nearly always leads to disappointment. Faithful adaptations such as this one, where you are being thrust into a new universe, are the exception.)
The acting is quite good, with Michelle Dockery in her first major role being particularly excellent in a role that they HAD to get right. Sadly, no actor really gets to extend themselves too much with such a tight leash – the downside of faithful adaptations.
The visuals are the best they can be on a tv budget. Actually a bit better than that. The set design is masterful and they do such a good job dressing the sets and in costuming that the effects are kept to a minimum. Take notes, kids; if you are prepared to be clever with practical in-camera effects, you can save your budget for a few really nice CG shots.
This can be purchased for a few bucks for download or dvd, and is very worth your time…
Poster:
Trailer:
-
#140RVW: The Santa Clause 2 (2002)
Don’t know why it took 8 yrs for a sequel, but the time was likely spent overwriting. Precocious kid & silly sidekick? Yep, it’s a sequel…
Poster:
Trailer:
