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Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

#140RVW

Maybe the greatest adventure film of all time (not counting ones with lightsabers). Lucas & Spielberg assemble a dream team of filmmakers…

What’s more:

Has there ever been another case of two of the most successful filmmakers in the world getting together to make something equal to their talents? It is so improbable that we’d get the chance to have Raiders of the Lost Ark in our cinematic landscape, which makes it all the more special.

You know all the stories; the two directors were vacationing after Lucas completed his most recent film (Star Wars), a tradition for the friends, when Spielberg mentioned his desire to do a James Bond movie. This gave Lucas the opportunity to pitch his friend a “better” character, Indiana Smith. Lucas had developed the adventurer and the rough story for Raiders with Philip Kaufman before the latter went off to make The Outlaw Josey Wales and Lucas made a little space movie.

What an amazing time! You’d have to go back to The Beatles to find an example of a few artists making such an impact over a short period of time. Think about it; in 1977 Lucas and Spielberg release Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, respectively. They get together with brilliant screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan and bash out story ideas for Raiders over a four-day brainstorming session. They go off to make 1941 and The Empire Strikes Back. Then they make Raiders (some overlap here). While they are shooting, Spielberg works with Melissa Mathison (Harrison Ford’s then-wife) on the story for E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Unreal.

The list of people who worked on this film reads like a Who’s Who of Hollywood talent. Many of the crew worked on all of these movies, and so there is a consistency to a lot of the films made by these filmmakers.

Raiders of the Lost Ark perfectly captures the adventure spirit of the 30’s & 40’s serials which inspired it, but carves its own identity for those who have never seen those films. It’s hard to imagine how this movie could possibly be any better than it is, and it remains one of the greatest of all time.

Play by play (thoughts written down as I watched the movie):

Right from the first moments, you know you’re in for a treat.
One of the very best film opening sequences in history. Maybe the single best.
The pizzicato strings when the tarantulas are climbing on Indy.
Stunningly gorgeous sets by Watts. How come newer films are less convincing with their “ruins”.
There’s so little dialogue here, nor is any needed. So much conveyed non-verbally.
“Throw me the idol, I’ll throw you the whip!”
Harrison Ford should be made to watch this film before starting a new picture to remind him not to be so grumpy.
Never has paper mache looked so threatening as with the giant stone.
One of the things that makes this movie work so well is the feeling that you are walking into an established world and timeline. You don’t need to know the backstory with Belloq & Jones – you instantly get everything you need to know within 30 seconds. The later films failed to do this convincingly, especially the opening scene in 4 which was clearly trying to recapture this magic.
Plane reads “OB-CPO”
I swear that I remember seeing Reggie the snake thrown from the plane when I was a kid. One of those messed up memory things that we’re all guilty of at some point, I guess.
The easy rapport with Denholm Elliot. He’s so good…
Deadly exposition scenes are bread & butter for Kasdan. He actually makes what should be a dull but necessary scene enthralling.
How many of us wanted to become archeologists after this movie?
The mattes are very believable.
Dennis Muren cameo as German on plane.

I never could tell the gender of the Nepalese drinker that Marion is dueling with.
Oh, Karen Allen. My first movie crush…

The sound effects are a bit crazy from this scene on; the shot glasses break like windows, the punches sound like slabs of meat, Indy’s pistol a cannon…
Sallah. Such a great character. John Rhys-Davies is essentially reprising his role from Shogun, but that’s ok – he’s brilliant.

The chase through Cairo. Everyone knows the story about the famous swordfight that was cut because Ford was sick, but it’s still great.
Schnell!
Love Marion’s theme.

Paul Freeman as Belloq has such great presence.
Tunisia stands in for Egypt as successfully as it previously doubled for Tatooine…

Map room sequence is captivating visually and storywise, even if the staff height doesn’t make any sense based on the translation earlier…

“Asps. Very dangerous. You go first.”

Well of Souls is another great set, although the obligatory Spielberg gross-out scene with dead bodies is just dumb.

The flying wing fight is so good. Spielberg at his best with this sort of thing.

Practical effects > CG – take notes, kids…
“I’m making this up as I go.”
Best car/truck chase ever? May be…
The mirror gag never stops being funny…
“It’s not the years, honey, it’s the mileage.”

Yes, he should have drowned when hitching a ride on the U-Boat. So what? NOW you’re starting to nitpick? Got the wrong movie. It likely never submerged, anyway. (The U-Boat by the way is from “Das Boot”, shooting at the same time.)
At the risk of stating the obvious, the music is just so good…
“Your persistence surprises even me. You’re going to give mercenaries a bad name.”

Belloq calling Indy’s bluff is one of the film’s better non-action scenes.

When I was a kid I never understood that the guy in the ceremonial robes was Belloq. Don’t ask me why. I was only 8…
This must have been a very tough ending to sell to the studio. It’s pretty odd. The whole Wrath of God thing, not the warehouse. The warehouse is one of the best and most unexpected twists since “Rosebud”…

Poster:

Trailer:

Bechdel Test:

Fail

The Representation Test Score: C (4 pts)

(http://therepresentationproject.org/grading-hollywood-the-representation-test/)

Main Cast	Harrison Ford Indy, Karen Allen Marion Ravenwood, Paul Freeman Dr. René Belloq, John Rhys-Davies Sallah
Rating	PG
Release Date	Fri 12 Jun 1981 UTC
Director	Steven Spielberg
Genres	Action, Adventure
Plot	Archeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones is hired by the US government to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis.
Poster
Runtime	115
Tagline	Indiana Jones – the new hero from the creators of JAWS and STAR WARS.
Writers	Lawrence Kasdan (screenplay), George Lucas (story) …
Year	1981

May 22, 2014

Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999)

140 Character Movie Review – #140RVW

I don’t care what you say, I really like this movie. Does it have problems? Does it ever. I don’t fault anyone who hates it. But I like it.

Spoiler-free Movie Review of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace:

I am an unapologetic Star Wars nut. I will start this review by stating that I would rather watch a bad Star Wars movie than many good movies. So that should hopefully frame this review; my credibility is wobbly when it comes to the Wars…

So many people get so incensed about this film. I have no interest in fanning the flames. If you hate it you have lots of company and nothing I say will change your mind. I am nearly incapable of hating a Star Wars movie. When something makes you incredibly happy and then later iterations are awful, it’s hard and disappointing and a host of other things. But I still struggle with hate. Just like Van Hagar albums or Godfather III, the originals have amassed so much good will with me that I can’t totally condemn later stuff. I can even find a few good things to say about St. Anger (if I stop and think about it for a real long time)…

You’ve already spotted all of the problems with this movie – I’m not going to point out anything that hasn’t been noted before. But I can’t be convinced that we aren’t better off with this movie and the prequels themselves than if they hadn’t been made. Even if I didn’t like the prequels at all (and I honestly do), what would we have if Lucas really did leave well enough alone as so many of my generation (those that grew up with the OT) wish he had? What would we be missing?

The only Jedi we would ever have seen in action would have been an asthmatic robot-man, an old man and a whiny half-trained kid. To be fair, we still get a whiny kid and an old man, but there are some seriously cool, intense, acrobatic fights that really expanded the possibilities of what you had imagined these Jedi capable of. I’d sit through another two hours of bad dialogue to get another fight like the hangar battle with Maul. And that’s just in this movie – the battles in Ep3 are even better.

No concept of the Jedi Order, the master/apprentice dynamic, what it was like to see the Jedi at the height of their power and what it really meant for the Emperor to crush them.
No Clone War, no Jedi as generals. The Battle of Endor would have been the last land battle you would have ever seen…
No boring Senate speeches, but no Order 66 either. The machinations of the Sith are truly cool and worth a few dull discussions about procedure. Barely…

Digital filmmaking would still be in its infancy. I recognize that many would view this as a good thing, and there are lots of great arguments against, from the look of some digital cinematography to the over-proliferation of CG effects. But Lucas’s push for digital has led to more uniform quality in cinematic presentation, the ability for simultaneous release dates throughout the world, day and date releases of independent films through multiple outlets, not to mention severe reductions in cost and production time leading to fewer barriers to entry and a much more accessible environment for new and independent filmmakers.
Six fewer hours of John Williams music. That should make you pause right there…

But most importantly, the biggest thing we’d be missing is the presence of Star Wars in our lives. It was completely off the radar. Fans don’t like to admit it, but the Wars could very well have become just another old film series, no more relevant than the Back to the Future films. The landscape was pretty barren post Ep6, and while interest sparked up in the early 90’s with the return of novels and RPGs, you really cannot underestimate how much there needed to be new movies to really bring Star Wars into the modern age.

Star Wars is now bigger than it has ever been. I can share it with my own child. And that’s what it’s all for in the first place. I don’t need each movie to be as good as the first few any more than I expect each Bond film to rival Goldfinger. The important thing is enjoying these things and sharing them.

15 years ago today, on May 19, 1999, Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace opened to an unbelievably excited public. I got to sit with my parents and sister as I did when we saw the original films, but this time my wife (then girlfriend) was by my side. I bought a couple of Star Wars figures in the lobby to give to my parents as a minor way of thanking them for rushing out to buy Kenner R2 & 3PO figures for my sister and I after the first film. I never thought I’d get to see another SW film. I was able to revisit something from my childhood but bring it into my adulthood. I get to share this love with my daughter. Nothing is better or more important to that.

I love The Phantom Menace for all of that.

Poster:

Trailer:

Opening Crawl:

Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace Opening Crawl | StarWars.com on Disney Video

Bechdel Test:

Pass

The Representation Test Score: C (5 pts)

(http://therepresentationproject.org/grading-hollywood-the-representation-test/)

[schema type=”movie” url=”http://www.starwars.com/films/star-wars-episode-i-the-phantom-menace” name=”Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace” description=”Stranded on the desert planet Tatooine after rescuing young Queen Amidala from the impending invasion of Naboo, Jedi apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi and his Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn discover nine-year-old Anakin Skywalker, a young slave unusually strong in the Force. Anakin wins a thrilling Podrace and with it his freedom as he leaves his home to be trained as a Jedi. The heroes return to Naboo where Anakin and the Queen face massive invasion forces while the two Jedi contend with a deadly foe named Darth Maul. Only then do they realize the invasion is merely the first step in a sinister scheme by the re-emergent forces of darkness known as the Sith.” director=”George Lucas” producer=”Rick McCallum” actor_1=”Liam Neeson” ]

Main Cast	Ewan McGregor Obi-Wan Kenobi, Liam Neeson Qui-Gon Jinn, Natalie Portman Queen Amidala/Padmé, Jake Lloyd Anakin Skywalker
Rating	PG
Release Date	Wed 19 May 1999 UTC
Director	George Lucas
Genres	Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Plot	Two Jedi Knights escape a hostile blockade to find allies and come across a young boy who may bring balance to the Force, but the long dormant Sith resurface to reclaim their old glory.
Poster
Runtime	136
Tagline	Every generation has a legend. Every journey has a first step. Every saga has a beginning.
Writers	George Lucas (written by)
Year	1999

May 19, 2014

The Matrix (1999)

#140RVW

15 years ago this was a sleeper phenomenon. I thought it was gonna suck & was far from alone. So glad to have been so very wrong… #NoSpoon

What’s more:

It may look like a called shot through your bullet-time camera today, but this was a huge risk. A sci-fi mind trip starring Canoe? You knew it was going to be a hit? Then that makes one…

In hindsight, it seems obvious. Brainy sci-fi with brilliant premise, backed with tons of guns, wire-fu and beautiful people in black?

But when they were promoting this for a March 31, 1999 release, remember that there was another little sci-fi movie coming out in May called The Phantom Menace. Other studios were avoiding this launch window like the plague. All you could hope for around May were people who couldn’t get into Episode I. Trying to squeeze in a new sci-fi property now was either a brave move by a studio that believed they had something really special, or a case of a studio sending out something they didn’t believe in to die a lonely death. I don’t frankly know which it was in this case, but I suspect the former, since anyone who watched the film could see this was a winner.

The trailer wasn’t confidence-inspiring to me. It looked gimmicky and including Canoe saying “Whoa” would be Exhibit A in how to reinforce your audiences negative impressions of an actor. But when my friends returned from the film, gushing about this amazing and unique movie, I was swayed. And for that I am grateful.

The Matrix is a phenomenal movie. The high concept story is rock solid, the effects are spell-binding, the pace is good, the length ok, the dialogue fine, the humor good and the fighting is really excellent. It is a very unique and ambitious film from the Wachowskis, and they are to be commended.

It really launched the careers of Carrie-Anne Moss & Hugo Weaving, which we can all be happy about. After that the acting is a little thin on the ground.

Laurence Fishburne would never be called Larry again, and he has a great delivery on the humorous lines, but he is given some truly dreadful dialogue. It’s worse in the sequels (EVERYTHING IS), but even here he is tasked with overly verbose exposition that makes it seem as though the Wachowskis are trying to impress us with their ability to use a thesaurus. Nothing is said simply if it can be dragged out with lots of multi-syllabic words and delivered with a reverential monotone. It’s really ponderous.

Then there’s Canoe. Ah, Keanu. This will certainly be the film he is remembered for, as is fitting. I have to say that he is absolutely perfect for this role. The first movie, I mean. He does well with the in over his head outsider bit and his eventual embrace of his importance. He retains just enough of his Canoe-ness to make you go along with him on this head trip until you’re on solid footing; helps the audience have a stake in the thing. Once you get into the sequels it gets pretty humorless, though.

Can you even imagine this film with the other actors offered the role? Will Smith, Nicolas Cage, Brad Pitt, Val Kilmer (!) or Johnny Depp? All too easily, right? ::Shudder:: THAT’S why I think Keanu was perfect.

Did I forget to mention Joey Pants? Can’t imagine why…

While directly responsible for the explosion of wire-work into every single action movie for the next 15 years, the fight scenes by fight choreographer Yuen Woo-ping are fantastic. Maybe not as revolutionary to those Hong Kong action movie fans out there, but for the rest of us newbies, it’s great stuff.

It is a really unique universe the filmmaker’s have created. Production Designer Owen Paterson really highlights the difference between the Matrix and the real world cleverly, although the whole blue/green thing got seriously overdone with color-timing in post, particularly on the home video releases.

The effects are simply spectacular. John Gaeta and Manex Digital Effects created bleeding edge visuals that were truly groundbreaking. The overuse of CG doubles that plagued the sequels is non-existent here; as involved as it gets, things actually feel “real” as ironic as that may be.

As far as the philosophy and all that, whatever. It’s interesting to a point, but it’s hard not to have an involuntary negative reaction to any discussion of the deeper themes after all the navel-gazing of the sequels.

The Matrix is a great movie. It owes so much to so many different influences, from cyberpunk novels to Japanese animation, but the Wachowskis have always been very vocal in their praise for their many predecessors and very generous in acknowledging their debts. Forget whatever baggage you have from the sequels and try to watch it again with fresh eyes.

Poster:

Trailer:

Bechdel Test:

Pass

The Representation Test Score: B (9 pts)

(http://therepresentationproject.org/grading-hollywood-the-representation-test/)

Main Cast	Keanu Reeves Neo, Laurence Fishburne Morpheus, Carrie-Anne Moss Trinity, Hugo Weaving Agent Smith
Rating	R
Release Date	Wed 31 Mar 1999 UTC
Director	Andy Wachowski (as The Wachowski Brothers), Lana Wachowski (as The Wachowski Brothers)
Genres	Action, Sci-Fi
Plot	A computer hacker learns from mysterious rebels about the true nature of his reality and his role in the war against its controllers.
Poster
Runtime	136
Tagline	Free your mind
Writers	Andy Wachowski (as The Wachowski Brothers) (written by) &, Lana Wachowski (as The Wachowski Brothers) (written by)
Year	1999

May 18, 2014

Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989)

#140RVW

Released 25 years ago, Bill & Ted just as triumphant today. Must have seen this 5x in theaters, then wrote Wyld Stallyns on jeans jacket…

What’s more:

Has it really been 25 years since the formation of the Wyld Stallyns? Their music is such a huge part of our lives, the foundation of our society; it’s hard to remember a time when they weren’t with us.

Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure is a dramatized biopic, detailing that famous incident in the past when our fearless leaders nearly lost their way, ending the Stallyns before they even got started.

The film centers on the celebrated decision of The Three Most Important People in the World to send the Prophet Rufus (played here by George Carlin) back through the Circuits of Time to help the great ones prevent the disbanding of the Wyld Stallyns by passing their history class.

In this telling of events, Bill S. Preston, Esquire (ably played by Alex Winter) and Ted “Theodore” Logan (portrayed in this version by a young Sir Keanu Reeves) are beginning their journey to perfect the music that will define our way of life, but they’re having a few problems. Their devotion to the Stallyns is affecting their ability to master their studies and as a result they are flunking history. (Ed. Note: A risible notion – Lords Bill & Ted practically ARE history.) Actor Bernie Casey was tapped to play the controversial teacher Mr. Ryan, who had the temerity to threaten the Great Ones with such failure, although it must be noted that he provided them with the impetus to excel in their studies by means of “the final project”. Casey is certainly up to the task of handling such a complex character, so it is perhaps a shame that more time is not spent detailing his inner struggle at how best to develop Bill & Ted’s talents. (See “Tempus Fugit Excelsior: The Untold Story of The Great Ones Who Nearly Weren’t” for a more balanced and nuanced portrayal of this often misunderstood figure.)

Ted must pass history class or else he will be exiled to the reviled Oats Military Academy by his father, Captain John Logan (or “El Capitan”, as he would come to be known during the Water Loop Crisis). As the Two prepare their project, they are sent out of the unwelcoming home of Mr. Preston and “Missy the Inconstant” and they repair to The Circle K.

Ah, the Circle K. Much has been written about the San Dimas Circle K, but modern people may find it difficult to believe that this great institution was once a simple convenience store. At that time, people often drove right by without stopping. Amazing. So it was that the arrival of Rufus in a phone booth-disguised time machine was completely unobserved by anyone save for The Great Ones. Once Rufus had demonstrated the technique, they were off through the Circuits of Time in order to learn about the past in order to preserve the future.

The director chosen by the The Three Most Important People in the World for this project, Stephen Herek is known for his work with lighter comedy fare, and does a good job highlighting the excellent early adventures of The Great Ones. It’s exhilarating to re-experience those lighthearted and hilarious days before Bill & Ted realized their true importance. Writers Chris Matheson & Ed Solomon wisely chose to keep their focus on a brief period of roughly 24 hours for this adaptation and this helps keep the action moving briskly. The tightly plotted film keeps it simple and that is admirable with a time-travelling adventure.

The film is scored by David Newman and the music is decidedly of the time and does its best; it’s not fair to judge the music of that period against the Wyld Stallyns. The acting is everything it needs to be and while filling these roles is a daunting task, Winter & Reeves acquit themselves well.

25 years later, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure reminds us to embrace the credo of The Great Ones: “Be excellent to each other. And party on, dudes!”

Poster:

Trailer:

Bechdel Test:

Fail most heinously

The Representation Test Score: C (4 pts)

(http://therepresentationproject.org/grading-hollywood-the-representation-test/)

Main Cast	Keanu Reeves Ted ‘Theodore’ Logan, Alex Winter Bill S. Preston, George Carlin Rufus, Terry Camilleri Napoleon
Rating	PG
Release Date	Fri 17 Feb 1989 UTC
Director	Stephen Herek
Genres	Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi
Plot	Two seemingly dumb teens struggle to prepare a historical presentation with the help of a time machine.
Poster
Runtime	90
Tagline	History is about to be rewritten by two guys who can’t spell…
Writers	Chris Matheson (written by) &, Ed Solomon (written by)
Year	1989

May 6, 2014

Sixteen Candles (1984)

#140RVW

Plays just as well 30 years later. Well, except for that Long Duk Dong stuff, although I don’t think it worked very well at the time either.

What’s more:

John Hughes wrote this movie/part especially for Molly Ringwald. Seldom has there been a more perfect pairing of a director and muse. Sixteen Candles is undisputedly Ringwald’s movie. Sam Baker is her breakout role and it makes this film timeless.

Sixteen Candles isn’t John Hughes’ best film, but I find it the among his most enjoyable. It’s a pretty straightforward comedy. It’s not a subversive piece. But the real emotion and thoughts of teens are expressed so well that it feels very fresh, even now.

After writing the ridiculously successful Mr. Mom & National Lampoon’s Vacation, this was his directorial debut. (Despite having such an enormous impact and single-handedly creating the “John Hughes” genre of teen films, he only directed 8 films. Of those, only 4 were high-school movies.) It is very well assembled, in addition to the great writing, and if it doesn’t stick out for visual impact or arty shots, it doesn’t need to. He did a great job of expressing the story he wanted to tell.

Of course, by modern sensibilities, some of the movie strikes the wrong tone. In addition to the offensive Long Duk Dong character, the Jake Ryan character comes off as a real jerk. He entrusts a non-driving freshman with his car and more importantly his drunk girlfriend, implicitly inviting the kid to do whatever he wants with her. And this is the love interest of the protagonist?

In addition to Ringwald’s star-making performance, Anthony Michael Hall is brilliant to watch as Farmer Ted. Paul Dooley provides some needed adult connection as Sam’s dad; their late-night talk is among the best scenes in the film.

Sixteen Candles is a rite of passage movie for teenagers. It will probably continue to be for a long time.

Poster:

Trailer:

Bechdel Test:

The Representation Test Score: B (8 pts)

(http://therepresentationproject.org/grading-hollywood-the-representation-test/)

Main Cast	Molly Ringwald Samantha Baker, Anthony Michael Hall The Geek, Justin Henry Mike Baker, Michael Schoeffling Jake Ryan
Rating	R
Release Date	Fri 04 May 1984 UTC
Director	John Hughes
Genres	Comedy, Romance
Plot	A young girl’s “sweet sixteenth” birthday becomes anything but special as she suffers from every embarrassment possible.
Poster
Runtime	93
Tagline	This is Samantha Baker and today is her 16th birthday. The problem is, nobody remembers.
Writers	John Hughes (written by)
Year	1984

May 4, 2014