Tag: 1984

140 Character Movie Review – #140RVW

Not to be lost in the plethora of great 1984 films is this groundbreaking film that’s every bit as enjoyable as it was when I was a kid…

Spoiler-free Movie Review of The Last Starfighter:

Focusing on reviews of films celebrating an anniversary can be a mixed blessing. Not everything holds up the way you hoped it would, and some things simply are better in your memory than in reality. So I approached this viewing of The Last Starfighter with a little bit of trepidation. I was actually nervous that it seeing it 30 years later might ruin for me one of my favorites from my childhood. I needn’t have worried…

The Last Starfighter came out during a glorious age: when video games and genre films were enjoying a huge popularity and there really was nothing geeky about enjoying any of it. Later on, genre pictures were considered fringe and people who enjoyed them were geeks, but at this point it seemed that everyone was in on it.

This film doesn’t get as much recognition as 1982’s Tron for advancing the use of computer generated imagery, but frankly neither of them are acknowledged anywhere near as much as they should be. The Last Starfighter may be the first, certainly the best early use of three dimensional photo real computer graphics used in a photographed feature film. It really is amazing how advanced this was for 1984. I know the effects look a bit primitive, but compared to what was out there at the time it was groundbreaking.

And even without the “for the time” qualifier, I think the film looks great. While there are a great many digital elements in certain scenes, the space battles in particular, there is always an effort to blend them with the photo elements. It may not always have been successful, but the film never has those completely digital scenes that are little more than animation, such as Tron‘s lightcycles.

But the movie is really a lot more than the effects, or we wouldn’t need to watch it; we’d simply refer to it as an important step in the process and move on. The effects really are there to enhance the story, not tell it, which is exactly how it is supposed to go. It is a wonderful picture with a good message and a ton of heart. Possibly too much for some people, as it can seem a bit corny or naive, I’m sure. If I was seeing it for the first time today it may not have the same resonance as it did when I was 11. But when I screened it for my daughter, who was also seeing it for the first time at 11, she LOVED it!

The concept behind the story is simple and effective: the arcade game that the protagonist has been mastering is in actuality a recruitment test that has been duplicated throughout the world (universe? this part is a little unspecific) and when the young man beats the game, the alien inventor knows he’s found his hero. Great idea, no? Even if the movie stunk, it would still be a great jumping off point for a reboot.

The setting for the story is a trailer park, which is a nice location to really show how trapped Alex Rogan (Lance Guest) is. They moved the setting from the suburbs to a trailer park so it doesn’t feel too much like E.T. or Close Encounters. It’s not entirely the filmmakers fault that this attempt doesn’t totally succeed. Lucas & Spielberg owned the decade, and everything else feels derivative, no matter how hard you try not to copy them. It’s like being an English rock musician consciously trying not to sound like The Beatles. The movie is set (partially) in space – of course it reminds you of Star Wars. You try making a space film that avoids that comparison.

The actors are really quite effective, anchored by Robert Preston in his final film role. Preston is absolutely perfect as Centauri, the flim-flam man who invents the game and recruits Alex to help defend the Frontier from the Ko-Dan Armada. (I just love saying that.) Most genre pictures cast an old farmhand to lend gravitas; in this case Preston is adding mischief – it’s perfect.

The Last Starfighter isn’t the greatest film to come out of the summer of 1984, and as a result it had kind of a weak turnout. But it is a film that deserved much better and truly should be viewed not just as a time capsule or a stepping stone to CGI’s conquest of the film industry. It is a fun, well written and executed film with a good heart and that’s not a bad thing. When virtual reality finally is ready for prime time, look for my avatar to be cruising the galaxy in a Gunstar.

Odds & Ends:

• Director Nick Castle played Michael Myers in the first Halloween
• Noticed in the closing credits that Wil Wheaton was in the picture as “Louis’ friend”. Went back and found him near the beginning of the picture playing soccer – you won’t recognize him – it’s that fast.
• Not in the closing credits but found on Wikipedia credits is Heather Locklear as “Rylan Indoctrinator”. I can’t confirm this.
• The movie was made into an off-Broadway musical ten years ago…
• These guys have made a freeware playable version of the game, since no one seemed able to get the game to market back in the day: http://www.roguesynapse.com/games/last_starfighter.php

Poster:

Trailer:

Bechdel Test:

Pass

The Representation Test Score: C (4 pts)

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

[schema type=”movie” name=”The Last Starfighter” description=”A video-gaming boy, seemingly doomed to stay at his trailer park home all his life, finds himself recruited as a gunner for an alien defense force.” director=”Nick Castle” actor_1=”Lance Guest” actor_2=”Robert Preston” actor_3=”Catherine Mary Stewart” actor_4=”Dan O’Herlihy”]

Main Cast	Lance Guest Alex Rogan/Beta Alex, Robert Preston Centauri, Kay E. Kuter Enduran, Dan Mason Lord Kril
Rating	PG
Release Date	Fri 13 Jul 1984 UTC
Director	Nick Castle
Genres	Action, Adventure, Family, Sci-Fi
Plot	A video-gaming boy, seemingly doomed to stay at his trailer park home all his life, finds himself recruited as a gunner for an alien defense force.
Poster
Runtime	101
Tagline	In his wildest dreams Alex never suspected that tonight he would become…
Writers	Jonathan R. Betuel (as Jonathan Betuel) (written by)
Year	1984

140 Character Movie Review – #140RVW

May be no better than 3rd in the trilogy, but considering the quality of the series, that’s not bad. A little cutesy – not a deal-breaker…

Spoiler-free Movie Review of The Muppets Take Manhattan:

The Muppets Take Manhattan was the first of the film series that I didn’t see in theaters. I don’t think there was any particular reason to avoid – I continued to love the Muppets pretty consistently from childhood to whatever I’m in now. I suspect that the reason my family never got to it was due to the extremely prolific output of Summer 1984. There were just so many good movies, and this just wasn’t unique enough to make much of an impression. It wasn’t even the best movie that came out that day. (Bonus points if you know what was! Hint: I’m reviewing it tomorrow…)

If the movie didn’t do as well as its predecessors, the filmmakers could hardly complain. This was the 3rd Muppet film in 5 years, and oversaturation was sure to be a factor. Coupled with the stiff competition that summer, including some huge franchises, an old-timey show tune piece with actors like Art Carney was pretty lucky to do as well as it did.

And that is part of the problem with The Muppets Take Manhattan – it’s just a little tired, a little uninspired. The story features an amnesia plot, for goodness sake. You know you’re scraping the bottom with a bucket when you tread out that old yarn.

The movie is sandwiched between The Dark Crystal & Labyrinth, both more creatively rewarding projects for Henson, et al, and I have to wonder if this was more of an obligation picture. It’s certainly written like one: main characters are big puppets on campus, go to the big city, struggle, disband, get big break, reunite, amnesia, recovery, happy days are here again.

The non-Muppet cast are exclusively from the odd sock drawer of Hollywood, complete unknowns, and the cameos aren’t really any better. I know it was the mid-80’s, but these are some seriously weak walk-ons. (Note: my exhaustive research produced the nugget that Dustin Hoffman was to head up a group of A-listers participating in the film but he bailed out at the last minute – something he is infamous for – and when he split, they all followed. Not for nothing is Michael/Martin Weir character in the book and film Get Shorty based on that prima donna.)

So with all that said, I must really dislike the picture, yes? No, not at all. It’s a good movie. It’s just not as good as the first two. But when I tell you that I LOVED the first two, you can understand that I’m not insulting The Muppets Take Manhattan.

The music is mostly really good, with the opening number “Together Again” the standout. Sesame Street writer Jeff Moss was nominated for an Oscar for his work on the picture. “Saying Goodbye” is also surprisingly moving.

While the movie doesn’t contain any show-stopping scenes of puppetry, such as the bicycle ride in The Great Muppet Caper, it does have a whole sequence with the Muppet Babies. You may choose to view this as a good or bad thing, since they were so popular that it launched a cartoon that lasted for six years…

The Muppets Take Manhattan is a very good kids picture. It really doesn’t excel beyond that unfortunately, but it’s only by comparison to the previous films that it can be viewed negatively. It is notable as the first film solely directed by Frank Oz and the last of a very good trilogy. By the time we’d see the Muppets in theaters again, Jim Henson would no longer be with us. So enjoy this last ride with a visionary…

Poster:

Trailer:

Bechdel Test:

Pass, if you count female pigs voiced by men. Actually, never mind – fail.

The Representation Test Score: C (6 pts)

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

[schema type=”movie” name=”The Muppets Take Manhattan” description=”Kermit and his friends go to New York to get their musical on Broadway only to find it’s a more difficult task than they anticipated.” director=”Frank Oz” actor_1=”Jim Henson” ]

Main Cast	Jim Henson Kermit the Frog/Rowlf/Dr. Teeth/Waldorf/Swedish Chef/Ernie/Granny/Horse & Carriage Rider/Link Hogthrob/The Newsman (voice), Frank Oz Miss Piggy/Fozzie/Animal/Bert/Cookie Monster/Ocean Breeze Soap Board Member/Sam the Eagle (voice), Dave Goelz Gonzo/Chester the Rat/Bill the Frog/Zoot/Beauregard/Jim the Dog/Dr. Bunsen Honeydew/Penguin (voice), Steve Whitmire Rizzo the Rat/Gill the Frog/Baby Kermit/Chicken/College Student in Audience/Dog (voice)
Rating	G
Release Date	Fri 13 Jul 1984 UTC
Director	Frank Oz
Genres	Comedy, Family, Musical, Romance
Plot	Kermit and his friends go to New York to get their musical on Broadway only to find it’s a more difficult task than they anticipated.
Poster
Runtime	94
Tagline
Writers	Tom Patchett (story) &, Jay Tarses (story) …
Year	1984

140 Character Movie Review – #140RVW

30 years (&1 week) ago, Daniel-san crane kicked his way into theaters. Still a fantastic picture, funny & inspirational to me & my daughter.

Spoiler-free Movie Review of The Karate Kid:

As I’ve been writing these reviews for this blog, I’ve tried to focus on a number of movies as they celebrate big anniversaries. None have been more satisfying as the 30 year films, as when I rewatch them now, my daughter is seeing them for the first time at the same age that I was when they were released. It’s a great chance to see if the movies resonate with a modern eleven year old as they did 30 years ago.

The Karate Kid was right in my wheelhouse when it debuted in 1984. I was the perfect age for the tale of an awkward bullied kid who learns balance through karate from a mysterious and wise mentor. Like virtually everyone else, I remember kicking and punching all the way back to the car after leaving the theater.

It’s an inspiring movie, and a fun one. It’s Rocky, essentially. The films share a director, so that’s probably intentional. Which is not to say that The Karate Kid is not an original movie, just that it has a common ancestry with the Rocky franchise and a similar approach to crafting feel-good sports stories. (Among other things, the Survivor song “You’re the Best” that plays during the tournament was written for Rocky III before being replaced with “Eye of the Tiger” from that same band.)

The story by Robert Mark Kamen (near the beginning of what would be a hugely successful career) is fresh and solid. It borrows the usual high school conflicts and relationships but makes it all new again with the mentoring relationship of Miyagi.

The acting is fun, particularly with the casting of Noriyuki “Pat” Morita as Kesuke Miyagi. Morita would receive an entirely deserved Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination.

Did you know they wanted Mako to play Mr. Miyagi but he was already committed to Conan the Destroyer? See, there’s exactly one good thing about Conan the Destroyer…

It can’t be overstated how hugely successful the pairing of Morita and Macchio is. The obvious respect and caring between these two entirely make the picture. It’s a great and unique partnership, not unseen in film previously, but very fresh and it gives this movie a depth that may not come across from the story alone.

Macchio was 22 at time of filming. Just reflect on that for a minute as you look at the stills. This guy would play young for much of his early career, but play well. I’ve always enjoyed his pictures.

You know what I never really noticed the 20-odd times I saw this movie in the 80’s? Daniel-san is kind of a jerk. I mean, I obviously was aware of how whiny he was, but he was a much more sympathetic character when I was 11 than he is now. In his dealings with would-be girlfriend Ali (Elizabeth Shue in her film debut), he’s a total tool. You want her to slap him around. Her character is really weak.

And don’t forget William Zabka as Johnny Lawrence, the “real” karate kid, according to Barney Stinson…

The Karate Kid is a quintessential 1980’s movie, with all the good and bad that entails. It is fun and well-made and surprisingly holds up very strongly today.

Poster:

Trailer:

Bechdel Test:

Fail

The Representation Test Score: C (5 pts)

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

[schema type=”movie” name=”The Karate Kid” description=”A handyman/martial arts master agrees to teach a bullied boy karate and shows him that there is more to the martial art than fighting.” director=”John G. Avildsen” actor_1=”Ralph Macchio” ]

Main Cast	Ralph Macchio Daniel, Pat Morita (as Noriyuki ‘Pat’ Morita) Miyagi, Elisabeth Shue Ali, Martin Kove Kreese
Rating	PG
Release Date	Fri 22 Jun 1984 UTC
Director	John G. Avildsen
Genres	Action, Drama, Family, Sport
Plot	A handyman/martial arts master agrees to teach a bullied boy karate and shows him that there is more to the martial art than fighting.
Poster
Runtime	126
Tagline	Only the ‘Old One’ could teach him the secrets of the masters.
Writers	Robert Mark Kamen (written by)
Year	1984

#140RVW

Scary/violent/grisly enough to help usher in the PG-13 rating, shows it’s age 30 years later, but still a great movie. Effects pretty good.

What’s more:

What an amazing time the 1980’s were. Gremlins was originally to be a Christmas release (hence the Christmas setting) but the studio moved up the date to 6/8/1983 to directly compete with Ghostbusters, released on the same day. Can you imagine anyone doing that now? Studios flee from competition and avoid other tentpole release dates.

Writer Chris Columbus came up with this highly original story after being creeped out at night by the noise of animals running around in his loft apartment. He actually wrote it on spec, just as a resume of sorts. It obviously launched his career – big time.

It’s a seriously dark story. This movie could have been much more a straight-up horror film. While producer Steven Spielberg, who instantly saw the value in this property, sometimes cheapens serious subject matter with his amusement park ride approach, it seems to have been necessary here. If he didn’t lighten this thing up and drive down the body count, we wouldn’t be talking about it today, or probably even 30 years ago.

As it is, it’s really grisly, violent, scary and mean. The kitchen scene alone was probably enough to force the creation of the PG-13 rating, and frankly, this thing might still have been flirting with an R. I’m not sure this movie is any less brutal or graphic than Alien, when you think about it. If you haven’t seen it in a while, I’m sure you’ll be surprised just how intense Gremlins is. And that’s after they decided not to decapitate the mom, eat the dog and turn Gizmo into a gremlin. Can you imagine?

Joe Dante directed the film. He’s an old-style director of the type that Spielberg seems to like. By that I mean very good at focusing on the important “must-have” shots and story beats, but sort of sloppy and unconcerned with details. There are a ton of continuity errors and characters that are introduced and then completely disappear from the film. The rough cut of this movie was well over 2 1/2 hours. They lost about an hour of film for release. That’s quite a haircut. Reportedly the producers considered giving this to Tim Burton for his directorial feature debut. I would have very much liked to see that. But Dante certainly does a good job.

Placing the story in a Rockwell-esque setting was a great idea and helps the story not seem so dated. Except for the fact that it’s so obviously backlot. It’s a little hard to not notice that you’re in Hill Valley waiting for Marty McFly to show up in a DeLorean.

The film also, frankly, looks terrible. It’s a really ugly picture. It certainly needs to be cleaned up, but I’m not really sure how much that would help. Dante and his DP John Hora are used to making dark, horror pictures and I suspect this was the look they were going for. I’m sure they needed to go quite dark to hide some of the puppetry and other effects, but the dated film stock itself is just really flat and bland.

While this isn’t really a horror movie, it would be hard to explain why or come up with another genre for it. The effects are pretty good, but the character design is fantastic. It’s a great, original story with some welcome appearances by long-time character actors. Gremlins really grabbed attention in 1984, and it had to do so in the face of some other really good movies. The movie is constantly rumored to be in the process of a reboot, and it’s easy to see why. It’s far from perfect, but it is an excellent, thrilling movie.

Poster:

Trailer:

Bechdel Test:

Fail

The Representation Test Score: C (6 pts)

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

 

Main Cast	Zach Galligan Billy Peltzer, Phoebe Cates Kate Beringer, Hoyt Axton Randall Peltzer, John Louie Chinese Boy
Rating	PG
Release Date	Fri 08 Jun 1984 UTC
Director	Joe Dante
Genres	Comedy, Horror
Plot	A boy inadvertantly breaks 3 important rules concerning his new pet and unleashes a horde of malevolently mischievous monsters on a small town.
Poster
Runtime	106
Tagline	Cute. Clever. Mischievous. Intelligent. Dangerous.
Writers	Chris Columbus (written by)
Year	1984