Tron (1982) - (A nostalgia fueled) review

My Personal Copy of Tron (1982). Allow me to tell you the tale of how I acquired it.

            It was 2008, I was 15 years old, and my local video store, “Easy Video,” was closing down, and selling off their video tapes and DVDs to make some final cash. Like any good little Fan-Boy, I’d popped in to see what underrated, ill-liked gems, the masses had overlooked. It was then that it caught my eye! “Tron” (1982)! Packaged in its special edition re-release box from 2001, and protected by a clear plastic box normally used to house tapes ripe for renting, the copy of the movie was virtually untouched! Not a fingerprint to be found on the surface of the prism.

            I’d heard of this often overlooked 1980’s film classic, but I had never, since I moved to this town in 2000, no matter how many times I perused the aisles of Easy Video while the store had seen regular business, ever noticed this film before. And it was as if fate told me, “This is your time young Daniel, this is the moment you were meant to see Tron, for yourself!” This box I held in my hands, in this condition, sitting in a store with a dwindling number of VHS tapes awaiting inevitable sale, could it have been anything else? But what was going to be the cost? 5? 6? 7? $8.00? No! $2.50! Yes! The fools! They didn’t know what they had, did they?

            Without hesitation, I wasted no time! I handed them my crumpled five dollar bill! I took my change! I speed walked home! I went straight into the basement where we had our main TV room! I popped in that jewel! And I sat, and watched! Studying every frame, line spoken, and special effect! CGI so simple, yet so exhilarating! A story so dated by its dialogue, and yet so ahead of its time! It captured the 80’s culture of the arcade scene, it felt edgy, and oh my god! It made me realize, there was a time where Jeff Bridges was young on top of being cool! (I’m going to go on record and say, Jeff Bridges will be cool forever man!)

            I learned about Kevin Flynn, Alan Bradley, Ed Dillinger! For the first time I met characters like, The Master Control Program, Sark, Clu, Ram, and Tron! I experienced the dangers of the digital world, the speed of Light Cycles, and the sorrow of de-resolution! And I saw the triumph of Kevin Flynn and Tron against Sark and the Master Control Program! Not since Star Wars had I seen a universe of science fiction and fantasy more deserving of my attention and time! Needless to say I was mesmerized. And to top it all off, for one of the first films in history to heavily utilize CGI, scenes come off far more sharp and well executed than one might expect!

            That night, after watching the film, I thought to myself, “That was so good, was a sequel ever produced?” I took to the internet to find that, no, a sequel to Tron had never been made. However, a proof of concept trailer had been released that past weekend for its sequel, Tron: Legacy! The movie was updated for the audiences of today, its look was close enough to the original film, and the updated designs to the costumes brought a smile to my face!

            But the horror! It was due for release in 2010! Could I, a mere child of 15, possibly wait two whole years for the official sequel to one of the best films I’d ever experienced? Well I did, and the movie didn’t disappoint! Now! History (in my mind) has been made with the announcement of the third film in the Tron series via the reveal of its title… “Tron: Ascension.” Chances are, at the time of this post, I will have to, once again, wait two years for the next installment of one of my favorite film franchises. But history has proven it will most likely be worth the wait. (I love Tron!)

Today in Movies – Maggie (trailer)

            Zombies are totally overplayed. Because if you’ve seen one post 9/11 Zombie movie, trust me, you’ve seen them all. But even the most overplayed monster movie can have a new spin put on it. Such is the case with “Maggie,” starring Arnold “The Terminator” Schwarzenegger, and Abigail Breslin. (Little Miss Sunshine)

            I never thought I would ever feel sympathy for a brainless flesh eating husk of human skin and bones, but that’s what this movie looks like it plans to do!

            The film is set in an alternate reality where the human race has come to know of and deal with the Zombie virus. The titular character, played by Breslin, has been bitten. Under what circumstances she sustained the bite I do not know. Now it looks like it’s up to her father, played by Arnold, to help her live out her now little precious time she has left as a human being. Meanwhile he will have to deal with the fact that he is losing his daughter, and what looks like an entire town of people who would rather have the young girl dead sooner rather than later. It’s understandable, you don’t want one man’s mercy to be the downfall of an entire town’s worth of people. She could, in theory, spread the virus to dozens more if not kept in check, but I’m speculating.

            This movie looks like one hell of a horror drama, and it’s such a different role for Arnold. Think back to your entire life, has Arnold ever, ever been in a movie that wasn’t, funny, thrilling, or some mix of the two? No, I don’t think he has. This might give us a chance to see the range this man’s been working on for the past 30+ years. Just a little fun. I think the majority love Arnold as an action star, but to be honest The Governator has never been one to turn in Oscar winning dramatic performances.

            Have you seen the new Maggie trailer? What do you think about it?

Eight of The Most Enjoyable Musicals You Will Ever Watch!

            I’m not much of a musical kind of guy, but the movie industry is weird, and there are a trillion ways to do everything! So as with most things, it’s always going to be the more unconventional musicals that leave some kind of impression on me. With that I humbly present to you, “Eight of The Most Enjoyable Musicals You Will Ever Watch!” This list is in no particular order, and I hope you walk away from this list having discovered some titles you never knew existed.

1, Across the Universe. (2007)

            This film starring Jim Sturgess and Evan Rachel Wood, follows a love struck couple as they live out their lives, and coming into adulthood during the time of the Vietnam War. Along the way, scenes and montages are accompanied by covers of popular Beatles songs sung by the cast.

2, Rock of Ages. (2012)

            Proving that Tom Cruise is eternal, Rock of Ages follows the story of a small town girl and a city boy meeting on the sunset strip as they follow their Hollywood dreams. Throughout the film they are joined by colorful characters played by a cast of talented character actors such as Russell Brand, Alec Baldwin, and Bryan Cranston.

3, Little Shop of Horrors. (1986)

            A more traditional movie musical, Little Shop of Horrors follows wimpy little Seymour Krelborn, played by the always funny Rick Moranis. Seymour is forced to kill for his strange plant from outer space, Audrey II, who feeds on human blood, and promises Seymour fame and fortune while seeking to fulfill its own, more sinister endeavors.

4, Tenacious D in: The Pick of Destiny. (2006)

            Next on the list is one of the raunchier picks. Tenacious D is an actual two man band made up of Jack Black and Kyle Gass with a long history of stage and television appearances. Their only feature film to date, the movie is meant to be the band’s first fictional adventure. In the movie they go on a cross country road trip on the hunt for, the Pick of Destiny. The pick is an item of myth that’s said to be the Devil’s tooth, and it’s able to grant any musician mastery over guitar playing.

5, South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut. (1999)

            Another rated R, over the top, musical romp, is South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut. Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the creative heads behind all things South Park, never fail to be hilarious. These comedy geniuses deliver a comedy musical to end all comedy musicals with a story that intertwines satire of the late 90’s, with prophecies that threaten to send the world into biblical chaos!

6, Heavy Metal. (1981)

            Although not exactly a musical, (it’s my list, I do what I want, get off my back) Heavy Metal is a movie with scenes punctuated by great soundtracks from 1980’s rock bands. Among the talent that lent their sound to this movie are bands like Cheap Trick, Black Sabbath, Journey, and Blue Oyster Cult. Heavy Metal is an interesting pick because it’s an anthology film made up of eight separate stories. It’s also a cartoon, but don’t be fooled, it earns its R rating with a ton of violence, nudity, and scenes of aliens abusing drugs… (Sex, drugs, and rock & roll indeed!)

7, Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead. (2006)

            We’ve all heard me sing Troma’s praises in the past, is it really any surprise a Troma film would make it onto this list? Poultrygeist is a Horror/Comedy/Zombie/Musical, that follows its lead character, Arby, as he tries to prove himself a man to his ex-girlfriend, turned activist/feminist/lesbian by becoming a cashier at a fast food restaurant. Little does this cast of characters suspect, the ground they walk on is sitting on top of an old Native American burial ground, and the spirits are angry! Possession, and a finale that displays utter chaos as an entire town turns into a mob of zombie chickens in a matter of hours is the highlight of the film. And yes, it’s B-Movie gold.

8, Gwar: Phallus in Wonderland. (1992)

            (A note about Gwar. They are a band with lore behind them. A fictional history that details the origins of these Space Barbarians from the planet of Skum-Dogia. When the earth was young, Gwar crash landed in the arctic while looking for a planet to overthrow with their mighty influence! Fast forward to the late 80’s early 90’s, Gwar was thawed out by their now Manager, Sleazy P. Martini. Since their awakening, Gwar has used their alien lifestyle, and lack of respect for anything earthly to systematically wipe out humanity through Heavy Metal music.)

            Phallus in wonderland tells the story of a court battle through which Gwar front man, Oderus Urungus, loses his precious, “Cuttlefish of Cthulhu,” an item so near and dear to Oderus, you could say it’s a part of him! (It is, I just won’t say what part) Now it’s up to Gwar to literally fight a group known as, The Morality Squad, to get the Cuttlefish back, and set everything right with the world! This movie runs about an hour long, and is really just made up of music videos by the band along with new scenes to fill out a narrative structure. If your into metal, but don’t want to watch the movie, I suggest listening to the album this film is based on, “America Must Be Destroyed.” But if you don’t watch the movie, then you’re missing out on the film’s finale involving Gwar’s pet mutant Tyrannosaurus Rex awaking from a million year sleep just to eat anything and everything that stands in his way… Including his own family!

            I hope you enjoyed the list. Remember that a few of these movies are in the Rated R-NC17 range due to violence and such. But nothing here has any shortage of over the top fun and strangeness we all know and love. Honestly though, if anyone reading this happens to be a parent, keep your kids away from this material, it’s not meant for them, stick to Disney or watch these movies on you own time.

Howard the Duck (1986) – Review

            I’m going to abuse my own “No Swearing,” rule once and only once… Duck Tits… No, no, you read that right. Duck Tits… They Exist! And oh my god are they disturbing!

            Here’s the problem with Howard the Duck…

            You have a three foot smart-mouthed talking Duck from another planet who gets sucked to earth through a vortex. For kids right? But then there are all of these odd scenes sprinkled throughout that feature mild sex and nudity. Uh… Fetish porn? No, it also has other various monsters, aliens, and special effects that rival anything else that came out that year.

            Over the years Howard the Duck was once considered to be perhaps the world’s worst film ever made. Then it gathered a cult following after so many years. Kids today, they hear somethings awful and they’ll just flock to check it out… Wait a second!

(Shameless self-advertisement, check out my YouTube channel, its atrocious!)

            Honestly, Howard the Duck is a movie that had award winning talent behind it, like George Lucas. No seriously, the Star Wars guy made this happen! And it shows in the visuals. The animatronics used to create the emotions on Howard’s face were ahead of their time for 1986! Take a look at some other animatronics in any other film that year. Howard himself still holds up incredibly well even by today’s standards. If you ask me this point is one of many that can do nothing but help you believe the world of the film.

            Then there’s the science fiction edge of the film that comes into play with the inclusion of the idea of scientists, aliens, and other planets besides ours and Howard’s. When you take a look at the bigger picture of this film, the fact that it’s meant to be a science/fiction/comedy with some action thrown in where needed, it kind of fits into the Marvel Cinematic Universe of today. Think of how strange entries into that universe such as, Thor, or Guardians of the Galaxy have been. (Which by the way happens to feature Mr. T. Duck in its post credits scene)

            Yes Howard is a Marvel property, a comic book series that was meant to be cartoony, and poke fun at film noir and detective stories. Some of Howard’s earlier comics featured tag lines that would read something like, “A real hardboiled detective,” or something like that. So he was never meant to be taken all that seriously and it was all meant for fun and a good time just as his movie was.

            The film itself is worth a watch. And this has nothing to do with anything but it’s one of my all-time favorite pop-corn flicks! Today Howard’s partially back on the scene with a new line of comic books published by Marvel. Interestingly enough, Howard's "modern' design is a bit of a throwback to the 1986 film! He's also had a cameo in Guardians of the Galaxy that had tons of MCU fans scratching their heads over its meaning. Although the makers of that film have stated the scene means nothing, and was meant to tease fans for taking every bit of information so seriously, I’ll accept that, but I hope I see Howard again real soon.

(Make him a character in, “Guardians of the Galaxy 2,” James Gunn! Please! At least a scene! Make Howard a bar tender on Nowhere! How funny would it be to see Howard trade insults with Rocket Raccoon! I’m giving you gold here!)

Why B-Movies deserve more respect.

            The Room, the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Godzilla (1998), anything in the Troma library, Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Big Trouble in Little China, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Manborg, Sharknado, Howard the Duck, the original Evil Dead Trilogy, Bubba Ho-Tep, Birdemic, etc.

            Why the laundry list of movies? Well for one thing these are all B-Movies. One more point, most of these movies are not as widely loved as Nolan’s Batman, Orson Wells’ Citizen Kane, or anything by Stanley Kubrick. All film is subjective, we all have freedom to enjoy what we enjoy, and there is nothing wrong with favoring one film over another. It’s why there are so many movies produced each year.

            Given my Lucy review, I’m about to sound like the world’s biggest hypocrite. (However) It isn’t right to dismiss a film as garbage simply because it doesn’t meet a standard you set based on what you or the world wide public consider to be, “Real Filmmaking.” The Toxic Avenger, has every bit of effort put behind it as does the latest sequel to Marvel’s: The Avengers. Big Trouble in Little China has enough twists and turns to rival the number of those in a film like Gone Girl. Silent Hill has enough of thought and meaning put into each of its frames as any Hitchcock film.

            I’m currently studying filmmaking, and it really gets to me how professors will go on for days about how spectacular The Grand Budapest hotel is, but completely overlook something like The Naked Gun. I’ve come to learn that among the more seasoned of film aficionados, Kevin Smith is not well liked, while all worship at the altar of the likes of Kubrick and Spielberg. These people feel like the Tim Burtons of the world to me…

            Let me explain. Tim Burton is a director who clearly considers all he has ever done, or will do, as fine high art. Meanwhile he will look down on a common man filmmaker like Kevin Smith and refuse to watch his films, listen to his interviews, or read his books because he sees it as beneath him. I’m not going to knock Burton himself, before he started working with Johnny Depp on, EVERYTHING, he made some great work, fantastic work. However it’s this attitude that completely disgusts me. My friends, he came into Hollywood making B-Movies, do you think anyone looked at Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure and thought to themselves, “That director is going to be a household name some day!” No.

            My overall point is this. B-Movies are movies, they have a story, a beginning, a middle, an end, large crews, people working for months on one shot, and actors who commit day after day to a script and a schedule. And some of these efforts are treated as jokes because the end result fails to impress with pretty visuals these small studios just can’t accomplish, or acting by veteran Oscar winners. An artistic property should never be made less of for any reason, because with any product, there is time and effort behind it. That’s not to say you shouldn’t be a critic, if anything criticism is half of what keeps these workers going.

Marvel’s, “Avengers: Age of Ultron” Character Traile

First allow me to address my absence… I was gone for two weeks… why? I was looking for something interesting to report on that wasn’t super hero movie news, but that also deeply interested me. Sure I am here for you, but if what I do doesn’t make me feel good in any capacity, I won’t do it. (And then I caved)

So here we are in, “the now…”

Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god! Ladies, gentlemen, boys, girls, Saiyans, Namekians, and all the rest of you who enjoy lesser fandoms! (I kid, I kid) There is a new one minute Character Trailer out for Avengers: Age of Ultron! The movie doesn’t come out for more than a month, and now to increase anticipation for the first big summer blockbuster of 2015, we have this!

Avengers: Age of Ultron is the 11^th Marvel Cinematic Universe adventure. This time we get to see the might of Iron Man, (Robert Downey Jr.) Black Widow, (Scarlett Johansson) Hulk, (Mark Ruffalo) Thor, (Chris Hemsworth) Hawkeye, (Jeremy Renner) Captain America, (Chris Evans) Quick Silver, (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Scarlet Witch, (Elizabeth Olsen) combined against their brand new adversary, Ultron! (James Spader)

If those aren’t enough actors, playing super heroes, looking ultra-ripped, and ready to kick all sorts of robotic ass, you are likely dead inside… (Or a girly girl)

Have we learned anything from watching this new trailer? If anything? I don’t really think there’s anything interesting to look at or listen to that we haven’t already… HOLD THE PHONE! Quick Silver has (What I assume is) a Russian accent! Okay look, it’s not like me at all to geek out over such a small detail, (Because it really is readers, it is) but this gives us some insight into the origins of the character. It may even offer a clue as to how, or why, quicksilver acquired the powers he has.

Scarlet Witch is given the opportunity to decide whether or not she wants to be an Avenger! Again, it’s a small detail, and given we see the character fighting alongside the team in other trailers, this is a sweet detail. However! There are a bunch of things we don’t know… Like, does she stay a member of the team? Is this just a onetime team up type of thing in her mind? Is she siding with good because it’s right? Is she fighting for her own survival? Or, is she working towards a greater agenda?

Then there’s this little detail to nitpick about… WHERE IN THE NAME OF MARVEL STUDIO’S RED LOGO IS THE VISION!

This is the one character we’ve heard much of, but seen little of since San Diego Comic Con 2014, here we are about 45 days or so away from the release of the film and we don’t even have a character poster of the guy! Sure we got a nice little touch of Vision awakening in the last full Avengers: Age of Ultron trailer, but then… Zip! Granted we’ll see all we need to see in due time for the film’s release, anything we don’t see… well… I guess we’ll all just have to pick up a ticket and find out!

Does Hollywood Hate Super Hero Movies?

            A week ago, Sunday February 22, 2015, Birdman took home the Oscar for best picture at the Academy Awards. The award was well deserved, the film stood out for its ambitious style and the number of comments it made toward the film industry as a whole made Birdman a deep experience. It’s interesting to note that the film is about an actor known for playing a popular super hero from the late 80’s early 90’s is trying to reestablish himself in the media world of today. This mirror’s the life of the film’s main star, Michael Keaton, as he’s very much in the same boat of the character he plays.

            Although Birdman does not speak ill of the superhero movie genre, it does feature a man trying to break free from the fictional super hero he’s become synonymous with. In reality, super hero movies have been the butt of many jokes in recent months. It appears with recent major award shows, super hero movies are just not a respected type of film. Jack Black made some jokes about super hero films during an Oscar musical number. A series of fake names for super heroes like, Sequel Man, and Remake Man, were the focus of this particular jab.

            Although it does all appear to have been in good fun, this series of jokes begs the question, does Hollywood hate super hero films? Ii just recently became considered a film genre, even then you hear critics and movies goers alike talk about how the genre is dying nearly every summer. And although Birdman has nothing to do with this subject, it is noteworthy that the main focus of said film is about an actor escaping his celebrity persona to prove himself a true actor. The way Keaton’s character plans to do this is by putting on a Broadway play, theater being a form of acting that many tend to hold above screen acting.

            Though this film is not by any means meant to really represent the idea that super hero movies are thought less of, one can find it interesting that it was this nominee above all others that won the show. Super hero films have earned their place in Hollywood, if the genre has not cemented itself in as an official type of film, it’s only a matter of time before proper respect is delivered to what most of today’s “Seasoned Critics,” consider popcorn entertainment.

            Does Hollywood hate super hero films? No. Looking at it from a realistic point of view, it’s difficult for a business industry to hate its biggest money maker. Does the film genre get more exposure then it deserves? Maybe, but if you want any product to be successful, you need to market it properly, and at times, popularity can set in. Does the popularity of a certain type of movie hurt the box office of a film of another kind? Not at all, people go to see quality, or at least they should, (I WANT THIS PLANET TO FORGET FIFTY SHADES OF GREY EVER EXISTED!) and if a film genre suffers, it’s not going to die out, it’s going to make filmmakers more creative. In the end everyone wins.