…Every David Bowie hairstyle from 1964 to 2014 in one GIF:
For those too lazy to click on the link, here’s the GIF, though I suggest you check out the link if you want (NEED DAMMIT!) a full chart that shows you each individual picture…
All posts by ERTorre
Supernova (2000) a BluRay release review…
…by me!
A while back I happened to catch the theatrical version of the film Supernova on TV and couldn’t help but re-watch it (you can read my review here). I noted in my review that I had seen the film once years ago, on DVD, and that version of the film was “R” rated (the theatrical release was PG-13). Despite the film’s many, many, many flaws, I was fascinated with it, if only because of the talent in front of and behind the cameras.
Anyway, I wrote my review and, considering the film’s non-reception and audience lack of interest, I assumed the DVD would be the last I ever heard of the film.
No one would be crazy enough to release the movie on BluRay…right?
Much to my shock came the announcement that Shout! Factory was doing just that (read about that here). Considering the company’s previous movie releases, I was hoping they would include some really interesting special features. The previous DVD release included several “cut” scenes, among them a darker alternate ending. I was hoping this BluRay might include Mr. Hill’s initial “cut” of the film, made shortly before he abandoned the project.
Well, such is unfortunately not the case. But if you’re like me and find the film and its history fascinating, this BluRay is certainly worth getting…though compared to the special features present on other Shout! Factory releases it may not be quite as robust as one might have hoped.
To begin, the version of the film presented on this BluRay is indeed the “R” rated version found on the DVD. The theatrical version is nowhere to be found and I think that’s a shame. Because of this I can’t compare the different cuts more directly but its safe to say the R rated version is the one that features the topless appearances by actress Robin Tunney.
I’ve already gone into the plot of this movie before so I won’t repeat myself. Instead, let me focus on the extras. Here’s what you get:
1) New interviews with actors Lou Diamond Phillips and Robert Foster (I really wish they could have interviewed lead actor James Spader but neither he nor any of the other actors involved in this film, including Angela Bassett and Robin Tunney, make appearances) and producers Daniel Chuba and Jack Sholder. What each of them present is an interesting behind the scenes look at how the film -let’s be blunt here- rolled off the rails and ultimately failed. Their stories are informative without being nasty. They rightfully praise certain elements within the movie (if nothing else, the cinematography is quite gorgeous) but do not try to convince you this film is somehow better than it is.
Lou Diamond Phillips offers one of the more interesting comments when he states that it is a testament to director Walter Hill’s creativity that when he left the film there was enough material left behind to make as coherent a movie as the one that was ultimately released.
Unfortunately, I believe this is the only “new” extra you’re going to find on the BluRay versus the DVD version released many years before.
2) Deleted scenes. Several deleted scenes, all of which I’m pretty sure were on the previous DVD version, appear here and give you a glimpse into what might have been. The original voice of the ship’s A.I. computer “Sweetie” was a whole lot more annoying than the one they ultimately settled for. Worse, a second male A.I. voice was present in the cut scenes of Spader’s investigation in the mining colony and, incredibly, this one was just as annoying as the unusued “Sweetie” voice. So glad they got rid of that! Finally, you get the much darker alternate ending. I happen to like this ending more than the “uplifting” one present in this cut.
3) The theatrical trailer. Ugh. While Supernova was far from “great” or even “good”, it is astonishing to witness the film’s inept trailer. What you see embedded below is easily far worse than the film it was trying to “sell”. Thankfully, none of those 70’s rock songs were present in any way-shape-or-form within the movie itself.
Interestingly, the theatrical trailer features several glimpses at cut sequences. Even more interesting, the special effects of the spaceship, at least to my eye and on the BluRay, appear sharper in this trailer than what was presented in the film. It seems the makers of the film decided to add a soft light around the ship effects when they released the final cut.
So, for what its worth, this is what you get if you’re willing to take a risk and pick up a copy of the BluRay release of Supernova. Again, buyer beware. Just because this film fascinated me doesn’t mean it’ll do the same for you!
Escape From New York…remake?!
The on-again off-again saga of the Escape From New York remake appears to be on once again:
http://io9.com/get-ready-escape-from-new-york-is-going-to-be-remade-b-1679396764
Granted, this remake of the original 1981 John Carpenter directed cult film in the very early stages with no “names” attached, though it is my understanding John Carpenter will serve as a producer (though I could be very wrong, I get the impression he won’t be all that involved in this new film other than lending his name to that particular role).
As for the new film…frankly I don’t know. Way back in 1981 when the original was released, I really liked the concept but wound up loving parts of the movie more than the entirety of the product. There were moments of sheer brilliance and, given the very low budget, Mr. Carpenter and company had, they did an excellent job creating something that looked a hell of a lot bigger than it actually was. And Kurt Russell as Snake Plissken? Easily one of his all time best roles (to me a little better than the great roles he had in Carpenter’s The Thing and Big Trouble In Little China).
The problem with the film was that somewhere toward the middle of it that low budget started to show and, to my eyes, hurt the overall product. I hadn’t mentioned it before but there is also one specific part in the film, immediately after the baseball-bat gladiatorial match, that from a writing standpoint sticks out like a sore thumb. For those who haven’t seen the film, Plissken is captured by the bad guys and forced into a gladiatorial match against a very fierce and imposing opponent. He is not expected to survive the match but somehow does. Almost immediately after the match is over, all those villains surrounding him abruptly leave the arena (there is other skullduggery afoot) and essentially forget all about their captive, which allows him to escape from their clutches. Though the scene is handled reasonably well, it is a weak point in the film. If the bad guys wanted Plissken dead, why not put a bullet in his head immediately after the match was over?
Regardless, I have a soft spot for the original movie and I don’t know if remaking it is such a good idea (it was already done, btw, with Carpenter and Russell with very diminished results as Escape From L.A.). I’ve also been annoyed that a truly good BluRay version of the movie is not available as of yet. True you can get a good “bells and whistles” version on DVD, but I really want to see the film in HD…
…but yesterday, just before finding out about the remake, I discovered this:
https://www.shoutfactory.com/film/action-adventure/escape-from-new-york-collector-s-edition
The release is scheduled for April. I guess it’s time to pre-order!
Spy trailer…
First heard about this movie a while ago, the latest from Director Paul Feig and starring Melissa McCarthy (whose previous collaborations included the hysterical Bridesmaids and The Heat). Didn’t hear much about it since then and was surprised to find that the film already has a trailer! And the film also features Jude Law and Jason Statham?!
As it is a Paul Feig/Melissa McCarthy film, if you’re going to check out the trailer, you have to go with the redband version:
Seems fun but, frankly, I can’t say this trailer lit things up as much as I hoped. Still, it was miles more interesting/funny than the awful trailer for Sex Tape and the premise of Melissa McCarthy doing a James Bond-type spoof is, while not necessarily a super original concept, one that has potential.
The real curiosity for me is how Jude Law and, especially, Jason Statham works in this. These two could be the key to this film really taking off.
Should you cut the cable cord…?
A question I’ve started to consider of late: Is it time to end my association with cable services? Because of the many streaming services available, I’ve become more and more curious whether doing so might save me money while still allowing me to see the stuff I want to see.
But if your interest is largely economic (and whose isn’t?), Slate magazine’s Chris Kirk offers a handy online calculator which allows you to check to see how much you might save if you were to cut your cable bill and join those streaming services:
Very interesting food for thought!
5 Reasons Great Directors Eventually Make a Bad Movie…
…this list is by Daniel Dockery and can be found on Cracked.com or by clicking the below link:
http://www.cracked.com/blog/5-reasons-great-directors-eventually-make-bad-movie/
I find such ruminations fascinating because it seems almost everyone that has been very successful in creating exceptional work(s) of art, be they paintings, music, literature, or movies, eventually releases something that is, for lack of a better word, sour.
Director Alfred Hitchcock had perhaps one of the all time greatest careers in cinema, releasing films that were undeniably “Hitchcokian”. These films were noted for featuring great suspense and skullduggery along with some very, very funny black humor. His first feature was made in 1922 and his last was released in 1976, making for a career that lasted a mind boggling 54 years.
Arguably, he “came into his own” and began releasing his distinctive brand of films in the early to mid 1930’s on, reaching his creative peak (again, in many people’s opinions) in the mid 1950’s through the early 1960’s. During those years Mr. Hitchcock directed such movie landmarks as Rear Window (1954), Vertigo (1958), North By Northwest (1959), Psycho (1960), and The Birds (1963) (RIP Rod Taylor). However, those weren’t the only films he released during that time. Mr. Hitchcock was nothing if not proficient, but I suspect most people would site the films I list above as his “cream of the crop”.
But a very curious thing happened after The Birds: Whether it was age or disinterest or perhaps any of the other five reasons mentioned in the above link (one could argue a few might well apply) Mr. Hitchcock abruptly hit what amounted to a creative wall. He would go on to make five more feature films after The Birds: Marnie (1964), Torn Curtain (1966), Topaz (1969), Frenzy (1972) and Family Plot (1976). While these films have their defenders, even the most dedicated Hitchcock fans offer few reasons to revisit either Torn Curtain or Topaz. I’m equally certain even the strongest defenders of Mr. Hitchcock’s last decade plus of production, if cornered, have to admit none of the above listed films come close to the dizzying heights of his best works.
So what happened? One is left to speculate. When I was younger, I had this vision of a writer who sat before their typewriter (this was before the era of the computer) and daydreamed and then wrote whatever fancy hit him/her.
The reality is that writing, like most other artistic endeavors, is a job. Their product is the result of work. Often very, very hard work.
An author has to make a book that sells if s/he is to have a career in the field. To do so, they have to please audiences as well as those who publish their work. This entails a great deal of pressure. For directors, I imagine, the pressure is multiplied. To begin, you have to convince investors you have the talent and potential product that will offer these money people a good return on their investment. Once you get the investment and production begins, these investors don’t simply disappear. You can be certain they’re going to keep an close eye on what you’re up to and make sure you aren’t squandering their cash.
Add to that the fact that you’re dealing with a cast and crew, sometimes in the hundreds, who will have a myriad of different levels of interest in whatever you’re making. Some may view the work as nothing more than a paying job while others may be just as invested as you are. Then again, there’s the danger they’re too invested and have vastly different visions of how the work should be presented. If your talent has a big enough “name”, they may demand changes that they feel will accentuate their work but which you, as a director, may feel harms the overall product. And that’s not counting your garden variety clashes of personalities.
I don’t envy directors. The fact that good, even great films have been produced in the past and will no doubt be made into the future shows that sometimes the stars align and a good work is made. Sometimes, if you’re crafty and creative enough, several good films will be released under your name.
But there seems to inevitably come a time when things don’t work out as well as they should. Hopefully, you’ll recover and learn from your experience and once again create something audiences feel matches your very best work.
Hopefully.
Supernova (2000) BluRay review…but not by me!
I haven’t received my copy of Supernova yet but figured those interested in an early review of the BluRay release of this film and what it has on it in the way of extras might like to read this:
http://www.dvddrive-in.com/reviews/n-s/supernovablu.htm
As I mentioned before, I find Supernova a deeply flawed yet (to me) remarkable curiosity of a film, especially given all the talent in front of and behind the scenes. If you’re interested in my review of the film, you can find it here.
Please make no mistake about it: Supernova is a very, very bad film, a trainwreck from the get go that during its creation went through many hands before finally being dumped into a “theatrical” release.
Yet in spite of this I’m fascinated by the film, especially when I believe elements of it seemed to work their way -consciously or not- into 2012’s Prometheus. I say this only because Supernova’s primary director, Walter Hill, is the producer of all the Alien films since the first one, up to and including Prometheus.
Despite the fact that the film is such a wreck, its one of those total misfires that, like a moth to light, I can’t help but look at.
David Cronenberg on Internet Criticism…
…it would appear he doesn’t like at least parts of it, including the Rottentomatoes “averages”:
http://io9.com/david-cronenberg-says-rotten-tomatoes-is-wrecking-film-1677869612
I think he has a point in that nowadays just about anyone out there (including me!) can be a critic and, sometimes, some opinions appear (to put it kindly) ill informed.
Yet everyone, including Mr. Cronenberg, should remember what by now should be an obvious fact: Personal tastes in the arts (movies, music, books, stories, etc. etc.) are subjective. Just because someone inartfully states they found a film a failure because it was “boring” and/or conversely a success because the “effects were so cool” while offering few well reasoned facts as to why they liked/didn’t like a film doesn’t mean their personal opinion is wrong. Others may well like or dislike a film for the very same reasons.
Where I do agree with Mr. Cronenberg is in the fact that by aggregating critical scores we’re giving equal weight to well thought out reviews as well as those that, in his opinion, aren’t. Interestingly, he further notes that some well thought out critics that wouldn’t otherwise appear has done so thanks to the internet. This, to him, is more the exception rather than the rule.
For me, I like Rottentomatoes if only to get a general idea of where critics (all of them!) and, more interesting, audiences stand with regard to movies. I don’t tend to get too deeply into the reviews and only use the compendium score to get a general idea of how things fall. Then again, unlike Mr. Cronenberg, a very successful and a times challenging moviemaker, I clearly don’t dive as deeply into the individual reviews as he does.
Like many modern things, it is the way things are. Perhaps these aggregate opinions are harmful in the long run if they influence studios to the point that they delude the quality of film. But it seems to me there have always been good and bad works out there and you can look long and hard to find what personally works for you.
Anyway, I’ll close on this, a list of 25 movies that critics loathed yet audiences loved, brought to you by (who else!?) Rottentomatoes:
James Bama Doc Savage
If you’re like me and you absolutely love the James Bama Doc Savage book covers like I do, you’ll really appreciate this link as it provides the whole run of his excellent covers, covers which really made me interested in the character and the stories:
http://thegoldenagesite.blogspot.com/2014/12/james-bama-doc-savage.html
Of all the ones he did, my favorite is probably this one:
I just love the sense of adventure and mystery presented in the image. My second favorite would probably be this one:
What Mr. Bama did so well was create this otherworldly looking main character (in the original pulps he looked more like a Buster Crabbe) and put him into a picture that beautifully hinted at the pulp adventure that awaited you in the book itself. I don’t know what the original Doc Savage creators/writers (particularly main author Lester Dent, who passed away years before the first of these covers were to appear) might think of Mr. Bama’s reinterpretation of the character, but for me this is THE look of Doc Savage.
Check out the rest!
Disney World 2015
So I just came back from Disney World in Orlando and had some interesting things to add to my old Disney World column (you can read it here).
To begin, they’ve once again altered the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, this time for the worse, in my humble opinion. I don’t mind “wet” rides, provided they’re marked as such. There are going to be times don’t mind getting wet and others where I want to stay dry. For many decades, the Pirates was a “dry” ride. True, during the drop there was a chance a couple of drops of water might hit the riders, but it was rare that you stepped out of the ride very wet.
Not so now.
Though the bulk of the ride remains roughly the same (ie, post movie with the many appearances of Johnny Depp and the scrubbing of some of the more politically incorrect jokes), the drop has been changed. No longer do you have the skull and crossbones appear just before the drop and warn you to “abandon hope all ye who enter here”. Instead, you’re plunged into pitch black darkness followed by a drop that seems to curve a little more than it did before.
And by the time you hit bottom, the front two rows (at least) of the vessel you’re in get sprayed with a considerable amount of water.
I happened to be “lucky” enough to ride in the front of the craft with my family and the drop left my shirt and the bottoms of my pants completely soaked.
Unexpected to say the least and annoying.
You have been warned.
The second interesting thing I noticed is the “suicide” gag at the beginning of the Haunted Mansion appears to be back. In that previous column I noted how in the “locked room with no doors and windows” the narrator notes that in such a room, how do you get out…following which lighting flashes and we can see through the roof to an attic area. There, a figure dressed in rags is hanging from a rope, clearly the “joke” being that in a room with no doors or windows the only way out is through suicide.
During the last few trips to Disney World, that joke was considerably muted. The figure didn’t “swing” on the rope at all, but remained very stationary and thus the punchline of that particularly ghoulish joke didn’t register.
But as of yesterday, the morbid joke was back. The figure above you is clearly swinging on a rope.
For those curious, just thought you’d like to know!