Sci-Fi Fantasy Week: Willow

Welcome back travelers of yore and we shall enjoy Day 5 of Sci-Fi Fantasy Week and we will look deeply into the story arc that brought us excitement and adventure with a compelling tale of good vs. evil no matter your height and made anyone with the last name of Peck a living hell on Earth.  So saddle your horses, sharpen your blades and may your deities look upon in favor.  This is Willow.

Hmm wonder if there will be another Leprechaun flick at the ready.

High Aldwin: Magic is the bloodstream of the universe. Forget all you know, or think you know.  All that you require is your spoiler.

Star Wars creator George Lucas and writer Bob Dolman (Little Shots, Cowboy Joe, Willow, Far and Away, The Banger Sisters and How to Eat Fried Worms) create a ingenious drama about a reluctant hero, a mere dwarven farmer named Willow (Warwick Davis of Return of the Jedi, The Princess and the Dwarf,   Leprechaun, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, The Unbroken and Doctor Who) with the dreams to be a wizard from a tiny village must journey on a perilous adventure for the sake of a child.  Willow’s species are known as Nelwyns or as the humans call them, pecks.   Yes imagine the joy that could bring.  I guess if you snare four of them you have a bushel.   Moving right along; our young farmer, husband and father of two leaves with 4 warriors and the council magistrate to find a Dakini(Human) to claim the child that brought terrible danger to their village.

Jim Morrison of the Dark Ages.

The village wizard informs the lot the child is prophesied to bring down the tyranny of the heartless Queen Bavmorda (Jean Marsh of Frenzy, The Changeling and Return to Oz) and they must be wary.    Our party encounters a boastful warrior trapped in a crow’s cage (an ancient hanging gallows that allow prisoners to die of thirst or asphyxiate being high up) calling himself Madmartigan (Val Kilmer of Top Gun, Tombstone, Batman Forever, Heat Kiss Kiss Bang Bang andPlanes) and he states he will watch the baby if they let him out of his cage.  

I tell ya Earl, Helm's Deep looks festive this time of year.

Being passed over by about 300 armored warriors the party feels they have no choice but to trust this man and hands the baby to him.  Moments after such the baby has been snatched by brownies (fairy folk) and Willow chases after them to be led to the fairy queen of the forest who speaks of the child as she will be a force for good in the lands but she has chosen Willow as her protector.   

Just a few notes to make about this film offhand.   Shot with Panavision anamorphic lens and followed up with Vista Vision (a process similar to 20^th Century Fox but allows a better widescreen system to shoot onto a larger area giving a finer print) giving a better print for 35mm.  Industrial Light and Magic managed the transition shots, scale model and stop animation creatures.

Don't get short with me mister!

The director of this particular sword and sorcery saga is none other than Ron Howard (Skyward, Night Shift, Splash, Cocoon, Parenthood and Backdraft) and given his area seems to be mostly romantic drama, coming of age and edgy drama this was a real stretch out of his comfort zone to provide the world with a truly clever film with some amusing dialogue and spellbinding creatures.  The classic struggle of righteous vs. nefarious was captured rather well and I would insist that Sci-Fi Fantasy fans give it a viewing.

Superhero Week: The Incredible Hulk

Back again kids for day 2 of Superhero Week and let’s dive into a world of super science.  The in-depth look at the cause of gamma radiation and possible adverse effects it may have on a psychological and physical level.   So grab your knapsack, let’s hitchhike and above all else don’t make me angry.   This is The Incredible Hulk.

And you thought steroids are bad, avoid gamma radiation kids.

Spoilers smash puny humans!

Doctor David Bruce Banner (Bill Bixby of My Favorite Martian, The Courtship of Eddie’s Father, The Magician, Rex Harrison Presents Stories of Love and True Confessions) is making a study of untapped potential.  The ability to harness strength that resides in the human cells during times of crisis for the betterment of humanity when he is accidently received an overdose of gamma radiation.  Now with cases of extreme stress he undergoes a transmogrification of unparallel proportions.  

Hard lenses make me angry!

From a body mass change from 5’9” to 6’5” his Hyde persona a.k.a. The Hulk (Lou Ferrigno of Hercules, Trauma Center, Desert Warrior, The Incredible Hulk Returns and Sinbad of the Seven Seas) is an easily upset rampaging monster when he feels threatened or if what in his primal mind he feels is an innocent threatened.   With every new transformation, Doctor Banner awakes in a new location that the Hulk has traveled great distances to.  After faking his death and not causing more issues for loved ones and colleagues, Banner must find peace and the ability to control his rage.  Doing odd jobs in order to access scientific research for a cure, Banner is also chased by a persistent reporter, Jack McGee (Jack Colvin of Jeremiah Johnson, Rooster Cogburn, Scorpio, The Stone Killer, The Terminal Man, The Incredible Hulk Returns and Child’s Play) who is attempting to prove that Doctor Banner in fact did not die in that explosion and his Hulk persona is linked to Banner.  Banner seems to have the worst luck as he is constantly running into people with hard luck stories, being bullied or otherwise unsavory characters about.  The Hulk becomes an unsung hero in these people’s eyes.   Granted if Banner is ever caught by the authorities or let alone it gets out he is this massive beast, the charges of destruction of property, private and city alone would leave him bankrupt.

And now a few fun facts of the show.    Arnold Schwarzenegger was considered for the Hulk role but his Mr. Olympia buddy Lou was taller and more the speed they wanted to go and besides no one wanted to hear the Hulk announce he’d be back.  Bill Bixby wouldn’t let his son watch the show due to the boy’s father transforms into a large creature of rage.   Bet he would have eaten his green beans, spinach and Brussels sprouts though.  The average cost per episode was $600,000.  As the Hulk is always barefoot from ruining Banner’s loafers, Ferrigno was fitted for some Hulk green colored slippers and you can occasionally notice this in the series but don’t go looking for flubs or it will drive ya crazy.

Psst your fly's open.

This show was also one of the few shot primarily on location via Universal Studios and regions of Las Vegas so Dan Tanna, don’t make him angry. 

This is a major element of my childhood and I would dare say I never missed an episode of The Hulk at all and while this is not completely faithful to the comics in the same way the Spider-Man series had with its comic, it is still one of the best representations of live-action comic book heroes on the screen.  Yeah take that Lois and Clark!