Superhero Film Week: Batman

Howdy howdy boys and girls of all age and welcome back to Day 2 of Superhero Film Week.  We usher through the corridors of time to provide you with yet another film of my childhood. In the far far away time of 1989 I was given the option of watching two blockbuster hits and fortunately I chose the one I did first.  With action, explosions, hits, jabs, japes and a decent soundtrack by Prince and Danny Elfman.  So strap on your utility belt, toss the bat shark repellent and fire your atomic batteries.   This is Batman.

 

Gotham can be a drag at times.

Where does he get those wonderful spoilers?

Based on the written works of Bob Kane (creator of Batman, Courageous Cat and Cool McCool) Director Tim Burton (Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, Batman Returns, Ed Wood, Planet of the Apes and Big Fish) was offered this directorial after his ranging success with Pee-wee’s Big Adventure.  With former Oingo Boingo lead man turned composer Danny Elfman; this dynamic duo set to make movie history.  

When fighting crime, always make an entrance.

With a town steep in corruption and people turning a blind eye, one man strives to take back the night from the criminals allowing the city to sleep restfully.   With the efforts of District Attorney Harvey Dent (Billy Dee Williams of Hit!, The Take, The Empire Strikes Back, Nighthawks and Return of the Jedi) and Police Commissioner Gordon (Pat Hingle of Hang ‘Em High, Gunsmoke, The Carey Treatment, One Little Indian, Batman Returns and The Quick and the Dead) they build a case against the Capo that holds the town in a strangle hold of fear, Carl Grissom (Jack Palance of Arrowhead, Shane, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Tango &Cash, City Slickers and Treasure Island).  

Grissom feels threatened and sends his number one guy Jack Napier (Jack Nicholson of Five Easy Pieces, Chinatown, The Shining, A Few Good Men, Hoffa, As Good as It Gets and Something’s Gotta Give) and some of his other cronies to raid a front company Axis Chemicals.  Circulating through the underworld and the newspapers is mentioned an urban legend of a human bat roaming the rooftops and streets.  Jack and crooks are rousted by the cops and a shoot out occurs when a Batman (Michael Keaton of Night Shift, Mr. Mom,  Beetlejuice, Speechless, Desperate Measures, and White Noise) appears, thumps the villains and lobs Jack into a vat of chemicals by accident.  Days later Jack survives but is disfigured both mind and face.  He calls himself the Joker and proceeds to rain havoc on Gotham.  Can this vigilante be the dark hero; this knight errant that can save Gotham from this raving lunatic?

 

Yes kiddies, botox has side effects.

Yes I have a few things to interject.  Budgeted at 35 million, this was Warner Brothers (and sister) studios attempt at capturing the same moxy that Superman brought them with the first two films.  After Superman III and Superman IV: Quest for Peace, there was not much hope to breathe life into another comic book movie and this one soared at clearing $251 million at the box office on top of another $150,500,000 in rentals in the states alone.   VHS rentals went through the roof and it is still widely regarded as one of the best interpretations of the Batman saga.

Superhero Film Week: Superman

Howdy readers and welcome to a glimpse into my childhood movie days.  While it is not in Technicolor you will see these films are of yesteryear.  I feel we should kick out the jams with my first superhero film I encountered on the big screen.  Yes he stands for truth, justice and the American way.  So by that he agrees with big oil and Christian fundamentalists?    Maybe not but I am keeping an eye on this fly boy.  So grab your tights, enjoy that flight harness and hope the swimmers’ cup block some of the view from your undies.   This is Superman the Movie.

 

I told you refractive gray suits would be all the rage this season.

  SPOILERSSBURGG??!!!

This vision of Superman was conceived by Illya Salkind (executive producer of Bluebeard, The Three Musketeers, The Four Musketeers: Milady’s Revenge, The Twist, Superman II, Superman III, Supergirl and The Adventures of Superboy) with screen writers Mario Puzo (The Godfather, Earthquake, Superman II, A Time to Die, The Cotton Club and The Last Don), David Newman (Bonnie and Clyde, Bad Company, Superman II and Jinxed!), Leslie Newman (Superman, Superman II, Superman III, Santa Claus and Takedown) and Robert Benton (Bonnie and Clyde, What’s Up, Doc?, Kramer vs. Kramer, Still of the Night and Places in the Heart).   This was to be the end all Hollywood production for a superhero film.  In 1973 the first write up was considered too campy so it got pushed back by director Richard Donner , a TV and TV movie director primarily but had finished the horror film The Omen when he was given the helm for Superman after Guy Hamilton bowed out.

Batman's guide on how to pick up chicks is paying off.

He found the script to be hokey and demanded a script doctor to nurse this film back to health.   The film depicts Kal-El (Superman) as an infant in Krypton being sent away from his doomed home world and jettisoned to Earth landing in a farmer’s field of Kansas.  Being his biological makeup differs from ours he developed amazing powers and his adopted parents strive to teach him to use them only for good.  

With a budget of $55 million on the table tensions were pretty high between Donner and his producers.   Initially it was decided to film both the first and its sequel alongside one another but Donner finished ¾ of the principal photography of the second film then devoted all his time into the first.   Box office earnings fell under $300 million worldwide and Warner Brothers knew they had a cash cow to rake it in for years to come…if they knew how to manage and recapture the same genie in the bottle.

At least I don't have an annoying nephew...yet.

Yeah a few comments to be had now.  With a series of accomplished actors to the caliber of Glenn Ford, Jackie Cooper, Gene Hackman, Phyllis Thaxter and Ned Beatty, numerous actors were considered for the part of Superman/Clark Kent: Warren Beatty, Robert Redford, Nick Nolte, Jeff Bridges, Ryan O’Neal and even Robert Wagner. Ultimately producer Ilya Salkind cast a unknown actor at the time who had only done a soap opera TV credit and one movie called Gray Lady Down.  This movie truly launched not only Superman but Christopher Reeves (Somewhere in Time, Deathtrap, Monsignor, The Aviator,Street Smart and The Rose and the Jackal)onto a TV and film career.

Superhero Film Week

Hello readers and before you start showing me the signs of the cross or the extremely cross allow me to explain.  The films I refer such are more remnants of my childhood harking back to the 70's to latter 80's.  Yes I am THAT old.   Okay the reasons behind this is with all the green screen and CGI era we should appreciate the humble beginnings of superimposed photography, blue screen and scale model of various size. From an era of my youth that encompasses Omega Man to Raiders of the Lost Ark gives us a rounded look of stunt work, explosions and some corny writing.  Pulp Fiction based characters such as Doc Savage, Kurok the Dinosaur Hunter and of course Tarzan, Lord of the Apes.
 

Can't twist my neck but at least you can understand me.

I hope this week will shed light to these filming days but should also make my younger readers snicker. 10 to 1 most of you have seen these films before and yes as always we will go over them in detail.

Farscape Week: Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars

Hey there readers that cannot find something better to look at.  How do.   It is Day 5 of Farscape Week and well I am afraid I am out of seasons to review.  See the pudding heads at Sci-Fi Channel felt there were just not enough Nielsen ratings for Season 3 to warrant a Season 4.  After a massive e-mail and boards campaign Season 4 was created…but again Sci-fi had its doubts on a Season 5. Yup not a scrap left.  However…I do happen to have a mini-series that would be considered the finale of the Farscape universe.   So sharpen your Qualta Blade, charge your pulse pistols and take up defensive positions.   This is Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars.

Give on to me some sugar, my dear.

The spoiler to victory, the violent path to peace…

With a rather nasty laz weapon that crystallizes its targets thus breaking down its molecular structure, it must mean curtains for John Crichton and Aeryn Sun…or does it? DUN DUN DA DUN!!!!    Well as luck would have it, the blatant bounty hunter attack of Season 4 didn’t turn out as tragic as we all thought. Our two wayward star crossed lovers are then decrystalized and brought back to carbon based life form selves.  Huzzah!!!   However… upon the collection of said nuggets of Crichton and Sun Dominar Rigel XVII accidently swallowed a particular element that tis a Crichton bun in the oven.  Yup you guessed it kiddies poor Rigel has to carry said baby almost to term.   For those just tuning in; the Peacekeeper and the talking money i.e. human have been bumping pelvises.

Oh jeez...Jedi cosplayers.

Commandant Grayza is committing all forces to engage the Scarrans and I ain’t talking a courtship.   As both Scorpius and Crichton are linked via device, Scorpius sets out to find John to once again persuade him to make the wormhole weapon deterrent.   Try as Moya’s crew may, they simply cannot find a safe harbor from this impending war.   John feels he cannot raise his child and love his new wife in a galaxy hell bent on destroying itself.

With the weight of multiple worlds on his back, his friends and lover’s lives in the balance John urges the crew on what can only be construed as an insane quest to bring both factions to a closure and ensure peace.

I have just a few points about this mini-series.  After Season 4 was begrudged on the screen, Sci-Fi channel wanted out of the Farscape business and for months the fans were losing their collective marbles, chomping at the bit waiting to see if we would have a Season 5.   Brian Henson refused to let this saga end on a flat note and lobbied for a mini-series instead to finish the story arc.  Many months of hand holding, courting and cajoling he finally got approved and Jim Henson Productions had not been idle in creating creatures, maintaining armors and prop weapons galore.  

Many Bothans died to bring us this information.

Brian Henson stated in a interview while he loved the creations his father had made and all the adventures that were given life he truly wanted to have that same luck of sparking imagination and capturing hearts.  While it took him twelve years to accomplish it, I think he managed rather nicely.

  

250th Blog Baybee!! Farscape Week: Farscape Season 4

Salutations my whimsical readers and behold it is Day 4 of Farscape Week.  Journey with me to the echelon of time and space as our outlaw heroes would do battle with their ever increasing foes…okay this is starting to sound like an old timey radio show or possibly a serial from the 1930’s.   Sorry about that.    Okay without all the hype and nonsense this time.  This is Farscape Season 4.

Space is for snoggin'...

Utu-Noranti Pratalong: Peace can only be maintained if there is spoiler…

Months on his own, Crichton has done nothing but obsess over Aeryn and of course wormholes.  With his module’s fuel depleted and friends scattered all over the galaxies he has a lot of time on his hands. Finally working out the necessary power requirements and mathematics, John has cracked wormhole theory as he stays on board a leviathan nearing her end of days.   Before he can really celebrate a young woman Sikozu (Raelee Hill of Neighbours, Shark Bay, Water Rats, Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars and Superman Returns) breaks into the leviathan claiming to be an expert on the subject matter and informs scruffy Crichton he must leave but she is considered expendable by her own patrons.  She has no choice but to throw in her lot with the crew of Moya in order to avoid angering even more people.

Damn Space hog!! Turn left!!!!

After the bone head with the wormhole tech lab and Moya’s crew escaping, Scorpius has been demoted by one Commandant Grayza (Rebecca Riggs of Space: Above and Beyond, Alien Cargo, The Day of the Roses and Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars) who after attempting to snare and capture Crichton, she promises him a lofty position as director of Peacekeeper Science division and apparently a place in her bed.  Yowza, right??

After a few experimentations John has made it back to Earth after 9-11 and of course the planet is a bit more paranoid but absolutely fascinated by Crichton’s crewmates.  Speculations, talk show hosts and panels of experts are babbling non-stop about these amazing life forms.  John cannot help but feel Earth is so much smaller than he remembered.  He almost feels like Earthlings are still in an infantile stage in the grand scheme of things and journeys back with his friends to space to stop the upcoming crisis.  

 

Okay, okay no more dutch rubs..(silently) big baby.

Just a quick few story notions that came up this season.   In the beginning, Crichton is viewed as this weak, pathetic backwater planet dweller and he has earned the respect of his crew under blood and sweat.  This has been a bumpy destination for all of the crew, each longing for the long journey’s end and yet they know in their collective hearts that they may never see one another again.   Fighting with each other, different species and trained warriors; our outlaw heroes have made this bold transverse and have changed for the better and worst as with all great quests.  One thing is for certain and it is no one of this story is truly who they were in the start of it all.

Farscape Week: Farscape Season 3

Howdy readers.  Back for day 3 of Farscape Week and the seasons just keep the same drive as from the beginning.  Let’s just see how our gang of outlaw heroes is doing this time around.     Holster your blaster, prep your module and for the love of God use evasive maneuvers.   This is Farscape Season 3.

That sort of thing happens to men your age.

John Crichton: Well, you gotta know how deep the spoiler is, Ryg, if you’re gonna dig your way out.

Last season Scorpius experimented on Crichton finding deep within his subconscious that he has knowledge of the wormhole phenomenon or most specifically how to create one through artificial means.   The crew amassed another passenger name of Chiana (Gigi Edgley of The Day of the Roses, BlackJack, The Secret Life of Us, Stingers and Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars) and rescued a slave name of Stark (Paul Goddard of Sons and Daughters, Bullseye, Dead to the World, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie and Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars). 

This VR system kicks butt guys!

 On a frozen wasteland in the uncharted territories, a less than legitimate doctor attempts to remove a Scorpius device from Crichton’s brain and save his mind.   The Peacekeepers and Scarrans are mounting tensions in almost every sector of the known galaxies ranging from underhanded dealings to full on skirmish ground and space battles.    Planets are in fear of their very lives on which faction will ultimately reign supreme. 

The crew of Moya struggles to reunite with one another after parting the year prior.  6 months have lapsed and our team has gone separate ways to avoid Peacekeeper detection and agreed to meet back up, however each of them had different adventures and lives as well.   They start pining for their homes and make it back to their former lives.

Aeryn and John become…close and each cannot fully express the changes in their lives as they struggle with love, fleeing from capture and ensuring a place for each other.  Ka D’Argo and Chiana seem to be fascinated with one another regardless of the difference of their species.  Passions run deep in the halls of Moya as Moya has birthed a child vessel of her own but it is unlike any other leviathan for it has biological energy weapons and a temper that needs to be curbed.

Just a few points of observation for you this time around.   Between the green screen, CGI and amazing puppet creations of Jim Henson Creatures this show keeps pushing the boundaries of imagination and astound us further with this wonderful mesh of animatronics and computer generation.  The creatures and villains truly stand out by comparison to even the Roddenberry creations and those are difficult to match let alone surpass. 

Told you they wouldn't like that nun joke.

From the brilliant design of ships, settlements and this growing cast, the stories are clever, witty and dramatic.  From comedies to serious drama in a science fiction genre, this show manages to keep things fresh.  Shot mostly in 35mm digital these episodes are almost movie worthy in that regards.

Forgive me for this being a biased review but I am enamored with this series.

Farscape Week: Farscape Season 2

Howdy folks and welcome back to Farscape Week.  We last we left our escapees and captive human, the Peacekeepers were in hot pursuit and several of the backwater planets seem to be less than hospitable.

Crichton is left without a change of new undies, some football and no Star Trek shows.    This is Farscape Season 2.

Gentlemen cosplaying stormtroopers is lame!

John Cricthon: You wanna have a mid-life crisis? Fine. That- Just…ditch the firm, head off to Maui, shack up with a supermodel, but you do not get to keep the Spoiler.

Narrowly evading capture from the Peacekeepers our nefarious crew strives to avoid too many conflicts and get home.  John is paired up with his alien comrades: The Luxan warrior Ka D’ Argo (Anthony Simcoe of The Castle, Dogwoman: Dead Dog Walking, BlackJack, Marking Time, Solo and Nim’s Island) former Peackeeper commando Aeryn Sun (Claudia Black of A Country Practice, City Life, Pitch Black, God of War and Stargate SG-1), Hynerian exiled ruler Dominar Rigel the XVI (voiced by Jonathan Hardy of The Devil’s Playground, The Mango Tree, Mad Max, The Delinquents and Bloodmoon) and Delvian priestess Pa’u Zotoh Zhaan (Virginia Hey of Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, Timeslip, Neighbours, Vietnam and Dolphin Cove) journey through the stars, visit worlds of unknown origin and get mixed up in more hijinks than the Scooby gang ever could. 

I said I am sorry I was motorboating you!!

 Their mode of transportation Moya is a leviathan, a living spaceship whose species is accustomed to transporting and serving others.  A means to the end in experiencing all the space has to offer.  Every ship must have its pilot and that is all the multi-tendrilled creature that interfaces with Moya is known as.

Aeryn Sun’s former commanding officer Captain Crias (Lani Tupu of Police Rescue, Heart of Fire, The Lost World, Green Sails and Lantana) hunts Crichton down well out of his assigned sector of space with a vengeance.   Enter our newest villain/lawman Scorpius (Wayne Pygram of Doing Time for Patsy Cline, Big Sky, Risk, The Lost World, Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars and All Saints) who assumes command of Crais’s ship but allows Crais to appear in charge. 

Yes I have observations to share.  This season we get to see a truly noteworthy character in that of Scorpius.  Initially you get the Sithlord feel from him but you find that he is so much more than a Lord Vader archetype in that he truly believes his cold and heartless exterior is needed to keep order in the galaxies but has vast depths to what made him the man he is. There is even some flashback sequences for Scorpius to better round out the character.     

EW the Luxan beefed!

We also become aware of the biggest Peacekeeper fear; the Scarrans.  A reptilian humanoid that can admit a focused heat wave to the point of 3^rd degree burns and even death, these monsters are by far some of the very best to come out of the Jim Henson Creatures production.   Upper body prosthetics, animatronic puppeteering with full facial and ocular movement; these nasties stand at about 7 feet tall, washboard abs worthy of 300 and overall menacing appearance.