My Favorite Version Of A Holiday Classic

In 1992, it had been eight years since the Muppets had last graced the silver screen and two years since their founder Jim Henson had passed away from pneumonia. Henson's sudden, unexpected death put off a possible sale of Kermit and friends to the Walt Disney company, but the Muppets still wound up at Disney for their next feature film production. Rather than devise an original story as had been done for the Muppets' first three theatrical outings, the creative talent behind the project turned to a classic, much-adapted piece of literature, Charles Dickens "A Christmas Carol." Among the key players bringing the film to the screen were longtime head writer of "The Muppet Show" Jerry Juhl (penning the screenplay), longtime collaborator Frank Oz (serving as executive producer and Muppet performer) and Jim Henson's son Brian (as a producer and making his feature film directorial debut).

With a source text that had been brought to both the big or small screen hundreds of times, could the Muppets bring anything new to the table? The revolutionary thing that this adaptation would do is remain remarkably faithful to Dickens' words. Juhl's screenplay casts likable weirdo Gonzo the Great as a storyteller who claims he is Charles Dickens himself. This allows large chunks of Dickens' prose to be used as narration. As his sidekick, streetwise Rizzo the Rat provides physical comedy to keep things from getting too dark and dreary and also acts as designated audience spokesperson. Together, they are our guides to what is a greatly entertaining revisiting of the 1843 book.   

At its heart, Dickens' immortal novel deals with pretty dark and weighty themes, which may seem out of place for the happy-go-lucky Muppets or any G-rated movie at all. But "The Muppet Christmas Carol" is an entertaining, moving, and remarkably atmospheric motion picture which transcends the prior expectations of a Muppet movie and stands as one of the best adaptations of the perennial tale.  The movie holds up to repeated viewings (it is an annual Christmas tradition in my house) and  delights viewers young and old alike. Caine deserves credit for bringing such a thoughtful, realistic performance as Ebenezer Scrooge. 

With the father of the Muppets gone, a dramatic, frequently-filmed text as a starting point, and the gang's self-referential, free-wheeling comedy style toned down "The Muppet Christmas Carol"  defies the odds and delivers one of the best holiday films. Needless to say, fans of either Christmas, the Muppets, Dickens, Disney or movies in general should make room in their hearts (and their DVD collections) for this excellent film.  

God Bless Us, Everyone.

Not for the Squimish

Filmmaker Danny Boyle is a risk taker. Some have worked ("Trainspotting," "Millions"), others have failed ("A Life Less Ordinary," "The Beach"), but he's remained a captivating, intrepid presence on the movie scene. "127 Hours" is perhaps his most astonishing work to date, bringing to the screen the staggeringly nightmarish true story of Aron Ralston, who found himself literally between a rock and a hard place as he fought for his life in the wilds of Utah for just over five days. Boyle uses all of his skill to make a compelling film out of this one man show. 


While "Slumdog Millionaire" was a romanticized depiction of fate, "127 Hours" brings Boyle back to Earth. This is a harrowing story of endurance, with a full commitment made to Aron's most primal urges and thoughts during his near-weeklong ordeal. Fearlessly, Boyle plunges into the mix, providing a scattered, intimate view of the situation. Boyle splashes the screen with visual flair, and the majority of the film creates a visceral, insightful experience, putting the viewer inside the claustrophobic head of a man who cannot move, trapped in a desolate place. Sustaining despair is not an option here, and Boyle keeps the film to a upbeat tempo through bold cinematographic choices and a series of jubilant soundtrack cuts. 

It might be hard to imagine how a script with such limited scope could remain interesting for more than 90 minutes, but trust that these talented people have figured out how to do it. Fair warning, though there are scenes that are not for the squeamish but the film is never gratuitous or exploitative, but it does feel very real. The fact that you grow to like Aron (thanks to James Franco's stupendous performance) means that the physical anguish has tremendous emotional impact. "127 Hours" is a genuine must-see. 

Dancing on the Edge

Darren Aronofsky’s trippy, hallucinatory, sexual and psychological opus moves to its own intense rhythm. It defies expectation and busts convention while embracing Douglas Sirk levels of melodrama.  Working from a deceptively simple script written by Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz and John McLaughlin, Aronofsky continues to dives into the world of the human psyche. Whether he’s dealing with genius ("Pi"), drug abuse ("Requiem for a Dream") or aging dreams of athletic glory long gone ("The Wrestler") Aronofsky concentrates on character allowing his striking visuals to boost the emotional connection.  Portman is extraordinary. She enters an emotional minefield so complex and layered that you wonder how she came through filming intact.

And yet, part of me still feels distant from this. There is a slight disconnect, something keeping me from embracing the picture as fully as I’d like. Don't get me wrong. This is a sensational piece of work containing what I think maybe the performance of the year. It is a movie I cannot wait to see again and the longer I think about it the more positive I am this is a psycho-sexual new age ballerina masterpiece close to being on par with "The Red Shoes." Aronofsky has challenged me, moved me and perplexed me, making "Black Swan" a dreamlike enigma I can’t wait to devour again.

Voldemort Strikes Back

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" begins the conclusion to the wizard's saga. The seventh book in author J.K. Rowling's magical opus has been chopped into two feature films to properly tell the story, and capture some additional box office dollars. The movies have become Cliff Notes versions of the novels, providing the proper plot while lacking the shading and detail present in Rowling's writing.

Director David Yates and screenwriter Steve Kloves use the additional time to concentrate on the characters and force them from the safety of Hogwarts and into the treacherous Muggle world. Instead of the comfy corridors of their familiar school, Harry, Ron and Hermione trek through forbidding forests and inhospitable coastlines in their search for the remaining Horcruxes. The locations bring a new reality to our heroes and open the scope of the pictures that had begun to feel stuck in the studio.

The film earns its PG-13 rating by raising the dramatic stakes, as beloved characters are killed off unexpectedly and sexual jealousies threaten the trio's unity. There are furious wand shot-outs,including a standout magical gunfight in a London cafe where Harry realizes that there are no safe havens.

While there's plenty of room to tell a bleak story of impending war, Yates and Kloves equally appreciate spots of silent reflection, giving characters the opportunity to sit down and contemplate the journey ahead, with the passage of time emphasizing the doubt that is developing within them. Previous films would have jettisoned these moments, but the film is richer with their inclusion. After six movies at breakneck pace, it's refreshing to sit with Harry and observe him coming to terms with his fate, while offering unexpected acts of friendship (and impromptu dances) with those close to him.

The trio of actors has matured into their roles brilliantly and it has been a pleasure to see them improve in their craft. Radcliffe and Watson show a maturity and emotional range beyond their years and Grint has become comedic gold. A horde of famous faces return to fill out the community of wizards, villians and ghouls, though nobody sticks around very long.

"Deathly Hollows" remains an engaging fantasy film, with a suspenseful set-piece where our heroes infiltrate the Ministry of Magic and a unique animated sequence that explains the origin of the titular objects. The audience is given "The Empire Strikes Back" ending that finds Voldemort at the height of his powers.  This nervy entry in the franchise wisely matures with the fanbase and builds some momentum for the furious final stand .

Keep Watching the Skies

"Skyline" is a riff on the "Cloverfield" experience, only without the found footage approach and produced on a smaller budget that keeps the FX within reason. It's basically the same premise: uncharismatic twentysomethings with insipid soap opera problems are faced with extraordinarily destructive extraterrestrial visitation, forced into escape attempts and survival mode while military forces assemble their pathetic efforts. Toss in ingredients pilfered from innumerable alien invasion features of similar ilk, and "Skyline" is one derivative motion picture that is unable to rise above its origins.

The film marks the return of Greg and Colin Strause to the directors chair, a few years after their disastrous turn at the helm of the Aliens vs. Predator franchise with the loathsome 2007 picture, Requiem. A major force in the special effects industry, they decided to play to their strengths for a follow-up, shunning Hollywood to make a low-budget creature feature on their own, allowing them to slash costs and dictate tone without studio interference. It's a laudable idea, yet the siblings fail to make a compelling thrill ride with this would-be franchise. The Brothers Strause have no sense of visual tension, trusting ineffective actors to communicate end of the world panic. Unfortunately this bland group is not up to the task. The siblings seek to amaze with their budget bonanza, staging flaccid action as the aliens chase the humans around the complex every 15 minutes or so, offering cheap thrills sans excitement. The CG elements are satisfying in a SyFy Channel sort of way, but the pursuit is drab, again requiring these unappealing actors to sell the enormity of the effects. A sense of grand scale just isn't there, and for a film like "Skyline", reminding the viewer they're watching a second-rate product isn't the brightest idea.

Early Morning Broadcast News

I find this poster so cute.

"Morning Glory" has a welcome spring in its step, supplied visually by director Roger Michell ("Notting Hill"), lending the antics a wonderfully crisp appearance with careful composition that adds a certain whimsical feel. "Morning Glory" is part comedy, part romance, and sprinkled with some biting satire on the morning news biz. It's a tricky tone to sustain and it's amazing how well the director spins the plates for the first two acts of the film, bringing the audience into the situations.

Selling the humor with tremendous comedic timing is McAdams, who gives an atypically impassioned performance as the center of the producing storm. Registering fear, compassion, and Blackberry-engrossed distraction, the actress makes for believable television wrangler, using her diminutive size to reinforce the impossible task ahead. McAdams also makes an unlikely sparring partner with Ford, who turns his bewildering growl into a refined comedic instrument, portraying a pigheaded newsman facing a dire future of cooking segments and celebrity interviews, counting on booze and his acidic put downs to keep him going. Ford is exquisite at creating a battle of wills chemistry with McAdams and Keaton, who's mostly pushed into the background.

When "Morning Glory" catches a wave of satire and farce, it's an engrossing, amusing feature. The romantic subplot between McAdams' Becky and the vanilla Patrick Wilson bears little fruit and stops the movie dead in its tracks. More convincing are the young producer's battles with Ford, working a subplot that slowly reveals a vulnerability to the veteran, tenderly paying off their bickering relationship. The film's ending is a contrived movie convention and if the filmmakers taken a different approach to the same conclusion the movie would have been even better. 

Twelve Cabins, Twelve Vacancies

Hitchcock broke innumerable rules with his first entry in the horror genre. The film's lead abruptly changes from Leigh to Perkins, with early scenes of a foolish rich braggart and a suspicious policeman proving to be red herrings. The film opens with an unmarried couple in a sleazy motel room (very risque in 1960) and was the first film to show a flushing toilet. Touches of Hitchcock's black humor are spread throughout the film. There's also the shop customer who doesn't want her garden insects to suffer from poison. Norman makes endless double-meaning references to his mental condition and relationship with his mother. All of this adds to the pleasure of seeing the film again. You know all the surprises but you notice the bits of business in the background. Plus Anthony Perkins performance is among the most amazing in film history. Perkins had previously made a mark in "Friendly Persuasion," "Fear Strikes Out" and "On The Beach" but he will be forever identified as the twitchy motel owner Norman Bates. When the car stops submerging halfway in the swamp,the audience sees Norman's nervous indecision and is breathless for a moment until the car continues to sink. Bernard Hermann's iconic score is unusual as it consists entirely of strings.

"Psycho" was a major change from recent Hitchcock films, which were big budget Technicolor films featuring major stars such as James Stewart and Cary Grant. In contrast, "Psycho" was a low budget movie filmed on the Universal back lot using crew from Hitchcock's television series. However, it became one of the biggest grossing films of the year and was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Director, Best Supporting Actress (Leigh), Best B & W Cinematography (John L. Russell) and Best Art Direction. It failed to win any Oscars, which were largely swept by Billy Wilder's The Apartment (1960). 

Random trivia: Hitchcock tested the shock value of the mummified remains of Mother by placing them in Janet Leigh's dressing room, strategically placed to be seen when she first turned on the light. John Gavin, who plays Leigh's boyfriend, later became the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico. Perkins was not present for the filming of the shower scene. As it was among the last things shot Perkins had finished his part and was appearing in a play on Broadway so an unknown stand-in replaced him as Mother Bates. 

Standing in the Middle of Nowhere....

It is always dangerous to go into a documentary about a subject you love with expectations. I love the Kinks so it may have been inevitable that "Do It Again," the new documentary about music journalist Geoff Edgers' attempt to reunite the combustable group,  is one of the more disappointing films in recent memory. Billed here in passing as "the Kinks movie," it has, in fact, precious little to do with the Kinks. A film about an attempt to reunite the feuding Davies brothers would be interesting unfortunately the focus is on Edgers' effort born from the crisis of turning 40 and cutbacks at his job with the Boston Globe. Along the way Edgars does land interviews with artists including Sting, Peter Weller of the Jam, Robyn Hitchcock and Zooey Deschanel (who once again became my favorite Deschanel sister by singing "David Watts" from memory) but they have very little to do with his quest.  Unfortunately Edgers lacks the charisma necessary to carry a film where the objects of his affection may not appear. His adolescent fanboy longing to play a song with the reunited band quickly becomes tiresome. Plus his bitching that Kinks frontman Ray Davies is elusive and refuses to be interviewed is all the more off-putting. Ray created a narrator who interviews an older version of himself for his autobiographer. Does this sound like a man interested in airing his personal life in public? Any fan knows that Ray does not seek publicity. The film falls into a contemporary trap familiar from the overzealous documentarians who become personalities in their own films and that is where the film fails.

Zooey sings "David Watts" while Edgers plays guitar badly.

Slapstick Death

Wait a minute, someone must be pulling my leg...the guy who owns Segway (James Heselden) goes off a cliff while riding on a Segway and plunges into a river, killing himself? 

This is the kind of comically absurd death that Blake Edwards might have invented for one of his '60s or '70s farces. The man's death is tragic but it does make you chuckle in an abstract way. You picture a grainy black and white image straight out of a Buster Keaton two-reeler.

Films have been able to make death funny when keeping  the particulars vague and emphasizing the random bad luck that goes into suddenly being killed -- its inevitability, illogic, lack of fairness.

There's a moment in John Frankenheimer's "The Train" when a bespectacled German sergeant wakes up from a nap in a caboose on a stalled train, opens up the rear door and sees another train heading right for him. He barely has time to react before the crash decimates the caboose.  Why is this funny? Because of the timing of the cuts and the fact that we don't see the sergeant suffer.

There's another moment in Mike Nichols' "Day of the Dolphin" when a dolphin plants a magnetized bomb on the hull of a yacht carrying a group of scheming bad guys. Cut to a shot of them sitting around a poker table. One of the baddies -- a young dolphin trainer who has betrayed his colleagues -- hears a sound, gets up, goes to a porthole and sees the dolphin swimming away. He puts two and two together, goes "oh, shit" and BLAM! It's funny because of the editing, and the way the actor delivers the "oh, shit" line. If it hadn't been done just so it wouldn't have worked.

The Top 5 Fall Films

There's a chill in the morning air. The leaves have started to fall. This could only mean the beginning of the next cycle of films to spin through your local cinema. Here is a quick list of 5 movies that I'll be seeing opening weekend. By the way I'm only including films from September, October and the beginning of November. Thanksgiving is the start of the Winter film season no matter what Entertainment Weekly says.

5) The Town (September 17th) Who would have thought that Ben Affleck would turn out to be one of the brightest young directors in Hollywood. He follows up the excellent "Gone BabyGone" with this crime thriller set in his hometown of Boston. The cast is strong featuring Jon Hamm, Rebecca Hall and Jeremy Renner. But has Affleck overextended himself by taking the lead role? We shall see.

4) Buried (September 24th) Before he saves the universe next summer as a member of the Green Lantern Corps. Ryan Reynolds stretches his acing muscles by starring in this unique thriller.   Reynolds plays a U.S. contractor in Iraq who is kidnapped and finds himself buried inside a coffin with only a lighter and cell phone. The entire film takes place inside the coffin. The film was shot on the cheap very quickly so there is little risk but if it works it could lead to meatier dramatic roles for Reynolds and I like to see actors take chances.

3) 127 Hours (November 19th) Oddly, another solo acting gig but this one is directed by Danny Boyle so I'm hoping for some fantastic visuals.  In this true life story James Franco plays a mountain climber who cuts off his own arm to free himself from a boulder that had trapped him. Not sure how that will translate to film but even Boyle's failures ("Sunshine," "Life Less Ordinary" and "The Beach") are interesting. 

2) Red (October 15) This looks like a fun change of pace and much better than the last film based on a hitman graphic novel "Wanted". Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirran, John Malkovich, Brian Cox, Mary-Louise Parker, Karl Urban, Richard Dreyfuss and Earnest Borgnine make a formidable cast and they appear to be in on the joke (unlike the crew from "The Expendables".)  When motivated no one is better than Willis at melding action and comedy.

1) The Social Network (October 1st) Early reviews from the Toronto Film Festival for Dad Fincher's opus on the creation of Facebook have been gushing Valentines. Fincher's body of work has been a mixed bag for me. After a unimpressive debut with "Alien 3" he has directed classics ("Seven" and "Zodiac") and failures ("The Game" and "Panic Room")  but his work is always pushing the boundaries of cinema in new and interesting directions. The youthful cast has all ready nabbed some of the most sought after roles in Hollywood. Andrew Garfield is the new Peter Parker in the spider-Man reboot and Rooney Mara nabbed the title role in the American remake of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" also directed by Fincher. 

American Hitman Picnics in Italy

Anton Corbijn's "The American" is a soothing art piece that respects the audience's intelligence but never fully connects on any emotional level. The cinematography is photography is exquisite and the whole affair feels like a lost film from Antonioni. Anyone expecting a slam bang action thriller will be disappointed as the film is more a meditation on paranoia. Clooney does a fine job as a man unable to live because he's forced to use all his wits in order to avoid the predators that he knows are after him.

Machete Don't Text

 

Robert Rodriguez's latest callback to the golden age of grindhouse is pretty entertaining, even if it's not really very good. The movie is essentially is a two-minute joke expanded to an overlong 105 minutes just like the films based on a SNL skit. Trejo isn't an actor with very much range and Machete should be in his wheelhouse but he lacks the charisma to be an effective leading man. A doughy looking Steven Seagal is out acted by his shoe polish black hairpiece.

French Goodfellas

Jean-François Richet’s "Mesrine: Killer Instinct" is an explosive, non-stop action thriller detailing an incredible series of transcontinental crimes, all perpetrated by one man. The tale would scarcely be credible even in a Hollywood movie but it is true. Vincent Cassel is an imposing presence, dangerously charming with women, controlled in his fury but reckless in his targets, and he’s very capably supported by partners in crime Gilles Lellouche, Roy Dupuis and Cécile de France. Gérard Depardieu is surprisingly restrained, wisely sitting back and letting Cassel handle the lead. Don't be scared off by the subtitles. This is one of the best films of the year.

The Past Edited for Your Safety

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Disney will release the classic film Fantasia on Blu-ray on November 30th. The release will include all the bells and whistles that collectors have come to expect. But, as with previous DVD releases, the character known as the black centaurette will be removed from "The Pastrol Symphony" sequence via a digital zoom. I have mixed feelings on this.

As a film geek, I'd love to see the original sequence included as a seamless branching option. But in today's PC climate, I understand why Disney would want to sidestep any potential controversy. It's the same reason why we will never see a official release of Song of the South. The racial image would overshadow the release. Disney should release both films uncensored in special editions that address the subject of racism in classic Hollywood films head on with features that examine how far we have come and how far we have yet to go. But in today's talking-head, 24-hour newscycle media, some group would stir up a shitstorm and use the films as an opportunity to grab headlines. History should never be sanitized for the public. These things happened, and to bury past errors is wrong. But to view them in context appears to be beyond the ability or inclination of most people. So while I do understand Disney's decision, it is unfortunate that we have not progressed to the point where we can acknowledge past mistakes and civilly discuss them.
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Performance Capture: Pre-Digital Age

James Cameron’s blockbuster Avatar may feature photorealistic aliens, but for my money, the most magical special effects were created by a single man: Ray Harryhausen.  He brought to life some of the most memorable creatures in film history without the assistance of computers.

The master at work.

I was first introduced to Harryhausen’s work in the second grade when I borrowed the picture book Creatures! from my school’s library. The title was part of a book series that featured entries on Dracula, the Wolfman, Frankenstein’s Monster, and even King Kong. These books were very popular with the boys in my class, and you had to be quick to grab one during our weekly library visit. The photos included in this entry were magnificent and sent my imagination into overdrive. There were pictures of sword-wielding skeletons, a Hydra, a dinosaur attacking a rollercoaster, a giant octopus destroying the Golden Gate Bridge, flying saucers destroying Washington, D.C., and the most mind-blowing of all--an alien fighting an elephant! I felt a primal need to see these films. How could such wondrous images exist and I have yet to see them? I copied the titles from the index and in those pre-home video days would scan the television listings every Sunday hoping against hope that one would appear.
Luckily I didn’t have to wait long as my local UHF channel aired a double feature of Jason and the Argonauts and The 7^th Voyage of Sinbad a few months later. I sat (too close to our console television) totally transfixed as formally static pictures now moved and interacted with real actors. Harryhausen’s creations were things of beauty and horror. The image of the Cyclops cooking a sailor on a spit over a fire haunted my nightmares for months.

I couldn't find a picture with the sailor strapped to the spit.

The Golden Voyage of Sinbad provided me not only with thrilling creatures and swashbuckling action but was the source of my first crush. Caroline Munro was so beautiful that she almost outshined Harryhausen’s work. My 7-year-old self felt oddly uncomfortable sitting next to his mother. Ms. Munro haunted my dreams as well…but that is another story.

As the years went by my admiration for Harryhausen only grew as I learned the secrets of stop motion. He designed, sculpted, and animated the creatures himself. I was flabbergasted by the fact that one minute of footage could take days to complete. How could one man have the patience and the skill to animate these fantastic sequences one frame at a time?  The man was a complete genius and could do no wrong.  I was appalled to learn that none of his films had ever been nominated nor won the Academy Award for Special Effects.  In my eyes, this was a greater sin than Hitchcock never winning Best Director. After all, did Hitch ever choreograph a fight between mythological creatures? The Academy did award Harryhausen the Gordon E. Sawyer Award for contributions to the technology of moviemaking in 1992, and I cheered this overdue recognition.

Long overdue

Harryhausen’s films are the fertile field where imaginations grow. Many artists cite one of his creations as the inspiration for their art. The Cyclops fight with the dragon; the statue of Talos coming to life; Jason fighting the many-headed Hydra; the Kraken rising to destroy Jappa; the terrifying Medusa stalking Perseus; the six-armed, sword-wielding goddess Kali; the Ymir; and numerous others--- classic images that transport many of us to our childhood.  I’ve purchased these films on VHS, laserdisc, DVD, Blu-ray and will pay to have them directly downloaded to my brain without regret when that technology comes on the market, because they are timeless reminders of what one man can accomplish with creativity and patience.

Watch more movies! Demands Medusa.

The first bite draws blood. Blood draws the pack.

Piranha 3D embraces its exploitation roots with buckets of gore, plenty of nudity, and the gimmick of 3-D. Seriously, of the recent spat of 3-D films, this is the one smart enough to know that it is best used as cinematic exclamation points. The strong cast is in on the joke and plays it straight. Not only do we have Elizabeth Shue playing one heck of a foxy MILF sheriff, but we’ve got Ving Rhames as her deputy, Jerry O’Connell as the Girls Gone Wild wannabe scumbag, Richard Dreyfuss reprising his role from Jaws (seriously, if you don’t smile the instant you see him on screen, you’re not a true movie geek), and Christopher Lloyd as the exposition-spouting pet store owner who just happens to have a handy piranha fossil in his office. Nobody does a data dump like Christopher Lloyd. He chews up the scenery the way the piranha chew up flesh. Highly recommended so long as you have the stomach for it.

Lawrence of Arabia Screening

On Thursday September 2nd, the Ambler Theater is screening Lawrence of Arabia, a film that demands to be seen in the theater on a big screen. My first viewing was during the theatrical run of the fully restored version in 1992, and the film was projected in glorious 70 mm. This showing will be 35 mm but still better than most home theaters.

Welcome to my Nutshell

The title of my blog comes from Shakespeare's "Hamlet."

How pretentious of me.

The full quote is: "I could be bounded in a nutshell, and count myself a king of infinite space," and I think that describes the desire to blog. . Here I am King. Outside of this little corner of cyberspace, not so much. But here, I rule, so I'll post various ramblings on a variety of subjects. Will it be interesting? Maybe. Am I merely another voice shouting in the wilderness? Most likely. So take my hand loyal reader and let's hope for the best.