Dear Fellow Cinemaniacs,
Yes, it is not only the return of The Friday Matinee (Or, if you will, Son Of Friday Matinee,) but my first serious effort to do this once a week as a writing exercise that may inform you of just what you may be missing out there on that Friday afternoon. You may remember that the Friday Matinee began in practice as a means by which my wife and I manage to spend some time together once a week and has evolved sporadically into fits of written criticism that has been vomited over the Internet to, so far, as many as two other people. (Whom we will recognize as TFM Cadet Captains Casey and Weinstein)
I have taken the liberty of adding additional names to the list of people receiving what I hope will become an anticipated weekly interlude for persons who may like movies but don't necessarily want to take a chance with those films that aren't ear-blowing mind-numbing (reverse that at your pleasure) summer blockbusters that you are almost societally obliged to attend.
This will be dedicated to the little guy, Joe Public. Okay, actually it will be totally self-serving; reflecting my personal bias rooted in an early childhood planted squarely in front of a TV and appreciative of the Silver Screen merely as a perversely grander extension of that medium. I live for remakes of TV shows like Lost In Space and adaptations of literature like Kull or Tarzan. I'm not saying that these films are always good and I won't say that they transcend being flashy two-hour versions of the originals, but I will take the chance to find that diamond-in-the-rough and try to let you know exactly what you'd be getting in for if I were to recommend a film.
I should also point out that my foil and my whetstone, my dear wife Christine, ultimately will have something to say about what we may see on a given week, so those films that may be approached with open skepticism or mere caution by the pulp viewer will be occasionally supplemented by films of actual quality of the Independent variety (Such as the recently released Smoke Signals, for instance.) It won't all be oddball science-fiction, horror, or Hong-Kong action, but I won't be able to tell you what it will be until we're there at the ticket office.
I would also like to point out rather quickly here that I'm not intending to be this verbose in the regular installments of TFM. This here is an introduction to make sure that everybody is up to speed with what's going on and to give them an opportunity to respond with suggestions or polite requests to be taken off this list. This is okay. I understand that the last thing you may want is another e-mail to look through on a Monday morning, or maybe you just don't give a damn about the movies since you grew up. Fine, just let me know. But, if you can take it each week, muddle through it without liking it, and don't mind sending me your most volatile criticism this would be even more appreciated. Let me know if I steered you wrong, made a bad call, or just sound stupid. I'll even include your comments if you want so we can all have a laugh (let me know if that's okay though). Like I said at the beginning, this is an exercise for me, so help me grow stronger by it. Also, let me know of any changes that need to be made with e-mail addresses and/or the addresses of anyone that I don't know that may want to receive a copy of this.
Now, with that out of the way...
Last weeks movie was THE AVENGERS. This film is a remake of the TV show that existed in a surreally empty world in which the two archetypes of the ideal British citizen, John Steed, the epitome of tradition and restrained dignity, and Dr./Mrs. Emma Peele (sp?), the revolutionarily modern lady scientist, dispose of the equally archetypical villains that plague the structure of a well-ordered society. The characters seem to step out of time as if they were pieces at play in a vast game in which the entire landscape is the board on which they move. This is due mostly to the low budget the show operated on, which demanded remote, low-cost locations and virtually no extras. The result of this thrift however was a charming show that coincidentally appealed to the population of a Britain in transition. As class and social status meant less under the new democratic-socialist motives of society the tension (often sexual, but always unrequited) between our two super-spy heroes typified a nation's struggle for balance with what tradition told them to cherish and what modern circumstances demanded in change. The Avengers, in short, showed us the face of a modern Europe.
Bearing this in mind, the modern upgrade of The Avengers to the big screen is a visually stunning calculation in conflict, surrealism, and simplicity. The struggle of characters, attitudes, and roles is brought into the fore with force as new technologies are exploited to add a slightly alien perspective to the backdrop. Examples range from the prospect of microwave induced weather control to a pocket-watch that doubles as a global tracking system. Care was taken in the direction of the film to accentuate the surreal, borrowing images of bowler hats (a hold-over from the original series) and other anachronisms as well as various mazes, exaggerations, and subtle word play to remind the viewer of the nearly cosmic level at which the events of the conflict occur. At the same time, the film retains the simplicity of layout in location and direction with very few actors, less extras, and no clutter.
The plot itself suffers from the same weakness that most TV adaptations suffer from. It is a two-hour pilot for a series that will never happen based on an existing pilot that was probably only an hour long (at the most). It admirably includes character development that may have been only imparted piece-meal throughout the course of the series, but ambiance (even the twistedly enticing nuances of this film) can only carry a movie so far. This one eventually ends somewhat abruptly and predictably with a fight and a big explosion, but all in time for tea.
Definitely hit this one on video. If you can, hit a Matinee (especially if you've seen the show). You might even want to see it with a bunch of friends, but you should probably wait for second-run on a night that you're willing to go "What the hell." But however you see it, and you eventually should, look for all the goodies and gadgets. Peek into the background. And, enjoy how Steed and Peele react to each other as they decide whether, and how, they can co-exist.
This week's film was BLADE.
Blade is an adaptation of a comic-book storyline that follows a vampire-hunter who himself is the offspring of a vampire. This convention happens rarely enough that I felt compelled to see its latest permutation.
Wesley Snipes plays the sternly silent killer know by vampires he hunts as the "Daywalker". A name that attests to his abilities to resist those weaknesses such as daylight and garlic that vampires may fall victim to. He is assisted by Whistler, a grizzled vampire hunting veteran who is Blade's companion and weapons developer. The two follow vampire migrations from city to city and do their best to eradicate the species.
There are some marvelous fight scenes, particularly the hand to hand action. Snipes' unflinching manner is almost reminiscent of Clint Eastwood's spaghetti westerns as the ultimately collected lone warrior. The fountaining over-abundance of blood is almost chilling as the slain vampires go through their final death-throws. And, there is some really good direction.
However, the film suffers from attempting to condense a plot that probably took over a year to publish in serial form into 110 minutes. While the main characters are appreciable (the heroes more than the villains) there are times if you wonder that a particular minor character is presented almost as an obligation to the reader of the comic book (of which I am not) as their screen time is awkward and often irrelevant. You get the feeling that you are missing a chunk of the story, and you probably are in terms of character and sub-plot development because it just wouldn't fit.
There were some interesting twists, and some of the choreography, as I've said, was pretty cool to watch. If you see this film observe the backgrounds. Often times the human population is moving at a different film speed as the less action-oriented scenes are played out. Also, there are some chilling depiction's of how far the vampire infestation has progressed as the background of a car chase may pause on streetcorner to focus on an image of vampire feasting on a prostitute or an intense and unnoticed act of random vandalism by a street gang.
See this movie in the theaters if you REALLY like MORTAL KOMBAT. You may bother to see it second run if you Really like vampire films (but be prepared for moderate predictability). And bother to watch it on pirated cable if you want to see Wesley Snipes kick ass.
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Kick Ass Preview of last week:
When watching the previews for THE AVENGERS, I saw a trailer for SOLDIER starring Kurt Russell. Kurt Russell (ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK, TANGO & CASH) plays a genetically obsolete soldier left on a backwater world which is soon threatened to be overrun by top of the line troops from the government that created him. Russell has to decide whether or not to lay down and die or help the small population of humans who have taken him in. (I wonder what he'll do?) I heard about this movie last spring. Apparently Russell speaks very little. Less than Arnold in the Terminator, if you can believe that, and has received what is believed to be the highest income per word in the history of Hollywood for his work on this film.
Kick-Ass Preview of the week:
In the trailers for Blade I saw a preview for a movie called VAMPIRE$. John Carpenter (THEY LIVE, ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK, HALLOWEEN) is producing and MAYBE directing (I will check for those interested). VAMPIRE$ is based on a book I read almost eight years ago of the same name by John Steakley. The basic plot centers around a group of vampire hunting mercenaries (not generally nice people) working for the Vatican who are lead by the toughest man in the world, Jack Crow. The tables are turned as the group learns that the Vampires have learned of their existence, in particular, the identity of their leader. New methods of fighting the creatures must be found (and are) in order to survive, much less continue defending mankind. James Woods plays Jack Crow. A quote from the pre-text of the book sums up the mood of the novel pretty well:
"I know fucking well there's a God because I kill vampires for a living. Are you listening? I kill vampires for money. A lot of it. So don't tell me there ain't no God. I know fucking well there's a God.
I just don't understand Him. - Jack Crow"
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So, there you have it. This is a grossly expanded version of what I plan to do each week, so bear in mind that there will only be one movie review per entry in the future (unless I see something that really needs to be known about). Kick Ass Preview of the week will only be reported as sufficiently Kick Ass Previews present themselves. And, on hopefully rare occasion, I may get on the soapbox to respond to one issue or another, or to answer questions or criticisms, but this won't be regular unless popularity demmands it.
Thanks for your time everyone. Talk to you next week.
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