tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post1670559289131965507..comments2024-03-05T21:05:36.848-05:00Comments on CommentaramaFilms: Film Friday: Maximum Overdrive (1986)AndrewPricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comBlogger123125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-35815372860703932442013-09-08T19:08:31.654-04:002013-09-08T19:08:31.654-04:00Jeez, I don't know where to begin...
In the u...Jeez, I don't know where to begin...<br /><br />In the uncanny coincidence department, I was thinking about this movie within a day or so before the review was posted. I've got King on the brain, since Under the Dome is running on TV. Not that I have cable, but I'm glad that actors I like (Dean Norris, Leon Rippy) are getting work. And King TOTALLY came up with the idea of this WAY before the Simpsons movie. Just ask him. The same way I suspect he TOTALLY came up with "Cell" WAY before "28 Days Later".<br /><br />Anyway, I remember King at the time this movie was in release talking about how he saw it as a "moron movie". Isn't he clever, denigrating his audience AND giving himself an out if the movie sucks? I also remember him characterizing the act of writing as "defecation". What does that tell you about his concern about the quality of his work, or the people who pay to read it? Having said that, his gift as a writer is the creation of characters, not plots. I always thought an interesting collaboration would have been with him and Michael Crichton, who was a great plot guy, not so great with characters.<br /><br />Lastly, re: Cameron-- you folks have already cited Harlan Ellison and Dances with Wolves. Go read Starship Troopers and then watch ALIENS. That ought to settle any lingering doubts on Cameron's tendency towards homage.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-89331219205311381372013-09-08T00:27:44.347-04:002013-09-08T00:27:44.347-04:00Shawn, My takeaways are that Lucas is one messed u...Shawn, My takeaways are that Lucas is one messed up dude. First, from the sound of this, he likes to think of himself as a control freak, but it sounds like he lacks focus to do that... which would be why he gives orders that make no sense and why his projects would spin out of control. That would also explain why everyone seems so terrified around him: he's random, he deals only with the squeaky wheel, he won't make decisions and, when he does, he leads you down bad paths. That's the worst kind of boss. And the best way to handle someone like that is to avoid getting noticed.<br /><br />It also sounds like he's neither creative nor a great filmmaker, and that his success is the result of others around him fixing his ideas, giving him leads, and then doing all the cleanup work to make sure the details are right. That would explain why his later films just stank.<br /><br />It also sounds like he's very bitter and vindictive and he holds grudges forever. That would fit with him seeking to punish "the film" that made him famous and indirectly the fans of the film because it represents his biggest personal failure -- his fame is the result of other people's work and he can't recreate it, which exposes that he is a fraud.<br /><br />Seriously, if I were writing him as a cheap villain, he would somewhere along the way say, "So this is the only film of 'mine' you like, is it? Well, be prepared to lose what you love so much!"AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-68232706410116493882013-09-07T20:18:47.215-04:002013-09-07T20:18:47.215-04:00One of my take-aways from the article is that Luca...One of my take-aways from the article is that Lucas is cold and has problems expressing emotion. When you look at the movies that can be accredited to George on his own (<i>THX_1138, The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones,</i> and <i> Revenge of the Sith</i>) the movies are all sterile and lacking in real human interactions. shawnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-49761935416197633242013-09-07T18:12:41.285-04:002013-09-07T18:12:41.285-04:00Shawn, I'm about halfway through. Wow. With ...Shawn, I'm about halfway through. Wow. With the quotes from EVERYONE this is really believable and it makes Lucas out as a real loser who has a massive ego, little talent, and doesn't even pay attention to his own films... "Gee, we forgot about Marion at the end of Raiders."<br /><br />This explains a lot about why his films suck.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-30611239915640341292013-09-07T17:26:02.146-04:002013-09-07T17:26:02.146-04:00Thanks shawn, I'm reading it now.Thanks shawn, I'm reading it now.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-50656915116322081182013-09-07T17:10:59.656-04:002013-09-07T17:10:59.656-04:00Andrew it's worse than that, I read it on the ...Andrew it's worse than that, I read it on the internet.<br /><br />http://secrethistoryofstarwars.com/marcialucas.html<br /><br />Said author uses quotes from people in newpaper and magazine articles back in the day and from a book by biographer Dale Pollock. People like Mark Hamill, Steven Speilberg, and Martin Scorsese. <br /><br />It made for an interesting read. shawnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-8499150225775451812013-09-07T16:58:58.118-04:002013-09-07T16:58:58.118-04:00Scott, Could be.Scott, Could be.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-65621090044547813022013-09-07T16:57:51.438-04:002013-09-07T16:57:51.438-04:00GypsyTyger, I think it's impossible to compare...GypsyTyger, I think it's impossible to compare films on that basis because there's no way to say which is "better." I do think that Reynolds' character has a genuine redemption, whereas Robbins' character has no redemption, he just has an escape.<br /><br />I think the problem with <i>Shawnshank</i>, and this relates to your argument, is that the film is pure liberalism -- wrongfully accused man, abusive racist guards, tyrannical warden, etc. etc. This film captures the liberal idea of what prisons are in this country: packed full of old, wise men who are nicer than the rotten redneck guards who beat them... we should let them all out... boo hoo hoo.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-42045463121150323392013-09-07T16:21:10.002-04:002013-09-07T16:21:10.002-04:00Andrew -
...I'm not sure at what point they ...Andrew - <br /><br /><i>...I'm not sure at what point they call it a ripoff or an homage?</i><br /><br /><br />If your film is good, then it's an homage. If it's bad, it's a rip-off.<br /><br />I heard that on some DVD commentary, can't remember which one. :-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-39924864018118874952013-09-07T15:40:18.153-04:002013-09-07T15:40:18.153-04:00Since The Shawshank Redemption has come up,let me ...Since The Shawshank Redemption has come up,let me know what you guys think. I had a lively discussion (which is a nice way of saying argument) with a guy at work about The Longest Yard vs The Shawshank Redemption.I said TLY was the better film because it was about the redemption of a corrupt man. Paul Crewe actually was corrupt. He had shaved points like he was accused of doing. Through the course of the movie he restored his dignity and honor by putting his teammates above himself and winning the game, even though the warden was going to pin Caretaker's murder on him. <br />In TSR Tim Robbins was a Christ figure,a truly innocent man forced to endure a horrible ordeal that he didn't deserve because of the corruption and brutality of others. I thought that was a cheap out. My friend said that TLY was a "low comedy" while TSR was a great film. I responded that TLY knew what it was and didn't try to be something else while TSR was a pompous suckup to the Academy and liberals in general.(When I say The Longest Yard I mean the original. I've never seen the remake and don't intend to.Sandler needs to get a job.)<br />The Longest Yard,it seems to me,was made for an audience intelligent enough to understand the redemption of a corrupt man while The Shawshank Redmption needed to have the lead be completely honest because it couldn't trust it's audience to realize that people are more complex than just good guys and bad guys. Thoughts?<br />GypsyTygerAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-5538103328053883902013-09-07T15:36:53.107-04:002013-09-07T15:36:53.107-04:00Koshcat, You never know what will get people talki...Koshcat, You never know what will get people talking. That would be a great solution actually. And you're right, the villain is the real key to the reboot.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-46047345302475253512013-09-07T15:36:00.908-04:002013-09-07T15:36:00.908-04:00PikeBishop, I'm not sure at what point they ca...PikeBishop, I'm not sure at what point they call it a ripoff or an homage? I guess the thinking is that once you are proven to have your own skills, then you can do an homage. If you don't prove that first, then you are seen as ripping someone off to get famous.<br /><br /><i>Christine</i> the film: I don't think they ever said where the film was set, but I always too it as California.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-17117583893891663392013-09-07T15:32:57.308-04:002013-09-07T15:32:57.308-04:00shawn, I always take books by "disgruntled&qu...shawn, I always take books by "disgruntled" spouses and the such with a grain of salt. BUT it wouldn't surprise me. Lucas seemed to have come up with a great film when he was surrounded by a group of people. Once they left him, it all fell apart and he really didn't produce anything worthwhile afterwards. That suggests that his "genius" was the result of a combined effort.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-29367488009385189242013-09-07T15:23:31.967-04:002013-09-07T15:23:31.967-04:00Who would have thought a crappy movie would have h...Who would have thought a crappy movie would have had so many comments. I like your idea of a reboot. With all the new cars with "brains" your protagonist would look for an older car like a '65 Mustang. You know something cool. You could have the protagonist win by setting off a nuclear blast in the upper atmosphere (EMP pulse). The villain is the trick to making or breaking the movie.Koshcathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00552108950848576633noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-29216475397957975922013-09-07T11:14:58.940-04:002013-09-07T11:14:58.940-04:00. I find it interesting that if Tarantino or Camer.... I find it interesting that if Tarantino or Cameron copies something in a film its an "homage" (exaggerated faux French accent) but if some poor little recent film school grad ("Hi Mom....guess what? I got hired to direct Dino/Shark Orgy for Sy Fy. Yeah I know it's crap but it's a a start.") does it, it's stolen or a ripoff.<br /><br />2. As far as Christine the book goes, what drove me nuts is that King set the film in Pittsburgh, but they kept talking about going to see the PHILLIES game or watching the PHILLIES in a bar. Was there some kind of global word search fuck up in the word processing software used in big publishers back in the early 80s? <br />PikeBishophttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05761380937971970762noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-84060328017472435272013-09-07T06:41:17.569-04:002013-09-07T06:41:17.569-04:00Just finished reading the bulk of "Marcia Luc...Just finished reading the bulk of "Marcia Lucas- the Secret History of Star Wars". I can see why George might be bitter. According to the the website, George had some loose ideas, but it was Marcia who helped turn them into box office gold, starting with "American Graffiti" and then "Star Wars". Seeing how everything he has directed and hasn't had her help on has been critically panned, that's got to hurt. <br /><br />Of course it's the same problem with King. He got to big for his editor and his work has suffered ever since.<br /><br />I'm happy with my DVD of the original theatrical cut of "Star Wars", but I agree that it's petty of him not to release it on Blu-Ray. The fans made you rich, George, throw 'em a bone and give 'em what they want. shawnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-27638555304518117982013-09-07T04:01:00.220-04:002013-09-07T04:01:00.220-04:00Shawn, For years now, I've had the sense that ...Shawn, For years now, I've had the sense that Lucas is really angry at the fans and is taking shots at them in very petty ways.<br /><br />On Barker, Barker is right. The property belongs to the author to profit from in a legal sense, but it also belongs to the fans in a way and it strikes me as wrong for Lucas to try to substantively alter the original work <i>and then to try to stamp it out of existence.</i> It would be one thing for Lucas to say, "Hey, I like this better and this is the one I'm going with." I think that's kind of lousy, but so be it. But that extra step of trying to make the original... the one people like... go away is what troubles me with him.<br /><br />On the interviews, he's given lots of interviews where he's gone off on his ex-wife when she wasn't even mentioned. There is a lot of anger there.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-68802353340369077312013-09-07T02:42:27.753-04:002013-09-07T02:42:27.753-04:00Lucas is an interesting case. I can't say that...Lucas is an interesting case. I can't say that I've seen any interviews with him where he has come across as a monster, but it sure seems to me that he has surrounded himself with yes-men and that never ends well. <br /><br />At times he does seem to be a bit of an egoist, but then who in Hollywood isn't, and at other times he seems so immersed in his own little world that he is blissfully unaware of the opinions of those outside of the San Fransico suburb he calls home.<br /><br />Gary Kurtz gave an interview in which he says they butted heads on the vision of the "Star Wars" universe and he ended up leaving after "Empire". Pretty much anyone old enough to have seen them in the theater would agree that "Star Wars" and "Empire" are the two best films in the series. Coincidence?<br /><br />I do know that he has been pretty petty with his insistance that he can tinker endlessly with the films because they are his and his alone (at least until he sold them to the mouse-house). <br /><br />Plus I don't know if it is a jab at the fans or that he actually has a sense of humor, but there is a picture of him in a "Han shot first" t-shirt. I suspect you are right in that it is probably a jab at the fans.<br /><br />I see his point in that the movies are his babies, but I tend to agree more with Clive Barker who said in the prologue to one of the "Hellraiser" comic books that once an artist releases his art to the public, that it takes on a life of its own and is no longer completely his own.<br /><br />It's a shame that Lucas never did as he said he was going to do (make small, independant experimental films) but rather ended up spending his time managing his Empire, he might have been the happier for it. Perhaps we would have too.<br /><br />shawnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-41242579846252036082013-09-07T01:33:14.534-04:002013-09-07T01:33:14.534-04:00Rustbelt, Carpenter strikes me as a guy who simply...Rustbelt, Carpenter strikes me as a guy who simply burned out, who lost that creative spark. I also suspect he lost his desire when Debra Hill died. I suspect she was the person who kept him honest.<br /><br />Lucas, by comparison, is a mess. I'm not even talking about his work. I've seen interviews with him and he's a borderline monster. The things he's said about his ex-wife are truly reprehensible. The f-you attitude about the criticism he gets is instructive too. And watch the making ofs on his films and look at the sheer terror in the room when he's present.<br /><br />But what really hit me is (1) his jihad against the versions that people actually liked -- including insulting fans of the originals -- combined with (2) obvious changes to his films that any child would realize undercut the films. If he had been a competitor who was hired to do this, there would be no doubt it would be sabotage.<br /><br />There are other things too. He got a LOT of criticism about Jar Jar being a racist portrayal of blacks. So how did he respond? He cut back Jar Jar in the second film and then gave us Jewish bankers, crooked Arabs, sneaky slant-eyed Asian creatures, the lone Hispanic guy driving a low rider... and a few more. He seems to be daring people to call him out on his films.<br /><br />Carpenter is upset that people don't see what he sees in his films. Lucas, on the other hand, is basically flipping us the bird and then laughing at us for letting him. He reminds me of a lot of the criminals I've met who do things because they want to prove they're smarter than the cops.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-58136109814737721232013-09-07T01:06:28.558-04:002013-09-07T01:06:28.558-04:00Andrew, that may be true. Unfortunately, George is...Andrew, that may be true. Unfortunately, George is such a recluse that nobody will ever know for sure. Is he really that malicious? Did his divorce really rip to shreds that badly? Or was he just another one of those directors- like John Carpenter- who only had a few ideas and themes that he went through too quickly and then was left with nothing else? Who knows...<br /><br />And speaking of Carpenter, he's got similar egotism problems concerning the messages and tones of his film. When 'They Live' failed, he bitterly griped, "I guess people just don't want to be enlightened." And this from a man who claims to hate messages (read: good or moral messages) in films.<br />As for "Christine," I think he did the best job he could with the material King gave him. I tried reading the book once, (I was intrigued since King set it in Pittsburgh as a tribute to his friend, George Romero), but it goes on forever and I ended up skipping right to the end. I can only rate it as "all right." So, I'd say Carpenter likely improved on the tale with his movie, though the evil car repair shop owner was so over the top I nearly changed the channel several times when I first saw it all the way through. <br />Still, even though King's burned out (has the thief lost his ability to crack the safe?), Carpenter could probably revitalize his career- if only other people provide the material. Heck, it worked in both "The Thing" and "Big Trouble." Rustbelthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12190297078043033514noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-49274899393236712302013-09-07T00:44:18.563-04:002013-09-07T00:44:18.563-04:00Rustbelt, It wouldn't surprise me if Cameron i...Rustbelt, It wouldn't surprise me if Cameron is a thief. Just as King won't ever acknowledge the work he steals from (in fact, he seems to go out of his way to avoid mentioning the names of the things he steals from), I can't help but notice that Cameron has flat out avoided ever discussing <i>Dances With Wolves</i>, which is <i>Avatar</i>.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-27929325722386307512013-09-07T00:40:15.756-04:002013-09-07T00:40:15.756-04:00Rustbelt, I actually believe there is a mental iss...Rustbelt, I actually believe there is a mental issue involved.<br /><br />George hit it big with his first two films and thought he was a true genius. Everything he did after that bombed and was ridiculed. I think this made him deeply bitter. And so he started messing with <i>Star Wars</i> with the special editions to get even with us by destroying the thing we all liked. And the more that people complained, the worse his edits became and the more determined he became to take away the original... why else basically ban the original from being shown or put on disc?<br /><br />Then he used the prequels to launch a huge middle finger at us all. They are crawling with insults and nonsense. He ripped apart the mythos, he included racist portrayals, he mocked his audience's intelligence. I think he did all of that intentionally.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-77253441111026288822013-09-07T00:39:01.466-04:002013-09-07T00:39:01.466-04:00And speaking on the theme of stolen ideas...
I al...And speaking on the theme of stolen ideas...<br /><br />I already mentioned above how Frances Stoker successfully sued F.W. Murnau for making an unauthorized version of Dracula ("Nosferatu") in 1922. (Rumor has it the copy seen today is actually from the lone copy she kept for herself after the German courts ruled in her favor and ordered all prints destroyed.) Well, later, when Universal began prepping things for their version, they actually made sure to secure not only the rights for the novel, but also the play version that Bram had written and copyrighted. (And it shows- a lot of the movie is clearly based on the play.)<br /><br />Another incident occurred in 1951. I saw an interview with Ray Bradbury once regarding the "Beast from 20,000 Fathoms." He said he'd been asked to help re-write a working screenplay when he noticed that what the screenwriters had already written was very similar to his short story. (Both involved a creature from the sea and an attack on a lighthouse.) The producers, to avoid a possible lawsuit- and possibly to cash in on Bradbury's then-growing fame- simply decided to buy the rights to Bradbury's story. The rest is Harryhausen history. <br /><br />And on Cameron, well, he or may not be telling the truth about Terminator. But if you watch Red Letter Media's Titanic review, they point how many scenes and lines in 'Titanic' were clearly lifted from prior Titanic movies. I believe Cameron responded to this by saying he only wanted to reference them and pay homage. Uh, yeah. Right. Rustbelthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12190297078043033514noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-50153025916934340812013-09-07T00:27:52.517-04:002013-09-07T00:27:52.517-04:00Andrew, Lucas has been telling bad jokes on all of...Andrew, Lucas has been telling bad jokes on all of us since he released "Howard the Duck."<br /><br />Heck, since Kit brought him up, here's the NC's take on another of George's cinematic abominations <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqYMM-OhQiU" rel="nofollow">LINK</a>Rustbelthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12190297078043033514noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-58574031235393419252013-09-07T00:21:18.891-04:002013-09-07T00:21:18.891-04:00My God, how could Lucas see that dialog and not im...My God, how could Lucas see that dialog and not immediately think, "WTF?! This is pure garbage." Ep. 1-3 really must be his joke on the world.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.com