'AMBLIN ENTERTAINMENT'S 80's SCI-FI PEAK AND VALLEY' DOUBLE FEATURE! 113.- E.T. THE EXTRATERRESTRIAL: 20TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL EDITION (1982/2002, DVD)
Or, as it's most commonly known, the version of "E.T." where Steven Spielberg replaced shotguns in policemen's hands with walkie-talkies. That one-line summary overshadows the many CG-enhanced facial expressions and body movements (hopping like a kangaroo!) added to the E.T. puppet, plus two additional scenes (Elliott and E.T. in a bathtub, and Dee Wallace picking up her two other kids on a street with a flaming Halloween pumpkin) that total about 4 minutes of extra running time. None of the new material detracts or enhances the main feature (my rating for both versions of the film would be identical), but it's a reminder that Spielberg almost fell into the same revisionist bandwagon that consumed fellow filmmaker George Lucas with the latter's early "Star Wars" features. Steven regained his senses, hasn't done any major alterations to any of his previous films since, and now the only way to watch this CG-altered "E.T." is to own the 2002 two-disc DVD set... with the 2nd disc offering the unaltered theatrical version of "E.T." See, George? Give the people what they want. 🫤😤
As a children's sci-fi tale that aims for emotion and tugs at viewers' hearts (old and young alike), "E.T" remains unmatched in creating a cinematic worldview that appeals to either 10-year-old kids or the inner 10-year-old inside all of us. While Henry Thomas and Drew Barrymore deserve every accolade they earned for their performances as young children (Dee Wallace and Peter Coyote are good too as the only adults with meaningful screentime), I'm always drawn to Robert MacNaughton's Michael. He's the older brother and initially acts like it (not backing Elliott early on when he wants to join his friend's D&D campaign, pointing out his brother's indifference toward their mother's feelings when mentioning their absent father, etc.), but backs down and recognizes that Elliott is smarter in figuring out how to handle having an extraterrestrial hiding in their home. From Carlo Rombaldi's expressive puppet and Allen Daviau's gorgeous cinematography (those sun-drenched dusk scenes!), and from Melissa Mathison's finely-tuned script to John Williams' classic score (not to mention the Amblin logo iconic moon shot), "E.T." is primo 80's sci-fi spectacle that never forgets to put character, emotion and a sense of humor (frog liberation day! 🐸) front and center.
5 CRUSHED COORS BEER CANS ['COORS, THE OFFICIAL BEER OF "E.T. THE EXTRATERRESTRIAL." BUY IT WHEREVER ALCOHOL IS SOLD/SERVED. MUST BE OVER 21 TO PURCHASE. PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY.'] (out of five).
This is one I've been wanting to re-watch. I had kind of dismissed it as a "fun alien movie" until the FthisMovie hosts spoke of it so highly. I liked it when I saw it as a kid (perhaps at a drive in?) but in the years since had dismissed it as a "kids movie" (stupid right? because I love kids movies). I saw the first 1/3 a decade+ ago when we were going out and had my parents to babysit. It was good, but I was mostly looking forward to going out without the young kids.
Amblin's late 80's attempt at remaking "Fantastic Voyage" for a then-new generation has been given a new lease on physical media life by the folks at Arrow Video. Not only is the 4K remaster of this Joe Dante sci-fi/comedy exquisite to look at and listen to (Jerry Goldsmith's score sounds glorious! 🤩🤠), but it sports extras/bonus features content never seen before (home videos, behind-the scenes, on-set, making-of... you name it, it's here) that makes you realize you weren't the only one that liked "Innerspace" all along. A box office failure during its initial release (saw it in theaters as a double-feature with "The Living Daylights," loved them both), the adventures of a meek supermarket clerk (Martin Short) trying to outsmart would-be techno-terrorists (Kevin McCarthy and Fiona Lewis) with the help of accidentally-injected-in-his-body military pilot Tuck Pendleton (Dennis Quaid) and his girlfriend reporter (Meg Ryan) proved too weird and esoteric for the Steven Spielberg-loving masses to embrace. Awkward title and slow opening act pace notwithstanding (necessary to let the character interactions, convoluted plot and comedy bits coalesce in the last two thirds), "Innerspace" is that rare special effects-driven action comedy where quirky personality is as important to the whole as the punchline and/or the artery blood cell effect. 4.65 DICK MILLER TAXI DRIVERS SEEING DENNIS QUAID'S JUNK IN THE CAB'S REARVIEW MIRROR! 😳😱(out of five).
115.- SLIPSTREAM (1989, ROKU CHANNEL). Also streaming on PLEX, FAWESOME. Unrated 110 min. version streaming on additional streaming platforms.
The fifth and final directorial effort of Steven Lisberger (OG "Tron"), and an unrecognizable Mark Hamill's return to movies after a years-long, self-imposed hiatus from film acting after "Return of the Jedi." It's also the project that put producer Gary Kurz (first two "Star Wars" movies) in bankruptcy after no studio would release "Slipstream" theatrically in the States... and now that I've seen it, I can understand why. What starts as a post-apocalyptic hunt by two police officers (Hamill and Kitty Aldridge) of a special runaway prisoner (Bob Peck's Byron) in the hands of a greedy bounty hunter (Bill Paxton, still doing Hudson schtick three years after "Aliens") descends into a slow-paced crawl of a boring, self-absorbed tale that grows less interesting the more you get to know the main characters. The hook of the film's title (a wind current between arid continents that is the only means of transportation via light planes) starts promising despite dated-for-'89 rear projection effects, then it's almost forgotten before it comes back strong at the end for a cool-but-too-late final action sequence. I'm trying to not spoil a couple of surprise reveals, but it's not like if you knew them "Slipstream" would be any less of a chore to sit through. It might be one of the most tedious, boring movies I've ever seen. 2 BLONDE CHICKS BILL PAXTON SLEEPS WITH... LITERALLY (out of five).
BONUS: 30 DAYS OF PINK PANTHER & FRIENDS, DAY 20! 116.- BEING THERE (1979, BLU-RAY)
For the longest time Peter Sellers was a sad little man who simultaneously loved that the "Pink Panther" movies were making him wealthy, but resented that some cinematic work he considered more worthy of critical attention was overlooked because people couldn't see past his Clouseau role. "Being There" was Sellers' passion project, his shot at Academy Award recognition, that languished in development hell for years and only got greenlit on the heels of the "PP" series' success. Peter plays Chance, a simple-minded (slow perhaps?) middle-aged gardener who hasn't had contact with the world outside the Washington D.C. mansion he works at. Chance is forced to leave when his employer suddenly dies, with no human interactions (besides the ones he has seen on television) to help prepare him for life on the streets. A chance hit-and-run with the limousine of a powerful D.C. businessman (Melvyn Douglas) and his wife (Shirley MacLaine) eventually leads to the rechristened 'Chauncey Gardiner' becoming an important voice in Washington's power corridors. All because people who listen to Chance's words don't really hear what he says, but what they want to interpret out of the simplistic thoughts coming out of an uneducated person's mouth. Sound familiar? 😮
Directed by Hal Ashby and written by the great Jerzy Kosinski from his own novel, "Being There" is the rare Hollywood comedy that was both a big hit and received Oscar nominations for Sellers (didn't win Best Actor, and blamed the producers for including outtake footage during the closing credits that he perceived undermined his chances) and Douglas (who did win Best Supporting Actor). Most importantly for this monthly endeavor is that, for the first time in years and despite losing the Oscar race, Peter Sellers was happy. He was divorcing his 4th wife (Lynne Frederick) and was looking forward to making another "PP" feature, "Romance of the Pink Panther," which he'd co-written and even had a new director lined up to replace Blake Edwards. Things were looking good for Peter. 🥺😢😓
'AMBLIN ENTERTAINMENT'S 80's SCI-FI PEAK AND VALLEY' DOUBLE FEATURE!
ReplyDelete113.- E.T. THE EXTRATERRESTRIAL: 20TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL EDITION (1982/2002, DVD)
Or, as it's most commonly known, the version of "E.T." where Steven Spielberg replaced shotguns in policemen's hands with walkie-talkies. That one-line summary overshadows the many CG-enhanced facial expressions and body movements (hopping like a kangaroo!) added to the E.T. puppet, plus two additional scenes (Elliott and E.T. in a bathtub, and Dee Wallace picking up her two other kids on a street with a flaming Halloween pumpkin) that total about 4 minutes of extra running time. None of the new material detracts or enhances the main feature (my rating for both versions of the film would be identical), but it's a reminder that Spielberg almost fell into the same revisionist bandwagon that consumed fellow filmmaker George Lucas with the latter's early "Star Wars" features. Steven regained his senses, hasn't done any major alterations to any of his previous films since, and now the only way to watch this CG-altered "E.T." is to own the 2002 two-disc DVD set... with the 2nd disc offering the unaltered theatrical version of "E.T." See, George? Give the people what they want. 🫤😤
As a children's sci-fi tale that aims for emotion and tugs at viewers' hearts (old and young alike), "E.T" remains unmatched in creating a cinematic worldview that appeals to either 10-year-old kids or the inner 10-year-old inside all of us. While Henry Thomas and Drew Barrymore deserve every accolade they earned for their performances as young children (Dee Wallace and Peter Coyote are good too as the only adults with meaningful screentime), I'm always drawn to Robert MacNaughton's Michael. He's the older brother and initially acts like it (not backing Elliott early on when he wants to join his friend's D&D campaign, pointing out his brother's indifference toward their mother's feelings when mentioning their absent father, etc.), but backs down and recognizes that Elliott is smarter in figuring out how to handle having an extraterrestrial hiding in their home. From Carlo Rombaldi's expressive puppet and Allen Daviau's gorgeous cinematography (those sun-drenched dusk scenes!), and from Melissa Mathison's finely-tuned script to John Williams' classic score (not to mention the Amblin logo iconic moon shot), "E.T." is primo 80's sci-fi spectacle that never forgets to put character, emotion and a sense of humor (frog liberation day! 🐸) front and center.
5 CRUSHED COORS BEER CANS ['COORS, THE OFFICIAL BEER OF "E.T. THE EXTRATERRESTRIAL." BUY IT WHEREVER ALCOHOL IS SOLD/SERVED. MUST BE OVER 21 TO PURCHASE. PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY.'] (out of five).
This is one I've been wanting to re-watch. I had kind of dismissed it as a "fun alien movie" until the FthisMovie hosts spoke of it so highly. I liked it when I saw it as a kid (perhaps at a drive in?) but in the years since had dismissed it as a "kids movie" (stupid right? because I love kids movies). I saw the first 1/3 a decade+ ago when we were going out and had my parents to babysit. It was good, but I was mostly looking forward to going out without the young kids.
DeleteHope you enjoy your eventual rewatch of "E.T." as much as l've enjoyed mine, including in 4K (theatrical cut only). 🤠
Delete114.- INNERSPACE (1987, ARROW 4K UHD)
ReplyDeleteAmblin's late 80's attempt at remaking "Fantastic Voyage" for a then-new generation has been given a new lease on physical media life by the folks at Arrow Video. Not only is the 4K remaster of this Joe Dante sci-fi/comedy exquisite to look at and listen to (Jerry Goldsmith's score sounds glorious! 🤩🤠), but it sports extras/bonus features content never seen before (home videos, behind-the scenes, on-set, making-of... you name it, it's here) that makes you realize you weren't the only one that liked "Innerspace" all along. A box office failure during its initial release (saw it in theaters as a double-feature with "The Living Daylights," loved them both), the adventures of a meek supermarket clerk (Martin Short) trying to outsmart would-be techno-terrorists (Kevin McCarthy and Fiona Lewis) with the help of accidentally-injected-in-his-body military pilot Tuck Pendleton (Dennis Quaid) and his girlfriend reporter (Meg Ryan) proved too weird and esoteric for the Steven Spielberg-loving masses to embrace. Awkward title and slow opening act pace notwithstanding (necessary to let the character interactions, convoluted plot and comedy bits coalesce in the last two thirds), "Innerspace" is that rare special effects-driven action comedy where quirky personality is as important to the whole as the punchline and/or the artery blood cell effect. 4.65 DICK MILLER TAXI DRIVERS SEEING DENNIS QUAID'S JUNK IN THE CAB'S REARVIEW MIRROR! 😳😱(out of five).
115.- SLIPSTREAM (1989, ROKU CHANNEL). Also streaming on PLEX, FAWESOME. Unrated 110 min. version streaming on additional streaming platforms.
ReplyDeleteThe fifth and final directorial effort of Steven Lisberger (OG "Tron"), and an unrecognizable Mark Hamill's return to movies after a years-long, self-imposed hiatus from film acting after "Return of the Jedi." It's also the project that put producer Gary Kurz (first two "Star Wars" movies) in bankruptcy after no studio would release "Slipstream" theatrically in the States... and now that I've seen it, I can understand why. What starts as a post-apocalyptic hunt by two police officers (Hamill and Kitty Aldridge) of a special runaway prisoner (Bob Peck's Byron) in the hands of a greedy bounty hunter (Bill Paxton, still doing Hudson schtick three years after "Aliens") descends into a slow-paced crawl of a boring, self-absorbed tale that grows less interesting the more you get to know the main characters. The hook of the film's title (a wind current between arid continents that is the only means of transportation via light planes) starts promising despite dated-for-'89 rear projection effects, then it's almost forgotten before it comes back strong at the end for a cool-but-too-late final action sequence. I'm trying to not spoil a couple of surprise reveals, but it's not like if you knew them "Slipstream" would be any less of a chore to sit through. It might be one of the most tedious, boring movies I've ever seen. 2 BLONDE CHICKS BILL PAXTON SLEEPS WITH... LITERALLY (out of five).
BONUS: 30 DAYS OF PINK PANTHER & FRIENDS, DAY 20!
ReplyDelete116.- BEING THERE (1979, BLU-RAY)
For the longest time Peter Sellers was a sad little man who simultaneously loved that the "Pink Panther" movies were making him wealthy, but resented that some cinematic work he considered more worthy of critical attention was overlooked because people couldn't see past his Clouseau role. "Being There" was Sellers' passion project, his shot at Academy Award recognition, that languished in development hell for years and only got greenlit on the heels of the "PP" series' success. Peter plays Chance, a simple-minded (slow perhaps?) middle-aged gardener who hasn't had contact with the world outside the Washington D.C. mansion he works at. Chance is forced to leave when his employer suddenly dies, with no human interactions (besides the ones he has seen on television) to help prepare him for life on the streets. A chance hit-and-run with the limousine of a powerful D.C. businessman (Melvyn Douglas) and his wife (Shirley MacLaine) eventually leads to the rechristened 'Chauncey Gardiner' becoming an important voice in Washington's power corridors. All because people who listen to Chance's words don't really hear what he says, but what they want to interpret out of the simplistic thoughts coming out of an uneducated person's mouth. Sound familiar? 😮
Directed by Hal Ashby and written by the great Jerzy Kosinski from his own novel, "Being There" is the rare Hollywood comedy that was both a big hit and received Oscar nominations for Sellers (didn't win Best Actor, and blamed the producers for including outtake footage during the closing credits that he perceived undermined his chances) and Douglas (who did win Best Supporting Actor). Most importantly for this monthly endeavor is that, for the first time in years and despite losing the Oscar race, Peter Sellers was happy. He was divorcing his 4th wife (Lynne Frederick) and was looking forward to making another "PP" feature, "Romance of the Pink Panther," which he'd co-written and even had a new director lined up to replace Blake Edwards. Things were looking good for Peter. 🥺😢😓
Oops, almost forgot. 3.75 PETER SELLERS IMITATING JESUS LIZARDS (out of five).
Delete