- Published on
It goes without saying that not every theatrical feature that comes down the pike is intended for every demographic, and I think that the Steven Spielberg production of Batteries Not Included was definitely one for a younger set.
I have a vague recollection of seeing this one in theaters on its initial run, and -- yes, yes, and yes -- I do remember being a bit disappointed. The story as crafted by Mick Garris, Brad Bird, director Matthew Robbins, Brent Maddock, and S.S. Wilson wasn't all that original except for its inclusion of these wacky little robot creatures. There had been a never-ending stream of flicks exploring tenant dwellings and evil landlords, but this one put the spin on it involving these mechanical aliens ... so how's that for inserting something fresh into the mix? Meh. It just didn't work for me.
But ... dare I say?
Had I been about ten years younger, then this one might very well have tickled my fancy quite nicely. These airborne robots were quite fetching, so much so that I have to wonder why there wasn't any major attempt at merchandising the heck out of these things? Given the measure of success Star Wars had, one would think that Batteries would've been a natural. Granted, the additional of blinking lights and sound chips might have made them a bit cost-prohibitive for the time, and yet I can't imagine the parents passing up the opportunity to gift little Dick or Jane something like a cute little robot under the Christmas tree for the holidays. Seriously? Were there actually no toys? I don't recall any.
Now, granted, this release was reasonably late in the year for merchandising -- who knew if it would actually be a hit with audiences, so I can understand some suits being understandably shy to go 'all-in,' as they say -- but I can't help but wonder if a small toy line might've helped give this one the robotic legs it needed to endure. It's largely a forgotten feature these days -- well, if the Information Superhighway is an adequate barometer of such things -- and a quick search of the web suggests that it grossed upwards of $65M on a budget of $25M. Perhaps those returns weren't exactly what was hoped, so maybe this one was better off in the 'sleeper hit' category that tends to reward Holiday releases with respectable returns but not much else.
In any event, Happpy Birthday to you, Batteries Not Included! Here's hoping I looked as quaint and wholesome at 36 as you do today!
-- EZ
I have a vague recollection of seeing this one in theaters on its initial run, and -- yes, yes, and yes -- I do remember being a bit disappointed. The story as crafted by Mick Garris, Brad Bird, director Matthew Robbins, Brent Maddock, and S.S. Wilson wasn't all that original except for its inclusion of these wacky little robot creatures. There had been a never-ending stream of flicks exploring tenant dwellings and evil landlords, but this one put the spin on it involving these mechanical aliens ... so how's that for inserting something fresh into the mix? Meh. It just didn't work for me.
But ... dare I say?
Had I been about ten years younger, then this one might very well have tickled my fancy quite nicely. These airborne robots were quite fetching, so much so that I have to wonder why there wasn't any major attempt at merchandising the heck out of these things? Given the measure of success Star Wars had, one would think that Batteries would've been a natural. Granted, the additional of blinking lights and sound chips might have made them a bit cost-prohibitive for the time, and yet I can't imagine the parents passing up the opportunity to gift little Dick or Jane something like a cute little robot under the Christmas tree for the holidays. Seriously? Were there actually no toys? I don't recall any.
Now, granted, this release was reasonably late in the year for merchandising -- who knew if it would actually be a hit with audiences, so I can understand some suits being understandably shy to go 'all-in,' as they say -- but I can't help but wonder if a small toy line might've helped give this one the robotic legs it needed to endure. It's largely a forgotten feature these days -- well, if the Information Superhighway is an adequate barometer of such things -- and a quick search of the web suggests that it grossed upwards of $65M on a budget of $25M. Perhaps those returns weren't exactly what was hoped, so maybe this one was better off in the 'sleeper hit' category that tends to reward Holiday releases with respectable returns but not much else.
In any event, Happpy Birthday to you, Batteries Not Included! Here's hoping I looked as quaint and wholesome at 36 as you do today!
-- EZ
- Published on
In all honesty, the list of my problems with 1979's The Black Hole would be too numerous to mention in this space. Someday, my promise to you is that I'll pen a full review / retrospective, and that'll be like a confession. All of this isn't to say that I don't like the picture, but -- in truth -- I don't like the picture that much.
Now, I have read that like many pictures Black Hole kinda/sorta languished in development for a short time. If I have my facts correct, it actually began as a space disaster movie -- something in the vein of Irwin Allen's popular disaster movies that were big box office for the day -- but several iterations of a shooting script couldn't quite get the central idea right ... and -- also as I understand it -- that whole 'black hole' idea wasn't even part of the first several attempts. Somewhere in the mid-1970's, the writing was dusted off and the whole idea of the collapsed star was inserted; and yet no screenwriter could come up with anything that worked, at least so far as the financiers were concerned. As many of you know, Star Wars arrived in 1977, and the George Lucas property quite literally lit a fire under every major studio: there was a frenzy to tap into Science Fiction and Fantasy, so the Mouse House pulled out the script yet again and fast-tracked it for production.
For what it's worth, I've also thought that Black Hole felt like a story that evolved from something else. I never quite understood how -- twenty years earlier -- Earth had produced a ship the size of the Cygnus for space exploration only to -- twenty years later -- have something like the Palomino tasked with the same duties. It just never quite gelled -- there should've been some greater backstory explaining these differences along with their respective missions -- but, inevitably these things happen when second-tier ideas get bumped up to prime real estate. That and the fact that the project went into production without an ending -- what truly awaited the crew that were going to find themselves inside the Black Hole wasn't decided until the very last minute -- pretty much tells me that I was right all along to question how much of this was 'fixed' in post production ... and that's rarely a good thing.
And another thing?
Tonally, the film just never quite works. It was clear that certain storytelling ideas suggested that the Walt Disney Company was ready, willing, and able to push their cinematic fare into let's say is more adult territory. There are some rather gruesome elements to Black Hole -- including a rather grisly death here and there -- that kinda/sorta defies the studio's usual focus on kiddie adventures. But because this was still a Disney production, I think the producers felt it a prerequisite to include some simpler pieces -- i.e. the exceedingly kid-friendly robots along with a dumbing down of the science of the day that had both discovered and was interested in such ideas of black holes -- and, again, these two worlds never merged effectively.
Still, I don't like dissecting too much any intellectual property on its birthday, so I'll leave it at that for today. Instead, I'll celebrate the fact that The Black Hole did come into being, and it brought with it one of the more talented casts of players for an occasionally thoughtful space yarn. It's also a flick that has been tossed around now and then with suggestions for a reboot; and I, for one, would definitely be interested in seeing this curious oddity get its own thematic do-over.
So ... Happy Birthday, The Black Hole! Who ever knew you'd look so grand at 44 years young!
-- EZ
Now, I have read that like many pictures Black Hole kinda/sorta languished in development for a short time. If I have my facts correct, it actually began as a space disaster movie -- something in the vein of Irwin Allen's popular disaster movies that were big box office for the day -- but several iterations of a shooting script couldn't quite get the central idea right ... and -- also as I understand it -- that whole 'black hole' idea wasn't even part of the first several attempts. Somewhere in the mid-1970's, the writing was dusted off and the whole idea of the collapsed star was inserted; and yet no screenwriter could come up with anything that worked, at least so far as the financiers were concerned. As many of you know, Star Wars arrived in 1977, and the George Lucas property quite literally lit a fire under every major studio: there was a frenzy to tap into Science Fiction and Fantasy, so the Mouse House pulled out the script yet again and fast-tracked it for production.
For what it's worth, I've also thought that Black Hole felt like a story that evolved from something else. I never quite understood how -- twenty years earlier -- Earth had produced a ship the size of the Cygnus for space exploration only to -- twenty years later -- have something like the Palomino tasked with the same duties. It just never quite gelled -- there should've been some greater backstory explaining these differences along with their respective missions -- but, inevitably these things happen when second-tier ideas get bumped up to prime real estate. That and the fact that the project went into production without an ending -- what truly awaited the crew that were going to find themselves inside the Black Hole wasn't decided until the very last minute -- pretty much tells me that I was right all along to question how much of this was 'fixed' in post production ... and that's rarely a good thing.
And another thing?
Tonally, the film just never quite works. It was clear that certain storytelling ideas suggested that the Walt Disney Company was ready, willing, and able to push their cinematic fare into let's say is more adult territory. There are some rather gruesome elements to Black Hole -- including a rather grisly death here and there -- that kinda/sorta defies the studio's usual focus on kiddie adventures. But because this was still a Disney production, I think the producers felt it a prerequisite to include some simpler pieces -- i.e. the exceedingly kid-friendly robots along with a dumbing down of the science of the day that had both discovered and was interested in such ideas of black holes -- and, again, these two worlds never merged effectively.
Still, I don't like dissecting too much any intellectual property on its birthday, so I'll leave it at that for today. Instead, I'll celebrate the fact that The Black Hole did come into being, and it brought with it one of the more talented casts of players for an occasionally thoughtful space yarn. It's also a flick that has been tossed around now and then with suggestions for a reboot; and I, for one, would definitely be interested in seeing this curious oddity get its own thematic do-over.
So ... Happy Birthday, The Black Hole! Who ever knew you'd look so grand at 44 years young!
-- EZ
- Published on
Well, well, well ... BOOOOOOOM!
Happy Friday, gentle readers, and welcome to The Daily Grindhouse! (I really need to think of a new name for this daily announcements, if you ask me, but I'm honestly at a loss for inspiration on this front presently. Don't worry: I'll keep focusing on coming up with something new ... something that would be a little more in keeping with All Things Genre instead of just giving a nod to both my 'daily grind' and the 'grindhouse' nature of entertainment ... but for now it'll have to do.)
So ... how've you been?
Me? Oh, thanks for asking. I spent a good portion of yesterday watching films in the daytime. I had a few streaming links that had been provided to me, and I wanted to get a few of them out of the way. I did post one review yesterday, but the other well? Well, as it turns out, that one doesn't actually 'street' until the first week of January, 2024, so my distributor buddy asked me if I could hold off on publishing the review until a bit closer to time. Normally, these folks will tell folks like me that the reviews are 'embargoed' until a certain date, but this one had no such restruction. Here I was -- doing my duty -- and I was thinking I could share my thoughts with all of you, but -- alas -- you'll have to wait a few more weeks for that one. Hopefully, all of you will find it worth the wait.
The other little side activity I've been doing is the wifey and I have been making our way through the second season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. No, no, and no: we haven't subscribed to Paramount+ -- nor are we bloody likely to -- so we've had to wait to get our Trek 'fix' with these home video releases. While Season 1 of the Trek incarnation was reasonably solid -- yes, it has some of the same politicization I rant so fondly against here and there, but it was respectably tempered -- we're both honestly struggling to get into Season 2. There's a part of me that wonders if a good deal of these scripts were actually ideas thrown into the melting pot for Season 1: when they weren't selected as being 'good enough' for an inaugural season, they were simply pulled out of the hat for the second outing of episodes. Alas, I think we're seven episodes in, and there's really only been one memorable adventure. That doesn't bode well ... but it is what it is.
Otherwise, I've done my duty and preserved a fabulous assortment of people, places, and things that you can celebrate in the interim. December 15th is definitely a sight to behold, and here's the important linkage that you're all hungrily waiting for ...
Happy Friday, gentle readers, and welcome to The Daily Grindhouse! (I really need to think of a new name for this daily announcements, if you ask me, but I'm honestly at a loss for inspiration on this front presently. Don't worry: I'll keep focusing on coming up with something new ... something that would be a little more in keeping with All Things Genre instead of just giving a nod to both my 'daily grind' and the 'grindhouse' nature of entertainment ... but for now it'll have to do.)
So ... how've you been?
Me? Oh, thanks for asking. I spent a good portion of yesterday watching films in the daytime. I had a few streaming links that had been provided to me, and I wanted to get a few of them out of the way. I did post one review yesterday, but the other well? Well, as it turns out, that one doesn't actually 'street' until the first week of January, 2024, so my distributor buddy asked me if I could hold off on publishing the review until a bit closer to time. Normally, these folks will tell folks like me that the reviews are 'embargoed' until a certain date, but this one had no such restruction. Here I was -- doing my duty -- and I was thinking I could share my thoughts with all of you, but -- alas -- you'll have to wait a few more weeks for that one. Hopefully, all of you will find it worth the wait.
The other little side activity I've been doing is the wifey and I have been making our way through the second season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. No, no, and no: we haven't subscribed to Paramount+ -- nor are we bloody likely to -- so we've had to wait to get our Trek 'fix' with these home video releases. While Season 1 of the Trek incarnation was reasonably solid -- yes, it has some of the same politicization I rant so fondly against here and there, but it was respectably tempered -- we're both honestly struggling to get into Season 2. There's a part of me that wonders if a good deal of these scripts were actually ideas thrown into the melting pot for Season 1: when they weren't selected as being 'good enough' for an inaugural season, they were simply pulled out of the hat for the second outing of episodes. Alas, I think we're seven episodes in, and there's really only been one memorable adventure. That doesn't bode well ... but it is what it is.
Otherwise, I've done my duty and preserved a fabulous assortment of people, places, and things that you can celebrate in the interim. December 15th is definitely a sight to behold, and here's the important linkage that you're all hungrily waiting for ...
Please feel free to take a gander, at your leisure, and maybe even squeeze in that visit while you're winding down in anticipation of the weekend.
As always, thanks for reading ... thanks for being a fan ... thanks for sharing ... and live long and prosper!
-- EZ
- Published on
The sad truth to the world of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror is that there are a great many talented movers and shakers who traffic in these properties, and yet we never quite know their faces.
This is because a good many of them do so under make-up. That's not a complaint because how else could so many storytellers introduce so many great critters, creatures, and ghouls to make us fear the dark the way that we do. Without these monsters -- buried under layers of grease and plastics -- whole universes couldn't come to life the way that they do, and I always try to get up a post when one passes away because it's the right thing to do.
That said, Camden Toy certainly left his indelible mark on a solid handful of intellectual properties. A quick review of his resume on the reliable IMDB.com shows that he enjoyed parts -- some under disguise, some not -- in such visions as Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Angel, All Souls Day: Dia de los Muertos (2005), Immortally Yours (2009), Carnies (2010), Chromeskull: Laid To Rest 2 (2011), Bedeviled (2016), and a few significant others.
Alas, none of us lasts forever -- word just reached my desk this afternoon of the man's passing -- but his work will live on for those us who to rediscover as well as, hopefully, inspire new fans into the growing fold that is genre fandom.
Our condolescenes are expressed to the family, friends, and fans of Mr. Toy.
May he forever rest in peace.
-- EZ
This is because a good many of them do so under make-up. That's not a complaint because how else could so many storytellers introduce so many great critters, creatures, and ghouls to make us fear the dark the way that we do. Without these monsters -- buried under layers of grease and plastics -- whole universes couldn't come to life the way that they do, and I always try to get up a post when one passes away because it's the right thing to do.
That said, Camden Toy certainly left his indelible mark on a solid handful of intellectual properties. A quick review of his resume on the reliable IMDB.com shows that he enjoyed parts -- some under disguise, some not -- in such visions as Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Angel, All Souls Day: Dia de los Muertos (2005), Immortally Yours (2009), Carnies (2010), Chromeskull: Laid To Rest 2 (2011), Bedeviled (2016), and a few significant others.
Alas, none of us lasts forever -- word just reached my desk this afternoon of the man's passing -- but his work will live on for those us who to rediscover as well as, hopefully, inspire new fans into the growing fold that is genre fandom.
Our condolescenes are expressed to the family, friends, and fans of Mr. Toy.
May he forever rest in peace.
-- EZ
- Published on
I don’t watch as many Horror imports as I used to.
The biggest reason for this fall-off of interest on my part is owed to the fact that, globally, many storytellers have really gone all-in with All Things Zombie; and that phenomenon – while often quite interesting – just has fallen into a creative rut, so far as I can see. For all intents and purposes, there has always been only two types of undead walkers – the slow, lumbering, stumbling variety or the super-fast, crazed, rabid dog-like variants – so unless the central story truly pushes the envelope in a direction I’ve not seen, an entire library of entries feels repetitive. Until such a time that there’s a renewed fascinations with spirits and ghosts, I’m inclined to just ride things out … only then a little something something like The Ghost Station (2022) comes along and challenges me to rethink my self-imposed time-out.
As I’ve come to understand, Station is a screen adaptation of a popular Korean webtoon: Oksu Station Ghost (aka The Ghost Of Oksu Station, depending upon the translation) was written and illustrated by Horang, and it explores the paranormal happenings involving some vengeful ghosts seeking their own form of vengeance from the other side while being tied to a Korean subway station. As best as I can tell, the story originally came to life in 2009 (some outlets suggest it was later in 2012, but I’m going with what I’ve found until I can substantiate it further); and its popularity alone practically dictated that it would eventually find life on the silver screen. After all, who doesn’t care for a good ghost story every now and then?
On the front end of my review, I’m perfectly comfortable saying that I enjoyed the stop at this Station, but a bit of extra reflection might be required to dissect what was a bit inferior. These days, nothing is perfect, but kudos to all involved for trying something a bit outside the box for what audiences appear to desire most.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“A public service worker at Oksu Station witnesses a shocking incident and recruits his friend to help uncover the truth behind the station’s mysterious happenings.”
The biggest reason for this fall-off of interest on my part is owed to the fact that, globally, many storytellers have really gone all-in with All Things Zombie; and that phenomenon – while often quite interesting – just has fallen into a creative rut, so far as I can see. For all intents and purposes, there has always been only two types of undead walkers – the slow, lumbering, stumbling variety or the super-fast, crazed, rabid dog-like variants – so unless the central story truly pushes the envelope in a direction I’ve not seen, an entire library of entries feels repetitive. Until such a time that there’s a renewed fascinations with spirits and ghosts, I’m inclined to just ride things out … only then a little something something like The Ghost Station (2022) comes along and challenges me to rethink my self-imposed time-out.
As I’ve come to understand, Station is a screen adaptation of a popular Korean webtoon: Oksu Station Ghost (aka The Ghost Of Oksu Station, depending upon the translation) was written and illustrated by Horang, and it explores the paranormal happenings involving some vengeful ghosts seeking their own form of vengeance from the other side while being tied to a Korean subway station. As best as I can tell, the story originally came to life in 2009 (some outlets suggest it was later in 2012, but I’m going with what I’ve found until I can substantiate it further); and its popularity alone practically dictated that it would eventually find life on the silver screen. After all, who doesn’t care for a good ghost story every now and then?
On the front end of my review, I’m perfectly comfortable saying that I enjoyed the stop at this Station, but a bit of extra reflection might be required to dissect what was a bit inferior. These days, nothing is perfect, but kudos to all involved for trying something a bit outside the box for what audiences appear to desire most.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“A public service worker at Oksu Station witnesses a shocking incident and recruits his friend to help uncover the truth behind the station’s mysterious happenings.”
For anyone who has watched a fair amount of Eastern and Western ghost stories, it’s pretty clear that there are some reasonably significant thematic differences.
While I’m not inclined to get into a plethora of examples categorizing these distinctions, I’m willing to mention a few. American ghosts tend to get involved in shenanigans to the point wherein they can instill some serious bodily harm on the victims; 1982’s The Entity – starring the lovely Barbara Hershey – explored the grim details of Carla Moran, a woman repeatedly raped at the hands of a rather lecherous ethereal aggressor. Still, the operative word here is ‘shenanigans;’ Western ghost are usually involved far more in spectral pranks – moving chairs, opening doors, knocking on windows, etc. – and these spirits are typically downplayed to the point wherein most folks are perfectly comfortable sleeping in a haunted house. In fact, do a Google.com search, and you’ll find a good number of them as tourist destinations if not AirBNBs … for your otherworldly enjoyment.
By comparison, Eastern Horror – especially as depicted on film or television – doesn’t quite revel in the bloody excesses that we in the U.S. appreciate so much. Perhaps it’s safe to suggest that such frights are intended to be more imaginative, pushing what truly goes bump in the night into the fertile brains of those witnesses such delights in lights and shadows. I’ve read on many occasions that connoisseurs insist that Japanese and/or Korean releases rely more heavily on establishing an atmosphere of dread; this might require delivering stories that are a bit more involved personally with characters, their friends and family, and/or their descendants, pushing instead for a bit of subtlety in places wherein Westerners want the heart-pounding images punctuated with stylish visuals, ample special effects, and an inspired soundtrack. Suffice it to say that what scares us may not exactly be what scares them, and that’s why American studios would prefer to remake a popular J-Horror project instead of giving it theatrical runs here in the states.
So … Station does have some ingredients that make it uniquely Eastern. Its central story involves the dark fate of a forgotten orphanage – along with the children its caretakers were entrusted to serve – and the resulting curse that can only come to life, initially, with those closest to the covered-up events. But just as watching a video featuring a murdered girl can pass along the curse to viewers seven days later (in 1998’s Ringu), Station dabbles in the same black witchcraft while also dishing out a bit of social commentary on the nature of press and/or state relations at the same time.
Flash reporter Kim Na-young (underplayed by a somewhat dowdy Bo-ra Kim) finds her and her reportage in hot water when she inadvertently outs a Trans in print, an action that brings the he/she to filing for a financial settlement against the newspaper. In order to keep her job, Kim is forced to find something that’ll ‘get clicks’ and fast, and – thankfully – her best buds Woo-won (Jae Hyun Kim) and Seung-joon (Oh Jin-Seok) have a scoop-in-waiting: their jobs at the Oksu Train Station has given the direct access to footage featuring a passenger committing suicide on the rails beneath a screaming subway … and there just might be more to it. Once the conductor who drove the train turns up dead under curious circumstances, Kim realizes that’s far more to the story than just unfortunate coincidence … and it just might involve ghostly children, a forgotten orphanage, and a curse that stretches from beyond the grave.
While I’m not inclined to get into a plethora of examples categorizing these distinctions, I’m willing to mention a few. American ghosts tend to get involved in shenanigans to the point wherein they can instill some serious bodily harm on the victims; 1982’s The Entity – starring the lovely Barbara Hershey – explored the grim details of Carla Moran, a woman repeatedly raped at the hands of a rather lecherous ethereal aggressor. Still, the operative word here is ‘shenanigans;’ Western ghost are usually involved far more in spectral pranks – moving chairs, opening doors, knocking on windows, etc. – and these spirits are typically downplayed to the point wherein most folks are perfectly comfortable sleeping in a haunted house. In fact, do a Google.com search, and you’ll find a good number of them as tourist destinations if not AirBNBs … for your otherworldly enjoyment.
By comparison, Eastern Horror – especially as depicted on film or television – doesn’t quite revel in the bloody excesses that we in the U.S. appreciate so much. Perhaps it’s safe to suggest that such frights are intended to be more imaginative, pushing what truly goes bump in the night into the fertile brains of those witnesses such delights in lights and shadows. I’ve read on many occasions that connoisseurs insist that Japanese and/or Korean releases rely more heavily on establishing an atmosphere of dread; this might require delivering stories that are a bit more involved personally with characters, their friends and family, and/or their descendants, pushing instead for a bit of subtlety in places wherein Westerners want the heart-pounding images punctuated with stylish visuals, ample special effects, and an inspired soundtrack. Suffice it to say that what scares us may not exactly be what scares them, and that’s why American studios would prefer to remake a popular J-Horror project instead of giving it theatrical runs here in the states.
So … Station does have some ingredients that make it uniquely Eastern. Its central story involves the dark fate of a forgotten orphanage – along with the children its caretakers were entrusted to serve – and the resulting curse that can only come to life, initially, with those closest to the covered-up events. But just as watching a video featuring a murdered girl can pass along the curse to viewers seven days later (in 1998’s Ringu), Station dabbles in the same black witchcraft while also dishing out a bit of social commentary on the nature of press and/or state relations at the same time.
Flash reporter Kim Na-young (underplayed by a somewhat dowdy Bo-ra Kim) finds her and her reportage in hot water when she inadvertently outs a Trans in print, an action that brings the he/she to filing for a financial settlement against the newspaper. In order to keep her job, Kim is forced to find something that’ll ‘get clicks’ and fast, and – thankfully – her best buds Woo-won (Jae Hyun Kim) and Seung-joon (Oh Jin-Seok) have a scoop-in-waiting: their jobs at the Oksu Train Station has given the direct access to footage featuring a passenger committing suicide on the rails beneath a screaming subway … and there just might be more to it. Once the conductor who drove the train turns up dead under curious circumstances, Kim realizes that’s far more to the story than just unfortunate coincidence … and it just might involve ghostly children, a forgotten orphanage, and a curse that stretches from beyond the grave.
Because this is Eastern Horror, there’s a good deal of Station that isn’t exploitative in any measure. It’s understandably light on blood – victims and those somehow tied to the curse have scratches that mysteriously appear on their persons – and writer/director Yong-ki Jeong makes great use of some deep focus photography to give some relatively routine locations the depth and dimension suggestion there’s more here than meets the eye. All of the principal players are good – or at least as good as is required to convey their increasing sense of doom once the details are known – and the film’s pace works well enough to both maintain audience interest and keep them invested for more. It’s a lean 80-minute chiller, one that really only flirts with material that could’ve been handled far more gratuitously.
Still, there’s a subplot involving Kim’s publisher (the attractive but domineering Kim Na-Yoon) that kinda/sorta disturbs the flow of the second half. This isn’t to suggest that there’s no measure of delight in seeing the comeuppance a snooty boss necessarily deserves; rather it’s pretty easy to see that 11th hour plot twist coming – even despite a little misdirection – and this has Station ultimately fading to black without a full resolution to what put everything in motion in the first place. Whether that was intended as a possible cash grab should the first film prove profitable is presently unknown … but I’ll keep my eyes peeled in case producers want to jump on the franchise bandwagon.
The Ghost Station (2022) was produced by Studio & New. DVD distribution (for this particular release) is being coordinated by the fine folks at Well Go USA Entertainment. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I thought that the sights-and-sounds to this Horror/Fantasy were, actually, quite impressive. Director Yong-ki Jeong utilizes a great many scenes composed with some deep focus cinematography, and I think the entire milieu feels part-and-parcel to just about any ghost story I’ve run across in the past few years. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? As I viewed this one via a streaming link, there were no special features to consider.
Recommended.
Frankly, there are elements to The Ghost Station (2022) that may not be all that original or refreshing. At times, this Korean Horror project feels more like writer/director Yong-ki Jeong – along with fellow scribes Horang, Soyoung Lee, Koji Shiraishi, and Hiroshi Takahashi – was intending little more to pick up some traits of popular frights of the past in order to riff on them for modern audiences. That isn’t a bad thing because it does feel like the intention here was as much to pay homage to what’s come before while also delivering something that kinda/sorta fits within the same supernatural or spectral universe. Besides, if you had a grudge to play, why not shamelessly steal from some of the best?
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Well Go USA provided me with complimentary streaming access to The Ghost Station (2022) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
Still, there’s a subplot involving Kim’s publisher (the attractive but domineering Kim Na-Yoon) that kinda/sorta disturbs the flow of the second half. This isn’t to suggest that there’s no measure of delight in seeing the comeuppance a snooty boss necessarily deserves; rather it’s pretty easy to see that 11th hour plot twist coming – even despite a little misdirection – and this has Station ultimately fading to black without a full resolution to what put everything in motion in the first place. Whether that was intended as a possible cash grab should the first film prove profitable is presently unknown … but I’ll keep my eyes peeled in case producers want to jump on the franchise bandwagon.
The Ghost Station (2022) was produced by Studio & New. DVD distribution (for this particular release) is being coordinated by the fine folks at Well Go USA Entertainment. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I thought that the sights-and-sounds to this Horror/Fantasy were, actually, quite impressive. Director Yong-ki Jeong utilizes a great many scenes composed with some deep focus cinematography, and I think the entire milieu feels part-and-parcel to just about any ghost story I’ve run across in the past few years. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? As I viewed this one via a streaming link, there were no special features to consider.
Recommended.
Frankly, there are elements to The Ghost Station (2022) that may not be all that original or refreshing. At times, this Korean Horror project feels more like writer/director Yong-ki Jeong – along with fellow scribes Horang, Soyoung Lee, Koji Shiraishi, and Hiroshi Takahashi – was intending little more to pick up some traits of popular frights of the past in order to riff on them for modern audiences. That isn’t a bad thing because it does feel like the intention here was as much to pay homage to what’s come before while also delivering something that kinda/sorta fits within the same supernatural or spectral universe. Besides, if you had a grudge to play, why not shamelessly steal from some of the best?
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Well Go USA provided me with complimentary streaming access to The Ghost Station (2022) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
- Published on
Far be it from me to court a bit of controversy this morning, folks, but I think -- when it comes to the creative end of Star Wars -- I do consider myself a bit ahead of the curve.
Old school fans of the George Lucas created saga really didn't begin pointing out that it wasn't until Rian Johnson's Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017) in which things began to look (cough cough) creatively bankrupt for that galaxy far, far away. But, for me, it was as plain as the nose on my face when The Force Awakens stirred such feelings. Like sensing a tremor in the Force, I felt that things were amiss -- that characters and circumstances of the J.J. Abrams flick were a bit too derivative, maybe even a bit too familiar to what had come before -- and that the entire Intellectual Property was on a path from which the franchise's most ardent fans couldn't follow. No, no, and no: it wasn't like a thousand voices crying out in the darkness were suddenly silenced, but regardless the sensation was there: this beloved set of adventures known as the Original Trilogy and the Prequel Trilogy would always stand proud and tall when stacked up against JJ and Kathleen Kennedy's Sequel Trilogy, as inferior a concoction as was the second Death Star.
And I know what many of you are thinking. You're cogitating on the fact that I wasn't more vocal and/or more outspoken at the time, and you're probably even mustering the courage to throw the old " hindsight is 20/20" blurb back in my face. That's alright. As someone who is only occasionally right in his rare prognostications, I can deal with your lack of faith (though a Jedi Master might insist he finds it a bit disturbing). My point isn't to say "I told you so" (but I did) or "We should all expect better" (said that, too) but rather merely to suggest that current creative minds under the stewardship of the corporate studio system were likely unable to recapture lightning in a bottle. That rarely -- RARELY -- if ever happens, and the resounding reality that so very much of The Force Awakens felt like a rehash of blue milk should've sent shock waves across fandom at the onset. It didn't -- perhaps nostalgia for a trip to the Outer Rim was stronger -- and, alas, we are today where we are today.
Again, I didn't dislike The Force Awakens. I think my observations -- much like those attributed to The Last Jedi -- were that it felt a bit too much like a carnival ride, like a cheap and inferior knock-off that only tried to recapture the Force Ghost's spirit of the original; and no studio mill system has proven up to the task since 1977. Sure, there have been obvious copycats -- and some of those copycats have even been entertaining -- but nothing has both culturally impacted our way of lives and also inspired like-minded storytellers to follow in its footsteps in the way Star Wars has ... so let that be a lesson to us all. George Lucas's films remain the peak -- the very summit -- of Space Fantasy on the silver screen; and everything else -- no matter how big and bold -- remains a distant second, third, fourth, fifth, or sixth place. The Force was strong with those stories. They DID where others TRIED.
But, sure, like all of you, I was glad to see that someone was interested in continuing the saga; I was just disappointed that it was all so creatively bankrupt as has been a great deal of what emerges from the mind of JJ Abrams. The man's affinity for puzzle boxes shows he isn't so much fascinated with what's inside of them as he is with making them into something worth being dangled in front of the audience's collective face. He knew full well that he had one big rabbit that hadn't eaten in years, so his was a bit easier challenge than perhaps we -- fandom -- realized. Instead of giving us an all-new adventure, he copied what worked the first time and slapped some new faces on already established archetypes, never really giving it the depth, character, or imagination that flows -- like the Force -- through Lucas's originals. I don't fault the man -- few in Hollywood have demonstrated the understanding of mythology ol' George has -- and, yet, it is what it is.
So ... if you can ... still go out and find away to celebrate today. Yes, yes, and yes: I saw it as an end to All Good Things ... but that doesn't make it any less phantasmagoric.
Happy Birthday, The Force Awakens!
Now ... go back to sleep.
-- EZ
Old school fans of the George Lucas created saga really didn't begin pointing out that it wasn't until Rian Johnson's Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017) in which things began to look (cough cough) creatively bankrupt for that galaxy far, far away. But, for me, it was as plain as the nose on my face when The Force Awakens stirred such feelings. Like sensing a tremor in the Force, I felt that things were amiss -- that characters and circumstances of the J.J. Abrams flick were a bit too derivative, maybe even a bit too familiar to what had come before -- and that the entire Intellectual Property was on a path from which the franchise's most ardent fans couldn't follow. No, no, and no: it wasn't like a thousand voices crying out in the darkness were suddenly silenced, but regardless the sensation was there: this beloved set of adventures known as the Original Trilogy and the Prequel Trilogy would always stand proud and tall when stacked up against JJ and Kathleen Kennedy's Sequel Trilogy, as inferior a concoction as was the second Death Star.
And I know what many of you are thinking. You're cogitating on the fact that I wasn't more vocal and/or more outspoken at the time, and you're probably even mustering the courage to throw the old " hindsight is 20/20" blurb back in my face. That's alright. As someone who is only occasionally right in his rare prognostications, I can deal with your lack of faith (though a Jedi Master might insist he finds it a bit disturbing). My point isn't to say "I told you so" (but I did) or "We should all expect better" (said that, too) but rather merely to suggest that current creative minds under the stewardship of the corporate studio system were likely unable to recapture lightning in a bottle. That rarely -- RARELY -- if ever happens, and the resounding reality that so very much of The Force Awakens felt like a rehash of blue milk should've sent shock waves across fandom at the onset. It didn't -- perhaps nostalgia for a trip to the Outer Rim was stronger -- and, alas, we are today where we are today.
Again, I didn't dislike The Force Awakens. I think my observations -- much like those attributed to The Last Jedi -- were that it felt a bit too much like a carnival ride, like a cheap and inferior knock-off that only tried to recapture the Force Ghost's spirit of the original; and no studio mill system has proven up to the task since 1977. Sure, there have been obvious copycats -- and some of those copycats have even been entertaining -- but nothing has both culturally impacted our way of lives and also inspired like-minded storytellers to follow in its footsteps in the way Star Wars has ... so let that be a lesson to us all. George Lucas's films remain the peak -- the very summit -- of Space Fantasy on the silver screen; and everything else -- no matter how big and bold -- remains a distant second, third, fourth, fifth, or sixth place. The Force was strong with those stories. They DID where others TRIED.
But, sure, like all of you, I was glad to see that someone was interested in continuing the saga; I was just disappointed that it was all so creatively bankrupt as has been a great deal of what emerges from the mind of JJ Abrams. The man's affinity for puzzle boxes shows he isn't so much fascinated with what's inside of them as he is with making them into something worth being dangled in front of the audience's collective face. He knew full well that he had one big rabbit that hadn't eaten in years, so his was a bit easier challenge than perhaps we -- fandom -- realized. Instead of giving us an all-new adventure, he copied what worked the first time and slapped some new faces on already established archetypes, never really giving it the depth, character, or imagination that flows -- like the Force -- through Lucas's originals. I don't fault the man -- few in Hollywood have demonstrated the understanding of mythology ol' George has -- and, yet, it is what it is.
So ... if you can ... still go out and find away to celebrate today. Yes, yes, and yes: I saw it as an end to All Good Things ... but that doesn't make it any less phantasmagoric.
Happy Birthday, The Force Awakens!
Now ... go back to sleep.
-- EZ
- Published on
Under SciFiHistory.Net’s ‘Monsters Of A Sort’ category heading, I take a look at features that kinda/sorta dabble in sensibilities very close to (if not downright demonstrative of) Film Noir and/or the unconventional screen mystery. Despite maintaining a heavy (and near constant!) diet of genre projects, I’m not always satiated by just Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror … so I do like – from time-to-time – to add a little substance from these other realms. It helps to widen my perspective. It helps to cleanse the palate. It keeps me fresh mentally … and a ‘fresh me’ is good for all of you, my faithful readers.
Today’s distraction?
A French Thriller that’s often been associated with Film Noir, The Facts Of Murder (aka Un maledetto imbroglio) is a production that I’ve heard about on more than a few occasions, some of which might be owed directly to the fact that it appears to have been a somewhat vanity-style project to Pietro Germi. In short, this very talented individual not only had a hand in crafting the screen adaptation of the source novel (Carlo Emilio Gadda’s “That Awful Mess On Via Merluna”) but also directed its cast and crew whilst filling in the shoes as its leading man! That’s an incredible amount of responsibility for any brave soul, but methinks his efforts paid off quite well as the film scored notable awards wins from the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists, the Italian Golden Globes, and even a few film festival appearances.
Germi’s career was, indeed, one of celebration as IMDB.com indicates that – across his career in the industry – has racked up an incredible 31 wins (including an American Academy Award for ‘Best Writing’ of 1963’s Divorce Italian Style – which he also directed). To this particular affair, he cast such contemporaries as Claudia Cardinale, Franco Fabrizi, Cristina Gaoini, Claudio Gora, and Eleonora Rossi Drago. There are a few extras in the mix – as a detective story centered on an elite police squad, there’s a fabulous ensemble working from start-to-finish – but I’ll dispense with those names so that I can focus in on what uniquely makes these Facts worth watching … as well as a few observations about what may’ve fallen a wee bit short.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“A police detective and his team attempt to solve two crimes committed within a day of each other in neighboring apartment rooms.”
Today’s distraction?
A French Thriller that’s often been associated with Film Noir, The Facts Of Murder (aka Un maledetto imbroglio) is a production that I’ve heard about on more than a few occasions, some of which might be owed directly to the fact that it appears to have been a somewhat vanity-style project to Pietro Germi. In short, this very talented individual not only had a hand in crafting the screen adaptation of the source novel (Carlo Emilio Gadda’s “That Awful Mess On Via Merluna”) but also directed its cast and crew whilst filling in the shoes as its leading man! That’s an incredible amount of responsibility for any brave soul, but methinks his efforts paid off quite well as the film scored notable awards wins from the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists, the Italian Golden Globes, and even a few film festival appearances.
Germi’s career was, indeed, one of celebration as IMDB.com indicates that – across his career in the industry – has racked up an incredible 31 wins (including an American Academy Award for ‘Best Writing’ of 1963’s Divorce Italian Style – which he also directed). To this particular affair, he cast such contemporaries as Claudia Cardinale, Franco Fabrizi, Cristina Gaoini, Claudio Gora, and Eleonora Rossi Drago. There are a few extras in the mix – as a detective story centered on an elite police squad, there’s a fabulous ensemble working from start-to-finish – but I’ll dispense with those names so that I can focus in on what uniquely makes these Facts worth watching … as well as a few observations about what may’ve fallen a wee bit short.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“A police detective and his team attempt to solve two crimes committed within a day of each other in neighboring apartment rooms.”
As someone who has read a great deal of mystery novels – as well as one who has watched a good number of them adapted to film – it does grow increasingly more difficult to review like-minded fare, whether they’re new releases or ones culled from history. This is precisely because the more a mind is exposed to the art of misdirection – a technique required for any respectable whodunit – then the more those eyes can spot when being sent out on a wild goose chase or even down one of those proverbial rabbit holes that’ll, inevitably, lead nowhere. That’s largely the position I’m in today with The Facts Of Murder – a production that has a very solid reputation – as the central plot and the somewhat winding subplots just didn’t quite hit the bulls eye for me.
Now … hold on, haters: I’m no saying that Facts isn’t worth your time. In fact, I’d argue that it very much is as high a caliber Noir/Mystery that you’ll likely find on whatever continent you seek (this one is French, so that you know), and that alone speaks volumes for what aficionados might expect. My biggest grievance with it is that there’s so much time invested in what appeared to be a rather obvious sidebar investigation – one involving some petty theft from a seasoned citizen who appears to be leading a double life – the dominant mystery involving the murder of a young woman feels a bit too much like an afterthought to the whole situation. While I understand the need for misdirection, I just thought there could’ve been a bit more balance between these two mildly intersecting puzzles. That’s all.
When there’s no escaping that any good story will always remain the sum of its pieces, Facts boasts an incredible cast, some fabulous production details, absolutely winning black-and-white cinematography, and enough narrative twists and turns to keep casual viewers guessing. The whole scenario and its delivery always feel like it’s been drawn from a novel (I’ve already disclosed that it was), and sadly this practically implies that anyone watching/reading between the lines might be one step ahead of the guilty culprit (or is that culprits?). In a world where I’m told there are only seven original stories, this one resembles a good deal of what’s been done before (and many more completed well after its release in 1959), so it may as well lack the freshness or distinctiveness required to amass a cult following.
As our lead inspector Ciccio Ingravallo, director/actor Germi rather easily exercises a modicum of charm meant to disarm the usual suspects from his polite prying into their respective personal lives. Though he’s occasionally driven to a few blustering excesses, he’s mostly the type of investigator who dangles a few insults in between his sometimes-fawning praise of the interested parties, perhaps hoping they’ll slip up and divulge more than they’d want. He’s a smooth operator often backed up by some mildly manic supporting policemen, so their constant back-and-forth makes for some believable working relationships. This kind of interplay has been a staple of cop movies and shows for so long, however, that it might come off to some as being a touch too predictable.
Now … hold on, haters: I’m no saying that Facts isn’t worth your time. In fact, I’d argue that it very much is as high a caliber Noir/Mystery that you’ll likely find on whatever continent you seek (this one is French, so that you know), and that alone speaks volumes for what aficionados might expect. My biggest grievance with it is that there’s so much time invested in what appeared to be a rather obvious sidebar investigation – one involving some petty theft from a seasoned citizen who appears to be leading a double life – the dominant mystery involving the murder of a young woman feels a bit too much like an afterthought to the whole situation. While I understand the need for misdirection, I just thought there could’ve been a bit more balance between these two mildly intersecting puzzles. That’s all.
When there’s no escaping that any good story will always remain the sum of its pieces, Facts boasts an incredible cast, some fabulous production details, absolutely winning black-and-white cinematography, and enough narrative twists and turns to keep casual viewers guessing. The whole scenario and its delivery always feel like it’s been drawn from a novel (I’ve already disclosed that it was), and sadly this practically implies that anyone watching/reading between the lines might be one step ahead of the guilty culprit (or is that culprits?). In a world where I’m told there are only seven original stories, this one resembles a good deal of what’s been done before (and many more completed well after its release in 1959), so it may as well lack the freshness or distinctiveness required to amass a cult following.
As our lead inspector Ciccio Ingravallo, director/actor Germi rather easily exercises a modicum of charm meant to disarm the usual suspects from his polite prying into their respective personal lives. Though he’s occasionally driven to a few blustering excesses, he’s mostly the type of investigator who dangles a few insults in between his sometimes-fawning praise of the interested parties, perhaps hoping they’ll slip up and divulge more than they’d want. He’s a smooth operator often backed up by some mildly manic supporting policemen, so their constant back-and-forth makes for some believable working relationships. This kind of interplay has been a staple of cop movies and shows for so long, however, that it might come off to some as being a touch too predictable.
But perhaps the greatest strength of the entire production is that all of the chief suspects banded together could seem like an effective counterweight to expected procedural efforts put forth by the city’s finest.
Though her scenes are somewhat brief (as she turns out to be a murder victim), Eleonora Rossi Drago exudes a pleasant aristocratic touch to this somewhat elite city neighborhood; she’s the rich lady who never turns up her nose at those around her, instead choosing to aid them in ways the genuinely civic-minded support. Consequently, her death casts a pall over the apartment building, as well it should. The luminous Claudia Cardinale – as Assuntina, one of those Drago’s Liliana Banducci tried to aid – also gives her reasonably limited screen time the kind of emotional necessary to evoke the sympathy of the audience. She rather briefly establishes why she’s in this world – and why she’s worthy of attention – and though some of it may relate to her beauty she shows nothing but humility when vanity could’ve ruled the day. Claudio Gora – as Marito Banducci, Liliana’s distant husband and Ingravallo’s chief suspect – underplays the possibly philandering husband aspect so nicely that he, too, might solicit a degree of sympathy from viewers caught up in the story. Make no mistake: he hides a secret – typically a good deal of the players do in Noirs of this type – but he might escape harsh judgment of his critics once all of the facts, figures, and fantasies are revealed in the last reel.
The Facts Of Murder (aka Un maledetto imbroglio) (1959) was produced by Riama Film. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Radiance Films. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I thought that the sights-and-sounds to what’s reported as an all-new 4K restoration – the production’s very first time on high definition – to be exceptional. It’s easy to see why this title has long been recommended to fans of Film Noir and Neo Noir as its cinematography easily feels as though it was intended all along to go hand-in-hand with such revered storytelling. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? The pre-release publicity materials kinda/sorta indicates that there would be a good deal more with this one – unless I’m reading a bit too much between the lines – but all I could find was a newly released documentary on it writer, director, and star Pietro Germi along with an essay. While it has a few nice extras, I’m surprised that a film of this reputation didn’t warrant a bit more.
Recommended, and yet …
Because I’d heard so much regarding The Facts Of Murder (1959) and its greatness, I did go in expecting a bit more sinning and salvation than this 115 minutes delivered. Thankfully, it’s only a modest disappointment as the performances, pacing, and production keep this one definitely in the ‘to be watched’ category. Germi and the cast deserve any accolades they received for their work in this one; it’s a top-drawer experience, though I’m not too sure it has the rewatchability I prefer in classic films. Good … maybe even great in a few places … but still a bit too routine for my tastes.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Radiance Films provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of Un maledetto imbroglio (aka The Facts Of Murder) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
Though her scenes are somewhat brief (as she turns out to be a murder victim), Eleonora Rossi Drago exudes a pleasant aristocratic touch to this somewhat elite city neighborhood; she’s the rich lady who never turns up her nose at those around her, instead choosing to aid them in ways the genuinely civic-minded support. Consequently, her death casts a pall over the apartment building, as well it should. The luminous Claudia Cardinale – as Assuntina, one of those Drago’s Liliana Banducci tried to aid – also gives her reasonably limited screen time the kind of emotional necessary to evoke the sympathy of the audience. She rather briefly establishes why she’s in this world – and why she’s worthy of attention – and though some of it may relate to her beauty she shows nothing but humility when vanity could’ve ruled the day. Claudio Gora – as Marito Banducci, Liliana’s distant husband and Ingravallo’s chief suspect – underplays the possibly philandering husband aspect so nicely that he, too, might solicit a degree of sympathy from viewers caught up in the story. Make no mistake: he hides a secret – typically a good deal of the players do in Noirs of this type – but he might escape harsh judgment of his critics once all of the facts, figures, and fantasies are revealed in the last reel.
The Facts Of Murder (aka Un maledetto imbroglio) (1959) was produced by Riama Film. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Radiance Films. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I thought that the sights-and-sounds to what’s reported as an all-new 4K restoration – the production’s very first time on high definition – to be exceptional. It’s easy to see why this title has long been recommended to fans of Film Noir and Neo Noir as its cinematography easily feels as though it was intended all along to go hand-in-hand with such revered storytelling. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? The pre-release publicity materials kinda/sorta indicates that there would be a good deal more with this one – unless I’m reading a bit too much between the lines – but all I could find was a newly released documentary on it writer, director, and star Pietro Germi along with an essay. While it has a few nice extras, I’m surprised that a film of this reputation didn’t warrant a bit more.
Recommended, and yet …
Because I’d heard so much regarding The Facts Of Murder (1959) and its greatness, I did go in expecting a bit more sinning and salvation than this 115 minutes delivered. Thankfully, it’s only a modest disappointment as the performances, pacing, and production keep this one definitely in the ‘to be watched’ category. Germi and the cast deserve any accolades they received for their work in this one; it’s a top-drawer experience, though I’m not too sure it has the rewatchability I prefer in classic films. Good … maybe even great in a few places … but still a bit too routine for my tastes.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Radiance Films provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of Un maledetto imbroglio (aka The Facts Of Murder) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
- Published on
In the world of entertainment, I think it's far too often been said that a particular movie and television show was better because of someone being in it ... but one of the times I truly believe it was if that said talent was Andre Braugher.
In fact, I can't tell you of a single time when I watched something with Braugher that I wasn't entertained. The guy -- as an actor -- just had this effortless quality to him no matter what it was he was trying to accomplish on the screen, and I think his ability to truly inhabit a character transcends what I've seen others merely attempt. In a world of talent, he was the real deal, and I suspect his resume will be one worthy of study for years to come.
As I often point out in this space, some of the industry's biggest players didn't do a great deal of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror, but that should never stop us from recognizing the greatness that is left behind. Let me list just a few of the man's appearances below.
In 1998, Braugher joined Nicolas Cage and Meg Ryan aboard the cinematic Fantasy titled City Of Angels for Warner Bros. In it, the man played 'Cassiel,' an angel spending time observing mankind on planet Earth.
In 2000, the actor enjoyed a supporting role aboard Frequency, a time travel yarn about a young man trying to reach back through the years to save the life of his father.
In 2004, Braugher made his first steps into the visions of Stephen King with a plum role in the television mini-series adaptation of Salem's Lot. The project would receive a 2005 Saturn Award nomination in the category of 'Best Television Presentation.'
Then, in 2007, the works of Stephen King beckoned again, and the man was cast in the big screen production of The Mist. The film racked up a good number of awards and nominations across a handful of venues.
2007 also gave the talented actor a chance to appear in the Marvel Movie Universe. Braugher was cast as 'General Hager' aboard the somewhat ill-received Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer for Twentieth Century Fox and Marvel Studios.
In 2008, Braugher continued his fictional service to his country in the guise of 'Gen. George W. Mancheck' aboard the TV miniseries adaptation of Michaell Crichton's The Andromeda Strain. The miniseries went on to receive an incredible 7 Primetime Emmy Awards nominations, and Braugher himself was nominated for his work in the production as 'Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special' at the NAACP Image Awards.
In 2010, the actor lent his pipes to no less than 'Darkseid' himself when he helped bring the DC Comics direct-to-video production of Superman/Batman: Apocalypse to bold animated life.
Alternative History dramas involving the fate of the world do tend to strike a chord with audiences, but ABC's Last Resort just never found big ratings. Still, kudos to Braugher for headlining this Apocalypse/Thriller that needed a bit more of the Apocalypse on the small screen. It lasted a mere thirteen episodes and still managed to garner two Primetime Emmy Awards nominations.
As I said, there are a good many of the projects listed above that I've seen and maybe not really cared all that much for, but I'd never say I found any of the faults owed to Braugher's participation. He was that one-of-a-kind player whose presence elevated the material, and I'll be forever thankful for the entertainment he delivered.
Our prayers are extended to the family, friends, and fans of Mr. Braugher. May he rest in peace.
-- EZ
In fact, I can't tell you of a single time when I watched something with Braugher that I wasn't entertained. The guy -- as an actor -- just had this effortless quality to him no matter what it was he was trying to accomplish on the screen, and I think his ability to truly inhabit a character transcends what I've seen others merely attempt. In a world of talent, he was the real deal, and I suspect his resume will be one worthy of study for years to come.
As I often point out in this space, some of the industry's biggest players didn't do a great deal of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror, but that should never stop us from recognizing the greatness that is left behind. Let me list just a few of the man's appearances below.
In 1998, Braugher joined Nicolas Cage and Meg Ryan aboard the cinematic Fantasy titled City Of Angels for Warner Bros. In it, the man played 'Cassiel,' an angel spending time observing mankind on planet Earth.
In 2000, the actor enjoyed a supporting role aboard Frequency, a time travel yarn about a young man trying to reach back through the years to save the life of his father.
In 2004, Braugher made his first steps into the visions of Stephen King with a plum role in the television mini-series adaptation of Salem's Lot. The project would receive a 2005 Saturn Award nomination in the category of 'Best Television Presentation.'
Then, in 2007, the works of Stephen King beckoned again, and the man was cast in the big screen production of The Mist. The film racked up a good number of awards and nominations across a handful of venues.
2007 also gave the talented actor a chance to appear in the Marvel Movie Universe. Braugher was cast as 'General Hager' aboard the somewhat ill-received Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer for Twentieth Century Fox and Marvel Studios.
In 2008, Braugher continued his fictional service to his country in the guise of 'Gen. George W. Mancheck' aboard the TV miniseries adaptation of Michaell Crichton's The Andromeda Strain. The miniseries went on to receive an incredible 7 Primetime Emmy Awards nominations, and Braugher himself was nominated for his work in the production as 'Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special' at the NAACP Image Awards.
In 2010, the actor lent his pipes to no less than 'Darkseid' himself when he helped bring the DC Comics direct-to-video production of Superman/Batman: Apocalypse to bold animated life.
Alternative History dramas involving the fate of the world do tend to strike a chord with audiences, but ABC's Last Resort just never found big ratings. Still, kudos to Braugher for headlining this Apocalypse/Thriller that needed a bit more of the Apocalypse on the small screen. It lasted a mere thirteen episodes and still managed to garner two Primetime Emmy Awards nominations.
As I said, there are a good many of the projects listed above that I've seen and maybe not really cared all that much for, but I'd never say I found any of the faults owed to Braugher's participation. He was that one-of-a-kind player whose presence elevated the material, and I'll be forever thankful for the entertainment he delivered.
Our prayers are extended to the family, friends, and fans of Mr. Braugher. May he rest in peace.
-- EZ
- Published on
Gentle readers, I’ve confessed that – from time-to-time – I like to wander outside the realms of the Fantastic that are so reverentially covered in this space to review something a bit different.
As I’ve mentioned, I’ve always been a lover of film – as a whole – and not just those which happen to fall into the Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror genres. While I’m not all that much moved by conventional Dramas and Comedies, I still take them in on occasion, especially those that have been recommended to me from the kind folks I meet along the merry journey called life. Westerns and Film Noirs are also big, big, big favorites of mine (you’ll see a smattering of columns and reviews on the site covering them); but I do tend to turn my nose up with Musicals. (I just never cared for them.) And when one of these flicks inspires me to think and write about it a bit more, then I’m also apt to cover new releases of them – with the occasional review – in this space because venturing outside my preferred bubble is a solid act of creative renewal. I get to ponder questions that stretch beyond spaceships, aliens, and ray guns; and there’s nothing wrong with pushing one’s brain in a different direction entirely.
Simply put, it’s good for the soul.
Today’s diversion: 1968’s I Want Him Dead, a Spaghetti Western – if ever there were a Spaghetti Western – that’s not only quite good but also tries to do something a bit more interesting with the story than usually seen in such Italian imports. Directed by Paolo Bianchini from a story by Carlos Sarabia (believed to be a pseudonym), the film starred Craig Hill as a gunslinger seeking vengeance over the death of his sister at the hands of a pair of uncompromising baddies. While he’ll stop at nothing to see justice served, the gunman also curiously demonstrates a rare measure of restraint not usually seen in these European oaters, suggesting that there’s a bit more to his upbringing and the resulting moral compass than audiences are typically shown. This makes the film as quintessentially Spaghetti as it is something beyond … a breath of fresh air from the plains normally rich with dust.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“Clayton’s sister is raped and murdered. Time for lethal revenge!”
As I’ve mentioned, I’ve always been a lover of film – as a whole – and not just those which happen to fall into the Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror genres. While I’m not all that much moved by conventional Dramas and Comedies, I still take them in on occasion, especially those that have been recommended to me from the kind folks I meet along the merry journey called life. Westerns and Film Noirs are also big, big, big favorites of mine (you’ll see a smattering of columns and reviews on the site covering them); but I do tend to turn my nose up with Musicals. (I just never cared for them.) And when one of these flicks inspires me to think and write about it a bit more, then I’m also apt to cover new releases of them – with the occasional review – in this space because venturing outside my preferred bubble is a solid act of creative renewal. I get to ponder questions that stretch beyond spaceships, aliens, and ray guns; and there’s nothing wrong with pushing one’s brain in a different direction entirely.
Simply put, it’s good for the soul.
Today’s diversion: 1968’s I Want Him Dead, a Spaghetti Western – if ever there were a Spaghetti Western – that’s not only quite good but also tries to do something a bit more interesting with the story than usually seen in such Italian imports. Directed by Paolo Bianchini from a story by Carlos Sarabia (believed to be a pseudonym), the film starred Craig Hill as a gunslinger seeking vengeance over the death of his sister at the hands of a pair of uncompromising baddies. While he’ll stop at nothing to see justice served, the gunman also curiously demonstrates a rare measure of restraint not usually seen in these European oaters, suggesting that there’s a bit more to his upbringing and the resulting moral compass than audiences are typically shown. This makes the film as quintessentially Spaghetti as it is something beyond … a breath of fresh air from the plains normally rich with dust.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“Clayton’s sister is raped and murdered. Time for lethal revenge!”
I’ve written before about the tropes of the Spaghetti Westerns, but I think a bit of a refresher is in order, especially when considering just how much 1968’s I Want Him Dead both is and isn’t as formulaic as its European counterparts. Generally speaking, these films revolve around identifiable codes of conduct – good guys are somewhat easily distinguished from the bad guys – though they’re not immune to glamorizing the occasional anti-hero from time-to-time. Still, these Italian iterations hosted vastly more acts of violence – usually ones amplified by bullets, beatings, and bloodshed – and the villains tended to give in to extreme excesses of bad behavior, amplifying the need for justice at a time when a few good men were truly hard to find. Those who did respond to the call for righteousness were quick on the draw, and they didn’t give in to the usual distractions of money, love, and pleasure … well, until the time was right, that is.
It's been my experience that the majority of Spaghetti Westerns have this chronological opaqueness to them. They take place within the general era of the American West (usually dated as 1860 – 1900), but they’re rarely tied to a specific moment – day, month, year, etc. – and instead just happen when the days were wild, if not the wildest. Calm existed only for the purpose of being disrupted, and it was into this steaming cauldron that these characters were inserted, heavily armed, and did the greatest damage, leaving behind the highest casualty numbers imaginable. These violent flourishes often made the flicks what they were, giving audiences a glimpse at a hard life from the days truly gone by.
Now, I Want Him Dead certainly exists in this kinda/sorta Dystopian state, but its script actually posits in a few ways that there’s something more waiting in the wings.
In fact, Dead falls dead center into what appears to be the closing days of the American Civil War. There are conversations going on between Union and Confederate officers – subordinates to General Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee – to bring about the ultimate cessation of hostilities, one that will involve both disarmament and the re-introduction of soldiers into their roles as peaceful civilians. These peace talks are at the crux between both the Union and the Confederacy just as they hint that there is a life waiting for our lead gunslinger Clayton (played by Craig Hill) … if he can just survive long enough to find it.
Into this backdrop, Sarabia’s script posits that landowner and local business magnate Mallek (Andrea Bosic) is secretly pulling strings behind-the-scenes to keep the war fires burning. He’s personally profiting off the sale of weapons and ammunition to both sides of the conflict, and the end to such a lucrative undertaking would leave him and his partners shackled with inventory and no one willing nor able to purchase it (Southerners would’ve been prohibited from buying rifles as per the conditions of peace). This nuanced examination of economics alone puts Dead into some rarified air alone – especially when compared with other efforts – but, inevitably, Mallek does wind up being a fairly stereotypical ‘capitalist pig’ before all is said and done.
Also there’s the heavy suggestion that Clayton isn’t your typical gunfighter. While he’s arguably the fastest on the draw when it matters most, he also demonstrates that maybe killing isn’t always necessary. On multiple occasions, he shoots an adversary’s hand or arm in an obvious attempt to disarm an enemy, so perhaps he isn’t shackled with the usual grim dedication to simply filling the next cemetery plot on Boot Hill. He pursues the nefarious Jack Blood (José Manuel Martín) for the crime he committed, but it becomes increasingly clear that – while Clayton’s on his personal ride for justice – he’s not interested in accepting collateral damage unless afforded no other choice. Again, these sentiments weren’t always the case in this genre, and their inclusion here gives Dead evidence that “the times, they are a’changin’.”
It's been my experience that the majority of Spaghetti Westerns have this chronological opaqueness to them. They take place within the general era of the American West (usually dated as 1860 – 1900), but they’re rarely tied to a specific moment – day, month, year, etc. – and instead just happen when the days were wild, if not the wildest. Calm existed only for the purpose of being disrupted, and it was into this steaming cauldron that these characters were inserted, heavily armed, and did the greatest damage, leaving behind the highest casualty numbers imaginable. These violent flourishes often made the flicks what they were, giving audiences a glimpse at a hard life from the days truly gone by.
Now, I Want Him Dead certainly exists in this kinda/sorta Dystopian state, but its script actually posits in a few ways that there’s something more waiting in the wings.
In fact, Dead falls dead center into what appears to be the closing days of the American Civil War. There are conversations going on between Union and Confederate officers – subordinates to General Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee – to bring about the ultimate cessation of hostilities, one that will involve both disarmament and the re-introduction of soldiers into their roles as peaceful civilians. These peace talks are at the crux between both the Union and the Confederacy just as they hint that there is a life waiting for our lead gunslinger Clayton (played by Craig Hill) … if he can just survive long enough to find it.
Into this backdrop, Sarabia’s script posits that landowner and local business magnate Mallek (Andrea Bosic) is secretly pulling strings behind-the-scenes to keep the war fires burning. He’s personally profiting off the sale of weapons and ammunition to both sides of the conflict, and the end to such a lucrative undertaking would leave him and his partners shackled with inventory and no one willing nor able to purchase it (Southerners would’ve been prohibited from buying rifles as per the conditions of peace). This nuanced examination of economics alone puts Dead into some rarified air alone – especially when compared with other efforts – but, inevitably, Mallek does wind up being a fairly stereotypical ‘capitalist pig’ before all is said and done.
Also there’s the heavy suggestion that Clayton isn’t your typical gunfighter. While he’s arguably the fastest on the draw when it matters most, he also demonstrates that maybe killing isn’t always necessary. On multiple occasions, he shoots an adversary’s hand or arm in an obvious attempt to disarm an enemy, so perhaps he isn’t shackled with the usual grim dedication to simply filling the next cemetery plot on Boot Hill. He pursues the nefarious Jack Blood (José Manuel Martín) for the crime he committed, but it becomes increasingly clear that – while Clayton’s on his personal ride for justice – he’s not interested in accepting collateral damage unless afforded no other choice. Again, these sentiments weren’t always the case in this genre, and their inclusion here gives Dead evidence that “the times, they are a’changin’.”
Based on these factors, I think it’s clear that director Bianchini wanted to deliver audiences with as much as they were expecting while serving up a slightly different flair, perhaps in trying to keep ahead of ‘the March of Time’ itself. A quick search of Google.com explains that the Spaghetti Westerns began in the early 1960’s, and – although they lasted through the mid-to-late 1970’s – their narrative focus shifted in small ways in attempts to keep audiences placated, some growing a bit more horrific while later entries highlighting more comedy. By 1968, I suspect the releases had grown somewhat routine, and maybe the director saw an opportunity to try something a bit more complex. Rather than surrender to the predicable, Bianchini along with his cast and crew arguably pushed the envelope a bit here and there; and it’s this resulting freshness that definitely required a bit more from viewers to stay involved.
Beyond just the elimination of wartime, Clayton’s life is peppered with other hints of an achievable paradise. His eyes are set on a parcel of land to make all of his own – one he initially set out to share with his sister before Fate intervened – and, as the story unfolds, there’s even the prospect of love from a good woman: Aloma (the lovely Lea Massari) is both willing and able to settle down with him after having eked out a dire existence in the harshest of frontiers at a time when women were practically disposable. But because there is a promised silver lining to these dark clouds – something exceedingly rare in such spaghetti pursuits – Dead easily feels like it was trying in part to turn the corner from the usual screen fare.
I Want Him Dead (1968) was produced by Centauro Films, Inducine, and Rewind Film. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Arrow Films. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I thought that the sights-and-sounds to this reported all-new 2K restoration (from the original camera negative) were fabulous: there were a few sequences with a fair amount of grain, but it was nothing that seriously detracted from the quality of the experience. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? The disc boasts several interviews with crewmembers (no cast) along with a theatrical trailer, an image gallery, and an audio commentary hosted by Adrian J. Smith and David Flint. It’s a very solid collection, and the commentary is very interesting though a bit light on this film’s specifics.
Highly recommended.
Some may disagree, but I thought that I Want Him Dead (1968) showed that filmmakers were starting to think a bit outside of the box when it came to delivering Westerns that both fit the mold but also transcended the formula is ways that showed stories were evolving as were the times they depicted. Actor Craig Hill makes for a believable force for good just as much as he’s depicted as a man who wants to get beyond what’s expected of him in an otherwise bleak existence. Rarely do you get exactly what you want – with a side of something deliciously unexpected – but it works just fine here for those smart enough to recognize it on screen.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Arrow Films provided me with a screener Blu-ray copy of I Want Him Dead (1968) as part of their Savage Guns: Four Classic Westerns collection by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
Beyond just the elimination of wartime, Clayton’s life is peppered with other hints of an achievable paradise. His eyes are set on a parcel of land to make all of his own – one he initially set out to share with his sister before Fate intervened – and, as the story unfolds, there’s even the prospect of love from a good woman: Aloma (the lovely Lea Massari) is both willing and able to settle down with him after having eked out a dire existence in the harshest of frontiers at a time when women were practically disposable. But because there is a promised silver lining to these dark clouds – something exceedingly rare in such spaghetti pursuits – Dead easily feels like it was trying in part to turn the corner from the usual screen fare.
I Want Him Dead (1968) was produced by Centauro Films, Inducine, and Rewind Film. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Arrow Films. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I thought that the sights-and-sounds to this reported all-new 2K restoration (from the original camera negative) were fabulous: there were a few sequences with a fair amount of grain, but it was nothing that seriously detracted from the quality of the experience. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? The disc boasts several interviews with crewmembers (no cast) along with a theatrical trailer, an image gallery, and an audio commentary hosted by Adrian J. Smith and David Flint. It’s a very solid collection, and the commentary is very interesting though a bit light on this film’s specifics.
Highly recommended.
Some may disagree, but I thought that I Want Him Dead (1968) showed that filmmakers were starting to think a bit outside of the box when it came to delivering Westerns that both fit the mold but also transcended the formula is ways that showed stories were evolving as were the times they depicted. Actor Craig Hill makes for a believable force for good just as much as he’s depicted as a man who wants to get beyond what’s expected of him in an otherwise bleak existence. Rarely do you get exactly what you want – with a side of something deliciously unexpected – but it works just fine here for those smart enough to recognize it on screen.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Arrow Films provided me with a screener Blu-ray copy of I Want Him Dead (1968) as part of their Savage Guns: Four Classic Westerns collection by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
- Published on
Stardate 12.12.2023.A: 1996's 'Tremors II: Aftershocks' Fails To Recapture The Magic Of Its Original
For those of you unaware, Tremors remains one of Science Fiction and Fantasy’s rarely acknowledged franchises.
In fact, this thirty-years-old-plus property is rarely ever mentioned when discussions turn to bona fide intellectual properties with multiple films and even a spin-off albeit short-lived television series. The first film appeared in 1990, and – for all intents and purposes – came and went mostly in silence; it had a reasonably lackluster theatrical run. But as happened to a good number of exceptional flicks the home video explosion turned this underperformer into an overachiever, and Universal Pictures decided to go back to the well. Return, they did, plenty of times, as six sequels were brought to fruition, and – as recent as a few years back – interest was gauged for a second TV series. Indeed, Tremors had roots, though one could argue that the saga’s diminishing returns over the years have probably placed it six feet under for the time being.
Still, I hadn’t invested any serious interest in the property until I was recently offered a complimentary copy of Tremors II: Aftershocks (1996). This direct-to-video continuation of the monster movie brought back its creators – S.S. Wilson, Brent Maddock, and Ron Underwood – along with stars Fred Ward and Michael Gross, but the action shifted away from the tiny little watering hole of Perfection, Nevada to Mexico. In doing so, Tremors II never really tapped the vein that made its predecessor so charming, but I’ve no doubt a good time was all by all who were involved. While its heart was in the right place, there were still too many changes needed to be overcome to have lightning strike twice.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“Earl Bassett, now a washed-up ex-celebrity, is hired by a Mexican oil company to eradicate a Graboid epidemic that’s killing more people each day. However, the humans aren’t the only one with a new battle plan.”
The short skinny: nobody wants to see Han Solo without Chewbacca.
In case the name of the galaxy far, far away’s signature smuggler and his sidekick escape you, then let me explain: Han Solo is the pilot of the famed Millennium Falcon from the Star Wars saga, and the Wookiee Chewbacca is his co-pilot. They’re a team, you see? Their names go together, as do their characters. It’s important that you have one with the other because one without the other really has considerably less audience interest. Like Abbott and Costello, Laurel and Hardy, or Lucy and Ethel, it’s their exchanges and interactions with one another that make the story work.
That’s the first big mistake that Tremors II: Aftershocks makes, and it never musters enough originality to recover on its own merits.
Earl Bassett (played by Fred Ward) was ever only as good as his partner-in-crime Valentine McKee (the absent Kevin Bacon) allowed him to be, and methinks that scribes Maddock, Wilson, and Underwood knew this all too well going into even the premise of sequel to their 1990 sleeper hit, Tremors. In fact, I suspect that’s largely why they crafted the character of Grady Hoover (Chris Gartin) for Aftershocks as they’ve embodied him with so many of the traits and mannerisms that made McKee the perfect sidekick. While they’ve recreated the duo, Hoover – despite Gartin’s best efforts – remains a copy … and copies are always inferior. That ain’t personal, folks: it’s just science.
In fact, this thirty-years-old-plus property is rarely ever mentioned when discussions turn to bona fide intellectual properties with multiple films and even a spin-off albeit short-lived television series. The first film appeared in 1990, and – for all intents and purposes – came and went mostly in silence; it had a reasonably lackluster theatrical run. But as happened to a good number of exceptional flicks the home video explosion turned this underperformer into an overachiever, and Universal Pictures decided to go back to the well. Return, they did, plenty of times, as six sequels were brought to fruition, and – as recent as a few years back – interest was gauged for a second TV series. Indeed, Tremors had roots, though one could argue that the saga’s diminishing returns over the years have probably placed it six feet under for the time being.
Still, I hadn’t invested any serious interest in the property until I was recently offered a complimentary copy of Tremors II: Aftershocks (1996). This direct-to-video continuation of the monster movie brought back its creators – S.S. Wilson, Brent Maddock, and Ron Underwood – along with stars Fred Ward and Michael Gross, but the action shifted away from the tiny little watering hole of Perfection, Nevada to Mexico. In doing so, Tremors II never really tapped the vein that made its predecessor so charming, but I’ve no doubt a good time was all by all who were involved. While its heart was in the right place, there were still too many changes needed to be overcome to have lightning strike twice.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“Earl Bassett, now a washed-up ex-celebrity, is hired by a Mexican oil company to eradicate a Graboid epidemic that’s killing more people each day. However, the humans aren’t the only one with a new battle plan.”
The short skinny: nobody wants to see Han Solo without Chewbacca.
In case the name of the galaxy far, far away’s signature smuggler and his sidekick escape you, then let me explain: Han Solo is the pilot of the famed Millennium Falcon from the Star Wars saga, and the Wookiee Chewbacca is his co-pilot. They’re a team, you see? Their names go together, as do their characters. It’s important that you have one with the other because one without the other really has considerably less audience interest. Like Abbott and Costello, Laurel and Hardy, or Lucy and Ethel, it’s their exchanges and interactions with one another that make the story work.
That’s the first big mistake that Tremors II: Aftershocks makes, and it never musters enough originality to recover on its own merits.
Earl Bassett (played by Fred Ward) was ever only as good as his partner-in-crime Valentine McKee (the absent Kevin Bacon) allowed him to be, and methinks that scribes Maddock, Wilson, and Underwood knew this all too well going into even the premise of sequel to their 1990 sleeper hit, Tremors. In fact, I suspect that’s largely why they crafted the character of Grady Hoover (Chris Gartin) for Aftershocks as they’ve embodied him with so many of the traits and mannerisms that made McKee the perfect sidekick. While they’ve recreated the duo, Hoover – despite Gartin’s best efforts – remains a copy … and copies are always inferior. That ain’t personal, folks: it’s just science.
What’s truly a shame about that is Bassett’s return to the forefront of the action was introduced as perfectly believable: he’s painted as one who squandered the vast potential that celebrity no doubt gifted him – as a consequence of what he underwent in the first film – which understandably finds him down on his luck and back in the quiet frontier of Perfection. He and Val, together, with clearly schemers and dreamers, so his bad luck was a wonderful second chapter to his life; and, yet, everything he endures still feels incomplete as he’s no longer paired up with his true partner. As a fill-in, Hoover never feels anything stronger than a placeholder.
What also works very well is the fact that, somehow, these Graboids have not only survived but have turned up in other similar climates. The transition to Mexico presents Earl with that rarest of opportunities – a second chance at the big times – and the script goes to great effort to portray a man who learned a few lessons from his first rodeo but yet still can’t quite think ‘big enough’ beyond the mindset of your typical fix-it-man, a task that forever suits Mr. Bassett. Thus, Earl has no choice but to call in the big guns once his planning falls short … and in this theatrical universe did anyone other than Burt Gummer (Michael Gross) have – and know how to use – bigger guns?
Along with Gartin’s addition to the cast of characters, veteran actress Helen Shaver boards the franchise. Her Dr. Kate Reilly is a geologist (I believe) hired by the Mexican oil company to assist with the expansion efforts, and the script paints her as a potential love interest for Earl (also a suggestion that the man is in need of a partner). They’ve further fleshed out her background suggesting that – like so many female characters in film – she needed to do something in her past to make some money; and this cleverly ties in to our hero’s affection in a welcome and surprising way. But when everyone else is introduced for no other purpose than to serve as victims, then it’s safe to suggest that the story was going to be slim pickings, as this one is.
By sticking to the formula as closely as they could, the screenwriters successfully assembled all of the pieces, and yet Aftershocks never quite escapes the reality that it is a second child. It is a spin-off – one which all too often feels like it was cobbled together as quickly and as cheaply as possible – to bring it to life; and Tremors – as an inspiration – deserved something better.
Where the franchise really went left when it should’ve stayed right is in evolving the Graboids from subterranean critters into something pretty much akin to Jurassic Park’s carnivorous velociraptors. Every other monster franchise involves something that hunts its prey aboveground, so this narrative change removed a great deal of what made the original so utterly captivating and downright different. I’ve no way to know if this narrative shift was done in order to keep finances under control or if it was all intended to merely utilize a different stylistic approach to weaving this yarn, but the end result – so far as this fan is concerned – cheapened the brew to the point of blithering mediocrity. The effects are nice and the characters work just fine, but if there’s nothing to distinguish you from the studio across the street is doing then why do it?
None of my complaints is meant to suggest that Aftershocks doesn’t have a few good moments. Bassett occasionally is in great form under Ward’s care, and Gummer remains a singular creation that fuels a good many laughs and groans in the right measure. But when your seminal creatures no longer elicit the kind of stark fear that made them something to be truly frightened of, well maybe they were best left ‘out to pasture,’ as they say.
Tremors II: Aftershocks (1996) was produced by MCA/Universal Pictures and Stampede Entertainment. DVD distribution (for this particular release) is being coordinated by the fine folks at Arrow Films. As for the technical specifications? Wow. While I’m no trained video expert, I thought that the provided sights and sounds to what’s advertised as an all-new 4K restoration from the original camera negative was spectacular! (Given this is the first time I’m seeing this film, I can’t speak to how much of an improvement it could be based on the original screenings.) Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? This is the silly season – and that usually means I don’t have as much free time to spend with these for review purposes – so I’m doing the ‘copy and paste’ (from Blu-ray.com) to give you the lowdown.
What also works very well is the fact that, somehow, these Graboids have not only survived but have turned up in other similar climates. The transition to Mexico presents Earl with that rarest of opportunities – a second chance at the big times – and the script goes to great effort to portray a man who learned a few lessons from his first rodeo but yet still can’t quite think ‘big enough’ beyond the mindset of your typical fix-it-man, a task that forever suits Mr. Bassett. Thus, Earl has no choice but to call in the big guns once his planning falls short … and in this theatrical universe did anyone other than Burt Gummer (Michael Gross) have – and know how to use – bigger guns?
Along with Gartin’s addition to the cast of characters, veteran actress Helen Shaver boards the franchise. Her Dr. Kate Reilly is a geologist (I believe) hired by the Mexican oil company to assist with the expansion efforts, and the script paints her as a potential love interest for Earl (also a suggestion that the man is in need of a partner). They’ve further fleshed out her background suggesting that – like so many female characters in film – she needed to do something in her past to make some money; and this cleverly ties in to our hero’s affection in a welcome and surprising way. But when everyone else is introduced for no other purpose than to serve as victims, then it’s safe to suggest that the story was going to be slim pickings, as this one is.
By sticking to the formula as closely as they could, the screenwriters successfully assembled all of the pieces, and yet Aftershocks never quite escapes the reality that it is a second child. It is a spin-off – one which all too often feels like it was cobbled together as quickly and as cheaply as possible – to bring it to life; and Tremors – as an inspiration – deserved something better.
Where the franchise really went left when it should’ve stayed right is in evolving the Graboids from subterranean critters into something pretty much akin to Jurassic Park’s carnivorous velociraptors. Every other monster franchise involves something that hunts its prey aboveground, so this narrative change removed a great deal of what made the original so utterly captivating and downright different. I’ve no way to know if this narrative shift was done in order to keep finances under control or if it was all intended to merely utilize a different stylistic approach to weaving this yarn, but the end result – so far as this fan is concerned – cheapened the brew to the point of blithering mediocrity. The effects are nice and the characters work just fine, but if there’s nothing to distinguish you from the studio across the street is doing then why do it?
None of my complaints is meant to suggest that Aftershocks doesn’t have a few good moments. Bassett occasionally is in great form under Ward’s care, and Gummer remains a singular creation that fuels a good many laughs and groans in the right measure. But when your seminal creatures no longer elicit the kind of stark fear that made them something to be truly frightened of, well maybe they were best left ‘out to pasture,’ as they say.
Tremors II: Aftershocks (1996) was produced by MCA/Universal Pictures and Stampede Entertainment. DVD distribution (for this particular release) is being coordinated by the fine folks at Arrow Films. As for the technical specifications? Wow. While I’m no trained video expert, I thought that the provided sights and sounds to what’s advertised as an all-new 4K restoration from the original camera negative was spectacular! (Given this is the first time I’m seeing this film, I can’t speak to how much of an improvement it could be based on the original screenings.) Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? This is the silly season – and that usually means I don’t have as much free time to spend with these for review purposes – so I’m doing the ‘copy and paste’ (from Blu-ray.com) to give you the lowdown.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
Also, please keep in mind that when I’m provided a screening copy (as was the case with Tremors II), I don’t receive the provided publicity materials, artwork, booklets, etc., so I can’t speak to the efficacy or quality of those items.
Alas … only mildly recommended.
While I’m arguably one of the original film’s biggest fans, Tremors II: Aftershocks is disappointingly imperfect. Yes, it’s sad that so many of the original cast couldn’t come back (I’m suspecting the budget alone kept more than a few of them absent), but kudos to the late Fred Ward and screen veteran Michael Gross for carrying the torch. (Plus, it’s great to ogle Helen Shaver in anything!) Still, the entire milieu feels vastly undercooked to the point that all of it works little more than a cash-grabbing, bloated made-for-TV spin-off; and the ‘evolving graboids’ twist really came so far out of nowhere the second half of this one doesn’t even have the same texture to the superior first entry.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Arrow Films provided me with a complimentary screening Blu-ray copy of Tremors II: Aftershocks by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
- NEW 4K RESTORATION FROM THE ORIGINAL CAMERA NEGATIVE BY ARROW FILMS, approved by director S.S. Wilson
- DOLBY VISION/HDR PRESENTATION OF THE FILM
- Original lossless 2.0 and 4.0 surround audio
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
- Brand new feature commentary by director/co-writer S.S. Wilson and co-producer Nancy Roberts
- Brand new feature commentary by Jonathan Melville, author of Seeking Perfection: The Unofficial Guide to Tremors
- Graboid Go Boom, a newly filmed interview with special effects designer Peter Chesney
- Critical Need-to-Know Information, a newly filmed interview with CG supervisor Phil Tippett
- The Making of Tremors 2, an on-set featurette with the cast and crew
- Outtakes
- Trailers for Tremors and Tremors 2: Aftershocks
- Image gallery
- Illustrated perfect bound booklet featuring new writing by Jonathan Melville on the Tremors 2 scripts that never got made, and Dave Wain & Matty Budrewicz on the history of Universal's DTV sequel division
- Double-sided fold-out poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Matt Frank
- Small fold-out poster featuring new Shrieker X-ray art by Matt Frank
- Limited Edition packaging featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Matt Frank
Also, please keep in mind that when I’m provided a screening copy (as was the case with Tremors II), I don’t receive the provided publicity materials, artwork, booklets, etc., so I can’t speak to the efficacy or quality of those items.
Alas … only mildly recommended.
While I’m arguably one of the original film’s biggest fans, Tremors II: Aftershocks is disappointingly imperfect. Yes, it’s sad that so many of the original cast couldn’t come back (I’m suspecting the budget alone kept more than a few of them absent), but kudos to the late Fred Ward and screen veteran Michael Gross for carrying the torch. (Plus, it’s great to ogle Helen Shaver in anything!) Still, the entire milieu feels vastly undercooked to the point that all of it works little more than a cash-grabbing, bloated made-for-TV spin-off; and the ‘evolving graboids’ twist really came so far out of nowhere the second half of this one doesn’t even have the same texture to the superior first entry.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Arrow Films provided me with a complimentary screening Blu-ray copy of Tremors II: Aftershocks by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ