- Published on
Conventional Horror films have been around as long as storytellers have been putting them up in shadows and light, and I’m thrilled to have had the opportunity to spend a bit of time with a pair of motion pictures from the 1970’s: VCI Entertainment has ponied up what they’re billing as the Bloody 70’s Horror Double Feature. This three-disc collection includes 1975’s Mary, Mary, Bloody Mary and 1972’s artsy Blood Feast (aka Night Of 1,000 Cats) along with a few special features; and – even with the good, the bad, and the ugly of it – I think it’s great sample of what mid-budget flicks tried to deliver to the international box office.
The short skinny?
Both are a bit imperfect, but I’ll give them separate reviews in order to approach each of them respectfully.
Now up: Rene Cardona’s Blood Feast reaches for some curious artistic heights, especially when one considers its – ahem – frightening subject matter involving the abduction, beheading, mummification, dismembering, and feeding of dead bodies of women to legitimately feral cats.
Ouch!
(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 my final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s DVD packaging:
“Hugo, a twisted cat lover who also collects weapons and other macabre objects as a pastime, uses another pastime of picking up and scoring with beautiful women as a means to sustain his massive horde of the animals. The routine is, once Hugo brings the women home with him and he is done with them, his mute and creepy butler, Dorgo, takes over …”
Once again, I’m going to truncate what the advertising folks have decided fit to print on the DVD slipcase because – gasp! – it entirely spoils the film’s second half and the ending … a bigger tragedy than you might think given the fact that Blood Feast runs just under 63 minutes from start-to-finish. I get that those people might want to sell some product, but why not leave something to the imagination and surprise of the viewer, for Pete’s sake!
Hugo (played by Hugo Stiglitz) is perhaps one of the screen’s better portrayals of moneyed elitists. Wealthy by inheritance alone (so far as the script from Mario A. Zacarias and director Rene Cardona Jr. spells out), the man spends the better part of his existence romancing multiple women he preys on from above: too good to stalk them on foot, he soars low enough over his wealthy neighbors in a custom helicopter that he can spy on them whenever he likes. Naturally, some of these women are smitten with such an obvious display of money, so it goes without saying that he has plenty of opportunity to carry out some wicked, wicked fetishes.
The short skinny?
Both are a bit imperfect, but I’ll give them separate reviews in order to approach each of them respectfully.
Now up: Rene Cardona’s Blood Feast reaches for some curious artistic heights, especially when one considers its – ahem – frightening subject matter involving the abduction, beheading, mummification, dismembering, and feeding of dead bodies of women to legitimately feral cats.
Ouch!
(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 my final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s DVD packaging:
“Hugo, a twisted cat lover who also collects weapons and other macabre objects as a pastime, uses another pastime of picking up and scoring with beautiful women as a means to sustain his massive horde of the animals. The routine is, once Hugo brings the women home with him and he is done with them, his mute and creepy butler, Dorgo, takes over …”
Once again, I’m going to truncate what the advertising folks have decided fit to print on the DVD slipcase because – gasp! – it entirely spoils the film’s second half and the ending … a bigger tragedy than you might think given the fact that Blood Feast runs just under 63 minutes from start-to-finish. I get that those people might want to sell some product, but why not leave something to the imagination and surprise of the viewer, for Pete’s sake!
Hugo (played by Hugo Stiglitz) is perhaps one of the screen’s better portrayals of moneyed elitists. Wealthy by inheritance alone (so far as the script from Mario A. Zacarias and director Rene Cardona Jr. spells out), the man spends the better part of his existence romancing multiple women he preys on from above: too good to stalk them on foot, he soars low enough over his wealthy neighbors in a custom helicopter that he can spy on them whenever he likes. Naturally, some of these women are smitten with such an obvious display of money, so it goes without saying that he has plenty of opportunity to carry out some wicked, wicked fetishes.
This is where Blood Feast gets more than a bit dark for the price of admission.
Hugo’s too good to simply move along from one woman to the next; once he’s finished with her, he sees her as deserving of being ‘added to his collection,’ a process that involves preserving their heads in crystal cases and feeding what remains of their flesh to the angriest horde of feral cats this side of Fred Sanford’s junkyard!
It’s a gruesome fate, but what Hugo wants Hugo gets. As a consequence, we’re treated to one woman after another first falling for the man’s swagger and then falling into his feeding pit. All of this is accomplished visually with actually some interesting aesthetics by director Cardona. He makes great use of some interesting locations – including what we’re told is an abandoned monastery that doubles as Hugo’s primary residence – as well as some great cinematography and vivid production detail while keeping the most obvious gore well under control, instead using the theater’s power of suggestion for some of the darkest deeds. While other directors would’ve dialed this up to eleven on blood and guts, everyone here practices a surprising amount of restraint, and I think that had me enjoying this one a bit more than most.
However, the short runtime had this one feeling a bit more like a bloated episode of TV’s The Twilight Zone than it did a legitimate motion picture. (Again, I offer that not as a complaint so much as I do an honest observation.) There’s even a kinda/sorta twist ending not all that unlike what Rod Serling accomplished – as did Alfred Hitchcock – with similar fare. Some of the employed camera tricks tend to work better in episodic television because they go a long way toward establishing the general motif that feature films will expend whole sequences to define; still, Cardona and company should be commended to knowing what they wanted and sticking to it, no matter the format of the presentation.
Blood Feast (1972) was produced by Avant Films S.A. DVD distribution (for this particular release) is being coordinated by VCI Entertainment. (NOTE: The film is available as part of their Bloody 70’s Horror Double Feature alongside Mary, Mary, Bloody Mary as the first bill.) As for the technical specifications? Again, I’m not a video expert, but I thought this one looked particular good in its full widescreen presentation format. Very well done … and it looks much better than traditional exploitation stuff from the same era.
As for the special features? There’s a video essay conducted by film historian Dr. David Wilt that’s occasionally a good experience. My issue with it is that there just wasn’t as much detail involving this particular production as I would’ve wanted. The first twenty minutes or so (of 45 minutes) were vastly better than what followed, but to each his own. His style is that of a film lecture, so be prepared to take notes, though there was no test that I’m aware of afterward. (snicker snicker)
Recommended.
Blood Feast (1972) is a surprisingly stylish though perhaps a bit bloated Horror/Thriller. Though other critics might disagree, I was perfectly okay with the runtime, though I’ve read that alternate cuts do run a bit longer and also get a bit more into the weeds of what was ‘fantasized’ and what was ‘real’ here. Personally, I’m happy with what I saw: it moved and just the right pace, used just enough trickery to keep me invested, and ended exactly the way I would’ve wanted it to. Yes, perhaps it’s a tad predictable, for even that’s forgivable when done well.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at VCI Entertainment provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray set of Bloody 70’s Horror Double Feature by request for the expressed purposes of completing this review; and their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
Hugo’s too good to simply move along from one woman to the next; once he’s finished with her, he sees her as deserving of being ‘added to his collection,’ a process that involves preserving their heads in crystal cases and feeding what remains of their flesh to the angriest horde of feral cats this side of Fred Sanford’s junkyard!
It’s a gruesome fate, but what Hugo wants Hugo gets. As a consequence, we’re treated to one woman after another first falling for the man’s swagger and then falling into his feeding pit. All of this is accomplished visually with actually some interesting aesthetics by director Cardona. He makes great use of some interesting locations – including what we’re told is an abandoned monastery that doubles as Hugo’s primary residence – as well as some great cinematography and vivid production detail while keeping the most obvious gore well under control, instead using the theater’s power of suggestion for some of the darkest deeds. While other directors would’ve dialed this up to eleven on blood and guts, everyone here practices a surprising amount of restraint, and I think that had me enjoying this one a bit more than most.
However, the short runtime had this one feeling a bit more like a bloated episode of TV’s The Twilight Zone than it did a legitimate motion picture. (Again, I offer that not as a complaint so much as I do an honest observation.) There’s even a kinda/sorta twist ending not all that unlike what Rod Serling accomplished – as did Alfred Hitchcock – with similar fare. Some of the employed camera tricks tend to work better in episodic television because they go a long way toward establishing the general motif that feature films will expend whole sequences to define; still, Cardona and company should be commended to knowing what they wanted and sticking to it, no matter the format of the presentation.
Blood Feast (1972) was produced by Avant Films S.A. DVD distribution (for this particular release) is being coordinated by VCI Entertainment. (NOTE: The film is available as part of their Bloody 70’s Horror Double Feature alongside Mary, Mary, Bloody Mary as the first bill.) As for the technical specifications? Again, I’m not a video expert, but I thought this one looked particular good in its full widescreen presentation format. Very well done … and it looks much better than traditional exploitation stuff from the same era.
As for the special features? There’s a video essay conducted by film historian Dr. David Wilt that’s occasionally a good experience. My issue with it is that there just wasn’t as much detail involving this particular production as I would’ve wanted. The first twenty minutes or so (of 45 minutes) were vastly better than what followed, but to each his own. His style is that of a film lecture, so be prepared to take notes, though there was no test that I’m aware of afterward. (snicker snicker)
Recommended.
Blood Feast (1972) is a surprisingly stylish though perhaps a bit bloated Horror/Thriller. Though other critics might disagree, I was perfectly okay with the runtime, though I’ve read that alternate cuts do run a bit longer and also get a bit more into the weeds of what was ‘fantasized’ and what was ‘real’ here. Personally, I’m happy with what I saw: it moved and just the right pace, used just enough trickery to keep me invested, and ended exactly the way I would’ve wanted it to. Yes, perhaps it’s a tad predictable, for even that’s forgivable when done well.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at VCI Entertainment provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray set of Bloody 70’s Horror Double Feature by request for the expressed purposes of completing this review; and their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
- Published on
Ach. I kid you not. I was just thinking of actor Gregory Itzin the other day. I had stumbled across a blurb in the entertainment news about how Fox TV and Kiefer Sutherland were debating another incarnation of that great program 24; and it made me think of Itzin's portrayal of the crooked and deceitful 'President Charles Logan.' Think what you will, I found it a great performance of an obviously flawed man, and it was brought to life incredibly by this very gifted Thespian.
Alas, I just saw a notice on the Information Superhighway that he's shaken off his mortal coil and left our plane of existence. Ach, so sad.
A quick look at IMDB.com shows his professional resume was fast approaching an incredible two hundred screen roles, and I believe I've seen him in quite a few of those listed there. (Granted, not all, as I do have a life outside these four walls.) His genre work may not be all that reverential, per se, but there are some great bits in there as well. I'll try to list a few.
He got his first roles in 1979, and that year one of them was as a nameless background character in an episode of the SciFi/Sitcom Mork & Mindy. Then in 1985 he took a (somewhat) big leap forward with some screen time aboard the popular Horror/Comedy Teen Wolf. Some small roles in TV properties like Tales From The Darkside, Max Headroom, and Something Is Out There followed very quickly. Then, in 1991, he found what was probably his first real bit of small screen success playing the mayor of that quaint little tourist spot that went by the name Eerie, Indiana (1991-1992).
Need more?
Well, I never pass up mentioning appearances in NBC's Quantum Leap, for which he enjoyed a guest spot. Other genre programs include such staples as Strange Luck, The Pretender, Millennium, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (two appearances in different roles), Early Edition, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Enterprise, and Medium.
Still, many more roles followed after that, and this guy was indeed prolific.
Also, IMDB.com reports that he had a few roles in projects that are currently in post-production, so who knows what'll happen with some of that stuff? So long as the majority of his scenes were completed, we might have a bit more from this extraordinary player.
Thoughts and prayers are extended to the family and friends of Mr. Itzin.
-- EZ
Alas, I just saw a notice on the Information Superhighway that he's shaken off his mortal coil and left our plane of existence. Ach, so sad.
A quick look at IMDB.com shows his professional resume was fast approaching an incredible two hundred screen roles, and I believe I've seen him in quite a few of those listed there. (Granted, not all, as I do have a life outside these four walls.) His genre work may not be all that reverential, per se, but there are some great bits in there as well. I'll try to list a few.
He got his first roles in 1979, and that year one of them was as a nameless background character in an episode of the SciFi/Sitcom Mork & Mindy. Then in 1985 he took a (somewhat) big leap forward with some screen time aboard the popular Horror/Comedy Teen Wolf. Some small roles in TV properties like Tales From The Darkside, Max Headroom, and Something Is Out There followed very quickly. Then, in 1991, he found what was probably his first real bit of small screen success playing the mayor of that quaint little tourist spot that went by the name Eerie, Indiana (1991-1992).
Need more?
Well, I never pass up mentioning appearances in NBC's Quantum Leap, for which he enjoyed a guest spot. Other genre programs include such staples as Strange Luck, The Pretender, Millennium, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (two appearances in different roles), Early Edition, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Enterprise, and Medium.
Still, many more roles followed after that, and this guy was indeed prolific.
Also, IMDB.com reports that he had a few roles in projects that are currently in post-production, so who knows what'll happen with some of that stuff? So long as the majority of his scenes were completed, we might have a bit more from this extraordinary player.
Thoughts and prayers are extended to the family and friends of Mr. Itzin.
-- EZ
- Published on
These days, it's a little known fact that some of television's biggest properties have curious links to the silver screen.
I've mentioned before that those underwhelming Ewoks telefilms that originally aired on broadcast television in the 1980's were also given theatrical releases overseas. In fact, it wasn't all that long ago that a knucklehead on Twitter took me to task when I pointed out that simple fact -- the thread was a long debate about the success of Star Wars on the big screen -- and I ended up having to block the idiot. (Yes, I said it, and I'm not sorry.) My point was that U.S. residents (of which I am) occasionally take the narrow view of Science Fiction and Fantasy, ignoring the fact that many fans were introduced to these things theatrical in their country of residence; and I was only trying to make the discussion a bit more polite. He raged on that those films weren't considered Star Wars canon, so they might as well be fan films. When I tried to point out that he was moving the goal post (in the debate), he started foaming at the mouth ... and that gets me to where I am now.
Back in those days, you see, studio executives and other business-minded suits loved to use foreign markets to offset some of the expenses to producing some of the more expensive properties. If these things were costing millions of dollars an hour to produce, then why not try to win back some of that cold hard cash from the international box office? The way I see it, that's a win/win for the savviest among us; and what better way to build up some solid 'word of mouth' in preparation for the program's inevitable launch on the small screen? Unless you had a real piece of garbage on your hands, I can't see why this format isn't tried more often these days ... but it is what it is.
In any event ...
The great Glen A. Larson property Battlestar Galactica enjoyed its first theatrical exhibition ever when it played for folks behind the Maple Curtain (aka Canada, for you that have missed my nicknamem for America's hat). This theatrical cut enjoyed screenings around the world but this one serves as the true birthdate of the franchise so far as I'm concerned as it's the first showing of record I've ever been able to locate. Adama, Apollo, and Starbuck first blazed their trail away from the Thirteen Colonies and into space up there for patrons to see; and I would've loved to see it in lights myself. Those of us in the U.S. had to wait until the regular program debuted on broadcast television the following September, and I do recall my excitement -- and that of a few classmates -- being at a fever pitch.
Yes, yes, yes. I'm aware of the Syfy reboot, but in my opinion that's really a vastly different incarnation of the source material. I much prefer the original -- even with all of its campy sensibilities.
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
-- EZ
I've mentioned before that those underwhelming Ewoks telefilms that originally aired on broadcast television in the 1980's were also given theatrical releases overseas. In fact, it wasn't all that long ago that a knucklehead on Twitter took me to task when I pointed out that simple fact -- the thread was a long debate about the success of Star Wars on the big screen -- and I ended up having to block the idiot. (Yes, I said it, and I'm not sorry.) My point was that U.S. residents (of which I am) occasionally take the narrow view of Science Fiction and Fantasy, ignoring the fact that many fans were introduced to these things theatrical in their country of residence; and I was only trying to make the discussion a bit more polite. He raged on that those films weren't considered Star Wars canon, so they might as well be fan films. When I tried to point out that he was moving the goal post (in the debate), he started foaming at the mouth ... and that gets me to where I am now.
Back in those days, you see, studio executives and other business-minded suits loved to use foreign markets to offset some of the expenses to producing some of the more expensive properties. If these things were costing millions of dollars an hour to produce, then why not try to win back some of that cold hard cash from the international box office? The way I see it, that's a win/win for the savviest among us; and what better way to build up some solid 'word of mouth' in preparation for the program's inevitable launch on the small screen? Unless you had a real piece of garbage on your hands, I can't see why this format isn't tried more often these days ... but it is what it is.
In any event ...
The great Glen A. Larson property Battlestar Galactica enjoyed its first theatrical exhibition ever when it played for folks behind the Maple Curtain (aka Canada, for you that have missed my nicknamem for America's hat). This theatrical cut enjoyed screenings around the world but this one serves as the true birthdate of the franchise so far as I'm concerned as it's the first showing of record I've ever been able to locate. Adama, Apollo, and Starbuck first blazed their trail away from the Thirteen Colonies and into space up there for patrons to see; and I would've loved to see it in lights myself. Those of us in the U.S. had to wait until the regular program debuted on broadcast television the following September, and I do recall my excitement -- and that of a few classmates -- being at a fever pitch.
Yes, yes, yes. I'm aware of the Syfy reboot, but in my opinion that's really a vastly different incarnation of the source material. I much prefer the original -- even with all of its campy sensibilities.
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
-- EZ
- Published on
Ach. I guess now we'll all know what it's like to live in a world without James Caan.
Truth be told, this much celebrated actor was no stranger to genre projects, though I'm not entirely certain he was all that thrilled with some of his work. I forget where I heard this story -- I don't believe I saw it on broadcast television, myself -- but who knows? It may've been the long-running 'Inside The Actors Studio' or something like that. In any event, Caan was there, and a moderator was present for audience questions. If I have the details correctly, someone stood up and wanted to ask the man about his thoughts on Alien Nation (1988), and -- given his response -- he was perhaps a bit insulted? My suspicion is that it was a highbrow affair, and there was probably an inordinate amount of chitchat around the Godfather films and his role in it. I guess the tenor of his refusal was that Alien Nation wasn't "serious acting," and he didn't want to go into that topic any further.
Sigh.
That's sad because that 1988 -- like it or not -- had legs strong enough to launch one of the minor franchises of the late 80's. It was an inspired bit of SciFi -- albeit with a bit of cheese -- and certainly boasts two singular performances from Caan and co-star Mandy Patinkin. I can certainly understand why it may not be considered (ahem) worthy of consideration alongside the Coppola crime epic, but it's still a film with a handful of interesting ideas worth a few polite words.
I don't bring this up to disparage the man at all because I think he's definitely free to speak his mind, as are we all. And I can only state that I hope he wasn't ashamed of Science Fiction and Fantasy as a whole because he definitely has an established track record in genre projects. For example:
1967's Countdown is far more SciFi/Drama than it is pure Science Fiction, but this Robert Altman directed picture had Caan as one of the American astronauts racing against time to save themselves in orbit in a story not dissimilar to the vastly more crowd-pleasing Apollo 13 (1995).
1975's Rollerball is one of those films that I, personally, don't feel gets the respect it deserves. That's likely because this social satire about personal freedom and liberty set against the backdrop of a future sports empire has a few silly, dated moments that kinda/sorta cheapen the mix. Otherwise, I think it has a great, gritty performance by Caan, one for which he won the 1976 Saturn Award for Best Actor over.
1990 saw the man in a small(ish) role -- especially considering his clout -- in the Warren Beatty-starring adaptation of Dick Tracy for the Walt Disney Company. Again, it's a film that's largely forgotten these days, but for its day it was a perfectly acceptable dose of pop culture inspired melodrama.
Suffice it to say, there are more performances to the man's record -- including his work in Misery (1990), Lathe Of Heaven (2002), and more -- that suggest he may be regarded as one of genre's most celebrated actors ... though we may never know just how much he appreciates the association. Whatever that truth may be, let's hope we celebrate what he's done throughout the ages.
Thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Mr. Caan.
-- EZ
Truth be told, this much celebrated actor was no stranger to genre projects, though I'm not entirely certain he was all that thrilled with some of his work. I forget where I heard this story -- I don't believe I saw it on broadcast television, myself -- but who knows? It may've been the long-running 'Inside The Actors Studio' or something like that. In any event, Caan was there, and a moderator was present for audience questions. If I have the details correctly, someone stood up and wanted to ask the man about his thoughts on Alien Nation (1988), and -- given his response -- he was perhaps a bit insulted? My suspicion is that it was a highbrow affair, and there was probably an inordinate amount of chitchat around the Godfather films and his role in it. I guess the tenor of his refusal was that Alien Nation wasn't "serious acting," and he didn't want to go into that topic any further.
Sigh.
That's sad because that 1988 -- like it or not -- had legs strong enough to launch one of the minor franchises of the late 80's. It was an inspired bit of SciFi -- albeit with a bit of cheese -- and certainly boasts two singular performances from Caan and co-star Mandy Patinkin. I can certainly understand why it may not be considered (ahem) worthy of consideration alongside the Coppola crime epic, but it's still a film with a handful of interesting ideas worth a few polite words.
I don't bring this up to disparage the man at all because I think he's definitely free to speak his mind, as are we all. And I can only state that I hope he wasn't ashamed of Science Fiction and Fantasy as a whole because he definitely has an established track record in genre projects. For example:
1967's Countdown is far more SciFi/Drama than it is pure Science Fiction, but this Robert Altman directed picture had Caan as one of the American astronauts racing against time to save themselves in orbit in a story not dissimilar to the vastly more crowd-pleasing Apollo 13 (1995).
1975's Rollerball is one of those films that I, personally, don't feel gets the respect it deserves. That's likely because this social satire about personal freedom and liberty set against the backdrop of a future sports empire has a few silly, dated moments that kinda/sorta cheapen the mix. Otherwise, I think it has a great, gritty performance by Caan, one for which he won the 1976 Saturn Award for Best Actor over.
1990 saw the man in a small(ish) role -- especially considering his clout -- in the Warren Beatty-starring adaptation of Dick Tracy for the Walt Disney Company. Again, it's a film that's largely forgotten these days, but for its day it was a perfectly acceptable dose of pop culture inspired melodrama.
Suffice it to say, there are more performances to the man's record -- including his work in Misery (1990), Lathe Of Heaven (2002), and more -- that suggest he may be regarded as one of genre's most celebrated actors ... though we may never know just how much he appreciates the association. Whatever that truth may be, let's hope we celebrate what he's done throughout the ages.
Thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Mr. Caan.
-- EZ
- Published on
True story, kids: when the scientists went about first testing the atomic bomb in secret, there was even a bit of behind-the-scenes speculation that the event would spell mankind’s demise as the blast could possibly ignite the oxygen in Earth’s atmosphere, sending our whole world up in flames in a matter of moments …
That’s the thing about ‘End Times’ prophecies and predictions: they rarely come true. This isn’t because of a lack of critical, scientific thinking; rather it’s tied to the fact that – more often than not – fear of the unknown creeps in from the margins, causing even the most rational mind to occasionally propose some semi-ridiculous consequences to attempting anything. I can’t tell you what lead “the best minds known to man” to suggest that we were going to set our own air ablaze, but dare I suggest it wasn’t a logical position? Yes, yes, yes: I get that we never knew the outcome as we’d never set off a bomb of this proportion, but I’m still inclined to believe such a conclusion was founded more on panic than anything else.
Still, it’s this kind of exaggerated thinking that fuels a film like The Day The Earth Caught Fire.
Without spoiling too much in this preamble, the prophetic film goes so far as to suggest that twin nuclear tests (conducted by the United States and the Soviet Union) were not only the catalyst for changing Earth’s axis but also shifting our planet’s orbit around the sun, sending us on a crash course right into the blazing heart of our star system itself! Released in 1961, it’s easy to suggest that its premise was conceived of during the Cold War – a time when the collective fear of atomic weapons was at its highest – so perhaps everyone needed to be aware of just how frightening the prospect of a nuclear exchange was perceived by the masses.
After all, fear of this unknown couldn’t only move mountains. It might destroy them.
(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 my 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 citation:
“When the U.S. and Russia unwittingly test atomic bombs at the same time, it alters the nutation (axis of rotation) of the Earth.”
I hate picking on thoughtful motion pictures, and The Day The Earth Caught Fire really did have its heart in the right place.
It’s best to approach the film by thinking of it as ‘an activist’s picture.’ Clearly, screenwriters Wolf Mankowitz and Val Guest (who also directed) were trying to breach the topic of nuclear supremacy not so much from the proposition of it spelling our doom and gloom but to merely lay out what they projected could be one probably scenario from crossing the Rubicon (i.e. point of no return). They very well may have wanted to tell a good story, but – like any advocate – they were more likely hoping that a groundswell of support from the viewing audiences around the world may’ve paved the way for a constructive (and public) conversation about atomic energy and what its unchecked growth might do to Mother Earth.
Why do I say this?
That’s the thing about ‘End Times’ prophecies and predictions: they rarely come true. This isn’t because of a lack of critical, scientific thinking; rather it’s tied to the fact that – more often than not – fear of the unknown creeps in from the margins, causing even the most rational mind to occasionally propose some semi-ridiculous consequences to attempting anything. I can’t tell you what lead “the best minds known to man” to suggest that we were going to set our own air ablaze, but dare I suggest it wasn’t a logical position? Yes, yes, yes: I get that we never knew the outcome as we’d never set off a bomb of this proportion, but I’m still inclined to believe such a conclusion was founded more on panic than anything else.
Still, it’s this kind of exaggerated thinking that fuels a film like The Day The Earth Caught Fire.
Without spoiling too much in this preamble, the prophetic film goes so far as to suggest that twin nuclear tests (conducted by the United States and the Soviet Union) were not only the catalyst for changing Earth’s axis but also shifting our planet’s orbit around the sun, sending us on a crash course right into the blazing heart of our star system itself! Released in 1961, it’s easy to suggest that its premise was conceived of during the Cold War – a time when the collective fear of atomic weapons was at its highest – so perhaps everyone needed to be aware of just how frightening the prospect of a nuclear exchange was perceived by the masses.
After all, fear of this unknown couldn’t only move mountains. It might destroy them.
(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 my 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 citation:
“When the U.S. and Russia unwittingly test atomic bombs at the same time, it alters the nutation (axis of rotation) of the Earth.”
I hate picking on thoughtful motion pictures, and The Day The Earth Caught Fire really did have its heart in the right place.
It’s best to approach the film by thinking of it as ‘an activist’s picture.’ Clearly, screenwriters Wolf Mankowitz and Val Guest (who also directed) were trying to breach the topic of nuclear supremacy not so much from the proposition of it spelling our doom and gloom but to merely lay out what they projected could be one probably scenario from crossing the Rubicon (i.e. point of no return). They very well may have wanted to tell a good story, but – like any advocate – they were more likely hoping that a groundswell of support from the viewing audiences around the world may’ve paved the way for a constructive (and public) conversation about atomic energy and what its unchecked growth might do to Mother Earth.
Why do I say this?
Well, Guest himself is on record with those sentiments. In fact, the 2001 Anchor Bay DVD has a commentary track from the director in which he states unequivocally that his goal was to produce a motion picture with an entirely ambiguous ending. (At the risk of spoiling too much of the plot, scientists suggest that detonating the remaining nuclear stockpile at key locations might be sufficient to throw our planet back into its proper orbit – a bit laughable, if you ask this old dog – but we’re never told the outcome of this effort.) Leaving this story with such an ending open to interpretation by all tells me that producers wanted the viewers to engage with the topic after the credits rolled; otherwise, such a conclusion is wasted.
Now, there’s nothing wrong with those efforts, and I applaud everyone involved for doing so. It would’ve been easy to cross over into the realm of propaganda (with just a few story twists) and start advocating one position over another. While I suspect all involved were likely opposed to nuclear power, I’m glad they didn’t repeatedly pound that drum the way the current crop of Hollywood (and beyond) scribes tend to do. Instead, Mankowitz and Guest present their doomsday scenario, and they let you decide what to make of it. Bravo!
Along the way, their script actually creates a handful of solid characters who don’t so much come into conflict as they do bounce around a bit off the subject matter. (In fact, if I have any major complaint regarding Day’s script, it’s that there’s really no central conflict. Instead, we’re given a rather chatty melodrama – with a romantic subplot – and a wealth of conversation.) Peter Stenning (played by Edward Judd) is a crack reporter who’s kinda/sorta lost his storytelling mojo when it looks like the end of the world might just be what he needed to discover himself all over again. Jeannie Craig (the lovely Janet Munro) is telephone operator who unintentional eavesdropping (of the extinction level event) sets all of this in motion. Bill Maguire (Leo McKern) is the old school newspaperman who’s grown a bit weary with the routine of his job but – against all odds – continues to fight the ‘good fight’ against the establishment, especially now when it appears they’re trying to conceal the facts of Earth’s pending demise from the reading public.
Though there are a few more faces to round out this ensemble, these three characters represent the lion’s share of the flick’s best moments. Sadly, there’s little conflict for them to actively engage one another with, and instead they’re more like boats against the tide of events – tossed a bit here and there when circumstances require but always plowing toward the shore. Once the central struggle – that of Earth’s fate – is revealed, they do have a bit more substance to chew on: the inevitable rioting of citizens acting out against all efforts to maintain civility makes for a few good sequences, but at that point the writing was on the wall, as they say.
Still, this has to be one of the chattiest ‘end times’ films ever made, and the British propensity to talk things up gets a wonderful visual retort when Judd walks silently through the emptied city streets in the picture’s opening and closing moments. The silence – for the most part – is deafening, especially when juxtaposed with the flick’s nearly endless speechifying. In fact, you’re almost glad the Apocalypse is here just for the peace and quiet.
The Day The Earth Caught Fire (1961) was produced by Pax Films.
Mildly recommended. So long as you don’t mind being talked to death through the Apocalypse, then The Day The Earth Caught Fire might tickle your fancy. There’s very little action – this is a thinking man’s end of the world – but more than a fair amount of verbal ruminating along with some nice characterizations from actors Judd, Munro, and McKern. The film is also bookended with an interesting colorization that kinda/sorta suggests “we’re all doomed” without screaming it from the rooftops and street corners, though the picture does have a bloke doing that at the appropriate moments as well.
-- EZ
Now, there’s nothing wrong with those efforts, and I applaud everyone involved for doing so. It would’ve been easy to cross over into the realm of propaganda (with just a few story twists) and start advocating one position over another. While I suspect all involved were likely opposed to nuclear power, I’m glad they didn’t repeatedly pound that drum the way the current crop of Hollywood (and beyond) scribes tend to do. Instead, Mankowitz and Guest present their doomsday scenario, and they let you decide what to make of it. Bravo!
Along the way, their script actually creates a handful of solid characters who don’t so much come into conflict as they do bounce around a bit off the subject matter. (In fact, if I have any major complaint regarding Day’s script, it’s that there’s really no central conflict. Instead, we’re given a rather chatty melodrama – with a romantic subplot – and a wealth of conversation.) Peter Stenning (played by Edward Judd) is a crack reporter who’s kinda/sorta lost his storytelling mojo when it looks like the end of the world might just be what he needed to discover himself all over again. Jeannie Craig (the lovely Janet Munro) is telephone operator who unintentional eavesdropping (of the extinction level event) sets all of this in motion. Bill Maguire (Leo McKern) is the old school newspaperman who’s grown a bit weary with the routine of his job but – against all odds – continues to fight the ‘good fight’ against the establishment, especially now when it appears they’re trying to conceal the facts of Earth’s pending demise from the reading public.
Though there are a few more faces to round out this ensemble, these three characters represent the lion’s share of the flick’s best moments. Sadly, there’s little conflict for them to actively engage one another with, and instead they’re more like boats against the tide of events – tossed a bit here and there when circumstances require but always plowing toward the shore. Once the central struggle – that of Earth’s fate – is revealed, they do have a bit more substance to chew on: the inevitable rioting of citizens acting out against all efforts to maintain civility makes for a few good sequences, but at that point the writing was on the wall, as they say.
Still, this has to be one of the chattiest ‘end times’ films ever made, and the British propensity to talk things up gets a wonderful visual retort when Judd walks silently through the emptied city streets in the picture’s opening and closing moments. The silence – for the most part – is deafening, especially when juxtaposed with the flick’s nearly endless speechifying. In fact, you’re almost glad the Apocalypse is here just for the peace and quiet.
The Day The Earth Caught Fire (1961) was produced by Pax Films.
Mildly recommended. So long as you don’t mind being talked to death through the Apocalypse, then The Day The Earth Caught Fire might tickle your fancy. There’s very little action – this is a thinking man’s end of the world – but more than a fair amount of verbal ruminating along with some nice characterizations from actors Judd, Munro, and McKern. The film is also bookended with an interesting colorization that kinda/sorta suggests “we’re all doomed” without screaming it from the rooftops and street corners, though the picture does have a bloke doing that at the appropriate moments as well.
-- EZ
- Published on
One of the things I've always cherished about being a fan of Science Fiction and Fantasy is that no matter where you go you'll always find enthusiasts who -- for whatever reason -- celebrate the tertiary characters of their favorite films and television shows.
You know what I mean?
For example, I can remember back in the original days of TV's Twin Peaks being an employee in an office filled with folks who loved the show. We'd always get together around the water cooler on the day after a new episode broadcast, and -- more often than not -- we wouldn't get wrapped up in the plotlines details (which were understandable cryptic) but instead we'd want to talk about all of these smaller character moments. "Do you remember when Andy did this?" "Did you see that look Hawk flashed Agent Cooper?" "What is up with Audrey?" Remember: these were not the primary players -- in many respects -- but they were secondary players who still managed to squeeze out something particularly memorable against the broader canvas.
From what I've seen, this phenomenon isn't limited to our specific genre, but I think those of us who are ardent fans -- maybe the most ardent among us -- really have a way to dial it up to eleven, to draw even greater attention to these otherwise forgettable folks who struck a chord for any number of reasons.
To me, that's the best way to describe the phenomenon within a phenomenon for the original Star Wars Trilogy, the fan so many folks back then and still today celebrate 'Porkins,' as played on the silver screen by William Hootkins (who was born on this day back in 1948). He was this X-Wing pilot who met a grisly end -- as did so many that day in the Battle of Yavin 4 -- but because the character showed up, gave his all, and blazed a path into legend, fans 'worshipped' him. (Yeah, yeah, yeah ... maybe 'worshipped' is a bit strong, but you get the point.) We made him larger-than-life because he looked and sounded like one of us. He may've gone down with the ship, but that alone is no reason to avoid championing one who took a stand against the Empire.
All franchises have these lesser figures who end up meaning more to their respective fan bases, so maybe take a moment today to celebrate one of these characters and/or the actor and/or actress who played them. That's what unites us as fans, and we'd always rather be united than divided.
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
-- EZ
You know what I mean?
For example, I can remember back in the original days of TV's Twin Peaks being an employee in an office filled with folks who loved the show. We'd always get together around the water cooler on the day after a new episode broadcast, and -- more often than not -- we wouldn't get wrapped up in the plotlines details (which were understandable cryptic) but instead we'd want to talk about all of these smaller character moments. "Do you remember when Andy did this?" "Did you see that look Hawk flashed Agent Cooper?" "What is up with Audrey?" Remember: these were not the primary players -- in many respects -- but they were secondary players who still managed to squeeze out something particularly memorable against the broader canvas.
From what I've seen, this phenomenon isn't limited to our specific genre, but I think those of us who are ardent fans -- maybe the most ardent among us -- really have a way to dial it up to eleven, to draw even greater attention to these otherwise forgettable folks who struck a chord for any number of reasons.
To me, that's the best way to describe the phenomenon within a phenomenon for the original Star Wars Trilogy, the fan so many folks back then and still today celebrate 'Porkins,' as played on the silver screen by William Hootkins (who was born on this day back in 1948). He was this X-Wing pilot who met a grisly end -- as did so many that day in the Battle of Yavin 4 -- but because the character showed up, gave his all, and blazed a path into legend, fans 'worshipped' him. (Yeah, yeah, yeah ... maybe 'worshipped' is a bit strong, but you get the point.) We made him larger-than-life because he looked and sounded like one of us. He may've gone down with the ship, but that alone is no reason to avoid championing one who took a stand against the Empire.
All franchises have these lesser figures who end up meaning more to their respective fan bases, so maybe take a moment today to celebrate one of these characters and/or the actor and/or actress who played them. That's what unites us as fans, and we'd always rather be united than divided.
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
-- EZ
- Published on
I’ve always said I have a fondness for films wherein knuckleheads kinda/sorta save the day. Mind you: they may not save the planet, per se, but they’ll have what it takes to deliver the goods to make good on whatever task holds them back.
1985’s Back To The Future saw a somewhat outcast teen/wannabe rockstar thrown, literally, back in time where he inadvertently disrupts his parents’ fateful meeting; in order to save himself and his family from being erased from the timeline, Marty McFly has to race against the clock, bring his teenage mother and father back together, and get to where a lightning strike will propel his broken time machine back to his own future.
Similarly, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989) finds a pair of misfit teenagers on the precipice of failing history class, thus somehow missing out on the opportunity to form a rock band mystically tied to a future utopia; such a looming catastrophe requires an agent from tomorrow to gift these young men with a time machine they can use to pluck notable players from the past they can bring to the present and use in life-changing presentation before the student body.
Lastly, Tremors (1990) saw a pair of day laborers toiling away in obscurity finally deciding to leave ‘small town life’ behind in pursuit of big city riches. But on the day they decide to pull up their stakes and get out of Dodge, a trio of subterranean monsters wreak havoc on their backwater existence, and – lo and behold – they just might be the only two people who can save life as we know it from being served on the proverbial platter.
Into the fray comes Blasted, a 2022 Norwegian production focusing on a pair of young adults whose best days as infamous laser tag champions lay in the past. Did they put down their toy pistols too soon? Are they now just firing blanks? Can they find out one last time if they perhaps have the right stuff to save the day one last time? While this film didn’t quite hit the bullseye, it stayed reasonably close to the mark well enough to get a bit more examination.
(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 my final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
1985’s Back To The Future saw a somewhat outcast teen/wannabe rockstar thrown, literally, back in time where he inadvertently disrupts his parents’ fateful meeting; in order to save himself and his family from being erased from the timeline, Marty McFly has to race against the clock, bring his teenage mother and father back together, and get to where a lightning strike will propel his broken time machine back to his own future.
Similarly, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989) finds a pair of misfit teenagers on the precipice of failing history class, thus somehow missing out on the opportunity to form a rock band mystically tied to a future utopia; such a looming catastrophe requires an agent from tomorrow to gift these young men with a time machine they can use to pluck notable players from the past they can bring to the present and use in life-changing presentation before the student body.
Lastly, Tremors (1990) saw a pair of day laborers toiling away in obscurity finally deciding to leave ‘small town life’ behind in pursuit of big city riches. But on the day they decide to pull up their stakes and get out of Dodge, a trio of subterranean monsters wreak havoc on their backwater existence, and – lo and behold – they just might be the only two people who can save life as we know it from being served on the proverbial platter.
Into the fray comes Blasted, a 2022 Norwegian production focusing on a pair of young adults whose best days as infamous laser tag champions lay in the past. Did they put down their toy pistols too soon? Are they now just firing blanks? Can they find out one last time if they perhaps have the right stuff to save the day one last time? While this film didn’t quite hit the bullseye, it stayed reasonably close to the mark well enough to get a bit more examination.
(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 my 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 citation:
“When a former childhood friend crashes Sebastian’s bachelor party and makes it all about himself, only an alien invasion can make them put aside their bad blood and reunite as the kick-ass laser-tag duo they once were.”
I’ve long opined (in this space) that blending Science Fiction and Comedy is a risky business at best, but 2022’s Blasted certainly scores solid points as the latest in the trend of misfits saving the world against alien attack. While its rather formulaic approach never achieves a perfect balance, the end result is palatable enough to give it a mild thumbs up, though it’s still peppered with ideas that don’t quite make perfect sense.
Much of the film’s watchability is owed to the film’s lead players. Axel Bøyum plays Sebastian, a somewhat ill-prepared financial analyst (though it’s never quite clear) who needs to score a major account to get his new career off to a great start. André Sørum plays Kasper, an Elon Musk type millionaire with (apparently) money to spend. When Sebastian’s miserable Power Point presentation fails to impress the famed money man, he desperately goes for broke, instead inviting Kasper to join him and his friends for some wild and crazy antics promised to be the bachelor party to end all bachelor parties. If he can’t woo the mogul with his business smarts, then he’ll entice him via forced friendship.
The problem? Well, Sebastian isn’t exactly an affable guy. He’s a bit of an outcast – a bit of a passive nerd – and the fact that he’s more than a little worrisome about every little detail of his daily existence makes him hard to pair up with. He’s surrounded himself with somewhat similar outcasts (Mathias Luppichini as ‘Audun’ is a dry, unfunny history aficionado, and Eirik Hallert as ‘Pelle’ seems to be a good-natured halfwit who spouts nonsensical maxims as life philosophy), and once this group comes together it's quite obvious they’ve little in common with the jet-setting, ill-tempered tycoon.
Thankfully (or not), Sebastian’s fiancé secretly invites Mikkel to the bachelor’s retreat. Mikkel (played by Fredrik Skogsrud) is a devil-may-care breath of fresh air for the group, an oddball who has given his life over to drinking slushies all day while ‘living the dream’ of pursuing laser tag as a daily profession. In their youth, he and Sebastian were sport champions in their native country; though they’ve gone their separate ways, Mikkel has stayed true to their one-time passion, and his irreverent outlook on things immediately charms Kasper when these other partygoers fail wretchedly.
“When a former childhood friend crashes Sebastian’s bachelor party and makes it all about himself, only an alien invasion can make them put aside their bad blood and reunite as the kick-ass laser-tag duo they once were.”
I’ve long opined (in this space) that blending Science Fiction and Comedy is a risky business at best, but 2022’s Blasted certainly scores solid points as the latest in the trend of misfits saving the world against alien attack. While its rather formulaic approach never achieves a perfect balance, the end result is palatable enough to give it a mild thumbs up, though it’s still peppered with ideas that don’t quite make perfect sense.
Much of the film’s watchability is owed to the film’s lead players. Axel Bøyum plays Sebastian, a somewhat ill-prepared financial analyst (though it’s never quite clear) who needs to score a major account to get his new career off to a great start. André Sørum plays Kasper, an Elon Musk type millionaire with (apparently) money to spend. When Sebastian’s miserable Power Point presentation fails to impress the famed money man, he desperately goes for broke, instead inviting Kasper to join him and his friends for some wild and crazy antics promised to be the bachelor party to end all bachelor parties. If he can’t woo the mogul with his business smarts, then he’ll entice him via forced friendship.
The problem? Well, Sebastian isn’t exactly an affable guy. He’s a bit of an outcast – a bit of a passive nerd – and the fact that he’s more than a little worrisome about every little detail of his daily existence makes him hard to pair up with. He’s surrounded himself with somewhat similar outcasts (Mathias Luppichini as ‘Audun’ is a dry, unfunny history aficionado, and Eirik Hallert as ‘Pelle’ seems to be a good-natured halfwit who spouts nonsensical maxims as life philosophy), and once this group comes together it's quite obvious they’ve little in common with the jet-setting, ill-tempered tycoon.
Thankfully (or not), Sebastian’s fiancé secretly invites Mikkel to the bachelor’s retreat. Mikkel (played by Fredrik Skogsrud) is a devil-may-care breath of fresh air for the group, an oddball who has given his life over to drinking slushies all day while ‘living the dream’ of pursuing laser tag as a daily profession. In their youth, he and Sebastian were sport champions in their native country; though they’ve gone their separate ways, Mikkel has stayed true to their one-time passion, and his irreverent outlook on things immediately charms Kasper when these other partygoers fail wretchedly.
This sets up a unique triangle that Blasted’s script from Emanuel Nordrum works quite effectively. Sebastian keeps trying to draw Kasper’s attention away from Mikkel, while Mikkel is equally invested in re-inserting himself into Sebastian’s present-day life. The three actors bring equal measures of good comic timing to their moments in this stag party relationship, so much so that it’s kinda/sorta unfortunate that those pesky aliens intruded. Once they do, Blasted changes course into what’s mostly a pure buddy comedy, giving it the feel of a completely different project though with no less winning performances from Bøyum and Skogsrud.
However, Blasted biggest problem – despite being a touch long at nearly 120 minutes – is that it never quite explains any of the ‘science’ behind its ‘science fiction.’ Though the aliens are apparently tied to some local Norwegian legend, we’re given absolutely zero explanation for what’s and why’s of their being on Earth; and I’ve found that true SciFi junkies require a bit of substance even if it’s only a passable attempt at world-building. It needn’t be grand, but Nordrum’s script gave us nothing.
Furthermore, there’s never any explanation for why laser tag toys actually work like real-life laser guns on this particular species of alien. A thinking person might deduce that it somehow relates to frequencies of light – these aliens appear to be creatures of phosphorescence, so maybe they exist on one stratum while the guns shoot from a different spot in the visible spectrum? But yet late in the picture we’re introduced to a massive lumbering alien insect overlord, and the fact that the laser guns produce a similar effect on it throw that possible scientific explanation out the window … so I guess it’s best to suggest audiences not try to overthink anything in Blasted for fear of destroying what comedy magic it offers, however briefly.
Those quibbles out of the way, the film is, at best, tolerable entertainment, far from perfect. Those elements it does well – the ups and downs of these knuckleheaded moments, some wonderful moments of spraying alien goo, etc. – do serve the picture to their fullest; and there’s even a subplot involving a pregnant local sheriff whose water breaks at the absolute worst time possible that makes for a few laughs. It’s the kind of one-off film that musters just enough goodwill that audiences tend to embrace for a single experience; and still it’s largely void of any logic the moment you try to dissect what it was that truly went on in its just under two hours running time. A trimmer edit might’ve scored higher, but it's hard to tell as I left this one wanting to know a bit more than its team seemed capable of providing.
Otherwise, think of this one as The Hangover meets Men In Black.
Blasted (2022) was produced by Miso Film Norge. The release is currently playing on the streaming behemoth that is Netflix. As for the technical specifications? There are an awful lot of very high-quality sights and sounds for audiences to appreciate.
Mildly recommended. One of the problems in enjoying a foreign comedy that’s dubbed is that English-speaking audiences run the risk of missing some of the finer storytelling details as context occasionally gets ‘lost in translation.’ I can’t help but wonder if that’s the case with Blasted (2022) as not all of its peoples, places, and things make perfect sense; but still there’s a solid sense of family-friendly fun packed in there, making this one worth the time but not deserving a rewatch. As imperfect as it is, the flick maintains a wholesomeness that’s hard to deny.
However, Blasted biggest problem – despite being a touch long at nearly 120 minutes – is that it never quite explains any of the ‘science’ behind its ‘science fiction.’ Though the aliens are apparently tied to some local Norwegian legend, we’re given absolutely zero explanation for what’s and why’s of their being on Earth; and I’ve found that true SciFi junkies require a bit of substance even if it’s only a passable attempt at world-building. It needn’t be grand, but Nordrum’s script gave us nothing.
Furthermore, there’s never any explanation for why laser tag toys actually work like real-life laser guns on this particular species of alien. A thinking person might deduce that it somehow relates to frequencies of light – these aliens appear to be creatures of phosphorescence, so maybe they exist on one stratum while the guns shoot from a different spot in the visible spectrum? But yet late in the picture we’re introduced to a massive lumbering alien insect overlord, and the fact that the laser guns produce a similar effect on it throw that possible scientific explanation out the window … so I guess it’s best to suggest audiences not try to overthink anything in Blasted for fear of destroying what comedy magic it offers, however briefly.
Those quibbles out of the way, the film is, at best, tolerable entertainment, far from perfect. Those elements it does well – the ups and downs of these knuckleheaded moments, some wonderful moments of spraying alien goo, etc. – do serve the picture to their fullest; and there’s even a subplot involving a pregnant local sheriff whose water breaks at the absolute worst time possible that makes for a few laughs. It’s the kind of one-off film that musters just enough goodwill that audiences tend to embrace for a single experience; and still it’s largely void of any logic the moment you try to dissect what it was that truly went on in its just under two hours running time. A trimmer edit might’ve scored higher, but it's hard to tell as I left this one wanting to know a bit more than its team seemed capable of providing.
Otherwise, think of this one as The Hangover meets Men In Black.
Blasted (2022) was produced by Miso Film Norge. The release is currently playing on the streaming behemoth that is Netflix. As for the technical specifications? There are an awful lot of very high-quality sights and sounds for audiences to appreciate.
Mildly recommended. One of the problems in enjoying a foreign comedy that’s dubbed is that English-speaking audiences run the risk of missing some of the finer storytelling details as context occasionally gets ‘lost in translation.’ I can’t help but wonder if that’s the case with Blasted (2022) as not all of its peoples, places, and things make perfect sense; but still there’s a solid sense of family-friendly fun packed in there, making this one worth the time but not deserving a rewatch. As imperfect as it is, the flick maintains a wholesomeness that’s hard to deny.
- Published on
Here's a life lesson observation for you, my friends: the older you get, the less you remember from the furthest back.
Yes, I understand that the older we grow the more we must keep chucked away somewhere in the gray matter -- or is that grey matter? -- but that's not really my point. What I'm trying to say is that the better moments of my childhood grow a bit more pronounced with the passage of time. Sure, it's safe to say that much of them have clouded over by now -- my ripe old age -- but there are some things that still manage to poke through ... and my time with the Japanese import The Space Giants is one of them.
This wasn't something that I experienced on its first run in the United States (it likely aired in TV syndication of the day), but rather I discovered it as a young'un probably in the very early 1970's. Essentially, this was what a family of superheroes looked like back in the day: they were somewhat ordinary humans until required to jump into action, and then they'd transform into these rocketships that could jet all around the planet on adventures. When I once tried to explain the show to a friend, he thought I was talking about the Transformers, but, no: this wasn't animated. This was live action -- with some very questionable level of special effects -- and it was about as good as TV got for my young eyes.
As I said, I don't much remember the specifics. What I do recall was a family -- joined by a space wizard -- who acted out according to their own moral compass. It was quite entertaining.
In any event, I won't belabor the point any longer. I just saw it among the July 4th citations, and I wanted to promote it with a bit more.
Here's a link to the first episode that's up on YouTube.com. Enjoy!
-- EZ
Yes, I understand that the older we grow the more we must keep chucked away somewhere in the gray matter -- or is that grey matter? -- but that's not really my point. What I'm trying to say is that the better moments of my childhood grow a bit more pronounced with the passage of time. Sure, it's safe to say that much of them have clouded over by now -- my ripe old age -- but there are some things that still manage to poke through ... and my time with the Japanese import The Space Giants is one of them.
This wasn't something that I experienced on its first run in the United States (it likely aired in TV syndication of the day), but rather I discovered it as a young'un probably in the very early 1970's. Essentially, this was what a family of superheroes looked like back in the day: they were somewhat ordinary humans until required to jump into action, and then they'd transform into these rocketships that could jet all around the planet on adventures. When I once tried to explain the show to a friend, he thought I was talking about the Transformers, but, no: this wasn't animated. This was live action -- with some very questionable level of special effects -- and it was about as good as TV got for my young eyes.
As I said, I don't much remember the specifics. What I do recall was a family -- joined by a space wizard -- who acted out according to their own moral compass. It was quite entertaining.
In any event, I won't belabor the point any longer. I just saw it among the July 4th citations, and I wanted to promote it with a bit more.
Here's a link to the first episode that's up on YouTube.com. Enjoy!
-- EZ
- Published on
We all have guilty pleasures.
In this instance, I can't tell you why I loved 1985's Red Sonja. Seriously. I've no idea. It's a film that's occasionally so goofily made that I wonder how anyone could love it. Its performances are all a bit wooden. Its story is a bit of a Conan rehash (for good reason, I suppose). And it certainly doesn't boast any immortal or enduring legacy.
And still ... here I am ... confessing that I still love it.
Now, far be it from me to deny the appeal of Brigitte Nielsen. No, I'm not saying that she had the chops necessary to pull off this role as it was lifted from the pages of author Robert E. Howard's various epic Fantasy yarns. Like Arnold Schwarzenegger who appears alongside her throughout a good portion of the action, she's a bit ... erm ... stoic? At times, she sounds like she meant what she was saying, but I honestly wonder if a stronger script -- something a bit less formulaic -- might've been something that could've aided the budding actress to produce better results. She certainly looks the part, so maybe I'm just being thankful for small miracles.
For those of us who grew up watching what sufficed as Fantasy movies from these dark, dark years, the occasional adventure that looked a bit something like Red Sonja was the best we truly could hope for. Studios didn't exactly have a track record at producing the kind of thing that could stand shoulder-to-shoulder alongside 1982's Conan The Barbarian, and we were definitely more than a few years away from the TV counterparts like Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess. Certainly, one might even suggest that Red Sonja shares more in common aesthetically with Hercules and Xena (though Mr. Schwarzenegger's participation in this one might beg to differ), as it was accomplished on an obviously more affordable scale.
So maybe being appreciative of its smaller charm and some reasonable interesting production details (I remember in particular just loving a few of its massive sets) is the best way to celebrate a flick that's far more 'cult' than it is 'good' ... not that there's anything wrong with that. Somewhere out there in one of Earth's many alternate timelines, I'd like to think that Red Sonja was a massive hit and spawned a series of like-minded features ... or maybe I'm just forever smitten by a massive redhead swinging a mighty sword.
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
-- EZ
In this instance, I can't tell you why I loved 1985's Red Sonja. Seriously. I've no idea. It's a film that's occasionally so goofily made that I wonder how anyone could love it. Its performances are all a bit wooden. Its story is a bit of a Conan rehash (for good reason, I suppose). And it certainly doesn't boast any immortal or enduring legacy.
And still ... here I am ... confessing that I still love it.
Now, far be it from me to deny the appeal of Brigitte Nielsen. No, I'm not saying that she had the chops necessary to pull off this role as it was lifted from the pages of author Robert E. Howard's various epic Fantasy yarns. Like Arnold Schwarzenegger who appears alongside her throughout a good portion of the action, she's a bit ... erm ... stoic? At times, she sounds like she meant what she was saying, but I honestly wonder if a stronger script -- something a bit less formulaic -- might've been something that could've aided the budding actress to produce better results. She certainly looks the part, so maybe I'm just being thankful for small miracles.
For those of us who grew up watching what sufficed as Fantasy movies from these dark, dark years, the occasional adventure that looked a bit something like Red Sonja was the best we truly could hope for. Studios didn't exactly have a track record at producing the kind of thing that could stand shoulder-to-shoulder alongside 1982's Conan The Barbarian, and we were definitely more than a few years away from the TV counterparts like Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess. Certainly, one might even suggest that Red Sonja shares more in common aesthetically with Hercules and Xena (though Mr. Schwarzenegger's participation in this one might beg to differ), as it was accomplished on an obviously more affordable scale.
So maybe being appreciative of its smaller charm and some reasonable interesting production details (I remember in particular just loving a few of its massive sets) is the best way to celebrate a flick that's far more 'cult' than it is 'good' ... not that there's anything wrong with that. Somewhere out there in one of Earth's many alternate timelines, I'd like to think that Red Sonja was a massive hit and spawned a series of like-minded features ... or maybe I'm just forever smitten by a massive redhead swinging a mighty sword.
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
-- EZ
- Published on
You know me, folks: I've always said that Comedy and Science Fiction do not always easily go together.
Honestly, I've always thought it was the weirdest narrative mix. What you have with Science Fiction -- true and legitimate SciFi stuff -- is a cerebral leaning, one that occasionally requires the viewer to actively think about what's happened along with what has already transpired while keeping an eye on what could come next. And then you have Comedy, which for all intents and purposes is the crystal clear demonstration of 'in the moment' that we have as a culture. Yes, I'll agree that sometimes it requires a bit of cognitive work to make a joke work, but generally speaking it's an instant response -- an instant gratification, if you will -- so having these two genres blend together seamlessly doesn't happen all that often.
And -- bear with me -- it gets even harder when you're blending layers of comedy. For example, there are several types of comedy. There's a spoken word joke or flippant observation. There's the vulgar and crude variety that tends to produce more moans and groans than anything else. There's puns. There's body comedy -- humor that requires a bit of slapstick and/or farce in movement and gesture. What the very youngest among us find funny isn't always the case as we age -- hence, we do tend to lose a fondness for cartoons as we get a bit long in the tooth -- and incorporating this into more thoughtful and/or thought-based fare is truly tricky stuff.
Despite some of Martin Short's antics, the family-friendly Innerspace succeeds all on its own. (If you missed it, I'm not much of a fan of physical comedy. Don't hate it. Just don't love it all that much.)
Of course, it helps when you have something that's so headily grounded in its SciFi/Fantasy aspect: things like miniaturization and the 'race against time' have long been staples for genre entries, and Innerspace pairs a reasonably stoic, adult, and mature Dennis Quaid as the heroic traveller opposite Short ... so perhaps opposites do attract? The two work exceedingly well off of one another -- Quaid's 'Lt. Tuck Pendleton' very quickly surmises that Short's 'Jack Putter' may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but the man is all he has, all he can rely on, so they're in it to win it until the moment of resolution, Tuck is freed, the girl gets kissed, and a good time was had by all.
In case you missed it, the Joe Dante directed film turns an incredible thirty-five years young on this day in Science Fiction History. So pass it on -- or pass it around -- and tell all your friends about it if you've seen it. Maybe even give it another view so you can see how well it's held up after all this time, and I suspect you'll be as surprised as I am with respect to that effective longevity.
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
-- EZ
Honestly, I've always thought it was the weirdest narrative mix. What you have with Science Fiction -- true and legitimate SciFi stuff -- is a cerebral leaning, one that occasionally requires the viewer to actively think about what's happened along with what has already transpired while keeping an eye on what could come next. And then you have Comedy, which for all intents and purposes is the crystal clear demonstration of 'in the moment' that we have as a culture. Yes, I'll agree that sometimes it requires a bit of cognitive work to make a joke work, but generally speaking it's an instant response -- an instant gratification, if you will -- so having these two genres blend together seamlessly doesn't happen all that often.
And -- bear with me -- it gets even harder when you're blending layers of comedy. For example, there are several types of comedy. There's a spoken word joke or flippant observation. There's the vulgar and crude variety that tends to produce more moans and groans than anything else. There's puns. There's body comedy -- humor that requires a bit of slapstick and/or farce in movement and gesture. What the very youngest among us find funny isn't always the case as we age -- hence, we do tend to lose a fondness for cartoons as we get a bit long in the tooth -- and incorporating this into more thoughtful and/or thought-based fare is truly tricky stuff.
Despite some of Martin Short's antics, the family-friendly Innerspace succeeds all on its own. (If you missed it, I'm not much of a fan of physical comedy. Don't hate it. Just don't love it all that much.)
Of course, it helps when you have something that's so headily grounded in its SciFi/Fantasy aspect: things like miniaturization and the 'race against time' have long been staples for genre entries, and Innerspace pairs a reasonably stoic, adult, and mature Dennis Quaid as the heroic traveller opposite Short ... so perhaps opposites do attract? The two work exceedingly well off of one another -- Quaid's 'Lt. Tuck Pendleton' very quickly surmises that Short's 'Jack Putter' may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but the man is all he has, all he can rely on, so they're in it to win it until the moment of resolution, Tuck is freed, the girl gets kissed, and a good time was had by all.
In case you missed it, the Joe Dante directed film turns an incredible thirty-five years young on this day in Science Fiction History. So pass it on -- or pass it around -- and tell all your friends about it if you've seen it. Maybe even give it another view so you can see how well it's held up after all this time, and I suspect you'll be as surprised as I am with respect to that effective longevity.
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
-- EZ