But in the end, isn’t it always the same question and always the same answer?
June 29, 2004
As this nation of mine sits glued to the TV, feeling the strain of their well-exercised democratic muscles, I sit (with the help of Shane) largely due to my own procrastination, writing another production journal for you all to enjoy. Under the circumstances, I ought to be writing about a political film that somehow moved me, or helped shape my artistic perspective. And though there are many great politically driven films, few have left a huge impression on me. That’s not to say that there aren’t some great political films out there. All the President’s Men – a classic. Wag the Dog – cute. Dr. Strangelove – killer. But I’ve never considered myself an overly political guy.
I have noticed, however, that one of the major issues in any election is that of budget. How to most wisely spend the money and resources you have. This same issue plays a major part of our lives here at Dead End Days. Making a four-hour film for no money is a hell of a task. How to maximize resources, materials, equipment and the little money we have to keep the show rolling is an extremely sensitive aspect of making an independent film. If I tried to write down every great idea I’ve had to throw out the window due to lack of funds or resources to pull it off in a way that doesn’t insult our audience’s intelligence, or compromise our limited but proud production values, I’d have a list longer than the string of lies that is the liberal election platform. That said, the old clich
Why is there a watermellon there?
May 18, 2004
Hi all, those of you who track the great stone wheel of our Tuesday production journals know that it should be Matt here today bringing you another cherished installment of Movies that you OUGHT to like (and if you don’t you suck). However, since Matt is without e-mail connectivity today, and I didn’t want another severely delayed posting, I offered him a break until next week. I have no idea why but he seemed to be concerned that I’d use this space for yet another thousand word rant on perhaps the latest salvo of ludicrous misinformation in the ongoing battle between Linux and Not-Linux - but I assured him this was not the case.
In the spirit of Mr. Hoos; excellent essay series on the landmark cinema of our times I am therefore happy to bring you the first installment of my particular spin-off:
The year is 1984 and the Hollywood studios are chasing that most elusive of beasts, the smash hit. With the notable exception of Paramount’s chart-topper Beverly Hills Cop, grossing an impressive 200 million, it’s been a tepid year for the US studio blockbuster.
1983 saw at least four films gross more than 40 Million at the boxoffice: Terms of Endearment ($108M) Sudden Impact ($67.6M) Never Say Never Again ($55.5M) and Scarface ($44.7M). 1985 saw a return to form with five entries breaking the 40 million mark: Rocky IV ($128M) The Color Purple ($94.2M) Out of Africa ($87.1M) The Jewel of the Nile ($65.6M) and Spies Like Us ($60.1M). But the poor middle-child 1984? 1984 had Beverly Hills Cop, and… Beverly Hills Cop. I’m sure 1984 tried, but let’s be frank when the David Lynch helmed Dune and the disaster on celluloid that was Supergirl: The Movie make the box office “best of the year” list there is no way it tried hard enough. If 1984 were in grade school, I’m pretty sure it would get “ideas are organized appropriately and logically” in the teachers comments section, and we all know that was code for “will be flipping burgers in 10-14 years”.
My point, such as it is, is that 1984 was ripe for a fresh new mega-franchise, a bold new direction to launch sequels, novels, comic books, lunch boxes and action figures. 1984 was ready to crown the next king of the mega-blockbuster. That king wasn’t Peter Weller, that mega-blockbuster would not beThe Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension and we are all poorer because of it.
This movie had it all. Literally. It is a cinematic version of an “all dressed” potato chip that literally contains every possible flavor humanities palette has ever known. Starting with a stacked cast any producer would die for (John Lithgow, Ellen Barkin, Jeff Goldblum, Christopher Lloyd, Spongebob Squarepants’ Clancy Brown), the film was overflowing with so much talent it could even leave Jamie Lee Curtis on the cutting room floor (she played the title characters mother in a never-used opening sequence). The film’s production value was lavish, bordering on opulent with production design out the ying-yang by J Michael Riva (who went on to design blockbusters and masterworks alike with Goonies, The Colour Purple, the Lethal Weapon and Charlies Angels franchises…) and a blistering electronic score like only synth guru Michael Boddicker could coax from the finest computer hardware the 1980s had to offer. The film had a studio (20th Century Fox) already working on a sequel (Buckaroo Banzai and the World Crime League) and that was readying a dizzying array of comic book crossovers, novelizations, and other merchandising.
Alas, the sequel never came to pass, the merchandise remained conceptual, and the glorious franchise never quite got off the ground; Because for all that it had, The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension also had enough plot in it to fill twenty movies and plot of such disparate tone and character it was rendered inaccessible to all but the most dedicated of audiences.
In a nutshell: The improbably named Dr. Buckaroo Banzai (Weller) is the half-Japanese half-American son of two prominent theoretical physicists killed in a scientific mishap. Driven to excel in all aspects of his life as a result, the film starts with Buckaroo successfully completing his parent’s failed experiment by driving his rocket car through a mountain by jumping into the titular 8th dimension. Well, actually the film technically starts with him helping a New Jersey neurosurgeon (Goldblum) implant computer chips in a patients head in a clinic in New Brunswick, then running off to the American southwest to drive his rocket car through a mountain. While most mere mortals would stop there, Buckaroo is just getting warmed up as he still has a press conference to attend, a rock concert to perform, and maybe take a stab at saving the world from destruction by an alien menace. You see as the Earth’s premiere scientist/stuntman/media personality/rock star… Buckaroo and his friends/backup band/research scientist/mercenaries “The Hong Kong Cavaliers” keep a pretty stuffed day-timer. As a fighting force so bizarrely varied GI Joe would be proud the “Caveliers” look like someone blended thirty years of pulp magazines and poured them into action figure moulds. Blonde pretty-boy “Perfect Tommy” (Lewis Smith) looks like an escape from a Culture Club video while Reno Nevada (Pepe Serna) would find a welcome home in any gangster flick you care to mention (according to his resume he was actually Angel Fernandez in Scarface, cool). Goldbum strides through the film in giant sheepskin chaps and a 10 gallon hat… because… that’s what he does, damnit. The fact that all these strong willed gentlemen can put their obvious fashion differences aside and simply kick ass for the forces of good and justice can only be further testament to the obvious leadership skills of the multi-faceted Mr. Banzai.
The underlying formula that drives the film is:
More Plot = More Better
Much More Plot = Much More Better
If the film were the Starship Enterprise it would only take the opening credits until you could hear Mr. Scott yelling “She ‘canna take any more Captain!”, and yet the filmmakers relentlessly keep shoveling more plot than one has ever seen in one place into the boiler, full warp ahead.
As such we are nary a half hour in and we’ve already met Penny Priddy (Barkin) the long-lost identical twin of Banzai’s murdered wife Peggy (Buckaroo catching Penny trying to kill herself during a rock show Buckaroo was headlining). Weller abruptly stopping the band mid-song and warbling a strained “Is someone out there not having a good time?” is still one of my all time favourite cinema moments. We’ve also met the insane Dr. Emilio Lizardo (Lithgow) who is really a “Black Lectoid” John Wharfin who is an all-around-space-Hitler-trapped-in-the-body-of-Emilio-Lizardo. Despite the end credit assurance that Lithgow did, in fact, have an Italian dialogue coach on the film, he screams his lines in a discordant m
We have stuffed many pinatas for your birthday celebration!
April 20, 2004
Hello Sportsfans!
With the NHL/NBA Playoffs in mid-swing (or swoosh, as it may be), those of us who have no interest in hockey/basketball whatsoever are forced to band together and explore other means of entertainment that don’t involve oversized jerseys, defacing our vehicles, painting our bodies, or shouting at electronic devices. Though I’m all for the support of sweaty men (lord knows Dead End Days has it’s quotient of sweaty men filled), guzzling beer and eating your weight in hot wings, I just don’t understand getting so emotionally involved with the journey of a small black piece of rubber.
Now let me take a moment while my producer throttles me.
[Editors Note: As 'Dead End Days' prides itself on it's journalistic integrity, I would never berate or question Matt simply because he fails to recognize the greatest sport in the world. As the HTML-guru I might be selective in the links I select... but it's not like I'm putting on the foil.]
Having recently been deported from Canada for comments such as these, I have plenty of time to sit around with my newly acquired portable DVD player and get lost in the far more meaningful world of film. (Please note my sarcasm, and don’t get all pissy sports fans, I’m just fuckin’ with ya.)
Thus begins yet another installment of
Movies You Ought to Like (and if You Don’t, You Suck) by Matt Hoos.
The banding together of these two forces would give rise to some of the most memorable comedy pieces ever created. Ghostbusters, Animal House, Vacation, European Vacation, Christmas Vacation, The Jerk, Strange Brew, Spies Like Us, Fletch, The Man With Two Brains, Innerspace, Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid,Trains, Planes and Automobiles, Who is Harry Crumb?, Fletch Lives, Caddyshack, The Blues Brothers, Funny Farm, Parenthood, Uncle Buck, The Lonely Guy, Great Outdoors, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Summer Rental, Brewster’s Millions, All of Me, Armed and Dangerous, Roxanne, Stripes, Little Shop of Horrors, Dragnet, and of course, The Muppet Movie. Tell me that’s not an impressive list.
Now, if you read this list out loud, and listen very carefully, you can actually hear Adam Sandler, David Spade, Rob Schneider and Mike Myers shitting their pants.
The movie that stands at the apex of this era for me, is the culmination of the combined comedy stylings of Steve Martin, Martin Short and Chevy Chase. This little slice of comedy pie is known as the Three Amigos. What can I say? Even to this day, the small adventure of Lucky Day, Dusty Bottoms, and Little Ned Nederlander still makes me chuckle. From the opening song to the fall of El Hupo (with that snappy, clever ‘everybody sew real fast’ trick they pulled), the film stands as an engaging testament to what has sadly become a bygone era. Martin, Short and Chase were clearly at the top of their game, and the only thing that can ruin this movie now is if you allow your mind to stray to the likes of Bringing Down the House, Snow Day and Primetime Glick.
I’d like everyone now to sit back and reminisce about their favourite part of Three Amigos. Is it the daring bird-call break-in to the studio to retrieve their costumes? Their rendition of ‘My Little Buttercup’ in the Mexican cantina? The summoning and immediate accidental killing of the invisible swordsman while visiting the singing bush? Or is it my brother’s favourite part, when the turtle simply says ‘G’night, Ned.’
Admit it, it’s hard to pick just one moment. Perhaps it’s time to dust off the beta-max, find the copy you taped off TV and take yourself back to the decade when Steve Martin’s hair was… white… ah, screw it. Viva las Amigos!
Peace. Go Refs Go!
Suckers.
[Overtime Results - Flames: 3 Canucks: 2 Boo-Ya-HOO! - Ed]
Movies You Ought To Like Pt. 2
March 9, 2004
Well it seems as though the proverbial bottle is once again pointing in my direction so pucker up
people for another thrilling installment of:
Bad Taste: Well what can I say? For those who have actually seen this movie I commend you for seeking it out because up until recently it’s a hard one to find. I bought my copy for five bucks from a dude in times square who either didn’t know what he had or was keenly aware of what he had. That is to say that Bad Taste is certainly an acquired taste. As Jacksons first released film, it is a grainy, hand held, 16 mm account of an alien zombie invasion on the coast of New Zealand. There’s plenty of extremely impressive amateur gore and a hysterical performance by Jackson himself as a zombie hunter. Most people turn it off around the part where the alien leader vomits 4 gallons of chunky blue puke into a crystal punch bowl and proceeds to pass it around the room to all of the hungry crazies who lap it up happily. For me this film is the embodiment of directorial potential. A guy driven to make his kind of film his way with his friends and little thought toward marketability. That kind of passion and commitment breeds ingenuity and it reads in the effects if nothing else. Watching it makes me all nostalgic for the films Brad and I made as kids. Not that we were making films of this quality (if you can call it that) but we were having as much fun.
Meet the Feebles: Well this is what happens when you and your buddies who are used to making movies for nothing suddenly get a little money. That in-joke “hilarious” idea that you’ve been carrying around for a few years suddenly becomes possible. In theory it’s brilliant; Muppets on crack! Feebles sees Jackson do with his puppets everything you always wanted to see Kermit and the gang get up to. It peels back the layers and exposes the cruel, hard drinking, drug taking, porn producing, STD transmitting, flashback inducing underworld that is producing live theatre. Like Bad Taste, Feebles can at times be hard to like. It can often feel like that joke that crosses the line so many times it loses its impact. That’s not to say it doesn’t have its merits. I am particularly fond of the scenes that involve the twitchy, pain killer addicted, knife throwing frog who keeps flashing back to his “Deerhunteresque” days in a Vietnamese POW camp. Brad seems to be quite attached to the large scale musical finale of the film simply entitled “Sodomy” [Sebastian Fox is one of the few caracatures of "The Theatre Director" that has any ring of honesty to it... because frankly, we know they're all about one thing - The Coffee Guy].
Dead Alive AKA Braindead: Billed as the most gory film ever made, Dead Alive picks up the thread started in Bad Taste. Once again Zombies are the issue only this time the wave of the undead is started by a flesh-eating rat monkey captured in the wild by none other than our man Peter Jackson. Dead Alive really reveals for the first time the inherent Lucas-esque understanding for visual effects Jackson has. This film certainly is bloody, especially when our hero tears through about 30 flesh eaters with a lawn mower, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a sense
of humour. If it’s inspiration you’re looking for, you need not look any further than the kung-fu priest who “Kicks ass for the lord!”
The Frighteners: Dead Alive caught a lot of attention on our side of the pond. One of the people who took notice was Robert Zemenkis (director of future essay subject Back to the Future). Near as I can tell Zemenkis invited Jackson out of new Zealand to make a film over here. The result is again a substantial growth for Jackson, not necessarily in terms of subject matter, but definitely in terms of visual story telling. Say what you want about the film itself, I have no trouble watching it if only to witness the birth of some of the composition and colour that helped make the Lord of the Rings films what they are. Plus it’s got Michael J Fox in it and he will forever rule! (Self contained, underwater, breathing apparatus!)
Heavenly Creatures: After almost two decades of making increasingly impressive horror/comedy shlock Peter Jackson, while reaching for another donut no doubt, hit his head, passed out and when he awoke found that he had made one of the most touching, moody, and disturbing films in years. Heavenly Creatures tells the true story of two girls who conspire to kill one of their Mothers bcause she is in the way of the girls “special relationship”. This movie sees Jackson using ever tool he had acquired over the years to make a film that is simply striking (pardon the pun). I honestly have a hard time describing this film other than to say that if you haven’t seen it, you have to and that it has the best burn on Orson Wells since those Peas commercials you can find floating around on the Internet.
Aside from those films, Peter co-directed a mockumentary called Forgotten Silver, but I only ever saw it once in a video store in Vancouver, so if any of you reading this can fill me in please do so.
What’s next for our favourite Hobbit? His long sought after remake of King Kong for which Jackson has asked an unheard of 20 million dollar directing fee. Now normally I would say he’s crazy for demanding so much money, but from the looks of him I think he’s looking to play the lead himself as well as helm it.
Well that’s it. I’m tired. Go my children, take what you have learned and run out, straight past the blockbuster, to your nearest specialty video store and enjoy what one very large, hairy man has given to the world.
Peace.
Movies You Ought To Like Pt. 1
January 27, 2004
Hello everyone. Once again it is my turn to spice up this internet coffee shop we call Dead End Days. Now as the director of this illustrious project many of you might expect me to sit here and wax poetic about the rigors of making a no budget indie film series that heartily yet meagerly tries to reveal the world that lies behind the spider web of the shattered crystal shroud that blinds us from the truth blah, blah, blah. Fortunately for you, I’m not going there. Jay, Shane and now Rob have all painted an accurate picture of what our day to day is like (the glamour, the tantrums and so on). I thought it would be far more interesting for you, the loyal DED reader to discover some of the influences that have helped shape this big idea into the little film that it is. So I now unleash a string of essays outlining the films that have touched a place in my heart and soul and have ultimately gone on to make me the director that I am. These essays will be called:
MOVIES THAT YOU OUGHT TO LIKE (and if you don’t like them you suck) BY MATT HOOS
So without further ado I present to you…
YOUNG GUNS II
In 1988 Morgan Creek pictures released what could be seen as the return to the great American Western by finally committing to film the story of one of the worlds most notorious outlaws, Billy the Kid, in a movie called Young Guns. This film told the true story of a group of young men without homes who were taken in by the generous John Tunstall and given a place to work and learn on his farm. After their teacher and mentor was killed by a cattle baron by the name of Murphy, the young fellers were made deputies and were instructed to round up the Murphy boys (all the dudes who worked for Murphy). Well things got a little out of hand when one of the deputies by the name of William H Bonney starts going ape shit and killing everybody. He and his band of deputies (lead by the reluctant Charlie Sheen) become outlaws themselves and are henceforth known as “the young guns”. The whole thing ends in a big bloody gun battle where all but three people die. Now most would end the story here, but not the geniuses at Morgan Creek. See they didn’t tell the most important part of the story in the first film (where Billy the Kid gets chased down and killed by Pat Garrett) presumably so they still had something left to base a sequel on. The only problem with this plan was, that by all accounts, that particular part of the story was brief and fairly uninteresting. So what did they do? A thing of beauty: Make the first movie again - from another point of view! Brilliance! They dug up a story about some crack- pot who wandered out of the New Mexico desert in the 1950’s claiming to be a very-much-alive Billy the Kid and they told the whole sordid tale again from his particular viewpoint. The really beautiful part of this approach is that the “Billy the Kid” version of events was far more interesting than the original film, allowing the sequel the rare feat of surpassing its predecessor!
“So?” You say, “the movie still sucked.” But did it?
Lets run through the cast shall we: Emilio Estevez, Keifer Sutherland, Lou Diamond Phillips, Christian Slater, Balthazar Getty, a towering James Cobern and everybody’s favourite King of Gondor -Viggo Mortensen. Impressed yet? You know you are.
If you’re not sold on star-power alone, check out some of the choice dialogue; Lines like James Coburn’s “Billy the Kid, you think you know New Mexico, BY-GOD-I-AM-NEW-MEXICO!” Or how about this Keifer Sutherland Classic: “You rode a 15-year-old boy straight into his grave, and the rest of us straight to Hell…straight to Hell.” Finally there is the classic climactic exchange between Billy and Doc just before the big shoot out that goes:
Doc: William H Bonney, You…Are Not…A God!
Billy: Why don’t you pull the trigger and find out?
Gives you shivers Huh? Huh? You know it does.
If the stunning has-been cast, the sweeping vistas and the choice lines still haven’t sold you on the greatness of the fillm how about the soundtrack? THE SOUNDTRACK! 15 entire songs “inspired” by the movie and sung with passion by the one and only Jon Bon Jovi. Try as you might, you will never forget “Shot Down in a Blaze of Glory”.
[He's got a point, I've been trying to forget "Shot Down in a Blaze of Glory" for years to no avail... in fact, I'm humming it now -editor]
So there you have it three great reasons to run out to your nearest Monopoly Video and rent Young Guns II!
Just one more thing, this wouldn’t be much of a directors essay if I didn’t let you know a thing or two about the director of this early nineties slice of heaven. His name is Geoff Murphy, a New Zealand native who attacked Hollywood in the eighties with his little film “Goodbye Pork Pie”. He then went on to direct other classics such as “Freejack”, “Under Siege 2:Dark Territory” and everybody’s favourite Canadian Co-pro “Fortress II: Re-entry”. Well How do you top a resume like that? By getting a real job. In the year 2000 Geoff did what every New Zealander did, he went to work for Peter Jackson. Geoff was the Second Unit Director on all 3 Lord of the rings films. Awww, what a happy ending. I too can only hope to make one great but relentlessly mocked film, then a string of looser sequels (not counting the above-mentioned movie) only to have my dignity handed back to me on a billion-dollar silver platter by my best friend, Bradley can you hear me?
Peace.
