German Director Made Hollywood Blockbusters

German director Wolfgang Petersen has passed at 81. He broke into Hollywood after his classic war film Das Boot, and never looked back. He specialized in popular blockbuster thriller/ adventures like The NeverEnding Story, Enemy Mine, the great In the Line of Fire, Outbreak, AirForce One, and The Perfect Storm.  But it is for Das Boot that he will be forever revered.

Two Venerable Series Nearing the End

 

Two disparate series are nearing the end of multiple seasons. 

The scifi Westworld on HBO is concluding its fourth season August 14th, and (though a possible fifth and final season may be coming,) it has reinvented itself and been more engaging with what seems to be a stunning apocalyptic climax and the apparent end of several major characters. I suspect they will return somehow, someway, I hope. I have been watching since the first season and liked the original film too.

Better Call Saul on AMC is one of the most successful prequel series ever, and it ends August 15th. I confess to not being a regular viewer of Breaking Bad so I have to go back to catchup. But the last several Saul episodes have been compelling and well written/acted about a corrupt laywer who can't leave well enough alone.

These two shows couldn't be more different; can't wait to see how both series' arcs end. 

The Sweet Girl Next Door

Singer/actress Olivia Newton-John has passed at 73. This British sensation sold over 100 million records dominating the 1970s and 1980s.  She won 4 Grammy Awards and dominated pop and country music charts often with consecutive top songs. Her popularity soared in 1978 when she starred in the screen version of Grease, a blockbuster musical. Even my guilty pleasure, Xanadu, yielded her a number one song, Magic. She was the girl next door who teased a sexy side with the monster hit, Physical.  Despite much personal adversity, she maintained a sweetness that was beloved.

The Primal Thrills of PREY

 

Daniel Trachtenberg (10 Cloverfield Lane) co-authored (with Patrick Aison) and directed this splendid prequel in the Predator franchise. It is a nonstop action/horror film that is certain to thrill fans.

In the Northern Great Plains in 1719, a Comanche tribe sends hunters to track and hunt for food. Among them are Taabe and his sister Naru (Amber Midthunder), who yearns to be treated as an equal.  When she notices signs of a large animal, she comes to realize that a terrible creature is hunting big game including humans. With nothing more than primitive weaponry and her skills, Nary must take a bold stand to fight this ‘Predator’ to the death.

This story strips everything down to the bare elements as it essentially pits man (or woman) against nature (or alien), even recalling The Revenant with its beautiful, natural setting.  By slowly revealing the threat like Jaws and Alien, the tension builds and visceral action escalates into a battle for survival, especially when you consider how these hunters are overmatched by the creature’s arsenal.  The film seems to imply this is one of the first ‘Predator’ visits to earth, and fans of the series will appreciate the callbacks of weaponry, hunting rituals, and ‘Easter Eggs’ especially from the first Predator films.   

Placing the film on her shoulders, Midthunder (TV’s Legion) is a standout in a physically demanding role. Her character is groundbreaking in its authenticity to her ethnic background AND as an intelligent role model for action stars in any period.

This film is proof that there is a lot of life in this franchise when placed in the right, creative hands.  There is no doubt that this is the best Predator film since the original. And Amber rocks. (There is end credit animation to note.)

**** of **** stars (for Predator fans)  on Hulu

The Voice of the Dodgers is Silent

 

Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully has passed at 94 after having covered 67 baseball seasons (1950-2016)! He bridged Jackie Robinson and Clayton Kershaw. He witnessed the Brooklyn Dodgers winning their first World Series, Hank Aaron hitting his record setting 715th homerun, Kirk Gibson's off the bench home run in the World Series, Sandy Koufax pitching a perfect game and so much more. The voice of The Dodgers was a peer among the greatest, right up there with Harry Caray and Curt Gowdy. Anyone who loved baseball was soothed by the knowing, intelligent sound of his voice. Even The X Files creator, Chris Carter, named his female lead, Dana Sculley, after his favorite sportscaster. His final broadcast ended with these words, "So this is Vin Scully, wishing you a very pleasant good afternoon, wherever you may be."

An Inspiration to Generations

 

Actress Nichelle Nichols has passed at 89. She portrayed Lt. Uhura in the original Star Trek TV show and subsequent series of films. Her role was groundbreaking in the sixties as it broke racial stereotypes and garnered support from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Ms Nichols attended Shore Leave 29 in 2007 and despite the huge line waiting for autographs, patiently stayed way later which I and others thanked her for. She was an inspiration as she spoke of her time on the show while supporting NASA and being a role model for generations. She was an icon.

A Childhood Icon

 

Actor/producer Tony Dow has passed at 77. His most famous role was in the classic TV family sitcom Leave It To Beaver. He recently appeared with costar Jerry Mathers at The Mid Atlantic Nostalgia Convention.  He was a  childhood icon. 

Tough Actor Played Cops and Mobsters

Actor Paul Sorvino has passed at 83. Father of Oscar winning actress, Mira Sorvino, he was a star on stage and screen, and was even on TV's Law and Order in its early beginnings. His half-century career included films such as A Touch of Class, Oh God, Reds, Nixon, The Firm, Dick Tracy Bulworth, and his most famous film, Goodfellas, the classic gangster saga. He played tough cops and mobsters and everything in between convincingly. 

 

A Go To, Versatile Villain

 

Veteran actor David Warner has passed at 80. His career began as a villain in the Oscar classic Tom Jones in 1963. He was cast in dark roles often as the bad guy over the decades in such films as Straw Dogs, The Ballad of Cable Hogue, The Omen, Tron, Titanic, and numerous appearance in the Star Trek franchise on film and TV. He was memorable in supporting roles on TV productions as Holocaust, Masada (winning an Emmy Award), and Twin Peaks.  He was versatile in other, more lighthearted roles as in The Man with Two Brains and more recently Mary Poppins Returns. He was often the go-to villain but an overall talent in cinema.

A New Hollywood Figure is Gone

 

Filmmaker Bob Rafelson has passed at 89. He helped co-create the musical group, The Monkees, and their TV show and the offbeat film, Head.  He directed some key films from the 1970s including the landmark Five Easy Pieces with actor Jack Nicholson who teamed up for other films including the updated Postman Always Rings Twice. One of his best films was the thriller Black Widow with Debra Winger. He also produced Oscar nominated films,  Easy Rider, The Last Picture Show, and the Oscar winning documentary Hearts and Minds. He was one of the key figures of the New Hollywood movement.

NOPE Continues Peele’s Cinematic Nightmares

 

In NOPE, writer/director Jordan Peele (Get Out, Us) continues his string of successful feature films that honors The Twilight Zone genre with a contemporary twist.  As such, it is a thoroughly entertaining film with elements of science fiction and horror.

OJ (Daniel Kaluuya) and his sister, Emerald (Keke Palmer), struggle financially with their horse farm.  When ominous signs appear from a mysterious presence in the sky, they try to document the phenomenon with a techie friend only to learn an astonishing truth. What began as curiosity, becomes a struggle for survival against a terrifying force.  

Both fascinating and macabre, the film maintains an ominous, unsettled atmosphere of menace and foreboding with creepy visuals and sound effects as Peele’s fertile mind fills his palette like a painter. You may think you know what’s happening, and as you try to make sense of things, the story takes audience expectations and upends them while deliberately steering to a gripping finale.

It’s not a perfect film. (A subplot involving trauma on a past children’s show goes nowhere.)  What makes this an even stronger film is how one character evolves significantly over the course of the narrative and shines by the end. As a genre film, this fits among Arrival, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and War of the Worlds (2005), and it has a similar vibe to M. Night Shyamalan films. 

With imaginative visual effects and a pulsating music score, this well acted and brilliantly shot thrill ride needs to be seen on the biggest screen possible; it’s Peele’s most cinematic and largest budgeted film to date. He has essentially made a grand X Files film.  It’s a captivating magic trick that keeps you wondering and guessing until its riveting end. 

**** of  **** stars (for Peele fans)