Producer Larson Made Countless TV Hits

 

Producer Glen A. Larson passed at 77. This dynamo of TV action dramas helped create some of the best loved shows of the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s including It Takes a Thief, McCloud, The Six Million Dollar Man, the original Battlestar Galactica, the first Magnum PI, Quincy ME, Knight Rider, The Fall Guy, and many others. He never won an Emmy and a few of his shows had more than a passing resemblance to earlier hit films, but no one can deny the appeal and multi-year longevity of his shows. He even started as one of the Four Preps and helped write the theme songs to some of his shows like The Six Million Dollar Man. No matter the medium, he knew how to make hits.

 

Cameron Preceded Wonder Woman

Actress JoAnna Cameron, most famous for the TV superhero role in The Secrets of Isis, has passed at 70.  I liked this show which was a variation on the Wonder Woman theme.  I met her several years ago at a local film convention knowing it would likely be the only chance to see her since she lived in Hawaii. She was very nice.

DUNE Gets the Royal Treatment

Frank Herbert’s classic novel Dune, gets an epic adaptation by Denis Villeneuve (Blade Runner 2049) who mounts an impressive production that begs for a second act.

Arrakis is a ravaged planet with invaluable spices treasured by the ruthless Harkonnen who, at the order of The Emperor, are replaced as miners by Duke Leto (Oscar Isaac) and the Atreides clan.  The indigenous Fremen resent outsiders and live underground hiding from monstrous sandworms.  Leto’s son, Paul (Timothée Chalamet), trains as a warrior and develops his telepathic visions gleaned from his mother (Rebecca Ferguson). Leto wants to bond with the Fremen, but outside machinations conspire to destroy the Atreides and dominate the Fremen. Loyalties are tested, and all hope centers on Paul, who may or may not be a prophesied Messiah.

It is obvious the filmmakers strove for a coherent narrative from a complex story and have largely succeeded.  Themes of destiny, family, and survival are given emotional heft by well-developed relationships. The dream cast is formidable including Josh Brolin, Zendaya, Jason Momoa, Stellan Skarsgård, Javier Bardem, and Dave Bautista.

Filled with memorable imagery and visual effects, the film has the scope of one big sensory experience with beautifully shot sets and costumes while Hans Zimmer’s brooding score is a standout. It’s a wholly conceived and imagined world that needs to be seen on the big screen (IMAX).   

Covering half the narrative of the 1984 version, this film takes its time to hit the right notes. After a promising setup, the story stops short with the aspiration for renewal and hope. The opening title says DUNE Part One; it would be essential for the studio to complete this ambitious journey where science fiction becomes art. Those who are patient will be rewarded.

 **** of **** stars (for Dune/sci-fi purists)

CRY MACHO Amid Wisdom and Youth

Director Clint Eastwood stars in an intimate story of redemption and finding peace on the road in Cry Macho, a deceptively simple tale that has heart but could have been much more.

An aged cowboy and former bronco rider, Mike (Eastwood), is hired by his old boss (Dwight Yoakam) to cross the border to Mexico and find his teenaged son Rafo (Eduardo Minett) to bring home. In Mexico, Mike runs into Rafo’s estranged mom who is reluctant to see her wild son go back to his dad.  Mike eventually finds Rafo participating in cockfights with his pet rooster, Macho. The two start out wary of each other but begin to bond over time, and when they happen on a small town, their lives are changed; Mike befriends Marta (Natalia Traven), the female proprietor of a café while Rafo learns to break in horses. It’s an idyllic life with the possibility for happiness, but reality sets in as Mike and Rafo must make a decision that will alter their lives.   

There are some nice elements but also missed opportunities that Eastwood touches on and fails to fully explore. We learn Mike was once on top of the world but experienced misfortune and tragedy.  His has learned life’s hard lessons and imparts his wisdom upon Rafo, who is only beginning to learn about growing up.  It is the mutual respect that develops between Mike and Rafo as well as the deepening relationship between Mike and Marta that the film could and should have developed to enrich the narrative considerably. Too bad.

Beautifully shot with a flavorful score, it’s a pleasant adventure, a road trip kind of film that does not demand too much from its audience.

  *** of **** stars (for die hard Eastwood fans)

 

VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE and the More the Merrier

In Venom: Let There Be Carnage, director Andy Serkis continues the Marvel comic adventures of Venom and his human host, Eddie.  It’s a fun, wild ride that should appeal to fans of the original film.

In 1996 at a reform facility, young Cletus befriends a girl, ‘Shriek’, who has mutant, destructive powers of sound. When they are separated, Cletus, now an adult serial killer (Woody Harrelson) in San Quentin prison, requests an audience with reporter Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) who lives an uneasy existence with his alien alter ego and symbiote, Venom.  Cletus is due to be executed, and when the two meet again, Cletus attains some of Eddie’s Venom in his system resulting in a new symbiote who breaks Cletus out of prison.  Meanwhile Eddie’s former girlfriend, Anne (Michelle Williams), announces her engagement to her boyfriend, and when Cletus orchestrates a plan to marry Shriek (Naomie Harris), he wants to exact revenge on Eddie and Anne.  It all leads to a climactic battle of symbiotes with Eddie and Venom fighting for their lives.

What makes the film fascinating is watching this odd couple of Eddie and Venom co-exist and bicker. It’s clear that they have a love/hate relationship as Venom has trouble adapting to Eddie’s notion of morality while starting to experience human emotions.  There are amusing scenes including Venom trying to cheer up Eddie by cooking breakfast and later attempting to blend in with humans by wandering amid masked party revelers.  

Hardy is the best thing about this film, and Harrelson is perfectly cast (kind of a variation on his Natural Born Killers role). The film sets up a sequel, and there is a mid-credit scene with significant implications.

*** of **** stars (add ½* for Venom fans)

 

The Dark Side of MALIGNANT

Writer/Director James Wan returns to his horror roots (Saw, The Conjuring) with Malignant, an effective thriller that delivers some shocking moments. 

In 1993, a research facility attempts to contain a growing, powerful threat of an enraged boy named Gabriel who exhibits paranormal abilities.   Flash forward to the present in Seattle, and a young woman, Madison (Annabelle Wallis), experiences terrifying visions of vengeful murders by a mysterious figure that is somehow related to her past. She has also experienced enormous, personal loss in her life and is haunted by a traumatic childhood. Detectives are baffled, and as the grisly crimes point to her as a suspect, a devastating secret emerges and with it a powerful evil that threatens Madison’s family and beyond.

There is effective use of dark, saturated colors to establish an ominous mood as well as sound and visual effects that vividly depict Madison’s psyche.  The film functions at first as a mystery and becomes all out horror on a personal level when the truth emerges. Among the best moments is an astonishing sequence that shows the full fury of the menace as it begins in a crowded jail cell and spills over to the police station.

Thematically the film is focused on the meaning of family and blood relations. What is Madison’s connection to the killer? Is she the killer, or is it all in her mind? And is her imaginary childhood friend a figment of her imagination?  The truth is a stunner.

With similar vibes to the original Halloween and Psycho, it’s best not to make too much sense of the plot and enjoy the ride. It’s a fairly entertaining piece of horror genre especially if you don’t take it too seriously.

*** of **** stars (for horror fans)

A Prodigious Talent

 

Songwriter Leslie Bricusse has passed at 90. This Grammy and Oscar winning lyricist penned some of the greatest known songs in pop culture.

He wrote such timeless classics as the stage song, What Kind of Fool Am I, pop hit, A Wonderful Day Like Today, and countless others. His seven decade career encompassed films where he often in collaboration with the likes of Henry Mancini, Anthony Newley, and John Williams, and would write such songs as Bond classics Goldfinger and You Only Live Twice, Talk to the Animals from Doctor  Doolittle, Pure Imagination and Candy Man from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, the song/score for Victor/Victoria, Can You Read My Mind from Superman, and the only really good song from Scrooge, Thank You Very Much. A prodigious talent.

Disney Legend No Less

 

Animating pioneer Ruthie Tompson, a long time visual artist hired by Walt Disney, passed away at 111! You might not know her but she was one of the first female animators for a major studio and helped create the animation for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Fantasia, Pinocchio, Dumbo, Sleeping Beauty, Mary Poppins, The Rescuers, and many others over the decades.  A Disney legend no less.

ROMEO AND JULIET at The Classic Theatre

 

We were treated to Shakespeare in an intimate setting at the Classic Theatre of Maryland with the presentation of Romeo and Juliet. This featured an excellent cast and seating that puts the audience remarkably close to the performers, swordplay and all. Having seen filmed versions of the classic play, it was amazing to be still moved a love story written hundreds of years ago.  The production was expertly enhanced by sumptuous costumes and seamless lighting. There was clever use of spare, basic sets while focusing on the spoken word as the bard intended in a room enhanced by ideal acoustics. In fact The Classic Theatre boasts a nearby Cabaret space with another stage, bar, and comfortable seating. Patrons may feel pampered and spoiled by such fanciful treats. Annapolis has a gem of a showcase that deserves attention. Oh, and the play was splendid. Our afternoon of culture complete!

Emotional Farewell in NO TIME TO DIE

Daniel Craig formally bows out as superspy James Bond in No Time To Die, (directed by Cary Fukunaga), a rousing swan song and consummation of four preceding films.

James Bond (Craig) has retired with Madeleine (Léa Seydoux) as both reconcile past trauma and dark secrets.  When CIA pal, Felix (Jeffrey Wright), comes calling about a bio-threat, the trail leads to Cuba and London as Bond meets his counterpart (Lashana Lynch) at MI6. It also means revisiting an old adversary and rekindling a long, lost love. This culminates on a remote island where a mysterious figure (Rami Malek) devises an insidious, horrific plan that could devastate the globe.

With a terrific opening sequence featuring the Aston Martin, this directly continues from Spectre and draws from past mythos particularly On Her Majesty’s Secret Service with Hans Zimmer’s score blending themes from that film and Billie Eilish’s haunting, title song.  With minimal gadgetry, it’s more grounded in the real world, and though the narrative is a bit convoluted, what is refreshing is the film doesn’t rely on clichés but rather subverts them in ways where anything can happen.  You may think you know how things will play out; you would be wrong. The plot ventures into uncharted territory where no Bond film has gone before. 

The MI6 gang of M (Ralph Fiennes), Moneypenny (Naomie Harris), and Q (Ben Whishaw) are back while Ana de Armas (please build a movie around her) is outstanding as a CIA operative who demonstrates fighting skills par excellence. In fact, the Bond women are significant; never has a Bond film featured so many adept female characters.

The longest Bond film ever at 163 minutes, the story keeps you engaged while Craig gives it his all.  Is it the best Bond film? No, but it’s a brave, emotional sendoff that will be affecting for Bond fans.

***1/2 of **** stars (especially for Craig)