Tag: John Hollis

Classic Twofer – ‘Superman Ⅲ’ & ‘Superman Ⅳ: The Quest for Peace’ – Back to Kansas (or Hertfordshire, as it may be)



I have to admit, I may be judging these films with rose-colored glasses on account of they’re the first movies I’ve seen theatrically in over three months.

Although, if they’d bored me, or outright disappointed me, I think I would have known it, and I can’t say either one did.

To the celluloid!

Original Release Date: June 17, 1983

Directed by Richard Lester
Written by David & Leslie Newman
Cast: Christopher Reeve, Richard Pryor, Jackie Cooper, Marc McClure, Annette O’Toole, Annie Ross, Pamela Stephenson, Robert Vaughn, Margot Kidder, Gavan O’Herlihy, Stefan Kalipha, Shane Rimmer, Al Matthews, Robert Henderson, Paul Kaethler, R.J. Bell, Pamela Mandell, Robert Beatty
Soundtrack: Ken Thorne

As much crap as I give Richard Lester for his cut of Superman II (you know, the worse one), because his vision for the film is like a virus eating away at Richard Donner’s verisimilitude, I have to say, given a chance to make a Superman movie from start-to-finish, Lester does a pretty good job with Superman III.

Whereas Donner’s Superman strives for something more timeless and epic, Lester’s Superman III feels ripped straight from the pages of the comic books, and that’s okay.

One of the criticisms of modern Superman films is that we don’t see enough of Superman doing Superman things, namely saving people, but that’s definitely not a failing of Superman III. The first act alone features one of the great set-pieces in the whole franchise, when Clark Kent and Jimmy Olsen’s bus ride to Smallville gets interrupted by a chemical plant fire, and it’s up to Superman to save the day. Is it entirely realistic? Hardly. Does it matter? Not in the least. It’s exciting, and thanks to the practical effects, there’s a real sense of danger.

Speaking of Smallville though, one of the story threads involves Clark returning to his hometown for his high school reunion, where he reunites with former head cheerleader Lana Lang (played by the positively lovely Annette O’Toole). Now a single mom and one of the few members of their graduating class stuck in their old hometown, she’s nevertheless still the apple of Clark’s nerdy eye. If nothing else it makes for a nice change-up to the Lois Lane romance of the previous two films, but I actually really enjoy how Lester handles their meet cute. It’s a stylistic touch that feels unique for a Superman film.

Of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t talk about the biggest star opposite Christopher Reeve, that being Richard Pryor. It feels like a bit of stunt-casting, but honestly, given the tone of the film, I think his character fits in fine (he’s not nearly as much of an albatross as some of the 90s Batman movie villains). I also find it interesting that his introduction, which is the cold open of the film, takes us down to the “street level” of Metropolis in a way most superhero films don’t do (or try to but bungle it).

One aspect of the film that may be more influential than we know (which is to say I can’t prove it) is Robert Vaughn’s character of Ross Webster, a corrupt business magnate. Not until John Byrne’s The Man of Steel limited comic book series in 1986 did the character of Lex Luthor become a similar tycoon, so I can’t help but wonder if the villain of Superman III had some effect on that decision.

To circle back to the director though, Lester giveth and Lester taketh away. The major weakness of the film is the level of camp that Donner rightfully rejected during his tenure, and which Lester plays up to unforgivable degrees at times, perhaps best summed up by putting the main titles over a Rube Goldberg slapstick sequence rather than out in space as usual. Interesting as the scene may be unto itself, it does the movie no favors.

At the end of the day though, the biggest strength of the film, as you might expect, is Christopher Reeve as Superman, and it’s nice to see him explore some new territory with the character in the second act (concluding with the famous junkyard fight).

It’s clearly not the best Superman movie, but honestly, I think Superman III is better (or at least more cohesive) than the theatrical version of Superman II. It’s certainly worth seeing for fans of the character, but it has a decent amount of appeal for general audiences, too (though there is one scene that’s rather horrifying, especially if you don’t know it’s coming, so be forewarned).

Rating: ★★★½ (out of five)



Original Release Date: July 24, 1987

Directed by Sidney J. Furie
Written by Christopher Reeve (story), Lawrence Konner & Mark Rosenthal (story & screenplay)
Cast: Christopher Reeve, Gene Hackman, Jackie Cooper, Marc McClure, Jon Cryer, Sam Wanamaker, Mark Pillow, Mariel Hemingway, Margot Kidder, Damian McLawhorn, William Hootkins, Jim Broadbent, Stanley Lebor, Don Fellows, Robert Beatty, John Hollis, Eugene Lipinski, Susannah York
Soundtrack: Alexander Courage

Superman IV: The Quest for Peace is often regarded as one of the worst movies ever made, and I am here to call B.S. on that notion, because it’s not even the worst Cannon film I’ve ever seen (in fact, I’d put it among the more watchable entries in Golan-Globus’s output).

No, I won’t even call Superman IV a bad movie, because it’s ultimately a sadly incomplete film. It could have gone down with Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home and Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol as one of the great Fours in movie history, but Cannon just wouldn’t give it the budget it deserved. To put it in perspective, the first two films cost over $100 million altogether, Superman III was made for $39 million, and even 1984’s Supergirl got $35 million, but somehow Superman IV was expected to subsist on a budget less than half that ($17 million).

This budgetary failing is largely bared out where a film like this should shine, in the action and effects, but those with a keen eye for filmmaking can spot the paucity in plenty of other areas; not to mention there’s basically no transition into the third act.

Surprisingly though, one area of strength for the movie is the musical score. Much like Ken Thorne’s music for II and III, Alexander Courage’s score (yes, the guy who wrote the original Star Trek theme) is largely ported from John Williams’ original Superman music, but, for one thing, it just sounds better than the scores from the previous two entries, and, secondly, I think Courage is more successful than Thorne in venturing off into his own territory.

Sadly though, no one but the financiers could truly save this movie. Yes, it has it’s own failings, like Superman putting the Great Wall back together with…Repair-Vision? But, honestly, I think the intended screenplay is actually pretty tight, and we do get to see all of our favorite Daily Planeteers one last time, along with Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor, and that’s not nothing.

And of course, Christopher Reeve is still Superman, which is definitely something, once again showing off his true superpower: his desire for good.

Rating: ★★★☆☆


P.S.
Shout-out to the crew at the Mahoning Drive-In in Lehighton, PA. They put on a great show.


P.P.S.
Though I’ve been on a writing hiatus, I got to jump on the Cooler Than Ecto podcast and talk Pierce Brosnan’s tenure as James Bond. It was a lot of fun recording and I hope to be on again sometime.

Check it out here:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pierce-bronsnan-007-series-retro-review/id1309133613?i=1000477572780

Classic Twofer – A 007 Double Feature: ‘For Your Eyes Only’ & ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’

Roger Moore passed away a month ago at the age of 89.

Officially (it’s a long story why I have to say “Officially”), he was the longest-tenured actor to play James Bond, making seven films (I guess he truly was 007) over twelve years, from Live and Let Die in 1973 to A View to a Kill in 1985 (and appearing in thirteen other films over the same period, a few of which I’d personally recommend).

To the surprise of some, I’m sure, he was also the oldest, so it’s natural that he’d be the first to leave us, but it makes the occasion no less melancholy.

It’s no secret how much I love James Bond. and with Moore’s death I gave some serious thought as to which 007 portrayal is my favorite.  Honestly, in terms of overall body of work, I have to give it to Roger.  Sure, Connery has my favorite individual movie (From Russia With Love), but Moore is just so charming, and so dryly humorous, and he clearly enjoyed what he did.

He often gets blamed for the “campy” turn the franchise took in the Seventies and Eighties, but as Isaac Chotiner so expertly pointed out, the writing was already on the wall with Diamonds Are Forever (I mean, that movie is Schlock with a Kapital K), before Moore was officially brought on board, so, blame Roger if you want, but, you’re wrong.

Anyway, in the wake of Moore’s passing, I was hoping somebody out there would put together a tribute screening, and, fortunately, AMC Theaters did just that (appropriately raising money for UNICEF in the process, for whom Roger was a long-time ambassador), and they did a good job of picking two out of seven choices (although I’m not sure why they were shown out of order at the screening I attended), in that they pretty much show the full breadth of the franchise, from down-to-earth to over-the-top (and, as most post-1969 Bond movies are either rehashes of From Russia With Love, Goldfinger, or You Only Live Twice, these two definitely fall in line).

My only nitpick is that neither of these films feature a score by John Barry, but I suppose you can’t have everything all the time.

Let’s get to it.

 

Original Release Date: June 26, 1981
Directed by John Glen
Written by Richard Maibaum and Michael G. Wilson
Cast: Roger Moore, Carole Bouquet, Topol, Lynn-Holly Johnson, Julian Glover, Cassandra Harris, Jill Bennett, Michael Gothard, John Wyman, Jack Hedley, Lois Maxwell, Desmond Llewelyn, Geoffrey Keen, Walter Gotell, James Villiers, John Moreno, Charles Dance, Toby Robins, Stefan Kalipha, Graham Crowden, Noel Johnson, Paul Brooke, Eva Reuber-Staier, John Wells, Janet Brown, John Hollis, Jeremy Bulloch, Victor Tourjansky
Soundtrack: Bill Conti

This has always been one of my favorites in the Bond franchise, and it’s definitely one of the most low-key (like if Mike Stoklasa got his wish and they made a live-action Batman movie where he just takes down one crime syndicate).

Not that For Your Eyes Only isn’t without it’s more over-the-top moments, e.g. the pre-title sequence where Bond dispatches of an unnamed “Blofeld” (that long story again), the hockey rink scene, and the “Margaret Thatcher” ending.  But, by and large, it’s fairly reigned in; perhaps the grittiest of Moore’s tenure.

The basic outline is something of a cross-pollination of From Russia With Love and Thunderball, in that Bond has to track down a sunken MacGuffin device to make sure it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands, and there’s a gorgeous girl who’s closely related to it along for the adventure.

In terms of Bond movie elements, as silly as the pre-title sequence is, I like that it’s completely unrelated to the rest of the plot; this would only happen one more time in Octopussy (much like that cameo from Smithers, but we’ll talk about that later) and as of SPECTRE it’s still yet to happen again.  I also enjoy when Bond has strong allies (a la Kerim Bey) at his side, and I like that Q gets to have a humorous moment outside of his lab, so these are pluses as well.  Sadly, Bernard Lee died before his scenes could be filmed, so M is conspicuously absent.

As far as the cast goes, it may not be the longest list of all-stars (I’m still not sure why they cast Topol, but I’m not complaining; he’s great in this), but it’s well-assembled nonetheless (and how Julian Glover got to be in Star Wars, James Bond, and Indiana Jones is a delicious mystery).  Everybody fills their roles nicely and helps bring out the appropriate emotional response to each scene.  Nobody’s particularly flamboyant or scenery-chewing, but that’s fine in this movie.  One might argue that the one sore spot is Lynn Holly-Johnson as Bibi Dahl, but I think she’s true to the character as written, so ultimately I don’t take issue with her performance.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention long-time Bond veteran but first-time director John Glen (who would helm the franchise for the whole of the decade) and first-time Bond cinematographer Alan Hume (who would see out Moore’s tenure, and also shot a little movie called Return of the Jedi).  Most Bond films excel visually, but I particularly like the look of this one, especially all the magic hour stuff.

Really, I’d say For Your Eyes Only is just about the perfect Bond movie, except for one thing: no trains the music.

This is not to say that Bill Conti isn’t a fine composer in his own right, and, to be fair to him, there are at least one or two cues I really enjoy, but, on the whole, I don’t think he’s a fit, and his sound sticks out like a sore thumb in this context.

Other than that, it’s hard to complain.  You’ve got James Bond, beautiful women, travel to a variety of locations, guns, cars, underwater photography, helicopter stunts, skiing, climbing, and Détente.

Outside of a train fight, what more could anyone ask?
(Speak of the devil and he shall appear.)

Rating: ★★★★½ (out of five)

 

Original Release Date: July 8, 1977
Directed by Lewis Gilbert
Written by Christopher Wood and Richard Maibaum
Cast: Roger Moore, Barbara Bach, Curd Jürgens, Richard Kiel, Caroline Munro, Walter Gotell, Geoffrey Keen, Bernard Lee, George Baker, Michael Billington, Desmond Llewelyn, Edward de Souza, Vernon Dobtcheff, Lois Maxwell, Nadim Sawalha, Eva Reuber-Staier, Robert Brown, Milton Reid, Cyril Shaps, Milo Sperber, Albert Moses, Shane Rimmer, Ray Hassett, Jeremy Bulloch, Victor Tourjansky
Soundtrack: Marvin Hamlisch

Ah, the first Bond movie of the post-Saltzman era (and post-Hamilton era; coincidence?).

The Spy Who Loved Me marks a return to BIG for the franchise.  Wider widescreen, bigger sets (the 007 Stage at Pinewood Studios was first built for this film), bigger stunts (the parachute jump), bigger miniatures (not even joking), bigger henchman (Jaws), bigger frenemies (the Soviets are brought in like we’ve never seen before), etc., all of which are completely appropriate given that it’s the first of two consecutive rehashes of You Only Live Twice (this and Moonraker, which is another favorite of mine despite being the polar opposite of For Your Eyes Only), also directed by Lewis Gilbert (and both featuring Blofeld stand-ins, although I do enjoy Curd Jürgens in this).

As I said before, most Bond movies excel visually, The Spy Who Loved Me being no different (apparently Stanley Kubrick himself gave some secret assistance), but this one really lays on the old movie magic.  From Ken Adam’s gigantic sets to Derek Meddings’ “miniatures” (honestly, this movie has some of the best model work I’ve ever seen; not that everything looks great, but certain things legitimately look plausibly full-size, and in water to boot) to the Lotus that transforms into a submarine, it’s hard not to feel a sense of wonderment when the movie goes big.

However, the film is unfortunately weighed down by a pair of albatrosses.

First off is Barbara Bach’s performance as Anya Amasova aka Agent XXX (GET IT!?).  The less said about it, the better.

Second is Marvin Hamlisch’s score, which is crazy, because I have to dog a guy who’s not only an EGOT winner, but has a Pulitzer Prize on top of it.  But, you know what?  It wasn’t my decision to go Full Disco.  That was his choice, and it was a poor one (to be clear though, it’s not the worst top-to-bottom score in Bond history).  The title song is great though, I won’t deny that (even if it feels slightly out of place).

As far as the Bond movie elements go, this one makes heavy use of Bond’s Royal Navy cover, which I’m a big fan of, and we’re introduced to Robert Brown as Admiral Hargreaves (who would replace Bernard Lee as M in from Octopussy to Licence to Kill).  We’re also introduced to Walter Gotell as General Gogol (M’s opposite number in Moscow), who would feature from this film through The Living Daylights.  And there’s a train fight, which always makes me happy (even if it’s not nearly as good as the original).

In the end, The Spy Who Loved Me is number one (or close to it) on a lot of people’s Bond lists, but I’ve never seen it that way (feels like nostalgia over judgement to me).  Not that I dislike it, I’m happy to watch it, I just think the general consensus is somewhat inflated.  I recommend it well enough, but more so as a cultural touchstone than as a movie.

Although, it was Roger Moore’s favorite, which is a much better note to end on.

Rating: ★★★½ (out of five)

Nobody did it better.

 

P.S.
For you Empire Strikes Back fans out there, in addition to Julian Glover (aka General Veers), Jeremy Bulloch (aka the guy in the Boba Fett suit) has a cameo as “Smithers” in For Your Eyes Only (and Octopussy), and is also a submarine crewman in The Spy Who Loved Me.  And John Hollis (aka Lobot) plays the unnamed “Blofeld” during the intro of For Your Eyes Only.

You might also recognize Ray Hassett, who plays another crewman in The Spy Who Loved Me, who’s the guy who informs Han Solo that Commander Skywalker never checked back in to Echo Base (and also plays “Harry” the unfortunate policeman in Superman).

Classic Movie Review – ‘Superman’ – The Light to Show The Way

Original Release Date: December 15, 1978
Directed by Richard Donner
Creative Consultant: Tom Mankiewicz
Written by Mario Puzo (story and screenplay), David & Leslie Newman (screenplay), and Robert Benton (screenplay), based on the character “Superman” created by Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster
Cast: Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman, Christopher Reeve, Ned Beatty, Jackie Cooper, Glenn Ford, Trevor Howard, Margot Kidder, Jack O’Halloran, Valerie Perrine, Maria Schell, Terence Stamp, Phyllis Thaxter, Susannah York, Jeff East, Marc McClure, Sarah Douglas, Harry Andrews, John Hollis, Rex Reed, Steve Kahan, Ray Hassett, Randy Jurgensen, Michael Ensign, Larry Hagman, John Ratzenberger, Shane Rimmer
Soundtrack: John Williams

Of all the movies I went to see theatrically in 2016, none got me more excited than this one.

There are people out there who will try to convince you that 1978’s Superman is overrated, or that it doesn’t hold up, or even that it’s flat-out bad.

Don’t believe them, because this film is still the Gold Standard for superhero motion pictures.

What the non-believers don’t take into account is that this movie had no template.  There was no other comparable film to use as a reference point, and, by-and-large, when the filmmakers wanted to do something new, they had to straight-up invent whatever technology it took to do so (e.g. the flying sequences).  These were the days when special effects were still special, and to watch money burn on screen usually meant something actually burning and/or blowing up.  Frankly, even now there are still a few things that I see and can’t figure out how they were done, which is a true testament to the level of craftsmanship.

No, Superman is not entirely perfect (most movies aren’t).  It’s a bit clunky at times, it’s got some plot holes (heaven forbid!), and the ending doesn’t make any logical sense (kind of sounds like The Dark Knight Rises), but it’s big, adventurous, fun, exciting, and charming.  Some call it corny; I call it earnest.

And, let’s not mince words here: Christopher Reeve IS Superman.

Although, it’s not like he’s the only one who’s impeccably cast, because just about everybody is great in this.  Yes, Reeve, Margot Kidder, and Gene Hackman are your core, but even people who barely get five minutes of screen time, like Glenn Ford, give you so much in their performances.

And did I mention how BIG this movie is?  Honestly, the scale is like Star Wars and James Bond combined, which makes sense given that production designer John Barry and second unit director John Glen had the same roles on A New Hope and The Spy Who Loved Me, respectively (not to mention plenty of other cast and crew overlaps).  The set of Lex Luthor’s lair alone is award-worthy (yet, somehow, the production design was not even nominated; come on, man).

Of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention John Williams’ score, which…it’s perfect.  There’s nothing else I can say.

Most of all, I have to give credit to director Richard Donner (who somehow is not nearly as recognized as many of his contemporaries) for holding everything together.  Superman was one of the largest productions ever taken on (three countries on two continents), with an all-star cast, and unbelievable hype from name-recognition alone, yet somehow he pulled it off.  It’s truly a shame he was not allowed to finish the sequel at the time (though he got some of his own back with the 2006 home release of his cut).

Even beyond being a fantastic film, Superman actually added to the mythos of the D.C. Universe, namely the the ‘S’ on the chest being an El family symbol, and the Kryptonian crystalline technology.  On the flip side, it’s s shame that the character of Lex Luthor hadn’t yet transitioned from criminal mastermind to corrupt business magnate, but as John Byrne’s ‘The Man of Steel’ wouldn’t come around until 1986, I can hardly hold this against the movie; it’s merely a thought.

Truly though, Superman is an emotionally-charged visual spectacle for the ages.  It’ll make you laugh, cry, swoon, and cheer.

Again, it’s not perfect, but I give it five stars for effort.  I can’t recommend it highly enough as an all-time great film, a cultural touchstone, and a lasting example of movie magic.

I count myself blessed for having been able to see it on 35mm.

Rating: ★★★★★