John Williams – People Talking

Movie Review – ‘The Post’ – Truth and Consequences

Directed by Steven Spielberg

Written by Liz Hannah and Josh Singer

Cast: Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Sarah Paulson, Bob Odenkirk, Tracy Letts, Bradley Whitford, Bruce Greenwood, Matthew Rhys, Alison Brie, Carrie Coon, Jesse Plemons, David Cross, Zach Woods, Pat Healy, John Rue, Rick Holmes, Philip Casnoff, Jessie Mueller, Stark Sands, Michael Cyril Creighton, Will Denton, Deirdre Lovejoy, Jennifer Dundas, Austyn Johnson, Brent Langdon, Michael Stuhlbarg, Deborah Green, Gary Wilmes, Christopher Innvar, Justin Swain, Kenneth Tigar, David Aaron Baker, Gannon McHale, Dan Bucatinsky, David Costabile, Johanna Day, Annika Boras, Carolyn McCormick, Peter Van Wagner, Angus Hepburn, James Riordan, Kelly AuCoin, Cotter Smith, Ben Livingston, JaQwan J. Kelly, Shaun O’Hagan, Celeste Arias, Sonny Valicenti, Aaron Roman Weiner, Tom Bair, Mark Jacoby, Curzon Dobell, Neal Huff

Soundtrack: John Williams

Before Watergate.
Before Woodward and Bernstein.
There were The Pentagon Papers.
And thus began the rise of The Washington Post to national prominence, and the downfall of the presidency of one Richard Milhous Nixon.

I said this before when I reviewed Bridge of Spies, and I think it bears repeating. It’s become somewhat popular to hate on Steven Spielberg, and I get it (I mean, I’m about as excited to see Ready Player One as I am to get food poisoning, or cancer), but the fact remains, he’s still Steven Spielberg.

I’m not going to tell you that The Post is “Classic Spielberg”, reminiscent of his heyday in the Seventies and Eighties, but it does at least hearken back to his run in the early Aughts, which isn’t so bad (Catch Me If You Can, anyone?).

On its face, The Post isn’t anything particularly special. It’s nothing that hasn’t been done before, and none of the performances, even from the Oscar winners in the room, are really anything to write home about (though it is fun to see Bob and David in a Spielberg movie together). Yet, somehow, I’m left feeling satisfied, which leads me to conclude that film is greater than the sum of its parts, and I believe that is largely due to that wily old veteran director, Steven Spielberg (and his near-constant collaborator, John Williams; who’s getting up there, kids, so maybe savor this one while we still have them to savor).

For all of his softening and head-scratching decisions over the past fifteen years, the man still knows how to bring a script to life and make it pop, and he still knows where to throw in his signature touches (like those little one-ers you don’t really notice, but your brain does). Was he the absolute best choice to handle this particular material? Maybe not, but they certainly could have done a lot worse.

Speaking of the material, kudos to first-time screenwriter Liz Hannah, who was the initial rolling snowball of this avalanche, and executive producer and writer Josh Singer (who, unsurprisingly, held the same positions on Spotlight), for putting together yet another intricate and no doubt incredibly well-researched period journalism piece (to have a script with roughly fifty real-life people portrayed by credited actors in a two-hour movie just goes to show how deep the dive was). Much like Spotlight (and in contrast to All the President’s Men), The Post works whether you lived though the events or not.

However, I wouldn’t say The Post is all-in-all on the same level as Spotlight, which is to say I don’t think it’s Best Picture material, and the subtext of the film given the current climate is fairly obvious, but still, perhaps for reasons I can’t fully articulate, I have zero issue recommending it.

It’ll make you real depressed about the Vietnam War (but then what doesn’t?), but if you’re a fan of Spielberg, journalism, and/or the First Amendment, The Post‘ll be right up your alley.

Rating: ★★★★☆

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: ★★★★★

Quick Thoughts – September Round-Up, Part 2 of 2: Septemberg

I said this before in my review of ‘Bridge of Spies‘, but it’s become rather chic to hate on Steven Spielberg, and, in many ways, I get it. He’s gotten older, he’s gotten softer, he’s made some mistakes, but, at the end of the day, he’s still Steven Spielberg: director of many great movies. In September, I was fortunate enough to be able to revisit a handful of them in real theaters with real audiences, and it was fantastic.

Indiana Jones Trilogy (1981, 1984, 1989)

Many will disagree with me on this, but I think Indiana Jones is actually a better Harrison Ford character than Han Solo, but that discussion isn’t really why we’re here. All three of these movies are great in their own way, and each have moments of undeniable brilliance.

‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ is much like ‘Star Wars’: inspired by the serials of the past, but set the standard for the future, and, thanks to its success, got the ball rolling (pun absolutely intended) on a whole generation of knock-offs, rip-offs, and its own sequels. Cannon Films alone made no less than three ‘Raiders’-inspired movies throughout the 80s (two helmed by Oscar-nominated director J. Lee Thompson). What sets ‘Raiders’ apart and the reason it still holds up is that it’s essentially a B-movie with A-picture production; everything from the acting and directing to the music, effects, and STUNTS is top notch, and the result is one of the most-enjoyable movie experiences you’ll ever find from start to finish, no matter what the size of the screen.

‘Temple of Doom’ is very much ‘Raiders 2’; similar to the original, but darker, grittier, and more fiery (many of the action set pieces had been conceived for ‘Raiders’ but obviously not executed for it). Many people, hardcore Indiana Jones fans or not, consider this their least favorite of the trilogy, and that’s true for me as well, but I still think it’s a great action-adventure film on its own merits. Really, it just suffers from an identity crisis; had it not been attached to an established property, I think it would be held in higher regard. At least you can’t accuse the filmmakers of making the exact same movie over again (looking at you, ‘Ghostbusters II’, though I still love you anyway).

‘Last Crusade’, dare I say, elevates the material. It certainly maintains the action flourishes established by the first two, but overall it feels more mature, largely because of the father-son relationship (and John Williams took the score in a new direction). I still get teary-eyed every time I see Henry Sr. call Henry Jr. “Indiana” for the first time. Sean Connery gives the best performance I’ve ever seen him put on screen, and for those of you who say Harrison Ford isn’t an “ack-tour”, perhaps that’s true, but he can act; the advantage of seeing him on the big screen is you can more easily notice how much acting he does with his eyes. ‘Last Crusade’ also lets us give proper goodbyes to fan favorites Sallah and Marcus Brody. Maybe I’m biased because it’s the Indiana Jones movie I grew up watching the most, but ‘Last Crusade’ is my favorite of the three; hands down.

Ratings:
‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ ★★★★½
‘Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom’ ★★★★☆
‘Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade’ ★★★★★

Jaws (1975)

Before I got to see this on the big screen for the first time, I had actually begun to wonder if the world’s first blockbuster (and one of my favorite movies) was overrated. What a foolish thought that was. ‘Jaws’ is like this amazing estuary where old and new Hollywood meet, and the result is something brilliant and nearly completely timeless. Spielberg, though not necessarily because he wanted to, borrowed much from Hitchcock in terms of monster beast strategy, while adding his own signature visual touches. John Williams’ score is equal parts Bernard Hermann and Erich Wolfgang Korngold before him, tying together both the horror and the sea-faring adventure. Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, and Robert Shaw are perfectly cast as three disparate men united against a common foe.

I actually think Scheider’s performance as Chief Brody might be a little underrated; the character’s arc of having to face down his biggest fear in order to protect both his own family and the islanders who only tacitly accept him is well-written enough, but he adds quite a bit of depth on his own (let’s not forget it was Scheider himself who came up with “You’re gonna need a bigger boat”).

I regret not finding out for sure, but sitting next to me was a woman who appeared to be seeing ‘Jaws’ for the first time (I base this on her reactions to, well, everything). When you can make a movie that still scares people 40 years after its release, you know you did something right. Kudos to Spielberg on that.

Rating: ★★★★★

Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

When I was a little boy in elementary school, I was very much into reading about UFOs, the Bermuda Triangle, and cryptozoological creatures, so believe me when I tell you that ‘Close Encounters’ does an incredible job of sewing together all sorts of myths, legends, and wild conspiracy theories into a serious and seriously compelling science fiction motion picture (Richard Donner would say it has Verisimilitude). It’s been overshadowed by ‘Star Wars’ in the long run, but there’s no denying that ‘Close Encounters’ had its own distinct cultural impact, not to mention that one is science fiction and the other is science fantasy…

The true triumph of the movie, even more than the story of mankind succeeding in its search for extraterrestrial life, is the idea that music can be a truly universal language that everyone from nerdy scientists to space aliens to small children can understand. When you factor in the level of detail written into the movie, the breadth of locations, and the fact that Carl Weathers shows up as a soldier, that’s a winner of a film in my book.

It’s a slow-burner for sure, and that’ll turn some people off, but on the whole I think it’s a must-see for the genre.

Rating: ★★★★☆