Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaand FREAKAZOID!
Craig Stephen Tower
avclub-3aa3dbf221c29bcf88967e0ed0d00817--disqus
I actually think it was a step in the right direction, in that it basically took the character and dropped him into a new setting and situation distinct from RAIDERS. (the later two films are trying to follow the "Raiders Formula" too closely).
The execution was off, that's all.
It has Pteradactyls, so I'm good. YOU GOTS TO HAVE PTERADACTYLS..
I recently read the memoirs of Ray Harryhausen, and it really was like hearing a magician reveal his secrets. Not just how he did it, but how he distracted you from SEEING how he did it, and how he also did that thing over there that you didn't even NOTICE was a special effect.
WAY more interesting than hearing "oh,…
Boy, that dino-naming guy is REALLY good at his job.
Ironically, that's the only scene that was SUPPOSED to be shot in CGI- the initial plan was to use "go-motion" (the technique used for DRAGONSLAYER) for most of the fx shots. The stampede was supposed to be a "test" to see if cgi was up to the job of creating realistic creatures on screen.
Ironically, while the movie was being made, paelotologists discovered remains of a new sub-species, "Utahraptor", that was closer to the raptors of the movie.
I'm more irritated by Nolan fanboys than i am by Nolan's films themselves. QUIT INSISTING THAT YOU'VE "CRACKED THE SECRET MEANING" OF "INCEPTION"- it's clearly SUPPOSED to be ambigious, you dilts.
Admittedly, I don't like his BATMAN movies, but I didn't like anyone ELSE's BATMAN movies, either. ( I love Batman, but…
His early work as a tv DIRECTOR is brillant, though.
I think Spielberg's greatest flaw- and sometimes, greatest strength- as a producer is that he kind of just assumes everyone below him can elevate the material in execution. I mean, HE can, so why can't THEY? So he doesn't exercise any real guidance. (I bet most…
Even his WEAKER films show his mastery; 1941 does a marvellous job of juggling multiple plotlines and characters… it's just NOT FUNNY, that's all.
If you want the unbelievably rare experience of hearing George Lucas sounding upbeat and enthusiastic, listen to his commentary track for THX-1138.
His only box office bomb, and it's clearly the film closest to his heart.
As a friend noted, it is exceedingly obvious that Spielberg (King Of Family Entertainment) would NEVER kill off the kids in JP- but he's so goddamn good as his job that he manages to make you forget that while actually WATCHING it.
When asked if he didn't think his use of Nazis in the Indy films trivialised their real-life crimes, Spielberg replied "Anything that helps make the word 'Nazi' synonomous with 'Bad Guy' is a good thing".
Hard to argue with that.
actually, I think LAST CRUSADE is ALSO watered down- probably a concious attempt to avoid the excesses of TOD.(understandable, but it does make the film feel like "Raiders-Lite")
Actually, the real problem with TOD is that the tone is just OFF- the real life turmoil going on in Lucas and Spielberg's personal lives soured the vibe. (Larry Kasdan pulled out of doing the script because, as much as he loved working on the first one, he knew spending weeks with two guys going through bad divorces…
Also, I'm going to throw out THUNDARR THE BARBARIAN, just so I look ahead of the curve if the rumoured Bruce Timm reboot comes through.
CRIME STORY. Too seminal and timeless NOT to cover.
"The ICE…is gonna BREAK!"