July 18, 2006
Vader Sessions
Posted by mslaybau at 10:21 PM | Comments (0)
May 19, 2006
Star Wars - The Hero's Journey
For a while now I've been developing a story, an epic inspired by many of the classic stories (including Star Wars). Joseph Campbell and others have suggested that certain themes reoccur in the classic stories, spanning cultures and time, and I've been collecting these themes in order to incorporate them. A few are summarized below.What strikes me most is how in the debate among fans of the Star Wars series, the subject of storytelling is seldom raised. The focus on why some feel episodes I, II, and III weren't as good as the original trilogy seems to be on specific characters (Jar-Jar Binks) on the use of computer graphics (instead of miniatures and puppets), the acting and dialogue, and on the importance of nostalgia in placing value on the movies.
I agree that the three new Star Wars movies were not as entertaining as the original, but the above reasons didn't seem to fit. The acting and writing in the original was almost as campy, and for every spaceship in The Phantom Menace that looked too slick, there was a ship or creature in the original that looked too much like a miniature or puppet.
As research, I watched 'Episode III - Revenge of the Sith' and 'Episode IV - A New Hope' back-to-back. I hadn't seen the former in a year, and hadn't seen the latter in many years, so my perspective was relatively fresh.
What struck me was how much the original Star Wars fit the template of the classic epic, while Revenge of the Sith (as well as episodes II and III) did not at all. In Star Wars, the hero (Luke Skywalker) has a band of friends (droids, Han, Chewie, Leia) who help each other in a series of trials, all in order to get secret plans to the rebel base and blow up the Death Star. In Revenge of the Sith, there is effectively no hero. Anakin is arguably an anti-hero, conflicted between different motivations, but he has no real friends and no one seems to like or trust him. Instead of working together to solve problems (as in the garbage-compactor scene in the original) the characters in the new movies only seem to work against each other. And most importantly, there is no clear obvious goal.
Any story should be able to be encapsulated in a simple sentence (eg. in "Hamlet", Hamlet tries to avenge his father's death.) even if this oversimplifies the plot and ignores other qualities of the story. But in Star Wars Episodes I, II, and III, even immediately after watching them I couldn't come up with a basic summary of the plot. There are lots of details related to the Trade Federation and political conflicts between the Senate and the Sith, etc. but there is nothing as straightforward as "An unlikely hero sneaks from point A (Tatooine) to point B (rebel base on Yavin IV)"
There were other problems as well, all related to storytelling more than specifics of movie-making. For example, in the original, each main character did heroic deeds, to help the group and propel the storyline (Leia gets the group from point A, the cell block corridor, to point B, the garbage compactor). In the new episodes, the actions were usually vengeful, or simply going from one place to another without conflict, and some characters did nothing (while Amidala did some shooting in Phantom Menace, her actions didn't move the situation forward, and in the other two movies she didn't actually do anything)
There was certainly action in the three new movies, but very little of it was part of the Hero's Journey. The dog-fights-in-space scenes were cool, and Obi-Wan's fight with Jango Fett on Kamino was fun to watch, but it all seemed gratuitous rather than advancing the main story, which was unclear to begin with. In that regard, Phantom Menace was the best of the three new episodes, because more of the events that took place served the arc of the story. The pod-race was necessary because Qui-Gon needed to replace the warp drive in order to get off Tatooine. But Obi-Wan's fight with Jango Fett and most of the other conflicts in the first three movies could have been deleted from the movies without detracting from the main story.
Each movie can be seen as a single story, and in particular, the original Star Wars is a stand-alone epic - but each trilogy can also be seen as a single story with three separate acts. In particular, the final showdown of Luke and his antagonist (Darth Vader), and Anakin and his protagonist (The Emperor) happen only at the end of episode 6.
I could blather on indefinitely, but my main conclusion is that for better or worse, for a story (particularly an action-adventure story) needs to include several if the elements of the classic epics in order to be entertaining.
Below is a small sample of some of these elements and classic stories that include them. Think about where these elements occured in any of the three new Star Wars movies.
| Dorothy Gale | Luke Skywalker | Frodo Baggins | King Arthur | Harry Potter | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orphaned | Lives with Auntie Em and Uncle Henry, journeys alone | Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen killed (double-orphan) | Lives with Uncle Bilbo | Abandoned by father, King Uther Pendragon | Parents dead, raised by Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia |
| Mentor | Glinda the Good Witch of the North | Obi-Wan (Ben) Kenobi | Gandalf | Merlin | Dumbledore |
| Band of (misfit) Friends - usually one intellectual friend and one emotional friend | Scarecrow, Tin Man, Lion | Ben, Han, Chewie, Threepio, Artoo, Leia | Samwise, Strider, and the other six | Lancelot, Guinevere, Galahad, Percival, etc. | Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger |
| Quest | Get to the Wizard of Oz | Get the Death Star plans to the Rebels | Throw the Ring into the fires of Mount Doom | Pursue the Holy Grail | Each book has its own quest, typically solving a mystery |
| Showdown with Villain | Killing Wicked Witch of the West | Destroying the Death Star | Kill Gollem, Sauron, Saruman | Multiple, The Green Knight, Morgana Le Fay | Multiple run-ins with Voldemort, presumably killing him in the last book |
Posted by mslaybau at 11:55 AM | Comments (0)
March 29, 2006
Pink Panther
Some people have discussed in what order the Star Wars movies should be viewed.
Many 35-year-olds, who were entranced with the series as children, now have kids themselves, and have the opportunity to share it.
Some vote for the order in which the movies were released, and others argue for the order in which the events take place.
I would like to have the experience of seeing them all fresh, in the latter order, although #4 would look so strange in juxtaposition with 'Revenge of the Sith'.
And others have discussed how the Narnia series should be read (or viewed, assuming they make more).
But no one, to my knowledge, has discussed what order the Pink Panther movies should be watched.
When I was a kid, we used to watch Pink Panther movies on TV whenever they were on.
The titles were so similar, though, that I could never remember which was which.
And I recalled one of the movies (Trail of the Pink Panther) was just so odd and confusing that I couldn't understand it.
But the cartoons at the beginning of the movies were funny, and the theme music was so catchy that the series was always destined to become classic.
I wonder why movies now are unable to have catchy themes, the way the James Bond series or Star Wars had.
The last movie I can think of with an original, catchy theme was 'Raiders of the Lost Ark'.
Austin Powers had a catchy theme, but it was regurgitated from Woody Allen's 'Take the Money and Run'.
The Austin Powers movies are basically composites of Peter Sellers and Woody Allen movies from the 60s and 70s.
Anyway, here is the rundown of which Pink Panthers to watch, and in what order:
Some people have discussed in what order the Star Wars movies should be viewed.
Many 35-year-olds, who were entranced with the series as children, now have kids themselves, and have the opportunity to share it.
Some vote for the order in which the movies were released, and others argue for the order in which the events take place.
I would like to have the experience of seeing them all fresh, in the latter order, although #4 would look so strange in juxtaposition with 'Revenge of the Sith'.
And others have discussed how the Narnia series should be read (or viewed, assuming they make more).
But no one, to my knowledge, has discussed what order the Pink Panther movies should be watched.
When I was a kid, we used to watch Pink Panther movies on TV whenever they were on.
The titles were so similar, though, that I could never remember which was which.
And I recalled one of the movies (Trail of the Pink Panther) was just so odd and confusing that I couldn't understand it.
But the cartoons at the beginning of the movies were funny, and the theme music was so catchy that the series was always destined to become classic.
I wonder why movies now are unable to have catchy themes, the way the James Bond series or Star Wars had.
The last movie I can think of with an original, catchy theme was 'Raiders of the Lost Ark'.
Austin Powers had a catchy theme, but it was regurgitated from Woody Allen's 'Take the Money and Run'.
The Austin Powers movies are basically composites of Peter Sellers and Woody Allen movies from the 60s and 70s.
Anyway, here is the rundown of which Pink Panthers to watch, and in what order:
The Pink Panther (1963)
David Niven, a very young Robert Wagner, and others in a 60's-era farce, in which the character of Jacques Clouseau is almost secondary.
Worth watching just for the snapshot of early 1960s culture, but not particularly funny.
A Shot in the Dark (1964)
The spin-off that featured Inspector Clouseau as the bumbling lead.
This is the first real Clouseau picture, the one that introduces Cato as the servant and Dreyfus as the boss who hates Clouseau.
Sellers and Edwards didn't get along, so the next movie was
'Inspector Clouseau' (1968)
with Alan Arkin in the lead. Arkin is a funny actor, but the movie is bad and it's just too disconcerting to have a different actor play Clouseau.
The Return of the Pink Panther (1975)
The first Peter Sellers Pink Panther movie in over 10 years, and the first 'classic' panther movie, with more slapstick humor.
The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976)
The best movie in the series, with the most outrageous plot - clearly an inspiration for the Austin Powers movies.
The 'Pink Panther' diamond doesn't even appear in this movie or the next, but the Clouseau character is so closely associated with the cartoon and the Mancini theme that they are inseparable.
This one feels like it wraps up the series, with Dreyfus finally finished, and should be watched last.
Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978)
The 'American' one, in which Dreyfus miraculously reappears.
This was the last good one, but already feels like it recycles a lot from the earlier ones.
Some running gags, like Cato attacking Clouseau stay funny, but ones about his pronunciation of 'monkey' or 'room' or 'bump' get old fast.
Blake Edwards had some funny movies, such as '10' with Dudley Moore, and Victor/Victoria, although if you see multiple Edwards movies close together you see how he recycles a lot of the gags.
Also, his portrayal of Asians always turns me off a bit.
'Trail of the Pink Panther' (1982)
Do not watch this.
It's made of outtakes from the other movies, combined with scenes in which Clouseau is played by an impersonator, with embarassingly bad voice-overs.
Peter Sellers died in 1980, and Blake Edwards had many hours of ununsed footage that he thought could be recycled.
I almost admire the effort of making a complete movie just from outtakes, but the continuity is nearly non-existant.
There are maybe 15 minutes worth of funny scenes not seen before, but the final result is just a confusing mess.
I always thought Peter Sellers looke dlike John Lennon, and it was a coincidence that they died only 6 months apart.
There were other movies as well, with different actors in the lead, and none are worth watching.
Steve Martin used to be funny, but now everything he does is crud made for shopping mall sloths.
So, of a dozen Pink Panther movies, only five are good enough to actually watch.
1 The Pink Panther (1963)
2 A Shot in the Dark (1964)
3 The Return of the Pink Panther (1975)
4 Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978)
5 The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976)
Other good Peter Sellers movies
The Ladykillers (1955)
The Mouse That Roared (1959)
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
Murder by Death (1976)
Being There (1979)
Posted by mslaybau at 12:23 AM | Comments (0)
March 06, 2006
Westerns
I've seen a number of westerns, and although there don't seem to be any sequels in that genre, many actors are cast multiple times in similar movies, creating the impression that there is in fact a series.
Case in point is the Sergio Leone 'series' with Clint Eastwood as 'the man with no name' (although he is given a name in each movie, which combined come to "Joe 'Blondie' Manco").
But, simply watching the movies in order based on when they were made doesn't make sense, since some characters die, only to have the actors who portrayed them reappear in later movies.
So, here is my order on how to watch the classic 'spaghetti westerns':
"Once Upon a Time in the West"
1. None of the characters are cast later, but Leone made this one later, and the context of this one is good as a setting for watching the others.
"The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly"
2. The last of the Leone trilogy, but the one that sets the context of the American southwest at the end of the Civil War; the one where Joe meets Col. Mortimer (presumably under a different name) and where Joe picks up his trademark serape.
"A Fistfull of Dollars"
3. Joe Manco acting alone in a Mexican town ruled by two families, one Mexican and one Anglo. Pretty much everyone dies by the end, but the real villain, Ramón should be assumed to have survived...
"For a Few Dollars More"
4. ...because the same actor plays the bad guy in this movie, "Indio" (presumably a nickname). He doesn't seem to remember Joe Manco, but he is portrayed as being sick and somewhat delirious, so that can be excused.
In this one, Joe meets up with "Colonel 'Angel Eyes' Mortimer" again, who he had killed in Sand Hill cemetery (but let's assume he was only seriously injured - it's hard to tell when death and serious injury are both portrayed by squinting, clutching the gut, and keeling over)
The seem to recognize each other, and though mutually suspicious, come to warily trust each other.
Angel Eyes here doesn't die, but effectively retires as a gunslinger
"The Magnificent Seven"
5. Nowhere near as good as the Kurosawa original "Seven Samurai" and directed by Sturges, not Leone, I include it only because it includes Eli Wallach as a bad guy, whom we can pretend is Tuco after the end of "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly", well after he's spent his $100,000.
Posted by mslaybau at 07:22 AM | Comments (0)
March 31, 2005
The Old Negro Space Program
The Old Negro Space Program is one of those 'mockumentaries' that is just so darn funny. There is overt humor, but at another level is the parodying of all the Ric and Kevin Burns films, and at another level is an indirect perspective on race relations in America.
Posted by mslaybau at 12:11 PM | Comments (0)
January 17, 2004
Planet of the New Jersey Apes
If you watch the original 'Planet of the Apes' with Charlton Heston (NRA President), you'll see the main character, George Taylor, at the end of the movie walking with the ocean to his right. At the end (sorry to spoil it, but you've had 36 years to see for yourself) he comes upon the Statue of Liberty (Thank you, France!) nearly submerged under the risen waters.
This means Charlatan was walking from the south toward Liberty island, which means - The Planet of the Apes is Northern New Jersey.
by the way, the movie was based on a book by Pierre Boulle, who also wrote a book named, 'The Bridge on the River Kwai'
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Posted by mslaybau at 01:21 AM | Comments (0)
December 28, 2003
Stalker Creature Guilt Comforts Syndrome
Stalker Guilt Syndrome is a short film on AtomFilms.com.
Most of the stuff on that site is crud, but this is really good.
It's Funny Because it's True
Creature Comforts is also on AtomFilms and it's really good claymation by the people who made Chicken Run. The audio track comes from real recordings, to which the animation was designed.
But the funniest stuff Aardman has ever done (funnier than Wallace and Grommit but not as polished) is Rex the Runt. You owe it to yourself to spend an hour or so watching all the episodes.
Non-sequiter:
Have you ever brushed your teeth while chewing gum? I didn't intend to, but I wanted to brush and had a fresh piece in my mouth that I didn't want to get rid of.
It worked out pretty well - I didn't get the gum mashed into the bristles, which was my biggest obstacle.
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Posted by mslaybau at 12:51 PM | Comments (0)
December 25, 2003
LotR III
Saw The Return of the King. Have to say that I liked the 2nd one more. The third one had too many bits where I felt like I was watching a cartoon - just because the computer graphics weren't realistic enough.
The 2nd Matrix had the same problems which is why I never even cared to watch the third one.
When The Two Towers ended I was really into the whole story (although I didn't care about any of the characters), but halfway into 'King' I started to get bored.
Oh well.
But what am I saying? Of course it was awesome. It's just disappointing to so quickly get accustomed to incredibly good special effects.
It underscores the worn-out lesson that it's the story that matters. And I just didn't care that much. There's another siege and there's some guy I've never seen before acting crazy and trying to set his son on fire. The bit with the ring was the best, because I could actually believe the relationship between those three.
The other stuff was too fantasy.
And I wanted more ents.
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Posted by mslaybau at 11:08 AM | Comments (0)