I have no recollection of this memory, but my parents remind me of it from time to time. I think at first it was to “embarrass” me, but I look back on it as my much younger self being both a silly child and comedic genius. The story goes like this:
When I was 3 1/2 or 4 my parents took me shopping at a Macy’s-esque store called Gayfer’s and I somehow wandered away from them. By the time they discovered this, I was not in the immediate area. Instead, I had wandered off into the lingerie department (Hey Ladies!) and some of the girls there found me and wrangled me to their counter. They had to ask me my name, so they could call out for my parents over the PA system. Upon asking, I promptly and proudly responded, with adorable 4 year old cuteness/confidence I’m sure: “Peter Venkman.”
What followed?
“Could Mr. and Mrs. Venkman please come to the lingerie department?”
Comedic. Genius.
My parents, having seen Ghostbusters a bunch because it was one of my three big childhood movies (the other two being Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Short Circuit) picked up on this and started to head over. On the way my Mom mentioned they would have to explain my name really isn’t Peter Venkman and my Dad decided in order to avoid all the confusion… they would just say they were The Venkman’s. I would obviously recognize them and they’d save the hassle of explaining it all.
You can see why Gayfer’s is no longer a business, since they just hand out lost children to anyone who shows up claiming to be their parents.
Classic “No Ghost” symbol.
The Story: The Ghostbusters get rid of any paranormal problems you may be experiencing. They do so discreetly and professionally. Also, Gozer (He’s big in Sumeria) may or may not be trying to destroy our world.
If I had to choose what was more schocking to learn, that Santa isn’t real or Ghostbusters was an original story that later inspired cartoons and comics (instead of being based on them) I would choose Ghostbusters. Santa? Flying reindeer? Visiting everyone in one night? Sliding down a chimney? Leaving presents? Baby Jesus? C’mon… On the other hand, a movie with an original idea? Whoa, I don’t believe it. (Serious Aside: Actually, there’s plenty of good, original movies out there, you just have to know where to look.)
They came. They saw. They kicked its ass.
What makes Ghostbusters good though isn’t just that it’s original, it’s that it features some of the best entertainers of 1984 firing on all cylinders, fueled by passion. Dan Aykroyd’s original script was a lot more paranormal-y. Director Ivan Reitman convinced him for budgetary reasons to scale it back. Harold Ramis joined Aykroyd for an extensive re-write and eventually took over as Egon. John Belushi died during writing, so Bill Murray brought his sleazeball but goodhearted charm to the story. Ernie Hudson’s role, although small, helped him break onto the big screen in a more prominent way. William Atherton and Rick Moranis are good spices in the mix. And Sigourney Weaver shows off her feminine funny.
What makes Ghostbusters work exceptionally well as a comedy? The characters are all well defined. Bill Murray gets a great intro where he is not only a confident horndog, but a sadistic asshole who gets pleasure in torturing a test subject. Aykroyd is hopelessly child-like in his pursuit of the unknown and Ramis is hopelessly obssesed with the scientific aspect. You’ve got the scientist, over grown man-child, and cool guy. Despite a bit of condescension by Murray from time to time they all work together and set each other up for jokes and punchlines.
More importantly though, is what makes Ghostbusters work as a film? First off, it takes its subject material seriously. Dan Aykroyd’s father, Peter Aykroyd, wrote a book on the subject of ghosts. Combine that with a realistic scientific approach and you’ve got Grade A world building. ‘Ectoplasm’ is a real paranormal word, ‘total protonic reversal’ sounds good enough to be bad (although I’m a bit fuzzy on good and bad), and Twinkies are used as deliciously horrific metaphors for the end of the world.
Is that all you got? I can take s’more!
Comedies aren’t innately cinematic. That’s not always a bad thing, but when someone comes along and shows us a good visual story while making us laugh, it should be recognized as a special talent. Ivan Reitman uses a lot of tools to help tell the story that aren’t always funny. Certain camera movements and reveals show he has a keen eye for visual flair. The effects team create some truly puzzling “How did they do that?” moments that amplify the humor. At first seeing a bunch of eggs rattle and pop, then cook themselves seems like a goofy idea. Using the Poltergeist method of making the ghosts playful to lure you in to the real terror, Ghostbusters has a few genuinely terrifying moments. There’s a bit of malevolence hidden in the playfulness, a bit of that unknown horror peeking through. Of course, they don’t waste the opportunity to use the Stay Puft Marshmallow man as the re-incarnation of a God who wants to start an apocalypse.
Why You Must See It At Midnight: Ghostbusters works for all the reasons mentioned above as well as the fact it is pretty simple, accessible, and quotable. You can have fun making your own Ghostbuster uniform and spouting some paranormal gibberish. It invites everyone to believe in something, work together, and tell a couple of jokes doing it. What better way to kick off the Summer Blockbuster line-up?
Oh, and don’t be surprised if you hear this:
“Paging Mr. and Mrs. Venkman to Music Box Theater at Midnight. You’re son is the most adorable comedic genius we’ve ever met. Yes he is, yes he is!”
Eats lots of junk food. Crashes party. Team has to wrangle him in. Slimer = Ghost of John Belushi?
Minutia Monday: Taxi Driver Edition
By Bret Dorman
(As always, SPOILERS! may apply to the movie in discussion.)
Cool B&W poster that doesn’t feature the Mohawk, but Bickle in the introverted mode he spends most of the movie.
Everyone knows what makes a movie good. Blurbs like “compelling”, “powerful”, and “explosive non stop thrill ride that will leave you on the edge of your seat!” are common place on movie posters. In reviews (including my own) people point out how the direction is “great”, how the writing is “awesome”, and how the acting is “wonderful”. Every once in a while you can find a really great essay from a smart film critic (a real one) or film maker that actually explains why a movie is good and helps you as a viewer become a better film watcher.
But what about those small moments that fall in between the cracks? I understand the need to talk about a movie in the broad sense, its the easiest most SPOILER! free way of saying if you liked or didn’t like a movie. I prefer people to talk in specifics, to actually know why something is good or bad. But this goes beyond all that. This is blowing the tiniest detail way out of proportion. This is what makes me a film nerd. This is Minutia Monday!!!
Taxi Driver
Written Paul Schrader; Directed by Martin Scorsese
A little while back I wrote an in-depth look at how Taxi Driver is basically one of the best movies ever made. Its a film where everyone involved in the making was firing on all cylinders and may not have known exactly what they were doing, but knew it would be good. I’ve seen the movie at least 50 times. But sometimes watching a scene out of order or out of context (while still having that full film context in the back of your mind) can help you see things you normally wouldn’t. This is what happened to me when posting this clip of Taxi Driver for one of our Podcasts’ Connection Clips this past week.
We’re not so different, you and I…
I note in the full review that Bickle is a man who is more of a shell (filled with anger, disgust, and testosterone) than an actual human personality. Often time when asked for his opinion on something he will state he doesn’t know much about that sort of stuff (What does he know about?) and then change the subject. You get the best sense of character not when he is around others, but when he is driving around at night or in his apartment, alone, with his thoughts. Bickle also a couple times in the movie will mimic other characters and adopt their mannerisms.
When talking to the Secret Service guy Bickle crosses his arms in the same way, trying to act tough and on guard. When talking to Matthew (aka Sport) he slaps his boots and says “I’m clean” in a similar way Sport slaps his arms and says “I’m clean.” In this scene, Bickle mimics another character in a small, subtle way:
You know that awkward moment when someone says “Hey, What’s up?” and it catches you slightly off guard and you quickly try to think of something to say back while sounding cool but since the last thing you heard was “Hey, what’s up?” you end up just saying “Hey, what’s up?” This moment is not like that. Bickle is not a guy who gets caught off guard very often. But he is socially awkward at times.
When the shop keep asks “Que pasa?” Bickle both dodges having to answer the question of “What’s up?” with personal information AND he mimics the shop keep by mirroring back “Que pasa?” Bickle is a man who is most comfortable not when he is in the spotlight, but when he is in the shadows, the mist, observing the scum, the vile, the trash that litter the streets and building up his hatred for them, while contradictory driving “anywhere” in the city and taking sleazy cab fares.
Whutchya thinkin’ about?
De Niro was given a bit of leeway in Schrader’s pretty tight script (especially for being just shy of 2 hours) and at the same time the shot is clearly pre planned. It seems as if no matter what the shop keep said to Bickle, De Niro was ready for to deflect and bounce back the greeting. He doesn’t stutter or stumble around his response, it is cold and calculated like most of Bickle’s social interactions. He tries to be friendly by tapping the cash register and showing familiarity, but he does not actually reach out to shake hands, high five, or fist bump the cashier.
The scene continues to Bickle inspecting his potential groceries before being interrupted. This first murder shot is a turning point for Bickle. Once you shoot someone, simply fantasizing about it doesn’t make the cut. Its only a matter of time before he decides to show New York City some “True Force.” The owner of the store also shows some disturbing behavior by telling a nervous Bickle he’ll take it from here and then beating the dead man while insulting him.
So what do you think? Is this bit of latin flair worthy of another Minutia Monday journal entry? Or am I just crazy for focusing on this minute detail?
Sometimes watching the movie from a different perspective can help you see things you may not have noticed otherwise.
Is Will Smith Still a “Movie Star?”
By Bret Dorman
Fact: Will Smith hasn’t been in a movie since 2008 (Hancock & Seven Pounds).
Fact: Men in Black 3 debuted at #1 this past Memorial Day Weekend, but at $55 mil.
The Argument: Despite the numbers, something in Smith’s performance has changed…
Before we get into the meat of this, let’s clarify where I’m coming from. Here are the different levels of acting:
Bad Acting – Actors seem uncomfortable and/or unrealistic.
Good Acting – Actors can convincingly deliver dialogue. The don’t draw attention or distract.
Great Acting – Actors ACT comfortable and do so believably. They also draw a bit of attention to themselves (in a good way).
Movie Star – Actors ARE comfortable. They exude a certain ‘X Factor,’ transport you into the magical world of the movie, while still keeping you aware of their own persona. They seem to be operating on a whole different level. They alone can pull audiences into a film, become a brand in and of themselves, and star in ridiculous Summer Blockbusters that are also highly entertaining.
Movie Star is not necessarily better than Great Actor, its just a rare type of one. You must be a Great Actor to be a Movie Star, but not every Great Actor is a Movie Star.
Tom Cruise is one of the best Movie Stars. Despite is crazy antics and stupid (I mean, silly…) religion interfering with his career, M:I:4 was extremely enjoyable for many reasons including Cruise. He’s comfortable in front of the camera, he makes you believe the world of M:I and Ethan Hunt’s troubles, yet at the same time is never NOT Tom Cruise.
Cruise Vs Giamatti! FIGHT!
Paul Giamatti is a Great Actor. But he never headlines any major blockbusters and even his ‘silly roles’ like the baddie from Shoot ‘Em Up seem a bit disingenuous (although still fun) as opposed to his roles in Sideways or Win/Win. I would not consider Tom Cruise above Paul Giamotti, although yes, I would consider them on the same level (albeit different ends of the Great spectrum).
Smith AND Jones
Will Smith burst into the Hollywood Blockbuster Action scene with Bad Boys (1995), followed by Independence Day (1996), Men in Black (1997), Enemy of the State (1998), and finally Wild Wild West (1999). All of these movies feature Smith as the leading Co-Star (or in the case of ID4… one of many main-ish characters). Because he was still new, untested, and co-starring, Smith had something to prove. He had to make people take notice while not stealing the show to the detriment of the overall enjoyment of the film. Like with improv, sometimes the best thing to do is make everyone else around you look good. Enemy of the State had Smith helping Hackman look like an action hero while Hackman helped Smith look like a serious actor.
Legend of Bagger Vance (2000) and Ali (2001) had him trying out his heavier acting guns, one more successfully than the other. Like many up and coming stars who get rich and famous on a ‘gimmick’, Smith had to try to prove to America and himself that he was indeed a Great Actor. His work as Muhammad Ali got him an Oscar Nom.
Now having an Oscar Nom and pre-built fan base… Smith could move into sequel territory. Men in Black 2 (2002) and the awesomely incredible Bad Boys 2 (2003) both performed well and helped cement Smith as not just a reliable actor, but as a bankable star. He was free to headline in his own movie, the underrated I, Robot (2004).
Smith then went silly comedy with Hitch (2005), another Oscar try with Pursuit of Happyness (2006), and another movie confirming Smith could not only be the lead actor, but the only actor… I Am Legend (2007). While I am not a huge fan of Legend, it is arguably his last “great” Will Smith movie.
Whatchyu mean I’m not a super hero in REAL life?
Hancock (2008) tried to bank in on Smith and the whole super hero craze. The Dark Knight proved you need more than star power. It helps to have a real superhero as well as a good script and strong villain. Ledger’s death may have helped push TDK into one of the best box office opening’s yet, but the movie was good enough to deserve and maintain it’s box office crushing status for a couple of weeks.
Seven Pounds (2008) was a Crash-style piece of garbage. Many people saw it before me and told me it would “change my life.” Really? … REALLY?! The movie was super sap concentrate squeezed into one ridiculous script that feels like a bad Hallmark movie. Red Herring (Spoiler!) Alert: If a filmmaker focuses on gratuitous JELLYFISH shots in the first act of the movie, there’s a good chance its coming back in the third act. But as THE major plot point? Come on…
Will Smith has since been on a self-imposed hiatus. Romance troubles that may or may not be real have littered tabloid magazines. Scientology rumblings may have scared some away after The Cruise Disaster. His kids have since become stars and he’s been helping them I’m sure. So why after 4 years does he choose MiB as his big comeback movie?
Legend did okay and was met with mixed critical responses. Hancock did okay and was met with negative responses. Seven Pounds opened at #1 but to a meager 15 mil and critics were not kind. Smith did not NEED to come back. I’m sure he has enough money for several lifetimes. I also heard that his trailer is ridiculous. A 55ft behemoth with its own full size gym and kitchen and a 100 ft roll down movie screen? Yeah… That’s the problem.
Smith slapping the silly guy whose shtick it is to kiss celebrities. MANLINESS!
Movie Stars sometimes get a little too comfortable. Comfortable in the luxury that fame brings with it; thus losing the fight to try and prove themselves. Smith no longer has to prove anything to anyone. He’s won. Now, instead of trying to entertain by impressing us, he’s simply out to do his “Will Smith” thing and try to recapture that lightning in a bottle. The problem is… in MiB3, he doesn’t have the Movie Star quality of BEING comfortable. He is ACTING comfortable. The difference is tiny, but its there, its tangible.
The first MiB had Smith in a role he could relate to. An energetic, zealous new comer who has to prove his worth in an elite establishment filled with old pros? Yeah… sounds like Smith and Hollywood. In this scene the tension comes from Smith being himself and whether or not that’s the right move. His last line is sure to get a laugh:
MiB3 has Smith as a Senior Agent who is just as good as Jones. Because they are now on the same level, the movie has to find a new source of tension. To do this, they litter the first act with Agent K is old jokes (Agent J: “I’m getting too old for this… I can only imagine how YOU feel!” har har). Then the tension is drained as Smith travels back in time. Because Agent J, even as a junior agent, is so good, he doesn’t question the time travel aspect and continues to be a good agent, as always. So Smith just runs around following him doing his “That’s Crazy!” thing and trying to re-capture that antagonistic, youthful, rebelliousness from the first:
What movies does IMDB have for Smith next? After Earth, an M Night Shyamalan movie (Good Luck…), Winter’s Tale (rumored) a fairy tale ish story (note Smith falling back on the popular genre again… see: Hancock). And of course… Hancock 2, Bad Boys 3, and I, Robot 2… all rumored, but all ‘safe’ sequels nonetheless. Smith has gone from charismatic newbie to someone who could be replaced by a CGI-Holographic representation of himself and pimped out for money and box office returns. His performance in MiB3 is not bad, but it’s just is too phoned in… the ‘X Factor’ is gone… as well as the good scripts and desire to be ‘The Greatest.’
Fuck. Yeah.
Its a shame he turned down Tarantino’s Django Unchained. While Jamie Foxx may or may not be better (I know he’ll be good), the truth is Django didn’t need Smith as much as Smith needed Django. Tarantino has a way of not only ‘reviving’ careers, but utilizing actors to get some of their best performances. Bruce Willis is in a bunch of action movies, but his role as Butch in Pulp Fiction features some of his best ‘Willis’ staredowns. Samuel L. Jackson will never escape his Ezekial 25:17 monologue. Uma Thurman is at her best with QT and Darryl Hannah is 100% badass in Kill Bill. Inglourious Basterds got Christoph Waltz the Oscar gold and Brad Pitt is MEGA Movie Star as Aldo the Apache (ah-ree-ver-der-chee). The list goes on…
Whatever the reason Smith declined… the simple truth is he better make some smart decisions in the near future. People will come out for MiB3 because the choices are rather slim right now and everyone has already seen The Avengers… twice, if not more. Doing a bunch of pop-genre knockoffs and unwanted sequels (well… I do REALLY want Bad Boys 3…) just won’t make the cut anymore.
Careers have their ebbs and flows. Bill Murray went through a bit of a rough patch but found his second wind. Bruce Willis is continually doing shitty movies followed by brilliant movies. Adam Sandler has been stuck at new found low points for a long time now. Whether its Smith, his choice in movies, or people are just plain sick and tired of him… I’ll always be rooting for him. Maybe one day he can help a newcomer out like Gene Hackman and Tommy Lee Jones did with him.
Although the way things are going now… it seems like that newcomer might be his son…
Cinema Smackdown 32: The Raven/The Spy Who Came in From the Cold
By Bret Dorman and Kate Peterson
The Raven is bad. How bad? Like, no movie made in 2012 should be THIS bad. Here’s a taste of The Quintessential “Best Worst Movie” Troll 2. At least there’s some humor to be found here:
We aren’t QUITE on iTunes yet, but we thank you for your patience as we get things figured out and settled in. You can now download the episode right here by right-clicking on the links. Just another way to get our opinions shoved down your throats even faster. Yippee!
To get any of our previous episodes, visit our archives on SkyDrive and just download whichever ones are missing from your collection so your iPod doesn’t feel lonely:
The Spy Who Came in From the Cold is definitely not a funny movie. It was hard not to inject some humor into our “War Movie” Theme month but we stuck it out. If you need a comedy fix, I recommend this classic moment from Stripes, kind of technically a Cold War movie… Makes me laugh every time.
Feel free to ‘like’ us on Facebook and punch our faces on Twitter to get reviews and updates. Send any feedback, questions, comments, or concerns to: cinemapunch@yahoo.com
Cinema Smackdown 31: Lockout/The Alamo
By Bret Dorman and Kate Peterson
Lockout. Man goes into (space) prison to save President (‘s daughter). I’m not passing up this connection clip to Escape from New York from one of my favorite directors of all time, John Carpenter. Snake is an Ultimate Badass.Here’s a short sample of one of the many reasons why:
We aren’t QUITE on iTunes yet, but we thank you for your patience as we get things figured out and settled in. You can now download the episode right here by right-clicking on the links. Just another way to get our opinions shoved down your throats even faster. Yippee!
To get any of our previous episodes, visit our archives on SkyDrive and just download whichever ones are missing from your collection so your iPod doesn’t feel lonely:
When thinking of The Alamo, two men come to mind. John Wayne… and Peewee Herman. The usually upbeat Peewee shows a bit of his grumpier side during this tour. Of course, things don’t quite go his way and his Big Adventure goes on…
Feel free to ‘like’ us on Facebook and punch our faces on Twitter to get reviews and updates. Send any feedback, questions, comments, or concerns to: cinemapunch@yahoo.com
Cinema Smackdown 30: The Cabin in the Woods/The Bridge over the River Kwai
By Bret Dorman and Kate Peterson
The Cabin in the Woods has a lot of twists and turns. Without giving any away, one of the nice elements is that somewhere in the movie, there is a real ‘magic’ or ‘occult’ feel. For another movie that meshes technology with magic, check out The Prestige. Fueled by the real life rivalry of Edison and Tesla while using a group of magicians in the foreground, The Nolan’s once again deliver a mesmerizing movie scene:
We aren’t QUITE on iTunes yet, but we thank you for your patience as we get things figured out and settled in. You can now download the episode right here by right-clicking on the links. Just another way to get our opinions shoved down your throats even faster. Yippee!
Greetings: Start! – 1:15
The Cabin in the Woods Review: 1:15 – 10:30
The Cabin in the Woods Spoilers!: 10:30 – 36:00
Fun Time (20(1) ?s, Genre sMash): 36:00 – 1:10:00
Misc: 1:10:00 – 1:28:05
To get any of our previous episodes, visit our archives on SkyDrive and just download whichever ones are missing from your collection so your iPod doesn’t feel lonely:
The Bridge Over the River Kwai FEELS like an old movie. Characters deliver grand monologues and argue about the bigger questions of life. For one of the best movies that highlights classic filmmaking check out Network. A powerful movie that will have you wanting to go to the window and shout out…
Feel free to ‘like’ us on Facebook and punch our faces on Twitter to get reviews and updates. Send any feedback, questions, comments, or concerns to: cinemapunch@yahoo.com
Cinema Smackdown 29: Jeff Who Lives At Home/Black Hawk Down
By Bret Dorman and Kate Peterson
Jeff Who Lives at Home makes a very obvious connection, in its opening scene, to M Night Shyamalan’s Signs. It would be easy to use this as our connection clip, but I am a big fan of this particular scene… So I’m going to take this opportunity to show it. The ‘Bigfoot’-esque simplicity and build up show M Night at one of his best moments:
We aren’t QUITE on iTunes yet, but we thank you for your patience as we get things figured out and settled in. You can now download the episode right here by right-clicking on the links. Just another way to get our opinions shoved down your throats even faster. Yippee!
Greetings: Start! – 1:15
Jeff Who Lives At Home Review: 1:15 – 21:00
Jeff Who Lives At Home Spoilers!: 21:00 – 35:20
Fun Time (20(1) ?s, Genre sMash): 35:20 – 1:05:00
Misc: 1:25:00 – 1:20:05
To get any of our previous episodes, visit our archives on SkyDrive and just download whichever ones are missing from your collection so your iPod doesn’t feel lonely:
One of the things Kate and I disagree on in Black Hawk Down is the message of the movie with its cinematic nature. The theme is “War is Bad (Mmmmmmkay)” but the fetishization over the technology of war and how cool the scenes are put together can be a bit jarring (to some; aka me). For a great scene that has violence and death, but is truly off putting, check out the store clerk beating the dead guy in Taxi Driver. The word ‘dark’ is thrown around a bit to much these days. THIS… is a ‘dark’ scene…
Feel free to ‘like’ us on Facebook and punch our faces on Twitter to get reviews and updates. Send any feedback, questions, comments, or concerns to: cinemapunch@yahoo.com
