Screen Archives » Page 5 of 5

Bang!!!

March 11, 2010November 9, 2016
by Drew

(cue zither music)
That’s the shot that killed Harry Lime, as those of you who saw the movie The Third Man know…

Ah, another old time radio treat I’ve been enjoying of late. The Lives of Harry Lime, a show Orson Welles did for a couple of seasons…somewhat after his Citizen Kane/Shadow prime, but long before his fat burner Touch of Evil days.

First of all, if you haven’t seen The Third Man, get off your butt and Netflix that baby. It’s a classic. Orson makes a late and magnificent appearance in the flick, but Joseph Cotten as the confused American in Vienna trying to figure out what happened to his old roommate is pure gold. This film had to be one of Hitchcock’s favorites.

This particular radio show ran from 1951-52, following the film’s release in 1949. The great thing (and I admit this may sound like a plot spoiler, but really, are you going to take my advice and see this wonderful film?) is that Harry Lime is a dead man in The Third Man. Yup. Dead as a doornail. So, this radio show, conceived after Graham Greene’s novel and screenplay, all takes place before the events of the film. How swell can you get?

‘Tis the Season…

December 22, 2009November 9, 2016
by Drew

As we plunge headlong into the holidays, I know thoughts of plasma screens and wall mounts and Wii games are jousting with the remembrance of acts of mercy and redemption…and there’s that 24 hour Christmas Story marathon to think about… But there’s something nipping at my nose and it ain’t Jack Frost. I keep hearing all this nonsense about anti-Christmas sentiment, and it is getting on my nerves. I’m not going to get into the religious, mythological, sociological or simple cultural “reasons for the seasons” because let’s face it, there is single satisfactory response. I mean, you may think there is, but there’s not. This holiday seasons has roots that extend back many thousands of years, and no single race, creed, religion, belief system, or soft drink can claim full credit.

All that aside, I want to focus on something way more substantial than whether people say “Merry Christmas” versus “Happy Holidays” or something along those lines. First of all, if someone chooses to say something other than Merry Christmas, it does not mean that they hate Christmas or hate your religious beliefs or are persecuting you in any way. It may simply mean that they don’t know if YOU celebrate Christmas and are being sensitive to your potential cultural differences. Maybe you should take that as an object lesson.

Here’s something else to consider. I know a lot of people who celebrate Christmas. They are religious and kind and wonderful, but they do not say Merry Christmas for one simple reason. They do not feel joy at this time of year. They are not haters. They just have dealt with losses like a death in the family, and the holidays bring up sad memories. So, they are not feeling particularly joyous. Maybe all those good Christmas lovers should realize that their insensitivity is just making it more difficult for others.

Here’s another thought – many of the people who do not say Merry Christmas at this time of year also do not regularly say “Please” or “Thank you” or “Excuse me,” and most of them probably don’t use their turn signals. I am WAY less concerned about the seasonal greeting and way more interested in experiencing some common courtesy. How ’bout you?

Speaking of flicks

October 3, 2009November 9, 2016
by Drew

I did enjoy the Wolverine movie. That was pretty good, but I had this thought at the end. There’s a shot where they pan hard away and into the clouds. It starts in close up on Wolverine and pulls up and away until he is a speck, and then totally invisible and clouds wash the screen. My first thought as the shot began was, “hey, here’s a nice helicopter shot.” Then I did a mental hand slap to the forehead. Duh, nobody uses helicopters anymore. It’s all CGI, and as a result, a little too pat.

Don’t get me wrong, I understand that CGI is an absolute necessity for modern special effects and a movie like Wolverine just couldn’t be great without. I mean, it would require a very different script to make a modern superhero movie without mega CGI effects.

Still, one of the details I loved about the Tom Jane Punisher movie a few years ago was how they handled the action. In the extra features they have a stunt piece in which they discuss their aversion to CGI, at least in that film. If a car crashes in the film, it really crashed. Not just ‘virtual’ crashing. and believe me, if you haven’t seen the movie, you will see what I’m talking about when you do. The success of such feats, of course, require actors and crew that are willing to train and rehearse and work together. Maybe that’s why a guy with a supercomputer and a software development background and a more or less unlimited budget is somehow more desirable.

I should mention that the good Punisher is not to be confused with the more recent War Zone Punisher which sucked for its crappy implementation of special effects and derivative nonsense that just didn’t hold up. Kind of like the awful Observe and Report and my pick for all-time worst waste of film, The Cooler. I will have to blog about that piece of crap some time.