Wicked (part 1) (2024) directed by Jon M. Chu

A film adaptation of the first act of the 2003 stage musical by Stephen Schwartz and Holzman, which was loosely based on Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel, itself a reimagining of the Oz books and the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. After being plagues with production issues, mostly due to the COVID pandemic the film was finally released to high acclaim with the public. It tells the back story of the Wicked Witch of the West who was melted by Dorothy in the original story when she threw water on her trying to save here friend the Scarecrow who was on fire. 

I was going to show some comparisons between the book and play and the play and film but that would be very spoilery. Instead suffice it to say the book goes into much more detail, has many more characters, is told from multiple points of view and is much more adult in nature. The film is based closely on the broadway musical and adds and subtracts things to make it more cinematic but doesn't stray all that much. The young which, Alphaba (played by Ariana Grande) is raised an talking animal named Dulcibear which helps support her outrage later in the film when she fights the mistreatment of the talking animals. Michelle Yeoh is in the movie as a sorceress teacher and she makes any role awesome. Everyone else is good as well and the settings and effects are very well done. The songs however were lacking and didn't have any sort of punch or bring anything that a shorter dialog wouldn't have done better in my opinion. 

The book was one of the first to rehabilitate the villain in a fantasy story by giving them a sympathetic back story. It was new at the time but since then has become a trope, one I hate. This movie doesn't take any chances or go nearly as far as the book did with its characters but it does work on many levels. If this is something you are excited to see, please do and I'm sure you will love it. There is a heartfelt centre in here.

Overall, it's fine. I do not regret seeing it but it won't stay with me very long as its still by the numbers, Even if the original book version invented some of the numbers to begin with by sticking with the watered down stage version as inspiration we lose the edge that made the idea so transformative. 

Obituary: Ralph (artist) Sept 11,1934- March 31, 2025

Ralph and Vivian Liegh of "Gone with the Wind" fame

Ralph was an artist and like most artists he drew his entire life. He made it into a profession as an illustrator of cards, posters, etc. until his 50s, when he started to work for me at Box Office Video on Newbury Street in Boston. To be honest, Ralph had a lot of issues as an employee. He had trouble understanding the phones and was a little scatterbrained, always rushing about keeping himself busy but not always in the most efficient way. He was also one of the best employees the store ever had at the same time. His knowledge of films, old-time movie stars and polite genial manner was a big reason people come in to rent movies with us over the other 2 videos stores on the same street. 

Tobias Allen, me, Ralph and Paul at the premier of our film "50 Years" 

One of Ralph’s passions was paper doll books and up until his death he sold them at conventions. His books were amazing, detailed and hand painted in a way you could almost feel the cloth of the costumes. Another passion of his was "Gone with the Wind". He wrote and illustrated a sequel with100s of drawings and it took him about a decade. His story followed directly after the film and he integrated period actors who he thought might have been used if this was actually made at that time. Again, the work is amazing. 

A sample of Ralph's paper doll art

He and his husband Paul MacMahon (1933-2011) lived a couple blocks from me in Dorchester, Massachusetts so I would often visit for supper and talk about films and look at their (mostly Paul’s) frankly ridiculous collection of memorabilia. They were together for about 57 years and married the last 7 after that became possible in 2004. Ralph kept Paul’s ashes in his old chair with his teddy bear, something he had his whole life, next to it. Their story inspired me to make the documentary film "50 Years", which they both spoke of their lives separately and together up to just after getting married. 

Paul and Ralph at the spot they met in New York City in the 50s

After Paul’s death, Ralph and I became even closer as friends and I visited him when I could. Having moved to Montréal, Québec made it a little difficult but we managed to talk on the phone, exchange letters and have our visits that would take all day as we caught up on each other’s artwork and projects and personal lives. I don’t know many artists or "creatives" and my talks with Ralph are precious memories for me and likely won’t happen with anyone else. His passing is a loss for me on many levels. 

It’s a loss for more than myself, though. Ralph was a piece of gay history who guarded that history by telling his story and guarding the photos Paul had taken as a journalist over the years, a legend in the paper doll world and a good friend to everyone in his life. This is a hole in the world that can’t be filled.

Good bye my longtime friend. The last 40 years were not enough. 

Ralph as a child

Outriders (2003) restored and updated to HD

 

In 2003 I made a documentary for the 20th anniversary of Outriders, the gay group that ride annually from Boston to Provincetown in one day. I did it for almost 20 year when I lived in Boston and it is a great ride with great people. The standard definition version, like most Sd videos just doesn't cut it on modern devices so I am upgrading my older films so they can still be relevant and hopefully inform people about things like Outriders which is just a fantastic organization.

The Outsiders (1983) Directed by Francis Ford Coppola

 

The Outsiders is based on a 1967 book by S.E. Hinton and sort of starts the "teen gang movie" genre in it's 80s incarnation. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola with a cast that has more future stars than any film ever made I think...  C. Thomas Howell Emilio Estevez, Matt Dillon, Tom Cruise, Patrick Swayze, Ralph Macchio, and Diane Lane... I mean who else is there? 

The films centres around disaffected poor youth who street fight and quite frankly mostly aspire to be assholes. In this film they are all the prettiest of pretty boys as well which seems... unrealistic. There isn't much of a plot as the story follows them around their mostly empty, though brutal lives. The tension between the "greaser" and Socs" grows until finally the socs attack two of the youngest greasers and attempt to drown one. The other kills the would be killer with a knife and the two greasers hide out in the country until they decide to come back and turn themselves in. There is a fire in a church and they save the children inside and they become heroes. The one who killed the competing gang member is seriously burnt and injured. 

An older greaser played by Matt Dillion and is someone the younger guys look up to and who helped the two who were wanted for the killing to escape and hideout encourages everyone to have a rumble which they win. The two main characters visit their friend in the hospital to tell him of their victory but he dies while they are there. Dillion's character robs a store, unable to deal with his emotions about it all and commits "suicide by cop" while the remaining main character writes an essay about his experiences which we see starts with the opening lines of the book. 

I will be frank and say I wasn't impressed by this movie. It isn't bad. The performances are good, especially for such a young cast and I liked that it sort of aimlessly flows most of the time like the lives of the boys but it doesn't come together or move me like I think it was meant to. Pretty much everyone in it is  a jerk or jerk in training and did not illicit sympathy from me. I really did not like the music and cast is just too pretty for the roles they play. My opinion, of course. I can see someone else finding a lot more depth in it than I did. 

Die Nibelungen (1924) Directed by Fritz Lang

 

Die Nibelungen is a 2 part film, almost 5 hours long, that tells the story Siegfried in the first part who rises to legendary status by killing a dragon on his way to find the love of his life who he has only heard of in a tale told by a story teller in the place he learned to forge swords. By the end of part one he has married and been betrayed by his best friend. The second part is the story of Kriemhild, his wife, taking revenge on her brother the king and everyone else even peripherally involved in the murder. 

I won't spoil too much as even though this film is legendary I don't feel many people have sat through it all - either seeing the first part only (the dragon part) or just seeing clips about it. To be honest I do understand the idea of sitting through a 5 hour silent film seems like a punishment to many people but they are WRONG. This is a prize, an epic fantastic journey with stunning visuals, great performances, effects and sets that will amaze you. 

The pacing is not as fast as a modern film, but so what? Almost every frame is mesmerizing. Siegfried is the iconic muscular, blonde hero who will be copied throughout future films and the story covers a lot of ground from his modest start to his finding of the the treasures of Die Nibelungen in the dwarves underground layer to his epic fight with the dragon after which he bathes in it's blood to become invincible, only to be foiled when I leaf lands on his back blocking the blood and giving him a vulnerable spot. To win the woman of dreams, he helps the king wed his, the formidable Brunhild by using an invisibility device to secretly aid the king to beat her in 3 competitions of strength and battle. Brunhild leaps from one end of the set to the other in a way that today's superheroes could learn from. 

The effects are fantastic. The dragon is a huge puppet controlled by 32 people inside, the castles and landscapes are stylized but also seem like real places. The biggest success is the forest scenes. They are beautifully film with light streaming through the trees and intriguing in their look and structure. And.. they are all fake and inside a studio which seems impossible watching the film. 

Kriemhild's revenge, the second part is all intrigue and battles as she finds favour with a foreign king, marries him and convinces him to help her with her revenge and reclaiming the treasures of Die Nibelungen. 

This is the sort of epic film Lange was famous for before coming the states to escape the nazis and he never made again in the United States. The budget is girnormous and it shows and highlights his attention to every detail. 

Polish posters: Nosferatu

 It's been a minute since I posted a Polis poster and I have plenty more to go! This one is not as bizarre, pretty straightforward, really.

War of the Gargantuas (1966) film directed by Ishirō Honda

Ishirō Honda is a legend in kaju films and for good reason. Even though this film is a sort of hot mess in many ways it isn't without merit. A giant hairy apeman attacks a giant octopus that is attacking a boat and he attacks the boat. It's quite the opening scene. The monsters appears again and again causing destruction and literally eating people and spitting their remains out. It's quite horrific for this type of film at this time. 

Some scientists it seems had a ape kid at some point that ran away and was presumed dead in the mountains and the authorities think it is back, now gigantic on a killing spree. The scientists don't think so as their ape pal was kind and gentle. As it turns out, there are two of them one in the mountains and another from the the sea which... grew from cells of the other but in the ocean so it lived underwater and is sensitive to light? 

The two monsters are at odds, the nice one trying to stop to the mean one ending up in a battle that destroys (surpise!) Tokyo. The two take the fight to the ocean and a volcano suddenly appears from under the surface and maybe kills them both. 

This movie is interesting in that it tries stuff not seen in other giant monster films but it has the feeling it twas made up as they filmed. the "hero" Russ Tamblyn as Dr. Paul Stewart is a smarmy jerk in my opinion and his characters does next to nothing to help the situation. Apparently he was a nightmare to work with and it shows. 

While not a great movie, it does entertain and the model work is really good. The creatures are pretty basic and not the prettiest things you'll ever see. 

Earth VS the Flying Saucers (1956) directed by Fred F. Sears

 

One of the lesser know Ray Harryhaussen films, mostly because of the lack of giant monsters I think. Its interesting to see stop motion used for spaceships, robot aliens and scenes of destruction, though. It's very typical of film of this type... aliens arrive and humans attack them so they assume (rightly) humans are hostile. Things escalate and there is an all out war between the saucers and the military. 

It's really hard to think of the aliens are the bad guys, though the story keeps trying to show them as cold killers, they only kill when attacked, at least at first. The film is hardly a Star trek episode, the earth people never really try to makes things work and the saucer people who have kidnapped the main female character's dad and a police to suck information out of their brains (promising to put it all back later) throw the bodies out of the ship from the air in a horrifying scene after the military shows it can makes their spaceships lose control. As shocking as this is it's still not more horrible than the humans having already murdered several of the visitors right from the start. The whole thing ends in a spectacular fight over Washington DC which destroys several well known buildings and monuments until the "invaders" are destroyed and things go back to normal. 

The looks of the spaceships and aliens are cool, the flying saucers are exactly what you think they would look like and the robot suits that contain the aliens are unique... sort of goofy and stiff but original in design. The stop motion destruction is well done and pacing is quick enough between effects shots to keep you interested. 

Wallace and Gromit " Vengeance Most Fowl (2024) directed by Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham

 

I was about to write about the new Wallace and Gromit short I saw last night but then saw the runtime... 80 minutes! I might have sworn it was 20! The passed so quickly and there was no part that dragged. I think the last film they were was Curse of the Were-rabbit in 2005, 20 years ago and there no sign that the time between projects had any effect at all. Like old friends you can not see them for decades and and when you do its like no time has passed at all, 

I don't think its a spoiler to state that Feather McGraw is the villain as they are in the a lot of preview materials. The farmer from Shaun the sheep makes a brief cameo as well. The basic plot is Wallace has spent too much money on inventions and is behind on paying the bills. His solution is to rent the garden Gnome he made to help  Gromit to neighbours but Feathers McGraw is able to find a way to control the robot and turn their lives upside down while he tries to steal the gemstone out duo got him arrested over in his short film from 1998. 

That bit might have been a little much, introducing an old bad guy from long ago, but it works and they explain the backstory with humour and doesn't let it bog down the new story. 

REALLY GOOD!

The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) Directed by Robert Wise

Based on short story "Farewell to the master" this early sci fi 50 classic sets the high bar for films even made today. The music is one of the first time the theremin was used in science fiction and it has become synonymous with the genre ever since. Filmed in a pseudo documentary style and using actual reporters  know to the public, the film has a certain realism to it lets say lacking on other futuristic films from the later 50s. 

Spoilers:

The story is not complicated. One day a spaceship lands, in effect, on the White House lawn and a human-like being gets out. He is immediately shot. As he struggles on ground bleeding the gathered crowds suddenly notices a giant humanoid robot has exited the craft and it destroys all the gun and weapons in sight until the injured alien tells it to stop.

In hospital, the visitor, named Klaatu tried to get a meeting with world leaders so he can transmit a serious message to the people of Earth. When made clear this is not going to happen, he escapes to learn about the people by living among them for a while. This causes hysteria and conspiracy theories. He decides to meet a famous Einstein-like scientist to see if he can talk at least to the scientist of Earth and to convince them he agrees on a display of power that won't hurt anyone but will basically scare the crap out of everyone. By stopping all activity on the planet for 30 minutes, the scientists gather to meet him at the spaceship. Sadly this action also increases the pressure to capture him and he is killed trying to escape from the authorities. Before dying he tells a woman he has befriended to go to the ship and say a phrase to Gort, the robot which tells it to get him and bring him back to the spaceship. 

Inside the ship, Gort revives Klaatu and he leaves the ship to give an ultimatum to all the humans on Earth. Keep your weapons and violence on your own planet or Gort and other like him, who keep the peace between planets, will return and destroy the Earth to "a burnt out cinder".

This is a classic for a million reasons. The effects are sparse but very effective and still look good, the performances are very good and the actors, especially Rennie take their roles seriously and the message of peace, or else is pretty effective. 

Klaatu lives in boarding house while trying to get a feeling for your everyday human and there he meets a single mother and her son. The father was killed in the war and her new suitor is determined to marry as soon as they can. Billy Gray is the child actor and for once, it's role that doesn't grind the film to a halt. Patrica Neal is amazing as the mom who is career oriented, smart and one of two people Klaatu trusts. There is a good rapport between them and it never gets romantic, something that would have seriously undermined the film. When she is stuck in an elevator with him during the world-wide shutdown and he tells her who he is why he is there (which we don't see happen) she is shook to her core and we get how badly this meeting or worlds could go. Her boyfriend, on the other hand sees only ways to become known and make money off Klaatu's real identity and she dumps him without regret. 

Micheal Rennie is perfect. Unknown at the time his performance is a mix of superiority, confusion and bemusement as he tries to navigate human society. He has no patience for foolishness but his goal is to warn not punish humankind... Gort will do that if needed. I love the scene where he asks for a flashlight and can't figure out how it works and when the child shows him his look says "How cute! A switch!". its endearing but also character-wise shows he really doesn't come from around here. When he takes the boy to Arlington Cemetery to visit the father's grave he is touched and it manages to relay how dying in a war is completely, for lack of a better word, alien to him. 

The restored Blu-ray is worth buying. Though there are a few nonsensical things in the movie (only 2 guards for the spaceship at night? How does Gort walk from the ship to where Klaatu's body is with no one noticing an 8 foot alien robot on the streets?) there is only one shot that takes me out of the story. When Gort is seen by the crowd they run away... sort of. The film is sped up and it looks cartoonish. Apparently the untrained extras just couldn't get it right and Wise had to resort to the film trick or not get the shot at all. 

Gort, Klaatu Barrada Nicto!