Titanic Films Through the Ages

No other disaster seems to have caught filmmakers' imagination quite like the sinking of the Titanic on April 15th, 1912. In honor of the 102nd anniversary I decided to take a look at the major films that have depicted the disaster, with varying degrees of accuracy. 

To date there have been four theatrical films, a TV movie and two Mini-Series. There have also been countless documentaries, TV specials and a couple individual TV series episodes featuring or impacted by the sinking of the Titanic. Lastly, there were two staggeringly awful animated movies portraying the sinking, because if there's one thing that screams family fun, it's the tragedy of the Titanic. For the purposes of this essay, I'm going to focus on the theatrical films.

Titanic (1943)

This has to be the most curious rendition of the Titanic disaster. It was made as a German propaganda film to illustrate the excesses and greed of the British. The film even includes a fictional German officer who functions to point out the errors made by the British crew members and exemplify the selflessness and bravery of the German people. If you gagged at that last bit, I don't blame you.

The film was the brainchild of Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels and was funded at the cost of 4 Million Reichmarks (equivalent to roughly 180 million dollars today, just 20 million shy of what James Cameron spent on his 1997 epic). The making of the film has an even more colorful history than the film itself. The film's director, Herbert Selpin, was arrested by the SS after he made unflattering comments about some high ranking officers that he refused to retract. Secondly, the ship used in the film was later loaded up with Jewish prisoners a few days before the end of the war. They managed to trick the Royal Air Force into bombing and sinking the ship, killing roughly 5,000 people.

As one can imagine, the film is wildly inaccurate. It depicts the officials, especially ship owner Bruce Ismay as money obsessed, driving the crew of the ship to throw caution in the wind and endanger the passengers to beat the record crossing the Atlantic, therefore driving up the stock prices of the White Star Line, which owned the Titanic. of course, this is absurd. To begin with, White Star Line was never a publicly traded company. 

The film goes out of it's way to paint the British as wreckless and greedy, while painting the fictional German Officer in a stoic and heroic light. Curiously, some of the scenes of third class passengers trapped below, trying to reach through the chain link gates recall images of the Nazi Concentration Camps.

The entire film is a horribly skewed piece of propaganda. It's filming was a disaster in itself. It's about as historically accurate as Tarantino's Inglorious Basterds and the entire thing reeks of the worst taste. Although, it was made by the Nazis, so I'm not sure what I expected. Still, it's worth viewing at least once by those who are morbidly curious to see the most horribly misguided film about the Titanic, ever. That said, it does need to be seen to be believed and is thankfully readily available on YouTube in decent quality.

Titanic (1953)

20th Century Fox released their rendition of the Titanic disaster in 1953. Starring Clifton Webb, Barbara Stanwyck, and Robert Wagner, the film focused on several characters against the backdrop of the sinking of the Titanic, in true Hollywood melodrama style.

The main plot concerns Richard and Julia Sturges, a wealthy American couple whose marriage is on the rocks (played well by Clifton Webb and the always amazing Barbara Stanwyck). Tiring of the European social scene, Julia has decided to return to America with her two kids, Norman and Annette (played by Harper Young and Aubrey Dalton). To contrast the crumbling of the parents' marriage, Annette starts falling for a young man on board, Gifford Rogers (played by a young Robert Wagner).

The film has some glaring factual errors and the set design is way off from the designs of the actual ship. In particular, the dining room ceilings are way too high and in general fail to convince of being a ship at sea. The side of the ship the iceberg is on is mixed up from above and below the sea (above the water shows it on the Starboard side, but is suddenly on  the Port side under water). Also the iceberg is depicted as being much larger than it was in reality. There's also a great deal of inconsistency in the tilt of the ship and some shots where it's obvious only the camera it tilted. There is also the increasingly annoying alarm that is completely fictional and the exploding boilers that never happened either. Also, there is the exceptionally silly "Nearer My God to Thee" sing along at the end before the ship makes it's final plunge. Lastly, some of the model work done depicting the sinking hasn't stood the test of time. Most glaringly, there is obviously no one on deck when the ship makes it's final plunge.

Still, the character's stories, especially the ones played by Webb and Stanwyck are compelling enough to gloss over the more glaring issues. There is enough drama, however overwrought at times, for me to give it a recommendation.

A Night to Remember (1958)

In 1958, the British made their own film of the Titanic, based on Walter Lord's painstakingly researched book of the same name. It remains to this day, aside from certain facts about the sinking discovered after this film was made, the most historically accurate telling of the Titanic story.

The film focuses on Second Officer Lightoller, played by Kenneth More, cited as one of the heroes of the disaster who ultimately survived along with several other passengers on an overturned lifeboat that was swept off the deck before it could be launched.

The film is a huge step forward in terms of production design, far more convincing of a 1912 ship at sea than previous efforts. The film goes to great pains to be as accurate as possible with the means available. Director Roy Ward Baker makes the most of what's available to him to craft a compelling picture. 

The film relies on survivor testimony, trying it's best to be as accurate as possible, as the narrative moves from various events on the Titanic to nearby ships the Californian and the Carpathia. Through this approach, everything seems more palatable and potent. The film forgoes a traditional film score aside from a few key moments which only helps to make everything feel more immediate. 

The performances by the entire cast are fantastic. There is not a weak link among them. Kenneth More takes the forefront as Lightoller, but at the same time every character is given a fair representation. I think this is the only version I have seen where J Bruce Ismay, the owner of the White Star Lines, is portrayed as a fairly competent person and not a total buffoon, coward or outright villain as he is in other films, even Cameron's.

This remains as the best presentation of the Titanic disaster that has yet been made. It focuses on the events that actually happened, presented as accurately as possible with restrained, heartfelt performances from it's cast. It's one that will stick with you. 

Titanic (1997)

We now come to the one everyone knows, James Cameron's 1997 blockbuster. Being a longtime Titanic junkie, this movie was one I was looking forward to as soon as I heard about it. I knew seeing the Titanic recreated with contemporary effects depicting the sinking accurately was going to be amazing. Aside from a few inaccuracies that really bugged me, especially one that was downright disrespectful, it delivered on that promise.

James Cameron does an amazing job giving the Titanic the epic Hollywood treatment it deserves. Until recently, it was the highest grossing movie ever made. Cameron painstakingly recreated the Titanic for his film and presents it for the first time in a theatrical film in glorious technicolor. 

The film casts the Titanic as the backdrop of an epic romance of penniless artist Jack and First Class passenger Rose, played in star making turns by Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. Rose is engaged to a detestable man, Cal, played by Billy Zane at his despicable best. They are traveling on the ship with her mother, played by Frances Fisher and Cal's valet/stooge, played by David Warner (who curiously starred in the 1979 TV movie, SOS Titanic as well). 

It's a clever approach starting the film in 1997 with old Rose telling the story in flashback to a crew of wreckage explorers led by frequent Cameron collaborator Bill Paxton. This firmly establishes in the audiences mind the fate of the ship and how the sinking went. One would think this would rob the film of any suspense but actually ratchets it up quite a bit, with the audience knowing more than the characters just how much trouble they're in once the sinking is underway. 

There are so many moments that are absolutely accurate, including scenes not included in previous films, such as third class passengers trying to get out the door they boarded through (which was based on witness testimony), only to find it was already at water level. This makes the inaccuracies all the more apparent, especially in their treatment of First Officer William Murdoch. By all accounts, he acted heroically until the end, but in this film he's depicted shooting a passenger (albeit accidentally) and then himself. It's a moment in this otherwise spectacular film that has rubbed me the wrong way and always felt very disrespectful to someone who by all accounts was a decent man.

It's also interesting to see all the little homages to past Titanic films Cameron made. Ones that stuck out to me was Molly Brown (played by the always awesome Kathy Bates) asking why they always insist on announcing dinner like a Calvary charge. This is a verbatim quote from the 1953 Titanic, spoken in that film by Clifton Webb. Another moment, this one taken from A Night to Remember is a character finding ship designer Thomas Andrews(played by Victor Garber) by the first class lounge fireplace, correcting the time on the clock on the mantel and asking if he won't try to save himself. 

All my quibbles aside, this movie is huge and epic. The sinking of the Titanic has never been depicted with such scope and grandeur before or since. By and large I can forgive the inaccuracies since so much of the film is such a painstaking recreation. Because of this, part of me wishes there had been a little more emphasis on historical events and a little less on the fictional romance. I, for one, could have lived without Cal chasing after Jack and Rose, waving around a nickel plated Colt 1911 semi-automatic pistol no less, making it even more ridiculous. But like I said, they are minor complaints in the long run. 

Other Films:

If you can't get enough Titanic, I can also recommend the 2012 miniseries Julian Fellowes did, even though I wish he had done that one in a more straightforward linear fashion, instead of each of the first three parts starting at the beginning of the voyage and leading up to the sinking.

I would say avoid the 1996 mini-series with Peter Gallagher, Catherine Zeta Jones, George C. Scott and Tim Curry. It was poorly researched and done as a quick cash in on the growing hype surrounding the then forthcoming James Cameron film. 

Beyond that, SOS Titanic was actually the first Titanic film I saw as a kid, which led to a lifetime interest/obsession with the disaster. It is unfortunately incredibly hard to find even today. It's a shame as I'd love to see it again. 

Probably the most curious Titanic film outside of the Nazi one is a film called Raise the Titanic. It's based on a Clive Cussler novel about a group of guys that raise the Titanic from the seabed of the Atlantic because in it's cargo contained a rare mineral they needed. It's completely ridiculous and is a notorious flop of a film. It is also terribly dated since at the time the book was written and the film was made in 1980 it was believed the Titanic sank whole. It was only five short years later when the wreck was discovered and those accounts were proven wrong. Whoops. Still, it's worth a peek if nothing more than for a laugh. 

There are also two shockingly bad animated movies about the Titanic disaster. I cannot recommend watching them in their entirety at all, for there is a high risk of emotional and possibly physical damage from the awfulness. In fact, the only safe way to view them is through the Nostalgia Critic reviews of them. They can easily be found on YouTube. It has to be seen to be believed, trust me.

The sinking of the Titanic is a major plot point in the first episode of Julian Fellows' majorly addictive show, Downton Abbey. It also features in the pilot episode of the vintage Sci-Fi show The Time Tunnel, where the time traveling main characters find themselves stranded on the ship and try to warn the crew of what is going to happen with no success and just narrowly miss going down with the ship themselves. Speaking of time travel, there is also a segment of Time Bandits that takes place on the doomed liner as well, although portrayed in an intentionally inaccurate and absurd manner. Of course, I would be remiss if I did not mention the Doctor Who episode "Voyage of the Damned" where the time traveling Doctor finds himself aboard a spaceship recreation of the doomed liner, which finds itself in similar trouble except this time the Doctor is there to save the day.

As this article no doubt demonstrates, I am an unabashed Titanic junkie. I had a fun time going through all the different renditions of the Titanic disaster, some more successful than others. I would wholeheartedly recommend both A Night to Remember and James Cameron's Titanic for mandatory viewing. The others are also worth a look for those curious or are obsessively completest, like me.

The Way Way Back

My favorite film of last year was a little coming of age film called The Way Way Back. The film has a dynamite cast that includes Sam Rockwell, Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Allison Janney, Maya Rudolph, Anna Sophia Robb, and Liam James.

The film focuses on Duncan (played by Liam James), a shy, introverted kid who is stuck spending the summer at his mother's boyfriend's vacation home. In addition to his mother Pam (played by Toni Collette) and her boyfriend Trent, (played by Steve Carell), there is also Trent's daughter, Steph. Also hanging around is their boozy neighbor, Betty (played by Allison Janney) and her two kids, Peter and Susanna, who is a bit of a love interest for Duncan and played nicely by Anna Sophia Robb.

Much of the source of Duncan's misery is Trent. At the beginning of the film he asks Duncan to rate himself on a scale of one to ten. Duncan says he sees himself as a six. Trent counters, telling him he's a three. In Trent's mind, he thinks he's helping the kid, but really he's just a douche, humiliating the kid time and again, including making him wear a life jacket on a boat trip. 

Soon enough, Duncan finds his way to the Water Wizz, a local water park. There he crosses paths with Owen, played wonderfully by Sam Rockwell, channelling a combination of Ferris Bueller and Bill Murray in Meatballs. Owen is the manager of the water park and takes Duncan under his wing and gives him a job at the water park. Slowly, over the course of the summer Duncan gains more confidence and starts coming out of his shell.

The film is a marvelous mixture of both funny and heartfelt. It was written and directed by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, who also appear in small roles as employees at the Water Wizz. The script gives a great spin on a well worn genre, with great characters and memorable performances, especially the ones from Liam James and Sam Rockwell. 

The Way Way Back provided plenty of laughs and also shed a few tears which by my measure makes it a great movie. It's heartfelt, funny and highly, highly recommended.

Why can't I stop watching Pitch Perfect?

"I have the feeling we should kiss. Is that a good feeling or an incorrect feeling?"
"Well, sometimes I feel like I could do Crystal Meth, but then I think nah, better not."
-Bumper and Fat Amy, Pitch Perfect.

Hi, my name is Nate and I can't stop watching the movie Pitch Perfect. There is something about this movie; about competitive collegiate A Capella singing groups, focusing on an all women group the Barton Bellas and their direct competition, an all male group on campus called the Treblemakers, that is irresistible.  Maybe it's the witty humor of the film and the colorful characters, including a star making turn by Rebel Wilson as a girl who goes by the name of Fat Amy. Seriously, she steals every single scene she's in and gives the kind of performance where you really should be keeping one eye on at all times. 

The main character of the film is Becca, played by Anna Kendrick. She's an aspiring DJ who makes remixes in her spare time. She has a cute romance throughout the film with a boy from the Treblemakers, named Jesse, played by Skylar Astin. He's a movie buff and wants to be a film composer. So, basically he was me in college, except I wanted to write and direct movies. This became abundantly clear when Becca says she knew Jesse was home because she could smell the popcorn. (I'm addicted to the stuff. Comes with the cinephile territory.)

Becca is cornered by Chloe (played by Brittany Snow) in the dorm shower after Chloe hears her singing and urges her to audition for the Bellas. After her father encourages her to get out more and make friends, Becca decides to go to the audition. The audition scene itself is pretty funny, with Christopher Mintz-Plasse making an amusing cameo as the stage manager, getting in a nice slam on "Glee" as well. Of course, Becca makes the group and they gather to start rehearsals when the leader of the group, Aubrey (played by Anna Camp), lays down the rule that none of the Bellas can sleep with any of the Treblemakers or they're out of the group. Becca challenges the rule, stating flat out the Bellas need her more than she needs them.

The Treblemakers are led by the obnoxious Bumper Allen, played by Adam Devine, who antagonizes the Bellas at any opportunity, including throwing a burrito at Fat Amy as they drive by in their bus. In spite of this, some sort of romantic flirtation going on because Fat Amy later calls him for help when their bus breaks down on the way to a competition.

I would also be remiss if I didn't mention the two announcers at every competition played by Elizabeth Banks (who was also a producer on the film) and John Michael Higgins. These two provide some of the biggest laughs in the film with their commentary on the various A Capella groups. 

There is something infectious about this movie, from the great music, the witty sense of humor, and colorful characters that I can't resist. While Rebel Wilson stands out, providing many of the biggest laughs, everyone on the cast is bringing their A game with Anna Kendrick as the straight woman here to keep everything grounded and keep the film from getting too silly.

Pitch Perfect was a surprise hit when it hit theaters in October 2012 and was even a bigger hit on video. And next year I have Pitch Perfect 2 to look forward to. I wonder if I'll be watching it as often as I watch the first one. It would help if it was on HBO constantly, like the first one currently is.

Damn the Man! The Enduring Popularity of Empire Records

"Empire Records, open 'til midnight. This is Mark...Midnight!"

Today, April 8th, is what is known amongst fans of Empire Records as Rex Manning day. It is the day the events of the film takes place on, the day musician Rex Manning is appearing at the titular store to sign copies of his latest album. This date has been celebrated for the last few years when an eagle-eyed viewer was able to determine the date on a poster displayed in the store.

While the film did little business theatrically, it gained a cult status on video with viewers who were not unlike the array of misfit characters that populate the film. Empire Records focuses on an ensemble cast as they deal with both their internal struggles and both the issues associated with having a celebrity visiting the store and finding out their beloved workplace is about to be bought out by a music store chain.

The film is not without it's flaws. A fun game to play during the film is "Who's on Register?" While playing this game, you will notice several times the entire cast is in the clubhouse-esque back room. There are also a few scenes that fail to entirely convince, but if you get int spirit of the film, you hardly notice. 

The film is directed by Allan Moyle, whose previous film was the far more meaningful and potent film, Pump Up the Volume. Still, he manages to balance the various plot threads among the many characters with relative ease. This film is also lighter in tone, with plenty of comedic moments and instantly quotable lines. 

The cast is made up of the usual archetypes for this type of teen based film. The gang includes the sensitive artist  AJ (played by Johnny Whitworth), the overachiever Corey (played by Liv Tyler), the suicidal girl Debra (played by Robin Tunney), the philosophizing screw-up Lucas (played by Rory Cochrane), the apparent slut Gina(played by Renee Zellweger) and the hyperactive Mark (played by Ethan Embry). They are managed by surrogate father figure/friend, Joe (played by Anthony LaPaglia). 

Each cast member works through their own personal dramas on the day the aforementioned Rex Manning, a has been pop star played by Maxwell Caulfield, visits the store to sign copies of his latest album. AJ is trying to figure out the perfect way to confess his love for Corey. Corey is planning to offer herself to Rex Manning. Joe is wrestling whether or not to turn in Lucas for stealing $9000 from the store that he subsequently lost in Atlantic City. The root of the dilemma is Lucas took the money to Atlantic City to try and double or triple it to attempt to buy out the music store chain's claim to the store. 

The entire staff stages a mock funeral for Debra to try and show her life is worth living and is easily the film's most ridiculous scene that is meant to be serious. Gina wants to sing, but confesses she is afraid to. We, of course, know she will be singing by the end of the movie, in a rendition of "Sugar High" that is one of the high points of the film.

The film has a fantastic soundtrack that includes such great 90's bands as The Dire Straights, Gin Blossoms, The Cranberries and Toad the Wet Sprocket. Each song compliments the scene and perhaps may be one of the better aspects of the film.

I think the film has endured for a variety of reasons. The cast works well together and has an infectous chemistry that adds to the film. Each actor breathes life into what would make them an otherwise stereotypical character. The audience members no doubt relate to at least a few of the characters. Lastly, there is a certain level of wish fulfillment here. The Empire Records store would obviously be a very cool place to work, with all the various shenanigans that go on there over the course of a very hectic workday. As someone who worked his share of retail jobs in my high school and college days, I know it was for me. 

I eventually found it, at least to a certain degree during my tenure at the local Blockbuster Video. Not surprising, this movie was on heavy rotation when I worked there, playing during late night audits, mornings before we opened or on slow weekdays when one of my managers was nursing a nasty hangover. 

Empire Records remains a favorite of mine all these years later. I look back on it with a sense of nostalgia. It's a fun film that I've seen many, many times and although age has shown me the inherent flaws, I still enjoy it all the same.

Forgotten Films: April Fool's Day

Coming at the tail end of the early 80's slasher movie craze was a little gem called April Fool's Day. It was at once both another holiday-themed slasher thriller and a clever satire of the well-worn genre. 

The film follows the familiar premise, with a bunch of college friends getting together at the secluded island mansion that belongs to their friend Muffy's family. 

On the ferry over, they accidentally cause the accident of a ferry worker when a prank goes wrong. Shaken, they continue to the house, where Muffy welcomes them. As they settle in, they find the house rigged with various pranks ranging from innocent (a faucet that sprays you in the face, a chair that collapses when you sit in it) to the cruel (reminders of character's dark secrets such as an abortion or deadly accident).

Things escalate when one by one friends start disappearing only to turn up dead later. Who's behind the deaths? The ferryman? Or is it the increasingly unhinged Muffy? The increasingly dwindling numbers gather together to try and stay alive, await the arrival of local law enforcement and try and resist the urge to go wandering off alone. 

At the center of the film is Kit, played by Amy Steel in familiar horror heroine mode, who catches on that something is afoot early on and tries to alert the others to it, but most think it's just another April Fool's prank. Amy Steel has been a favorite of mine since I first saw her in Friday the 13th Part 2. She has this great girl next door presence that I've always really liked and wish she had gotten more acting opportunities either in or outside the horror genre.

The film has a better than average cast, especially for this genre, including Deborah Foreman, Thomas F Wilson (forever to be known as Biff from the Back to the Future trilogy) and the aforementioned Amy Steel. The well chosen cast play their parts well, which helps with these types of films when you have characters you're sad to see go rather than cheering on the killer, a trend I always found disturbing with these films (although there are a few exceptions, where even I have called out, "Okay, you can die now.")  

The film also has the benefit of being rather well written with most of the characters fleshed out at least more than the average slasher film character. The plot weaves around well enough to keep the audience guessing who has taken their love of April Fool's Day pranks way too far. 

This is one of the slicker and better made 80's slasher films with enough twists and turns in the plot to keep the audience engaged and guessing. It's also a lot of fun, as you'd expect from a film titled "April Fool's Day."

Forgotten Films: Cherry Falls

In the years following the success of Scream, there was a resurgence in the teen slasher movie. Most were fairly derivative, following the standard formula and only marginally better than the fare offered up in the 80's slasher movie heyday. But there was one that was on my radar for a long time as it took the long and painful trip trying to get to the cineplex, only to be delayed not once, twice but five times in trying to get an R rating by the MPAA. In the end, it was quietly released on the USA network in a heavily edited form. This film was Cherry Falls and it may be the most subversive horror film to come out since the original Scream.

The main premise of this film is a killer is targeting the teens of the small town of Cherry Falls with a very distinctive M.O: they're targeting virgins. It's a clever reversal of the well worn slasher movie trope that if you have sex, you die. The Police Department figures it out fairly quickly and alerts the parents, despite objections of the principal, stating if the students find out they're going to have "one hell of a fuck fest on our hands!" Of course, the Principal is right.  

The main character, our final girl if you will, is Jody Marken (played by Brittany Murphy), daughter of the town sheriff (played by Michael Biehn). You know you're in uncharted territory when the stereotypical over-protective lawman father wakes his daughter up in the middle of the night to inquire about her sex life and if she can go further. 

Outside of it's unique trope reversal, the film follows the slasher film formula pretty much note by note. A small, peaceful town with hidden secrets that will be revealed as an old evil gets stirred up again, parents sins visited upon their children, etc. Still, it offers up each item with it's tongue firmly planted in it's cheek. I mean, the requisite climactic party at the end of the film takes place at a massive orgy as the entire high school gathers to try and take themselves off the endangered species list.

The film isn't perfect though. Aside from Jody and maybe her Dad, the film doesn't really give us a lot of characters to become endeared to for long, so when the bodies start piling up the audience is more indifferent. The other character I really liked was Jody's gay best friend, Timmy, but he leaves the film far too soon for me. 

Still, Brittany Murphy's turn as Jody more than makes up for it, showing her inner scream queen in all her glory and making Jody who can not only seriously haul ass when needed, but is also a more than competent fighter. It's a good performance by Brittany Murphy in a genre she may not have been well known for.

While, Cherry Falls is perhaps not the most original slasher film ever made, it gives enough satirical twists to the usual formula to make it a worthwhile viewing for fans of the genre, even in it's heavily edited form. Unfortunately, the film is downright impossible to find these days with the DVD out of print. I can only hope the relatively new horror imprint Scream Factory can get the rights to release this one, in it's uncut form if possible. It's a fun little horror flick that deserves to be seen more than it has, lost at the moment in obscurity due to unfair production problems. 

Veronica Mars

"A long time ago, we used to be friends but I haven't thought of you lately at all..."
- The Dandy Warhols

I came fairly late to the Veronica Mars fandom, deciding to take a chance on it after a good friend of mine recommended it to me and I got a killer deal on the DVDs. I should state this friend had also recommended to me Doctor Who and Parks and Recreation, two shows I have also fallen rabidly in love with, so clearly she has exquisite taste in television. 

Needless to say, I fell hard for Veronica Mars. I devoured the DVDs, quietly grateful that I had the entire series at my fingertips and not having to wait week after week for new episodes. With clever plotting and a witty, endearing performance by Kristen Bell as the title character, it was hard not to get sucked in. But then, after 64 episodes, it all ended with the third season closing on an uncertain note. It was clearly not meant to be a season finale, but had to do for the ever growing masses of "Marshmallows" as Veronica Mars fans refer to themselves. (It's a reference to something Veronica said, that deep down she was soft as a marshmallow.)

Then, last spring, the unthinkable happened. Rob Thomas and Kristen Bell were launched a Kickstarter campaign to get the oft rumored Veronica Mars movie off the ground. The fandom let out a collective squee as a little over $5 million was raised for the film. The resulting film was released this past weekend. 

Veronica Mars was a teenage detective, working part time at her father, Keith Mars' Private Investigations firm. The show was fashioned in the vein of film noir with a contemporary sensibility. She would work on various cases throughout the series, frequently getting assistance from her friends Wallace (played by Percy Daggs III), Weevil (played by Francis Capra), and Mac (played by Tina Majorino). 

For the first two seasons there was a season long "big mystery" Veronica was working on as well as smaller ones contained in individual episodes. 

In the first season, Veronica explains how she used to be friends with the popular kids in school but all that changed when her best friend Lily Kane died. Veronica decides to take it upon herself to solve her friend's murder. Over a season long arc, Veronica discovers new clues leading her to the real killer, with plenty of twists and turns along the way. As well as solving Lily's murder, Veronica also took regular cases from her classmates. On the whole, it made for rewarding, addictive binge viewing. 

Season two upped the ante with the big mystery arc being a mysterious bus crash that led to the death of several students. Once again, Veronica plunges into the mystery after she and her Dad realize it was more than a senseless accident. In the back of her mind, she can't help but wonder if the accident was caused to try and kill her since she was supposed to be on the bus but wound up not getting on at the last minute. 

Season three shook things up in more than one way, with many of the main characters graduating college winding up at the local Hearst University. A new addition to the gang comes in the form of Stosh "Piz" Piznarski (played by the adorkable Chris Lowell), a Mass Comm major and Wallace's roommate. The format was also switched up where several smaller mysteries were worked throughout the season, each resolved and followed by another. A lot of Marshmallows didn't like Season Three as much, with many complaints levied against the addition of Piz, some even going as far as calling him the Riley Finn (from Buffy) of Veronica Mars. This is a comparison I reject outright on the basis that Chris Lowell could never, ever annoy me like Marc Blucas did. Besides, his character made sense, being an essentially good guy in a world that is populated by increasingly shadier ones. 

Over the three seasons, there were a few significant boys in Veronica's life. The first was Duncan Kane (played by Teddy Dunn), Lily's brother. He and Veronica were together when Lily died and their relationship fell apart when Veronica's dad, then the Sheriff, indicted his father, Jake Kane, in the death and she picked her father's side. The other main man would be Logan Echolls (played by Jason Dohring), who is initially a spoiled rich kid but when he suffers a personal tragedy, he and Veronica are drawn closer. Then there is Wallace, who she meets in the first episode when she discovers him duct taped to the school flag pole. Both in need of a friend, they quickly bond after that. I always appreciated that their friendship always remained strictly platonic, with no romantic drama on either side. It's a refreshing change of pace. Then there is Weevil Navarro, the leader of the local motorcycle gang and a frequent help to Veronica when she needs to find out some information on the seedier sides of town. Last but certainly not least is Keith Mars, played wonderfully by Enrico Colantoni. The relationship between him and Veronica as father and daughter is the heart of the show. She learned all her tricks from him. While he discourages her investigating things at time, he is also willing to help her when he knows he can't.      

Which brings us, finally, to the movie. We pick up with Veronica again, years later. She's living in New York and has recently graduated from Law School. She's interviewing with Law Firms and dating Piz, who she apparently reconnected with in the Big Apple as he is working at a radio station there. She gets a call from old boyfriend Logan Echolls, who is standing accused of murder and needs Veronica's help to clear his name. And as luck would have it, her 10 year high school reunion is happening then as well. Normally, I would give a movie crap for something like this, but hey, I can't fault them for wanting to get everyone back together.

It's amazing how well everyone manages to slip back into their old roles as well, like no time has passed. The film is fairly cleverly plotted, with some decent twists to keep things interesting. Of course, the main thrust of the film is making Veronica choose once and for all the life of a PI or the life of a big city lawyer.

The film stays true to the spirit of the show, while at the same time translating it to the format of a theatrical film, albeit a modestly budgeted one. No doubt, this one was for the fans, with little tidbits and cameos throughout that would have more meaning for fans. That being said, newcomers should be able to enjoy the film and would hopefully be inspired to check out the series.

Of course, I would recommend the opposite. Dive into the exquisite series and stay for the movie. And if Rob Thomas and Kristen Bell decide they want to do another one I have my money ready. After all, as they say, I'm a marshmallow.