When it was first announced that they were rebooting Ghostbusters with an all new cast, I was worried. Not because the Ghostbusters were going to be all female or that it was somehow going to rape my childhood or something stupid like that. I was worried that they were going to just remake the first movie basically beat for beat but with a new cast. To my pleasant surprise, they for the most part didn't. Crafting a fresh story with a cast of new and interesting characters, as well as some loving winks to the original films, the new Ghostbusters is actually pretty damn good.
When a spectral apparition appears in the historical Aldridge Mansion in New York City, the head of the historical society seeks out the assistance of Columbia University physicist Erin Gilbert (played by Kristen Wiig), due to having read a book she wrote years ago with her research partner Abby Yates (played by Melissa McCarthy). Horrified to find out the book is back in print and worried it will destroy her chances of getting tenure, Erin seeks out Abby and finds her working at a third rate university with a new research partner, Jillian Holtzman (played by Kate McKinnon). She tries to talk some sense into Abby, but Abby and Jillian are distracted by the news of a verified haunting and before Erin knows it all three are on their way to Aldridge Mansion to investigate the ghost. Of course, they find one and manage to document the sighting on video which is then uploaded to YouTube. Erin's department head soon catches wind of it and lets Erin go for her persistence in the belief of the supernatural. She then proceeds to come together with Abby and Holtzman to set up their own lab and continue their research. After witnessing the very creepy spectre of an executed prisoner in the New York subway, Transit employee Patty Tolan (played by Leslie Jones) seeks out Erin, Abby and Holtzman. Intrigued by what they are doing and seeing herself as an asset, Patty joins the group as well as lunkhead aspiring actor Kevin (played by Chris Hemsworth) as their receptionist. As they continue their research, they discover someone is intentionally amping up the supernatural energy in New York City for their own nefarious purposes and set out to stop it.
Paul Feig is a comedy director that I have been increasingly become a fan of, starting with Bridesmaids and the continuing with The Heat and Spy, I've really dug his films. He has assembled a wonderful cast of comedic actors for the film, with Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy turning in solid performances as two long time friends who bonded over their mutual interest and belief in the paranormal. Kate McKinnon is this movie's secret weapon though, giving a consistently hilarious performance as the brilliant Holtzman, who develops much of the equipment our new Ghostbusters use, but is also dangerously weird and a bit of a loose cannon. Much of Leslie Jones' character has been groused about online as being a caricature, but I have to respectively disagree. Yes, her character can be a bit loud mouthed and freak out at times, but she is also shown to be just as strong, capable and valuable asset to the team as well. It's a far more balanced performance than the trailers let on.
I was relieved watching the movie and found that aside from some of the broader strokes, the overall storyline of this reboot was brand spanking new. I was really worried that they were going to tell the same old story but was pleasantly surprised to find the script by Katie Dippold and Paul Feig had more originality to it than I anticipated. Yeah, some of the plot points, such as the forming of the Ghostbuster team and whatnot are repeated and we once again have a giant monster rampaging through the streets (the other two films had it too, so I suppose it's tradition at this point). But the villain and his scheme are completely new. I also appreciated that the characters were completely new and weren't trying to just create female facsimiles of the original Ghostbusters. The film also does a good job of melding the funny with the creepy, just as the original films did.
Now, Ghostbusters has been a big part of my life for pretty much since the beginning. The first film is probably the first movie I had completely memorized as a kid. It has been a favorite ever since (and rewatching the film as an adult was an eye opening experience. I can't believe how much went over my head as a kid). I also enjoyed Ghostbusters II but I have to admit that one does have some problems. I also was a big fan of the animated series, The Real Ghostbusters, which this new film seems to have taken some influence from as well. I own a replica PKE meter, Ray's goggles and Proton Pack wand. So, having established myself as a bonafide Ghostbusters fan, I have to say I am shocked and appalled at the virulent hatred this movie has received even before it was released. I'll admit the advertising wasn't great, especially the first trailer. But I had faith in the talent behind the film and they delivered wonderfully. I just don't understand why so many people are hating it and hating it so much right out of the gate, likely without even having seen the film. This is a film that was made with loving care that pays reverence to what came before while also creating a whole new story and universe. Much of the cast of the original movie have cameos in the film, each one equally amusing. They even worked in a bust of Harold Ramis outside Erin's Columbia office as tribute. I'm psyched that young girls out there have their own set of Ghostbusters to look up to and be a fan of. The Ghostbusters films have been a series of films that have given me a lot of joy in my life and this new one sits comfortably alongside the first two films. I just don't understand the hatred.
I did get a few laughs at the film characters getting in some jabs to the haters online within the movie though as the characters view the comments on their videos. That was great.
A couple reviews back, I stated that Star Trek II was the best of the Star Trek films, and I still believe that's true, I must say my absolute favorite of the series is actually Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. With a unique storyline and humor to spare, it is easily the most thoroughly entertaining entry in the series, at least for me.
With the crew of now destroyed Enterprise unanimously deciding to return to Earth to face the consequences of their actions, they return, in the Klingon warship they stole from Kruge, to find Earth under attack from an alien probe of unknown origin. The probe appears to be searching for something, sending out a signal no one recognizes. Since the probe appears to be searching for something in the Earth's oceans, Uhura filters the message to account for water density and discover the message sounds like that of the now extinct humpback whale. With no other option and it being clear the probe won't leave until it communicates with the Humpback whales, the crew decides to attempt to travel back in time to retrieve a couple from the past. Naturally, they are successful but in for a culture shock when they come face to face with the comparatively primitive 1986 San Francisco. The crew is divided up with Kirk (played by William Shatner) and Spock (played by Leonard Nimoy) tasked with locating two humpback whales, Scotty (played by James Doohan), McCoy (played by Deforest Kelley) and Sulu (played by George Takei) tasked with retrofitting the large cargo bay for the whales, and Chekov and Uhura finding a nuclear reactor to claim some radiation to use to recharge the ship's power source, as it was drained during the time travel process.
Kirk and Spock locate two potential whales at the local Cetacean Institute and find a potential ally in a Marine Biologist that looks over the two whales, Gillian Taylor (played by Catherine Hicks), who initially thinks Kirk and Spock are crazy, but comes to believe them and sees them as an alternative to the two whales existing in the 20th century oceans where they are in danger of being killed by whalers. The problem is that the whales are due to be released back into the wild within the next day, causing a bit of a time crunch for the crew, who need to get the ship retrofitted and refueled before they can retrieve the whales and return to the future.
Leonard Nimoy returned to direct the fourth film and it certainly is the stronger of the two films he directed. After the rather emotionally heavy second and third films, it was a conscious decision to make the fourth film a lighter one. Harve Bennett and Nicholas Meyer collaborated on the script for the film, crafting an interesting tale with a less clear cut villain (it's inferred that the probe is unaware of the damage it's doing on Earth and is just there because to find out why their people lost contact with the whales they had communicated with previously). It made for a refreshing change of pace for the series after two nasty villians from the previous films. Meyer also manages to mine plenty of humor of the Enterprise Crew in 20th Century America, whether it's Spock trying to grasp the "colorful metaphors" people seem to like to use (profanity, basically) and failing miserably, McCoy expressing his disgust at 20th century medical practices, Scotty having to use an early Mac computer ("A keyboard? How quaint."), or Chekov, a Russian, walking around Cold War America with Uhura asking where he can find a "Nuclear Wessel." The film also makes great use of it's Save the Whales message without being too overbearing or obnoxious, and the humor and action of the story keep things from being too preachy. I also have to give props to composer Leonard Rosenman, who composed a unconventional but delightful score to the film.
The cast does well in the film, with each cast member getting their own wonderful moments to shine in the film and is a bit more balanced between all the cast members for once (they actually gave Chekov something to do for once!). The film feels more like an ensemble piece, rather than the focus being solely on Kirk and Spock for once, which is a nice change. Catherine Hicks makes a nice addition to the cast as Gillian and has some decent chemistry with William Shatner and plays off nicely with both him and Leonard Nimoy. Likewise, Deforest Kelley is great as McCoy finds himself dealing with 20th Century Medicine when they have to rescue an injured Chekov from the local hospital, and may be my favorite scene of the movie.
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is probably my favorite of the series. It's just plain fun from beginning to end and is a more unique entry in the Star Trek film series. It's one I've always enjoyed since I saw it as a kid shortly after it came out on video.
As I mentioned in my review of the first film that there is a rule with Star Trek films that the even numbered ones are good and the odd numbered ones are bad? I've always felt that Star Trek III: The Search for Spock was the exception. While it's not as great as the movie that preceded it or the one that would come after, it's still a decently entertaining film in it's own right.
This film picks up almost right where the previous film left off, with the surviving crew of the Enterprise arriving home after their costly battle with Khan. Soon after, Kirk is visited by Spock's father Sarek (played by Mark Lenard), wanting to know what became of Spock's remains and stated they should have been brought back to Vulcan rather than jettisoned onto the newly formed Genesis planet. Sarek also mentions that prior to his self-sacrificial actions on the Enterprise, would have transferred his Katra to someone else. He assumed it would have been Kirk, but after reviewing the security footage from the Engineering room on the Enterprise (which was conveniently shot from all the same angles as the scenes in the previous film!), they discover it was actually McCoy (played by Deforest Kelley) that he transferred it too. Naturally, McCoy is less than thrilled with having Spock's memories and personality rattling around in his head. The main crew, consisting of Scotty (played by James Doohan), Chekov (played by Walter Koenig), Sulu (played by George Takei) as well as Kirk and McCoy borrow the battle damaged Enterprise and head back out to the Genesis planet to retrieve Spock's body to return to Vulcan.
Meanwhile, Saavik (played by Robin Curtis) and David (played by Merritt Butrick) are researching the new Genesis planet when they pick up a lifeform reading on their scanners. When they locate it, they are shocked to find it is a newly regenerated and rapidly aging Spock. To make matters worse, they are intercepted by a Klingon warship commanded by a vicious character named Kruge (played by Christopher Lloyd). Kruge and his cronies take out the ship that Saavik and David were on and take them and the young Spock hostage, intending to draw out the secrets of Genesis from David and Saavik. It's only a matter of time before Kirk and the rest arrive on the scene, leading to a battle between the Klingons and Kirk for Saavik, his son David and the newly regenerated Spock.
When the filmmakers approached making a third Star Trek movie, the original intention was to go forward without Spock but then someone clearly got nervous and determined that the third film had to involve resurrecting Spock. How determined were they to bring back Spock? Well, when they offered the role to Leonard Nimoy, he responded back that he wanted to direct the film...and the producers were totally fine with this. It probably helps that the adult Spock is off screen for the bulk of the film so Leonard Nimoy could focus on his behind the camera duties and to be fair, for his cinematic directorial debut, he does a good job with the film. The film looks good, the action is reasonably well staged and the film moves at a brisk pace. Harve Bennett wrote the script this time around, crafting a fairly straightforward story for the film. James Horner returns to craft a new score for the film, which is a bit more understated this time around, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.
The cast does well in this film, especially with DeForest Kelley in a couple scenes wonderfully capturing Leonard Nimoy in the few moments that Spock's personality and memories seem to take over a bit. They're such wonderful, funny little moments that Kelley played wonderfully. Shatner likewise gets a few good moments in the film as he once again finds himself faced with tragedy, as well as the inevitable final showdown between him and Kruge. Christopher Lloyd makes a decent villain in the Klingon Kruge. He's a vicious, imposing and threatening character who is determined to get what he wants doesn't care who gets hurt in the process. It's a very different type of character from the types of roles I'm used to seeing him play and he makes for an effective villain (even if he pales in comparison to Khan).
Overall, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock is not a perfect film, but it in an entertaining one, maybe a bit underrated and probably the best of the odd numbered Star Trek films, or at least the best of the odd numbered Star Trek films with the original cast. Although that particular bar isn't exactly high, is it?
Every so often, there comes a sequel that is significantly better than the film that came before it. It's a rare occurrence in the annals of cinema. Sometimes it's just really hard to come up with a follow-up film that equals what came before it. Not only did Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan manage to do the impossible, it may just be the best Star Trek film ever made.
While overseeing the newly refurbished Enterprise out on a three week test run, Admiral James T. Kirk (played by William Shatner) receives a distress call from an old flame, Carol Marcus (played by Bibi Mesch), on Regula 1 where she is testing a revolutionary device called Genesis that can create new life on a dead and lifeless planet in a matter of minutes. Of course, such a device could also be used as a devastatingly lethal weapon in the wrong hands. Along with the fellow scientists is her son, David (played by Merritt Butrick). Kirk resumes command of the Enterprise at the instance of her current Captain, Spock (played by Leonard Nimoy). Among the crew are the usual mainstays, including Sulu (played by George Takei), Scotty (played by James Doohan), McCoy (played by DeForest Kelley), and Uhura (played by Nichelle Nichols), as well as a new addition in the Vulcan Saavik (played by Kirstie Alley). Upon their arrival, they discover that another Starfleet ship, the Reliant has been hijacked by an old enemy, Khan Noonien Singh (played by Ricardo Montalban), who was left on a desolate planet by Kirk and his crew fifteen years prior. He left the crew of the Reliant on that same planet save for two, Captain Terrell (played by Paul Winfield) and Chekov (played by Walter Koenig), whom Khan has taken prisoner and implanted little alien slugs that allow Khan to control them to help set a trap for Kirk. For you see Khan has only one objective on his mind, Revenge served ice cold. With Khan as a cunning and worthy adversary, Kirk is going to have to use every trick he can think of to defeat him and save himself and his crew.
There is so much to love about Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. This is where the film series really and truly kicks off. The film is wonderfully directed by Nicholas Meyer with a pitch perfect screenplay by Jack B Sowards, with contributions from Harve Bennett and Nicholas Meyer. They weave a fantastic tale with the battle of wits between Khan and Kirk, as well as mixing in some deeper themes about aging, life and death that make for a thoroughly fulfilling film. The film has a rousing score by James Horner that keeps the film thrilling and moving at a brisk pace.
The cast is great this time out and really given great moments of drama to play. The two that dominate the film of course are William Shatner and Ricardo Montalban, playing each of their parts with fire as each character makes their next move against the other. It's all the more impressive as neither character shares a single scene together in the same room. This was due to logistics of course due to Montalban's shooting schedule on the T.V show, Fantasy Island. But yet, you don't realize this until the film is over. Likewise, DeForest Kelly and James Doohan get a couple great scenes as well, whether it's sharing a drink with Kirk ruminating on growing older or dealing with the aftermath of one of Khan's attacks. There is also a great scene between Shatner and Nimoy where Spock gives command to the Enterprise, telling him he should never accepted the promotion to Admiral, that Captaining the Enterprise is where he belongs. The film builds on it's characters and it only adds to the richness of the film.
There are two different cuts of the film that are out and of the two I have always preferred the Director's Cut of the film. The changes to the film are subtle but it makes for a better and more fully realized film. One of the additions is a small expansion on young cadet Peter Preston (played by Ike Eisenmann), who briefly converses with Kirk during inspections before Scotty interjects and reveals the cadet is actually his nephew. It may not seem like much but it pays off better later in another scene I won't spoil. The other big addition is a short argument between McCoy, Spock and Kirk over the ethics of the Genesis project which I felt was another great thing to include in the film. These additions only strengthen an already great film and I can't help but wonder why they were ever cut in the first place.
Overall, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is a benchmark in the series and stands as a fantastic film in it's own right. There is plenty to love for fans of the series but even if you've never seen a Star Trek episode or the previous film, it stands on it's own as a film that could be enjoyed by anyone. If that's not a ringing endorsement of the film, I don't know what is.
With this year marking the 50th anniversary of Star Trek and with the upcoming release of Star Trek Beyond, I decided I'd take a look back at the theatrical Star Trek films, starting with the very first one. There's a rule with the Star Trek films that the even numbered ones are always better than the odd numbered ones and boy did that start right out of the gate with easily the most sluggish of the Star Trek films.
When a strange, glowing cloud of energy is found in space and proceeds to obliterate two Klingon ships and it is determined this strange anomaly is headed for Earth, the crew of the Enterprise is sent to investigate. Captain James Kirk (played by William Shatner) once again takes command of his ship from it's current Captain, Decker (played by Stephen Collins). He reunites his previous crew, including McCoy (played by DeForest Kelley), Scotty (played by James Doohan), Uhura (played by Nichelle Nichols), Chekov (played by Walter Koenig) and Sulu (played by George Takei). Joining them is a new crew member, Ilia (played by Persis Khambatta) and they pick up Spock (played by Leonard Nimoy) from Vulcan on the way towards the mysterious glow cloud. Their mission is to determine what it is and if there is any intelligent life within it as well as if it poses a threat to Earth.
The film was directed by Robert Wise from a script by Harold Livingston, with the story by Alan Dean Foster. The film has a reputation for being slow and boring and I would say that to a certain degree that is quite true. The film is filled with long tracking shots that take forever, from the scene where Kirk and Scotty survey the outside of the Enterprise before they begin their mission to the same super long shots as the crew explores the mysterious glow cloud. The film takes the upwards of an hour to really get going with some absolute glacial pacing. I'm not saying the movie needs to be action packed the whole way through like some later entries have. I liked that they were going for a more philosophical approach with this, trying to go for something deep and perhaps emulate Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey. But at the same time, there needs to be more mystery and more wonder propelling the film forward and there just isn't any of that on screen. This is matched by a frankly dull and unappealing production design with a very muted color palette throughout makes it for a very bland film to watch. That said, the second half of the movie is the stronger half as the crew begins to discover just what this mighty glow cloud is and it's origins are pretty cool. But, you still have to get through the first half to get there.
The cast does well in their roles, which is to be expected since they had been playing them for so long. They do the best they can with the material to make it work. Things pick up as the film goes on and they have more to play with. The main trio of Deforest Kelley, William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy stand out and have the most screen time, with Kelley having really honed McCoy's wonderful sourpuss nature and adding what little humor there is to the film. I also have to give props to composer Jerry Goldsmith for creating a standout score that including a main theme that has more or less become the definitive theme for Star Trek going forward, including becoming the theme of the Star Trek: The Next Generation tv show.
Overall, Star Trek: The Motion Picture is a bit of a mixed bag. It has a compelling story at it's core but with some serious pacing issues on the first half of the film and a surprisingly muted production design hurt the film in my opinion. This has been a more divisive film in the Star Trek series and really it comes down to how you take your sci-fi. If you prefer a more thoughtful and philosophical approach, then you might enjoy this one. If you prefer a more action driven story, then I would say skip directly to Wrath of Khan, you're not missing much here.
Beautiful Thing was one of the first gay films I ever saw and to this day it ranks as my absolute favorite. Sure, there are others that rank up there but as a whole this one is my favorite. From it's tender love story to the colorful supporting characters to the soundtrack made up entirely of Cass Elliot songs, it's impossible to resist this film's many charms.
Jamie (played by Glen Berry) is a quiet and sensitive young man who lives with his single mother in a south-east London housing estate with his mother, Sandra (played by Linda Henry). They get along well enough but can butt heads from time to time. Sandra works as a bartender and is trying to land a chance to manage her own pub and hopefully create a better life for herself and Jamie, while also dating a hipster half her age, Tony (played by Ben Daniels). Next door lives Ste (played by Scott Neal), who lives with his abusive and alcoholic father and older brother who isn't much better. One night on her way home, Sandra finds a distressed Ste (which is short for Steven, by the way) and takes him home to stay at their place. With nowhere else to sleep, he winds up sharing a bed with Jamie. Even though the two had always been classmates and neighbors, the two begin to form a closer bond when they are alone together and as a result start falling for one another, even if Ste is hesitant to admit his feelings right away for fear of what his brother and father would think.
The film is written by Jonathan Harvey and based on his stage play of the same name. It's a fantastic piece of work with the lovely romance of Jamie and Ste played against the stark backdrop of lower class London. Both Glen Berry and Scott Neal do a great job as Jamie and Ste and watching their little romance blossom is simply sweet and maybe a little magical. There is a scene in the film I absolutely adore where Jamie and Ste are chasing each other through a park at night. Jamie gets tired and rests against a tree and Ste walks over and kisses him, all to the sounds of Cass Elliot's "Make Your Own Kind of Music." It's just perfection and wonderfully directed by Hettie Macdonald. I still can't listen to that song and not think of that scene, they're that perfectly matched.
The film is also filled with colorful characters, including the frequently intoxicated, Mama Cass Elliot loving Leah (played by Tameka Empson), who at times damn near steals the show. I also really appreciated the mother lion portrayal of Sandra. Linda Henry really lets that feeling shine through her portrayal. She may be a little rough around the edges, but you know she would do anything to protect her son.
There is just something about this film that I have always really loved. It's a sweet and endearing film that I just can't resist filled with a great cast of actors and a strong script to back it all up. It's my all time favorite LGBT film and one that I have seen many, many times over the years.
Ah, the woes of teenage angst. The litany of gay films is filled with coming out stories simply because that time period makes for great drama. The German film Summer Storm is one such entry in the genre but is unique in a couple ways. One, it tackles the topic of what if you're not only gay but hopelessly in love with your straight best friend and two, it has a rather unique setting in that it takes place at a Rowing Club retreat.
Tobi (played by Robert Stadlober) is secretly nursing a serious crush on his best friend Achim (played by Kostja Ullmann). Tobi and Achim are very close friends and Achim roughhousing and playful teasing have only encouraged Tobi that maybe, just maybe his friend feels the same way. The two of them are members of the local rowing team and about to depart on a weeklong rowing retreat that ends with a big regatta with several competing teams. Many of the teammates are anticipating their arrival as there is supposed to be an all girls team from Berlin there, but to their shock the girls team dropped out due to illness and was replaced by a team "Queerschlag", a team made up exclusively by gay boys. Tobi catches the eye of one of the boys from the gay team, the sensitive Leo (played by Marlon Kittel). Despite the affection shown to him by Leo, Tobi still has eyes only for Achim as both a literal and figurative storm is brewing amongst the rowers.
I really enjoyed Summer Storm when it was first released back in 2005. Despite the film being from another country and being in another language, the emotion of the piece still rings out. The agony that Tobi puts himself through trying to let Achim know how he feels is palpable throughout the film, as is the frustration when Tobi just won't let go even as it becomes clear it will never happen between him and Achim. It's a balancing act, but Robert Stadlober does a good job never making Tobi seem creepy, just lovesick and confused. As I watched it, I kept wishing that Tobi would just get over Achim and give poor Leo a chance, who seemed like a far more viable romantic candidate. But, alas, the heart wants what it wants and I get the feeling Tobi was pretty much oblivious to any outside opportunities.
The film was directed by Marco Kreuzpaintner from a script by him and Thomas Bahmann. They treat the story with sense of tenderness, letting the heartache of the situation ring through. The film is also punctuated with a couple of comedic interludes as the other gay rowers take great delight in messing with Tobi's homophobic teammate (because of course there has to be one). Not only are they not phased by his remarks, they take delight in messing with him at any chance, making for some humorous moments to break up the angst. The film is beautifully shot, taking place mostly at the rowing camp and captures the German countryside wonderfully.
Overall, Summer Storm is a tenderly told coming of age/coming out story that is wonderfully acted and breaks free from the usual offerings of this sub-genre to break free and be a little bit more unique as it mixes in the ever-relatable feelings of unrequited love. It was a film I enjoyed because to a certain point I could relate to it's main character (although, unlike Tobi, I can take a hint).
