"Of all the arts, movies are the most powerful aid to empathy, and good ones make us better people."
-- Roger Ebert, The Great Movies

Friday, December 18, 2015

Wayne's World


  • Title:  Wayne's World
  • Director:  Penelope Spheeris
  • Date:  1992
  • Studio:  Paramount
  • Genre: Comedy
  • Cast:  Mike Myers, Dana Carvey, Rob Lowe, Tia Carrere
  • Format: Color, Widescreen
  • DVD Format:  R1, NTSC
"I've had plenty of 'joe jobs' - nothing I'd call a career. Let me put it this way - I have and extensive collection of name tags and hair nets." - Wayne Campbell

"Sometimes, I wish I could boldly go where no man's gone before, but I'll probably stay in Aurora." - Garth

"Aren't we lucky we were there to get all that information? Seemed extraneous at the time." - Wayne

Wayne's World  felt very much like a 1980s movie to me when I re-watched it, so I was surprised to see the copyright date as actually 1992. The story is about two best friends, Wayne and Garth, who live in Aurora, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. The two have a local public access TV show that they film in Wayne's basement called, "Wayne's World", and the film was developed from the Wayne's World sketches on Saturday Night Live. However, in the film, the clips of Wayne and Garth doing their Wayne's World show are the least successful parts of the film (they are very dated, and often fall flat).

The strength of the film, the part that shines, and still works, is that it's a buddy film. But whereas most "buddy films" are cop films - Wayne's World is about these two guys, good friends, who are into heavy metal music, and not taking life too seriously. The film also continuously breaks the fourth wall, as usually Wayne, addresses the audience directly. Garth, normally the quieter and shyer of the two - also, occasionally, addresses the audience. The constant breaking of the fourth wall gives the film a surreal quality and an avant-garde edge. But that doesn't mean the film is overly serious. Quite the opposite - it's very, very funny. It's also filled with clips of great music, and a lot of singing (almost exclusively cover versions of popular music).

The basic storyline is that Wayne and Garth have this cable access show, Wayne's World, that they put together every week, more-or-less as a hobby, though Wayne, at least, would like to do Wayne's World as a career. One night, Benjamin Oliver, an unsavory ad exec is flipping channels and he sees the show. He thinks it's the perfect vehicle for his biggest client, the owner of a chain of video arcades called Noah's Arcade. He wants to move the show to a cable network, have Noah's Arcade sponsor it, and use it as a vehicle for, essentially, half an hour's worth of advertising for the arcade. Benjamin's plot works in that he gets Wayne and Garth to agree to his contract, though when Wayne gets on set he blows up and refuses to do product placement (in a hilarious scene in which at least half a dozen different products are prominently placed and used). Benjamin meanwhile sows discontent between Wayne and Garth, and gets Wayne to think his girlfriend is cheating on him. But it all works out in the end (well, in the third alternate ending).

But the film's point isn't really the plot. The characters, Wayne and Garth, and their close friendship - a friendship that is threatened but recovers - is at the heart of the film. Also, the idea of personal happiness being more important than money or what others call success is a subtext of the film. Yet, at it's heart the film is just very funny - and enjoyable to watch. Wayne and Garth's personal optimism and infectiously happy outlooks make the film enjoyable to watch. The frequent music, covers, and sing-alongs add to the fun.

Overall, one of the oddest things about the film might just be the frequent anachronisms. The entire set-up, the "Wayne's World" cable access show is something that barely exists now. However, a real-life Wayne and Garth these days could easily do their own show on youTube, or create a regular podcast. Wayne and his new girlfriend, Cassandra talk on landline phones that include a cord. Benjamin's client owns coin-operated video arcades. The famous, and awesome, sing-along to Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" starts with Wayne putting a cassette tape into the car's tape deck (though later Wayne, at least, upgrades to an external CD drive). The film doesn't so much look dated as have moments of, "Oh, yeah, that's how we used to do things." Though, it's Garth who mostly correctly describes how he will bounce the special "Wayne's World" episode featuring Cassandra's performance off several communications satellites (which Garth mentions by name/number) - today such dialogue would be simplified to "bounced off several satellites") to Mr. Sharpe's limo to get her a  record contract. Even the three endings reference older films, such as Clue. It felt at times, like a window into the past.

Overall, I found Wayne's World to be enjoyable to re-watch, mostly because it was just so happy. Wayne and Garth's attitude towards women notwithstanding (Garth continuously talks about women as "babes" but can't get up the courage to talk to the pretty blonde he keeps spotting in their neighborhood.) It some ways the film was also like an updated American Graffiti in that it portrays a time and a place, though it's less serious in content and tone. Still, it's fun, just plain fun.

NOTE:  I normally don't mention DVD menus, but this one with the cable access opening is funny. Also, there are a number of hidden features on the menu (which looks like a cable TV on-screen guide).

Recommendation:  See it
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Next Film:  When Harry Met Sally...

Saturday, December 5, 2015

Van Helsing


  • Title: Van Helsing
  • Director:  Stephen Sommers
  • Date:  2004
  • Studio:  Universal
  • Genre: Horror, Action, Adventure
  • Cast:  Hugh Jackman, David Wenham, Kate Beckinsale, Richard Roxburgh
  • Format:  B/W prologue only, then Color/Widescreen (old)
  • DVD Format:  R1, NTSC
"You've never been out of the Abbey, how do you know about vampires?" - Van Helsing
"I read." - Carl

"My life, my job, is to vanquish evil. I... I can sense evil. This thing, man, whatever it is, evil may have created it, may have left its mark on it, but evil doesn't rule it. So I cannot kill it." - Van Helsing (re: the Creature)

Van Helsing is much more about style than substance, though as the CGI-heavy film moves along, it does improve - and it has some great moments.

The film opens with a black and white prologue - Dr. Frankenstein is doing his famous experiment to create the Creature, but after it becomes alive, he is confronted by Count Dracula. Dracula kills Dr. Frankenstein, but the Creature escapes with his body to the famous windmill. There a crowd of local people confront the Creature with torches, quickly burning down the windmill, presumably killing both Dr. Frankenstein and his Creature.

One year later the film opens into full color, and shows Van Helsing (Hugh Jackman) chasing Hyde of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde fame. Unfortunately, when Hyde falls off a roof he turns back into Jekyll - and dies. Van Helsing is blamed for the murder. However, he really doesn't have much to worry about because he goes to a supernatural MI6, where the cardinal, like M, is the voice of exposition. M explains that Van Helsing must go to Transylvania to rescue the last members of the Valerious family by destroying Dracula. Due to some sort of curse, that Van Helsing's Secret Order was also involved in, if Dracula isn't destroyed before the last members of the Valerious family die - the entire family (including the dead members) will be cursed for eternity. Yeah, OK - it doesn't make much sense, but plot is more of an excuse in this film, than something that's well thought out. Have plenty of popcorn and enjoy the show. Anyway, while at his secret headquarters, the Cardinal, like M in a James Bond gives Van Helsing basic info, some clues, and a torn piece of a scroll bearing a mysterious signet - which is identical to the signet on Van Helsing's ring. Conveniently, Van Helsing has also lost his memory. After getting information from M, I mean the Cardinal, Van Helsing goes to see Carl, a friar with more than a passing resemblance to Q in the James Bond films. Carl (David Wenham) kits out Van Helsing with special gear. However, Van Helsing surprises Carl by requesting he come along to Transylvania. The bookish, scientist-type, Carl isn't that happy about it.

Van Helsing and Carl travel to Transylvania where they meet Anna, the last member of the Valerious family (her brother had been recently transformed into a werewolf). Anna, Van Helsing, and Carl need to find and defeat Dracula.

There is a lot of CGI in the film, and the entire thing is digitally graded to make it look darker. The action scenes are good to excellent but lack depth because the characters are not that well drawn. This is probably why I haven't watched the film since it originally came out and I originally purchased the DVD. Anna is strong, capable, and an excellent fighter - but still manages to get captured by Dracula and has to be rescued by Van Helsing. Carl is an excellent character, and his ability to put together information from libraries and stained glass windows is a valuable addition to Van Helsing's quest. I also liked his character. Van Helsing is cool - especially his costume, and his weapons, but because he has no memory, and the audience for the most part only sees him when he's fighting - he's an enigma, so as a character he's hard to like - despite a good performance by Hugh Jackman.

About halfway through the film, as Anna and Van Helsing are escaping through some water-logged tunnels, they encounter the Creature. However, the Creature speaks, and feels bad for himself because everyone hates him. He also knows Dracula's secrets. Despite orders to the contrary - Van Helsing not only works with the Creature but in the end lets him go. The Creature shows surprising humanity, and is one of the better things in this film.

Overall, Van Helsing felt like a graphic novel adapted for the screen, though the credits list it as an original film (that is, written for the screen). The visuals were very typical CGI, but at times were impressive. They made have been more impressive in 2004. The entire cast, especially some of the smaller roles, also did a very good job - the acting can't really be critiqued negatively. The director also at times did some great things. A scene with a mirror in what turns out to be Dracula's Summer Palace is particularly memorable. Likewise, there's a hidden door scene that's far from the norm done seriously in so many films and parodied brilliantly in Young Frankenstein. However, the film also reminded me of The League of Extra-Ordinary Gentlemen.

Special Note:  I have the Ultimate Collector's Edition, which not only includes the film Van Helsing but the original monster films Dracula, Frankenstein, and The Wolf Man from the 1930s - all of which are worth watching at least once. And the original Frankenstein can easily become a Halloween tradition to re-watch.

Recommendation: Some good elements, but a bit average
Rating: 3 out of 5
Next Film: Wayne's World