Retro Reviews & More

Welcome to the second edition of "Into the Fray." A quick reminder of how this goes: Using set criteria, I evaluate films, as an example, to declare a winner in a specific topic. One set of criteria is used to pick contenders and another to grade them, with inevitable overlap. I will write brief passages for each contender in each grading criterium followed by a score, and end with an overall score. To get a better idea, click here to read the first edition about sequels . Into the Fray: Trilogies Why a trilogy? Sometimes it is an opportunity to tell a story that will not fit in one film, and these are usually planned, e.g., The Lord of the Rings , The Dark Knight , etc. But, sometimes a first film is successful, and there is enough of a desire to experience that world again, even though it's not quite the same. The number of sequels end up making a trilogy, and that is the subject matter for today. To choose contenders, the trilogy had to have started with a standalone...

This will be a different type of post. No theory. No review in any form. No focus on trivia (just a few fun facts). It might be described as simple information and commentary.  Famous Vehicles from Film and Television Sometimes a vehicle outgrows being a mere prop. It becomes so iconic it is recognizable and celebrated years after release of the film or the TV show has stopped production. This post is about five of those, the ones I consider the most famous. It is not to say the film or TV series would have worked with the car plus any cast, story, etc., but it is to say it was important to its success. I will briefly describe the vehicle for those who might need a reminder, but this will not be the auto enthusiast's level of specs. I will then discuss why I think it is iconic including why its notoriety has endured, also briefly. Batmobile Let us start with the Batmobile used in the 1966-1968 Batman television series and the 1966 feature film. It is built from a 1950s Lincoln con...

Burton/Schumacher Bat-Multiverse Theory If you read last week's retro review post , I mentioned that the four Batman films released in 1989-1997 were marketed as the same continuity and indeed continue to be released together in home media collections. I also plugged this article, which will explore the possibility of a multiverse, before that fatigue has set in irreversibly. The catalyst for this theory is Billy Dee Williams' Harvey Dent in Batman (1989) was reportedly set to transform into Two-Face in a third film to be directed by Tim Burton, but instead Tommy Lee Jones was cast in the role for Batman Forever when Burton was relegated to producer. It is worth noting, a comic that ignores Forever and Batman & Robin , Batman '89 , did follow through with a take on that version, and Williams did voice little more than a cameo of Two-Face for The LEGO Batman Movie . But now we will never know how Williams would have adapted the character in live action. The switch is ev...

Introduction: Third retro review... Well, this will actually be four miniature ones, more on that in a bit. Reminder, a retro review is reviewing a past title as though just released and somewhat subtly including the context of the present (these are no different even though it's four at once) . To get a better idea, check out my other two: A Christmas Story and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles . Batman: The Motion Picture Anthology , as these films have been collected and released as, includes Batman , Batman Returns , Batman Forever , and Batman & Robin . These films are presented as and were marketed as occurring in the same continuity (plug alert: I will explore this continuity next week). Batman '89 was actually the film I used to explain the retro review concept when telling others about it, because there have literally been nine live action films prominently featuring the character, most straight up Batman films, released since (ten if you count Zack Snyder's Ju...

BATMAN (1966-1968) TRICKY TREACHEROUS TRIVIA! STICKY SLIPPERY STATS! I am choosy about, well, everything I watch, but today it's specifically campy content. As a rule, camp is no more a deterrent than it is an incentive to watch something; it is just helpful to me to know going in when I am otherwise interested in whatever it is. The absolute key to selling camp to an audience is that there is no self-awareness among the characters. This is where the 1960s television series and theatrical film, Batman , excel, in my opinion. The entire cast, led by the late great Adam West as Bruce Wayne and titular character, act as though they were not in on the joke. So popular during its short run, it became a point of honor to be a guest villain, attracting the likes of Cesar Romero, Burgess Meredith, Art Carney, Vincent Price, and even musicians such as Liberace and Eartha Kitt. Here are some statistics and trivia mostly regarding these appearances. Please note: Batman followed a two-episode...

This is a new category of post, entitled "Into The Fray." It takes a topic and pits films, as an example, against each other with criteria to score each to declare a winner, at least in my opinion. Before we get into the fray each time, I will state two sets of criteria. The first is to pick the contenders, and the second will be to grade each. Oftentimes, there will inevitably be some overlap of the two sets. Finally, I will write a passage about each film, scoring it in each category, and score it overall. Into The Fray: Sequels What makes a great sequel? I am sure that question has nearly as many answers as people who would answer. For me, it is simple and threefold. First, the original film must be good. Second, a sequel must logically follow the previous film(s), including warranting being made in the first place. This can, of course, include an entry in a planned series of films, but the right story can follow a film that previously stood alone. The main thing is it add...

Underappreciated, Likewise For the past two weeks, my subject has been underappreciated films with a lower budget (an estimated $25M is the top end) and not part of an established intellectual property. This is the last film of three that I had in mind for the time being. I began with Joe Versus the Volcano , and continued last week with 2002's Equilibrium . To be underappreciated is for a film to garner a low critical opinion and/or audience reaction, when it deserved better. The Last Ride (2011) | Biographic Drama I am a large fan of bio-pics, particularly those whom the subject is a musician. On Blu-ray or DVD, our (my family and I) collection includes 8 Seconds , 42 , Amadeus , Big Eyes , The Book of Daniel , The Book of Esther , The Book of Ruth: Journey of Faith , The Buddy Holly Story , The Case for Christ , Coal Miner's Daughter ,  Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story , Ed Wood , Goodbye Christopher Robin , I Can Only Imagine , I Saw the Light , Joseph: King of Dreams , La Bamba...