Month: April 2016

I woke this morning at about 7:30-ish, got dressed and then I went to Wal-Mart to buy Star Wars: The Force Awakens on Blu-Ray.  Why?  Because today was the day it came out on Blu-Ray.  It’s funny:  It only seems like yesterday that Episode VII was released into theaters and now we’re getting it on home video.  Regardless, I picked up the movie and when I got home, I proceeded to watch it not once, but twice.  I think it’s that good.  Considering I saw the film three times in theaters, it should come as no surprise to anybody that knows me that I would do that.  So, why would do that?  I’ve already given my review and thoughts on the film in a post a couple months back, so everybody should know where I stand on the film itself.  What has entered my mind, is why I love Star Wars so much in the first place.  What does it mean to be a Star Wars fan?  The answer isn’t quite so simple, and it changes depending on who you talk to.  So, this is probably not going to be a small post.  I’m going to try to explain why I’m drawn to the franchise and what it means to me.

I don’t quite remember my first experience with Star Wars.  I know I was at least 1 year old when Return of the Jedi hit theaters in 1983.  What I do remember is watching the original trilogy on VHS when I was about 5 or 6.  These were some of the only movies that my parents would let me watch unsupervised.  So, my exposure to Star Wars and movies in general began when I was very, very young.  Star Wars was so much fun for me and I enjoyed every single moment in the trilogy.  My and my brother had some of the toys, so we would go outside and play Star Wars in our sandbox.  It was an idyllic time for me.  But the older I got, the more I began to understand what Star Wars was about.  I began to understand the story and the characters.  As I grew older, my experience with the franchise became more enriched because I watched the movies so much and understood what was going on.  I’ve been watching Star Wars ever since, and have not looked back.  My first theatrical experience with a Star Wars film, oddly enough was Episode I: The Phantom Menace.  Star Wars is an experience that needs to be seen in theaters.  Even the Prequel Trilogy.

So….what makes Star Wars so special?  Let’s start with the story.  It was a basic “good vs. evil” kind of story.  Nothing complicated about it.  The issues at stake were black and white.  I use the term “black and white” both metaphorically and literally; literally, because the colors that were used to distinguish good and evil were the colors of black and white.  Darth Vader was all black, and Princess Leia was all white.  That was done on purpose.  Again, it was a Rebel Alliance vs. the evil Galactic Empire.  The best films have very simple stories, or are presented in a simple way.  Now, I’m referencing the Original Trilogy, not the Prequels, which unnecessarily complicated things.  It’s not just a great story that drives Star Wars.  You have to have great characters, and the Original Trilogy had them in spades.  The first real character to be introduced would be the series’ main villain: Darth Vader.

From the get-go, you know who and what we are up against.  He’s powerful, scary and awesome.  He’s one of the most memorable villains in cinema history.  Despite the character being evil, you love him at the same time, because he’s just bad-ass.  Then we get our 4 heroes: 1.  Luke Skywalker, the farm boy with a destiny.  2.  Han Solo, the bad-ass cowboy/rogue of the series.  Then we have Princess Leia, while appearing to be the damsel in distress, is more than she appears.  Chewbacca, the Wookie, is Han Solo’s trustworthy co-pilot.  We also have our two lovable androids, C-3PO and R2-D2.  Finally, we have our Jedi Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, the man who starts Luke on his path to become a Jedi.  We would get more memorable characters as the trilogy went on: Lando Calrissian, Boba Fett, and Jabba the Hutt.  The characters at the heart of the story, are what really drives Star Wars.

Let’s not forget the great visual effects of the Original Trilogy, and I’m talking pre-Special Edition.  Nobody had attempted anything like this before.  George Lucas, on a fairly small budget, was forced to invent techniques and visual effects to help get his story across, and the results speak for themselves.  The camera-work, the models and the absolute attention to detail was amazing.  The ships were fantastic.  You had Han Solo’s Millenium Falcon which made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs.  The Imperial Star Destroyers are some of the most recognizable ships in science fiction.

This opening shot for the original film in 1977, blew people’s minds.  The moment you see that thing fly overhead, you were in for a very special experience.  The shot has been imitated in many different movies including the recent The Force Awakens, but it’s never been truly duplicated.  The space battles were absolutely thrilling, and because of the unique camera-work, allowed us to feel as if we were a part of the battle.  The music by John Williams was beyond phenomenal, crafting the famous Star Wars main theme, the theme for The Force, and The Imperial March for Empire Strikes Back.  The music truly helped immerse us in this universe.  Also: Lightsabers are awesome.

The original Star Wars trilogy had a major impact, not just on me, but on everybody else, including the film industry.  The original film changed things forever, and for the better.  I’m going to briefly touch on the Prequel Trilogy, because there really isn’t a whole let there that’s worth mentioning outside of Revenge of the Sith.  Episode II was a complete disaster, and Episode I, while not nearly as embarrassing as the second film, just was not a good movie.  Does that mean I hate them?  Not really, they definitely have good spots, with Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan and Ian McDiarmid as Palpatine.  What made the Original Trilogy really work was how the characters felt real and organic.  In the Prequels, they’re cardboard cutout with little to no personality.  Unfortunately, that also carries over to the Prequels themselves.  They’re pretty, but there’s not a lot of substance.  Lucas tried to change things up with complicated politics and whatnot, with an overabundance of CGI.  It just didn’t work.  The lightsaber duels are the best parts of the Prequel Trilogy.  The duel between Darth Maul and Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan is probably the best choreographed lightsaber duel in the entire saga.  But there was no real emotional impact from those fights.  In the original trilogy, Luke went up against Vader, found out that Vader is his father, and confronts him again in Return of the Jedi.  That was a father against son moment, and it was extremely powerful.  But it was also handled extremely well.

10 years after the release of Episode III, we get the start of a brand new trilogy with The Force Awakens.  This movie made me realize why I’m such a huge fan of Star Wars in the first place.  It’s got all the elements of a good Star Wars movie.  Yeah, there’s CGI, but J.J. Abrams balances that out with practical effects and costumes.  Again, the characters of the film are why I love it.  You have the new character of Rey, who is a scavenger.  Finn is the storm-trooper who turns from the First Order.  Poe Dameron is the cocky Resistance pilot who is great.  BB-8 is the new droid and he’s just as lovable as C-3PO and R2-D2, who also make an appearance.  Kylo Ren is the new trilogy’s villain(so far).  But you also have Han Solo, Leia, and Luke Skywalker from the Original Trilogy.  It’s a great mix of new and old.  Yeah, the story follows the original film pretty closely, but that’s a good thing.  It reminds us why the original movie was so damn good.  While The Force Awakens isn’t perfect, it’s still really good and is good starting point for the new trilogy.  Episode VIII has already started production and filming and will be released in December of 2017.  Beyond that, we’re also getting Rogue One: A Star Wars Story this December.

Let’s face it:  George Lucas, while he gave us the franchise, ended up bringing down the series with his lousy dialogue and overly complicated stories that for most people, ruined the Prequel Trilogy.  With Lucasfilm firmly within Disney’s grip, we can anticipate better movies with better writing.  I guess it took me a while to get to the point of this whole post.  I love Star Wars because of it’s incredible ideas, stories and action.  But the series also speaks to me, because we can relate to the characters and the struggles that they are dealing with.  Besides the great locations, visual effects and music, Star Wars means so much to me, because it’s fun.  This is why we go to the movies.  I will still watch the Prequels, because they don’t get everything wrong.  There are aspects to those movies that I love, and I will defend Revenge of the Sith to my dying breath, because it didn’t pull any punches and it was the story that everybody wanted to see, and we mostly got it.  In conclusion, Star Wars is just plain awesome.  Even the bad ones.

I mentioned in an earlier post that you sometimes see a film-maker use a certain composer for their movies.  Jerry Bruckheimer, a film producer tends to use Hans Zimmer as the primary film composer for his movies.  I’ll get to Hans Zimmer later this week.  But the reason that certain film-makers employ certain composers, is that they are incredibly familiar with the composer’s work, and how the composer will collaborate with the director.  Now, most composers will willingly collaborate with a director, even though there are exceptions.  The relationship between a director and his composer is extraordinary, and the most well-known director/composer duo is Tim Burton and Danny Elfman.  Danny Elfman also comes from Los Angeles, like James Horner, but unlike James Horner, Danny Elfman really had no classical education as far as music goes, but his natural talent for music is astonishing.  In fact, the first movie he scored was for his brother, Richard Elfman, who directed his first movie called Forbidden Zone.  But his real big break came with Tim Burton for Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure in 1985.  The rest, as they say, is history.  Danny Elfman has scored some of the most memorable films in cinema today, and continues to shape the film music industry in his own way.

Beetlejuice

Ah, Beetlejuice.  Where would the movie industry be without you?  This movie is absolutely one of the strangest movies that was ever made during the 80s, and has since become a cult classic film, featuring Michael Keaton in one of his wildest performances.  Equally strange and yet captivating is the score by Danny Elfman.  His use of the piano in the film as well some string instruments elicits a very bizarre response, and yet is one of the most recognized themes in film.  Honestly, words can’t describe this movie.  You have to see it for yourself.  This was just one of MANY collaborative efforts with Tim Burton.  The music is strangely funny and appropriate for a film like this.  I love it.

Batman(1989)

If there was ever a movie that truly defined the efforts between Danny Elfman and Tim Burton, it’s Batman.  When people think of Tim Burton, this is the movie they remember.  It’s memorable for so many great reasons.  It’s not just a great comic-book film, it’s a great movie in general.  It has a very dark and gothic feel throughout the picture, and is pretty bleak in terms of it’s main character, but it’s the music that really gives the movie its flavor.  The main theme of the film is so dynamic and thrilling, but it also has that mysterious quality that makes it so memorable.  While the theme would return in Batman Returns, the main theme for this movie remains one of the finest pieces of film music to date.  Just listening to it makes me want to watch the movie again.  That’s how good it is.

Darkman

A lot of what Danny Elfman does is pretty action-oriented, so you’ll be seeing a lot of those on this list.  That said, it’s not just Tim Burton that Elfman collaborates with.  He also does music for Sam Raimi, who directed the Evil Dead films(not the remake) as well as the Spider-Man Trilogy(before the re-boots.  Darkman is one of the most criminally underrated action flicks starring Liam Neeson.  It’s dark, funny and sometimes pretty creepy.  Sam Raimi does a fantastic job.  It’s probably the best comic-book movie not based on an actual comic.  The themes by Danny Elfman range from the highly energetic to the tragic and the insane.  It runs that whole gamut of emotions that makes for such a unique experience.  Some people might say this sounds pretty similar to the Batman soundtrack, but they would not necessarily be correct.  He uses similar instruments, so his movies have a unique sound, but he does it in such a way that is truly interesting.  Again, if you haven’t seen this movie, check it out.

Spider-Man(2002)

Another great collaboration with Sam Raimi, Danny Elfman hits another one out of the park with the soundtrack to one of the best comic-book movies in the early 21st century.  It’s another emotionally powerful score that is very playful at times and extremely action-packed.  Spider-Man is one of my favorite comic-book characters ever, and to see him done right in a modern live-action film is surreal.  Sam Raimi did an amazing job with an outstanding cast.  But the main score by Danny Elfman has become one of the most recognizable superhero themes along-side Batman and Superman.

Danny Elfman has accomplished so much in career that spans nearly 4 decades.  He has become one of the most recognized and talented film composers in the industry.  He also shows NO signs of slowing down.  With movies like Men In Black, Sleepy Hollow, and Corpse Bride under his belt, Danny Elfman has an incredible list of films that he can be proud of.  I think we can be proud of him as well.

It’s been a little while since my last Best post, but I figured now is the time to start bringing out the big guns.  By that, I mean I’m going to discuss film composers that have changed the face of film music and have left an indelible mark on the film industry.  The first of this group will be the late James Horner, who tragically passed away last year.   Born in Los Angeles, California in 1953, music has been in this man’s blood his entire life starting with the piano at the age of 5.  After training in London and eventually completing his Ph.D in Music Composition and Theory, James Horner would go on to become one of the most prolific and influential film composers in the world.  He has worked with some of the greatest directors in film history, including James Cameron and Ron Howard.  Some of the works I will be listing here are some his most well-known and amazing pieces that have become incredibly popular.

The Rocketeer

Very few composers can properly convey emotion the way James Horner could.  The Rocketeer was not only a great movie with incredible action and effects, but it also had a rousing musical score that could send your spirit soaring through the sky like the film’s namesake.  It was a very emotional, exciting and powerful soundtrack that wound up being used for film trailers.  This wouldn’t be his first score to do that, but it is quite possibly one of the most unique.  The music did an incredible job at capturing that epic sense of adventure.  From the opening sequence to the end credits, The Rocketeer had your attention for every second of the film, and James Horner was an extremely important part of that equation.  This was one of the films that I grew up loving and would love to see on Blu-Ray.

Willow

Speaking of adventure:  Another of my favorite childhood movies was the incredible Willow.  This movie had everything:  Action, suspense, thrills, comedy and romance all rolled into one.  It worked because of Ron Howard’s incredible directing abilities.  Val Kilmer and Warwick Davis steal the show whenever they are on the screen together, and so do the Brownies.  The real standout of the film is the score from James Horner.  He not only manages to capture the comedy perfectly towards the beginning of the film, he gives the character of Willow an emotionally powerful theme.  The villains have a really dark and militaristic tone, while Madmartigan gets a heroic theme that is incredibly fun.  Great film directors often have great film composers, and the team-up of Howard and Horner has resulted in a movie that is filled to the brim with adventure and excitement.  If there’s a movie where the good guys deserve to win, it’s Willow.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and Star Trek III: The Search For Spock

While James Horner had done work on movies before 1982, it was The Wrath of Khan that really gave the man his big break.  While the music was definitely a departure from Jerry Goldsmith’s extremely memorable soundtrack to the original film, it was just as memorable with new themes.  Horner also scored the film’s sequel, The Search For Spock and managed to give Spock his own theme.  Both soundtracks are extremely well-made but it was Khan that had the real emotional impact when Spock died(spoiler alert for the two of you who haven’t seen the movie).  Again, there is that incredible sense of adventure and action that really permeates the entire film.  These are great soundtracks to great movies.

Aliens

Aliens was the first collaboration between James Cameron and James Horner.  The relationship between the two became strained because Cameron didn’t give Horner the time he needed to properly write the music.  As a result the two wouldn’t work together again until Titanic.  That being said, what Horner accomplished in the time that he was given is nothing short of incredible.  Say what you will about the movie(which is freakin’ awesome, by the way), but the music is absolutely beyond reproach.  There is a highly militaristic tone to the entire soundtrack which is appropriate considering the film’s story.  But there’s also the small string instruments which the mother-daughter bond between Ripley and Newt.  It’s an incredibly exciting and emotional score.  James Horner was nominated for an Oscar for the film’s music.  He was also responsible for the most used and popular track in the film in which played during the escape from LV-426.  This particular piece has been used in many action film trailers up to and including From Dusk Till Dawn.  It’s phenomenal work.

The Perfect Storm

Based on true events surrounding what has been called “The Perfect Storm” of 1991, the film of the same name by Wolfgang Peterson is one of the most thrilling and spectacular disaster films of the past decade and a half.  James Horner has crafted and incredibly detailed, thrilling and emotional roller-coaster of a soundtrack utilizing not only strings, but electronic guitars as well.  It not only gives you the really exciting moments during the storm, but it also delivers on the tragic nature of the film, which surrounds the ill-fated crew of the Andrea Gail, which was sunk off the coast of Massachusetts during the storm.  The soundtrack to The Perfect Storm is perfect indeed.

I could go on and on about James Horner’s accomplishments during his life, but his body of work speaks for itself.  The man has 157 credits to his name as a composer.  That is no small feat for any composer, and yet, Horner has some of the most memorable pieces of music that I have ever heard in my life.  They can tell a story all by themselves.  Again, it is tragic that we lost the man at age 61.  I feel he had a lot more to contribute to film-making and to music.  His approach to his craft was unlike anything that anybody has ever done.  I am truly grateful that we have had the opportunity to listen to what he had to offer, and he offered so much.