Sequels and Reboots In Our Genres

In case you've been living off the grid for the last couple years, you may be aware of a reboot/sequel/threequel that is scheduled for release next month . . . it's related to a 1984 comedy classic that many people in my age group hold near and dear.  Yes, I'm talking about the Paul Feig-directed Ghostbusters starring Kristin Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones. Pretty much since its announcement, there's been a split decision amongst the interwebs and, since the release of its first teaser trailer, Neckbeards and basement dwellers have been putting on their wrinkled NO MA'AM t-shirts in misogynistic protest.

For the record, this is not one of those pieces. 

Hear me out . . . when it comes to Horror sequels and remakes/reboots, why has there always been a problem with casting?  No one could play Freddy Krueger except Robert Englund -- this was proven when New Line and Platinum Dunes tried to remake A Nightmare on Elm Street in 2010.  Poor Jackie Earl Haley, while fine in the fedora and famous sweater, was up against impossibly stacked odds (not to mention a terrible screenplay) of trying to please a nearly thirty year old fan base that had been unequivocally used to only seeing one man portray the character.  Outside of the Horror genre, of course, there's Harrison Ford and the characters of Indiana Jones and Han Solo.  No one else could play either of those characters -- hell, even I was set to belly-ache when Chris Pratt was rumored to be in the running for an Indiana Jones reboot. 

Ultimately, what has both contributed to and, in some cases hindered (like the original Ghostbusters, its sequel and the never-ending stalling of a proper Ghostbusters III) film franchises of almost any genre?  Continuity.  Granted, with Halloween and Friday the 13th, there have mostly always been different guys playing those masked killers, so it's a bit of a no-brainer.  However, with Freddy Krueger, Indiana Jones, Han Solo, and even say, Rocky Balboa, it'd be pretty difficult to re-cast those iconic characters -- but why didn't it happen?  

As much as I love the storyline continuity throughout the eight Friday the 13th movies, why couldn't there have just been sequels picking up in the middle of one of Jason's killing sprees instead of following groundwork already laid out in previous installments?  One could argue that this occurred with Jason Goes To Hell:  The Final Friday and, with that being said, maybe that wasn't such a good idea.

My whole point is this:  why didn't our most beloved franchises -- Horror or otherwise -- follow the James Bond template and either A.) Have the leading character in simply a new adventure for each film instead of painting everything into a proverbial corner or B.) Recast whenever possible?  Imagine the wealth of Indiana Jones adventures that we could've had in the nineteen years between Last Crusade and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.  This could have easily solved the seemingly endless delays to get a proper Ghostbusters III made.  Of course recasting doesn't always necessarily work out so well as was the case with 2011's dreadful Hellraiser:  Revelations where Pinhead was infamously recast and, well, viewers decided to ultimately pass . . . though the character has again been recast for next year's Hellraiser:  Judgment, so we'll have to reserve our, er, judgment a little longer.

Of course, as I speak of recasting and reboots, I can't ignore the hugely successful Mad Max:  Fury Road, which seamlessly cast Tom Hardy in its title role or the never-ending superhero reboots like Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy or Superman and, to a somewhat less-successful point, Spider-Man.  The loudest criticism was hurled at the late Heath Ledger as soon as he was cast as The Joker; I'll happily continue to eat my own hearty meal of crow once I saw the film and hailed his genius performance!  On the pseudo-failure side, there's Andrew Garfield as Spider-Man which, for my money, didn't really need to be rebooted so closely after Sam Raimi's trilogy . . . though I suspect the failure there may have been more script-based and behind the scenes instead of casting.  Same goes for Brandon Routh in Superman Returns, a fine actor and great performance that ultimately was crushed under the weight of the character itself and fans' expectations.  On the same coin, Henry Cavill has done a fine job in Supes' tights, again with my only complaints coming from the script and/or direction.  With this year's Batman V. Superman, I'd say Ben Affleck as Batman wasn't too bad and, honestly, I'm looking forward to seeing more of Bat-fleck, as having an older big screen take was a refreshing change.

As I pondered possible reasons for why these famous characters were never recast or deviated from their narrative continuity throughout their respective franchises, there was only one that kept coming to mind.  All of the franchises I've mentioned were born (or thrived) in the VHS and cable era where many of us watched them endlessly and, as a result, they endured much more so than a film that we may have only seen a few scant times theatrically during initial release or an occasional re-release.  Maybe that's why the majority of the casting changes and story continuity changes in the Bond franchise were so easy to overlook?  Raise your hand if you literally wore out your VHS of copy of a Back To The Future, Indiana Jones, Ghostbusters, Rocky, Star Wars, Friday the 13th, or A Nightmare on Elm Street movie from watching it so many times....go ahead, I see you laughing, but it's true! 

So, while I'm not saying there's absolutely no sexist stance against this summer's Ghostbusters -- because it's quite obvious that there is, especially from the anonymity behind a computer screen -- I'm leaning towards the fact that those original characters and the actors who played them are so ingrained in a lot of fans' minds that it's almost impossible to accept change.  I'm not exactly thrilled about the movie myself, but it's certainly not because of its female cast.  Setting aside my nostalgia for the original and The Real Ghostbusters cartoon and toy line), I'm curious to see how it all plays out and will no doubt be there opening weekend.

And, of course, earlier this week it was announced that Platinum Dunes plans to soldier on and force another Friday the 13th reboot upon the world -- only, this time it will be different because it's going to delve into a part of Jason's origin that we haven't yet seen . . . by introducing his father, Elias Voorhees.  Originally, that character was to make an appearance at the end of Friday the 13th Part VI:  Jason Lives, though it was dropped before filming and the character was only casually mentioned in Jason Goes To Hell.  Listen, I'm all for another Friday the 13th movie but, dammit, why can't we just have a sequel that picks up like a Bond sequel, with Jason (looking cool and not like the haunted hayride knockoff of Freddy Vs. Jason of course) in the middle of a new adventure where he's doing what he does best -- hacking up teenagers?  Is that too much to ask?   My ideal Friday the 13th sequel would be just that with a poster tagline that reads:  "Not familiar with Jason?   Ask your parents to show you the first 8 movies!"  No need to rehash the past and delve into backstory that wasn't originally there in there first place; just give the fans what they want:  Jason hacking up teenagers via squishy practical special effects.

Metallica's LOAD: 20 Years Later...

Sometime in either late April or early May of 1996, as I lay there in bed trying to fall asleep, I decided to grab my Walkman and take a brief survey of the radio waves courtesy of 94.1 WYSP.  Almost immediately, my ears filled with the last 1/3 of a brand NEW Metallica song!  My arms and legs kicked with excitement as I sprung up in bed, eagerly listening to this new song from my all-time favorite band.  Images of the band thrashing about to “Until It Sleeps”, their long hair (or at least Hetfield’s mullet from ‘94/’95) whipping around, danced in my head.  I eagerly stalked WYSP for the next couple nights, hoping to catch the song again and record it to cassette – which I, of course, did and proceeded to play the hell out of!

 
Later that month, I saw them on TV talking about the new record; after what seemed like eons of being in the dark as they toiled away under a shroud of secrecy, Metallica were finally ready to release their sixth album, Load.  There they were, via an MTV News clip, sitting side-by-side on a road case talking about not giving a fuck – and they all had new, short haircuts!  *gasp*  The horror!  I do remember my eyes bulging out of my head for a split second, but other than that, I was cool with the short hair.  Other than that slight shock, I was game for what came next.


Back then, Metal Edge magazine was my go-to for any and all info on the band – never mind that I had a completed membership form for The Metallica Club that I somehow either lost or never sent in – and it was on the back cover of an issue that I saw the first promo image, advertising the release date of June 4.  There they were:  black pants, white tank-tops, Kirk with wing-tip shoes, black sunglasses and shorter hair.  It wasn’t evident in this picture, but Hetfield still had the last remnants of 1995’s Ulti-mullet.    

 

This band shot was what was on that original ad on the back cover of Metal Edge.

Sometime right before the record’s release day of 6/4/96, WYSP actually played it in full – all 78:59 of its 14 tracks.  You bet I recorded it, though I had a difficult time trying to figure out the song titles as the DJ didn’t speak very clearly.  However, that wouldn’t do and I definitely needed to pick up the CD myself when it was released…..on 6/4/96, my Mom took me to the Phillipsburg Mall and I purchased it from Alwilk Music, which had tons of record flats emblazoned with the album’s controversial cover art.  Before seeing it with my own eyes, my buddy Chris had seen it and said it looked like fire….of course, it was Semen & Blood III, but nonetheless. 

 

It’s hard to believe that twenty years have now gone by since Metallica released Load.  In those twenty years, I’ve graduated 8^th grade, started high school, fell in/out of love numerous times, saw Metallica for the first time, got my first job, got fired from my first job, learned to drive, graduated high school, started and graduated community college, met my true love, started at and graduated from Rutgers University, moved out of my childhood home and far away to Chicago, finally met Metallica (and saw them another 20+ times, including being on-stage with them last summer at Lollapalooza), got married, and became a home-owner.  Looking back, it’s crazy to still be able to close my eyes and literally put myself back into my best friend’s kitchen, the Until It Sleeps cassette single clutched in my hand, as I experienced the first moment someone actually HATED Metallica because of this new record and their overall stylistic and musical changes that came with it. 

So, to mark the occasion of Load’s 20^th anniversary, I’m going to take a look back at each of the album’s 14 tracks….

 
“Ain’t My Bitch” – leading up to the album’s release, I’d read every interview I could, clamoring for information.  One piece of info that I gained from this research was the fact that the band had used working titles for songs; so basically, in any given pre-released interview, they could be talking about “ZZ Top Song” or “Dusty”, neither of which appear on the actual album, though I believe the former is “Poor Twisted Me”.  Anyway, one working title or demo title was “Bitch”.  I actually remember calling WSYP and leaving a voicemail on some producer’s line requesting “Bitch…by Metallica”.  As a song, I’ve always liked it; it’s a strong statement about where the band’s collective attitude was – “fuck you.  If you don’t like, it’s not my problem.”  As I was entering my teen years, I started to really look deep into song lyrics and connect to them; Ain’t My Bitch was no different in that I consciously tried to avoid people who brought me down (in this case folks who hated on Metallica and gave me shit for it).  Live, I think it’s a great song that I’d like to see make a return some day . . . my favorite live performances are from the three dates on the Blitzkrieg ’97 summer festival circuit, where it had a slightly different intro.

 
“2x4” – truly the first track from Load that I’d heard, via a bootleg CD titled Hey, Hey We’re The Lemmys!  The song had been first played live on 8/23/95 during a special MetClub-only gig at London’s LA2 club and a recording of that track (along with Reload’s “Devil’s Dance” -- also premiered at this show) was on the CD.  I loved it immediately and, to this day, I find myself headbanging/headbobbing along with its riff all the way through.  Live, I’ve never seen it performed, but the recording from Donington 8/26/95 that was a B-side to Until It Sleeps has always sounded better to me.  I think the tempo is a bit faster and the fact that there are only 2 guitars throughout (instead of the layered production on the actual studio recording) makes the song livelier and, overall, just better.  Again, I’d love to see it get dusted off and played live again sometime soon.

 
“The House That Jack Built” – an epic song as far as I’m concerned and one that needs to be played live, though I can kinda guess why it’s remained unplayed; the solo alone may prove difficult since James did it through a talk box, something that has never been used live by Metallica.  Much like “Master of Puppets”, this song pretty much scared me away from even trying drugs or booze.  I wouldn’t say it’s a straight edge song of course, but it definitely has the “get it away” mentality that I’d find in various hardcore bands.  Lyrically, I think it’s some of James’ best work; it’s chock full of vivid nightmare imagery from start to finish.  The chorus is a monster, too.  That main riff is heavy and demands that you bob along to it.

 

“Until It Sleeps” – although it’s been vilified over the last two decades as one of their worst songs, I’ve always loved it.  I think the most fascinating thing about it now that it's 20 years old – I can close my eyes and immediately be back on the rail at Woodstock ’99 where I was grateful that it wasn’t played (I’ve only seen it live 3 times) as I’d kinda grown bored with it by then.  However, absence always makes the heart grow fonder and, currently, this is one of my favorites.  I think the song unfairly caught a lot of backlash because of its accompanying video -- because, ew, eye make-up, fingernail polish, and a hairnet(!?).  Lyrically and musically, it was probably one of the heavier tracks to come out in 1996; James’ lyrics reflecting his father’s recent passing from Cancer paint a very dark and grim picture of control, infection, and perhaps most mad of all, some sort of sick comfort.




 

“King Nothing” – In high school, I’d often refer to myself as King Nothing.  Not sure why I did, but I liked the ring of it.  As a song, it’s not bad and it’s always great live.  I’d seen it at almost every show between ’97 and ’00, so it was refreshing to not see it in 2003 and then to have it pop back up into the rotation in ’04 (where it sounded a bit off though).  Truth be told, when it was played last summer at Lollapalooza, it was the first time I’d seen it live in eleven years.  I’ll never forget watching the premiere of the music video one morning before leaving for school…still one of my favorite music videos.

 

“Hero of the Day” – never had a problem with this song.  In fact, I can remember coming home from school one afternoon, my Load cassette blasting from my Walkman, and the exact moment that a lightbulb went off in my brain about this song.  It was the line “’scuse me while I tend to how I feel” that had a Eureka moment for me.  I guess that line (and the rest of the lyrics on the album) was Emo to me before I’d even understood the term.  Always dug the music video for it, too; thought the chick in it was hot and the dude was cool because he had a Rancor action figure on top of his TV.  I thought the video as a cool departure in that the band members don’t play or perform the song (aside from James singing a couple lines while briefly shown on a news clip).

 

The art for the rare, radio-only promo single for "Bleeding Me".

“Bleeding Me” – another almost instant classic; my initial impression was sort of “Fade To Black Part II”, but over the years I’ve learned that lyrically, it’s more about getting it (bad shit) out so to speak.  Instrumentally, this is one of Kirk’s best performances as far as I’m concerned.  For the longest time, this was one of those tracks that I wanted to hear a live version of so badly; so much so that I tracked down a great bootleg audio recording from Stockholm, SWE 11/16/96.  It’s definitely an epic song and, when I finally saw it played live in ’98, it was worth the wait.  I got kinda bored with it though seeing it three shows in a row, so I was glad it got semi-retired from 2000 until popping up again in 2004.  When I last saw it live at the Fillmore on 12/7/11, it was a nice surprise actually.  The instrumental demo is really cool, too. 

 
“Cure” – an okay song that, honestly, I’ve skipped a bunch of times until I recently listened to the record from front to back.  When the record first came out, I liked the song though I obviously knew it wasn’t anything to write home about and would never be considered a classic.  Lyrically, it’s a bit repetitive, but I still enjoy it.  I’m actually kinda glad that it’s never been played live though.

“Poor Twisted Me” – a lot of people absolutely hate this song, but I don’t.  It’s not a “bad” song…it’s just different.  The vocal effect that James uses throughout it though?  That’s always annoyed me on other songs, but here it’s not too bad.  I quite like the acoustic version that I first heard on the “Don’t Call Us, We’ll Call You” pirate radio show in December, 1997.  Kinda bummed that I’ve never seen any of its few acoustic live performances as I think the song works better as a sort of “sitting on the front porch and jamming” kind of tune. 

 
“Wasting My Hate” – always liked this song.  In high school, it served a purpose for me with people who didn’t necessarily like me…I wasn’t gonna waste my hate on them myself, ya know?  At my first show on 3/7/97, I was a bit bummed when this was played instead of Fuel or Devil’s Dance, but until the Fillmore show on 12/7/11, it was the only time I’d seen the song played live.  I think it works really well live and, as a matter of fact, the performance from Later…With Jools Holland in ’96 was great! 

 

“Mama Said” – admittedly, when I first heard the steel pedal guitar in this song, I was shocked.  Hey, I was a 13yr old kid with a very narrow mindset when it came to music and musical tastes.  Country was garbage.  Pop and Rap were garbage.  Alternative was garbage.  You kinda get the point.   Anyway, lyrically, I think this song is one of James’ deepest and most personal.  It’s a really heartbreaking song when you listen to its lyrics.  Actually, I think the solo version that James performed a couple of times in 1996 is better than the studio version; just one voice and one acoustic guitar.  It’s interesting that this song was released as a single only overseas though; the video is pretty interesting and, like the Hero of the Day clip, is also a major departure for the band since it just features James alone, with the other guys popping up for a quick cameo. 

 
“Thorn Within” – “Hey!  That’s the riff to Sex Type Thing!”  Later on, it became “Hey!  That’s the Snakes of Christ riff!”  Over the years, I’ve seen people pretty divided over this song, but I happen to think it’s a fine one.  It could be pretty cool if it ever got played live, too.  Lyrically, it’s what I would call “typical Load” in that it focuses on someone feeding off of the negative and finding pleasure in sort of stewing about in hatred and disgrace.  In the age-old “what if Load and Reload were combined into one record” debate, I’d definitely keep this one.

 
“Ronnie” – perhaps one of the most vilified songs in Metallica’s entire catalog . . . a song built around a Skynyrd-esque, greasy Southern-fried riff with lyrics telling the story of an odd boy who shot a bunch of people.  I wouldn’t say it’s one of my favorite songs ever, but it’s okay and kinda fun, but definitely something that I can’t take too seriously.  It’s funny because so many people complained about the Country flair of this song that it almost seemed as though “The Unforgiven II”, with its relentless use of a B-bender throughout was James saying “You want Country?  Suck on this!”  One of my hopes for the inevitable deluxe remaster box set of Load is for the remaining unreleased demos to be included – among them, the demo of Ronnie with different lyrics about “…and all the white headstones in rows like Georgia cotton”.  Though it’s never been performed live (thank God?), it was jammed on here and there in ’96 and ’97 as a pre-show or encore jam. 

 
“The Outlaw Torn” – I remember playing this for my good Metallica buddy who had been struggling with the image change and some of the more streamlined songs and looser riffs on this record.  As the intro faded in, he was like “this part’s cool…” and then I think he kinda dismissed it once it turned into the epic jam that most fans all know and love.  While I’ve never particularly been a fan of jam bands like The Grateful Dead, I would definitely call this a jam song.  It’s currently the longest song in the catalog (not counting Lulu’s “Junior Dad” of course) with it being so long, in fact, that it had to be edited with a fade out in order to properly fit on the CD!  Personally, I’ve always loved this song and immediately connected with its lyrics – especially the second chorus/bridge towards the end.  It’s just a great, epic fucking song.  I can remember daydreaming about how it would sound if it were ever played live….and then, of course, it got its premiere in early 1999 during warm-up gigs prior to the initial S & M shows.  That version that appears on S & M is incredible; when I saw it played live at Madison Square Garden on 11/23/99, it was a euphoric experience!  Sadly, I’ve missed any other live performances of it – though I was particularly struck by the version played in Minneapolis, MN on 1/10/00 at the end of the short M2k tour…lots of cool reverb and echo effects on James’ vocals in that performance.  I’m very happy that it sometimes makes a live return every once in a while though (it’s only been played 13 times since 1999 – with the last being the Fillmore 12/10/11!).  Oddly enough, this song was actually the first taste of Load way back in 1994 when one its riffs was jammed on in the middle of "Seek & Destroy"!    

 

So, twenty years later . . . after all the hoopla and the “sellout” shit-storm has (mostly) died down – believe it or not, there are still teenagers who weren’t even born when this record came out, getting on the ‘sellout’ band wagon – Metallica are still here and about to release a new record.  Upon its release, a lot of people seemed to want to hear “the old shit” and now they’ve sort of switched it up and want to hear some of this stuff again.  I’m in that camp for sure, as I’m heavily nostalgic for this era….there was just so much attitude in pretty much everything the band did at that point.  Looking back at some of the interviews from this era, there’s a great sense of fucking with the audience and the perception of how or what a “metal” band should be.  The record ultimately debuted at #1 and continues to sell well.  Here’s to another 20 years!

The Howling (1981)

"Tell your parents you saw a movie with Slim Pickens in it!"

That is the foundation of my memory of the first time I saw Joe Dante's The Howling, while at a sleepover at my aunt and uncle's house.  As I've stated before, a lot of my interest in all things Horror stems from influences from my older cousin and, frankly, this particular movie is no different!

How can it be that I haven't yet done a piece about this classic?!?  Just yesterday, I read Kirk Hammett's write-up about some of his favorite werewolf films -- check it out over at his blog here -- which got me thinking about what I'd say is arguably my all-time favorite werewolf picture.

During that first viewing as a kid, I was absolutely terrified . . . just the title alone creeped me out man!  Even hearing that howl sound effect as the opening title graphic literally rips onto the screen gave me goosebumps (and still kinda does).  In fact, I'd easily wager that that particular howling sound and the one used in John Landis' An American Werewolf In London are tied for my two favorites -- just like the films themselves. 

The film follows Karen White (played by Dee Wallace Stone), a young TV news reporter, who is hot on the trail of "Eddie The Mangler", a serial killer who's been cutting up women on the Sunset Strip.  Along with her husband Bill Neil (played by Wallace's real-life husband Christopher Stone), Karen soon finds herself knee-deep in a lycanthrope nightmare!

Released four months before Landis' "monster movie", The Howling got the jump on terrifying moviegoers with some of the most impressive transformation special effects yet seen!  The man behind the fantastic work is, of course, Rob Bottin (himself, a protégé of Rick Baker, whose work in American Werewolf won him his first Academy Award).  Late in the film, Eddie Quist (played by Robert Picardo) transforms in front of Karen in, what is arguably the film's centerpiece!  For my money, this particular sequence shows a man who gets off on his ability to freely change into a ravenous beast; maybe he's not necessarily "evil", but he's definitely not changing into a werewolf for anyone's benefit other than his own!  In fact, to this day, whenever I see the dying rays of a sunset peeking through a set of window blinds, I can't NOT think of this film or this sequence! 

This leads to one of THE coolest elements of the whole film for me:  the fact that these werewolves can change whenever they damn well feel like it!  They don't need to wait until the next full moon; they see someone snooping around, trying to gather clues?  They'll turn into a werewolf and bite their damn throat out!  Simple as that.

One of the most fun aspects to the film which, ultimately, took a while to grab me is its wicked sense of humor spotted throughout.  From almost the beginning and straight through the end credits, The Howling is loaded with various winks and nods to either previous werewolf lore in film/TV/culture, pop culture, or the "self-help" craze of the 70s/80s.  Off the top of my head, there's a cameo from Famous Monsters of Filmland's own Forrest J. Ackerman, a cameo from Grandma's corpse in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, at least once reference to Wolf Chili, an appearance of Disney's The Big Bad Wolf, clips from The Wolf Man, and even dog food commercials! 

Another standout creepy piece for me has always been the ending . . . after escaping The Colony and an unfortunate encounter with backseat driver werewolf, Karen and her co-worker hero Chris (played by Dennis Dugan) decide that it's time to tell the world about the werewolf society.  Of course, this is all done during a live broadcast as Karen is supposed to be recounting the events of the out of control wildfire started at The Colony.  The film even shows the range of reactions from TV viewers as this all unfolds, ranging from youthful astonishment, confusion that the nightly news has been replaced with a late-night monster movie, to even skeptics dismissing it as cheap special effects!   

I know I've talked about before how, with pretty much every single one of these older films, there's a vibe and look to them that sets them apart from more modern fare.  In The Howling, it's 1981 with a sort of Urban Cowboy meets Hee-Haw vibe to the proceedings.  Early in the film, when Karen and Bill first arrive at The Colony, they are welcomed by a beachfront pig roast, complete with a Charlie Daniels Band tribute act!   This particular sequence, while not entirely terrifying, has always hit me pretty hard; as a kid, some of our family friends used to throw massive shindigs similar to this pig roast!  There was even a bandstand, complete with a Country Western (or, both kinds:  County and Western) band playing the hits of the day!  For this reason alone, The Howling has always seemed way more real to me than any other modern werewolf movie!

Real quick, before I forget . . . let's talk about that poster art for a second.  Man alive!  There's a reason why I had this poster in my bedroom and a second one (in much better condition mind you) hangs in our basement's guest room; just look at it.  Horrifying. Shocking.  Nightmarish.  Plus, that logo is the shit!  

And that ending?  As silly as it may sound, it's one of those shocker moments that, for me at least, has stood the test of time.  There was something about characters in Horror movies breaking the 4th wall and either addressing the audience directly or looking at the viewer that has ALWAYS creeped me out . . . Marsha Quist, last survivor of The Colony, looking right into the camera after she's asked how she wants her burger:  "rare".  And then Pino Donaggio's end credits theme starts up after another quick howling sound effect.  Damn!! 

The bottom line?  If you're a fan....you already know what I'm talking about.  If you're haven't seen it, give The Howling a shot!  You might want to check out the sequels with a sense of caution though, as they get progressively worse and worse...though Howling II:  Your Sister's A Werewolf has some kind of batshit crazy charm (and Christopher Lee)!

Aliens (1986): This Time It's 30yrs Old!

For as long as I can remember, Aliens has been a special and pretty much PERFECT film in my life.  The first time I can remember seeing it has to be during its original CBS television debut in 1989 and, oddly enough, I remember doing so through a pair of 3D glasses.  While I can’t remember if viewing through only the red or blue lens individually masked some of the grizzlier moments or not – maybe I was channeling the way martial arts films got around television censors before I even knew that was a thing? – I definitely enjoyed what I saw and, as far as I was concerned, it was on from that point.  Shortly after that, I fondly remember playing the Aliens arcade game from Konami which, to me, is still one of the best arcade games ever!

You all know the story:  57 years after the events of Alien, a team of crack commando Colonial Marines are sent to the deadly Alien planet of LV-426 to investigate the sudden communication breakdown with the colonists who’ve inhabited it.  Lt. Ripley, last surviving member of the Nostromo, is sent with the Marines as a technical advisor since she’s familiar with the creatures, only after she’s assured that they’re going there to destroy – Not to study. Not to bring back.  But to wipe them out.  

From there out, it’s non-stop action all along the way; as Bill Paxton’s Hudson exclaims “Express elevator to Hell. Goin’ down!”  Of course, it wouldn’t be until years later as an adult that I’d catch James Cameron’s Vietnam allegory not-so-thinly below the surface of the film’s OOH and AHH structure; it’s pretty blatant that the Dropship kinda looks like a Huey Bell UH-1 helicopter and that the Marines’ overconfidence and reliance on technology ultimately becomes their undoing against a far less-advanced enemy.  See, even the most fun and excited genre movie can have something important to say!

But yes, as the film inches towards its 30^th Anniversary on July 18^th, I can’t help but look back fondly on it and exactly how trendsetting it truly was.  Think about it:  how many genre movies have you seen where there is a group of “badasses” who look cool and spit out one-liners left and right?  There are way too many to count right?  In fact, 2002’s Resident Evil didn’t just try to borrow this formula with its group of commandos accompanied by someone who has a past history with the monsters, they simply had Michelle Rodriquez just replay the Vasquez character!  Forhelvede!

Design-wise, while H. R. Giger’s original creature designs will never be matched after his Oscar-winning work in Alien, my hat is off to Cameron and the late, great Stan Winston (that one still stings to type!) for re-imagining the designs a bit and making the Xenomorphs more bug-like in look and nature.  As far as I’m concerned, between Alien and Aliens, that’s when the creatures looked the best; all of the sequels (and AvP movies) have missed the mark in some ways. 

Speaking of creature-design, who doesn’t love the Alien Queen?  Dreamt up by Cameron and realized by Winston and his team, that bitch is truly one of the classic movie monsters!  Again, like the Xenomorph itself, any other film appearance by the Alien Queen pales in comparison to her 1986 debut.  There’s simply no contest. 

Let’s talk about that incredible score – which you’re no doubt humming right now -- from the late James Horner (that still feels odd to type) . . . the track “Bishop’s Countdown” that plays as Ripley & Newt are rescued by Bishop in the Dropship moments before the reactors blow LV-426 to dust is the kind of music that should be played during EVERY heart-stopping, pulse-pounding moment that builds to a crescendo in movies, TV, and life!  Oh wait, it already has as it’s appeared in dozens of movie trailers since 1986!

When I think of the movie Aliens, I’m immediately reminded of a special time in my life:  adolescence.  My best friend was Chris and his dad had a copy of the movie on VHS; though I don’t think we ever watched it.  However, once Alien3 was released in 1992, I immediately taped Aliens when it was shown as a seemingly free movie on Request Pay-Per-View – of course, I missed the very beginning of the film, so that tape I’d watch for years started with the Marines running into formation for inspection by Sgt. Apone as he proclaimed them to be “absolutely badasses.” 

It was around this time, at the age of 10 or 11 when Aliens really took hold of my interests and strengthened some strong friendships.  Along with Chris, my other Aliens buddies were John and his little brother Dan.  Together, the four of us would watch the film endlessly for the next 3 or 4 years.  Slowly but surely, the trio of me and John & Dan would become obsessed with all-things Aliens.  We collected the original Dark Horse comic books (or any of their seemingly endless spinoffs), were always drawing the movie’s titular creatures whenever & wherever we could, dropped at least $20 of quarters in the local arcade as we tried to beat the arcade game (we almost did, but the Queen got us!), role-played the movie with our toy guns (as well as the occasional Predator cross-over) and, eventually, collected the action figures from Kenner Toys!

As an adult, I find myself quoting Aliens in pretty much any given situation on a daily basis.  When I’m assigned a particular task, I’ll sometimes throw out an “I’m on it” with the same tone as Hudson; if I’m asked about something that I might not want to admit, I’ll deliver a “Yeah…yeah, that’s right” in the same, uneasy tone as Hicks; if I’m impressed by what someone has done or said, I’ll casually throw out a “Now all we need is a deck of cards” . . . I know there are plenty more that slip out, too.  Haha. 

Seriously, I don’t think there’s a single thing that I can find fault in with Aliens.  From top to bottom, Fox fanfare to fade out of the closing credits, this movie continues to rock my world!  Here’s to another 30 years!

12 Films That Have Stayed With Me

Recently, I was tagged in a Facebook post to rattle off 12 films that have stayed with me.  The instructions were A.) Not too think about it too hard and B.) To only use one film per director.  Obviously, the point of this blog entry goes against Rule A., but, I just thought this was too cool of a thing to pass up (plus, my buddy Richard Diaz gave me the idea of breaking each film down and why they're so important to me).  On with the list, shall we?

 
1.) Dawn of the Dead – the fact that I wrote one of my college papers on why I love this film so much speaks volumes.  To me, it goes together with me the way oxygen does…it’s just a simple part of me.  From the first time I saw this film, as a wide-eyed 5yr old who dug the sounds and images of Michael Jackson’s Thriller, to the time I rediscovered it as an 11yr old and falling head over heels for it, to ultimately meeting many of the film’s creators and visiting many of its filming locations. 

There’s a sense of comfort and familiarity that goes along with this film; it’s unmistakable soundtrack like a sweet lullaby or calming force.  In short, Dawn never gets old for me!

2.) Rocky IV – this was the first film I ever saw in a theater and, even though I was only 3yrs old, I still have very vivid memories of seeing it.  Both of my parents telling me that it was like watching a really big TV and that I had to be quiet (a rule that I’ve never forgotten nor broken) as they piled their coats up on a seat so that I could see.  I sat there in pure amazement, ignoring my parents as they offered me popcorn, candy, or a drink.  The only time I broke my fixed attention was…when I fell asleep.  BUT, I do clearly recall the scene of Apollo visiting Rocky at his home with his intentions to fight Drago. 

Perhaps one of the first albums I ever owned was the soundtrack to Rocky IV (I’ve since gotten it on CD and vinyl now too); each song inspiring me to climb mountains and beat up Russians.  It’s safe to say that, yes; this is another one that never gets old for me.

3.) Indiana Jones And The Temple of Doom – while I can’t say for sure whether I saw this or Raiders of the Lost Ark first, this one has always held a special place in my heart.  Sure, a lot of people would choose Raiders over Temple of Doom, but not me.  Maybe I saw a little of myself in Short Round, as I day-dreamed about going on adventures with one of my first childhood heroes, Indiana Jones.  Maybe it’s the borderline horror movie elements that creep their way throughout the story and set pieces; admit it, the Temple of Doom itself, with its towering Khali statue is incredible!  Speaking of which, who doesn’t love a lei made from human skulls and a grass skirt made from severed human arms??  Plus, John Williams’ score is fantastic in this; sure Raiders has some incredible themes on its own, but Temple of Doom has its titular piece that places during the human sacrifice sequence….if I had a band, that music would totally be our intro theme! 

As if further proof was needed of just how deeply ingrained Temple of Doom is in my psyche, as a kid, every time I’d see a rope or wire bridge, I’d INSTANTLY want to run/play on it because of the movie.  Hell, to this day, I can’t not see a suspension foot-bridge and not want to cut it in the middle and drop twenty or thirty advancing bad guys on either side of me into the waters below!

4.) Rocky – why yes, I am including two Rocky movies…different directors.  Next to Indiana Jones, Rocky was an early childhood hero to me (thanks mostly to Rocky IV).  As a kid, I remember seeing all the Rocky movies at various points, often getting them confused with one another – no thanks to the previous endings being repeated at the start of each sequel.  However, I didn’t really fall in love with the original film until high school.  I saw and still see a lot of myself in the Rocky character.  I’ve always felt like an underdog – especially in elementary school and, to some extent, in high school where I was considered popular and pretty much everyone liked me.  “His whole life was a million to one shot” . . . my million to one shot was going to college and becoming the first person in my family to do so an earn a degree.  Much like Rocko training for the big fight with Apollo, I busted my ass during my final semesters at Rutgers University (another instance where the Rocky IV soundtrack came in handy…listening to it as I studied for my absolute final exam literally before I walked over to take it!). 

In life, I’d also consider myself an underdog; sort of marching to the beat of my own drum and never really finding myself fitting in with the so-called status quo (whenever I tried to do so, it came off disingenuously). 

5.) A Nightmare on Elm Street 4:  The Dream Master – some of you may say “the sequels sucked! Freddy became a wise-cracker instead of a skin-carver!”  While this may be true to a fault, the first Nightmare film I ever saw was either Nightmare 3 or Nightmare 4.  In fact, this was the one that I remember seeing TV spots for around its release.  Regardless, it’s always been the one I’ve felt closest to.  The kids in it are all great and, to me, are realistically fleshed-out instead of the cardboard stereotypes you’d see in other horror franchises of the time.  Actually, they’re all kids I either wanted to be or at least hang out with!  Lisa Wilcox’s transformation from shy Alice to ass-kicking Dream Master is a great, believable arc.  Danny Hassel’s Dan reminds me of the jocks I was friends with in high school.  Andras Jones, as Rick, is the kinda dude I’d hang out with and/or secretly want to be.  To this day, I’m not afraid to admit that I still have a crush of Brooke Theiss as Debbie.  Haha.    

As for Freddy….well, this is MY Freddy.  As a kid, watching the entire series on VHS, I always felt that the first two films (especially the original) had Freddy “all wrong”.   From the sleeves with no stripes and hobo look (and voice) in Nightmare 1 to the general all-around evil nature in Nightmare 2, it all felt like the filmmakers were still trying to perfect the character. 

Plus…that soundtrack!  At the time, The Fat Boys and “Are You Ready For Freddy” was my jam.  There’s not a time that goes by where I don’t play Dramarama’s “Anything, Anything (I’ll Give You)” and not want to work out or kick some ass at something! 

6.) Back To The Future – growing up in the 80s and early 90s and being your average American boy, it’s safe to say that Marty McFly was a dude you were required to look up to and emulate!  In my eyes, anyone with a skateboard or riding a skateboard was Marty McFly.  Even though I have very fond memories of seeing Part II and Part III in the theater, it’s the first film that solidified my love for the series.  Marty was just so cool in pretty much every situation and always outsmarting Biff!  Maybe I saw some of that in myself, since I was never a big, muscular brute and I always thought I could charm or talk my way out of potentially bad situations.  Plus, what kid at that time didn’t think the DeLorean was the raddest car of all time or who didn’t want to rock out on a guitar like that?  Why yes…I did play air guitar on a broom to “Johnny B. Goode” many, many times.

7.) Aliens – I can still vaguely recall the first time I saw Aliens on TV, through the lenses of a pair of 3D glasses.  I kept switching from one eye to the other, making the picture either totally blue or completely red.  The thinking of a 5yr old, right?  Of course, another early memory revolving around Aliens was, or course, the accompanying arcade game released in 1990 . . . loads of fun that one!   Anyway, as a film, Aliens is exactly like a rollercoaster thrill-ride!  It was never “scary” to me, but always a fun ride with memorable characters – who didn’t want to be Hicks or even Drake?  In the early 90s, instead of just playing “guns” or “war” with my buddies, we’d play Aliens or Predator (especially when we get toy mini-guns!).  I was so obsessed with Aliens that I remember one night during a snowstorm, which was almost guaranteeing no school the next day, I took an old pair of greyish pants and colored black camouflage all over them to resemble the Marines’ gear!  True story.

Around 1992 when Alien3 came out, I managed to tape Aliens off of Request Pay-Per-View, which was for some reason airing it as a free movie.  Of course, I missed the very beginning and so the tape that I always watched -- until I bought the first DVD boxset in 1999 or 2000 – always started with the Marines rushing formation for inspection as they prepared to board the Dropship.  Also, don’t even get me started on the toys from Kenner….had them all…well, most of them.  Some of the mutant, hybrid Aliens were a bit too goofy-looking for my taste as the line started to die out.  In fact, when I first heard there was going to be a toy line from Kenner, I daydreamed of what the figures would look like – almost exact recreations of the movie, though the finally released line (based in part on an unproduced cartoon series) still fit the bill for me. 

Today, it’s one of those movies that I can quote verbatim and, in any given situation, I tend to throw out a line or two . . . I still say “I’m on it” just like Hudson after Hicks gives him orders later in the film!

8.) Michael Jackson’s Thriller  - “But this isn’t a film…” you say?  Bullshit.  Of course it is.  The reason for its inclusion on my list is pretty simple:  it was my exact introduction to all things Horror and monsters.  Being born in 1982, Michael Jackson was part of my being and the Thriller album as a whole was a huge part of that.  I can still vividly recall watching the Thriller music video in pre-school in 1985/1986 and being terrified of the were-cat monster (which I always thought was a werewolf anyway) and not really scared by the “monsters” in the second half of the short film . . . of course, then I saw Dawn of the Dead and my entire notion of zombies (and, most importantly, what they are and what they can do) made Thriller absolutely terrifying to me!

Let’s not forget that ending either . . .still creeps me out!!   Hell, even though I’m almost 34yrs old, just the intro of the song itself still kinda creeps me out.  Those memories and emotions I felt while watching Michael Jackson’s Thriller way back when I was knee-high to a duck have stayed with me for evigt!  And so, it’s because of Michael Jackson’s Thriller that I can trace the roots of my Horror fandom back to today.

9.) The Crow – the first time I read about this film was in an issue of Comics magazine and, while I’m not 100% certain, I’m pretty sure it was before Brandon Lee’s tragic death.  At this point, I had seen Showdown in Little Tokyo and Rapid Fire and so I knew Brandon was “Bruce Lee’s son” and that he was an all-around badass just like his father before him.  My interest was definitely there from a photo in the mag of Lee, in character with the make-up and trench coat.  This would be a cool movie.  And then he died and an entirely different vibe swept over the film and its release.

I was obsessed with The Crow . . . even though I absolutely hated the way people would point out to me that I was.  To this day, I kinda still loathe the word “obsessed” mainly for this very reason.  Ultimately, what attracted me to The Crow so much was that it was a story about love (which, given that I was 11/12yrs old when it was released and I was starting to have “those feelings”, I was looking for love) and revenge (hey, there’s still a part of me that would love nothing more than to turn the tables on those who tormented and wronged me).  This is a film that came along in an awkward period of my life…if I ever had a Goth or emo phase, this was it….grew my hair out (mostly because I wanted to be Vincent Vega in Pulp Fiction and/or because Metallica had long hair), wore a lot of black (mostly because of Metallica though) and started to immerse myself in music and movies and was basically finding my own identity.  Ultimately, I never owned a black trench coat, wore white pancake makeup, dyed my hair jet black, painted my nails black, or wore eye makeup…so yeah.  Of course, I was The Crow for Halloween that year, but that was about it.     

The film itself was awesome . . . it was one of the first movies that I rented and double-taped (as it wasn’t yet available to own yet) and got smacked in the face with macrovision copy-protection!  So, even though the tape copied, the picture constantly went from very bright to very dark throughout the entire running time!!  But, at least I had the movie!!

Speaking of music, this is one of the last great soundtracks that I can listen to front to back with no complaints.  Every track is great and, more importantly, is actually in the damn movie!  Nope, none of this “music from and inspired by” bullshit here! 

Over the years, my “obsession” with The Crow seemed to have waned a bit as there was a time where I literally didn’t watch the film or listen to the soundtrack for, at least, 10 years.  It’s one of those films (and soundtracks) that I can revisit and fondly recall those earlier emotions as well as continue to enjoy the story.

10.) Pulp Fiction – another film that I can quote endlessly (and still throughout lines from in almost everyday conversation) with an outstanding soundtrack from start to finish, this is one for the ages as far as I’m concerned.  Actually, the first time I heard of the movie was by seeing the theatrical trailer at the start of The Crow VHS that I had copied!  At first, when I saw Bruce Willis, I thought it was going to be a Die Hard sequel and that Travolta was the villain . . . imagine that scenario for a moment, will you?!  Anyway, that trailer kinda blew me away and I knew right there that I needed to see this film.  Ultimately, I missed it in the theater, but I do remember staring fondly at its theatrical poster in the light box at the movie theater that I’d eventually work at 4 years later! 

As a matter of fact, I had the soundtrack for Pulp Fiction almost 21 years ago to this day!  Yup…bought the soundtrack before I ever saw the movie and I can remember wondering aloud how some of the dialogue bits fit into the film – did Samuel L. Jackson play a preacher man (or at least pose as one) who got shot up?!?!  It’s safe to say that I wore that CD out because I actually did and took it back to The Wall music store, under their “Lifetime Music Guarantee” and got a fresh disc.  Side note:  how many of us just switched out cassette or CD cases with these famous blue stickers when something happened to the music?  Haha.  

My local video store was awesome; they had a killer Horror section and I never got carded for the stuff I’d rent – whether it was I Spit On Your Grave or, in this case, Pulp Fiction.  I actually reserved the very first rental of the VHS at my store and I remember being excited as hell when the day finally arrived that I could go pick it up!  As soon as the end of the day bell rang at school that day, I walked my narrow butt the mile or so down the road to the video store – straight from school.  I even remember waving to my teacher as he drove by while I was walking along the shoulder of the road!  My life changed that afternoon when I brought the movie home . . . in fact, one of my buddies was over and watched it with me.  I think both of us heard many words and phrases that neither had heard before (which we soon added to our vocabulary of course!) and, if I’m not mistaken, he got in trouble with his parents for watching the movie at my house! 

Good times!

11.) The Adventures of Milo & Otis – I’m pretty sure I didn’t see this in the theater, but it was one of the first movies that my mom rented for me on Request Pay-Per-View (along with Elvira: Mistress of the Dark).  To this day, it cracks me when people view my Film Aficionado collection listing and this is at the top since it’s alphabetical! 

Before I was all about blood, guts, zombies, and heavy metal thunder, I was a cat person (and still am, though I don’t have any pets any longer).  This movie and its story of a curious cat and a pug-nosed pup has always spoken volumes to me about the true meaning and values of friendship.  No matter whom you are or what your differences may be – even if you’re a cat and he or she is a dog – it doesn’t mean that you can’t be the best of friends!  Everything is just too cute about this film; from the adventure that Milo & Otis go on and all of the other characters they meet along the way, to the late Dudley Moore’s excellent narration.  One day, I’d love to see the original Japanese version of this film, though I’m sure it doesn’t have that great theme song!

12.) Night Patrol – to some, this is a film that is bottom of the barrel, lowest of the low-brow comedy at its worst.  To me, it’s one film that I will NEVER forget seeing for the first time in my life!  It was a New Year’s Eve party at my cousin’s house – 2002 into 2003 – and one of his friends had brought it over for a screening.  I was literally in pain from laughing so hard at those guys laughing at the movie!!  Everything about it friggin’ KILLS me!  The diner scene is worth the price alone, but just do yourself a favor and check it out . . . especially if you’re into or get the comedic styling of The Unknown Comic!