Is That a Joke? The Circle

Sometimes you'll see a movie that pisses you off like Alien Vs Predator: Requiem, which apes the best parts of two franchises without adding anything to the mix. Or one that infuriates you like Whiplash (who stole the folder?!) or makes you want to slam your head on a table like Nocturnal Animals (rich white people are sad too!). Then sometimes you run into a film that is just dumb. That's what happened with The Circle, a would be tech thriller from director James Ponsoldt and co-written by novelist Dave Eggers. You have Emma Watson as Mae, a struggling millennial working at a crappy temp job. Her parents (BILL PAXTON & Dick Tracey's Glenne Headly) are sweet but struggling with illness and she has a not quite realized love with childhood friend Mercer (Ellar Coltrane). But that all changes when she gets a job at THE CIRCLE, a bay area tech firm headed by Tom Hanks and Patton Oswalt that is banking on new portable technology which allows you to watch and listen to anyone/anywhere with minimal fuss. But of course things aren't what they seem as Mae isn't so sure the tech life is for her as the cost of doing business is high.

I figured this would be your typical cinematic thriller where a young, optimistic idealist gets swept up into the machine with an enigmatic mentor who turns out to be a bad guy a la Breach, The Firm, The Devil's Advocate, whatever.  But no, I actually wasn't sure if The Circle was meant to be taken seriously or was some extreme farcical commentary on where we are in the world and where we're headed. Or basically what someone thinks it's like working at a tech company that's never actually visited one. I've been working at tech and social media companies for ten years and I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the over the top depiction and how hollow it all felt. It's kind of like how people think government buildings are all shiny pneumatic doors and top secret this and that but they're actually kinda rundown and people keep walking right up to the White House doors past security.

For all the smart folks that are supposed to work at The Circle, they're shown doing really dumb stuff so you're not exactly invested in their journey. Mae thinks it's a good idea to take a midnight kayak ride out past the breakers, Circle Jerkers despise Mercer for making art from deer antlers (You make that phone, dude? You eat breakfast today, bro? You drive a car or wear shoes, bruh?), John Boyega plays a Circle co-founder who doesn't like what the company is doing and goes off the grid but openly attends every social and company function, etc. Watson, hot off of Beauty and the Beast, has a weird habit of half laughing as she delivers dialog, Tom Hanks doesn't get a ton to do, it would have been more interesting to see him as a menacing or maniacal antagonist and while it's nice to see Bill Paxton one more time, it's also kind of sad because his character is dealing with MS.

The film shot outside my old office at the beautiful Campus at Playa Vista so it was fun to see 90% of exteriors take place at the old stomping grounds. But that quickly wore off as the film drags on and there's no "take down the house of cards" or "pull the plug" ending. Rumor is that the film started production back in 2015 and I must have witnessed reshoots last year. You can definitely feel that in the film as it seems like scenes are missing and we get from A to G without anything in between. Just a waste of talent all around and you wonder what pulled everyone to it in the first place.

Happy Alien/LV-426 Day!

 
Here's some coincidental timing for ya, 2 years ago this week we were in Calgary for the Expo where we saw Aliens Exposed. Basically, the entire main cast of the 1986 classic reminisced about the film including Sigorney Weaver, Michael Biehn, Bill Paxton, Lance Henriksen and Paul Reiser. This year, following in the steps of Back to the Future Day on October 21st or annual Star Wars on May the 4th, The Alamo Drafthouse and Fox teamed up to put on Alien/LV-426 Day to celebrate the classic franchise that has now spanned 5 decades and 7 films with more on the way. Screenings of Ridley Scott's Alien and James Cameron's Aliens dotted the country with special edition tee shirts and swag available as well as giveaways online. The fun wasn't without a little irking though as Reebok released 426 pairs of Alien Stompers, the kicks that Ripley sports in part 2, but only produced men's sizes due to supposed retail interest/demand.

The Ace Theatre Downtown was alive and kicking though as the lobby felt more like a pre-show concert than a repertory movie screening. We walked by at 6:00 PM and a line was already down the block for the 7:45 PM start. Mondo had tee shirts and patches on sale that caused a huge queue, upstairs was a full on photo opportunity with industrial metal set and xenomorph statue. Statues and maquette's were on display along with themed dranks and snacks. There were multiple attendees in cosplay and more Aliens, Predator and Star Wars shirts than you could count. Post film, Vasquez, Newt and Ricco aka Jenette Goldstein, Carrie Henn and Ricco Ross participated in Q&A. I wonder what film will get the day treatment next. Until then, stay frosty.

Summer Cinema: Terminator Genisys

Following Saturday's phenomenal screening of Conan the Barbarian, Tuesday continued Arnold week with the release of Schwarzenegger's other signature role as the killer machine from the future, The Terminator. The 5th film in the James Cameron originated series sees The Oak taking center stage after sitting out of 2009's maligned but enjoyable Salvation. The Terminator is one of my all time favorite films and it's ground breaking sequel is high on my list as well. Cameron more or less closed the story but studios love a franchise so I wasn't offended by Rise of the Machines, Salvation, TV show The Sarah Connor Chronicles or the litany of comic books and video games set in the universe. I went into Genisys with hopes of a big, entertaining, sci-fi action spectacle set in The Terminator mythos. Sadly I walked out of the theater a bit disappointed.

The story is what you already know; computer defense network Skynet becomes self aware, launches nukes on humanity with the survivors being enslaved or fighting back as part of an underground resistance. Fabled leader John Connor (Jason Clarke) leads the fight in the future post Judgement Day but Skynet sends a Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) back in time to kill his mother Sarah. The resistance sends back protector Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney) who is actually in love with Sarah and ends up siring John. In Genisys, the timeline has changed, Sarah doesn't need saving anymore and another protector Terminator has already been preparing her for the future. Things go crazy when Kyle and Sarah time jump to a possible future in an effort to stop Skynet and meet with John, who is now part man and part machine after being injected with some nano-bot style bugs that changed him at a cellular level.

If that seems a little confusing it's because Genisys simply has a lot going on, much of it with no explanation or reason. The opening scenes in the Future War and 1984 work well enough. Director Alan Taylor basically recreates key scenes from The Terminator then writers Laeta Kalogridis and Patrick Lussier throw in a few surprises so it's not a total retread. But once John and Sarah jump into the future, things just get not very interesting. There's chases, explosions and gun fire galore but it all unfolds in a very bland and overuse of CGI way. I will say that the fight scene between old Terminator and '84 T-800 looked pretty fantastic and kind of creepy as Arnold slammed a younger, computer rendered version of himself around. There's plenty of humor and even some heart with Arnold playing protector, Sarah stricken with sorrow that everyone in her life dies and Kyle's disbelief that John is actually a Terminator. While the flick looks shiny and expensive, it comes off cheap and visually boring at the same time. I thought Jai Courtney taking over for Michael Biehn would be the weak link but he's fine with the material provided. It's Emilia Clarke as Sarah Connor that's the real problem as she looks like a teenage girl and just doesn't have much of a presence maternally or physically. Arnold is Arnold and a highlight of the film but playing a bodyguard versus an unstoppable monster doesn't provide a hugely memorable role. Jason Clarke is fine as leader and infiltrator John Connor.

The overall issue with Genisys is that it has no reason to exist beyond being a product to make money. Cameron's films already closed the story, Rise of the Machines negated that build up while Salvation missed it's opportunity of giving us a Future War movie. Arnold is the only constant here because he's Arnold so we randomly get Byun-Hung Lee taking over for Robert Patrick's T-1000, new actors as Kyle, Sarah, Miles Dyson, etc and most jarringly, some really random guys playing the punks brought to life by Bill Paxton, Brian Thompson and another guy in '84. Starting in familiar territory then jumping around into new periods just gives the film a jumbled feel with a little too much going on with plenty of questions to be asked.

While I didn't overly enjoy Terminator Genisys, I wouldn't mind giving it a second chance as years of Terminator and Judgement Day viewing has probably caused a blockage in my brain. Same thing happened with Captain America: The First Avenger where the film I was watching didn't match the film in my head for a couple of decades. When I was able to jettison those non-existent expectations, I really enjoyed Cap so hopefully the same thing happens with Genisys.

Con-Man: WonderCon 2015 Saturday

A little late but here comes my wrap up of Saturday at WonderCon this year. Last year Saturday was packed, like felt similar to San Diego packed. With organizers expecting 60,000 attendees this year I was prepared for the crush but honestly it wasn't too bad. The first panel I wanted to check out started at 10:00AM, same time the exhibit hall was supposed to open, but by the time I got there at 9:45, everything was flowing. In a new development, turnstiles and gates were installed outside the convention center so the religious protestor types couldn't mingle too much with attendees. I wonder what their schedule is like, I mean there's crowded sports events every weekend, do they show up to those?   

Superman: The Richard Donner Years Celebrity Super Reunion kicked things off with a massive guest list that included actors Margot Kidder, Valerie Perrine, Diane Sherry, Marc McClure, Jack O'Halloran and Aaron Smolinksi. Sarah Douglas got a flat tire on her way while producer Ilya Salkind was running late and eventually missed the panel. CapedWonder founder and Superman expert Jim Bowers co-hosted and there were several behind the scenes photographs projected to go with the panel. Apparently a book is in the works so I'll be sure to keep my eye out for it. Much love was directed to Donner for making the crew like family during their years together and for being an excellent director who handled each actor individually. Kidder was told to cut loose while Superman Christopher Reeve needed more precise direction which Donner provided. A great story came up when Marlon Brando thought the crew could use a rest but the producers balked at the cost it would take to do so. When pressed for the day to day cost of the shoot, one of the producers answered $350,000 to which Brando said he'd pay. Not sure if that day off actually happened...It was a great panel made even better by a video of Donner who couldn't attend because of Easter weekend and family commitments. A very heartfelt tribute to the films, cast and crew, Donner is always the man.

I wanted to check out Capcom's panel but it was filled and a line had already formed for the session afterwards featuring some podcasting type. That is one of the frustrating parts of these big shows, you never what kind of crowd is going to show up for a panel and then you get people just waiting through one for another. Anywho, some more walking around the floor followed and it wasn't too bad. Maybe the aisles were bigger so there was only congestion in a few spots. Walking around Artist Alley I spotted Captain America and Silver Surfer artist Ron Lim as well as his 90's Marvel mate Rob Liefield. Lim is one of my favorites as I grew up on his Cap work, I wish he would sell some postcards, buttons or some kind of swag so I could support him. Maybe I'll commission a full on Cap sketch to go with the quick freebie he did for me at another show. It was time for Warner Brothers' panel in the arena. Last year WB, Fox and Universal trotted out the likes of Bill Paxton, Gareth Edwards, Simon Kinberg, Gary Oldman, Andy Serkis and Luc Besson but this year film was way subdued with only WB showing Mad Max clips and San Andreas. The Mad Max scenes and trailers look great though; visual, violent and a bit weird. San Andreas director Brad Peyton and lovely co-stars Alexandra Daddario and Carla Gugino were on hand to discuss the film but energy was really lacking. The trio talked about a lot of the practical f/x employed but watching the clips it still looks like a CGI fest and I can't say I'm all that pumped for the flick. Just me? Afterwards we met up with The Arnold Fans maestro Randy who was in town for WonderCon and a fan meetup. It was great to chat with him and here's hoping we collaborate on something in the future.

The bar at the Hilton was SLAMMED so we headed to the Marriott for some snacks and dranks. A couple of whiskey gingers, mac n' cheese and a burger later we were energized to hit the floor again. We checked out Inside The Writers' Room, a panel assembling scribes from shows like Hannibal, The Big Bang Theory, Terminator, The Flash and Firefly. It was an informative session talking about what exactly is a writer's room, how it's good to either know what you want or what you don't want, having to recast actors, writing for certain actors, feeding you formulaic stories without making you feel it's not (cough, Mad Men, cough) and whatnot. We snuck out towards the end to check out Tarzan, John Carter, Doc Savage, The Shadow and Alley Oop: The Martian Legion Arrives! A look at the work of Edgar Rice Burrough's and a new book featuring his most famous creations along with other popular pulp heroes. Burrough's set up shop outside Los Angeles and the town of Tarzana was born. The ranch is now an archive as Burrough's threw nothing out, including a letter from Theodore Roosevelt denying Burrough's membership to The Rough Riders! Several Burrough's projects are in the works as the Tarzan live action movie is in post production, a TV mini-series is in development and a new novel by comic book distributor Jake "Buddy" Saunders is ready for release that teams up John Carter and Tarzan with The Shadow and Doc Savage?!

Even more walking around and we hit up some dolla, dolla bins, ya'll where I picked up some awesome Wonder Man, Incredible Hulk, Sgt. Rock and The Shadow comics. Also got one of those little Mystery Sci-Fi figures looking for The Rocketeer but got a frigging E.T., Damme it! Better luck was had with some Avengers mini bobble heads where we got Captain America, naturally, cause I'm charmed. A fun but tiring day, apparently we walked about 7 miles, phew!

View In Peace: Tombstone

The Scorpion King 4: Quest for Power hit home video and streaming recently starring a plethora of mixed martial artists along with genre staples Barry Bostwick, Rutger Hauer, Lou Ferrigno and Michael Biehn.  2002's The Scorpion King was of course a spin off from 1999's blockbuster update of The Mummy starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz that was produced by Sean Daniel and James "Jim" Jacks. It's been over a year since former Wall Street analyst turned screenwriter and producer Jacks passed away. Biehn had worked with Jacks years previously on 1993's Tombstone, the latest retelling of the Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday myth starring Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer. Like Hard Target before it, Tombstone's production was rife with issues but in this case nearly fell apart. Many in the cast and crew credit Jacks and especially Russell for holding the film together which became a Christmas box office hit and has lived on to become a fan and genre favorite.

Rambo: First Blood Part II and Glory screenwriter Kevin Jarre produced a well researched, epic scale script based on the trials and tribulations of the Earp family coming to Tombstone seeking riches in silver and gambling, butting heads with cowboys and the infamous gunfight at the OK Corral. At first attaching Kevin Costner to the project, the Dances With Wolves star walked and went to set up his own version with Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves director Kevin Reynolds and The Bodyguard writer Lawrence Kasdan. Andrew Vajna, formerly of Carolco, picked up Jarre's script and attached Russell after rumored Brad Pitt and Johnny Depp fell out. So strong was Costner's pull at the time, no studio wanted to release Tombstone except Disney's Hollywood Pictures. Permutations of casting saw the likes of Richard Gere and Willem Dafoe up for the Wyatt and Doc roles before Russell and Kilmer settled in. Jarre's script attracted a who's who of familiar faces with Michael Biehn wanting the already claimed Holliday role and choosing "villain" Johnny Ringo instead. Bill Paxton and Sam Elliott came on as Wyatt's brothers Morgan and Virgil while Powers Boothe sided with Biehn to lead the Cowboys, a vicious gang of gunfighters and rustlers. Screen legends Charlton Heston and Robert Mitchum gave the cast gravitas while up and comers Stephen Lang, Jason Priestley, Jon Tenny, Thomas Haden Church, Dana Delaney, Michael Rooker, Joanna Pacula, Billy's Zane and Bob Thornton filled the ranks of lawmen, ranchers, entertainers and hooligans.

Jarre was handed directing reins and the large ensemble cast headed to Arizona in May of 1993 where the skilled writer but novice director quickly fell behind. Meticulous in his research and approach, Jarre would get hung up on every detail from facial hair to costumes to saddles and saw the actors as figures only there to say his dialog his way. Shooting Heston's scenes as Earp ally Henry Hooker first, Jarre was warned by cast and crew that he would soon be fired for his lack of progress, overlong script and dailies that failed to showcase the famous cast. Disposing of close ups and instead opting to shoot everything in wide master shots. Just weeks into the shoot, Jarre was fired. John McTiernan was interested in replacing Jarre but wanted two weeks to review already shot footage to which producers could not oblige. Russell kept the picture together and with the help of friend Sylvester Stallone, brought in Cobra and Rambo II director George P. Cosmatos to finish the film. Along with Cosmatos came young writer John Fasano (Another 48 Hours) who was also working for Vajna's Cinergi Pictures at the time. Hopping on a private jet to Arizona, the new director and writer were introduced to the disgruntled cast and crew just hours after Jarre had been taken off the picture. Russell immediately backed Cosmatos and began working with Fasano to cut down the epic script. Retreating to the cast hotel, Fasano would work with Russell and Kilmer every night, shaping and rewriting scenes to fit the new schedule.

Jarre's original script depicted the Earp clan moving to Tombstone, setting up homes and being introduced to the bustling town. Robert Mitchum's character Old Man Clanton is more involved and we see the Cowboys battling local law enforcement from the states and Mexico. Characters are more fleshed out, especially Michael Rooker's Cowboy turned Earp supporter McMasters and Biehn's Johnny Ringo who in the film is seen a quiet, cold blooded killer but in the script comes off as more weird and anxious who turns to violence without warning. Truer to history, Wyatt forms an uneasy alliance with Curly Bill that is broken when tensions between the lawmen Earps and some of the Cowboys. Now it was Fasano's job to cut 20-30 pages that Jarre would not.

Russell bit the bullet first and volunteered to have scenes and lines cut, thus not making it solely about him and setting the precedent. Mitchum was rumored to have been injured in a riding accident and had his scenes removed, instead narrating the start and finish of the film. Fasano then had the unenviable task of approaching each actor and asking what handful of scenes made them take the part then jettisoning others. In real life the Earp's weren't as squeaky clean as Hollywood had depicted while the Cowboys weren't quite as evil but those tones of gray were removed in favor of clear cut good guys and bad guys at the behest of Disney and finishing on time. Russell and Jacks worked with Cosmatos, giving him a shot list every night and "ghost directing" the picture to a degree. While some actors were troubled and angered by their reduced roles, Val Kilmer simply said he'd sit back with his cough and little cup and steal every scene he was in. Tensions mounted on set with the new director, altered schedule and stifling heat. A reported 100 cast and crew members quit or were fired from the production.

After originally being scheduled to film for 62 days, delays stretched the production to 80 and into August with post production needing to come quickly as their December release date loomed. A two hour popcorn western came from the editing room that held together remarkably well. But Disney put little promotion behind the picture and it opened at # 3 on Christmas Eve of 1993 with a $6.4 million weekend behind repeat champs The Pelican Brief and Mrs. Doubtfire. The seemingly soft opening would put it at #51 for the year but the film garnered decent reviews and word of mouth quickly spread as grosses went up in it's 2nd weekend. Tombstone would go on to gross $56 million on a $25 million dollar budget and rank #20 for the year. Kilmer's performance was particularly singled out and has since become one of his signature roles.

Russell would follow up with successful big budget action films Stargate and Executive Decision then earn a reported $10 million to reprise his role as Snake Plissken in Escape From L.A. which grossed half it's $50 million budget. Kilmer replaced Michael Keaton as Batman in 1995 and cast opposite Robert DeNiro in Michael Mann's Heat immediately after. Starring vehicles The Ghost and the Darkness and The Saint would do little to prop up his leading man status. Powers Boothe showed up as the villain in Jean-Claude Van Damme's 1995 Die Hard in a hockey arena effort Sudden Death before re-teaming with Bill Paxton directorial effort Frailty. Michael Biehn reunited with director William Friedkin on the big budget bust Jade before being cast as a Navy Seal commander in Michael Bay's $300 million grossing The Rock.

Sadly, director George P. Cosmatos died in 2005 and shortly after stories of the troubled production on Tombstone began to emerge from among others, star Kurt Russell. Russell openly discussed the difficulties of production and bringing in Cosmatos as a ghost director. He sees the finished film as fine but feels it could have been a western Godfather if he had been able to edit it and Disney actually believed in the picture. Five time Academy Award nominated cinematographer William A. Fraker died in 2010 after a battle with cancer. History buff Kevin Jarre would work with Jacks on The Jackal and The Mummy but never recovered from the Tombstone experience and died of a heroin overdose in 2011. Jacks passed away in January of 2014, still upset that much of the film's fantastic original script ended up being cut out or left on the editing room floor. Writer/artist John Fasano died in his sleep in July after a 25 year career. Fasano would go on to work with Tombstone veterans Rooker, Biehn, Boothe and Zane among others stating that the difficult experience bonded them forever.

Enjoyable and epic in it's own right, Kevin Costner's 1994 Wyatt Earp would eventually cost more than twice as much but gross less than half than Tombstone with it's bloated 3 hour run time missing the mark with audiences to end up in DVD bargain bins. While Tombstone may not the be film it's makers originally intended, it still holds up as an entertaining, star studded and action packed affair for casual and dedicated western fans alike. It's a title that has jumped generations via cable, video and special edition DVD for Russell, Kilmer, Paxton, Boothe, Biehn and Elliott. Here's hoping we get to see the extra footage Kurt Russell has in his garage someday.

#HicksLives! aka Neill Blomkamp's Aliens

It was New Years day and I was recovering from the night before when it happened.  District 9 writer and director Neill Blomkamp's Instagram started posting concept art from a mysterious Alien sequel.  Not any old money wringing follow up though but what looked like a direct sequel to 1986's groundbreaking Aliens!  You know, where xenomorph attack survivor Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) joins a ragtag group of Colonial Space Marines to investigate what ends up being an overrun colony?  Then fights off the workers and their giant, bitch queen with pulse rifles, flame throwers, grenades and a power loader?  While Ridley Scott crafted an atmospheric, creepy slasher flick with truck drivers in space, James Cameron turned his sequel into a self contained roller coaster action flick.  Featuring a fan favorite and Cameron collaborating cast including Michael Biehn, Bill Paxton, Lance Henriksen, Jeanette Goldstein and Mark Rolston; Aliens has lived for nearly 30 years in various comic book, video game and toy form.

It wasn't the artwork of Ripley wearing some kind of alien costume, or his rendition of the mysterious xenomorph ship or even the sleek Weyland-Yutani technology that caught my eye.  Instead it was the return of mother fucking Michael Biehn as Hicks, the soft spoken Marine thrown into command after his superior is wasted.  By the end of Cameron's chapter, a family dynamic between "mother" Ripley, "daughter" Newt (Carrie Henn), "father" Hicks and "weird artificial person uncle" Bishop (Henriksen) was beautifully formed.  As you know, Biehn excelled as the sensitive yet physical action hero in The Terminator and Aliens before headlining projects big and small like Navy Seals and Timebomb in the 90's.  With a third installment inevitable but Weaver's participation in question, producers David Giler and Walter Hill pursued a sequel that could or could not include Ripley's character.  A script by cyber-punk author William Gibson following Hicks and Bishop on a space station was commissioned.  Early into the process, Biehn, the actor who brought Hicks to life after original actor James Remar was fired, was told he would not be asked to return.  I'm guessing the studio wanted a known star and not an actor who had provided great performances but played second fiddle to women in two back to back hits.

Gibson's script was deemed lackluster and Friday the 13th part Four director Renny Harlin was hired.  The visual and kinetic helmer from Finland worked on the project for a year, trying to take us to the alien planet but was vetoed due to budget concerns.  An idea to bring the creatures to earth and having Ripley and Hicks fight them there was also jettisoned.  Frustrated at the lack of progress, Harlin quit and went on to direct The Adventures of Ford Fairlane and Die Hard 2: Die Harder for studio Fox.  Eventually the notion of a floating colony turned into a desolate planet prison and after lots of wasted time and money, Alien 3 was released starring Weaver as Ripley with Hicks and Newt's characters being killed off in the opening minutes.  Originally, a double of Biehn post chest burster explosion was to be featured in the film but Biehn and his agent told young director David Fincher and Fox they didn't have their permission.  In the end, a photo of Biehn as Hicks was used and the actor was paid nearly his Aliens salary for his trouble.

What did Blomkamp's version entail?  Nobody really knows.  Nobody even knows if it was sanctioned by Fox or just a side project from a passionate fan who is also a successful filmmaker.  But having older versions of Ripley and a scarred Hicks fighting aliens again set the fan forums and internets on fire.  While some argued how you could skip Alien 3 and fourth chapter Resurrection (Ripley kills herself in 3 and is a clone in 4), I honestly didn't think it was that big a deal.  These characters have lived on for nearly 30 years in various formats with Hicks and Newt fighting their way through a Dark Horse Comics mini-series and Hicks (complete with Biehn voicing) popped up in 2013's letdown video game Colonial Marines with no explanation on how he survived.  Personally, I don't think the average movie goer would notice if they made a straight sequel to Aliens with no mention of 3 or Resurrection as enough time has passed and only a handful of hardcore fans would notice.  Let's face it, Fox isn't that interested in continuity, didn't you see half prequel, half sequel Prometheus?  Or how about the X-Men franchise which has no continuity: Professor X is evaporated at the end of 2004's part 3 then magically puts his consciousness into another body and by this past summers Days of Future Past is back with no explanation.  The filmmakers tried to address the reboot/sequel plot holes (offscreen, never in an actual movie) by saying Xavier had a twin brother who was in a coma for the last 50 years...Ok that explains why he looks like Patrick Stewart but why would he be in a wheelchair too?  Exactly, the $750 million bucks worth of movie goers didn't really care.  And the small pack of complaining fanboys don't make up enough of the general population to make a difference.  While no one is clamoring to see what Prometheus 2 would bring us, there has been an outpouring to bring back Hicks and Ripley so let's do the Damme thing!

Hicks lives, fuck Alien 3!

Con-Man: 2014 Wrap Up

It was a fun year of attending conventions this 2014 as we hit up no less than 9 shows in California, Utah, Washington and Calgary.  It will be pretty quiet around Southern California until February when the Long Beach Comic Expo returns for their one of two annual shows.  Let's take a look back at the year shall we?

March. Emerald City Comicon - This was our first year attending but I enjoy Seattle so it was nice to hit the town, see some friends and check out the show.  It's a big one, encapsulating nearly every floor and cranny of the giant downtown convention center on two sides of the street.  A huge exhibition floor along with a media area for panels and autographs, Lego display, Game of Thrones art gallery and much more kept us busy even if it was a little confusing to get around.  Off site theaters hosted podcasts and special screenings of fan favorites with cast in attendance.  People were very nice and our hotel rate was very swank with a nice con discount too boot.  A little sight seeing at the Pike, some sky high drinks at Rview (since closed) and lots and lots of rain.  We're going back in 2015 so that about sums it up.  Oh yeah, Michael Biehn and his wife Jennifer Blanc were on our flight up so that was cool.

April. Wonder Con - San Diego's sister show in Anaheim is always a blast, tickets are easy to come by and it's a large event stacked with programming.  We opted for a different hotel this year to ensure we had a refrigerator but boy was it not worth it as the place was kind of a dump. Better to stay at the connected Hilton and bring a cooler.  Unlike Emerald City, lots of great panels here about comics, writing, art, movie and television with guests like Bill Paxton and Jim Lee charming and educating the pants off us.  Really looking forward to this one again.

April. Calgary Expo - Another first for us and our inaugural trip outside the country for a convention.  Our plane was filled with guests for the show including Ricco Ross from Aliens.  Calgary was super weird in the sense that I had no idea it was so into oil and cowboy stuff so stetsons and big trucks were everywhere.  A beautiful city filled with polite folks, I was surprised at how bland the food was in Chinatown, at pubs and high end restaurants.  The show was held at a giant rodeo complex and was spread out over several structures of essentially a fairgrounds.  Access was not easy in and out so we stayed the entire day before going to a nighttime panel.  CE corralled cast and crew of The Hobbit films for a night of improv, story telling and demonstrations of fight choreography and make up.  The next night the entire main cast of Aliens was reunited on stage to discuss making a classic and reminding us that Michael Biehn and Bill Paxton should have a sitcom together.  A fun show but we don't have plans to return this year.  If you go, send me some dark chocolate Kit Kats because they are amazing and made from real chocolate.

June. BotCon - Held in gorgeous and idyllic downtown Pasadena, BotCon was one of the most interesting shows we attended this year as it wasn't about the all encompassing Popular/Nerd Culture but simply about The Transformers and their legacy of toys, comics, art and cartoons.  Just crowded enough with lots of exhibitors with all kinds of goodies for sale as well as voice actors from the shows and mother fucking rock and roller Stan Bush.  I actually kind of froze up when I saw him as his music has influenced my life for about 20 years.  Since BotCon changes locations every year, organizers set up tours of Los Angeles attendees could go on culminating in an awards show and concert.  The panel featuring voice actors was hilarious and inspirational.  I'd love to attend again if they come back to Southern California.

July. Anime Expo - Our first introduction to the wild and wooly world of Japanese animation was a doozy as the show packed in over 100,000 attendees in Downtown Los Angeles on a sweltering weekend.  Tickets sold out but there was free admission to the exhibit hall nightly.  It wasn't that different than a comic-con as anime is always a big factor at shows.  It was a nice warm up for San Diego as the place was so packed and B.O. was in the air.  A photographer friend took us around and showed us the cosplay backdrop area where costumed folks could pose in pre-made environments which was a unique touch.  Would definitely like to attend this year.  Better get back to Samurai Champloo and Attack on Titan...

July. San Diego Comic Con - The mother lode.  The mecca.  The place you lose yourself and find yourself, Patrick Swayze style.  From rooftop parties, reconnecting with old colleagues, walking the gigantic floor, hunting down exclusive swag (hello Expendables 3 poster and Batman Animated Series vinyl!), checking out six panels in a row, meeting Ernie Reyes, Jr., eating crappy convention center pizza and hot dogs, walking straight into Hall H and not camping out like a loon, volunteering at 6:00 AM, meeting a future moviebro, sky high dranking, it's just the best way to spend a few days.  Tickets and condo for next year already secured.

September. Salt Lake Comic Con.  Another first for a show and city.  Lines were out the door and just picking up badges was a fucking fiasco.  Really unimpressed with their organization after touting themselves as a challenger to San Diego, etc.  The actual show was fun, not a huge exhibition floor but big and varied enough to make for a nice half day of checking out.  Lots and lots of money gouging I mean autographs and photo opportunities for sale at this one so programming was pretty light.  Arcade set up was a nice touch and we met Danny Glover, who was awesome.  Salt Lake itself was quaint but weird, surprising amount of people living on the streets, built up and fancy one block, falling apart the next, bland food from a couple spots, we checked out a state liquor store and the surrounding area really seemed to be supporting the con which was cool.  They think they're as good a show as San Diego, they're not.  Would maybe come back in a few years once it builds up and gets organized.

September. Long Beach Comic Con -  Always a nice day out in Long Beach with easy access, a decent floor, okay programming and places to hang and check out across the street.  Feels like it used to be bigger with more going on but perhaps has plateaued and maybe on it's way down?  I hope I'm wrong and we'll be there for the next show.

November. Comikaze - Like Salt Lake, flaunts it's celebrity guests and show for fans by fans, grassroots sensibility.  Also like SL, feels the need to compare themselves to San Diego when they're not even in the same league.  Regressed from last year as entry took way longer than it should have considering it wasn't that crowded.  But as usual a nice sized floor, fun guests and light on programming. 

Sadly, we missed out on this year's inaugural Comics Arts Los Angeles show, hopefully it went well and a future event is in the works.  Also sad was He-Man and She-Ra centric attraction Power-Con attempted to move to New York from Torrance in an effort to expand it's audience but failed to sell enough tickets and had to cancel...This year sees Star Wars Celebration hitting Anaheim in April, a first for me and another notch on the ol' convention belt.  See ya at the show!

Ask Me a Question: Nightcrawler @ Beyond Fest

Beyond Fest, the for fans by visionary fans genre film festival kicked off Thursday night with the L.A. premiere of the new Daniel Radcliffe flick, Horns.  Friday night saw The Egyptian Theatre screening no less than three films in one evening, two in the big house and one in the redubbed El Rey Theatre, usually known as The Spielberg.  Giant lines had formed in the courtyard for the L.A. premiere of Nightcrawler, the Jake Gyllenhaal starrer and directorial debut of writer Dan Gilroy (Freejack, The Bourne Legacy).  The Egyptian was decked out in an array of impressive event banners and posters along with a stand for Death Waltz Records selling limited edition vinyl soundtracks and concerts.  After catching up with Beyond Fest founder and Dammaged Goods ally/mentor Christian Parkes, we took our seats as the place filled up to capacity.  Sat in front of us was one Edgar Wright which made me wonder who else might be in the crowd tonight.

American Cinematheque programmer and Humans From Earth producer Grant took to the mic along with Mr. Parkes and the two rattled off welcomes and thanks for their crazy 2 year old baby known as Beyond Fest.  Screening something like 30 films in under 2 weeks, 9 months of preparation was finally leading to fruition and at last glance, more than a few nights have sold out.  Robert Rodriguez's El Rey Network sponsored the event so half a dozen screenings were free.  Apparently you can submit your artwork and short films to the channel for possible broadcast and compensation!  Tonight's happening was co-produced by Jeff Goldsmith and his screening/interview series/podcast Backstory.  After a few trivia questions, it was time to roll the flick which I've only heard good things about.  Luckily, all of the pre-hype was spot on as Nightcrawler is one funny, fucked up and creepy movie.

Right away we meet Lou Bloom (Gyllenhaal), a seemingly nice yet odd young man with a propensity for violence.  Lou sells himself to every person he comes into contact with using a mix of straight forward moxie and internet facts yet learns a little something from each encounter or job rejection dealing with a real person.  A life of petty thievery is going nowhere and one night he happens upon a car accident on the highway.  Pulling over just in time to watch two cops pull a woman from a burning car, another vehicle pulls up and out hops Joe Loder (BILL PAXTON), a stringer/nightcrawler who video tapes the incident to sell to the local news station.  Inspired, Lou gets himself a cheap camera and police scanner and gets footage of a shooting.  He then sells the footage to local News Director Nina (Rene Russo) and the once murky future becomes suddenly clear.  Lou picks up a seemingly slow witted employee named Rick (Riz Ahmed) and the duo chase down gory incidents involving the affluent population that suburban viewers will eat up nightly.  Hungry for success, power and notoriety, Lou begins to leverage his position with the network while making several morally questionable moves to get footage.

With the movie still a month from release, I won't get too deep into the flick other than to say it's pretty Damme good.  I've never been much of a Gyllenhaal fan but after Prisoners and now Nightcrawlers, there's no denying his talent as an actor.  Losing 30 pounds to play the gaunt Lou Bloom, his wide eyed stare becomes incredibly creepy.  We don't get much backstory on Lou but know he spends a lot of time on the internet and is a loner.  That leads to his awkward social behavior which kind of reminded me of Quentin Tarantino and how he spent several years out of school just watching television and that shaped him into the movie loving yet odd personality that he is today.  In a sense it also reminds you of Jim Carrey in The Cable Guy where the television was his only friend so he yearns for something real and that desire becomes darkly twisted.  Gyllenhaal's performance is somehow a seamless blend of boy next door/door to door salesman/creepy stalker.  Writer/director Dan Gilroy does a phenomenal job in his directorial debut as the flick looks fantastic thanks to D.P. Robert Elswit (Boogie Nights, The Town) and is remarkably efficient, laugh out loud funny, visceral, intense and educational while reflecting on but not condemning a society that rewards amorality in favor of capitalism.  Music by James Newton Howard (Batman Begins, Macrotus anyone?) is ambient yet powerful and fits the movie perfectly. 

After the film, Gilroy and Goldsmith engaged in at least an hour's worth of discussion.  Goldsmith is a very smart guy who is well prepared and covered aspects of the business, writing and production.  It was getting late so here's a few snippets that stuck out in my mind that won't spoil the film:

- Father is a Pulitzer Prize winning author, wrote in his pajamas all day which inspired Dan and his brother Tony (The Bourne Identity series).  Biggest fan and harshest critic.
- Writes 7-10 hours a day, thinks about an idea for a while, outlines, researches then sits down to write.  Doesn't get writers block because by the time he's sat down, he's very passionate.
- After thinking about Nightcrawler for a couple of years, banged out a script in a few weeks.
- Went out with real nightcrawler with Jake to prep, racing around Los Angeles, visiting an accident site, at first repulsed but then admired professionalism of it.
- Movie made for $8.5 million, 28 day schedule, 23 of them nights
- Upset how State of California has let film production, one of the most lucrative, exciting and exportable products in the world, go out of state and country.
- Nightcrawler was one of 32 films selected by lottery out of 400 that applied for California Tax Incentive program.
- Gives massive credit to Gyllenhaal for making Lou such a rich character on screen.  Role is hero/villain/anti-hero,etc.  Met on Atlanta set of Prisoners where Gilroy pitched movie to the actor over a 4 hour dinner.
- Created a viral video to post on Craigslist, people thought it was real and was offered two jobs.
- On being a new director, controlled content which was star appealing and low budget so never any discussions of giving to a more established name.
- Brother John edited the movie, let him know what inserts to get, Dan and guerilla crew went back at least 5 times to get necessary insert shots.
- Wrote the first draft of Real Steel which was then altered heavily through development process.  Had to go to arbitration even though he'd never even seen the Richard Matheson material it was allegedly based on.

It was a late but fun night.  The movie, crowd and panel were great.  Really impressed with the scope and presence of Beyond Fest and excited for those directly involved that their efforts have been met with so much success.  See you Wednesday for Halloween with John Carpenter and Jamie Lee Curtis!

Fox (Anniversary) Friday: Aliens

To wrap up this Friday of Fox, it's time to celebrate the release of one of my favorite movies of all time, Aliens.  Hitting theaters on this day in 1986, James Cameron's war movie sequel to Ridley Scott's 1979 atmospheric slasher flick has been a constant in my life since that fateful Saturday night I saw it on cable as a child.  Just this year I've met Lance Henriksen and read his book, been on a plane with Michael Biehn, seen Bill Paxton at his first conventions, stood outside a restroom next to Ricco Ross, witnessed the cast reunite in another country, listened to stories from James Cameron and Sigourney Weaver and seen the movie twice on the big screen.  What's so fab about it?  I dunno, I've just always enjoyed the simmering pace that builds to exciting crescendos, the intricate yet large scale and lived in design, the cast of likeable and memorable characters, an amazing score, fantastic practical creature and model f/x, the terrific cast and just the feeling of being transported to a world not your own. 

It was also the film that introduced me to James Cameron, Michael Biehn, Bill Paxton and Lance Henriksen, who's work has always been among my favorite.  Cameron of course gave us classics The Terminator, The Abyss and True Lies before becoming the most successful director of all time with Titanic and then Avatar.  He's an inspirational fellow and reminds us to educate ourselves while seeking out new challenges to take on.  Starting with sensitive yet capable men of action roles in The Terminator as Kyle Reese and Corporal Hicks in Aliens, Michael Biehn has been one of my favorite actors for a long time.  His subsequent performances in Rampage, Navy Seals, Timebomb, K2, Tombstone, The Rock, Dead Men Can't Dance, The Art of War, Cherry Falls, Dragon Squad and Planet Terror show his abilities as an intense dramatic actor and under the radar action star whose inclusion always elevates a film's likeability factor.  Frequent co-star Bill Paxton nearly steals the show in Aliens as the squawking, high-strung yet hilarious Private Hudson and adds a goofy charm to just about anything he's in like Streets of Fire, Next of Kin, Predator 2, True Lies, Twister, Vertical Limit and the recent Edge of Tomorrow.  Gravelly voiced presence Lance Henriksen would also work with Cameron several times and class up joints like Stone Cold, Tales From the Crypt, Hard Target, No Escape, The Quick and the Dead, Alien VS Predator and Abominable later on while also just being a pretty cool dude.  After seeing their natural chemistry and skills at playing interesting, cool, fun and plain kick ass characters in 3-4 James Cameron films each, you just wish they'd keep on going appearing together in more films.  Maybe in Avatar 2 or 22...

Made for $18 million, James Cameron and producer Gale Ann Hurd set out to utilize the world that Scott's film had created but move in a different direction tonally to create a war film/roller coaster ride experience.  After battling a stubborn English crew seemingly more interested in tea time and group lottery pools, Cameron and company completed the film after 10 months.  Aliens opened up #1 on July 18th, 1986 with a $10 million dollar gross and retained the top position for 4 weeks on it's way to $85 million dollars, making it Fox's biggest hit of the year.  Since then, Cameron has only made one film outside the studio, 1991's biggest hit, Terminator 2: Judgment Day.  Aliens' performance was good enough for 7th on the years top grossers list behind the likes of Top Gun, Crocodile Dundee, Platoon, The Karate Kid II, Star Trek IV and Back to School.  Other notable titles released in the same year includes Transformers: The Movie, Highlander, Big Trouble In Little China, Heartbreak Ridge and The Golden Child.  The legacy of Aliens has lived on through 3 so-so sequels, 2 films with the creatures facing off with fellow Fox franchise Predator along with comic books, novels, video games and toys galore.

Summer Cinema: Edge of Tomorrow

Is it just me or has this summer been a touch lackluster?  Captain America: The Winter Soldier kicked things off in April but the season has brought us The Amazing Spider-Man 2, X-Men: Days of Future Past, Godzilla and then...I can't even remember.  I hadn't seen a new flick for a bit and Edge of Tomorrow was one that I had mixed feelings about but Tom Cruise usually isn't in bad or cheap flicks and it looked like it could be this year's Pacific Rim.  It wasn't a sequel or reboot but rather based on an obscure Manga from Japan by Hiroshi Sakurazaka I never read or have intention to.  I don't even know if it's even available in English.  Anyways, word of mouth was solid on the flick but it didn't set the domestic box office on fire in June but like Pacific Rim has been cleaning up overseas.  While it wasn't as fun an experience as Pac, Edge is definitely a big, well made, entertaining summer action sci-fi flick that should have done better in this climate of audiences allegedly tired of sequels and reboots yet shunning more original concepts then flocking to the latest Transformers flick.  Although Michael Bay and Marky Mark are the bomb.

Edge of Tomorrow is the story of media relations expert Bill Cage, a former ROTC member and ad agency guy until an alien war/invasion dried up all his business.  As Cage, Cruise is all smiles and smarmy charm in the opening minutes but is sent to the "supposed to be empty" front lines to help sell the invasion to the public.  In the future, troops wear suits of battle armor to enhance their strength and fire power.  Under trained and totally not prepared, Cage meets Bill Paxton's Sgt. Farrell and J Squad, a group of misfits assigned to protect the non soldier.  During the next day's attack, Cage kills an alien, dubbed mimics, but becomes caught in a time loop where he relives each day and must die to reset the clock.  Plastered all over the news and world is the face of Emily Blunt's Rita, a hero of a previous battle and dubbed The Angel of Verdun aka The Full Metal Bitch who carries around a giant sword to dispatch mimics.  Cage realizes Rita went through what he did but was thrown out of the time loop after not dying on a particular day.  Together they track down the origin of the alien menace and figure out a way to kill the the master which will wipe out the species.

Edge of Tomorrow is a big movie.  Big thrills, it's D-Day with aliens, drop ships, mech suits, creatures with big maws and swirling tendril limbs, excellent nice production value, lots of laughs and a dark sense of humor.  Given the time loop formula, Edge doesn't have an arc per se and gets episodic or vignette-ish with the learning to fight vignette, the getting to know Emily Blunt vignette and the how do we stop the aliens vignette so by the end I felt like the movie had stopped and started a little too much and I'd already gotten plenty of bang for my buck.  At just under 2 hours, the film feels a little long but not overlong.  Cruise looks great, he's aging but still handsome, charming and physical with great hair.  Bill "God" Paxton is terrific as Sgt. Farrell with his Kentucky accent, in your face but not obviously intimidating demeanor and reminds you a little bit of Apone from Aliens.  Blunt is her normal strong, stoic and attractive but not supposed to be bombshell self.  Go, The Bourne Identity and Mr. & Mrs. Smith director Doug Liman does an excellent job of combining practical and artificial elements to give us a more or less fast paced, fresh and funny summer flick where we can forgive some of the loose ends and just enjoy the ride.

Ask Me a (Hero Complex) Question: Alien(s) w/ Sigourney Weaver

Closing night at the Hero Complex Film Festival was a double feature of seminal science fiction cinema:  1979's Alien and 1986's Aliens with star Sigourney Weaver appearing for Q&A.  Both looked beautiful up on the big screen even though the sound on Alien was a little washed out.  Ridley Scott and Fox's sideways answer to Star Wars is a tense, atmospheric horror flick while James Cameron's follow up is more of an action movie roller coaster.  Both employ outstanding casts playing memorable characters, impressive set design, pulse pounding music and their own style of thrills and chills. 

Alien is more or less truckers in space, blue collar rough necks who complain about their jobs and wages on The Nostromo, a cargo vessel coasting through deep space.  The crew is awoken from hyper sleep by a mysterious beacon and land on uncharted planet LV-426 where they find a crashed vessel that contains a long dead pilot but hundreds of still alive eggs filled with nasty creatures known as "face huggers".  They attach to a host, impregnate them with an embryo which then bursts out of their chest in the form of a terrifying baby alien.  Then it's basically slasher time as the crew try to find the alien before they're all killed off.  I can honestly say I've only seen Alien maybe one time all the way through and watching it on the big screen the first thing that struck me was the absolutely amazing use of miniatures and models for the space ships and exteriors.  How anyone would want to go from the craftsmanship, scope, attention to detail and believability of Star Wars and Alien to the fake looking, shiny cartoons of today's CGI is beyond me.  Yaphet Kotto and Harry Dean Stanton's grumbling mechanics are funny and relatable while Weaver's Ripley starts off as semi cold and stand offish before having to fight for survival and plant the seed for the iconic heroine she would become in the sequel.

Whereas James Cameron received many technology related questions by individuals probably hoping for some enlightening morsel of what the future holds, between films Sigourney Weaver took the stage for a breezy, fun and informative Q&A with a surprising amount of gushing fanboy/girl love that focused mainly on the Alien franchise.  I wanted to ask about Galaxy Quest but didn't want to upset the mood.

- Alien was her first real movie coming from working in theater and had no clue how they were made or how to behave on a set.  Ridley Scott had to tell her to stop looking at the camera while Ian Holm was a gracious mentor and helped her through.
- Weaver just finished working with Ridley Scott again and he's still the same guy having fun on set, not giving a shit about rehearsals and a true visual artist.
- In theater, actors go out after performances for a few pints but in film, people go back to their daily lives, wives and boyfriends. 

- Runs into Tom Skerritt and reunited with Aliens cast at Calgary Expo.
- Describes her relationship with James Cameron as a "pair of old shoes", she admires him greatly and even though he can do everyone's job, still insecure about actors which gives them plenty of freedom, limitless takes and plenty of support.
- Hasn't thought of doing Alien 5 but going to Conventions for the first time shows her how passionate fans are and wishes to give them a proper send off.
- Would want James Cameron involved in a new chapter but a young, hungry, crazy guy should be at the helm as that's how Alien movies are made.
- Wasn't expecting a sequel to Alien but was told there was a great script by Cameron, she read it and was amazed at his take and furthering ideas introduced in first film.
- Alien was a beautiful set but actors couldn't touch anything and of course, nothing actually worked.
- Original space suits were flashier with pastels and Scott said she looked like Jackie Onasis in space.
- Scott had multiple outfits from NASA brought in to keep authenticity of space travel.
- F/X crew on Alien were brilliant but so low key, always playing pranks like giving her rum instead of water.  Was left dangling one day by accident towards end of production during lunch.

- Chest burster scene was only thing to survive Dan O'Bannon and Ronald Shusett's original script which was whittled down and firmed up by David Giler and Walter Hill.
- On the page was OH MY GOAAAWWWRRR!  So cast knew something crazy was going to happen.  Arrived on set to crew members wearing ponchos to protect them from the fountains of blood that would be splattered.
- Has each of her original outfits from the Alien movies and had to break a fan's heart when he thought he had the real deal in his collection.
- Movie was featured on cover of Newsweek so she knew it was something special along with the critical and financial success.
- Working with producers on Gorillas in the Mist when Oscar nomination for Aliens was announced, instantly giving her more clout as she didn't think some of the preparation they suggested was necessary.
- Gives credit to the cast and crew of each film being responsible for it's enduring legacy with special mention of Bill Paxton and Carrie Henn for Aliens.
- Surprised they trusted her to fire blanks, a real flame thrower and "bazooka" during Aliens finale and not injure stuntmen or burn down the set.
- Parts of Ripley based on a real friend who works for lobbyist group for the environment, admires non-profit workers as they always get rejected and have no money but keep going.
- Originally wanted to be a journalist, to be in the middle of the action and give reader a taste of what's happening.

Then it was time to settle down and watch one of my favorite movies of all time, Aliens.  It was a little rough this time out as I'd just seen it on the big screen a couple months ago, it was getting late, it was my 3rd movie of the day and my big lunch seemed like a distant memory to my growling stomach.  Picking up 50 some years after Alien, Ripley has drifted through space and randomly run into a deep salvage crew and awoken from hyper sleep.  The Weyland-Yutani company doesn't believe her story as LV-426 has been colonized for decades but when contact with the station goes down, it's time to send in the Colonial Space Marines!  Ripley, the ragtag marines and "artificial person" Bishop head to the colony where they find the aftermath of a last stand and no survivors save for Newt, a young girl who has been living in the air duct system while the rest of her family and colonists have been taken prisoner by the aliens for impregnating.

From the start, Aliens goes for it, not in an "in your face" kind of way but the story starts chugging along, dealing with Ripley post traumatic stress from the first film's events to being thrown into a new nightmare where not even heavily armed, trained soldiers can protect her.  Like a great roller coaster the anticipation is killer and when we finally get to the top of the ride, the exciting plunge is harrowing in a scene where most of the Marines are wiped out while entering the hive.  On this viewing I realized how nuanced Cameron's writing of core characters Ripley and Corporal Hicks was as they both start off low key then rise to the occasion and threat in front of them.  That was especially on display with Michael Biehn's portrayal of Hicks who comes off quiet and bored in early scenes then snaps into action when his superior is killed in the attack.  Barking orders and keeping the Marines together, Biehn gets to take command while spouting out random favorite line delivery  "Drake, we are leaving!" and blasts an alien in the mouth with a shotgun.  Bill Paxton's hilariously stressed out Private Hudson squawks and complains for much of his screen time but somehow never gets annoying.  Lance Henriksen's turn as android Bishop is equal parts creepy and comforting while Jeanette Goldstein and Mark Rolston are tough-cool as lifers Vasquez and Drake. 

Upon repeat viewings The Terminator has taken firm lead as my favorite James Cameron film, with it's taunt pace, Arnold's unrelenting threat, love story between Reese and Sarah, solid performances from all involved, down and dirty action sequences and driving score.  With Aliens and Terminator 2, the core, primal emotions and relationships are still present but somewhat weighed down with additional spectacle and action.  It would be interesting to see him do a small scale, non-special f/x requiring drama someday.

Ask Me a (Hero Complex) Question: The Terminator w/ James Cameron

This weekend marks the Los Angeles Times' 5th annual Hero Complex Film Festival, 3 days of genre films and special guests.  In years past I've seen Robocop w/ Peter Weller, Serenity w/ Nathan Fillion, Dick Tracy w/ Warren Beatty and The Mist w/ Frank Darabont and Thomas Jane among others.  I must have missed Year One...Taking place again at the Hollywood Chinese Theatre, this year is James Cameron centric with a double bill of The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgement Day tonight followed by Ridley Scott's Alien and Cameron's Aliens tomorrow with star Sigourney Weaver in attendance.  Tonight's Terminator double bill with Cameron appearing for Q&A sold out quick in spite of the ticket price increase to accommodate two double features.  For the fan willing to shell out extra, two rows of couches were added to the front of the theater for an up close look at special guests.

Like last years genre festivities at Cape Town and Hero Complex, TNT's Falling Skies sponsored the event with posters, patches and promos on display.  After a quick introduction, it was time for 1984's The Terminator.  If you're keeping track, this is the 5th time I've seen it on the big screen and arguably the most pristine showcase, no doubt at Cameron's request.  I'm guessing this is a cleaned up Digital Print as the image was gorgeous and the sound was terrific letting me notice things I never had in a theater or at home (blue and red police like lights on the Hunter-Killers, Henriksen's cop with leaked ink on his shirt pocket?!).  If you've never seen The Terminator but still read this then stop what you're doing and get yourself a copy, watch it, lock it in a box for a week then watch it again and repeat until you bow down to the gritty, B-Movie, Tech-Noir masterpiece that is James Cameron's first full directing effort.  Real quick: The Terminator is the story of a seemingly unstoppable cyborg sent back to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor, a young woman whose son will have tremendous future influence against computer defense network Skynet.  Lone soldier Kyle Reese is sent back to protect Sarah from the machine and hopefully save humanity in the process.  It was a bit of a subdued crowed with no applause for Arnold's title card but we got it going for Biehn, reminding the audience that we're all here to watch a 30 year old movie we love, so let's have some fun and make a great atmosphere full of energy and nostalgia, shall we?

Watching it again, the film's unrelenting pace was in full effect with the mystery of who The Terminator aka the T-800 aka Arnold Schwarzenegger and Kyle Reese aka The Father of the Future aka Michael Biehn really are and their implications on the life and future of Sarah Connor aka Linda Hamilton.  Foot chases, shootouts, car chases, crashes and explosions on the dirty streets of Los Angeles to Brad Fidel's pulsing, powerful crescendo filled soundtrack had the hairs on the back of my neck tingling.  Of course being one of my favorite movies, I had a smile on my face for most of the duration as there's just so much to love and remember in this movie from Arnold and Biehn's naked entries into our time, Bill Paxton and Brian Thompson as hilariously outfitted punks to the 80's hairdos, phenomenal post-apocalyptic Future War action sequences, Nike Vandals product placement, Rick Rossovich's pervy-funny boyfriend, Lance Henriksen and Paul Winfield's quirky cops, shotgun blasting, UZI spraying club shootout, doomed yet beautiful love story and plastique for dinner!

Post film, writer and director James Cameron took the stage for a smooth 45 minute Q&A with time for questions from the audience.  Strangely, the discussion topics were generally broad with much of Cameron's time devoted to talking about technology and his 3 Avatar sequels even though he said he was there to talk about Terminator.

- Arnold was submitted for Reese, Cameron went to lunch with The Oak intending not to like him but found him charming and intelligent and saw him as The Terminator
- Cameron had just watched Terminator and it's sequel recently with his 10 year old son to head off the boy seeing the R rated affairs without his consent
- Had no idea Linda Hamilton would be able to make the change, physically and dramatically, for the character of Sarah Conner in the sequel which finds her hardened by life and preparation for war

- Movie was shot for $6.5 million, proudly in the style of Roger Corman's low budget features using every trick in the book and Cameron thinks it looks like a movie with twice the budget
- Special effects budget for the first film was a slim $1 million bucks for all make up, opticals etc
- Told his story and for a brief moment in the 90's contemplated bringing Terminator to Fox but had moved on after Titanic
- Approached Aliens as a fan of Alien, carrying on what Ridley Scott set up and Ripley as lone survivor versus killing her off and doing his own version.  Loves David Fincher but didn't like that Alien3 killed off majority of characters built up in Aliens.  Hicks lives!
- New producers approached him but says his involvement is uncredited, behind the curtain stuff, just giving his thoughts on what could be and how Arnold's character can evolve
- Loved Spider-Man as a kid and wrote a long script-ment but Carolco went bankrupt and he didn't pursue the rights
- Says the L.A. Times erroneously stated that The Abyss was most expensive film ever made but his next film, T2, was.
- Uncharted waters on Abyss and T2 as the glimmering, water tentacle f/x were cutting edge using an optical printer on Abyss then taken further on T2 for the T-1000's liquid metal man's 42 digital shots
- Wouldn't re-release Terminator in 3D but has considered Judgement Day for conversion
- Thinks technology has already taken over and cites the overabundance of people looking at their phones at any given time as an example
- Personally would like to see a niche movie watching experience utilizing Virtual Reality that lets the viewer decide how the movie plays out
- Writing 3 Avatar sequels with 3 separate co-writers, sat down for a year and pumped out 1500 pages of notes to build the story and world
- Avatar Land at Disney World is going to be something special, complete with floating mountains and animatronic figures with 60 some points of articulation where many have 12 today
- Wrote Sarah Connor as an Everywoman who is tapped on the shoulder and faced with a great task
- Stripped away Connor's support system; friends, cops, Reese, ability to run, to make her strong
- For sequel, gave Arnold script on plane to Cannes film festival, at breakfast Arnold couldn't believe his Terminator character didn't kill anyone but he trusted Cameron and went along

Cameron was eloquent, funny, informative and casually brilliant throughout.  Like I said, it was a bit of a general conversation with technology and Avatar being primary topics and I could have used more anecdotes about the films themselves or just stories of working with Michael Biehn, Lance Henriksen and Bill Paxton.  Because let's face it, Biehn, Henriksen and Paxton are fucking awesome and a big part of that reason is because of Cameron using them multiple times in his films.  Of course much more was discussed but hey, you had to be there.  Which won't be totally true since I'm sure a video will hit the internets soon enough.  Since we just saw Judgement Day, we opted not to stay and while waiting for the elevator, received quite a surprise when the doors opened and Cameron was there with his handlers and security.  Hopefully he saw the shocked expressions on our faces as I wanted to yell "Put Biehn in Avatar 2!"

See ya tomorrow night for more Biehn and Henriksen on the big screen!