Star Wars: The Force Awakens

I don’t remember exactly when I saw my first Star Wars movie. It was early enough in childhood that the story and characters became a constant background in my young mind.  I’ve known Luke, Leia, Han and Chewie longer than any friends I can call up.  To bring them back and extend their stories is a treasure, not just for me, I’m sure, but for every other life long fan.  And The Force Awakens does not disappoint.

In The Force Awakens, Luke Skywalker is missing.  Both the Resistance and the First Order (the leftovers of the Empire that just won’t die) are looking for him.   A map to Luke ends up with a droid, BB-8, stranded on the desert planet of Jakku.  Rey (Daisy Ridley), a scavenger girl, happens upon BB-8.  When a runaway Stormtrooper, Fin (John Boyega), finds them, he, Rey and BB-8 have to outrun the First Order and get the map to the Resistance.  There’s a lot of great action and old friends to help along the way.

While the Empire is dead, The First Order are just as threatening, if not more.  They have created another planet destroying machine, even more powerful than the Death Star.  While at first glance Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) is a Darth Vader wannabe, and General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson) seems like a Weasley brother gone bad, they are both prove to be characters we can love hating to add to the Star Wars saga.  And while we only see Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis) as a giant hologram, he is a powerful and menacing presence.  

One of my favorite scenes is the only one filmed in IMAX.  It’s the grand return of the Millennium Falcon.  Visually, it is one of the best chase scenes in the entire saga.  Rey maneuvers the Falcon just above the sand and in and out of old Star Destroyers with Tie fighters on her tail and Fin swerving around firing the cannons and BB-8 bouncing around in the back.  Fin and Rey make a great team we quickly grow to love.  The incredible moves young Rey pulls in the galaxy’s most notorious hunk of junk makes us believe she is destined for amazing things.  

While the film is full of action, fun references for fans and intense Dark Side moments with our new villains. there is a perfect amount of heart for old fans.  The love story that was budding between Han and Leia in the previous episode now walks a delicate line between sweet and sad.  I don’t want to spoil anything, but Han and Leia have gone from star-crossed lovers to an old estranged couple whose family was torn apart from the inside.  I’ll keep my theories quiet here, but I believe we will find out more in episode VIII.  Just seeing Han and Leia again for the first time in over 30 years itself is a love story for the ages.

I could gush on and on about The Force Awakens.  It gets so much right for the fans.  It brought some nostalgia, shows some new tricks, thrills, breaks hearts, yet left me and others completely satisfied and itching for the story to continue.  Seriously, if you still haven’t seen The Force Awakens, go now.  Don’t risk letting anyone spoil this for you.  

“How do we blow it up? There’s always a way to do that.”

Blade Runner

Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner is considered one of those great science fiction movies that has risen to cult status.  Every nerd and film nerd has seen it and if they were around, saw it re-released in 1992.  It is currently ranked #123 on IMDB, #97 on AFI’s 100 Years…100 Movies list and #6 on AFI’s top 10 sci-fi films.  Yet, at the risk of sounding like a complete film blasphemer, I just don’t think I quite get it.

Don’t get me wrong, I do think Blade Runner is a good movie.  The story is interesting enough, we’ve got Deckard (Harrison Ford) coming out of retirement for one last run to round up a few stray replicants.  From what I understand, replicants are bio-engineered super smart people used as slaves that are illegal on Earth.  Why you would create slaves smarter than their masters doesn’t make sense to me, but that’s for another time.  Anyway, we watch Deckard run through the hazy LA streets, fly in cool flying cars and be a basic bad-ass while a few rogue replicants are causing trouble for their freedom.  It’s a great ride, and to stir up the pot more, he falls in love with a replicant.

Blade Runner is an extremely visual film.  The images of a wet, dreary LA, enveloped in layers of fog and neon lights beaming behind it always blows me away.  The shots of the city skyline are beautiful but then the flames shooting up add an unexpected archaic element.  The wild, futuristic costumes and sets have a bit of a punk rock vibe with some classic noir aspects.  The only Oscar nominations the film received were for art direction and visual effects.

However, some of the acting throws me off.  It doesn’t feel real, and sometimes crosses the line to where I can’t take it seriously (“Wake up! Time to die!”).  Yet, I find it understandable.  These replicants are not real humans and it’s stated that they don’t have as much emotional experience and are more detached.  I’m not sure if that can really justify moments that make our characters seem so cookie-cutter and out of touch.

I can’t wait until 2019 when everyone complains about how Blade Runner obviously got the future all wrong.  I can tell you right now, we’re not going to have flying cars, not even in LA where they desperately need something to alleviate the traffic.  No amount of climate change will turn LA into a rainy, dark place in only 6 years.  And there is way too many people smoking, but hey, that adds to the foggy noir atmosphere.

Of course, there is the big debate people get into after this film: is Deckard a replicant?  The evidence is ambiguous, he does seem emotionally detached and smarter than most humans.  My thought has always been, perhaps they needed a replicant to find and “retire” other replicants.  But what a can of worms that becomes at the end!  In 2000, Ridley Scott, the film’s director, came out and said that Deckard is indeed a replicant, much to Ford’s dismay.  So much for debating now, but it’s still fun.

I guess, in the end Blade Runner is a pretty awesome film.  It’s visually striking, has some great sci-fi elements and has a good mix of action and noir.  The fact that I’ve never been able to get into the story is probably just me, however by the end I am loving all the symbolism and meaning I find in Roy’s final decision.  And the philosophical ideas separating humans and replicants swim in my mind for days after seeing Blade Runner.

“The report read “Routine retirement of a replicant.”  That didn’t make me feel any better about shooting a woman in the back.”

Raiders of the Lost Ark

I must have seen some form of an Indiana Jones movie before I was five, because I remember being no older than six and trying to use a jump rope as a whip to swing from the tree in the yard.  I realize now that the Indiana Jones trilogy has influenced me much more than normal people should be influenced by a film.  Perhaps it was the reason I had that stage where I constantly wore a hat or became so interested in ancient history and mythology.  There were a few Indy-inspired daring moments in my first car that I’ll never attempt again.  My poor, well-loved leather jacket looks like it has been to hell and back, though it’s never seen a day quite as exciting as Indy’s.  But I keep patching her up and recounting stories of the battle scars.  The one thing I didn’t understand about Indy was his fear of snakes, I find them beautiful and their scales are soothing, but everyone needs their kryptonite.  It’s no surprise that Raiders of the Lost Ark is my all time favorite film, and I seriously doubt that anything, new or otherwise will ever change that.

In case you’re the kind who has only caught Raiders in bits and pieces over the last thirty years, Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is an archaeologist.  He’s one of the fantastic lucky ones who travels the world looking for key pieces of ancient lore.  His travels seem to take him to booby-trapped temples and leave him running from angry natives on a regular basis.  Because of his extensive knowledge and daring reputation, he is asked by the US government to find the Ark of the Covenant before Hitler’s band of Nazis do.  That leads him to Nepal, to borrow an ancient relic from a colleague’s daughter and old flame, Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen).  After an exciting gunfight that burns Marion’s bar to the snowy ground, they’re off to Cairo, to meet his old friend Sallah (John Rhys-Davies).  But the Nazis are on their trail and kidnap Marion.  The Nazi’s search for the Ark is lead by Indy’s old rival Dr. Belloq (Paul Freeman), but without the headpiece that Indy holds, they’re digging in the wrong place.  But when the Ark is found, it’s important to remember that legend and religion say that it holds the wrath of God.

Frankly, Indy should be dead with all he’s been through.  There are so many moments of sheer luck, but that amazed kid in us is hanging on that every moment, cheering him on so much that we completely buy into every close call and would be crushed if he were flattened by that rock.  Or shot by those arrows.  Or trapped in the Well of Souls.  Or ran into that propeller blade.  The list extends every few minutes.

Marion is a bad-ass girl that we can be proud to cheer on with Indy.  Right away, she proves that she is tough, drinking that fat-faced Nepal guy under the table.  She can throw a hell of a punch square on Indy’s jaw and stands her ground when Toht and his gang enter her bar.  Best of all, she’s a modern 1930’s woman who has had to fend for herself, can wear the pants and does not need to get dolled up.  She doesn’t complain about the desert and a monkey on her shoulder does not spoil her looks at all.

Raiders of the Lost Ark holds one of the greatest action scenes ever put on film.  Spielberg is great at mixing action with suspense, but this is one of his crowning moments in directing.  When Indy thinks that the Ark is being put on a plane, he and Marion set out to either hijack the plane or stop it from leaving.  Throughout the scene, the obstacles just keep piling up in a matter of seconds: the propellers are going, there’s a giant bald Nazi to fight, Marion gets stuck in the cockpit making the plane spin, knocking over gasoline that is running toward fire.  It is a crazy, pupil dilating, suspenseful action sequence that through flawless editing is shown in a sequence that perfectly escalates the tension up to the very last moment.  And then everything explodes.  In my lifetime, it’s safe to say I’ve watched that scene over 500 times, and I still get so excited that I cannot look away until everything has exploded.

But the film isn’t all brawn.  There’s a good mix of history and mythology that helps Indy along the way and get ahead of Belloq.  Honestly, a few things that I learned in this movie helped me out in Sunday School.  Best of all, we’re also shown the scholarly side of Indy.  He’s a professor, complete with glasses, using fancy words like neolithic.  There was a connection in my mind as a kid saying that if I stayed in school, learned my mythology, history and religion, I could also become an adventuring archaeologist traveling the world discovering ancient treasures.

I may not be living that exact dream today, but what I’ve really taken away from my lifetime of idolizing Indiana Jones is that being an adventurer is a state of mind.  You don’t have to wear a fedora to be daring and a leather jacket isn’t going to protect you from any crazy stunts.  Lessons learned.  But knowledge can only empower you and part of learning is new experiences.  Simply stepping out of you comfort zone to try new things can be an adventure.  If you get the chance, travel some place new, go out of your way to help someone or just try something you’ve been afraid to before.  It can be anything from a new hair-do to sky diving.  Or holding a snake for the first time.  I promise, they’re not slimy.

“Yes, the actual Ten Commandments, the original stone tablets that Moses brought down from Mt. Horeb and smashed, if you believe in that sort of thing…  Didn’t any of you guys ever go to Sunday school?”

Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope

Can you imagine what it would be like if Star Wars had never existed?  The whole world might be a little darker, less imaginative and with fewer openly proud nerds.  When meeting someone named Luke, there would be no “I am your father” response to break the ice or annoy him.  Backwards Yoda sentences would only be heard in mental wards and giant danishes would not evoke a hairstyle.  Hell, my brother was named Lucas because we were trying to figure out a name for him while watching Star Wars.  Who knows who he would be today without it.  Like it or not, we have all been affected by the film giant the Star Wars saga has become.

I’m sure there are nerds out there still fuming over the film’s loss in the Best Picture category, but my goodness people, this weird little sci-fi film came so far.  There are plenty of documentaries out there about the story behind Star Wars and all the odd obstacles that were in its way.  You watch a half an hour of any of those and you will learn more than I can recite on my little blog.

Now I’m not that old, but I’m proud to say that back when I was first being introduced to Star Wars, we didn’t have all that CGI Special Edition junk just added in for the sake of ten seconds of new footage.  Those puppets are still more lifelike to me than any computer rendered character.  The Cantina scene is one of my favorite examples of the creativity behind Star Wars.  There’s such a wide variety of puppets, robots, people in odd masks and even the music is something out of this world.  Does anyone know the proper term for the race of the Cantina band?  Every set, from Luke’s farm home on Tatooine to the Death Star are full of meticulous details.  Every little thing has a new space-aged twist to it.  Swords are lightsabers, chess has holographic monsters, sixth gear is light-speed.

For a kid first being introduced to Darth Vader and the Empire, it can be scary.  Just visually, Darth Vader has an intimidating presence. but that breathing raised the hairs on my neck.  When Darth Vader double crossed Princess Leia, after she gave up the information to save her planet, and they still blew up Alderaan with the Death Star, well that was just terrifying.  Right away, we realize the power of the Empire and the dangers of being a rebel.

Then there’s The Force, that mystical energy that binds us all together.  Suddenly, we have a film with a new mystic interpretation of religion within a science-fiction/fantasy film about revolution and coming of age.  It may sound like a mess, but these moments with Obi-Wan explaining the ways of The Force to Luke may be a moment of clarity for those spiritually seeking and losing faith within conventional religions.  And what Star Wars presents isn’t anything controversial, it’s good advice to be mindful of your feelings and trust your instincts.

At the Oscars Star Wars won most of the technical and artistic award, but the Academy also awarded Ben Burtt an honorary award for his amazing work with sound effects.  Think about all the noises we just associate with Star Wars now:  the hum of light sabers, Chewbaca’s Wookie growl, R2-D2’s excited digital babel.  The phrase, “You sound like a Tuscen Raider,” is completely understood in my family when describing a cough.  Burtt was the man behind the noise, mixing bears and walrus growls into a new breed of sidekick and turning a baby’s coo into a robot’s worried sound byte.  The imagination and ingenuity behind all the sounds, all the little details in Star Wars is simply amazing and deserved some extra recognition.

With Star Wars, there’s no concern about people missing out.  Everyone has seen it and future generations undoubtedly will too.  The real question is how do we present Star Wars to kids today and in the future.  With no plans or concern for spawning little film nerds anytime soon, my husband and I have already decided that Star Wars will be shown to any future offspring before the age of three, but none of the second trilogy until they’re old enough to understand the original.  This video may be a joke, but I find it has some good advice, especially on how to make sure children develop an appropriate attitude towards Jar Jar.  And parents, please don’t make the mistake of thinking Star Wars is only for boys.  Your daughters need to be exposed to more than the Disney Princesses.  Leia is one of the strongest female role models on film you can give your daughter while also filling in the term Princess.

“Darth Vader.  Only you could be so bold.”

The Fugitive

Ah, what a relief it is to watch a fast paced, red-blooded, action-thriller.  Thank you, Academy.

In The Fugitive, Harrison Ford plays Dr. Richard Kimble, who has just been wrongly accused and sentenced to death row for the murder of his wife.  We are shown his innocence as he remembers the scene and fight with a one-armed man in flashbacks during his trial.  When the bus transporting him and others to prison crashes, he escapes and sets out to clear his name by finding his wife’s real killer.  When Marshal Samuel Gerard (Tommy Lee Jones) arrives at the scene of the crash, he deduces that Kimble is at large and makes it his priority to find him.  But Kimble is smart, keeps a step ahead of Gerard and discovers a whole conspiracy behind his wife’s murder.

There are not many action films within the Academy’s Best Picture nominations.  The Fugitive is one of the select few that create a wonderful balance of big-budget action, with the a suspenseful a thriller and driven by heartbreaking drama.  So many films try this combination and just fall flat or weigh too heavily in one area, narrowing their audience.  It’s a well crafted formula that director Andrew Davis handles with care.

The action does not insult our intelligence, instead it heightens our senses.  I was hooked when the bus flipped over and we see people flying around like rag-dolls.  Then they cranked it up to eleven with the bus on train tracks and a whistle blowing.  Yes, when Kimble jumps into the raging waters of the damn, it’s a one and a million shot, but the way I see it, Kimble is smart, has a lot of will and on a mission.  He’s got what the one in a million needs.

If you’re a regular reader, you know nothing satisfies me like a good chase.  The Fugitive is a man on the run movie from the moment that bus flips and intensifies up until the very end.  There really isn’t much talk to muddle all the fun stuff down.  Most of the time, Kimble is alone, we watch him and figure out his plan with what we’re shown.

Tommy Lee Jones won the Oscar for best supporting actor.  He plays Gerard with an intense passion for his work.  He orders and makes tough calls with the decisiveness that borders on reckless.  At first it’s not about Kimble, he just wants to find a fugitive, but as time goes on, he gains respect for Kimble, his prey, his greatest challenge yet.

The Fugitive is a film that can appeal to a wide arrange of audiences.  For example, this is one of my mom’s favorite movies.  Her all time favorite is Somewhere in Time.  Big difference.  If you are a fan of Harrison Ford or Tommy Lee Jones, you need to see this.  If you enjoy a lot of suspense, some intense and intelligent action with just a dash of drama, The Fugitive is perfect for you.

“-I didn’t kill my wife.
–I don’t care.”

Witness

There is something fascinating about the Amish.  From the way they fearlessly trot their horse drawn buggy down modern roads, the quaint clothes they wear, to their interesting chin beards.  Sadly, I don’t think many people today show them the right respect.  I remember summer vacations with Amish communities nearby and my parents slowing the car down alongside a buggy to take a picture.  It was painfully obvious what we were doing and it always embarrassed me to look like such a redneck tourist.  That was not Disney World and they were not actors.  Anyway, besides hiding my face in shame as my family gawked at an innocent Amish family, I’ve never made a real connection with them.

Which brings me to 1985’s Witness, the story where a young Amish boy witnesses a murder.  Since young Samuel (Lukas Haas) is the only witness, officer John Brook (Harrison Ford) must get the boy to identify who the murderer was.  When it turns out to be a cop, John realizes the situation is too dangerous only too late.  He drives Samuel and his mother, Rachel (Kelly McGillis) back to their Amish home while suffering from a gunshot wound.  John is nursed back to health and has to stay undercover on the Amish community to protect Samuel and Rachel.

The culture clash between John and the Amish is intriguing, respectful and a smart.  It’s sweet to see young Samuel showing John around to how the well works, where grain is stored and how to pet cats.  But on the other side of the coin is when Samuel’s grandfather explains that a gun, like John’s, is never the answer.  Yet, poor Samuel has seen murder and wonders if only taking a bad person’s life is okay.

One of the best portraits of Amish life is the barn raising scene.  I also believe it is one of the reasons Witness won Best Editing.  Watching the whole community work hard together, with no too more modern than a hand cranked drill is beautiful and amazing.  John is right along side the men, no spectators allowed.  Even the women and children help by keeping the men hydrated and preparing their well deserved meal.  One of the best images of the whole film is seeing a barn frame, with men climbing all over it against a bright blue sky.

First of all, this film is a thriller.  John is stuck in this culture to protect Rachel and Samuel, and with the climactic ending where the corrupt cops burst onto the community in search of John, it becomes a great work of suspense.  That last main stretch of the film is packed with action and some intense moments that make this film much more than a cop on the farm film.

There is a touch of romance in the plot as well.  John and Rachel (a widow) have an attraction, but how far can it really go?  Perhaps Rachel is just attracted to a man protecting her and her son, and John does become very fond and protective of them as well.  The relationship sort of becomes something for the audience to decide.

Though Witness is a great piece of film to learn a bit about Amish life, it is not for children.  The film is rated R with a good amount of violence, profanity and even some nudity.  But if you’re looking for a wonderfully well written film with some drama, respectful culture clash and a great execution of tension and suspense look no further.

“You be careful out among them English.”

American Graffiti

My parents have always been fans of classic cars, drive-in movies and restaurants where they’ll deliver a rootbeer float on roller-skates to your car.  But they were teenagers of the seventies, those were already long gone for them.  This movie feels like a time machine.  The neon lights, beautiful shined up classic cars and food delivered on roller skates.  It’s amazing.  I mean, what a great idea, to just cruise around real slow, picking up chicks.  It looks like a parade down Main street all night!  And to think, there was a time where it was cool to dance at the dance.  What a fantastic time to live in.

American Graffiti is a coming of age story set in 1962 filled with a variety of adventures in this little town.  Curt (Richard Dreyfuss) and Steve (Ron Howard) are leaving for college in the morning; it’s their one chance to get out of that little town.  But Curt’s got cold feet, he’s very sentimental about his home, so he looks around for advice.  Steve is more willing to go, but he’s got some loose ends he needs to take care of before leaving.  He’s got to take care of his girlfriend Laurie (Cindy Williams) and make sure they can see other people while they’re apart.  “It would strengthen our relationship. Then we’d know for sure that we’re really in love. Not that there’s any doubt.”  And Steve gives his friend Terry (Charles Martin Smith) the responsibility of taking care of his car, which leads to Terry meeting a hot blonde chick and some adventures about teenagers trying to attain booze.

There’s also John Miller (Paul Le Mat) rolling around in his yellow Coupe, the fastest in town.  While he’s cruising for chicks, he gets stuck with a girl about twelve years old, but that might be the best way to have fun in this town.  John is being sought after by Bob Falfa (Harrison Ford), looking for a drag race.

The film seems to be in a world where nothing is more important than cars, cruising, chicks and rock and roll.  Even the prospect of going to college doesn’t seem to match cruising around town.  And when Curt sees a blonde beauty driving a white Thunderbird looking back at him, ah!  It’s like the sky parted and angels sang just for him.  How can he leave this place when that girl is out there?

When I watch this, it’s so sad to think that times like these are gone.  Kids today can’t get away from their hovering parents long enough to cruse the town without getting twenty texts asking when they’ll be home.  Besides, there’s no where to hang out anyway.  And if you look at the girls in car next to you, they think you’re a stalker and they’ll get out the mace.

Teenagers today might find the whole film completely-backwards.  Today, college is where you go to get booze, drugs and chicks and only losers stay around town after high school.    But back then it was only a choice few who left town for better things and made the idea of leaving home more daunting.

American Graffiti is not a film to easily dismiss.  This put George Lucas on the map but few Star Wars fans branch out of their galaxy to see this film.  The more I think about it, American Graffiti may be the most important film of the 1970’s.  Without it, there would have been no Star Wars, which completely changed the film industry.  Even if you don’t look to the future, by 1973 the innocence that American Graffiti portrays was completely gone.  And Lucas brought it back, as if to say, “Look at what we’ve lost.”  I recommend American Graffiti for everyone.

“You’re the most beautiful, exciting thing I’ve ever seen in my life and I don’t know anything about you.”

Working Girl

What’s a girl to do when she’s got her degree but can’t climb the corporate to a real job?  Pretend to be the boss while she’s on the mend.

Tess (Melanie Griffith) just turned thirty, is trying to get ahead in New York’s corporate jungle but never taken seriously.  For example, her old boss set her up as a hot date when she thought it would be a business meeting.  Now she’s working as a secretary for Katharine (Sigourney Weaver) who listens to her ideas and wants to help her get ahead.  Or so Tess believes.  When Katharine breaks her leg on a ski trip, Tess discovers that Katharine plans on using her idea without giving her the proper credit.  So Tess takes matters into her own hands and pulls together a business merger on her own.  But how long before she’s revealed as just a secretary?

Oh yeah, along the way she teams up with Jack (Harrison Ford), an investment broker.  It’s with Jack’s connections and Tess’s daring wit that they’re able to take such an unlikely investment so far.  Of course, they start to mix business with pleasure, making the situation even muddier.

My favorite scene is where Tess tells Jack that they have a “meeting” with a client.  By meeting, she means that they’re going to crash his daughter’s wedding to arrange a meeting with him while he’s in a good mood.  After Jack slugs down some drinks for courage they both walk around putting on a show like they’re old friends with everyone there.  Even hit the dance floor, where business is casually discussed while they’re on the verge of being kicked out by the bride.  It’s smart and hysterical without becoming corny.

Now, Working Girl was nominated for six Oscars and won one.  The nominations were for best picture, director, lead actress (Melanie Griffith), and two for supporting actresses (Sigourney Weaver and Joan Cusack).  All those fell short, but they did win for Best Original Song, Let the River Run.  Meh.

There are lots of movies out there about working women trying to get ahead, maybe they pull a charade and have crazy bosses.  Working Girl doesn’t really stand apart, just another pretty flower in the bouquet.

I will suggest this if you are a fan of Melanie Griffith, Sigourney Weaver, Joan Cusack or Harrison Ford.  They’re always fun to watch.  Also, if you miss the days of big hair, scary makeup and shoulder pads, this could be a fun little trip to the ‘80’s.

“Sometimes I sing and dance around the house in my underwear. Doesn’t make me Madonna. Never will.”