#1985film

[thequeereview]

Something for the weekend... ‘1985′ is on DVD, Blu-Ray & Digital now

Shot on black and white film, which gives the movie an authentic, grainy, period look, the exquisite 1985 is directed and co-written by Yen Tan. Beautiful in its simplicity, all filmmaking elements come together with perfection to create an utterly absorbing, deeply moving film with fine performances all-round.

Cory Michael Smith stars as Adrian, a young gay man who’s been living in New York in the midst of the onset of the AIDS crisis. He returns home to Texas for Christmas after three years away, intending to tell his religious and conservative parents (Michael Chiklis and Virginia Madsen) that this might be the last time they see him.

Also at home, his younger brother Andrew (beautifully played by Aidan Langford) is growing up to be a sensitive and artistic young man, giving up sports for drama, much to his father’s disappointment.

Adrian arranges to meet up with an old girlfriend (Jamie Chung) who he’d cut out of his life and in a moving scene he opens up to her about his life in New York.

Available on DVD, Blu-Ray and digital download now in the UK from Peccadillo and from Wolfe Video in the USA.

Highly recommended. Not to be missed. ★★★★★

[adamwatchesmovies]

Brazil (1985)

The first time I saw Brazil, I wasn't quite sure what to make of it. The brilliance of the visuals was obvious but I wasn’t sure if it was a film I'd ever return to. Watching it again, it's grown on me. I have tremendous admiration for this picture.

Sam Lowry (Jonathan Pryce) is an unambitious government employee who daydreams of heroics and love. In a world ruled by paperwork, suspicion is the norm and nothing appears to work properly. The air is pregnant with a mix of apathy and fear as everyone is desperate not to be blamed for a clerical error that has resulted in the arrest of Archibald Buttle (Brian Miller). When Sam tries to rectify the mistake, it sends him on an unexpected path.

Brazil features a unique vision of a dystopia. This is writer/director Terry Gilliam's nightmare. It’s an Earth where everyone is working at an office. Nobody really knows what they’re doing and when they're confronted with a problem, they panic. People run around like chickens with their heads chopped off until they realize they can simply forward it to another department. In the bureaucracy's attempt to cut costs and fix what no one but them believed to be broken, they've created an endless maze of forms and references from which there is no escape. The brilliance of it is that the world of Brazil is scary, but also hilariously inefficient and broken.

The production is first-rate. It’s a beautiful picture to simply look at. The visuals are striking and varied. In a lot of dystopian tales, everything is dull and gray. Here, we get some nice little twists on that idea and the bland palette is broken up with the breathtaking dream sequences. Far from weird for weirdness’ sake, they enhance the mood. If there's a 1984-style future where the little guy might stand a chance without it feeling like a pollyanna fantasy, it's this film. For each character that causes goosebumps, there’s a nut that will make you think that maybe, just maybe, things’ll be ok at the end. It all works because of the love story. If we didn’t have the dream girl (played by Kim Greist), you wouldn’t truly believe Sam’s character and the ending wouldn’t have the impact that it does. This movie is about a lot of things. The madness that’s inherent in oversized offices, the inefficiency of big systems, escape through imagination, and more - just waiting to be discovered.

Brazil contains magnificent performances. Jonathan Pryce - in particular - stands out. He sells you as an everyman in a crazy world and when he gets swept up in this story, it’s that much more of a nail-biter. You instantly sympathize with the guy. Originally, the film's U.S. release was supposed to run much shorter and would've featured an ending that was the tonal opposite of the one we got. I can’t imagine it working. Brazil ends on the perfect note. It is a bit long in the tooth during the middle, sometimes a little excessively weird but that’s ok. If you don’t know what to make of it at first, give it some time and revisit it later. I know that sounds like homework. It’s not. This is just one of those films that has so much going on you're likely to miss some of it the first time around. Brazil is just short of being perfect but in a way, that almost makes it more charming. (Director’s Cut on DVD, October 28, 2016)

[adamwatchesmovies]

Lifeforce (1985)

Lifeforce is one crazy movie. Everything about it - starting with the premise is bonkers. Knowing its story won't prepare you either. But you want a hint, don't you? Alright. What if I told you the screenplay is based on Colin Wilson’s 1976 novel The Space Vampires?

The crew of an advanced space shuttle encounters a gigantic needle-shaped alien vessel containing three naked humans in suspended animation. When the ship returns to earth and the humanoids awaken, it’s up to Col. Tom Carlsen (Steve Railsback), Col. Colin Caine (Peter Firth) to save the world from this space menace (with the lead alien being played, almost always in the nude, by Mathilda May). Patrick Stewart also plays a small role in the second half.

Lifeforce is a bad movie that fills you with enthusiasm. Even with the extended 116-minute cut, chunks of the narrative feel like they're missing and the information being delivered zips by at such a fast pace you'll easily get confused. So many elements feel like they're included for no real reason you'll wonder what was going through everyone’s heads. It's a so-bad-it's-good blast that's pretty easy on the eyes due to amount of bare skin shown throughout. It’s not just Mathilda May either, there’s plenty of male nudity too.

Lifeforce is a dozen plots crammed into one. It’s an alien invasion movie like Invasion of the Body Snatchers, it’s got elements of classic vampire lore like Dracula, it’s got plot points reminiscent of demonic possession horror films, and then it turns into a zombie movie. It’s so many things all at once it becomes this new wholly original entity. You can never quite figure out what’s going to happen next because Lifeforce always has a new trick up its sleeve and it’s as predictable as a deck of cards with a red 13 of clubs.

Director Tobe Hooper offers plenty of memorable moments. So many it's hard to pick which is the best. Many will lean towards some of the scenes featuring Patrick Stewart as Dr. Armstrong. I'd select a moment that highlights the special effects. You won't believe this film was made in 1985. Some of the CGI is a bit dated, but the practical effects are amazing. Even mentioning the CGI feels somewhat unfair. The golden standard for modern special effects is 1993's Jurassic Park. Lifeforce was made 8 years earlier, with less than half the budget.

Lifeforce knows you can counterweight not being good with consistent entertainment. It's filled with nudity and gory deaths/violence, the plot is unpredictable and at times so far out there it'll make your head spin. The biggest flaw with it is the opening credits. I wish they didn't tell you “based on the novel The Space Vampires by Colin Wilson”. It would amplify the surprises to godlike levels. I'm sure neither Tobe Hooper nor anyone involved in the filming will fondly remember the film but I’m a fan. You should be too. I recommend it to anyone who wants something completely different or who likes bad movies. (Extended cut on Blu-ray, October 16, 2015)

[adamwatchesmovies]

Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985)

Each story in the Mad Max franchise feels like a part of something much bigger. They fit together but details about the world change between each film, making them all seem like they're second-hand accounts or myths passed among those who've survived the apocalypse. While Beyond Thunderdome isn't on the level of the first sequel, it’s still plenty exciting, with memorable characters, and a terrific climax.

Max (Mel Gibson) finds himself in buzzing “Barter Town”. Looking for supplies and a vehicle, he strikes a deal with its leader, Aunty Entity (Tina Turner, having a great time in her role while providing the film's theme song). She wants him to put the engineer that keeps the settlement's electricity running back in his place. Master is the diminutive brain, played by Angelo Rossitto. Blaster is the muscle, played by Paul Larsson. Though Master Blaster live beneath the city, they're the ones who call the shots in Barter Town.

This franchise has consistently delivered memorable sights and characters. Toe Cutter, Lord Humongous, the Pilot, the feral child, and now Master Blaster. Their look alone steals the show but there's more to them. In any other movie, they would simply be a monster for our hero to beat up. Not here. Pay attention to Master's speech pattern and the way it changes over time. Check out Blaster, how what you learn about him makes you rethink what you saw before. You could've made a whole movie about just them but they're just another piece of this crazy world. It's what makes this franchise feel so much bigger than just a handful of movies.

I like the little details of this newly constructed world, like the few artifacts from the “past” that remain and are used by a few people here and there, or the strange laws and rules established to keep a population who still remembers what the world was like from going ballistic. You learn as much from about this world from the story as you do from the background and the sets.

More than any other franchise, Mad Max has been focussed on action rather than the story. When it comes to the chase sequences and the visceral car crashes, no one beats it. We had some good ones in the first film, and it escalated to a whole new level in The Road Warrior. It's why Beyond Thunderdome is a letdown. The stunts are good but there aren't as many as before and nothing we see tops the chase at the end of "Road Warrior".We do receive some solid substitutes; there's an inventive and exhilarating battle inside the titular Thunderdome about halfway through, and we get more story but the cars are what we came for and there aren’t as many this time. It gives this chapter a more family-friendly, more polished, and mainstream feel.

Don’t let Beyond Thunderdome not quite rising to the level you wish it would dissuade you from seeing it or calling it a good movie. It’s got a great, original story, memorable characters, good action sequences, and some great quotable lines. It has great re-watch value and once you get over the initial shock of seeing something different, you'll be happy with what you got. (On Blu-ray, April 25, 2015)

[adamwatchesmovies]

The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus (1985)

L. Frank Baum wrote about more than the land of Oz. He also penned The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, adapted in 1985 as a short film by Rankin Bass. While it's plenty weird… I’ll believe it more than most origin stories for the holiday mascot. The stop-motion animation is just so-so and more than one character annoying but it’s got a certain charm.

In the Forest of Burzee, a council of immortals, led by the Great Ak (Earle Hyman) debates whether an aging Santa Claus (Earl Hammond) deserves to be granted immortality. To do so, they must recall what turned him into the pillar of generosity we know today.

As an origin story for a character that never needed one, this is decent. It’s certainly creative, which goes a long way. You’ve got fairies, talking animals, present-stealing demons, magic and there’s even an epic battle between the forces of good and evil! All that's missing is the reason why the holiday is actually called "Christmas" but never mind that. The Rankin/Bass “Animagic” visuals give the picture a distinctly nostalgic feel even if you’ve never seen it before. This intangible virtue makes even the dodgy models are amusing. Some of the how-did-that-come-to-be reveals are strained though the small children this is intended for are unlikely to notice or mind.

I’d rate this holiday special higher if it weren't for a Sound Imp named Tingler (voiced by Robert McFadden) who uses every line of dialogue he’s given to annoy the viewers. Do they still do that thing in animated shows today where instead of giving a character a personality they give him a vocal quirk? I hope not. His gimmick is that he repeats everything he has to say in a variety of human and animal languages. It gets old immediately.

The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus lasts 50 minutes. A little more if you’re watching it on TV with advertisements. You could do much worse as far as holiday cartoons go. There’s also much better available. It’s no classic but it kept me entertained. (TV version, December 8, 2018)

[adamwatchesmovies]

The Black Cauldron (1985)

I’m a great admirer of Walt Disney's animated films. I initially set out to collect them all but after seeing The Black Cauldron, I've decided to become more selective. The characters are not compelling. The story does not feel very original. It’s not exciting. It might look great but the Disney name is all it has going for it otherwise.

Based on the first two books of The Chronicles of Prydain series by Lloyd Alexander, the evil Horned King (voiced by John hurt) is waging a war against the mythical land of Prydain. The tyrant hopes to obtain the Black Cauldron, which will allow him to resurrect his fallen soldiers and rule unopposed. Meanwhile, Taran (Grant Bardsley) dreams of becoming a great warrior but is nothing more than a pig keeper. When he learns his pig can tell the future and has located the Black Cauldron, he is joined by a young princess (Susan Sheridan), a strange furry creature named Gurgi (John Byner), and Fflewddur Fflam the bard (Nigel Hawthorne) on an adventure to prevent the Horned King for creating his army of undead “Cauldron Born”.

On paper, this movie must've sounded great. I bet the books are captivating. It’s got everything you would want to see in a sword-and-sorcery adventure. A young hero out to prove himself, a princess (not in need of rescuing), strange creatures, an evil that must be stopped, an invincible army, a land of wonder and magic, witches, magical artifacts. So what’s the issue? They are threefold: first, the tone, second, the characters, and third, the action.

Even before doing some research, you can guess the source material is much darker than this film. We’re always told of a big war raging in the land of Prydain, but we never see any battlefields or other indications of the danger the Horned King's army represents. "The Black Cauldron" feels shackled by a studio that desperately wanted to make a children's film but shouldn't have been.

There are too many characters in this story, which means none of them are developed enough to become interesting. Taran fulfills the bare minimum of a hero. He wants to be an adventurer and aims to do the right thing but is not an active character. Even when he comes into the possession of a magic sword, it’s the sword that does all of the work. Towards the end, he finally takes charge and begins driving the plot but it's too late. The other characters follow suit. Either they don’t contribute much to the story and action, they're flat, or both. Princess Eilonwy for example. She introduces herself as a capable adventurer but is always content just follows the rest of the group as they stumble into one plot point after another. She fares better than the middle-aged bad Ffewddur Fflam, however. The musician does absolutely nothing except tag along and provides some humorous moments - though his hilarity is up for debate.

Even some of the more recognizable characters, like the Horned King and Gurgi aren’t memorable because of their personalities or actions. Their designs are what make them stand out. The Horned King looks awesome but he's nothing more than an all-encompassing evil. Not a deal-breaker... unless everyone is dull.  Gurgi, whom Andy Serkis must've been channeling when he played Gollum in The Lord of the Rings, has a bit more personality, but that brings me to my final criticism. It’s that none of the characters are given anything to do. Nearly all of the action taken by the heroes: the Princess, the Bard, Gurgi, could have all been given to a single character, maybe two, at most three. Not the 5 that we’re given.

I hoped the visuals would be able to carry The Black Cauldron. They do stand out but do not make Disney's 25th animated feature worth seeing. It’s not terrible. Actually, it's quite watchable but the disappointment factor means you miss nothing by skipping it. It's only for the completionists and is nowhere near the status of classics like Snow White, Pinocchio, Beauty and the Beast or The Little Mermaid. (On DVD, March 14, 2015)