Monday, July 23, 2007

Additional/ Supplemental

So Saturday evening we headed over to Carla's for "Bad Movie Night". Carla had rented the 1983 Australian produced Alan Arkin-starring superhero musical adventure "The Return of Captain Invincible". Somehow I'd missed it was a musical, and so when the president burst into song, I confess I was more than a bit surprised.

The movie makes some interesting choices, and there's a lot of gratuitous nudity to remind you that it's the 80's. Plus, the female lead somehow keeps getting the buttons to her blouse popped open to remind the viewer why she may have been hired.

If you want to see Christopher Lee participate in a Rocky Horror/ Bob Fosse inspired musical number... If you want to see a man with a salmon-gun... If you want to see a weird green little monkey man... Leaguers... This is your movie.

Anyhow, the story of the movie was actually stunningly close to the story of DC Comics' own Justice Society of America who ALSO disbanded after being called in front of McCarthy and being asked to unmask. This is a storyline DC fans take deadly serious, so seeing the same idea being taken lightly was... well, shall we say I have a different filter.

Carla also showed a film she'd made, "The Perfect Dress", which, apparently, I thought was better than she did. But I can understand being close enough to your own work that all you see are the things you wish you'd done different. Carla's film was actually fun and a musical for which she'd written lyrics. Good stuff.

In addition, she busted out our student film from Film I. All I can see now are the places where my cuts were all wrong, so its a tough one to watch. You kids and your fancy non-linear editing systems will never know the joys of the hand-crank Film 1 editing machinery. So shut up.

Lots of memories tied up in that film. It was fun to watch it with the two other folks who'd been there for the whole thing.

Thanks to Carla and David for having us over. The mini-burgers were excellent!

Tonight Jamie and I went to see the new Harry Potter, which was actually a good, all-ages (not kiddie) adventure movie. I've not read the books, so it's fascinating to see the world which started out being cute little moppets playing silly wizardy games turn into a life or death struggle of fairly epic proportions.

I don't know all what one can say about a Harry Potter movie at this point. Either you're interested or you're not. Daniel Radcliffe and Co. are blossoming into honest-to-God actors, and can easily handle the material being thrown their way.

There's some interesting commentary upon the nature of power in the film, especially of government. It's the sort of confusing lesson one might discover in high school when you begin to realize authority figures are all too often all too human, but that doesn't mean you're in any position to do anything about it. I think the solution in the movie is of the deas ex machina variety, but after time-reversing devices, etc... playing key roles in the conclusion of Potter movies, it's something I can live with.

Anyhow, worth a look see..

8 comments:

Carla said...

I can't believe you didn't post the recipe or talk about the wonderful boooozy drink you made. The most American drink I've ever seen. And it was very very tasty. Are you sure you never got your mixology license?

The League said...

I should post the recipe to the Spider-Man/ Captain Invincible. It is my dream to see Tania drink, like, six of those.

You really can't go wrong with bright colors + sugar + booze

Michael Corley said...

Boozy drink you made? Coolio! Sounds like a fun night for all.

As to Harry Potter - I heard a great review (of all the body of work) that says that the books wouldn't work if Harry, and the concepts explored in the stories, didn't grow up with the reader. In the fifth novel you are quite correct that the distrust and disalusionment with authority is more deeply explored. Authroity is a ongoing theme in all the novels (I assume in all of them. I haven't read the last yet, waiting for the audio book).

The League said...

That should be fun. I've heard they have Rosie Perez reading the latest installment.

Carla said...

I heard it was Fran Dresher (sp?) who read the latest Harry book.

Laura said...

Why aren't you reading the books? The films are great fun but as the books get longer you're missing so much. If you're into the films you'll probably be into the books even more.

The League said...

there are only so many hours in a day, Maxwell. And so many books I haven't read.

JAL said...

Six, huh? You really want to see the musical version of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolfe" don't you.

I supposed she may also do a version of "Over the Top". I don't know which I'd prefer to see.