Powell on Film

5 Low Budget Superhero Movies

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Powell) — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 19:51:00 +0000

by Michael Powell

The modern superhero film has entered the realm of the mega blockbuster, with top tier talent and massive budgets. But it wasn't always this way - over the past few years, several lucrative superhero franchises have been rebooted after starting out as low budget outings, some not so bad and others, downright embarassing.
Here are a few noteworthy examples:

1. Fantastic Four (1994)

In 1994, Fantastic Four rights holders Constantin Films, as a last resort, looked to B-movie king Roger Corman to help produce the adaptation of the 1961 comic book Fantastic Four after failing to secure their original $40 million budget. With the rights quickly lapsing, Constantin had no choice but to make the movie and settled for a meager $1.5 million production cost and a one-month shooting schedule. Ouch.

The result: a movie deemed to be so bad it has never seen an official theatrical or DVD release (although this was later deemed to be a deliberate move to avoid embarassment for those involved). For a while the movie was a sought after item on the bootleg market, but in recent years has made more easily available (as of this writing you can catch it on YouTube).

The 2005, $100 million reboot was much improved in terms of special effects, but was critically panned and not the success Fox was hoping for. And the truth is, after watching about 20 minutes of the 1994 version, it's obvious the filmmakers were determined to make the best film they could, given the budget and time restrictions. It's still pretty bad, but is infused with a spirit that at least makes it a mildly watchable folly.

2. Captain America (1990)

Before the 2011 big budget version of Marvel Comics' WW2 superhero Captain America, the good Cap'n appeared in 3 previous live action incarnations: a competent 1944 serial (now in the public domain), the ill-fated 1979 TV series starring the Reb Brown (he of the 1983 classic Yor: The Hunter from the Future), and a woefully misguided 1990 update directed by Albert Pyun.

It's this version that's worth noting, as it's the first feature length adaptation to get a theatrical release (albeit a limited one outside North America, where it went direct to video in 1992). A much wider rollout was planned to coincide with the Capmeister's 50th anniversary. But incompetent action scenes, cheap sets and a stiff acting lead in Matt Salinger all conspired against the movie from the opening scene and no doubt dashed these formidable hopes.

To his credit, Pyun does his best to make the film look good despite a limited $10,000,000 budget, and the movie is nicely photographed. But it still sucks.

3. Batman (1943)

It may be surprising to hear that the first live action incarnation of the Caped Crusader and his sidekick Robin was not the campy 1960's TV show, but a 1943 Republican Pictures serial. Its, ahem, limited budget is evident in almost every frame, from the Batman and Robin costumes that look like rejects from a primary school Halloween party, to laughably sped up action scenes, and a batcave that more closely resembles a set for a 5th grade play than a fortress of solitude.

Most sacrilegious to fans though, is the absence of the Batmobile, here replaced with an old Cadillac whose back seat is used as a change room by the dynamic duo. And don't be fooled by the moody and wonderfully illustrated DVD artwork for this one - it's deceptive packaging at its best (or worst).

Watching this makes us ever so thankful for the visionary talents of Tim Burton and Chris Nolan, who have finally brought cinematic justice to the Dark Knight.

4. The Punisher (1989)

The first feature adaptation of Marvel's violent comic book hero, the 1989 version of The Punisher suffers primarily from a low budget and a miscast lead in Dolph Lundgren. But despite this, it's not the dud you might think. The movie's a surprisingly well-paced, well shot picture with some respectable technical credits. And renowned action film editor Mark Goldbatt directs with a strong sense of style, doing what he can with limited resources.

That said, the movie still never got a release in the States due to the bankruptcy of distributor New World Pictures. Even internationally, it never caught on, not even making back its meager $9 million budget. Since then, Marvel rebooted the franchise in 2004 with Thomas Jane as the title character, but met with bad reviews and audience indifference. 2008 saw yet another attempt with Punisher: War Zone, but this met with even worse reception. You'd think the Punisher would be an ideal fit for Hollywood to adapt, but for some reason they haven't been able to crack this one. Here's hoping.

5. Spider-Man (1977)

Is it just me, or does the phrase "made for television" and "superhero movie" in the same sentence instill a most palpable sense of dread? In 1977, CBS TV aired a feature-length pilot of the first live-action incarnation of The Amazing Spider-Man, one of the most celebrated of all comic book characters. Spidey fans at the time must have been elated by CBS's movie-style campaign poster proclaiming they would finally see their hero "For the first time on the screen". (According to the IMDB, the movie got a theatrical release overseas, qualifying it as the first big-screen Spidey.)

It feels somewhat unfair to criticize the movie's shortcomings, given the fact that it was shot on a TV budget in the 1970s without the luxury of modern specal effects or the use of name actors. Still, the movie's preview/promo will undeniably raise a chuckle or two (or four) with its lame action highlights set to a cheesy 70s disco soundtrack.

It would be a surprising quarter century (and many aborted attempts) before Sam Raimi's 2002 update gave Spider-Man the proper big screen treatment so deserved.

7 notable movie director comebacks

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Powell) — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 02:15:00 +0000

I'm a sucker for a great Hollywood comeback story. Here's my list of celebrated film directors that have recovered from minor career blemishes or megaflops to see critical and commercial resurgences.
Let me know your thoughts about this list, or other good director comeback stories, by posting a message in the comments section.

In no particular order:

1. Steven Spielberg

From this:

To this:

After the phenomenal success of Jaws and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, it seemed as if Hollywood's new wunderkind could do no wrong. Spielberg was convinced he should try his hand at comedy with his next project, the all-star hellzapoppin $35 million World War 2 farce 1941.

Unfortunately, the movie remains the answer to the "which one doesn't belong" question in Spielberg's career. While not a complete failure, 1941 suffered more than anything from bombastic overload and mistook mass destruction and anarchy for high comedy. Even Spielberg's customary fluid sense of pacing and camerawork couldn't save the enterprise. (To his credit, Spielberg has been a good sport about the film over the years, acknowledging its shortcomings).

The sour critical taste from 1941 would be all but forgotten two years later when Spielberg teamed with George Lucas on Raiders of the Lost Ark, and the following year later he released E.T. , for many years the highest grossing film in history. Oh, and he's since made a few more movies and amassed a few billion dollars or so.

2. Roman Polanski

From this:

To this:

Few major filmmakers of the past 40 years have had as fascinating a career as Roman Polanski. After garnering major critical acclaim for the classic 1968 chiller Rosemary's Baby, he arguably hit his commercial and creative peak with 1974's Oscar-winning Chinatown. Polanski's departure from the U.S. after being beset by well publicized charges of child rape perhaps resulted in poor creative choices throughout the 80s and 90s, including the expensive 1986 dud Pirates (with Walter Matthau in full pirate mode) the flat, uninvolving thriller Frantic, and 1994's underwhelming Death and the Maiden.

Then in 2002, Polanski, having nothing to lose profesionally, sought inspiration from his own background as a holocaust survivor for his 2002 masterpiece The Pianist, the gripping true WW2 survival tale of world renowned classical pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman (Adrien Brody). More remarkable was Polanski's well-deserved but shocking and highly controversial Oscar win as best director. Polanski has since seen a resurgence of sorts, and at 72 is hitting his stride once again.

3. Ridley Scott

From this:

To this:

Ridley Scott first scored big with with Alien (1979) and Blade Runner (1982), both highly influential and visionary sci-fi works that remain classics of the genre.

But a series of miscalculated efforts (including 1985's Legend, the 1992 historical flop 1492: Conquest of Paradise and 1997's G.I. Jane) all carried traits of Scott's visual flair but failed to catch on with the critics and public. 1991's Thelma and Louise garnered Scott his first Oscar nomination, but it wasn't until the Oscar-winning Gladiator (2000) that he hit true critical and financial blockbuster status. He followed up with the 2001 double whammy of Hannibal and Blackhawk Down and continues to make top drawer projects.

4. Clint Eastwood

From this:

To this:

By 1990, with a directorial career spanning nearly 20 years and 15 films, you'd think that Clint Eastwood would have known better than to make the B-level cop/buddy movie The Rookie, co-starring Charlie Sheen. Although not outright terrible, the movie showed a tired Eastwood rehashing age-old cop film cliches.

Eastwood regrouped and chose as his next project the violent revisionist 1992 western Unforgiven, which garnered him the best critical lauds of his career and won him his first best director Oscar. Eastwood has since gone on to further Oscar accolades with 2004's Million Dollar Baby and at 80 is considered one of America's premier filmmakers.

5. David Lynch

From this:

To this:

After bursting on the scene with the 1977 classic surrealist midnight movie Eraserhead, David Lynch followed up with The Elephant Man (1980). While at first Lynch may have seemed an odd choice for such sensitive material, he demonstrated a real talent for melding art house sensibilities with commercial appeal. The film received critical praise and several Oscar nods, including Lynch for best director.

In the early 80's, superproducer Dino De Laurentis was gearing up to make the long-gestating adaptation of Frank Herbert's 1965 classic sci-fi novel Dune. Lynch agreed to helm the ultimately chaotic and doomed $40 million production. The film was released to brutal reviews and lackluster box office, with Lynch (perhaps unfairly) taking the bulk of the blame. Lynch has since disavowed himself from Dune and over time it has become to him what the 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special is to George Lucas.

It's no surprise that Dune represented Lynch's first and last foray in big budget commercial filmmaking. So in 1986 he went back to his art house roots and created a brilliantly creepy masterpiece with Blue Velvet, receiving great critical acclaim and his second Oscar nomination. He hasn't looked back.

6. Paul Verhoeven

From this:

To this:

In the late 1980s, Dutch filmmaker Paul Verhoeven made a splash in Hollywood with the darkly funny and exciting sci-fi outings Robocop (1987) and Total Recall (1990). Along with the 1992 Sharon Stone/Michael Douglas thriller Basic Instinct, Verhoeven cemented his reputation as Hollywood's top big budget B-movie king.

Verhoeven's next project was the 1995 SuperStinker Showgirls. The film, about the rise of an ambitious Vegas cabaret dancer, opened to a critical drubbing unlike Verhoeven had seen in his entire career. A return to the sci-fi genre in 1997 with Starship Troopers (one of my personal guilty pleasures) and Hollow Man (2000), failed to ignite significant sparks for audiences or critics.

Despite various offers (including directing The Fast and the Furious sequels), Verhoeven packed his bags and returned to the Netherlands. In 2006 he released Black Book, his first Dutch film in over 20 years. A tense, edgy and skilfully told WW2 espionage tale with just the right touch of Verhoeven-esque vulgarity and violence, it proved a huge hit in its native country and made several North American critics' list for the 10 best films of 2006. Verhoeven remains in Holland, and based on Black Book, I look forward to his next project with anticipation.

7. Kevin Costner

From this:

To this:

Kevin Costner's acting star rose exponentially in the 1980s and within a few short years was able to convince Orion Pictures to let him direct the $20 million adaptation of Michael Blake's epic western novel Dances with Wolves, about a Union soldier who befriends a tribe of native Americans in the 19th century western frontier.

Defying all expectations (many critics jokingly referring to it in pre-release as Kevin's Gate), it ended up winning 7 Oscars (including Costner as best director) and grossing almost $425 million worldwide.

Costner would wait another 7 years to choose his next project behind the camera with The Postman, a 3-hour, self-indulgent sci-fi post apocalyptic tale of extinct mailmen that earned scathing reviews and earned less than $20 million against an estimated $80 million budget.

In 2003 Costner returned to the Western for his next directorial effort Open Range, about a cattle rancher threatened by corrupt lawmen. Working with a much smaller budget ($25 million), Costner proved that Dances with Wolves was no fluke and made a solid, carefully crafted work that won critics over and made a respectable $70 million. Costner is that rare modern filmmaker who has a real feel for the Western, and I'd look forward to see him further exploring the genre in the future.

10 great black and white movies for people who don't normally watch black and white movies

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Powell) — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 14:14:00 +0000

Here's my personal list of black and white movies that I can guarantee won't disappoint modern audiences. Some are well known classics you've probably heard of, others are more obscure gems. These are not necessarily the greatest movies ever made, but each of them nevertheless makes for a great viewing experience.

I'd love to hear comments on this list and suggest your own additions.

In no particular order:

1. I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932)
Dir: Mervyn LeRoy

The true story of a wrongly convicted robber (Paul Muni) sentenced to 10 years hard labor in a harsh southern chain gang, and who eventually escapes, still bristles with tension and surprising violence and sexuality 80 years later. So powerful was the film that the state of Georgia reformed its entire penal system. In an era when many film actors were still struggling with the relatively new medium of sound pictures, Muni gives a terrific, remarkably modern performance that transcends time. And the film's haunting, unforgettable ending will send a shiver down your spine.

2. Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1946)
Dir: John Huston

One of the greatest American movies ever made, TOTSM still offers a one of a kind experience. Adapted from the novel by B. Traven, the story follows a couple of down on their luck American drifters (Humphrey Bogart and Tim Holt) living in Mexico who come across an old smooth talking prospector (Walter Huston, the director's father). The trio eventually go digging for gold in the mountains - they find it, of course, but Bogart's character comes down with gold fever in a seriously dangerous way. Don't be dismayed by its age - this is a stark, gritty, no-nonsense tale written and directed with style and verve that still grabs you by the neck. Bogart's performance stands as one of his greatest, and was criminally overlooked at Oscar time. Nevertheless, it won well deserved Oscars for best picture, writing, directing and supporting actor (Huston). A classic.

3. Double Indemnity (1944)
Dir: Billy Wilder

When insurance salesman Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray) and archetypal femme fatale Phyllis Dietrichson (Barabra Stanwyk) fall in love and conspire to murder her husband and collect on the title clause from his insurance policy, it sets off one of the most suspenseful and thrilling film noirs that still dazzles today. Wilder and writing partner/mystery novelist Raymond Chandler concoct a terrific script that oozes equal parts danger and lust. Sidenote: As a child growing up in the 70s watching reruns of My Three Sons on TV, after seeing this for the first time, I never saw MacMurray in the same wholesome way again. And neither will you.

4. La Strada (1956)
Dir: Federico Fellini

This early effort from Fellini stands as one of his most mainstream and accessible works that still packs an emotional wallop. The story is eloquently simple: a carefree girl (Giulietta Masina) is sold to a strongman (Anthony Quinn) in a traveling carnival and endures his continuous mental abuse until his anger towards her turns to affection and respect. Fellini's delicate direction and standout performances from the principals give this one a devastating humanity that resonates through the ages.

5. City Lights (1931)
Dir: Charlie Chaplin

You can debate which of Chaplin's comedies holds up best, but for my money it's City Lights. This beautifully simple tale finds his little tramp character falling in love with a blind, impoverished girl selling flowers on the street, while she mistakes him for a wealthy duke. Upon reading about a new miracle surgery for curing blindness, Chaplin sets out to get the money for the surgery any way he can. What follows is some of the best physical comedy ever filmed. Chaplin's artistry was at its peak here, and the classic final scene will melt even the coldest heart.

6. Psycho (1960)
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock

One of Hitchcock's best known movies is also one that more people have probably heard about than actually seen. Sure, we all know about the legendary shower scene, Anthony Perkins's portrayal in which he would forever be typecast, and the shocking twist ending. But despite years of parodies and half-baked homages, Psycho remains one of the most influential horror films ever made. Hitch had just come off an incredible streak of lush, classic color films from the 50s (such as Vertigo, North by Northwest, Rear Window) when he went back to basics here, and in the process created a vicious masterpiece. Modern audiences may take a bit of time getting used to the mostly bloodless proceedings, but this is more than compensated for with some of the creepiest horror scenes ever filmed.

7. Raging Bull (1980)

Dir: Martin Scorcese

Scorcese struck cinematic gold in the atmospheric retelling of the life of 1940s middleweight champion Jake LaMotta. Robert DeNiro's Oscar-winning performance as LaMotta burns with intensity and charisma, matching just about every other technical aspect of this seething masterpiece. Major studio films films shot in black and white post-1970 were a pretty rare breed, which makes this one even more special. 30 years later it's as powerful as ever.

8. Ed Wood (1994)
Dir: Tim Burton

Almost a decade before Johnny Depp became a household name, he played the title role in this extremely funny and endearing portrayal of the late real-life cross-dressing 1950s filmmaker Edward D Wood Jr., often cited as the worst director in movie history. The auteur of well known turkeys such as Plan 9 from Outer Space and Glen or Glenda couldn't direct a scene to save his life, but dammit the guy loved movies and showed unbridled enthusiasm for his work. Martin Landau is superb in an Oscar-winning portrayal of legendary horror icon Bela Lugosi, who was living in relative poverty when Wood cast him in a series or no-budget sci-fi and horror movies. This is one of Tim Burton's best, and is a wonderful film for anyone who loves movies, or like Ed Himself, ever dared to dream

9. The Blue Angel (1930)
Dir: Josef Von Sternberg

I first saw this one in film studies class about 20 years ago, and have never really been able to shake it. The story follows an elderly and stern school professor (Emil Jannings) who becomes infatuated with a flirtatious lounge singer, played by Marlene Dietrich in a role that would forever cement her place in film history. In addition to perfectly capturing the decadence of pre-war Germany, the movie remains an undeniably compelling treatise on the downside of obsession. It also remains, in my opinion, one of the most underrated of all early sounds films. NOTE: The movie was simultaneously shot in its native German (with English subtitles), as well as English, but try and catch the original German version if you can.

10. And Then There Were None (1945)
Dir: Rene Clair

Of the many cinematic adaptations of mystery writer Agatha Christie's short story Ten Little Indians, this remains perhaps the best and most underrated, and worthy of rediscovery by today's audiences. Ten colorful characters are invited for a weekend in an island mansion, where they are subsequently murdered one by one. The result is a terrific mix of sophisticated character comedy and skilfully executed suspense, thanks to renowned French director Rene Clair, who brings his distinctly European flair to each and every scene.