The Lucid Nightmare: 1955

Thursday, November 17, 2016

Monday, March 7, 2016

Monday, March 4, 2013

REVIEW: Conquest of Space

Conquest of Space

Director: Byron Haskin

Year 1955

Conquest of Space is a mid-50's sci-fi spectacle which blends science and religion, into a rather peculiar and interesting concoction which never ceases to amaze, and above all, entertain. Caught in a balancing act between the spiritual and the physical, this space exploration feature is teeming with style and wonder, yet the filmmakers make painstaking efforts in keeping everything fairly grounded and simplistic. With its engaging characters and bold approach, Conquest of Space is a great little disregarded science fiction gem, which though wholly dated, is still a thought-provoking and interesting tale, stressing the dangers that mankind must face when venturing out into the great unknown of space.

On a space station orbiting Earth, an elite crew of astronauts led by General Samuel T. Merritt, receive word that they will be heading to Mars on mankind's first manned voyage to the planet. With aspirations of goodwill and the prospect of obtaining a greater knowledge for the human race in each member's mind, they embark into the unexplored. As they near the planet Mars their mission gradually starts to unravel due to religious beliefs colliding with their scientific endeavor. General Merritt begins to have a change of heart as he drastically comes to the realization that their mission is an insult to God, forcing him to do everything in his power to halt their sinful actions, even if it means destroying the crew and any chances of them making it back home.

Walter Brooke plays the role of General Samuel T. Merritt, the stressed out leader of the first voyage to Mars. Brooke is fascinating in the role, and even though the change in his character's personality is abrupt and silly, you still believe it because of the man's dedicated attempts at throwing himself headlong into the character and its inherent madness. Eric Fleming takes on the role of Captain Barney Merritt, son of Samuel Merritt, and he becomes the real hero of the film. Left to pick up the pieces of his father's work, Barney has always reluctantly hurled himself out into space, because of the wishes of his father, and as this unwilling participant, Barney comes to find that he fits the mold of space explorer better than his father ever could. I enjoyed Fleming's approach to the character and out of the entire cast, his was the most endearing and contemporary.

On the other side of that acting coin comes Phil Foster as Jackie Siegle, the bumbling comic relief. Sticking out like a soar thumb, Foster's overacting is a ridiculous distraction that derails the film's somber atmosphere on more than one occasion, but in all intensive purposes serves to give way to some especially jovial scenes that are quaint given the circumstances. Another odd ball of the bunch is Mickey Shaughnessy as he takes on the role of Sergeant Mahoney, the ridiculously dedicated friend of General Samuel T. Merritt. For me, Shaughnessy's character was the most infuriating of the bunch as he always condemned and threatened anyone who would go against the General's orders, even if that person was the General's own son who literally didn't want anything to do with a life in space, but to rather live out his own life on Earth with his wife. Mahoney even goes as far as to call him an ungrateful little brat just because he didn't want to live his life the way his father intended him to. These moments, though far-fetched at present time, are endearing to see play out on film in this fifties-centric sci-fi romp and the fact that this character irritated me so much actually allowed me to appreciate this production that much more for having a cast as diverse as it did and to move me the way that it managed to.

The story is equally intriguing, not only because it depicts an exploration to an uncharted planet, but because of the religious implications that such an act can bring to a society that still believes that we are slaves to a higher being, ones who are meant to know our place in the world and never seek knowledge beyond our boundaries. The idea of encroaching on God's domain is a captivating one and it is a concept that the film absolutely nails. You can see the madness in General Merritt's eyes as he realizes this unholy of sins and the measures that he goes to bring the mission down are startlingly harsh and deadly in execution. Needless to say the severity level of this film comes out of left field and when it does it changes the entire tone of the film, and for the better. I've seen plenty of films that depict the mental chaos that space travel can bring about, but Conquest of Space is probably the most effective due to its playful, tongue and cheek nature during the opening third of its runtime and the drastic turn it all takes in the second and third acts of the film.

Of course you can't have a science fiction film, especially a George Pal produced flick, without mentioning the special effects. When it comes to Conquest of Space, the visual elements that bring this movie together are exceptionally creative and inevitably entertaining. In modern terms and by current cinema standards, the effects might appear mundane and childish, but in my classic cinema loving eyes the model work is exquisitely charming and especially appreciated. There's just something magical about this kind of practical effects approach that just speaks louder than any computer-generated, overblown, effects laden extravaganza ever could, which modern blockbusters regurgitate out on a regular basis nowadays. For that alone, Conquest of Space earns my respect and admiration, even if it is a bit nutty.

Conquest of Space is an unusual and highly addictive space yarn which merges the ideas of space exploration and religion, forcing it into some rather shocking and unexpected territories. What starts off as a comedy/adventure hybrid, soon turns into a desperate tale of blasphemy and betrayal as a group of astronauts fight to survive amidst a savage and uncharted environment. Composed around a father and son's turbulent relationship and juxtaposed against the generational gap that separates them because of beliefs and lifestyle choices, the initially simple narrative soon becomes something of an allegory for the clashing of mankind's beliefs and the turmoil we set upon ourselves when proving that our truth is infallible.

Walter Brooke and Eric Fleming do an amazing job in portraying the father and son of the story and the tension between each actor is extremely accomplished. Phil Foster and Mickey Shaughnessy also do their part in shaking up the story with their polar opposite personalities, that perfectly reflect the bi-polar nature of the picture with its conflicting ways and confounding beliefs. Toppled with that the lovingly crafted practical effects of the film and you've got yourself one damn interesting production that has something to say and boldly throws it all in your face for you to determine and take sides. For me, this is what science fiction is all about. It's about wild ideas that challenge us both physically and mentally, not the overblown effects laden tent-pole films of modern times. Conquest of Space allows for its story to take center stage as it plays with the notion of men becoming gods and whether that is a good thing, a bad thing, or just an inevitability. Intriguing to say the least. This is one film that is.....

Everybody dig in!

Well hello there Jackie Baby.

A bunch of wise-guys huh.

Weeeeeeee!

This just in..... This film is nuts!

Pull my finger Mister or I'm gonna pop you one!

Ludicrous speed...... GO!

Sweet moves Maverick!

Get down here you knuckle-head.

Shit! I said a Philips Head Space Screwdriver not a Flat Head!

In space... No one can hear you sing opera.

I outta give you a knuckle-sandwich.

Are we supposed to be on fire right now?!?!?!

You guys are as graceful as a comet.

According to Sgt. Mahoney, there's never a wrong time to grab someone's ass.

Well it's a fact gentlemen..... Mars sucks.

Merry Christmas from Mars.

Like this movie or I'll bust a cap in your ass!

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

REVIEW: Godzilla Raids Again

Godzilla Raids Again

Director: Motoyoshi Oda

Year 1955

Godzilla Raids Again is the second film in the long running Godzilla series, this time being directed by Motoyoshi Oda. This outstanding Kaiju film isn’t as robust as its predecessor, but what the movie lacks in destruction it more then makes up for by adding another giant monster for Godzilla to tangle with. With epic battles and a cast of sympathetic characters, Godzilla Raids Again ends up being a rather enjoyable sequel to a classic monster flick.

In this entry of the series, the film follows two fishing pilot friends, Shoichi Tsukioka and Koji Kobayashi, as they stumble onto an island after one of them crash lands nearby. To their surprise, they witness a battle between two gargantuan creatures, Godzilla and Anguirus, a spiked turtle-like dinosaur. After surviving the monsters’ ferocious fight, the two pilots report their sightings of the creatures to a group of scientists who then immediately try to come up with a plan to stop these colossal giants from destroying Japan like Godzilla had done a year prior. With news of Godzilla approaching Osaka, can the scientists and their rag tag group of civilian volunteers stop him from waging destruction across the countryside? With the stage set for a monumental showdown, Godzilla Raids Again shows that Godzilla still has some bite left in him.

Hiroshi Koizumi plays the role of Shoichi Tsukioka, one of the pilots that first discover Godzilla. Determined to keep his people safe from the approaching menace that is Godzilla, Shoichi fights tooth and nail in trying to help the scientists come up with a way to halt the beast and possibly bring about its demise. Hiroshi does a spirited job in bringing the character to life, and he provides a good deal of brooding moments when contemplating just what his role could be in bringing down the monster. Having appeared in a great deal of Toho productions and other Godzilla entries, I’ve come to really appreciate the acting style that Hiroshi brings to his various characters. He has a great screen presence and always seems to bring a certain spark of credibility to each role he takes on.

Minoru Chiaki takes on the role of the other fishing pilot, Koji Kobayashi. He too has the same outlook on wanting to stop Godzilla at any cost, but his character’s personality is quite different from his fellow friends. Chiaki gives the character of Koji a bit of a goofy disposition, always telling jokes and answering to the nickname of Mr. Groom, since he never seems to be able to land a girl of his own. In the film’s story, he never appears to be taken seriously and is kind of looked upon as the class clown of the bunch. Luckily as the story progresses along, we come to find that there is much more to Koji then first presented, as he makes a dramatic character turn in the final closing moments of the film, allowing for the scientists and fighter pilots to come up with a way to finally bring Godzilla to his knees. It’s an inspirational moment for his character, but like all good dramatic turns, it comes at a horrible and mournful cost.

As for the story of Godzilla Raids Again, it has a lot to live up to being the sequel of a classic monster film. With the loss of Godzilla’s original director, Ishiro Honda, you would think that this entry might be a pale comparison to that haughtily hailed masterpiece, but you’d be surprised to find out that this sequel is actually quite good. That being said, it isn’t the grand spectacle that the first one was, but there are a few magical moments that seem inspirationally plucked from the originator of the series, giving the film some much needed weight and substance. One standout moment would be when Godzilla is first approaching the city of Osaka. The sequence starts with two of our main characters, Shoichi Tsukioka and Hidemi Yamaji, as they enjoy a well deserved night out at a local dance club, when suddenly a loud speaker announces the coming of Godzilla. The whole place falls into a panic, and throngs of people rush out into the street, fleeing the coming storm. We hear again over the loudspeaker that the entire area has been put on lockdown and placed under a blackout, forcing all of the citizens to turn their lights off in order to not draw Godzilla’s attention. It is at this point where we are shown a wide shot of the entire area as the lights all begin to go out. The atmosphere during this instance is amazing, and it mirrors moments during World War 2 when air raids would render cities into a state of shock and sheer panic. This real life parallel really places this film in respectable waters, and gives the story an extra believable boost for such a fantasy driven narrative.

Supporting these memorable moments, are a boat load of fantastic effects work that bring that solid execution that Toho so effortlessly churns out. As I’ve mentioned earlier, the destruction that is shown in this film doesn’t match up to the original’s pension for mayhem, but when it does happen in Godzilla Raids Again, it doesn’t disappoint. The battles are epic in scale, and to witness the two larger-than-life combatants go at it, is a sight to see. This entry in the Godzilla series is the first time that we are shown more than one giant monster, which in hind sight has become a staple of the genre, so for the first-time viewing audience to see something of this grand of a showdown must have been quite a shock to the senses. It admirably holds up in that Toho way, after all of these long years, and the movie makes for an entertaining watch that proudly represents that Godzilla name.

Godzilla Raids Again is a fantastic sequel to one of the most famous monster movies of all time. Having lost a bit of luster with the absence of the film’s legendary director Ishiro Honda, the movie still holds up as an unprecedented sequel that tones down the destruction a bit, but adds a whole other new dimension with its multiple battling monsters premise. With a cast of delightful characters and an added bonus of taking real life moments, such as the World War 2 injected atmosphere, and blending them into this wild story of radioactive creatures on the rampage.

Seeing that this is an early entry in the long standing series, the tone is still kept as serious as a heart attack, and you could almost seamlessly watch the first film and branch off into this one and not notice a drastic drop in quality. The story is top notch and the effects work follows in suit. With the Japanese powerhouse Toho Company behind it, you really can’t go wrong. Time after time they prove themselves with all of the enjoyable productions that they produce in abundance. Godzilla Raids Again is another infectious entry in the success story that is Toho, and its presence in the cannon of Godzilla films is better for its inclusion. Check this one out because……