VIDEO REVIEW: The Thing

VIDEO REVIEW: Escape From New York

The Lucid Nightmare - Escape From New York Review by jayskitstar

REVIEW: Big Trouble in Little China

Big Trouble in Little China

Director: John Carpenter

Year 1986

Big Trouble in Little China is a wild genre hybrid that is a whole hell of a lot of fun. Directed by the legendary horror filmmaker John Carpenter and starring the ridiculously charismatic Kurt Russell, this action adventure barrels headlong into cinematic bliss with an overabundance of character, wonder, and genuine laughs. Tremendously self-aware of its indulgent nature for Chinese mythology and the imaginative imagery that comes with it, Big Trouble in Little China sets the gold standard for all adventure romps, especially ones that put fun in the forefront.

The film follows truck driver Jack Burton, the self proclaimed badass, as he suddenly finds himself mixed up in a centuries-old supernatural war between good and evil. After the kidnapping of his friend Wang Chi's fiancee by the hands of Chinese slave traders, Jack agrees to track down the group responsible, but ends up running afoul of an ancient sorcerer named Lo Pan and his unsavory legions of mystical warriors and unsightly beasts, who have other ideas for Wang's beloved. With the odds against them, Jack and Wang along with the help of a rag tag group of unlikely friends, storm the underground labyrinths of Lo Pan's secret lair in hopes to save Wang's fiancee and bring down the apparently immortal sorcerer.

Kurt Russell takes on the iconic role of Jack Burton and like his portrayal of Snake Plissken in Escape from New York, he simply owns the character. Hot tempered, quick witted, and extremely scene stealing, Russell gives Jack Burton that added charismatic depth which propels this vividly portrayed character into instant classic status. A cult figure for the ages, Jack Burton is as brash as they come and Russell defines the actions of this loudmouth braggart to perfection. This film wouldn't be nearly as enjoyable as it is without the presence of Russell's expert timing and cool as hell personality. If there is anything that the world needs more of, it is Kurt Russell, and his performance in Big Trouble in Little China is one for the ages.

Supporting Russell's excellent performance is an equally enthralling display by an extremely gifted cast of character actors. Kim Cattrall takes on the role of Gracie Law, a nosey investigative reporter who finds herself way over her head when taking on Lo Pan and company. Cattrall is wonderfully sassy in the role and she's never looked better. Legendary character actor Victor Wong plays the role of Egg Shen, the elderly but fully capable wizard who has waged a life-long battle against the forces of evil. Wong is such an inspiration in this role as he chews the scenery up every time he appears on screen. His performance is so compelling and especially genuine. Another heavy hitter is James Hong as the infamous David Lo Pan, the centuries-old sorcerer with a penchant for girls with green eyes. Hong has a lot of heavy lifting to do in this duel role, for he plays both the old and young version of Lo Pan. Each iteration of the sorcerer is demanding in itself, and the makeup effects and character designs for his various looks are extremely vivid and outlandishly game-changing. Last but definitely not least is Dennis Dun as he takes on the memorable role of Wang Chi. I've always enjoyed Dun's work be it his scene-stealing performance in Prince of Darkness or his contributions to The Last Emperor, but in Big Trouble in Little China he over-shines both roles. He's a sadly under-appreciated actor, but in my eyes he's reached cult status and with good reason.

With a cast like that, how could you go wrong, and John Carpenter makes good use of their multiple talents. The action is fierce and the banter between characters is even more engaging, emphasizing greatly that this film is all about an abundance of fun. From the martial arts action to the over the top mythical and mystical elements of the script, Carpenter throws everything he has at his audience, all in the name of entertainment. The end result of all of this over-indulgence is a rip-roaring thrill ride that never worries about going off the rails, but rather delights in the unusual and unexpected. As Carpenter delves deeper into the otherworldly elements of Chinese lore, he ramps up the fun factor of the flick, introducing one wild character after another until we're knee deep in some of the most fascinating of ensemble casts.

The name of the game here is adventure, and Big Trouble in Little China has that in copious quantities. Elemental warriors, kung-fu soldiers, a wild beast-man, and a floating head with multiple eyeballs are just some of the weird and wild characters that you'll come across in this flick. Designed in unique and unorthodox ways, Carpenter has pulled from a large iconic pool of cult imagery throughout Asian cinema and has crafted something that is full-on fantasy with a Carpenter twist, and it gels to perfection. Combined with his impeccable anamorphic lens and distinct atmospheric soundtrack, Carpenter has crafted a genre mash-up for the ages. Its got action, comedy, adventure and a little bit of romance, but what really helps it all propel into classic status is the outstanding cast of character actors that truly bring it all to life.

Big Trouble in Little China is truly a classic film. Never shying away from its ridiculous premise, the production relishes in the absurd and otherworldly. Mythologies and ancient lore collide in a cornucopia of vividly portrayed characters and mythical beasts, making for a film that never truly stops entertaining until the credits finally begin to crawl. Told in the most expressive of ways, Carpenter relies on the validity of his actors and their outstanding performances to craft the genuine nature of the story. Kurt Russell is the epitome of cool in the iconic role of Jack Burton, while Dennis Dun, Kim Cattrall, Victor Wong, James Hong, and the rest of the cast come right in step to compliment the film's abundant style.

Without a doubt, it is the film's expertly balanced combination of eye catching imagery, astounding atmospheric locations, and tremendously executed effects that really take it over the top in quality and presentation. Topped off with John Carpenter's own original and typically engrossing score for the film and you've got yourself a recipe for a cult classic. Big Trouble in Little China wears its heart on its sleeve and it is a love letter to China's ancient lore and storied cinematic past. Extremely enjoyable and fun to the last, Big Trouble in Little China is a cut above the rest in almost every department. If you're searching for a film that truly takes you on an unexpected adventure, then you owe it to yourself to hunt down this most treasured flick. Big Trouble in Little China is.....

Quit showing off Egg.

These guys are just too cool for school.

The Three Amigos!

Come to Butthead.

Kurt Russell is a god!

Egg is even captivating when he eats.

You ok over there little buddy?

Kurt Russell can get a little too forceful with the piggy-back rides.

Hey! Your gun is bigger than mine!

That's no gun.... This is a GUN!

Lo Pan is a straight pimp.

What do you think Egg? There sure are a lot of ugly people in the audience today.

BARF!

This dude just plain kicks ass!

Lo Pan is a Jedi? No way!

It was just then that Kurt realized he was deathly afraid of golden buddha statues.

It's time to blow this popsicle-stand.... Literally!

REVIEW: Stargate

Stargate

Director: Roland Emmerich

Year 1994

Stargate is a wonderfully imaginative science fiction film that is brimming with adventure and packed with awe-inspiring moments. Featuring a heavy dose of genre mixing, this wild romp blends the mind-bending aspects of a sci-fi film with the grandiose tendencies of a full blown ancient biblical epic. Relishing in its boldness, the film thrusts the viewer into a world that is beyond comprehension, where humankind's past catches up to its present, and in the most outstanding of ways. Lost in an entrancing display of Egyptian ancient culture, Stargate manages to bridge the gap between fact and fiction in its cinematic world, allowing for the far-fetched proceedings to envelope the viewer, while producing an adventure film that is truly remarkable and overtly thrilling in every way possible. With its spectacular cast, lavish production value and vivid world, Stargate is a must for any science fiction fan.

In the year 1928 in Giza, Egypt, a team of archeologists, led by Professor Langford, uncover an ancient device that is beyond human knowledge and skill. Flash-forward 66 years later, and Langford's daughter Catherine is still struggling to discover the secrets behind this ancient and illusive relic. Enter Dr. Daniel Jackson, an Egyptologist who is ridiculed for believing that there is more to the ancient Egyptian civilization than meets the eye. Jackson is invited to a secret underground research facility, by the request of Catherine Langford, in hopes that his knowledge on the subject of Egyptian Hieroglyphics could possibly help solve this almost ten thousand year old mystery. After some studying of the device, Jackson and crew come to the startling realization that this machine, named the Stargate, is actually an interstellar transporter able to project beings across the cosmos to unknown distant planets. Though frightened and intrigued at the prospect of traveling to another world, a team is gathered comprised of a military squad led by hard-nosed Col. Jonathan O'Neil and the discoverer of the ancient device's use, Dr. Daniel Jackson. What they find on the other side of the Stargate is beyond comprehension and infinitely astounding.

James Spader takes on the role of Dr. Daniel Jackson, the inquisitive and often awkward Egyptologist. Spader's take on the character is wholly endearing as he injects a great deal of likeability into the off-kilter bookworm role. Often type-cast as an asshole throughout his career, which he pulls off so well, it's nice to see him play a sympathetic role, one which allows him to show a more playful and innocent side. In Stargate, he is one of the central elements of this film that makes it so damn enjoyable. His quick witted comments and observations are hilarious, and even though the movie tends to stay on a serious track, Spader is allowed the space and time to interject some rather entertaining and funny moments into the mix. As a leading man, Spader does a damn fine job and his unorthodox approach to acting is what makes him so engaging and fun to watch.

Of course a great deal of Spader's success at entertaining the audience is the fact that the chemistry between himself and his co-star Kurt Russell is exceptional and genuine. In very basic terms, their relationship is something of an odd couple scenario, where Spader is goofy, uncoordinated, and an intellectual, while Kurt Russell's character, Col. Jonathan O'Neil, is something of a hard-ass. He's jaded from the death of his son and because of that he is grim, determined, and overall rather suicidal. Pitting these two contrasting characters together is bound to make for some interesting results, but Spader and Russell really go above and beyond the norm in flushing out their roles and collaborating with each other in the most genuine and watchable of ways. In the end, what Stargate gives us is a film with two outstanding lead roles who equally carry the weight of the story on their shoulders, resulting in a cinematic duo that without a doubt make this movie thoroughly enjoyable.

As stories go, Stargate is pretty far out there, yet when viewed in the context and rules that this cinematic vision sets up, it feels natural and believable. I especially enjoyed the correlations between ancient Egypt and Erich von Daniken's work in his book Chariots of the Gods. I've always been fascinated by both Egyptian culture and Daniken's theories, and to see both being represented in this compelling and entertaining blockbuster of a flick is simply pure joy for this cinema lover. In case you are unaware of Chariots of the Gods, it basically summarizes that our ancient ancestors were visited by aliens, dubbed ancient astronauts, in the long forgotten past and that they had a hand in developing our society. This concept ways heavily on the proceedings in Stargate, as we are thrust onto another world, much like Earth, and given the facts that indeed a mysterious race visited our planet ages ago and had a presence in ancient Egypt. The connections are uncommonly profound, but these ideas never bog down the pace and fun of the film, rather it enhances the world that these character live in, making for a solid action film that has something more meaningful to say behind its grandeur and spectacle.

Speaking of grandiose spectacles, this film has a tremendously ambitious visual design that threads its way through every aspect of its production. From the fabulous and sprawling locations to the larger than life man-made sets that were constructed to bring this movie to life, you really get a sense that these ancient civilizations are real and functional. The temple pyramid structure and the walled city are especially impressive as both locations use an ingenious mixture of constructed sets and computer graphics to make them a cinematic reality. The same wizardry was done to realize the alien spaceship as both practical and computer generated effects were morphed to provide the ships most unusual pyramidal style and futuristic mechanisms. To top it off, the film's set design, wardrobe, and attention to detail is impeccable, giving the production a rich visual flare that sets it apart from other science fiction outings of its time. It's the blending of Egyptian architecture and culture with that of alien tech that really make this film a feast for the eyes and mind. With such an elaborate world to depict, Roland Emmerich and company did a spectacular job in bringing it all together and making it coexist so beautifully, while still managing to allow the fun and epic adventure tone to shine through in abundance.

Stargate is without a doubt an underrated gem, whose ambitious nature and profound ideas seemed to pass over the public with little to no fanfare. The combination of ancient Egyptian culture and ancient alien astronauts is definitely something that I'm always interested to see portrayed in films, but sadly it didn't seem to hook too many people when it came out. It's a shame too because the scale of this film is enormous and the intimate levels that it is able to delve into while still maintaining its larger than life atmosphere is genuinely astounding and ultimately thrilling.

James Spader and Kurt Russell, along with the rest of this diverse and exceptionally acted cast, do a tremendous job in bringing the validity to the world, which is essential to an epic like this. The scale and construction that was needed in order to tell this tale in such a grand manner must have been a huge undertaking, and thankfully their hard work can be seen in every frame of this film. From the dense and ancient walled city of the slaves, to the iconic pyramid temple, to the impressive presence of the alien craft, the production value of this film is off the charts and really should be celebrated. If you are in need of a film that is entertaining, funny, passionate, thrilling, romantic, action packed, and a whole hell of a lot of fun, then look no further than Stargate. This is one.....

Hi everyone! Enjoy the show!

Spader you beautiful bastard!

I don't think it knows how to hi-five buddy.

This is how Kurt Russell rolls.

All this land used to be owned by Old Man Peabody.

Nice fucking model/cgi hybrid! Really, I love it!

Tastes like chicken, but looks like shit.

Shit! Here come those alien creeps!

Spader has one weakness.... Boobs.

Pretty sweet art man.

Stop or my Spader will shoot.

I hate Egyptian aliens. Shit... there's one right behind me isn't there?

I'm taking my best-friend necklace back! That's cold Ra... that's cold.

Your going down birdman!

What's up my slave bitches!

Ra, you stylish bastard you!

Spader... action star! Who knew?

Prepare to shit your pants!

What the hell are you all looking at?

REVIEW: Escape from New York

Escape from New York
Director: John Carpenter
Year 1981

Escape from New York is a wild and entertaining ride brought to us by the legendary genre director John Carpenter. Starring Kurt Russell as the king of all badasses, Snake Plissken, the film is a cult phenomenon that is so much damn fun that you really can’t just watch it once.
 
The movie starts out in the futuristic world of 1997, where shit has really hit the fan and society as a whole is governed with an iron fist by an overbearing and intrusive government. When the President’s plane crash lands inside the now maximum security prison of Manhattan, one eyed convict Snake Plissken is pulled from prison life and coerced into infiltrating the apocalyptic hell of New York City in order to get the President out. Surrounded by the scum of society and enclosed within a giant maximum security prison, can Plissken beat the odds and win back his freedom? All signs point to yes.

This movie is just all kinds of fun, taking every opportunity it can in making the world believe that Kurt Russell’s Snake Plissken is the end all be all coolest dude the cinema has ever seen. Kurt owns the role and runs with it for the entire stretch of the movie, adding flourishes of smart-ass one-liners that just seem so damn right. Even Russell’s mannerisms seem catered to bringing this larger then life character into the realm of the believable, infusing him with an uncommon sense of realism that’s not usually seen in B-grade cinema. If there’s one thing that really makes this film the pinnacle of cult classic cinema, it’s the damn fine role that Russell has done in crafting this tremendously vivid character.

I can’t also forget the fabulous job that director John Carpenter has also done to make this film rise above its meager origins. His direction and overall visual sensibility is prevalent throughout the movie, making it unmistakably a Carpenter film through and through. His original compositions just ignite the soundtrack, giving you a stark audible picture of how cool and realized this film really is. Nothing seems out of place and the production seems to jive perfectly together like some sick and twisted jigsaw puzzle, crafted by a brilliant director at the top of his game. It almost seems ridiculous that a film that has such a bat shit crazy premise can come together in such a harmonious way, but Carpenter pulled it off with flying colors. His genre efforts have always been stupendous and Escape From New York is right up there with some of my favorites of his work.

There are so many aspects of this film that are top notch that it’s hard to narrow it down to a few choice topics. The diverse cast alone is outstanding enough to write a full blown essay about. We’ve got cult actors coming out the ying yang on this production!
 
First there’s Lee Van Cleef, Tom Atkins, and Charles Cyphers in small cameo roles that, though lacking in depth, are extremely memorable and give the film a dose of class. Then we have Ernest Borgnine as a wacky cabby doing his Borgnine thing for all it’s worth. His scenes are a joy and I love how is character is vaguely dubious, walking the line between a good guy and a bad guy. After Borgnine we’re treated to Harry Dean Stanton as Brain and the hot mamma Adrienne Barbeau as Maggie. Here’s another two characters that straddle that hazy line between good and evil. The majority of the characters in this film seem to play with that notion of ambiguity.

The same can be said for the two heavy hitters in Isaac Hayes’ The Duke character and Donald Pleasence’s turn as the President. Both men are represented as having low moral fiber, concerned only with their selfish goals. The Duke wants out of the maximum security prison and the President enjoys pulling the wool over the eyes of the unsuspecting public. In hind sight that might be why Snake Plissken, though a convict and overall bad person, can be viewed as the hero of this film. He is the lesser of two evils and is only doing the job in order to save his own skin. Whatever way you look at it, the film is full of scumbags and it’s a joy to see them all double cross each other in various and interesting ways.

As for the look of the film, it’s dark, depressing, and absolutely beautiful. Enhanced by Carpenter’s trademark anamorphic lens, the film just looks stunning, breaking any kind of preconception that B-grade movies have to be all grit and grime and no class. Don’t get me wrong, the grit and grime are here along with some fabulously decayed locations, but they’re filmed in such a way that it almost seems poetic in structure and authentically genuine, without sacrificing the quality and integrity of the picture.
 
It’s interesting that Carpenter’s style in this film, mirrors earlier spaghetti westerns, which in part flowed like water from Italian filmmakers just over a decade prior to New York’s release. Then to make things even more interesting, the knock offs that soon followed in the wake of Escape from New York’s success, seemed to be solely centered around Italian productions. I guess that’s why some of these Italian efforts didn’t seem so out of place when compared to Carpenter’s original masterpiece, though lacking the master’s specific trademarks. The films had an interlinking cinematic style that seemed to compliment their shared past, which resulted in giving the films creditability to their respective genres, ones that wouldn’t normally receive high praise for being art.

Aside from having that shared atmospheric edge, the films of this ilk are just so much damn fun. They revel in the obscure and play with the notions of “what if”. I mean how can you not have a good time watching a film that has turned the island of Manhattan into a maximum security prison while forcing the president of the United States to dress up in a wig and sing a ridiculous song about a bastard named Duke? It’s impossible!

Escape from New York is one of those cult classics that seem to have all the right elements. The actors are perfect in their roles, especially Kurt Russell as Snake Plissken. The guy was destined to morph into that crazy mofo with an eye patch and he does the character justice, bringing this over the top and highly fictional character to life. Plissken wouldn’t be the highly regarded character that he is today if it wasn’t for the efforts of Russell, and the overall film wouldn’t be the same without the expert eye and heightened sensibilities of director John Carpenter. The combination is a match made in heaven and they’ve proven this by matching up in some of the most heralded horror/action films in genre history.
 
Just thinking about their other match-ups makes me want to pop in Big Trouble in Little China and The Thing, and just sit back and enjoy the awesomeness. Escape from New York proves that if you have the right combo, anything is possible. The film is amazing and brings to mind these wise, wise words. Escape from New York proves that……..

New York City.... What a shithole!

Plissken for President!

I shot him six times! Sorry couldn't resist.

Well don't they make an intimidating bunch?

Looks like we've got one of those there standoffs.

Really living on the edge there Plissken.

This damn GPS is a piece of shit! Over.

Borgnine, you fucking pyro!

Plissken answers the age old question. Who's bad!

Looks like those lazy days of summer are setting in.

Check this out! Here's.......

........Barbeau! Glorious Heavens Above!

Try to look a little more enthused Stanton.

When tricking out the car goes too far.

Either he just got knifed in the head or he's a human unicorn.

What is this, Passion of the Pleasence?

What's the matter Hayes? Your gun don't go boom?

Shit! Looks like another damn fan letter.

Let's get ready to RUMBLE!

That mongoloid is gonna have one hell of a splitting headache.

Takes a licking and keeps on ticking.