Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Mad Max (1979) (Movie Review)


  When it comes to long-running Sci-Fi franchises, I find the "Mad Max" series to be one of the most unique and original. They have a distinct look, tone, and personality that sets them apart from other genera franchises. It's also one of the oldest Sci-Fi series, and as of now, their consistently the work of writer and director George Miller. The original 1979 "Mad Max" also launched the carrier of it's leading star Mel Gibson, making this film amusing to look back on, and see the young actor before his more famous roles in the decades to come. Being honest for a moment ... I've never called myself a fan of the first 1979 picture "Mad Max", and am far more fond of the franchise that followed after. In my mind, I view the 1981 sequel "The Road Warrior" as the real Sci-Fi/action classic that Mad Max's legacy stems from. With that said ... neither the sequel or the series would be here without that first film ... and it did just enough credible things on it's own that I feel it's worth looking back on. 


  Our movie is set in Australia, in an un-labeled, not to distant dystopian future. Most of the Outback has been reduced to low-populated communities, with minimal fuel and small towns, but many people seem to be living peacefully. The only problem is a gang of psychotic motorcycle riding serial killers called The Acolytes, who dominate the streets, and terrorize all innocent civilians in their path. The only thing that stands in their way is the Main Force Patrol, which is all that remains of law and justice in the country. The best man on the job is none other than Mad Max, who always cleans up the street. One day he goes too far, and is responsible for the death of a lead gang member, to which the Acolytes respond to with vengeance. Soon, officers of the MFP are becoming targets, and Max himself gets it the worst as the gang members kill his wife and infant child. Full of rage and vengeance, Max takes to the street as the Road Warrior, to hunt down and eliminate the Acolytes once and for all.


  That may sound like a short synopsis of the films set-up, but surprise ... it’s actually the bulk of the movie. Max doesn’t even suit up to take vengeance until the final 15 minutes or so of the film. For me, it always felt like a pilot episode for a TV series that never happened. The majority of the movie spends most of its time with the villains doing their awful and curl acts to innocent people, while building-up to Max’s inevitable tragedy that turns him into the Road Warrior. Like I said, once our hero goes off the rail, he very quickly gets his revenge, and the film stops rather abruptly, without even an epilogue. You could say this film is all set-up, while the sequels are all about the journey ... but with that said, I always wondered ... this film has the benefit of those sequels, but would it hold-up on it's own without them? There are certainly some highlights in this first film, including some top-tear road stunts, and a fair amount of tension. The slow build-up to the demise of Max’s family was pulled-off very effectively, and we do feel a dynamic change from where we first meet hero, and the anti-hero he becomes at the end of the film. 


  The best scene of all is the opening car chase, which puts you in the mind-set that you’re going to be watching a fast paced thrill ride of a movie. No joke, the car crashes and driving choreography in this opening is a real spectacle, and it’s shot beautifully. While it may seem a touch generic by today’s standards, it was still an impressive feat of over the top stunt work, and vehicle destruction for the late 1970's. The opening chase also serves as a great introduction to our main character, as he spends most of the time acting all chill while listening to the chase progress on his radio. Then when everyone else fails to do their jobs, Max goes out riding to get the job done, which is easily his coolest moment of the film. There really aren’t too many note worth action scenes after this, as the rest of the film focuses on establishing mood and tension. 


  I suppose I should talk about the character himself, who quickly became the archetype for most action characters of this sort. Max is a guy who questions his humanity, and fears that he’s becoming too much like the villains he’s battling. Unfortunately, the issue isn’t brought up much, and once he becomes the Road Warrior, he pretty much just throws all humanity out the window, and becomes a vengeful psycho path. It’s a formula that I just find all too familiar, and conveyed more effectively in other popular characters. Aside from the opening scene, I honestly didn’t even find Max to be that much of a "tough guy", at least until the sequels. He’s played by a now unrecognizable Mel Gibson, back when he was a young and more respected actor. He plays the role of Max well, but I never felt he really left an impression as this character until later down the road. I think it was more the novelty of the film that made this a highlight in his carrier, rather than a stirring performance that deserves acclaim.  

        
  I will say that Director George Miller is on top of his craft when directing this film. He definitely knows how to shoot a car chase, as well as create an uncomfortable atmosphere for this dystopian setting. Aside from all the “Mad Max” sequels, George Miller is best known for directing and writing family movies like “Happy Feet” and “Babe”, which is personally one of my favorite childhood gems of all time, so he’s undeniably a talented and versatile filmmaker. I also have to admire the subtlety of this apocalyptic future the film creates. Most movies with this type of setting go all-out with demolished cities, and fields of dead bodies, with rows of skulls everywhere, but this film is very different. In fact, it’s probably the cleanest and tidiest looking apocalyptic future ever captured on film. If you just caught a glimpse of this film on TV, you’d probably just assume it takes place in some generic outback area instead of a dystopian future. It wouldn't be until the next film that we'd get the more recognizable staples of the deserts, and armored land vehicles.   

          
  Whenever I review a critically acclaimed film like this, I always do my best to point out the positives, but unfortunately, I do still have my reservations with this film. I obviously don’t care for the structure of the plot, and there’s very little about the overall experience that makes it worthwhile for me. Other films like “Robocop”, "First Blood", “The Terminator” and “Die Hard” have their fair share of over the top violence and action bonanzas, but I also feel like there’s more substance to those films, structure to the narrative, and even characters, which balances everything out. Also, I personally can’t stand the villains in this movie. While the Acolytes are functional as threatening bad guys, I also feel their way too over the top, and cartoony, to the point where their more irritating then menacing. Obviously, I get that their crazy, a result from their end-of-the-world living-conditions, but still, there's only so much of their shouting and boasting that I can stomach. Lastly, like I established earlier ... I'm really not a fan of the ending, which just seems to stop the movie on a dime. Seriously, after montaging its way through the climax, the film comes to a sudden stop, which always leaves me wondering what the heck I just sat through.   


  Unsurprisingly, the film received mixed feelings upon it's initial release, has been reevaluated in the time sense, and is now celebrated as a minor classic in it's own right. I'm certainly fond of the franchise as a whole, but the 1979 original has yet to connect with me as anything special. I certainly don’t hate it, I just don’t care to watch it. It has its fare share of improbable car stunts and crashes that were very impressive for the time and still cool to see, but I can’t say that the experience as a whole really works for me. Despite it's colorful and cleaner environment, I'd argue this is thematically the darkest, blackest and most depressing film of the series ... which is probably why it has fans. It's not a movie that played things safe or had a conventional narrative, which more then anything gave this film a unique voice, and led to the series have such an original personality over other Sci-Fi pictures with apocalyptic settings. In the end, the original "Mad Max" won't be a movie for everyone ... it's never really been one for me ... but it has earned it's place in the history books of Sci-Fi cinema, is different enough to be memorable, and more then anything launched a great franchise, that's still going strong decades later.      

Thanks for reading my review of the 1979 Sci-Fi picture “Mad Max” ... and continue to enjoy the movies you Love!        
           

Thursday, March 12, 2015

Dance Scenes in Non-Dancing related Movies (My Top 10 Favorites)


With energetic music, sharp choreography and maybe even subtle character interaction, who doesn’t love a good dance number? Well ... I obviously love dance scenes from movies. I love the energy, I love the style, I love the music, so why not celebrate this art with a countdown. However, there’s going to be a little twist to this list because I’m counting down my top 10 personal favorite dance scenes from movies that have absolutely nothing to do with dance or music. Their completely out of the blue, but just as entertaining as any classic dance number from a real musical.


10. “Anything Goes” from “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” 



Those of you familiar with the Indiana Jones series know that the second installment titled “Temple of Doom” is the darkest and most sinister entry in the series, with the most disturbing imagery, scariest segments and harshest tone. So what could possibly be a more fitting way to open this film then a Broadway Style musical number that looks more fitting for something like “Singing in the Rain”. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an opening segment more out of place and tone then this opening song number titled “Anything Goes”, but that’s why it’s so brilliant. It’s the perfect bait and switch. It also serves as a proper introduction for the films lead heroin, and despite being so random and out of place with the overall tone of the film, it somehow just works.   
      

9. “Bustin' Surfboards” from “Pulp Fiction” 



This is probably the most famous dance scene to ever be featured in a non-dance related movie. Why then is it only at number 9, because there’s eight others that I personally like more, but that’s not going to keep me from mentioning this on my countdown. When a notorious street gangster takes his girl friend out to dinner, she decides to liven things up by participating in a small dance tournament to win a gold trophy. Of course John Travolta is well know from classic musicals like “Grease” and “Saturday Night Fever”, so it’s no surprise that he shares the stage in this scene. The strait serious faces of our dancing duo perfectly offset the songs light hearted nature and the scene itself is a subtle detour into a cheerful place before some of the characters find themselves staring at deaths door. It’s simply a memorable moment from this Quentin Tarantino classic. 


8. After Dark from “From Dusk Till Dawn” (1996)



Okay, so this particular dance number is very different, and much hotter than the others. The 1996 action horror movie “From Dusk Till Dawn” begins as a serious crime thriller, then mid way it becomes the equivalent of a drive-in monster movie. This random dance marks the transition between the two tones. With a seductive musical score, great staging, and the oh so attractive Salma Hayek leading the scene, it makes this pointless little dance scene one that’s easy to remember.


7. The Fox Chase from “Darby O' Gill and the Little People” 



Disney has given us plenty of memorable song and dance numbers from their live action musicales, but one of their absolute best dance scenes comes from their 1959 Irish fantasy “Darby O' Gill and the Little People”. While the movie isn’t devoid of songs, it’s by no means a musical like “Mary Poppins”. Never the less, the stand out dance number occurs at the close of the first act, when the title character Darby O’Gill is invited into the cave of the Leprechauns. After winning their hospitality, he treats them to some music on his violin, a piece called “The Fox Chase”. What follows is a massive dance party on a small Leprechaun scale, they pool off crazy stunts, bounce all over the place, ride leprechaun sized horses, and it’s just a really fun scene. The music is lively, the effects are unbelievable, and it’s right up there with the “Stepping Time” scene from “Mary Poppins” as one of my favorite dance numbers to be featured in a family film.



6. “Staying Alive” from “Airplane!” 



This will always be one of my favorite comedies ever, because it satirizes everything you can think of. When our lead passenger named Ted Striker has nostalgic flashbacks of when he met the girl he loves, we’re treated to a silly, energetic dance number that’s a direct spoof of “Saturday Night Fever”, right down to the white dance suit and music from the Bee Gees. The song “Staying Alive” has always been one of my personal favorites, and it’s even more fun when mixed with all the goofy comedy and over the top dance choreography that this scene provides. I would say that it’s my favorite dance parody of all time, but we’re only at number 6 on my count down, and there’s plenty of silly dance numbers on the way.   


5. Johnny B Goode from “Back to the Future” 



It’s a time honored tradition that any High School themed movie has a breakout dance number, and my personal favorite by far is Johnny B Goode from “Back to the Future”. When Marty Mcfly travels back in time and accidently prevents his parents from meeting, he has to use his sly wit and skill to get them to fall in love all over again, and his final touch to bring his parents back together involves an electric guitar and an enchanting dance. This really is one of the greatest dance numbers ever because it’s the climax of the movie, and even when Marty succeeds in getting his parents back together, he continues to rock on his guitar, as if to celebrate his triumph. That’s exactly how I’d describe this, it’s a triumphant finally with a Rock ’N good song to boot.    


4. “Dancing with Elena” from “The Mask of Zorro” 



This is just another perfect example of an adventure epic taking a little break from all the action and giving us an awesome dance number instead. When Zorro attends the party of his greatest enemy under the guise of a respectable gentleman, he takes full advantage of the situation by taking control of the dance floor and sharing a duet with his beautiful love interest Elena. This is just a really sexy scene, with excellent music, style and terrific choreography. James Horner conducted the music in this film, and his track for this dance is just the perfect variety of music to go with such spirited dancers. It’s short, it’s simple, it adds a little extra flavor to this awesome film and other adventure epics should really take notes from this.  


3. “Twist and Shout” from “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” 



Ferris Bueller is the cool teenage high school dude who can get away with anything. Cheat your way out of school for a day ... check, weasel his way into an expensive restaurant under the guise of a rich guy that had reservations ... check, get on top of a parade float dancing to music from the Beatles in front of a whole city of Chicago ... check and double check. Yes, Ferris Bueller’s parade float dance is one of the best, spontaneous dance scenes ever, emphasizing how untouchable he is while getting everyone in the city to twist and shout along with him in this upbeat musicale number. It’s hard to explain why, but there’s something relentlessly cheerful about seeing all the people of Chicago join Ferris in his dance, and to this day, it still puts a big grin on my face.  


2. “Jai Ho” from “Slumdog Millionaire” 



I don’t think there’s ever been a cooler way to wrap up a movie then with a fully choreographed dance sequence like this one featured at the end of the 2008 motion picture “Slumdog Millionaire”. The movie as a whole focuses on the drama and hardships of a young Indian boy who really hasn’t had the best life, but fortune smiles on him at the end when he win’s the Indian version of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” and is reunited with the love of his life. The following dance number is his triumphant celebration that boasts incredible music and it’s the perfect offset to the films mostly down beat and realistic tone. Set to the Oscar Award winning song Jai Ho, this dance number serves as the Outro of the film, playing over the closing credits, but it’s the perfect high note to end the film on.


Before I revial my #1 favorite spontaneous dance number, here are my Honorable Mentions: Spontaneous dance numbers from ... 

The Jungle Book (1994)

True Lies 

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 1

Napoleon Dynamite

Never Say Never Again



1. “Hey! Pachuco!” From “The Mask” 



Lets wrap up my countdown with a dance number that’s positively S-S-S-S-SMOKIN! With Jim Carry’s bombastic energy, Cameron Diaz blowsy appeal, some seriously upbeat music and overall cartoony hummer, how could this not take my number one spot? The song titled “Hey! Pachuco!” was performed by Royal Crown Revue, the same talents who started the Swing Revival movement that renewed popular interest in Swing and jump blues music back in the early 90’s and late 2000’s. Of course, they hit it out of the park with this song, and everything else on display is nothing short of awesome. I love the energy, I love the angles, I love the choreography and I love the overall fun factor that’s put on MAX. This movie will always be a treasured gem from my child hood, and this is personally my favorite spontaneous dance number to be featured in a non-dance related film. 

      End