Time After Time: The 30th Anniversary of “Back to the Future, Part II”

By Michael Lyons

Ok, so we never got a future filled with flying cars, hover boards and “Jaws 19,” but there is something that “Back to the Future, Part II” got right: it showed us what a creative, inventive and original sequel should look like.

Dismissed as “too confusing” and “just an excuse to make Part III,” on its initial release, this second installment of the time traveling adventures of Marty McFly  (Michael J. Fox) and Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) has gained quite the following through the years and many count it as one of film’s best sequels.

Released on November 22, 1989, this month marks 30 years since “Back to the Future Part II” debuted and like time itself, so fleeting in these films, it’s hard to believe that the time from this sequel to now is the same span of time Marty time travelled back to in the original film!

The anniversary is also the perfect time to look back at wizardly director Robert Zemeckis’ imaginative sequel.

“Back to the Future, Part II” picks up exactly where the original leaves off with Doc Brown picking up Marty and his girlfriend Jennifer (Elizabeth Shue, taking over for Claudia Wells, who originated the role) and taking them into the future (all the way to 2015, which is now in the past - “heavy!”).

Here among the flying cars, self fitting clothing and the “retro” Cafe ‘80’s, Marty and Jennifer see the reason they’re there: their kids are in trouble and may wind up going to jail.  With Doc’s help, Marty is able to prevent his kids from going to prison and changes their future path.

After this, Marty buys a Sports Almanac at an Antique Shop and with sports scores through the years, he figures he can make a killing through betting.  But, unbeknownst to him, Biff, (Thomas F. Wilson) now an old man, steals the Almanac and the DeLorean, going back in time to give the Almanac to his younger self in 1955.

Old Biff sneaks back the DeLorean and Marty and Doc return to 1985, only to find that they’ve returned to an “alternate time line,” where the town of Hill Valley is a slum and Biff has become a Donald Trump-like billionaire (talk about foreshadowing) who owns a high-rise casino, thanks to his Almanac sports wins.

Here, “Part II” becomes like an eerie “It’s a Wonderful Life”-like version of the original film, with Marty stumbling through nightmarish versions of familiar settings.

It’s also here that Doc explains to Marty (and to the audience) why 1985 now looks so different.  Using a chalkboard and drawing time lines, Doc explains that Biff having the Almanac has changed all that they knew about 1985.

It’s a smart moment of “story exposition dump,” as Marty and Doc realize that they need to go back to 1955 and get the Almanac away from young Biff, which they do.

And, if the story so far hasn’t seemed like such a labyrinth, Zemeckis once again breaks the boundaries of special effects with Fox and Lloyd inserted into scenes from the original film.

This is a major way that “Part II” pushes limits, with actors not just acting in the same scenes as themselves, but also interacting, as well (gone are the “split screen double” days of Disney’s “The Parent Trap”).  This earned the film a well-deserved Oscar Nomination for Visual Effects.

More than just effects, “Part II” pushes limits with its dizzying maze of a story.  It would have been easy for Zemeckis and his co-writer Bob Gale, to have Marty and Doc travel to another time period or set the entire story in the future, but with this, they decided to take a chance and do something different, at a time when most sequels were content with just repeating the original.

In many ways, “Back to the Future, Part II,” (which was filmed back-to-back with “Part III”) was one of the first film franchises, attempting to build an entire “world.”  If all involved wanted to, the series could have kept going.

The film also has a thoughtful message, attempting to make a statement of how our actions, right or wrong, can have ripple effects for many and for years after.  And that, more than effects or a vision of future shock, is probably why “Back to the Future, Part II” is still discussed thirty years later.

Now, if we could only get that 19th sequel to “Jaws”...

Sources:

Wikipedia

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Something to Lift Your Spirits: Casper’s Halloween Special

By Michael Lyons

You just can’t watch “It’s the The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown!” One more time...but what other Halloween TV Specials are out there?  “Garfield’s Halloween Adventure?”  Seen it!  

How do you satisfy the need you may have for marginally animated Halloween fare?  Consider spending half an hour with the Friendly Ghost (“the friendliest ghost you know”).

“Casper’s Halloween Special” debuted forty years ago this month, on October 30, 1979.

A most innocuous special that focuses on Casper helping save Halloween for a group of innocent orphans (yup, you read that correctly) who have their trick or treating threatened by the villainous ghosts Hairey Scarey and Screech Ghost, as well as Winifred Witch.

The show is the perfect vehicle for the character of Casper, the ghost who doesn’t want to scare and just wants to be accepted.

This special comes to us from Hanna-Barbera, during their “Golden Age” as the kings of limited TV animation.  The Studio didn’t invent Casper (he had been around since the late ‘30’s in theatrical short subjects).  Hanna-Barbera obtained the rights to Casper in the late ‘70’s, giving him a “re-boot,” of sorts with a new Saturday Morning series, “Casper and the Angels,” that paired the Friendly Ghost with a “Charlie’s angels”-like group.

During this time, Hanna -Barbera also produced two prime-time Casper specials (there was also “Casper’s First Christmas” that paired him with Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound and some other of the HB Stars).

“Casper’s Halloween Special” hasn’t had the lasting cultural impact of “The Great Pumpkin,” the story is VERY simple, the songs somewhat forgettable and the animation is...well...very Hanna-Barbera.

But, even with that, there’s a charm to “Casper’s Halloween Special”; Hanna-Barbera animation from this time period is like TV comfort food. And the basic story of Casper helping kids on Halloween night has a certain “niceness” to it as a reflection of an innocent time gone by (the subtitle of the special is :”He Ain’t Scary, He’s Our Bother,” a riff on a famous ‘60’s song).

Long before he was CGI and hanging out with Christina Ricci, there was “Casper’s Halloween Special.”  Give the ghost a chance this season...then, you can go back to “The Great Pumpkin” for the 1,057th time.

Happy Halloween everyone!

Sources:

Wikipedia

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With a Hip, Hip and a Clippidity Clop: The 70th Anniversary Of “The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad!”

By Michael Lyons

In the pantheon of iconic scenes from Disney classics like “Pinocchio,” “Cinderella,” “The Little Mermaid” and “The Lion King” one must reserve space for the kinetically animated sequence in which The Headless Horseman pursues Ichabod Crane.

The sequence has also become synonymous with this Halloween time of the year.  In fact, Disney’s Headless Horseman stands alongside The Great Pumpkin and Michael Myers as a symbol that the season is upon us.

Many who have seen Disney’s take on author Washington Irving’s tale “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” may not realize that it was originally part of a feature film from the Studio called “The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad.”

Released on October 5, 1949, the film came at the end of what had been a challenging decade for Walt Disney and his Studio.  During this time of financial belt-tightening, Walt kept animation going at the Studio by producing “package films.”  These were feature length films that didn’t essentially have a clear cut story, but instead were a compilation of short subjects.

“The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad” was the last of these “package films,” serving as a double feature, in which the first half of the film is an adaptation of author Kenneth Grahame’s “The Wind and the Willows” and the second part is an adaption of “Sleepy Hollow.”

Both parts are introduced in the film by the framing device of a library.  “Mr. Toad” (a/k/a “The Wind in the Willows”) is narrated by actor Basil Rathbone, best known at the time for portraying Sherlock Holmes.

He relays the story of J. Thaddeus Toad, who is always looking at the latest fad, in this case a motor car.  This “motor mania” causes him to lose his mansion Toad Hall and he must call upon his put upon friends Mole, Rat, Badger and Cyril Proudbottom the horse, to help him get it back.

The “Mr. Toad” section moves too quickly to emotionally engage the viewer, as other Disney films have, but it is a perfect study in how compelling personalities and fast-paced animation can carry a story.

Toad, with his clueless eccentricity, the kind Moley, the grinning villain Winky and the fast paced Weasels are all so fun to watch.  The culminating chase scene between all of the characters is a masterpiece of frenetic animated staging.

“Mr. Toad” is entertaining Disney story telling at its best, with subtle themes about friendships and how looking to the horizon and “what’s new” can have its pitfalls.

We go back to the library as none other than the world famous crooner Bing Crosby sings and tells the tale of “Ichabod” (a/k/a “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”).

We learn of the gangly schoolteacher, Ichabod Crane, who comes to the small town of Sleepy Hollow in New York, taking the locals by surprise.  He falls for the beautiful Katrina and is the bane of the villain, Brom Bones, the burly bully of the small town.

Then, on Halloween night, at a barn dance, Ichabod learns of the local legend of the Headless Horseman.  And on an dark, eerie horse ride home from the dance, Ichabod comes face to face with the Headless Horseman himself, who tirelessly pursues Ichabod through a terrifying ride that shifts the tone of the film from playful to horrific.

The “Ichabod” section is pure Disney animation magic even before the closing chase scene.  Bing Crosby’s soothing voice and sly commentary adds to the fun and the songs composed by Don Raye and Gene de Paul are some of the most catchy and underrated from the studio, particularly “The Headless Horseman” song, as performed by Brom Bones.

The song not only stays with you, but also sets up the scary segment that’s to come (“With a hip,hip and and a clippity clop/He’s out looking for a top to chop!”)

And that final sequence between Ichabod and the Headless Horseman truly delivers.  Animated by Disney Legend Wolfgang Reitherman, the sequence is a masterpiece of staging;  a horseback ride that turns into a terrifying roller coaster-like attraction with Ichabod tossed around, at one point even riding with the Horseman himself.

With the Horseman’s high pitched cackle and flaming pumpkin in his hand, along with the sequence featuring no dialogue or narration, just sound effects and impactful images (claw shaped clouds close around the full moon), it’s no wonder that this scene has become the stuff of childhood nightmares and so closely associated with Halloween.

In fact, the entire “Ichabod” section just FEELS like Halloween: from scenes of the fall-colored trees lining the river to the corn stalk decor at the barn dance.

It would be decades before the full-length “Ichabod and Mr. Toad” would be seen again, after its initial release, as both segments were edited and shown as short segments on TV and home video.  This was particularly true of “Sleepy Hollow,” which was trotted out each year as part of Disney’s Halloween television specials.

Celebrating its 70th anniversary this month, it’s no wonder that “The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad” has endured, especially as a perfect Halloween offering, with the Mr. Toad section as a niece bonus.

And, of course, there’s that final sequence with the Headless Horseman, summed up perfectly in the song;

“Don’t try to figure out a plan

You can’t reason with a Headless Man!”

Sources:

“The Disney Villain” by Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston

IMDb

Wikipedia

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Drop Dead Fred: The 35th Anniversary of “A Nightmare on Elm Street”

By Michael Lyons

Nightmares are an unsettling and ambiguous part of our nightly sleep patterns that have been examined for centuries.  As such a disturbing part of a good night’s sleep, many times forgotten by morning, they’re an aspect of our life that filmmakers have had challenges capturing on screen...until Wes Craven came along.

The masterful horror film director gave nightmare images a feel, a place and a persona with his 1984 film “A Nightmare on Elm Street.”  Additionally, the film gave the world Freddy Kreuger, who has sliced his way into the zeitgeist and pop culture, becoming one of the horror genres most indelible characters.  

This fall, “A Nightmare on Elm Street” marks its 35th anniversary, making this Halloween Season the perfect time to drift off and look back at what has become a horror movie masterpiece.

The film, borrowing the horror movie/slasher model of such late-70’s and early-80’s films as “Halloween” and “Friday the 13th,” centers on teenager Nancy Thompson (Heather Lagenkamp) who, along with her friends, finds herself having recurring dreams where she is pursued by a badly scarred man, wielding a glove of razor sharp finger knives.  She soon finds that her friends (one of them played by Johnny Depp in his first major film role) are having the same dreams.

Nancy’s mother shares with her that the man is Freddy Kreuger, a brutal child murderer who was burned alive by vigilante parents and now he has come back for the children, coming for them when they sleep, in their nightmares,“picking them off,” one by one.  Nancy then looks for a way to fight back and defeat Freddy.

An original and ingenious film, Craven (who was no stranger to horror films at this point, having already directed 1977’s “The Hills Have Eyes” and 1982’s “Swamp Thing”) found a way to make a disturbing aspect of real-life, even more disturbing - “What if you never woke up from a nightmare?  What if what happened to you in your nightmare was happening while you sleep?”

The images Craven captures in the film are those disturbing visual gems that make a great horror film great:  a grim, unescapable boiler room; feet, literally stuck in the floor, when trying to escape a killer; a chilling nursery rhyme sung hauntingly by children and a room filled with an explosion of blood that is both grotesque and amazing.

Then, there’s the character of Freddy Kreuger.  With his scorched and disfigured face, dirty fedora and sweater, the infamous knife glove and gravelly voice filled with demonic glee, he is played brilliantly by Robert England, who has become pigeonholed as the character and is seemingly more than satisfied by that.  England has become a main stay at “horror cons” and like Freddy himself, a favorite among fans.

“A Nightmare on Elm Street” opened on November 8, 1984 and was quickly a box-office hit, earning back its meager budget easily and inspiring eight sequels and a remake in 2010.  With this success, Freddy has emerged as one of the icons of film horror and an inspiration for parody, cos-players and annual Halloween costumes. 

In fact, thirty Five years later, just the mention of the name Freddy Kreuger immediately conjures up nightmarish images...

“...one, two, Freddy’s coming for you...three, four, better lock your door...”

Pleasant dreams, everyone.

Sources:

IMDb

Wikipedia

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Psychedelic Saturdays: The 50th Anniversary of Sid & Marty Krofft’s “H.R. Pufnstuf”

By Michael Lyons

A dragon that held political office, a talking flute and a possible, veiled drug reference.

Welcome to Saturday Morning Television in the late 1960’s.

For the generation that grew up with “H.R. Pufnstuff,” it’s the stuff of rainbow-colored nostalgia.  For others, it’s an oddity from a bygone era.

But, no matter your perspective, there’s no denying that “H.R. Pufnstuf” was a true original among children’s television.  Like many offerings from creators Sid and Marty Krofft, the show was offbeat and weird, but also a creative use of puppetry, make-up and effects.

This weekend marks the 50th anniversary of “H.R. Pufnstuf,” making it the perfect time to take a..well...a “trip” back in time to the late ‘60’s and celebrate this candy-colored addition to Saturday Morning.

The show told the fantastical story of a young boy named Jimmy (Jack Wild) who finds himself lost in a storm while sailing and shipwrecked on Living Island.   Like its namesake, everything on this Island is alive - trees, houses, clocks, candles, books, mushrooms - are alive.  And, the other residents, like Cling and Clang, the two diminutive firefighters, Dr. Blinky, the owl physician, Judy Frog the singer and Ludicrous Lion, the peddler, are all unique anthropomorphic creatures.

Overseeing all of this is the Mayor of Living Island, H.R. Pufnstuf, (the H.R. was “Royal Highness” backward) a friendly dragon who helps rescue Jimmy and his talking flute, Freddy.

There’s also a witch on Living Island, Witchiepoo (Billie Hayes), who wants to get her hands on Freddy the Flute.  That, combined with Jimmy trying to get home, comprised the majority of the show’s plots.

Creators Sid and Marty Krofft had been successful puppeteers for a number of years.  After designing the costumes for Hanna-Barbera’s “The Banana Splits,” NBC offered the brothers the opportunity to create their own kids show and “H.R. Pufnstuf” was born.

The Kroffts crafted the show in their own inimitable way, in which each character and set had a unique look and style.  The costumes and puppetry involved were incredibly elaborate, making “H.R. Pufnstuf” something viewers young and old had never seen before.

The show’s success also signaled the start of a successful decade in TV for The Kroffts.  With later shows like “Sigmund and the Sea Monsters” and “The Land of the Lost,” their Studio joined Hanna-Barbera and Filmation as a driving force in Saturday Morning TV in the ‘70’s.

“H.R. Pufnstuf” debuted on September 6, 1969 and only aired original programming through December.  Despite this, the show was a hit (even inspiring a full-length feature film, “Pufnstuf,” in 1970).

There was also rumor of the show’s look and title (puffing stuff...get it?!) being inspired by drug use (this WAS the late ‘60’s after all, when drug use was thought to be behind everything).  The Krofft’s denied this, in fact Marty said, “We’re bizarre, that’s all.”

Bizarre as it may have been, “H.R. Pufnstuff” is remembered fondly by a number of groups, including those who didn’t grow up with the show and are fascinated by this TV curiosity.

But, for the generation who sat cross-legged on the living room floor, dining on overly-sugared cereal while captivated by the latest exploits of Pufnstuf and Jimmy outwitting Witchiepoo, the show, in all of its strangeness, is the stuff of sweet childhood memories.

And, those kids, even though now grown, responsible adults, can no doubt immediately break into the show’s oh-so-catchy theme song:

“H.R. Pufnstuf

Who’s you friend when things get rough

H.R. Pufnstuf

Can’t do a little ‘cause he can’t do enough!”

Sources:

“Pufnstuf & Other Stuff: The Weird and Wonderful World of Sid and Marty Krofft” by David Martindale

Wikipedia

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Happy “Cameron”-Versary!: Four James Cameron Movies Celebarate Milestones

By Michael Lyons

Filmmakers dream of one movie that becomes a blockbuster, or changes the landscape of film, or impacts pop culture...Director James Cameron has had multiple movies that fit this bill.

And, four of them celebrate anniversaries this year.  From killer cyborgs with Austrian accents to banshee-riding blue creatures, here’s a look back at movies from James Cameron, the man who likes to look at box office records and simply say, “I’ll be back.”

“The Terminator,” released October 26, 1984 - celebrating 35 Years.

What more can be said about one of the most iconic science fiction action films of all time?  A low-budget film starring a former professional bodybuilder has gone from being a “B Movie” to a masterpiece and with good reason.

Part “Twilight Zone” episode, part “Time Machine, “ “The Terminator” is a true original, not just a unique story about a cyborg who comes back in time to assassinate the mother of a future freedom fighter, but also a film with heart and depth that dares to say something about peace in our time.

And, after multiple attempts at stardom, with this film, Arnold Schwarzenegger found the role that would define his career, make him a star and give him the signature line of dialogue that would become his trademark.

“The Abyss,” released August 9, 1989 - celebrating 30 Years.

James Cameron’s “Forgotten Masterpiece,” most definitely deserves to be remembered.

A search and rescue Team, looking to recover a sunken submarine, enlist the assistance of an oil platform crew and all wind up discovering an alien race living deep within the depths of the ocean.

One of the few movies to capture the claustrophobia and mystery of underwater also attempts to tell a tale of world peace.  With Ed Harris and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio in the leads, there some solid acting in “The Abyss,” along with (still amazing) cutting edge technology that helped usher in the age of computer generated imagery in film.

“The Abyss” is also one of those Studio films, in which certain scenes were cut before its initial release.  The “Director’s Cut” that was released years later, is the definitive way to watch this film.  

If it’s been a while, or you’ve never seen, it’s most definitely worth diving into “The Abyss.”

“True Lies,” released July 14, 1994 - celebrating 25 years

James Cameron’s romantic comedy...told with gunfire, espionage and explosions.

Arnold and James reunite for this tale of a US government agent, who tries to keep his work from his wife (a very funny Jamie Lee Curtis) and soon finds them all getting pulled into his spy world.

One moment droll and hysterical and the next moment action-packed and spectacular (the scene in which a bridge in the Florida Keys is destroyed is a stunner), “True Lies” is decidedly different Cameron and a giddy movie ride from beginning to end.

“Avatar,” released December 18, 2009 - celebrating 10 years.

Hard as it is to believe, one of the biggest movies of all time and a movie that changed technological possibilities in future films, is now a decade old.

The tale of a mining company who invade the peaceful planet of Pandora and the alien species of the Na’Vi became the box-office champion of all time, until “Avengers: Endgame” took that title this summer.

With seamless motion capture technology and immersive 3-D filmmaking, “Avatar” was a theatrical event that played like a two and half hour theme park ride.

Much discussed sequels are on the horizon and devotees can’t wait to revisit Pandora and see what Cameron has up his imaginative, technological sleeve.

With so many milestones, these films are definitely worthy of a “Cameron-thon,” celebrating the director who may indeed be, as he himself said, when he won his Oscar, “The King of the World!”

Sources: Wikipedia 

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Making History: The 25th Anniversary of “Forrest Gump”

By Michael Lyons

A movie about history that made history.  That’s “Forrest Gump.”  

Director. Robert Zemeckis’ film about the title character, played by Tom Hanks in one of his many career defining roles, told the story of a simple-minded man, with an unwitting peaceful philosophy of life, who unknowingly influences a number of historical events during the 20th Century.

“Forrest Gump” not only became the biggest film of 1994, winning the Oscar for Best Picture, it also made history for its groundbreaking use of visual effects that paved the way for future possibilities in film.  It also segued smoothly into our pop culture in a number of ways that have continued on longer than Forrest could ever run.

Released on July 6, 1994, this summer marks the 25th anniversary of “Forrest Gump,” which is the perfect time to open up a “box of chocolate” fun facts about the movie:

 - “Forrest Gump” was actually based on a 1986 novel by Winston Groom, who also wrote a sequel in 1995, entitled “Gump & Co.”

 - John Travolta, Bill Murray and Sean Penn were all considered for the title role, before Hanks.  Novelist Groom Originally envisioned John Goodman as Forrest.

 - Michael Connor Humphreys, who played young Forrest, actually inspired Tom Hanks, who fashioned the character’s unique Southern drawl after hearing the young actor speak.

 - Dick Cavett played a younger version of himself (thanks to special hair and makeup), making him the only real-life cameo in the film.

 - Tom Hanks won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his work in “Forrest Gump.”  Having just won the same award the year before for “Philadelphia,” Hanks became the first actor since Spencer Tracy (in 1938) to win back-to-back acting Oscars.  Hanks is also the last actor to accomplish this feat.

 - The wizards at Industrial Light & Magic used then new and cutting edge computer effects to “morph” Hanks into archival footage with such notable figures as John F. Kennedy and John Lennon.  While looking quaint by today’s standards, the effects in “Forrest Gump” opened “anything is possible” doors in filmmaking.  In fact now, if similar effects are used, it’s said that an actor was “Forrest Gump-ed” into a scene.

It’s more than the effects that have allowed “Forrest Gump” to endure.  The movie not only celebrates the grandeur of history, but also the smaller miracles in life, like kindness, understanding and unconditional love.

Sources: Wikipedia

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