Avatar

It’s no secret to my readers (all two of you) that I love the work of Edgar Rice Burroughs. I especially love his works concerning Mars; or Barsoom as it is called. Yes, his plots are all the same, but the amount of imagination on display in those books compensates for the narrative simplicity. I understand Burroughs wrote other stories besides adventure stories, but really, the guy is known for adventure stories, I understand his fans love that romance novel he wrote, but seriously, he’s an adventure storyteller.




A typical Burroughs adventure would go something like this: protagonist finds himself embroiled in two warring cultures, typically they are a lost culture somehow, either living at the earth’s core, some lost civilization in Africa, or two warring races on Mars. Our hero eventually chooses a side in the middle of the conflict and using his superior intellect/muscles he helps the good side over come the other. There’s also a romance thrown in there for good measure. I’m over simplifying it to the extreme, but that’s the basic plot of every single Tarzan, or John Carter of Mars book.

Enter James Cameron, filmmaker. Oh sure, you may know him as the guy who wrote and directed the single most profitable movie ever made. But before that he was the guy who shaped science fiction cinema. I’d argue that Cameron, Ridley Scott, and George Lucas are the three filmmakers who came up with our modern vocabulary of science fiction cinema. Whether it’s the Vietnam inspired Aliens, or the gritty noir cityscape of Blade Runner, or the soaring, swashbuckling fantasy of Star Wars, you’re not going to find three guys who created the cinematic myths we’ve come to hold so dear.
After the massive success that was Titanic, Mr. Cameron waited for technology to catch up with his science fiction epic. Making a few underwater documentaries, and a Television show along the way. But when he felt that motion capture technology had caught up to the story in his head, he still wasn’t there, and never being a guy to just settle, he developed the technology for him to do it.

Enter Avatar.

I think I finally understand how people felt on May, 25th 1977 as that enormous starship sailed over an audiences head in Star Wars. I think I understand what audiences must have felt staggering out of theaters in 1933 after seeing King Kong. Hell, I haven’t felt this sense of sheer awe, and HOLY CRAPness, since I stumbled out of the theater seeing Jurassic Park. In the simplest terms I felt like a kid again. Believe the hype kids, this movie is the real deal.

Jake Sully is a crippled marine, a wayward and lost soul, trying to find his place in the world, or rather, universe. Sully is drafted to the planet Pandora a lush, forest moon, with an extremely complex eco-system, six legged things that can kill you, flying things that can also kill you, and a race off 12 foot tall blue cat-like people called the Na’vi who live on the largest supply of a precious mineral “Unobtanium” (yes it’s called that, and it’s actually a real engineering term). The Na’vi are not exactly happy about the humans being on Pandora in the first place. In order to learn about/get the Na’vi off the mineral deposit the humans have developed a program called the Avatar program where humans are plugged in(so to speak) to a genetically modified Na’vi.

Jake has been selected to take part in the Avatar program, because the hawkish colonel, Col. Quarich wants to keep an eye on the Na’vi and he’d rather not have the Na’vi standing at all. One gets the impression he’d rather just smell the napalm in the morning. Complicating Jake’s spying duties he falls in love with Neitri a warrior princess of the Na’vi, tribe.

You can see where things go from here.

Cameron has created a pulp adventure movie. Writ large across the cinema screen. He’s taken those simplistic tales of Burroughs at put them on screen. When I say that, don’t misunderstand, Avatar has an extremely simple story. But it is a story executed with wit, empathy and heart, it is a classic story in the Joseph Campbell mode. And when you’re reinventing the wheel visually it’s probably best not to do so naratively, our brains can only take so much.

I’m not going to do what other critics have done and gush about Pandora and the wonders found there. All I will say on the matter is this: Avatar MUST be seen on the biggest screen possible, and, if you can, in 3D. Simply put it is a visual feast for the eyes.

The actors are across the board fantastic, yes the script doesn’t give them a lot to work with, but the actors bring their A game to this. Stephen Lang as Col. Quarich was an amazingly evil badass. Sam Worthington is great as basically the audiences Avatar. But the real standout, is Zoe Saldana, who gives a tender, nuanced performance as Neitri the headstrong Na’vi princess.

I really didn’t expect to like this movie. Every single trailer, interview, and article about it left me cold. In particular the amount the film cost to make was very, very, disconcerting. In the end, while I don’t think a movie should cost the GNP of a third world country, all that money is up on the screen. Cameron has created a cinematic work of art, that from here on in will be studied, and take on a life of its own in much the same way Lucas’ Star Wars cycle has.

Avatar is pure genre cinema at its finest. I can’t recommend it enough.

Watchmen

Imagine a 130 million dollar superhero studio film that has:

1. No superheroics.
2. Three different first person narrations.
3. Flashbacks within flashbacks.
4. A male character who is nude throughout the entire film.
5. A story that covers 40 years of history.
6. No pat answers to anything
7. OH and no happy ending.

Now, imagine you’ve just walked out of “Batman and Robin” in 1997, and you’ve just said to yourself “Wow, that movie was a piece of dog feces”. Then up comes some random time traveler from the year 2009 and says to you “In twelve years the studio that produced this movie, will produce the movie I just described”. You’d laugh in their face, and possibly hit them.

I first read Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons graphic novel Watchmen my freshman year of high school this would be 1999-2000. I think I picked it up because I was reading on the internet that it was finally going to be made into a movie, or it was because Terry Gilliam had been involved in the project, and Gilliam is one of my favorite filmmakers so I decided I’d pick up the book. I hated it the first time through. I found it, long, overblown, ultimately rudderless, and I also found it boring. I got what it was trying to do, but I was expecting something more along the lines of Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns. I mean, yeah Miller’s work deconstructed the superhero myth, but he at least had superhero fights in it! Was what I thought at the time. About two years later, for one reason or another I picked up Watchmen again. And I loved it. I suddenly GOT it, I understood the deconstruction of the superhero, I understood WHY the heroes in the novel never did anything particularly heroic, why there were no super villains, I was supremely affected by Dr. Manhattan’s existential musings on the nature of human beings. I got all the little jokes in there. Isn’t it funny how a work of art can completely change because of life experiences?

When I heard that Zach Snyder was going to direct Watchmen, I was quite terrified. I found his first film, the remake of Dawn of the Dead quite good, but his second film 300, was quite possibly one of the worst movies of the past ten years. I was scared that the adaptation of Watchmen would fall apart in a merge of hyper stylized CGI, and random gratuitous violence. I was positive he would get the material visually, but the one thing Snyder lacks as a director, was subtlety.

For those not in the know, Watchmen is a twelve issue comic book series by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, published in 1985 it is a deconstruction of superheroes. The question it ultimately poses is this: “If superheroes existed in the real world, what would have happened?” The graphic novel spans 40 years of this alternate history, it flashes back, has flashbacks within flashbacks, extra text material appended to the back of each issue. The novel has a comic book within the comic book that a character is reading. It has a ton of minor characters, acting as the Greek chorus to the apocalyptic superhero nightmare going on around them. If you are a screenwriter and you are tasked to not only adapt Watchmen to the screen, but also conform it to studio standards, I think I would have a minor heart attack. Which is why the screen adaptation has been in development hell for so long. In actuality it would be an interesting piece to have seen adapted to the stage.

Now here we are…it’s 2009 and the director of 300 has made Watchmen. All I can really say is…WOW. From the opening frames of the film where the superhero Comedian is brutally murdered to the strains of Nat King Cole’s “Unforgettable”. I was drawn right in. Then the opening credits began, I can’t talk about these opening titles enough, hands down it is one of the best sequences ever put to film. It is a montage of images starting in 1939 and leading to the alternate 1985 of the film, iconic images from our actual history, the World War II V day Kiss, the Kennedy Assassination, the moon landing, Studio 54, Andy Warhol, with the question behind it “What if superheroes existed during this time”. Set to the strains a very iconic song. The montage is stirring, moving, and funny.

Quick rundown of the plot: It is 1985 superheroes have existed since 1939, but recently they have been banned, except for two heroes who work within the government The Comedian a kind of mercenary soldier(think Nick Fury or Captain America), and Dr. Manhattan, the only superhero who has any super powers created in an atomic lab accident he is a blue glowing naked god-like being. And because the U.S. has this being on their side it allowed the U.S. to win the war in Vietnam, which in turn allowed Nixon to be president for three consecutive terms in office. Even so, the U.S. and Russia are still in an arms race and are more than likely going to nuclear war with each other. And the doomsday clock is inching ever closer to midnight. Amidst this someone is killing off the former superheroes, starting with the Comedian. Who is the murderer? Is there a bigger conspiracy? And what does it mean for the fate of the world.

I loved Watchmen. The film is powerful, affecting, funny, campy, and ultimately human. It worked as a film, not just an adaptation, but as a film. Yes there have been some changes, and cuts; some obvious (cutting the comic within a comic would be the first thing to go), and some not so obvious the specifics of the MacGuffin have changed, but thematically it’s all the same, and that’s all that really matters.

Across the board, the cast just nails it. Patrick Wilson brings the schlubby good natured, fighting paunchiness of Nite Owl II brilliantly to life. Malin Ackerman makes Silk Spectre II interesting, which she’s really not in the novel, let’s face it she’s really annoying in the book. Matthew Goode as Ozymandias is the actor who has been getting the most flack for his performance. I think the actor is too young for the role, but that being said he brings a dark sense of tragedy to the film, that the character had in the novel, but it’s not exactly the forefront of his character. Watch as he delivers the line “I feel every single life…” it’s heartbreaking and pompous in the right ways.

But there are three huge standouts in the cast, that just bring everything they have to their roles; Jackie Earle Haley as the vigilante known as Rorschach is terrifyingly brilliant, he keeps you on your toes and watch his delivery on “I’m not imprisoned here with you, you’re trapped in here with me” it’s chilling. Jeffrey Dean Morgan as The Comedian makes an extremely unlikable character, human. Here is a man who has done terrible things in the name of his country, and just as a person, he sees the dark underbelly of humanity, he is Kurtz from Heart of Darkness. It’s an amazing performance, and to be fair if his performance did not work the film would fall completely apart. Billy Crudup’s shy meditative voice is perfect for Dr. Manhattan the blue naked god, underneath the digital effects and motion capture, comes a sad haunting performance. When Dr. Manhattan finds himself tired of humanity and goes to Mars, Crudup brings the world weary sense of Hamlet to the role, “I have of late, but wherefore not know have lost all my mirth…”.

Okay, so I’ve just gushed all over this movie, but it’s not perfect. While on the whole the film looks absolutely stunning, some of the aging makeup really doesn’t work, and the guy playing Nixon, looks very cartoony, which I think was done on purpose, but it doesn’t exactly work.
All that being said, the movie is very good. I say see it, see it in the movie theater don’t wait for this one on DVD, see it. This is an important film and the things that it has to say about the use and abuse of power, do the ends justify the means, and human nature are important. Don’t forget this is coming from a 130 million dollar studio superhero film, and that my friends, is an amazing achievement.

Well hello

Welcome to Vampire Explosion! My ramblings about everything that interests me regarding film, television, and popular culture. I just reviewed Starship Troopers 3. I'll try to keep this thing updated with my ramblings once a month maybe more. Since this is my first time posting here, you get not one, but two postings for the price of, well, whatever the hell your internet provider is charging you.


What the hell is up with 2008? I'm calling it right now, 2008 has been one of the best years for movies in recent memories. Not only are we getting really good quality blockbusters; The Dark Knight and Tropic Thunder. We're getting some great indies as well like The Wackness.

But what we've been getting this year are also some really cool B-Movie genre mashups. We started with Neil Marshall's Doomsday, and here are some upcoming flicks I'm excited for:

Babylon A.D. starring Vin Diesel




This looks a lot like Children of Men but less Blade Runner, and more Chronicles of Riddick. But, hey French sci-fi is tons of fun.

Outlander starring John Hurt, Ron Perlman, and James Caviezel.



A human hunting an alien monster lands in some Nordic country and there are vikings! Pulpy and silly? Yes. Entertaining as hell? Looks like it could be.

Mutant Chronicles starring Ron Perlman, Thomas Jane, and Devon Aoki.



This is another digital backlot flick(like Sky Captain, and Sin City). A Retro future war movie involving mutants and some sort of religious cult based off of the RPG of the same name. I'll be reviewing this next month!

Starship Troopers 3

Welcome to A Vampire and an Explosion. A Monthly blog about: cult film, bad movies, TV, comics, and everything in between.

It’s a good day to die in the mobile infantry.

Okay I’ll admit it the first Strarship Troopers kicked ass. It was an absurdly over the top satire of military propaganda films and an awesome special effects extravaganza. Of course the movie bombed in theaters because no one really got it. It did become a cult hit on video and spawned two direct to video sequels. One “Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation” which everyone hated, and the movie in question “Starship Troopers 3: Marauder”.

The film starts off as the first movie did with the News Broadcast meets webcast thing. We are told that the Federation has been fighting the bugs for 11 years, people are getting tired of the war and being hung for saying so. Religion is outlawed, I guess the Federation hasn’t entirely figured out that religion could be an effective propaganda tool, oh wait that’s really the story of this flick, sorry if I ruined it for you.

In any event it’s been 11 years the bugs are still bugging it up with new and improved bugs like grenade bugs and scorpion bugs that we never get a good look at because, well, the movie had a budget of 10 million bucks.

Oh we also learn that the sky marshal is also a pop star(!). Singing ra ra anthems about killing bugs and how it’s a “Good Day to Die”. I understand that popular music can be used for political advantage it’s just hard to buy that this guy would actually to appeal to anybody. I understand he’s a military commander and in the Starship Troopers universe that demands respect and celebrity I just can’t buy him being a pop star. Now if he were a girl and looked like Britany Spears or one of her clones I’d totally buy into it. Is that sexist? Maybe it is.

Now we learn that Jonny Rico the hero from the first film is still alive and well and fighting on the home front of a farming planet. Where the farmers hate the Federation makes their world awful and a war zone. Now okay, but if giant insects show up on your front door and start killing and impaling your friends, neighbors, and children I think the problems lie more with the bugs and not the team sent in to kill the bugs. Of course the mobile infantry fucked up the world too,. The message is of course “war is hell” especially in the pastel world of Starship Troopers.

From here on in the film starts making less and less sense. Jonny Rico tries to stop his friend Dix Hauser(yup his name is Dix) from killing a farmer, and is court marshaled. The bugs attack there are tons of explosions and yelling and blood and bugs exploding in green goo. A group of people starting with Jonny’s Ex-Girlfriend, some other troopers, a coke named Jingo, and the sky marshal escape from the farming planet and then crash on some other planet.

Rico is all set to be hanged but due to some conspiracy that’s not rightly explained he is set free at the last possible second to head up the top secret Marauder program. That’s right a half hour before the movie ends we get the title of the movie.

Meanwhile back on desert world, things are getting well odd. When the hapless survivors are not being chased by the bugs they engage in circuitous and inane chatter about God and weather or not he exists. Of course the blonde stewardess is in fact a bible thumper even though the Federation has outlawed religion. Oh I forgot to tell you that there’s this subplot involving the brain bug and apparently it has brainwashed the sky marshal into believing that he is under heavenly command to let the bugs take over the universe or something. Anyways, one of the higher ups in the Federation says “The bugs have something with this religion thing”.

Now that Starship Troopers has taken “sense” and skewered it on its bayonet of justice, we can get a: COMPLETELY GRATUITIOUS NUDE SCENE! Rico and his Marauder squad have to all strip and get ready to hop in the Marauder suit. What follows is a scene that feels like when the Power Rangers get into their “Zords”(why are they called Zords anyway?), but just imagine the rangers naked while they do it.

Back on hostile alien world. The cook Jingo is dead, and this other guy who blond stewardess had the hots for is now dead as well. We also learn that the GOD BUG OF DOOM is in fact the planet and can stick its tentacles into people and possess them.

Blondie and Jonny’s Ex girlfriend sit down and start praying. Blondie says the lords prayer. Before you can say Deus Ex Machina, Rico and his Marauders show up and wipe out the god bug. This is all overlayed to the lord’s prayer. Which begs the ultimate question…JUST WHAT THE HELL IS THE POINT OF THIS SCENE!? Is it to show that religion is part of ultraviolence? Is it trying to make an ironic point? I don’t know, and the thing about it is I don’t think the movie knows either.

The bugs are destroyed, the Maurader suits which are part of the book this franchise is based on are seen for maybe all of six seconds(remember budget was 10 million dollars). They blow up the world with a nuclear bomb everyone goes home happy and some people get married.

Okay so I glossed over a few plot points, mainly cause I didn’t exactly care, and the movie never tried to make me care, so why should I write about them to you?

Starship Troopers 3 is fun. It’s just a confused movie. In the end nothing is really worse than bad satire done badly.