If you’ve been under a rock lately, you probably haven’t heard that the original Star Wars trilogy made their debut on DVD on this week. With the constant deluge of commercials on television over the weekend (and since), that’s where you would have needed to be to have missed the plea to run out and buy your very own copy. Either that, or you’re lucky enough not to have a television; which makes a whole bunch of marketing types just shake in fear.
We’ve all had moments in the dark when an image projected on the screen provided that kind of “Wow!” experience. It’s the kind of thing that when the director gets it right, you forget that you’re watching a movie and you’re just along for the adventure.
Back in May of 1977, it was a Friday night date at the movies with Michele that found us getting tickets for a film right before the showing time. On that night, that meant we would find seats up front — in the front row to be precise. Once the rolling words cleared, and the Rebel Blockade Runner gave way to the Imperial Star Destroyer, we were both hooked. When it was all over, the only thing we could say was “Wow!”
Ironically, I had another of those moments last Friday afternoon. Just as it had been with “Star Wars”, those brief glimpses from the trailers teased and tantalized. And just as I had been fortunate with “Star Wars” to get a copy of the soundtrack in advance of the film, iTunes offered the soundtrack for this film for sale in advance; and I did not hesitate to buy it. So since Tuesday, I had been enjoying the themes of the musical score over and over and over – both on the desktop machine and the trusty iPod.
When the lights finally dimmed in the theater, and the soundtrack began, I was more than ready. An hour and forty-seven minutes later, all I could say was, “Wow!”
So? Enough already! What did I watch?
“Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow”
Now, admittedly, I went into the theater with a particular set of expectations. I wasn’t going for great drama, and I wasn’t going for slapstick comedy. In short, I was just going looking to be entertained. I wasn’t disappointed.
Without giving anything away, it’s a lot like a first visit to Disneyland. There is so much going on that there is no way you can see it all on that first try. But you sure want to see as much as you can!
After some of my columns earlier in the summer, you should know that I’m a definite fan of the older, simpler serials. “Rex Steele: Nazi Smasher” shares a lot of things with “Sky Captain” such as a clear line between good guys and bad guys. In “Sky Captain”, it takes a while to discover who the evil actually is, but that’s all part of the way that the story works. In the case of “Rex”, we pretty much knew that the Nazi’s were going to turn out to be the villains. (By the way, I didn’t see a single Nazi reference in “Sky Captain”. Not to say that they aren’t there, but I didn’t notice any.) And just like “Rex”, “Sky Captain” has a great score. Edward Shearmur really got it right in my book. It’s a definite homage to such music as accompanied the Fleisher “Superman” cartoons. Heck, even the story point of giant flying robots in New York City is a reference to those cartoons.
The art direction for “Sky Captain” is likely to be on the list when Oscar rolls around, and deservedly so. I was just overwhelmed when we get glimpses for the work of great talents such as Raymond Loewy (the classic Art Deco designer) and Hadden Sunblom (with his take on Coca Cola advertising). All of those touches just helped suck me in even further into wanting to see what would appear next.
For a particular example, one of the references to 1939 was the showing of MGM’s “The Wizard of Oz” at Radio City Music Hall”. Again, another ironic moment for me. The impact of that film, just like “Star Wars”, thrilled audiences by taking them out of their worldly worries and carrying them away, if even only for a few hours. And perhaps, that is one of the things we turn to the movies for most often. When a film really succeeds in that way, it is a true compliment to the folks whose hard work bring it all to the screen. I don’t know about you, but I certainly don’t mind giving out my money for that kind of experience.
This film even has the look of a film from the late Thirties. While some critics have lamented the lighting, occasional soft and color palette as an attempt to hide the fact that there was an abundance of CGI, I loved it. Much like the folks at Imagineering have done some great things keeping guests distracted while riding an attraction at a Disney Theme Park, the film makers succeeded in giving the audiences enough to watch so they don’t pay attention to all of the high tech gimmicks used to create a world that doesn’t exist. If you went to pick nits, there were plenty to choose from in a search of inconsistencies. For example, as a World War II airplane enthusiast, if I can overlook the use of the P-40 Tomahawk as the plane of choice for “Sky Captain”, why shouldn’t a less informed audience do the same thing? (The P-40 in 1939 was not the best fighter in the skies and suffered from being under-powered. It was definitely a one-seat fighter, and was out-classed in combat at Pearl Harbor. Success by the American Volunteer Group flying them in China was more the result of tactics than aircraft performance.)
But this is fantasy, not reality? So why bother, I say? Leave that to movies like “Pearl Harbor” that tried to create fantasy about a real event, only to have inconsistencies (plot?) you could pilot a real battleship through…
If you haven’t already seen “Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow”, go out and get yourself a ticket. Don’t go expecting “Citizen Kane”. Just go have a good time. I sure did. And I’ll be going to see it again, too!
Although I doubt I’ll see it quite as many times as I did “Star Wars” back in the summer of 1977. Counting nights spent watching it across the creek from the old drive-in movie theater, that was well over thirty times between May and September of that year…
Observant readers will recall that Sunday, October 3 is the first anniversary of “Where The Magic Begins” out here in Livermore. Cindy and Rick Russell have been hard at work getting ready for the big day. Lots of special guests will be on hand, and Radio Disney will be in town for a live broadcast. There will be drawing for goodies including one very special prize! It’s a full day from 10:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. (The store will be closed on Saturday, October 2 in order to get things all set-up.)
Here are a few views of the store with some of the preparations underway:
Cindy was just heading out the door to an interview for a local cable television program. “Werewolf” Stitch stayed behind.
Final touches are being added to the new fine art gallery.
With the new gallery, wall space now allows a great display of lots of animation art in the rest of the store.
No, Mickey hasn’t gone “batty”, just an inflatable figure out in front of the store to draw the attention of unsuspecting passersby!
That promised saloon excursion tale? It really does exist, and it will appear here in a week or two, if something else doesn’t come along to distract me from presenting it here. I think it’s a tale even the non-drinkers out there will enjoy. So thanks for your patience!
I know I’ve been pushing the American Red Cross for your consideration at the end of my last few columns. I’m doing it again today. There are one heck of a lot of people they continue to help on a daily basis all over the world right now. If you can share something, now is a really good time to do so. ’nuff said!