BATTLESTAR GALACTICA

(May 1979, U.S.)

I am writing this post on the 1979 theatrical version of the original 1978 television series pilot episode...

If you're, say, over the age of 35 and can remember what a worldwide cultural phenomenon the original STAR WARS (1977) created, then you'll also remember that BATTLESTAR GALACTICA was television's first attempt to cash in on the new sci-fi adventure craze. The show had many of the same great special effects of the time. It was campy, cheesy and often silly. It only lasted one season. It had a cameo by a very young Rick Springfield before joining GENERAL HOSPITAL. Yet despite all that, it was popular with kids and created a cult following that continues to this day. After the show was cancelled in April 1979, Universal Pictures made one last attempt to prolong the show's life by releasing an edited theatrical version which resolved the entire story at the end of just about two hours. It was also the last film to be released in Sensurround (look it up).

Like STAR WARS, the film has the good guys, the evil enemy of the galaxy, base ships, fighter ships, lasers, explosions and the Cylon troops which are more than an obvious ripoff of the Star Wars' stormtroopers. Geez, it's no wonder 20th Century Fox sued Universal Studios (producers of the TV show) for plagiarism, copyright infringement, unfair competition, and the Lanham Act claims, claiming it had stolen thirty-four distinct ideas from STAR WARS. Like I really cared about who stole from who when I was a kid??

For someone like me, who lived, breathed and ate science fiction movies and TV throughout his childhood, owning the film BATTLESTAR GALACTICA gives me just enough of a nice taste of the great memories I have of the show without the redundancy of owning the entire TV series on DVD (that's expensive!).

Favorite line or dialogue:

Commander Adama: "Mr. President, a wall of unidentified craft is closing in on the fleet."
Baltar: "Possibly a Cylon welcoming committee?"
Adama: "Sir, might I suggest we launch a "welcoming committee" of our own?"

BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN, THE

(December 1926, U.S.)

We've finally reached a milestone on my blog. This is the first silent film from my film collection that I'm discussing, and it's a hell of a way to start. If you're one of those individuals who can single out "essentials" when it comes to films (like I can), then THE BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN is undenyably one of the essential silent of films of cinematic history.

I have to confess, though, when I first saw this film only a few years ago, it was for one reason only, and that was to see the famous Odessa Staircase sequence which would later influence a sequence just as infamous in Brian DePalma's THE UNTOUCHABLES (1987). However, the entire film blew me away. For those of you who aren't familiar with the film, it presents a dramatised version of the mutiny that occurred in 1905 when the crew of the Russian battleship Potemkin rebelled against their officers of the Tsarist regime. Director Sergei Eisenstein wrote the film as a revolutionary propaganda film, but also used it to test his theories of "montage". The revolutionary Soviet filmmakers of the Kuleshov school of filmmaking were experimenting with the effect of film editing on audiences, and Eisenstein attempted to edit the film in such a way as to produce the greatest emotional response, so that the viewer would feel sympathy for the rebellious sailors of the Battleship Potemkin and hatred for their cruel overlords. In the manner of most propaganda, the characterization is simple, so that the audience could clearly see with whom they should sympathize. These tests prove very effective. During the uprising, there are moments of shocking violence that one can find disturbing even by today's stanards of film violence, particularly the baby carriage rolling down the staircase during the massacre. I actually found myself muttering, "Oh, my God." under my breath.

Let me end this by saying that for those of you who may not have given silent films their fair share of patience and tolerance, you're missing out on some great films.

Favorite line or dialogue:

???

To be perfectly honest, it's my humble opinion that silent films have never been known for their outstanding dialogue. They serve their rightful purpose to tie the story together, but it's primarily a visual experience. However, there is one line in the film that stands out in my head, but not because it's so great, it's because it's so ridiculous! During the Odessa massacre when the Russian soldiers are shooting at the citizens, one of them (the citizens) says, "Let's go and talk them out of it!"

Yeah, right! You're being shot at by Russian soldiers and the first thing you think of is that you can march back up the steps and "talk them out of it". No, I don't think so.

BATTLE OF THE BULGE

(December 1965, U.S.)

Discussing BATTLE OF THE BULGE feels a bit redundant. It's yet another World War II combat film and it also tells the story of the soldiers who fought the battle at Bastogne, as did the previous film BATTLEGROUND. So let me see if I can stay focussed on what's unique about this film.

Let's start with some interesting tidbits. The film had its world premiere on December 16, 1965, the 21st anniversary of the battle. Unlike most World War II epics, the film contains virtually no portrayals of actual senior Allied leaders, civilian or military. Though Allied forces ultimately won the battle, the fact that the initial Nazi counteroffensive caught them by surprise and caused high casualties was a major embarrassment to the U.S.-British high command. The Allied brass portrayed in the film are mostly composite or fictionalized American officers. Vignettes from the actual battle are included the film, including General McAuliffe's reply of "Nuts" to an offer of surrender at Bastogne. The combat is in rich color and concentrates mostly on tank battles. In fact, this film has the best tank battle sequences I've ever seen on screen. But I'd expect nothing less from director Ken Annakin, the same man who gave us THE LONGEST DAY, my all-time favorite war film (but we'll get to that much, much later).

The portrayel of American soldiers is different here, too. Many previous World War II propaganda films often portrayed the American soldiers as clowns. Here they are all quite dead serious and intense about their roles in this war. The closest exception to this is Sgt. Guffy (played by Telly Savalas) who is more of a loud-mouthed war profiteer than anything else. As with any other World War II film, the Americans are always victorious in the end, but not before they get their asses severely kicked by the Germans first. During this battle, many German soldiers were successfully deceiving our boys by wearing American uniforms and speaking perfect English.

Let's talk about actor Robert Shaw now (you'll probably know him best as Quint in JAWS). He plays the head Nazi villian Col. Hessler who is so in love with this war and his command that he will gladly see things go on indefinitely and send young German soldiers to their grave without any hope of victory just to stay inside his sacred uniform. Basically, a very, very sick guy! But damn it all if he wasn't meant to play a role like that! He was one of the finest and most intense British actors of the '60's and '70's who was taken from us much too soon. He died in 1978.

BATTLE OF THE BULGE is one of the most exciting color war films I've ever seen!

Favorite line or dialogue:

Cpl. Conrad: "The truth... is that I'm a fool. I believed in you, but all that you believe in, is the war. You have the war, you like the war. And all I have are my sons and I don't want to lose them!"
Col. Kessler: "I am not responsible for your children."
Conrad: "You are. You would make them soldiers."
Kessler: "Yes, and they will fight."
Conrad: "And they will die?"
Kessler: "If necessary."
Conrad: "Necessary for who? For you?"
Kessler: "You are not only a fool, you are a traitor."
Conrad: "And you are a murderer! You would murder my sons. You would murder my country. You would murder the whole world, to stay in that uniform!"

BATTLEGROUND

(November 1949, U.S.)

As previously mentioned, there are two types of war films; combat films and war dramas. BATTLEGROUND follows what has often been the traditional formula in many black and white World War II combat film. We're first introduced to the characters that make up the fighting military unit of the film (101st Airborne Division, in this case). Admittedly, the characters in these films are often uninteresting and even quite obnoxious. In BATTLEGROUND, I can't quite make up my mind which soldier annoys me the most. There's the soldier who can't stop chewing his disgusting tobacco, the soldier who insists on chattering his false teeth and the lonely (and horny) soldier (played by star Van Johnson) who is absolutely hell-bent on protecting the eggs he took from a French woman's farmhouse. In fact, the only soldier here who is even a little interesting is Roderigues (played by Ricardo Montalban) who loves baseball and has never seen snow up close.

After we've met these men, it's when the fighting finally starts that the film really takes off. The fighting in BATTLEGROUND takes places at the Seige of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. The combat is violent and explosive, as you'd expect. The cinematography is gloriously black and white with the added touch of the harsh snow and dense fog that fills up the forest of Bastogne. There is a very intruiging element during the fighting in which the American soldiers must determine and identify German soldiers infiltrating as Americans complete with American military uniforms and perfect English. In one case, their conclusion of this depends on correctly using American baseball lingo and determining who actress Betty Grable is currently married to.

As with most combal films of the World War II era, the spirit and comradery of the American soldier and what our country was fighting for overseas effectively makes its point. When America was at war, films like BATTLEGROUND were just what the American people needed to keep up the morale of the country. Makes me wonder why we've never succeeded in doing the same things with films since we were attacked on September 11, 2001.

Favorite line or dialogue:

The Chaplain: "Now it's nearly Christmas... and here we are in beautiful Bastogne enjoying the winter sports. And the $64 question is: "Was this trip necessary?" I'll try to answer that. But my sermons, like everything else in the army... depend on the situation and the terrain. So I assure you this is going to be a quickie. Was this trip necessary? Let's look at the facts. Nobody wanted this war but the Nazis. A great many people tried to deal with them, and a lot of them are dead. Millions have died... for no other reason except that the Nazis wanted them dead. So, in the final showdown, there was nothing left to do except fight. There's a great lesson in this. Those of us who've learned it the hard way aren't going to forget it. We must never again let any force dedicated to a super-race... or a super-idea, or super-anything... become strong enough to impose itself upon a free world. We must be smart enough and tough enough in the beginning... to put out the fire before it starts spreading. My answer to the sixty-four dollar question is yes, this trip was necessary. As the years go by, a lot of people are going to forget. But you won't. And don't ever let anybody tell you you were a sucker to fight in the war against fascism."

BATTLE CRY

(February 1955, U.S.)

When you start discussing films that begin with the word "Battle", you're bound to be discussing at least a few war films in succession.

One of the first things I should say about war films in general is that it's probably the only genre in which men can get very close and intimate with each other without actually ending up in bed together. That's the heterosexual's point of view, anyway.

There are two kinds of war films, in my opinion. There's combat films with all the blood, guts and glory that goes with it, and then there's war dramas, which offer little-to-no combat at all. BATTLE CRY falls under the latter. Based on the original novel by Leon Uris, it serves as a prerequisite to many films of the type that would follow in later decades like, THE BOYS IN COMPANY C (1978), AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN (1982), FULL METAL JACKET (1987) and WE WERE SOLDIERS (2002), which all document the life of the ordinary man turned military recruit, turned soldier-in-training, turned full-fledged marine geared up for war, turned combat soldier. Sometimes they live, sometimes they die. Being a film from the 1950's, most of the boys we meet in this film are "good boys" from all walks of American life. Even the one guy we meet as the group practical joker and thief develops a new character as the values and commitments of an American soldier come through the turmoils of World War II.

One particular character that intrigues me in particular is that of PFC Andy Hookens, played by Aldo Ray. When we meet this brawny lumberjack, he's nothing more than a cocky, pig-headed womanizer, whose idea of falling for just "one dame" is inconceivable. As cliche would have it, though, he meets the right woman who touches his soft heart and brings out the best in his character. By the end of the film, he's married to her and the father of a baby boy. As I said, it's cliche, but very touching, nonetheless.

BATTLE CRY is excellent war drama through most of the film. However, the payoff of battle toward the end is also worth the long wait. It combines authentic World War II footage in surprisingly rich color with explosively-filmed action that you would expect in a great combat film.

Favorite line or dialogue:

Major Sam Huxley: "Sir, no man in the Corp. loves it any more than I do. No one has a greater respect for military custom. But those boys of mine have worked hard. I have the greatest bunch of boys in the world, sir, but they've got to have the chance to prove themselves. You can't train a champion to a figthing edge and then just throw him away on exhibition matches. We've sat in reserve and mopped up while the war went past us. This may be our last chance, sir. Give it to us."

BATMAN BEGINS

(June 2005, U.S.)

Let's all play a game and pretend that BATMAN RETURNS (1992), BATMAN FOREVER (1995) and BATMAN AND ROBIN (1997) were never, ever made! It's an easy game to play. Most people have been playing it for more than a decade! The people at Warner Brothers can only WISH they could play it!

So, having pretended that people like Danny DeVitio, Val Kilmer, Tommy Lee Jones, George Clooney, Umma Thurman and Arnold Schwarzenegger did not totally turn the Batman franchise into a disgusting campfest, we now return the caped crusader into the hands of a very capable filmmaker; Christopher Nolan, the man who gave us MEMENTO (one of the best films of the last decade). Batman is now darker, angrier and more vengeful than ever, the way he was always meant to be in the eyes of creator, Bob Kane. Christian Bale plays him with an intense seriousness that has never been seen in the character of a superhero before. Gotham City is now just Gotham and it no longer looks like an array of Hollywood sets and stages. It's filmed on location in Chicago, which in a way, is perfect when you consider the violent history of criminal activity the city had during the years of early 20th century probition.

This is a Batman you can actually feel for. We always knew that Bruce Wayne became Batman as a result of seeing his parents murdered in front of him. We now get a deeper sense of how it truly affected him and how he uses his grief and sense of vengence to inflict true terror into the hearts of Gotham's criminals. He also knows how to love, serve and protect as a true superhero is supposed to.

The only flaw I can find with BATMAN BEGINS is the presence of Katie Holmes...period! I need not say anything more about that!

Favorite line or dialogue:

Batman: "Where were the other drugs going!?"
Flass: "I never knew! I swear to God!"
Batman: "Swear to ME!"

BATMAN

(June 1989, U.S.)

In the Spring of 1989, just like many other anticipating fans, I was shocked and outraged to hear that a silly comedian like Michael Keaton whose best work had been in NIGHT SHIFT (1982) and MR. MOM (1983) was going to play the dark caped crusader. Like many of those same fans, I was also shocked and pleasantly surprised to find that the man was actually able to pull it off. To this day, Keaton remains the second best Batman, in my opinion (after Christian Bale).

BATMAN was the first version to finally show the dark knight in a closer version to what Bob Kane had originally created. He wore a black costume, he was brooding, vengeful, he was finally without Robin, and he kicked ass! But the real indulgence in watching Tim Burton's first film is none other than Jack Nicholson as the Joker. Watching Jack in almost everything he does means you're going to be entertained by his outrageous, over-the-top antics and performances. Now just imagine all of that talent in the hands of a character like the Joker! It's unbelievable to watch and even more fun to listen to.

In thinking of BATMAN, I recall the Summer of 1989 and all of the hardcore action that was on the movie screen the summer. Along side Batman, there was Indiana Jones, James Bond, Star Trek, Ghostbusters and Lethal Weapon. BATMAN also ushered in a new era of superhero films that hadn't seen much action since two preceding Superman sequels that are considered too shameful to even talk about.

It seems that Batman has come a long, long way since 1989. That doesn't mean that the first isn't just as much fun as it used to be. However, if there is a flaw in BATMAN, it's having to listen to any music by Prince following the "Purple Rain" album (back when he was the artist formerly known as the artist formerly known as...ah, whatever!).

Favorite line or dialogue:

Joker: "Tell me something, my friend. You ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight?"
Bruce Wayne: "What?"
Joker: "I always ask that of all my prey. I just like the sound of it."