Hollywood Gothique

As part of their September series, featuring directors discussing their work, the American Cinematheque will screen a double bill of BLUE THUNDER and WAR GAMES, two science-fiction-oriented thrillers directed by John Badham (who also helmed the 1979 DRACULA with Frank Langella). Badham will be there in person for a question-and-answer session moderated by film historian Eric Lichtenfeld.

The CInemathque describes the films thus:

BLUE THUNDER, 1983, Sony Pictures, 109 min. Deja vu 1983! The government has unleashed its newest weapon: a heavily armed helicopter that can spy on you from 1,000 feet and incinerate entire city blocks. The only ones who can stop Big Brother (in the form of Malcolm McDowell’s fascist cop) from using it against us are Vietnam vet-turned-police chopper pilot Roy Scheider and his tech-savvy partner, Daniel Stern. Director John Badham’s paranoid actioner flies high with stunning cinematography by John Alonzo and dazzling dogfights over downtown L.A.
WARGAMES, 1983, MGM Repertory, 114 min. Gentlemen, please: no video-gaming in the war room. For Matthew Broderick’s seminal teen computer hacker, coming of age, saving the world and getting Ally Sheedy means accidentally triggering World War III (and causing big headaches for the likes of Dabney Coleman and Barry Corbin). Director John Badham’s tale of a boy, his modem and Armageddon is as suspenseful — and unnerving — as ever. Both films scored by Arthur Rubinstein.

I’m not a particularly big fan of either one. BLUE THUNDER is a bit too obviously designed as an excuse for the big, bad helicopter to blow up Los Angeles (fun though that may be), and WAR GAMES is a bit too preachy in its anti-nuclear message (not to mention it was the heyday Matthew Broderick’s smug “I can do no wrong because I’m cute” persona).

That said, the two films together provide at least enough entertainment value to make this double bill worth seeing, and they provide an interesting time capsule of ’80s action film-making. Plus, Badham is a good raconteur and should have some great stories to tell.

The screening takes place on Sunday, September 14 at 5:30pm in the Aero Theatre - 1328 Montana Avenue, Santa Monica.

The next Los Angeles Comic book and Science Fiction Convention will be on Sunday, September 14 at the Shrine Hall - 700 W. 32nd Street in Los Angeles, 90007. Admission is $8. Guests include: James Kyson Lee, Adrienne Barbeau, and Rodger Bumpass.

Here is the press release:

JAMES KYSON LEE (”Ando Masahashi” on NBC-TV’S HEROES) appears with Writer/Director JOE DOUGHERITY at the LOS ANGELES COMIC BOOK AND SCIENCE FICTION CONVENTION on SEPTEMBER 14, 2008 to sign all DVD copies purchased of their new film AKIRA’S HIP HOP SHOP at 12:00 P.M. JAMES stars as Akira, the owner of a record shop who falls in love with Daphne, a young black culinary student and the problems it causes with his family when they pressure him to return to Japan in this comedy/drama.

The Stars of WAR WOLVES, a new SCI FI CHANNEL Movie, appear to sign autographs and preview scenes at 1:00 P.M. WAR WOLVES stars JOHN SAXON (A Nightmare on Elm Street), MICHAEL WORTH, TIM THOMERSON (Trancers), ADRIENNE BARBEAU, ART LAFLEUR, SIRI BARUC, NATASHA ALAM, and KRISTI CLAINOS. WAR WOLVES is the story of a group of soldiers returing from the middle east who are infected by a werewolf. All Stars sign one WAR WOLVES item at no charge. Stars listed are tentative, check the Convention website during the week of the show to confirm.

ADRIENNE BARBEAU is known for her roles in ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK, CREEPSHOW, THE FOG, SWAMP THING, and is currently starring in WAR WOLVES. ADRIENNE was the voice of CATWOMAN/SELINA KYLE in BATMAN THE ANIMATED SERIES, THE NEW BATMAN ADVENTURES, and the web series GOTHAM GIRLS. ADRIENNE has co-written a new novel called VAMPYRES OF HOLLYWOOD, and she will sign at no charge all copies of the book purchased at the Convention from 12:00 P.M.-2:00 P.M.

RODGER BUMPASS is the voice of SQUIDWARD TENTACLES in the SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS Cartoon series, as well as the voice of DR. LIGHT in TEEN TITANS and PROFESSOR MEMBRANE in INVADER ZIM. RODGER makes his first West Coast Convention appearance to sign autographs from 11:00 A.M.-3:00 P.M.

The LOS ANGELES COMIC BOOK AND SCIENCE FICTION CONVENTION takes place at the Shrine Auditorium Expo Center, located at 700 West 32nd Street, right across the street from USC campus. Admission is only $8.00, five years and under are free. Premium Admission is $20.00 and includes FULL SIZE MOVIE POSTERS from the new JAMES BOND 007 MOVIE QUANTUM OF SOLACE and ROCKNROLLA (new Gerard Butler Movie). Everyone receives a QUANTUM OF SOLACE MOVIE MINI-POSTER. A large Dealers Room full of Comic Books, Anime Merchandise, Toys, and other Collectibles is also featured.

The LOS ANGELES COMIC BOOK AND SCIENCE FICTION CONVENTION celebrates 31 years of operation during 2008, with over 350 shows having been held.

Check www.comicbookscifi.com for more information.

Howard Shore’s opera The Fly, based on the 1986 film directed by David Cronenberg (itself a remake of the 1958 film starring Vincent Price and Al Hedison), will open in Los Angeles next month. In honor of the event, the American Film Institue is hosting a screening of the film in Hollywood’s Cinerama Dome on Wednesday, September 3 at 8:00pm. This will be a brand new print of the film, and Cronenberg and Shore (who are in town for the opera) will be on hand to answer questions before the screening.

The film is part of the AFI’s Director’s Screenings. The AFI’s page aptly describes this film:

THE FLY is an extraordinary example of Cronenberg’s particular brand of “body horror”; flesh transformed by disease. Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum) is an eccentric scientist, whose experiments with teleportation go awry, leading to one of the horror genre’s most disgusting and gory physical transformations. Ultimately, David Cronenberg’s version of THE FLY - based on a short story by George Langelaan and the 1958 film that starred Vincent Price — is a dark romantic tragedy about the wasting away of a brilliant man who mutates into an insect as his loved one looks on helplessly.

The opera version of The Fly will have six performances only at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in downtown Los Angeles, beginning on September 7 and running through the 27th. The Fly made its debut on at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris. Cronenberg himself directed the Paris stage production, with Placido Domingo conducting the orchestra. David Henry Hwang (whose M. Butterfly was turned into a film by Cronenberg) supplied the libretto. Shore, of course, scored the film version, from which he sampled a couple of themes. Other veterans from the film on board for the opera include creature effects designer Stephan Dupuis and costume designer Denise Cronenberg. Sets are by Dante Ferretti (SWEENEY TODD), lighting by A.J. Weisbard.

The ArcLight Cinema’s Cinerama Dome is located at 6360 Sunset Blvd, Hollywood CA. You can purchase tickets for the screening at the ArcLight’s website.

Well, this is a weird idea. The American Cinematheque will host a pair of screenings at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica, which will feature live “audio commentaries” by Nicholas Meyer and Jon Favreau, the directors of TIME AFTER TIME and IRON MAN, respectively. Here’s how the Cinematheque promotes the events:

Do you like the bonus extras on a DVD where the filmmaker comments on his/her film? Experience this live at the Aero! The second installment on an ongoing series inviting filmmakers and artists to comment live on their film while it is shown: Jon Favreau will dissect his box office success IRON MAN, and Nicholas Meyer will share his memories on making TIME AFTER TIME. Please note that the directors will be speaking DURING the film screening. The experience will be different than our usual format of speaking before or after the film. If you have not seen the films previously, this may not be the event for you!

TIME AFTER TIME screens on Friday, September 5 at 7:30pm with Meyer. IRON MAN screens on Saturday, September 6 at 7:30pm with Favreau.

Peronsally, if I get a chance to see a favorite film on the big screen, I want to see it without any extra added bonus features. Q&A sessions after a film are a perfectly adequate way for cast-and-crew to talk about their work; plus, it gives the audience a chance to join in the dialogue.

But who knows? Stranger things have worked. Maybe I’ll be surprised at the results. What I’ll be most curious to see is whether this gambit actually attracts an audience.

The Aero Theatre is located at 1328 Montana Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90403. (323) 634-4878.

The New Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles is presenting a four-dayGrindhouse Film Festival tribute to actor Clu Gulager this week, beginning with a double-bill tonight of RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD and FEAST (the later directed by Gulager’s son John). The screening of RETURN will be followed by a question-and-answer session with most of the cast and crew: writer-director Dan O’Bannon, actors James karen, Don Calfa, Thom Matthews, Brian Peck, Beverly Randolph, and Jewel Shepard, production designer William Stout, and makeup artists Tony Gardner and Kenny Myers.

The double bill repeats tomorrow night, with guests from FEAST in attendance. The tribute concludes with a double bill of THE KILLERS and THE LAST PICTURE SHOW on Friday and Saturday. Gulager will be in attendance to answer questions at all of the screenings screenings. According to the New Beverly’s press release:

Each night will feature a Q&A between the films, with Clu Gulager and others discussing the making of these amazing films and working with some of Hollywood’s greatest actors and directors. Also expect some incredible stories and behind the scenes info that you won’t hear anywhere else as Clu dishes the dirt on working both inside and outside the Hollywood system!

The New Beverly is located one block west of La Brea at 7165 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036. (323) 938-4038.

RELATED REVIEWS:

• Return of the Living Dead
• Feast

The ImaginAsian Center of Los Angeles will be screening DEATH NOTE on August 29. This is a live-action adaptation of a Japanese manga that was previously turned into an animated film. The director is Shusuke Kaneko, who revived the Gamera franchise in the 1990s, giving Godzilla a good run for his money. Here is a description from the ImagnAsian website:

DEATH NOTEis based on the bestselling supernatural action mystery manga written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata. With over 15 million copies sold, the hit comic has finally been adapted into two live-action feature films: DEATH NOTE and Death Note: The Last Name. Directed by Shusuke Kaneko, known for the popular “Gamera” monster film series, DEATH NOTEwas first released in Japan in 2006, becoming an instant smash hit. The story begins when ace student Light Yagami finds the Death Note, a notebook dropped by a rogue “Shinigami” death god named Ryuk. Any human whose name is written in the notebook dies. Upset with the justice system, Light takes matters into his own hands and vows to use the power of the Death Note to rid the world of all evil.

You can read a review of the film at Cinefantastique Online.

The ImaginAsian Center is located at 251 South Main St., Los Angeles, CA 90012. The phone number is 213-617-1033.

A word of warning: The ImaginAsian’s official website is not update. It lists RE-CYCLE - which screened on August 15 and 21 - as “Now Playing.” If you want to confirm showtimes before taking the trip to downtown Los Angeles, you can send an email here: iacenterla@iatv.tv

George Pal produced and sometimes directed some of the great science fiction films of the 1950 and 1960s - films that defined the genre and inspired later filmmakers like George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, and Joe Dante. On Wednesday August 27 at 7:30pm in Samuel L. Goldwyn theatre in Beverly Hills, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences will offer a tribute entitled “George Pal: Discovering the Fantastic,” which will include a panel discussion featuring several people who worked with Pal, including actros Barbar Eden (THE SEVEN FACES OF DR. LAO), Ann Robinson (WAR OF THE WORLDS), Russ Tamblyn, and Alan Young (THE TIME MACHINE).

THE WAR OF THE WORLDS will be screened, along with several of Pal’s short stop-motion “Puppetoons.”

Tickets are $5 for general audiences, $3 for Academy members. The theatre is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills, California 90211. Telephone: (310) 247-3000.

The Los Angeles Times has an article about the event, including interviews from some of the people who will be involved.

Universal Studios Hollywood has issued a press release that is showing up around the web, trumpeting the terrors that await visitors to this year’s edition of Halloween Horror Nights, the annual celebration that begins on October 3.

Like last year, Horror Nights 2008 will feature mazes based on Freddy Kruger, Jason Voorhees, and Leatherface, but Universal promises that the Kruger maze will be brand new, featuring a recreation of the infamous house on Elm Street. (Last year was more like a trip through an Asylum - not surprising when you know that it located in a maze that had been called “The Asylum” the year before.)

New for this year will be a Scare Zone inspired by THE STRANGERS, the sleeper hit horror film from earlier this year. (For those unfamiliar with the terminology, Scare Zones are simply areas of the park haunted by ghouls, so you get the Halloween experience even before you stand in line for an hour to walk through a maze.)

In addition, the back lot tram tour will be significantly upgraded to double its length, for the first time incorporating mazes.

Universal’s usual rides and attractions will be open, although revamped for Halloween: the Jurassic Park Ride becomes Jurassic Park in the Dark; the Waterworld show becomes Slaughterworld, etc.

Halloween Horror nights will be open on weekends, beginning October 3. Dates are October 3-4, 10-11, 17-19, 24-26, 30-31 and November 1. Doors opening nightly as 7:00pm; closing hours vary.

Tickets are available for $54 onlin at Universal Studios Hollywood’s official website; they are also sold in advance at Ralph’s, Food 4 Less, and Hot Topic, where you can save $20 a ticket by buying a Coke-related product.

RELATED ARTICLES:

• Halloween Horror Hollywood - Opening Night 2007
• Interview: Horror Nights Creative Director John Murder, 2007

Halloween is just around the corner apparently. Sure, you may think it’s not till the end of October - over two months away - but Halloween superstores are already setting up, and the big-name attractions like Knott’s scary farms will open their tombs at the end of September.

So, it should be no surprise that Universal Studios is already sponsoring a contest to promote their 2008 Halloween Horror Nights. Follow this link to enter, for a chance to win a round-trip to Universal Studios Florida this Halloween.