we have nothing to fear… but Steve McQueen
I love when he sneaks up behind him. Oh — and when the guy buckles his seat belt and then… IT’S ON.
He’s got spunk.
We Come From Glasgow, Glasgow
The Art of Drew Struzan: add it to the x-mas list
Drew Struzan is a master of his craft. You probably have no idea who he is but you’ve seen his work. And you probably have fond memories associated with it. Because of this, a book was released: The Art of Drew Struzan… and I want it.
superman
Peace is our Profession
I recently took the time to watch Fail-Safe. And although I found the film to be moderately entertaining I also found myself wishing I had just watched Dr. Strangelove instead. Now, these two films have some obvious similarities, due in part to their similar subject matter: the 1960s Cold War threat of nuclear war. But also because of their similar source material (I won’t go into detail but a handful of law suits were settled out of court.) Comparing the two films, it is very obvious that one of them is a dark comedy and the other is not. It’s also very obvious that one of these films is a Stanley Kubrick film and the other is not. What’s surprising is that the Stanley Kubrick film is the comedy. And, considering it is a Stanley Kubrick film, its actually quite funny.
With everything he did, Kubrick aimed for perfection. And I guess that’s a pretty good description of Dr. Strangelove. The humor is flawless but it has less to do with Kubrick’s writing and more to do with his decision to simply let the cast run wild. This cast, including Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, and Sterling Hayden, is phenomenal and, from what I understand, many of the more memorable lines of dialogue were ad-libbed on set.
Another highlight of the film: Kubrick’s attention to detail. It is absolutely staggering. The detail within the B-52 cockpit alone is mind-boggling. Keep in mind that at the time this film was made the B-52 was the single greatest deterrent against a Soviet first-strike. Those planes were in the air and prepared to deliver their payload on a moment’s notice. Needless to say, any and all details pertaining to the operation and function of the B-52 was ultra top-secret. With that said, everything you see in the film was constructed from scratch based off of old B-29s flown in World War II and a single photograph the filmmakers obtained of the B-52’s cockpit. The filmmakers nailed their sets with such accuracy that it prompted an investigation as to whether Kubrick and his staff illegally obtained information regarding the plane. Suspicion of espionage is one hell of a compliment.
Needless to say, if you haven’t seen it you should.
“Dammit Grady, I’m the President!”
That was not a burnout.
I feel compelled to add more:
The New Superman film… don’t f*ck it up.
So David Goyer and Jonathan Nolan have been toiling away (under the watchful eye of Jonathan’s brother, Christopher) on the next Superman film for a few months now. Just think, as you read this, they are probably deep in thought over this film… and, even more importantly, how not to f*ck it up. That’s actually quite a lot of pressure. To start with, the Nolan family’s reputation is at stake. Christopher is, arguably, THE filmmaker of the 21st century. Secondly, they’re working for a film studio that’s well known for lofty expectations. Thirdly, they have a comic book fan base chomping at the bit to criticize every decision they make, and, lastly, there are a handful of general movie goers who actually liked the last movie and will surely be disappointed at the decision to start from scratch. My point is: how the hell are they going to make everybody happy? I guess the obvious answer is this: write an awesome movie. So that’s my advice, boys. Run with it.
More on the new Supes film is sure to come…
Klockwork Kugler: This is my blog. This is what I do. 