The School of Movies Archive

[Digital Drift 2014]

The second in our trilogy celebration of Alex’s 400th podcast. 

This time we’re talking about another of the best films of 2014; The Lego Movie. Arguably the most potent cocktail of inventiveness and pure joy in an animated movie since the original Toy Story. Deceptively child-friendly, especially after a slew of sporadically funny Lego games, and prone to assumptions of being nothing more than an enormous toy commercial this is in fact a far richer experience than your usual blockbuster cinema trip as well as a surprising and tacit celebration of contemporary remix culture.  With our team of intrepid yellow, plastic master-builders we go deep into the detail of this fascinating deconstruction of the hero’s journey and examine the many vibrant themes and characters found within. 

This one is child-safe in terms of language but does of course feature massive spoilers so if for some reason you’ve not yet seen it, do so first. If you didn’t think the movie was all that special we can offer many reasons why it might warrant a second viewing and if you love it you will adore every second of this episode. 

Guests:

Daniel Floyd of Extra Credits

Glen Watts of the Digital Drift community

Iain Hopwood of Year of Steam

[Digital Drift 2014]

This is the tenth of the Marvel Cinematic Universe podcasts.

We talk at length about the transition from obscure Marvel comic to breakout success, how the characters differ across the mediums taking many detours into the depiction of female and black characters in comic book movies, the inspired soundtrack, the hilarious, often touching performances, the detail-filled worlds and of course the vibrant, fun-filled rollicking space adventure now finally earning recognition. 

This is also the first of a trilogy of unrelated movie reviews all celebrating some of the best aspects of the human spirit. Next week it’s The Lego Movie, followed by The Iron Giant, which also makes this a Chris Pratt and Vin Diesel appreciation trio. This is because episode 30 is my 400th podcast (give or take a few dozen, Digital Cowboys ran for 209 episodes and Digital Gonzo for 161). 

Each has an epic running time. The discussion for all three went super-in depth for what might be perceived as kids movies by anyone who doesn’t listen to this show, and while we kept things clean for the other two it does get dark for Guardians at times so be aware of that going in. We brought in multiple voices across the board for a broader range of perspectives and experience and I’ve gone all out on the music and clips. 

Listen out for my suggestions for Awesome Mix Vol. 2. A Marvel No-Prize to anyone who can give us the complete track listing for these hypothetical, thematically consistent tracks on the forum. 

James Batchelor also makes a special guest appearance as The Henchman Agent, returning from his stint on the James Bond and Batman podcasts. 

There are various readings from ‘We Are Groot: ‘Guardians Of The Galaxy’ Celebrates Heroes With Authentic Psychological Deficits’ written for Comics Alliance by by Dr. Andrea Letamendi

http://comicsalliance.com/guardians-galaxy-psychology-analyisis-trauma/

Guests:

Jerome McIntosh of GameBurst

Mike Hearn from Walter the Wicked

Rose Lynn from the Digital Drift community

Doctor Lorin Grieve from Year of Steam

[Digital Drift 2014]

We conclude the Planet of the Apes series for now with the 2014 follow up to Rise, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.

Continuing the story of Caesar and his new tribe of intelligent, simian compatriots we rejoin earth ten years after the close of the last picture, a quiet, overgrown world of dilapidated buildings being reclaimed by nature, separated pockets of humanity scrabbling to survive and one group of apes living in peaceful seclusion in the woods close to San Francisco.

We accompany you on a journey through discovery and loss, betrayal and loyalty, and actions led by hope and fear. In doing so we take in some truly stunning performances in what constitutes a triumphant thematic remake of the worst of the previous films; Battle for the Planet of the Apes. This is how that should have been done and we’re both so very glad people have taken to this series. 

[Digital Drift 2014]

Ten years after the Burton version surfaced, spluttered and sank this one came out of absolutely nowhere, surprising everyone. Set up as an alternate prequel to the premise of the original 1968 Planet of the Apes, this movie answered the question of “How could this actually happen?”. In marketing terms it serves as a reboot, beginning its own new series which has now branched off from the original five movies into its own circular arc. 

One thing I found while editing this show together was that I didn’t have many clips I could use. This is, as I came to realise, because this movie is a masterpiece of visual storytelling. Everything you need to know is conveyed far better in terms of what you’re looking at, both in terms of its ape and human stars.

Director Rupert Wyatt is at the top of his game here, James Franco and John Lithgow pull off rarely valued, powerful performances and of course Andy Serkis takes center stage embodying one of the finest collaborations between performer and digital artists the world has ever seen. Caesar, the chimpanzee, capable of a subtlety and gravity of presence that most actors never achieve.

[Digital Drift 2014]

2001: Planet of the Apes

Some 28 years after the original quintet closed out, and after over a decade in development limbo being passed from writer to director like a hot potato, crossing the paths of some of the most significant of Hollywood players the reboot/remake/reimagining of the original 1968 Planet of the Apes was ultimately rushed to the screen with Tim Burton at the helm and the kind of slapdash, thrown-together approach that stifles overall vision and creative freedom. 

And so begins a podcast-long rant about the constant meddling backstage during development, the nonsensical story, the erratic pacing, the occasionally rather excellent casting and  prosthetic makeup and most of all the appallingly tepid play-acting nonentity that is Mark Wahlberg. This bozo has darkened our screens long enough and I’m hoping this podcast sways public opinion enough that his inexplicable popularity falters and he has to eke out his remaining years doing breakdancing movies and straight to video frat comedies that I was going to ignore anyway. He can be the angry sports coach who wants to crack down on the slackers.

Next week the one that surprised everybody and began the new ongoing series, taking the premise seriously and giving the world some of its finest performance capture creations; Rise of the Planet of the Apes. 

[Digital Drift 2014]

1971: Escape from the Planet of the Apes

The remaining three movies from the original series of five get the Drift treatment. Again we went in having never seen any of them and reviewed them immediately following our first watch. So our emotions are raw and reactions pretty strong. 

Escape turned out to be a 70s flavoured political thriller, not unlike a small scale Winter Soldier which we watched around the same time. It also had the most heart of the five. Conquest is a film that Rise ended up being patterned after, with a harsh undercurrent of slavery and revolution at its core and a hastily rewritten ending. Then the series went from a place of strength to wobbly, embarrassing, confused, and laughably mismanaged as it farted out of existence with Battle for the Planet of the Apes, which bears the unmistakable signs of the crazy mutants of the rushed second movie; Beneath the Planet of the Apes.

Kim Hunter and Roddy McDowall remain the standout stars of these three and what they manage with the basic ape masks is genuinely impressive. Hopefully our disgust at Battle won’t dissuade some of you from digging into Ape history with the others.  

Next week we return to the movie that ruined Alex’s 21st birthday to see if it’s still as awful as we remember. Tim Burton’s re-imagining of the original Planet of the Apes.

[Digital Drift 2014]

1968: Planet of the Apes

1970: Beneath the Planet of the Apes

For newcomers to the series, all eight movies of which will be reviewed over the coming weeks here is a brief breakdown of events. 

1. Universe A: The first five Planet of the Apes movies spanning the period between 1968 and 1973. Planet of the Apes / Beneath the Planet of the Apes / Escape from the Planet of the Apes / Conquest of the Planet of the Apes and Battle for the Planet of the Apes. You can also include the short-lived live action TV show, comics and animated series in this period (although we won’t be reviewing these that doesn’t mean you guys can’t talk about them at length on the forum).

2. Universe B: The 2001 Tim Burton directed re-imagining of the original movie.

3. Universe C: Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. This originally started out as both a reboot and an alternate prequel to the original movie (as well as loose remakes of Conquest and Battle for the Planet of the Apes) but has now clearly branched into its own universe where events played out differently to the history laid down in the initial quintet of movies. 

This first podcast covers the first two movies, Planet of the Apes and Beneath the Planet of the Apes. We recommend that all listeners at the very least see this first one for its historical significance and most of all, track down Rise of the Planet of the Apes, the 2011 movie that came out of nowhere and surprised everyone by not being terrible and in fact being truly excellent. 

But for these first ones send your mind back in time to the late sixties to a time when men were men, teenagers were hippies, war was a very immediate topic, women were saying scary things about equality and civil rights were being challenged left, right and center. We were experimental in our approach, having only ever seen the first of the original five before and reviewing each movie in turn after viewing for the first time. That way you get our immediate reactions. We pull no punches and judge the film as far as it holds up today, before moving onto its grotty, rushed and unintentionally hilarious sequel.

Next week, things take an unexpected upturn as films 3 and 4 turn out to be really rather good… however there’s the matter of film 5. After that it’s Tim Burton’s contribution followed by Rise and then Dawn for a total of five shows.

[Digital Drift 2014]

We round off our X-Men series with a discussion about Days of Future Past. Further proof that you can have a complex, sci-fi blockbuster which the audience doesn’t need to fully understand in order to become one of the highest grossing movies of the year. 

If you haven’t yet seen my explanation of the multiple timelines in the X-Men movie chronology check it out on YouTube. “Days of Future Past Explained [X-Men Movie Timeline]“

I’ve included it at the end at the 01.13.30 mark if you need a refresher going in, though without diagrams it gets even more complicated. I’ve also followed that up with further questions from Sharon at 01.22.50 to close out the show.

00.03.06: Days of Future Past Review

This is effectively the second installment of a new trilogy starring the young Charles and Erik, also designed to clear the decks for future films without getting bogged down by what has to happen in the future (although it’s still in our past and oh I’ve gone cross-eyed). 

With another brilliant set of performances at its core and the spurious accolade of being the second X-Men movie that doesn’t stumble at the ending this is a worthy new step in what appears to be a very much ongoing franchise. 

[Digital Drift 2014]

This one kind of came out of nowhere. Since Wolverine hasn’t been an enjoyable and compelling lead since 2003 with X-Men 2 it was a surprise for him to suddenly reclaim his onscreen presence a decade later after we’d had a new Spider-Man, two new Hulks and two new Supermen, Iron Man, Thor, Captain America the rise and fall of The Fantastic Four, Ghost Rider and the entire Dark Knight Trilogy.

Wisely avoiding tying this in too heavily with the established X-Men continuity this takes the form of a stand-alone action thriller closer to something like Man on Fire than the average mutant adventure. Logan is grieving his actions in X-Men 3 and mourning the loss of Jean, exiling himself to the Canadian wilderness. He is tracked down and summoned to Japan and the lion’s share of the film is a reflective, taut rōnin story, steeped in this distinctive eastern culture, caught part way between the past and the future. Virtually no mutant powers beyond Wolverine himself, a plot filled with intrigue and hidden motivations with multiple serious, more-than-competent characters, several of them female. 

It’s arguably the second-best X-Men film, but as is tradition they completely fudge the ending. And I mean REALLY fudge it. Like *tap measured, skillful director James Mangold on the shoulder and replace him with a fornicating baboon* fudged. That’s the level of bonkers tone-shift that follows a natural climax point. You know in some parallel realities the Fox executives didn’t step in as the greatest enemies of the X-Men series’, forever preventing them from achieving true greatness.

[Digital Drift 2014]

This time we dive deep into the best X-Men movie and actually one of the very best superhero and comic book movies of all time. 

What started as a Magneto spin-off got combined with a reboot and turned into a flashback/prequel/period piece/James Bond homage/romantic drama/reboot for the series. With all those goals to accomplish it’s a wonder it turned out as well as it did. 

It’s not without its flaws, but the strengths on display are myriad and powerful. We discuss the shaping of Charles, Erik, Raven and Hank in these vibrant, formative years.