Review: "Batman: Mask of the Phantasm" is Better Than Some Live-Action Batman Movies (Happy B'day, Kevin Conroy)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 239 (of 2004) by Leroy Douresseaux

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993) – animated
Running time: 76 minutes (1 hour, 16 minutes)
MPAA - PG for animated violence
DIRECTORS: Eric Radomski and Bruce Timm
WRITERS: Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, Martin Pasko, and Michael Reeves; from a story by Alan Burnett (based upon characters appearing in DC Comics and Batman created by Bob Kane)
PRODUCERS: Benjamin Melniker and Michael E. Uslan
EDITOR: Al Breitenbach

ANIMATION/SUPERHERO/ACTION/MYSTERY with elements of drama

Starring: (voices) Kevin Conroy, Dana Delany, Mark Hamill, Hart Bochner, Stacy Keach, Jr., Abe Vigoda, Dick Miller, John P. Ryan, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Bob Hastings, Robert Costanzo, and Marilu Henner

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is a 1993 animated superhero feature film. It is a spin-off from the Batman: The Animated Series, the Emmy Award-winning television series that ran from 1992 to 1995.

There is a new killer in Gotham City, a costumed murder dubbed The Phantasm (Stacy Keach, Jr.) who murders a group of crime bosses. Because of the killer’s dark appearance, he is mistaken for Batman (Kevin Conroy). An ambitious city councilman, Arthur Reeves (Hart Bochner), sends the Gotham police force after Batman. Implicated in the murders, the Dark Knight must solve the mystery of The Phantasm’s identity.

However, a complication arrives in the life of Batman’s civilian identity, Bruce Wayne (Conroy), when a former fiancée, Andrea “Andi” Beaumont (Dana Delany), comes back to Gotham. How she is connected to The Phantasm’s killing spree and how Bruce Wayne’s past figures into the case are just a few questions Batman must answer… and the Joker’s (Mark Hamill) in town gumming up the state of affairs.

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is the best Batman feature film to date, and it’s probably the least seen movie version of the venerable comic book character because the film is animated. Truthfully, animation is usually the best medium with which to adapt a comic book. Animation lends itself to the exaggeration and color fantasy settings in which comic book characters and worlds work best.

Based upon the popular animated television series, “Batman” – best known as Batman: The Animated Series” – which began in 1992, Mask of the Phantasm has all the creative talents who made the TV series so popular (and honored) behind it. In fact, the film was originally planned to be a direct-to-video release. Thus, it lacks the punch of a theatrical film, as the filmmaker’s didn’t have enough time to rework it and throw in the pyrotechnics movie audiences expect of theatrical films. However, Mask of the Phantasm is highly entertaining, and its dark and moody atmosphere is more genuine than any other Batman theatrical release. The drama is moving, and the mystery is palatable, absorbing, and suspenseful, certainly more so than that of the other Batman live action films. While appropriated for most children six and above, the film’s storytelling is mature enough (without being vulgar) to intrigue older viewers.

The quality of the animation wasn’t close to that of the best theatrical releases from Disney (or the many animated films directed by Don Bluth from the late 80’s to mid 90’s), but it was some of the best animation on TV for its time. The program’s color palette and art deco design made it a favorite among both animation and comic book professionals and fans. All of that carries over to the film, so Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is as good as the animated TV series. Since the film is longer, that makes it a special treat.

7 of 10
B+

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Review: "The Muppet Movie" Still Moves Me

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 96 (of 2011) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Muppet Movie (1979)
Running time: 95 minutes (1 hour, 35 minutes)
MPAA – G
DIRECTOR: James Frawley
WRITERS: Jack Burns and Jerry Juhl
PRODUCER: Jim Henson
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Isidore Mankofsky
EDITOR: Chris Greenbury
COMPOSER: Paul Williams
SONGS: Paul Williams and Kenny Ascher
Academy Award nominee

FANTASY/COMEDY/ADVENTURE/FAMILY

Starring: The Muppets, (voices) Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt, Dave Goelz; Charles Durning, Austin Pendleton, Edgar Bergen, Mel Brooks, Dom DeLuise, Elliot Gould, Madeline Kahn, Steve Martin, Cloris Leachman, Richard Pryor, Bob Hope, James Coburn, Milton Berle, and Orson Welles

The Muppet Movie is a 1979 live-action, comic fantasy film and musical. This Oscar-nominated film stars The Muppets, the puppet characters created by the late Jim Henson, specifically the characters that appeared on the television series, “The Muppets” (1976-81). A film-within-in-a-film, The Muppet Movie tells the story of how The Muppets came together, or, as Kermit the Frog says, “It’s sort of approximately how it happened.”

The film begins with Kermit the Frog (Jim Henson) relaxing in a Florida swamp on a sunny afternoon, when a Hollywood agent tells him that he should pursue a career in Hollywood. Inspired by the idea of “making millions of people happy,” Kermit begins a cross-country journey, at first by bicycle. After an accident, Kermit teams up with Fozzie Bear (Frank Oz) and resumes the trip in Fozzie’s Studebaker. Along the way, they pick up fellow travelers like The Great Gonzo (Dave Goelz) and his mate, Camilla the Chicken (Jerry Nelson), and of course, Miss Piggy (Frank Oz).

Meanwhile, the villainous Doc Hopper (Charles Durning) and his assistant, Max (Austin Pendleton), pursue them. The Colonel Sanders-like Hopper is the owner of a “French-fried frog legs” fast food franchise, and he wants Kermit to be the new spokesman for the franchise. After Kermit says no, Hopper chases him, making offers that become increasingly threatening.

Prior to this recent viewing, I had not seen The Muppet Movie since the early 1980s (I think), but I remember liking it. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about it now, but it turns out that I still love the movie. Is the reason nostalgia? No, The Muppet Movie is simply an excellent film. As a film musical, it has terrific songs from Paul Williams and Kenny Ascher, and three of them (“Rainbow Connection,” “Movin’ Right Along,” and “Can You Picture That?”) are great.

As a comedy, it is sharp and smart, surprisingly so for a film that is aimed at children, although “The Muppet Show,” was meant to appeal to both children and adults. There is sly innuendo, clever word play, and snappy dialogue. The film even offers satire, such as its skewering of the desire to be famous for entertaining.

And hell, ya’ll, it’s the Muppets. What could be unlikable about them? I look forward to my next viewing of The Muppet Movie, and I want to encourage you, dear readers, to see it if you haven’t already or to just see it again.

8 of 10
A

NOTES:
1980 Academy Awards: 2 nominations: “Best Music, Original Song” (Paul Williams and Kenny Ascher for the song "The Rainbow Connection") and “Best Music, Original Song Score and Its Adaptation or Best Adaptation Score” (Paul Williams and Kenny Ascher)

1980 Golden Globes: 1 nomination: “Best Original Song - Motion Picture” (Paul Williams and Kenny Ascher for the song "Rainbow Connection")

2009 National Film Preservation Board, USA: “National Film Registry”

Monday, November 21, 2011

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Review: "Ghost World" is Very Different and Very Good (Happy B'day, Scarlett Johansson)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 14 (of 2002) by Leroy Douresseaux

Ghost World (2001)
Running time: 111 minutes (1 hour, 51 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong language and some sexual content
DIRECTOR: Terry Zwigoff
WRITERS: Terry Zwigoff and Daniel Clowes (based upon the graphic novel by Daniel Clowes)
PRODUCERS: Lianne Halfon, John Malkovich, and Russell Smith
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Affonso Beato (D.o.P.)
EDITORS: Carole Kravetz-Aykanian and Michael R. Miller
Academy Award nominee

COMEDY/DRAMA

Starring: Thora Birch, Scarlett Johansson, Steve Buscemi, Brad Renfro, Illeana Douglas, Bob Balaban, and Stacey Travis

After graduating from high school, two friends watch as their relationship and plans change over the course of the following summer. Enid (Thora Birch, American Beauty) is disdainful of current pop culture and of conformity. Rebecca (Scarlett Johansson) usually follows her friend’s lead, but she isn’t quite as critical of all things popular.

As the movie begins, both girls are aimless. They enjoy following people and spying on them and enjoying a laugh at the expense of others. However, Rebecca begins to gather herself, anxious to get on with her life. The girls had made plans to get an apartment together, and Rebecca soon has a job to pay for her adult expenses. Enid, on the other hands, lives day to day, aimless and chasing one infatuation after another.

She becomes attracted to the victim of one of her snide jokes, Seymour (Steve Buscemi), a collector of obscure jazz and blues vinyl records. As her interest in Seymour’s live becomes deeper, Enid drifts from Rebecca. Rebecca, in turn, grows closer to her and Enid’s friend Josh (Brad Renfro), a convenience store clerk. When Seymour begins to date another woman and Enid’s Dad (Bob Balaban) invites his girlfriend to move in with him, Enid’s life begins to fall apart.

Directed by Terry Zwigoff, who directed the documentary on underground cartoonist and legend Robert Crumb, Crumb, Ghost World is a teen comedy for really, smart and intelligent people. Sans corny jokes, gross humor, and juvenile depictions of sex, Zwigoff relies on the acting talent of his cast, an excellent script, simple, evocative photography, and a unique soundtrack to tell his film story.

The script, co-written by Zwigoff and Daniel Clowes, is the tent pole that supports this film. The movie is based upon Clowes’s graphic novel, Ghost World, which was serialized in issues of Eightball, Clowes long-running comic book series published by Fantagraphics Books. Fantagraphics eventually published a very popular hardcover and soft cover editions of the collected story. Clowes expanded his original story and added elements from his other comic book stories for the screenplay.

The screenplay trusts the ability of the characters to portray their own dramas. Enid is a complex character. Although sympathetic and likeable, she is maddeningly stubborn. An iconoclast, she is determined to go her own way and have her own way. When she meets obstacles of which she cannot move, she stands her ground even at the cost of great mental duress to herself. Her intelligence and originality add some unexplainable quality to her physical appearance and makes her physically attractive. You can’t help but root for her. You wish the best for her, and you’re angry when she spites herself just to maintain one of her eclectic standards.

Seymour is painfully real. Unable to connect with people, he readily connects with objects and things, especially things from a bygone era – the good old days. He seemingly cannot help but love a golden age despite there being more rust than gild on the precious metal of his olden days. He and Enid develop a relationship that seems peculiar on the surface, but is in fact quite simple; they can meet each other half way even when at odds. In the end, it is outside interests that dictate the evolution of their friendship.

Ms. Birch’s performance as Enid is a revelation, while the overrated American Beauty only hinted at her talent. She totally buys into Zwigoff and Clowes’s script, wholly and completely creating Enid. Ms. Birch engages us; we get so into her character that we cannot help but love and care for Enid, when we might become bored with her eccentricities. Only the best performances demand that much attention and sympathy.

Ms. Johansson’s Rebecca is also quite good. In Enid’s shadow, she slowly emerges as her own woman, different and free of Enid’s belief system. Rebecca is the audience gone cold on Enid’s quirks, but still loving her; she mirrors our occasional impatience with Enid. Like Ms. Birch’s performance, Ms. Johansson’s performance has surprising depth from one so young, but she had good writing from which to work.

Seymour is one of Buscemi’s most human characters to date; as usual, his performance reveals how deep he understands the goals of the storytellers. Brad Renfro isn’t left behind. His Josh seethes boredom with existence. One look at him and you know that he wants to tell the world where to get off. He regards most anything and most anyone with a smoldering annoyance worthy of a classic screen rebel.

Ghost World can occasionally seem cold. The scriptwriters hope that we are patient during the dry moments as the story unfolds. The movie doesn’t only develop; it slow opens itself to us. We are simultaneously annoyed, angered, bored, confused, hopeful, joyous, and sad.

Confusing? No. Quite engaging, very thoughtful, some damn fine performances, and some really good character writing. Ghost World is a different and very good movie.

7 of 10
A-

NOTES:
2002 Academy Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published” (Daniel Clowes and Terry Zwigoff)

2002 Golden Globes: 2 nominations: “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (Steve Buscemi), and “Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy” (Thora Birch)

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Review: "Batman: Gotham Knight" is Batman New and Different

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 95 (of 2011) by Leroy Douresseaux

Batman: Gotham Knight (2008) – straight-to-video
Running minutes: 76 minutes (1 hour, 16 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for stylized violence, including some bloody images
DIRECTORS: Yasuhiro Aoki (segment "In Darkness Dwells"); Yuichiro Hayashi (segment "In the Darkness Dwells"); Futoshi Higashide (segment "Crossfire"); Toshiyuki Kubooka (segment "Working Through Pain"); Hiroshi Morioka (segment "Field Test"); Jong-Sik Nam (segment "Deadshot"); and Shojirou Nishimi (segment "Have I Got a Story For You")
WRITERS: Stories by Jordan Goldberg; screenplays by Josh Olson ("Have I Got a Story); Greg Rucka ("Crossfire"); Brian Azzarello (“Working Through Pain”); Alan Burnett ("Deadshot"); Jordan Goldberg ("Field Test"); and David Goyer ("In Darkness Dwells"); based on Batman created by Bob Kane
PRODUCERS: Toshi Hiruma; executive producers: Benjamin Melniker, Emma Thomas, Bruce W. Timm, and Michael E. Uslan
CINEMATOGRAPHERS: Michiya Katou, Kenji Takehara, and Kôji Tanaka
EDITOR: Joe Gall
COMPOSERS: Christopher Drake, Robert J. Kral, and Kevin Manthei

ANIMATION/SUPERHERO/SCI-FI/ACTION with elements of drama

Starring: (voices) Kevin Conroy, Corey Burton, Gary Dourdan, Ana Ortiz, Kevin Michael Richardson, and Jim Meskimen

Batman: Gotham Knight is a direct-to-video superhero animated film from Warner Bros. Animation. Starring DC Comics character Batman, this film is an anthology of six animated short films inspired by anime – Japanese animation. Batman: Gotham Knight is also the third feature in the DC Universe Animated Original Movies line. This film is meant to act as a bridge between the live action movies, Batman Begins (2005) and The Dark Knight (2008), while delving into Batman’s past and his troubled psyche.

In these six stories, Batman (Kevin Conroy) faces new villains and old ones. In the opening story, “Have I Got a Story for You,” street kid, B Devil, meets his three friends Porkchop, Meesh, and Dander, at a skate park. Each tells B Devil a wildly different story about Batman’s battle with the Man in Black, a high tech criminal. The second story, “Crossfire,” focuses on Crispus Allen (Gary Dourdan) and Anna Ramirez (Ana Ortiz), two members of the Gotham City Police Department’s Major Crimes Unit. They get caught in the crossfire between rival crime lords and their gangs. Batman, whom Allen detests, comes to their rescue.

In the third story, “Field Test,” Lucius Fox (Kevin Michael Richardson) creates a new technology that will protect Batman from bullets, but is it too powerful? “In Darkness Dwells,” Batman travels deep below the streets of Gotham City to rescue a Catholic cardinal kidnapped by Killer Croc, who serves The Scarecrow (Corey Burton).

“Working Through Pain” finds Batman wounded and trapped in the city sewers, while his mind flashbacks to the mysterious woman who taught him to manage pain. Finally, in “Deadshot,” Floyd Lawton (Jim Meskimen), the assassin known as Deadshot, targets James “Jim” Gordon (Jim Meskimen) for assassination. Can Batman stop this killer that can pull off practically any shot?

“Have I Got a Story for You,” “Crossfire,” and “Field Test” are nice, interesting experiments in animated short films as storytelling, but they are more interesting than good. “In Darkness Dwells,” is better than those. “Working Through Pain” and “Deadshot” are by far the best pieces in Batman: Gotham Knight. The last three films are both good Batman stories that are executed exceptionally well.

While Batman: Gotham Knight is an American movie production that is written by Americans, the animation or anime is directed, designed, executed, and produced by Japanese animation studios: Bee Train (the .hack franchise), Madhouse (the Trigun television series), Production I.G. (the Ghost in the Shell franchise), and Studio 4°C (Tekkon Kinkreet). These studios present lots of visually interesting elements, here and there, throughout the film. Most of the sets, set decoration, art direction, and background elements are unique and eye-catching, but none of it ever comes together to make something that is entirely outstanding as a whole.

This ain’t no Akira, but Batman: Gotham Knight is, compared to a lot of animation that is offered to American audiences, exceptional.

7 of 10
B+

Monday, November 21, 2011

Bleach: Fade to Black on Blu-ray and for Digital Download

VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES THE RELEASE OF BLEACH THE MOVIE: FADE TO BLACK ON DVD AND BLU-RAY, AND FOR DIGITAL DOWNLOAD

It’s A Case Of Forgotten Identity As Ichigo Loses Touch With The Soul Society And Faces Down A Deadly New Enemy Alone In The Newest BLEACH Anime Action Feature

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, has announced the release of the latest BLEACH feature film – BLEACH THE MOVIE: FADE TO BLACK. The movie is available on DVD and Blu-ray, is rated ’T’ for Teens, and carries an MSRP of $19.98 for DVD (U.S. / CAN) and $24.98 for Blu-ray (U.S / CAN). BLEACH THE MOVIE: FADE TO BLACK offers with both English and Japanese dialogue options as well as bonus features including production art and the original theatrical trailers.

The film is also available for Download-to-Own (DTO) for only $9.99 and for Download-to-Rent (DTR) for only $4.99 from digital partners including on iTunes (http://www.itunes.com/), Amazon Instant Video, and Zune® on Xbox Live®. DTO and DTR availability for Playstation®Network is forthcoming,

In this newest supernatural adventure, a strange disturbance in the World of the Living sends Ichigo and Kon to the Soul Society, where the Seireitei has been devastated by an explosion of reishi and Rukia is missing. Stranger still, none of the Soul Reapers remember Ichigo, and they think he’s the one responsible for the destruction. Now on the run, Ichigo is forced into a lonely battle in order to find Rukia and stop the real culprits!

The BLEACH animated film and TV series are based on a smash hit manga (graphic novel) series created by Tite Kubo, and follows the adventures of Ichigo, a 15-year old student with the ability to see ghosts. When his family is attacked by a Hollow — a malevolent lost soul – Ichigo encounters Rukia, a Soul Reaper, and inadvertently absorbs her powers. Now, he’s dedicating his life to protecting the innocent and helping tortured souls find peace.

BLEACH is a tremendously successful multimedia property internationally. The manga has been licensed to more than a dozen countries and has sold over 50 million copies in Japan alone. In North America, the manga has been a sales hit and the popular animated series (both rated 'T' for Teens) is viewed weekly by millions in the United States and Canada. This success has further spawned an array of related video games, apparel, action figures, trading cards and other merchandise.

For more information on BLEACH please visit http://www.bleach.viz.com/.

Review: "The Lion King" Still Reigns

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 94 (of 2011) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Lion King (1994)
Running time: 89 minutes (1 hour, 29 minutes)
MPAA – G
DIRECTORS: Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff
WRITERS: Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts, and Linda Woolverton; from a story by multiple writers
PRODUCER: Don Hahn
EDITOR: Ivan Bilancio
COMPOSER: Hans Zimmer
SONGS: Elton John and Tim Rice
Academy Award winner

ANIMATION/FANTASY/DRAMA/FAMILY with elements of adventure and comedy

Starring: (voices) Matthew Broderick, James Earl Jones, Madge Sinclair, Jeremy Irons, Nathan Lane, Ernie Sabella, Moira Kelly, Rowan Atkinson, Whoopi Goldberg, Cheech Marin, Jim Cummings, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Niketa Calame, and Robert Guillaume

The Lion King is a 1994 Oscar-winning, animated film from Walt Disney Pictures. It is the story of a young lion who must take the place of his late father, the king, and save his land from his scheming uncle, his father’s brother. If The Little Mermaid (1989) was the beginning of the “Disney Renaissance,” then, The Lion King was the apex of Disney’s hand-drawn animated films during that renaissance.

The Lion King is set in Africa. King Mufasa (James Earl Jones) rules over the Pride Lands from Pride Rock. As the story begins, Queen Sarabi (Madge Sinclair) has just given birth to a cub, Simba, who will one day be king. Simba (Jonathan Taylor Thomas) is a playful and willful cub, but Mufasa guides and prepares him for the day when he will rule. Meanwhile, Mufasa’s brother, Scar (Jeremy Irons), lurks in the shadows, bitter that he is not king, and he plots with the hyenas to murder Mufasa. After tragedy strikes, Simba leaves the Pride Lands, intending never to return.

Years later, an adult Simba (Matthew Broderick) lives in exile. His constant companions are a meerkat, Timon (Nathan Lane), and a warthog, Pumbaa (Ernie Sabella). However, Simba’s past returns in the form of an old friend looking for food. It is then that Simba is forced to make important decisions about both his future and that of the Pride Lands.

The Lion King was Walt Disney Animation Studios 32nd full-length animated feature film. Some of Disney’s hand-drawn animated (or 2D animated) films produced in the last four decades are exceptional, even superb. None are as good as The Lion King. One could argue that The Lion King embodied everything up to that time that was great about Disney animated films. The Lion King is an engrossing animal fable or Disney anthropomorphic story like Bambi. It has a superb musical score and the kind of songs that are soaring, inspirational, heartfelt, toe-tapping, and/or romantic, in the tradition of The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin. Its animation brings together the “art of Disney” animation, which is the illusion of life, and also the early introduction of computer animation – from the coloring to the computer generated wildebeest stampede.

The story, which borrows from Shakespeare’s Hamlet and the Holy Bible, is a universal story of a young hero’s journey from carefree childhood and youthful tragedy to reluctant man-child and adult responsibility. The obstacles that Simba faces, his conflicts and struggles, and his confusion all feel honest and true – not contrived and overly sentimental. The audience can buy into Simba because so much about his him seems genuine.

Each Disney animated film always has good voice performances and at least one great performance. The Lion King has more than a few great voice performances. James Earl Jones is regal personified as King Mufasa, while Jeremy Iron is his evil, velvety opposite. Whoopi Goldberg, Cheech Marin, and Jim Cummings are superb as the hyena trio. However, Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella are scene-stealing showstoppers as Timon and Pumbaa, respectively, by creating signature, unforgettable Disney characters.

The classic Disney animated films always get me, and The Lion King charms me now just as it charmed me 17 years ago. This superbly animated feature is simply magic.

10 of 10

NOTES:
1995 Academy Awards: 2 wins: “Best Music, Original Score” (Hans Zimmer) and “Best Music, Original Song” (Elton John-music and Tim Rice-lyrics for the song "Can You Feel the Love Tonight"); 2 nominations “Best Music, Original Song” (Elton John-music and Tim Rice-lyrics for the song "Circle of Life") and “Best Music, Original Song” (Elton John-music and Tim Rice-lyrics for the song "Hakuna Matata")

1995 BAFTA Awards: 2 nominations: “Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music” (Hans Zimmer) and “Best Sound” (Terry Porter, Mel Metcalfe, David Hudson, and Doc Kane)

1995 Golden Globes: 3 wins: “Best Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical” (Don Hahn), “Best Original Score - Motion Picture” (Hans Zimmer), and “Best Original Song - Motion Picture” (Elton John-music and Tim Rice-lyrics for the song "Can You Feel the Love Tonight"); 1 nomination: “Best Original Song - Motion Picture” (Elton John-music and Tim Rice-lyrics for the song “The Circle of Life”)

Sunday, November 20, 2011

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Dear Sister, Wish You Were Here...

...But we're doing well.