A BIRTHDAY FOR PAPA GEORGE

My bank account is typically as barren as the sands of Tatooine. That's partially because of my continuing donations to George Lucas and his beneficiaries.

No resentment here. Really. I'll gladly give. Repeatedly.

Although being financially challenged found me stitching together a random excuse for a meal last night instead of dining out, I still managed to think of Papa George on his 69th birthday.

No, I didn't bake a cake in his honor. But that's not saying I didn't think about it.

Here's a link to a story I wrote for MTV Geek about just that. The Severed Wampa Arm cake is the bee-zomb:

http://geek-news.mtv.com/2013/05/15/george-lucas-birthday-top-5-best-star-wars-birthday-cakes/

I also talked to Anthony "C-3PO" Daniels a couple of weeks ago. Here's a link to that jibba jabba:

http://geek-news.mtv.com/2013/05/03/may-the-4th-be-with-you-c-3po-anthony-daniels-interview/

Ralph Bakshi

Legendary animator Ralph Bakshi has a fresh coat of paint. Although he hasn’t had an animated feature film spring from his pen since 1992’s “Cool World,” that’s about to change.  

Bakshi is back in business with “Last Days of Coney Island,” an animated tale about an NYPD detective and the seedy denizens who make up his world. Bakshi and his son, Eddie, have been raising money via a Kickstarter campaign, and have garnered nearly $175,000 and counting. That’s $10,000 more than his original goal. Even actor Matthew Modine, a longtime Bakshi fan, committed his voice to the picture once he heard of the animator’s plans. 

Bakshi’s fan base began when he changed the landscape of feature animation with the release of “Fritz the Cat" in 1972. A trail of nine other animated films followed including “Lord of the Rings” and “Wizards.” His collaborations proved to be as colorful as his animation cells. Bakshi has had the opportunity to work with other fellow legends including Dr. Seuss, Frank Frazetta, Stan Lee and the Rolling Stones. 

Q.: When you made “Fritz the Cat” in 1972, what made you think the world was ready for an adult-themed animated film?

A.: There’s a lot of talk today about was the world ready? What’s the hottest property? What do I do to make a million? That wasn’t my concern. We grew up in the ’50s, a lot of us artists. And the artists who grew up in the ’50s were much more concerned with what turned them on. I mean, money wasn’t an issue, not there’s anything wrong with money. ...Money wasn’t the reason guys were doing comic books, because it was the worst paying job in the world. Money wasn’t the reason I was animating, I just loved to animate. So when I read the “Fritz the Cat” book and lots of underground stuff, I loved it and I wanted to do it. There wasn’t any consideration if the world was ready for it. Who cared? That’s an issue now, and it’s still my position. If you run around wondering what the world cares about, there are very little breakthroughs that are going to happen. The world was not ready for “Fritz the Cat.” I got the hell beat out of me, including [“Fritz the Cat” comic book creator] Robert Crumb, who beat the hell out of me. I took a lot of heat. It has since made a hundred million, billion dollars. ...What I’m saying is, if you’re an artist and you’re going to wonder what the world cares about, you’re going to have to do something you don’t care about.

Q.: You basically created adult-oriented animation. What do you think about being regarded as an icon in that way?

A.: First of all, I wasn’t trying to break ground. The fact that my pictures are playing to new generations of kids has stunned me. ...All of these kids continue to watch my movies and find them. I keep getting emails from kids who are 20, 21. I can’t believe I did this. Everything is brand new to them. I’m very, very appreciative of the whole thing. It made me feel like I had done something. I went back to try and sell a movie to Hollywood. Recently I felt like doing an animated movie. I had been painting and drawing, but I felt like doing a movie. I got very nostalgic. So I went to Hollywood to sell a movie. It’s called “New American Blues,” which discusses who we are today. I went to two companies and they both threw me out. They both said they didn’t want the movie, it’s too adult, nobody would like it, and there’s no merchandising. My mouth dropped open. These are major animation companies making major films today. I was kind of stunned. Then I went to one company that does children’s films; big company, I’m not going to mention the name. I told them I wanted to do “Wizards 2” and “Wizards 3,” because it was always was done as a trilogy. They got excited, because they had heard about “Wizards” and all the animators love that movie. ...They go in and screen the movie. They tell me it’s too dark. I said, “What are you talking about too dark? I got lots of laughs in that film. Of course it’s dark. It’s about where our world is today.” Our glaciers are receding, the oceans are screwed up, there are terrorists everywhere, which is what “Wizards” was all about. I thought I nailed it. I said, “You’re telling me it’s too dark, but the world is that way today.” They said people don’t want to see that. So I left with my hat in my hands. This is the icon and idol going back. You’d think I would walk in and they’d jump all over me. They didn’t even buy me lunch. ...I have spoken, believe it or not, to Peter Jackson, who did the live action “Lord of the Rings,” about doing “Wizards” as an animated feature. ...To answer your question, I don’t feel much like an icon [Laughs].

Q.: Long before Peter Jackson, you were the first to tackle “Lord of the Rings.”  How challenging was it taking on something as beloved as “Lord of the Rings”?

A.: I did it for two reasons. First of all, I personally love Tolkien. He’s the greatest fantasy writer who ever lived. I wanted to do something that would stop the controversy. In other words, I was very tired, very beat up. It was very hard trying to keep the studio afloat. Paying the animators was hard. All of this was on my back. I owned my own company. So I wanted to do something that would allow me to take what I believed would be a rest. It was someone else’s work: Tolkien. Plus I loved Tolkien, so I wouldn’t have been selling out. And everyone said it would be impossible to make. But I had this idea of rotoscope --this is before computers-- that would give me the chance to make it. ...It turned out to be an extraordinarily hard film to make physically, probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. It’s probably the reason I’m not animating today. I had to go to Spain and shoot an entire live action movie, which was my idea. The actors were all in costume. And that was as difficult as shooting any movie. Then I was sending stuff back to Hollywood to be animated and rotoscoped. I went to England to record the voices. ...So the physicality was enormous. Then there was the deadline, which was too tight. They forced me to make the deadline, which I think hurt the edit. The whole thing was physically exhausting. Shooting in Spain, recording in England and animating in L.A. It was the straw that broke the camel’s back with me. 

Check out Bakshi’s official website here: www.ralphbakshi.com

"Battlestar Galactica" and Richard Hatch

After “Star Wars” took everyone to a galaxy, far, far away in 1977, fan boys and fan girls had their heads in space. The next year ABC threw its hat in the ring with the sci-fi series, “Battlestar Galactica,” which drew its own legion of fans. Its popularity ran so deep that it was re-imagined in 2003 with a TV mini-series and subsequent series on Syfy.

Actor Richard Hatch appeared on both, the first time around as Captain Apollo and as Tom Zarek on the later series. Hatch has taken a great interest in the “Galactica” mythos having co-written a series of “Battlestar Galactica” novels.

Q.: You’re a regular at sci-fi conventions like Atlanta’s DragonCon. What do you think about the phenomenon of these types of conventions?

A.: I think the world has discovered what I and many, many other fans of sci-fi and fantasy discovered many eons ago. Sci-fi conventions are probably the most fun, the most out-of-the-box, entertaining week or weekend you’ve ever had in your life. It’s for the whole family. The studios and networks have discovered it, because they can market to their niche audiences. And you get people from all walks of life, all ages, all backgrounds. Some of the most amazing human beings on the face of the planet go to sci-fi conventions, although I’m sure a few of them wouldn’t admit it. But I love this genre, I love “Battlestar,” I love visionary sci-fi stories, I love anime, I love fantasy. And plus I love great writing, great acting, great drama. What’s not to love?

Q.: I understand lots of funny incidents went down on the set of the original “Battlestar Galactica.” You’re known to share these tales at DragonCon.

A.: We had so many stories. There were so manny funny things that happened, especially late at night when everybody’s exhausted, and we’re living on hot popcorn and hot sake on the backlot of Universal. ...It took forever for the actors to get in the Cylon costumes. And once they got into those costumes, if they had to go to the bathroom, they would have to plan way ahead of time to get out of those costume to make it to the John. So we had more than one Cylon not make it. And that was a very, very, very uncomfortable experience for some of those actors who were in those costumes. I think one of them lost his balance, because he was in such dire need to get to the bathroom. He fell down and hit the Cylon in front of him, he hit the Cylon in front of him, and it knocked down a whole row of Cylons. 

Q.: You also had monkeys on the set of the original “Battlestar Galactica,” right?

A.: That was always funny. We called it little monkeys in bondage, because they were stuck in these mechanical suits that were part robotic. Basically the trained monkey could move and react to the situations. I’m sure that wasn’t the most comfortable thing for a monkey. So they had three monkeys sharing time in their little jail cells. Whenever they could, they tried to get out of those outfits. And whenever an explosion or something went off, they would just freak out, jump out of those costumes and run around the rafters of the sound stage. We would spend a couple of hours trying to get them back down. 

For more on Richard Hatch, go to www.richardhatch.com.

My Favorite Movie Posters #2

The recent blog regarding my passion for posters, specifically those of the movie kind, reeled in a bit of attention across the Interwebs. So today I’m back to plaster more sweet nothings of poster love.

“The Thing”

Drew Struzan is definitely the undisputed king of late 20th century movie poster art, and he continues cinematically brushing his way well into the current millennium. I own several of his prints, including the “Star Wars” poster I mentioned in a previous post. While that’s my most treasured Struzan piece, I hold a special place in my heart for my original “Cannonball Run” one sheet, which was signed by director Hal Needham. Although Struzan’s work is iconic across the board, from the Indiana Jones series to the Harry Potter flicks and beyond, there’s one piece in particular that’s equal parts haunting and exquisite. I’m talking about his poster for “The Thing,” John Carpenter’s horrific sci-fi yarn, which drips with isolation, paranoia and plenty of gore. Struzan’s interpretation practically gives you chills by capturing the film’s icy setting. And the beam of light bursting from the face of the nondescript man adds the same air of mystery Carpenter dishes out on film. Last summer Mondo released a 26” x 38” screenprint of the original art from Struzan himself ($250) and a limited run of glow-in-the-dark variants ($350). They’re going for serious green on eBay. However, if you have heavy disposable income, you can buy actual Struzan poster paintings via his website. The original art for the “Back to the Future III” poster will run you $150,000.

“White Lightning” 

Growing up in the South in the ’70s, Burt Reynolds movies were as much a part of my steady diet as fried chicken and Krispy Kreme. A few years ago I found myself amassing a collection of posters tied to his movies, including “Gator” and “Sharky’s Machine.” Arguably my favorite poster of the bunch is 1973’s “White Lightning.” Like many exploitation films of that era, the art is bold, brash and extremely well done, right down to little details such as the exploding car headlights. My only gripe is the small photograph of a shirtless Burt plastered on top of the bottom left corner of the art. Although it takes a little bit away from the poster’s overall thunder, the predominant artistry found here is so fantastic that all is forgiven. I’m still keeping my fingers crossed on landing a “Smokey and the Bandit” one day, and I try not to covet the autographed one I’ve seen hanging in Tom Brown’s office at Turner Classic Movies.

Roger Rabbit Posters

When “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” splashed into cineplexes during the summer of ’88, I was hooked. I must’ve seen the thing nearly a dozen times on the big screen. I’m reminded of that every time I find myself reciting much of the dialogue when revisiting the film at home. I own several different Roger Rabbit posters, including the original one sheet and a Struzan-painted piece telling audiences that it’s “Time to Toon in Again.” I took the latter to heart and absorbed all the details director Robert Zemeckis put into the picture. This included the mock posters that hung in the office of R.K. Maroon, the head of Maroon Cartoons. The posters depicted various fictitious Roger Rabbit and Baby Herman cartoons the studio would’ve put out with titles such as “Herman’s Shermans” and “Babes in Arms.” An entire set of reproductions of those posters were released to the public later that summer, and I snagged them. Although they’re not worth much at all (you can find them on eBay for $20 or less) I’m still crazy about them. I even hung “The Wet Nurse” poster in the bedroom of my two youngest kids back when they were little bundles. 

"Murph: The Protector"

I’m all about cinematic escapism, but nothing can quite compare to an unbridled inspirational story on the big screen. 

The latter can be found in the documentary “Murph: The Protector.” In the Afghan mountains, in the midst of blazing gun fire and insurmountable odds, Lt. Michael Murphy, a Navy SEAL, gave his life for the sake of his team. The film opens throughout the country this weekend.

I interviewed the Atlanta-based producer of the film, Joel Shapiro, and the article appeared in yesterday’s Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 

You can read below or see it online here: 

http://www.accessatlanta.com/news/entertainment/atlanta-businessman-helps-tell-heroic-story-on-fil/nWwcK/

ATLANTA BUSINESSMAN HELPS TELL HEROIC STORY ON FILM

By Jon Waterhouse

For the AJC

Atlanta-based businessman Joel Shapiro knows investment management. But the business of making movies?

He’d be the first to tell you he’s no Spielberg.

When a business associate asked him to watch a documentary about a heroic Navy SEAL and consider investing in the project, Shapiro laughed it off. Yet, after viewing the film and wiping away the tears, he knew he had his latest personal investment.

The film tells the story of Lt. Michael Murphy, a Navy SEAL who sacrificed his safety and ultimately his life in 2005 for his team during a fierce gun battle in the Afghan mountains. He won the nation’s highest military award, the Congressional Medal of Honor, for his actions.

Because of the efforts of Shapiro and his fellow producers, “Murph: The Protector” will open Friday 22 on 180 screens nationwide, and four in metro Atlanta.

But don’t expect Shapiro to go all Hollywood and pop out of a stretch limo, his eyes shrouded in shades, when attending the private red carpet screening Thursday at Regal Atlantic Station.

“It would be great to be a producer of a huge hit, but this is more than that,” Shapiro said. “This is about getting the right story told, and showing that there really are heroes left in the world.”

The screening benefits the Children of Fallen Patriots and the Navy Seal Foundation. When “Murph: The Protector” launches throughout the country, a portion of the proceeds from the film will go to the Lt. Michael P. Murphy Memorial Scholarship Foundation.

Q.: The film touched you on an emotional level, which led you to helping fund the picture. How do you think the movie is going to touch the viewing audience?

A.: It’s a documentary, but I’ll tell you it’s for little kids, adults and everyone in between. It really is a story of an American hero, and it’s one you don’t hear that often, for somebody to sacrifice their life for the greater good. It’s just rare that you ever get to see an authentic hero. …People walk away and say, “Wow, what a great person, and what a great military we have, those people who serve our country, first responders.” It really does show the quality of people we have in our country. …If people walk out of there without tears in their eyes, I’ll be surprised.

Q.: Were you shocked at how the movie touched you?

A.: I really was. I came in there somewhat callous. I didn’t know what to think. Then I watched it, and my wife and I were crying. It’s one of those movies. You see what those guys really do for their country and all of us, and their stories really never get told. So I said, “This has to get out.” With that, I got involved.

Q.: The film will be showing exclusively at Regal Entertainment Group Theatres throughout the country? What’s next?

A.: We’re hoping it goes from Regal to a nationwide audience. We’d love to see kids watching it in schools as a history lesson.

My Favorite Movie Posters #1

Since my mid-teens I’ve been a lover of movie posters. Although I rarely plop down cash for celluloid-themed paper these days, I still have a sizable collection. Portions of it hang on my walls, while others are rolled up in tubes in storage waiting for the day they can emerge from hiding and become displayed proudly.

Since it’s something I’ve yet to cover on my blog, beginning today I’ll periodically share my love for movie poster art, spotlighting pieces out of my collection and those I wish I had. 

“Star Wars” Style D

This remains my favorite movie poster of all time, partly because of its design and partly because I have one in my possession. Affectionately known in the poster collecting world as “the circus poster,” it was whipped up for the 1978 summer rerelease of the film. It comes from the hands of artist Charlie White III and legendary poster artisan Drew Struzan. Rumor has it that it’s one of George Lucas’ favorite “Star Wars” posters, and he reportedly has the original artwork hung in his home. The peel-back, weathered effect not only makes it super unique, but super cool to boot. 

“Attack of the 50 Foot Woman”

Although I’m not lucky enough to own one of these, I did, however, have a reproduction hanging in my teenage bedroom. Reynold Brown knew how to create a sensational B-movie poster, and this time he was allowed to get a bit saucy for this 1958 sci fi/horror flick. Sure, it oozes with sex appeal, but it’s all in the perception. The image of a giant female (actress Allison Hayes), scantily clad or not, crushing cars in King Kong fashion is the epitome of girl powered feminism. 

“Mad Monster Party”

Legendary fantasy artist Frank Frazetta is responsible for the promotional poster tied to this 1967 Rankin/Bass stop-motion animated classic. No, it doesn’t look like a Molly Hatchet album cover, but it’s a goodie. Wish I could say I have one. Although it’s only black and red on a white background, Frazetta’s monstrous creations are an absolute hoot, and it’s a great depiction of what this movie is all about. If all of the famous monsters of film land got together from some raucous revelry, it would look something like this. Although iconic "Mad" magazine artist Jack Davis designed the characters, it was Frazetta's work that landed on the poster. To learn more about the poster and the film as a whole, open up a copy of “Rankin/Bass Mad Monster Party,” the definitive backstory written by my pal Rick Goldschmidt. You can buy a copy here: www.miserbros.com.

Back in Time with Christopher Lloyd

Like most folks who were teens in the '80s, I know exactly what 1.21 gigawatts of electricity means. And I don't need a souped-up Delorean to get back in time.

All I have to do is pop the "Back to the Future" film series into the Blu-ray player, and I'm 15 all over again.  Along for the ride, of course, are Marty McFly and Doc Brown. The latter role in this time-traveling sci-fi classic was played by the great Christopher Lloyd. He arguably stole the show as the frizzy-haired inventor who sends McFly (Michael J. Fox) 30 years into the past.

From "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" to "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" to "Taxi," I've always loved the off-kilter Chris Lloyd. So here's an excerpt from an interview I had with him. 

Q.: Your role as Doc Brown in “Back to the Future” is something that seems to keep coming back, whether it’s video games or other projects.

A.: It’s amazing, because back when we did the film and it was released we were just hoping it would have a good run. And then the sequels came up, two and three, and it just doesn’t die. [Laughs] It just keeps manifesting itself in one way or another, and it’s a delight. It’s especially gratifying that so many generations [have enjoyed the movies.] Parents come up to me who were children when the film first came out 25, 26 years ago. And they now have kids who have seen it and are as enthralled by the trilogy as they were. So it just keeps running along, and it’s wonderful to see so many people loving a film that meant a lot to them. Many people come up to me who saw the film when they were young, 10 or 12 years old, and they say it changed their lives and gave them a direction. It’s just great to see that and be involved in a project like that.

Q.: Why do you think “Back To The Future” has such staying power?

A.: Time travel is a universal fantasy I’m sure we all have. At one point or another we think, “Gee, if I could go back to this or that time in the past, or if I could just jump ahead 50 years or 300 years into the future to see what that would be like.” It’s kind of a universal fantasy and the film kind of answers to that. And then there’s the relationship between Doc Brown and Marty. It’s a classic mentor relationship. There’s this young man who has this older guy who fascinates him because of his spirit of discovery and the excitement of that. Finding out about new things and new ways life can be lived I think is another great universal situation. And it’s a family picture. There are the time travel aspects between Doc and Marty, but Marty has a family. And we see that family evolve. It’s got a lot going for it.

Q.: Now I read that out of the three “Back To The Future” films, the third one is your favorite, because it’s a Western and a love story.

A.: That’s right. Doc meets somebody he falls in love with, something he did not include in his life. His life was [about] inventing things, being a scientist and inventing time travel. So he had no time for romance. And then bingo, out of the blue comes this lady, and he’s just blown over by her, totally smitten. So that’s a lot of fun. ...And it’s a Western. Westerns are always exciting with horseback riding and all that business. So out of all the three that was the most fun for me being Doc.