Everybody’s Favorite Uncle

It’s easy to forget that every field has its pioneers. Even movie fandom, which may seem trivial to most people, had its trailblazers. Long before fan conventions, Internet chat rooms, and self-satisfied movies that telegraph their in-jokes (e.g. Scream), someone had to do the heavy lifting of actually defining what it means to be a fan of the fantastic. Forrest J. Ackerman, who passed away in early December of 2008, was one such devotee. He amassed what must have been the world’s largest collection of movie memorabilia, and let complete strangers into his house every Saturday to view it, free of charge. In addition, in 1958, the colorful Ackerman founded Famous Monsters of Filmland, the prototypical horror movie magazine. As he generously shared his love of all things horror and sci-fi, he singlehandedly inspired an entire generation of budding American filmmakers.

Stop me if you’ve already heard this one. Two nuns walk into an occult bookstore …

John Landis and Joe Dante in particular knew how to show their appreciation. Landis had Ackerman make appearances in Kentucky Fried Movie and Beverly Hills Cop III, among others, and even put him right behind Michael Jackson in the Thriller video. (Landis himself can be seen among the theater patrons, as well.) Dante, meanwhile, gave Ackerman a cameo in Hollywood Boulevard, his 1976 directorial debut. Then, five years later, Ackerman memorably cropped up in Dante’s The Howling, as a cranky patron in an occult bookstore.

Things got a little tense when Walter Paisley met Dr. Acula.

Ackerman’s silent but expressive presence is just one element in what amounts to in-joke nirvana. Dante veteran Dick Miller is Walter Paisley, the proprietor—Miller had played characters with that name in both A Bucket of Blood (1958) and Hollywood Boulevard, and he would do so three more times after The Howling. In a fittingly macabre touch, Paisley has decorated the premises with the withered armchair corpse seen in Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Nice! And of course, as Ackerman browses the shelves and displays, the sneaky devil is clearly clasping a couple of Famous Monsters of Filmland. Sadly, the magazine would fold only two years later, after a steady, decade-long decline.

Product placement, done with panache and subtlety.

The last 15 years of Ackerman’s life were no picnic. A relaunched Famous Monsters of Filmland brought a lawsuit and financial woes, and his health deteriorated. Adding insult to injury, he had to sell most of his impressive collection and the mansion that had housed it. But through it all, as this LA Times article from early 2003 shows, he kept his spirits and enthusiasm up. (Ackerman’s LA Times obituary is also worth a read.) And as long as people like you and me are captivated by the darker and more fanciful movies out there, the immeasurable influence of Uncle Forry will live on.

A Field Guide to GREMLINS

“I have always liked movies that show a sense of film history. And, if it were only about movies, people wouldn’t like it much. The references are there, but not in a way that would obscure things for anybody.”

– Joe Dante, Fangoria #38 (1984)

Well, it’s Christmas Day. For many people, movies are just as big a part of the holiday season as good food, gifts and quality time spent with friends and family. There aren’t any movies that I have to see each and every year, but there are definitely movies that I can only see around Christmas. Gremlins, which fried my delighted young mind upon its release in 1984, is one such movie. Along with Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, which came out that same year, it deserves credit for turning me into a film fanatic. So to mark the 25th anniversary of Joe Dante’s perennial creature feature, and the little milestone of OP-dEaD’s 50th post, here is the OP-dEaD 2009 Gremlins Christmas Extravaganza! Keep reading for lots of information on in-jokes, cameos and other fun stuff …

The Spielberg Connection: Onscreen, the movie is billed as “Steven Spielberg presents Gremlins.” Executive producer Spielberg was the one who came across an early draft of the screenplay (by Chris Columbus), and who brought Dante on to direct. And throughout the movie itself, there are deliberate references to Spielberg’s output. Everyone recognizes the Indiana Jones typeface and costume on the Rockin’ Ricky Rialto billboard near the beginning. A couple of minutes later, however, there is a much more subtle nod to the bearded wizard of Hollywood—as Billy Peltzer (Zach Galligan) is walking to the bank with his dog, he passes a movie theater that’s currently showing A Boy’s Life. A Boy’s Life was the working title of E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, and the marquee gets my vote as the cleverest in-joke in Gremlins.

A Feast for the Fans’ Eyes: When Rand Peltzer (an underused Hoyt Axton) calls home from the inventors’ convention, the scene is a film buff’s dream come true. The man in the cowboy hat, who glances into the camera, is the late Jerry Goldsmith. (Goldsmith, as any soundtrack collector knows, was Dante’s dependable go-to guy for orchestral scores.) Also during the course of this scene, a reclining Stephen Spielberg zips by in a weird little car/wheelchair, before Robbie the Robot shuffles across screen from the opposite direction. (We see Robbie on the telephone moments later, reciting lines from Forbidden Planet verbatim.) Also, the time machine from The Time Machine (1960) can be seen in the background, but it has disappeared in a puff of smoke during a cutaway.

The Joe Dante Repertory Company: It must be a delight to work for Dante. Aside from his extended relationship with Goldsmith, he is famed for using the same actors in many of his pictures. Dick Miller, my favorite character actor of all time, is the most celebrated example. Here, and in the sequel, he appears as Murray Futterman, drunken snowplow driver and American patriot par excellence. In a charming touch, Jackie Joseph plays the part of Mrs. Sheila Futterman—the pair had appeared together in Roger Corman’s The Little Shop of Horrors 24 years earlier. The lovely Belinda Balaski, already familiar to fans from Dante’s Piranha and The Howling, puts in a sympathetic appearance as poor Mrs. Harris. Another of the director’s stalwarts, Kenneth Tobey, plays the gas station attendant. Miller is certainly the most fun to watch, but the cleverest bit of casting may well be Jim McKrell. In Gremlins, he reprises the role of reporter Lew Landers, the very same part he had played three years earlier in The Howling.

An Animated Cameo: As they sit in Dorry’s Tavern, an elderly gent named “Mr. Jones” compliments Billy on his caricature of evil Mrs. Deagle (Polly Holliday). Billy’s kindly friend is none other than Chuck Jones, legendary king of Warner Bros. cartoons.

Quite the Character (Actor): Mrs. Deagle, who rules the town’s real estate affairs with an iron fist, is a heartless widow. At least she’s kind to her numerous cats, all of whom have names after currency (e.g. Kopek and Dollar Bill). It’s also clear that she remembers her late husband with great affection, judging from the large portrait of him that hangs in the staircase. The man in the photograph is actually esteemed character actor Edward Arnold, who was known for his stout build and commanding baritone. Since he played imposing big business types in various Frank Capra movies, Arnold was an obvious choice for the late Mr. Deagle. (He didn’t appear in It’s a Wonderful Life, though, the clearest Capra antecedent to Gremlins.) Since Arnold had already been dead for 28 years, the producers needed permission from his estate to use his likeness in the movie.

Howling for More: Apparently, The Howling was the movie that originally put Dante on Spielberg’s radar. (I guess that’s how Dante ended up directing one of the tales for Twilight Zone: The Movie.) And there are at least three references to my favorite werewolf movie in Gremlins. One is Lew Landers, obviously. What’s more, the Kingston Falls movie theater has lobby cards from The Howling on display. All well and good, but as crafty in-jokes go, nothing beats the smiley face sticker on the Peltzer family refrigerator. Smiley face stickers are an important story element in The Howling, used as a kind of signal between Dee Wallace’s newswoman and madman Eddie “The Mangler.” (Eddie, incidentally, was played by Robert Picardo. Yet another Dante regular, for some reason Picardo doesn’t appear in Gremlins.)

Fangs for the Memories: As the gremlins hatch from their slimy cocoons, Gizmo watches in terror from inside a motorcycle helmet. And in the mist, we can barely glimpse a copy of Fangoria, the preeminent horror magazine. It’s issue number 30, which just so happened to feature Twilight Zone: The Movie on the cover. And just a few issues down the line, Gremlins would appear on three consecutive Fango covers.

Movie Marinade: Since Gremlins is steeped in movie lore, it’s only fitting that scenes from numerous old movies are prominently featured. It’s a Wonderful Life, To Please a Lady, Orphée and the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers play on various television sets. Moreover, Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, which has apparently taken the place of A Boy’s Life, holds the gremlins in thrall towards the finale … and ¡SPOILER! ultimately spells their doom.

First Go for the Logo: As well as all the allusions to movies past, Gremlins hinted at important things to come. This happened to be the first movie ever to feature the famous Amblin Entertainment logo, Amblin being the production company of Speilberg, Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall. But observant viewers may notice that the logo is incomplete. The outline of the moon is there, but not the moon itself. The finished article would not grace screens until the following year, when it could be seen in The Goonies.

Gremlins is full of references to everything from Flashdance to Star Wars. You discover a new pop cultural reference, or at the very least some new detail, every time you see it. Fittingly, in light of the Christmas setting, it’s a movie that just keeps on giving. For more information, you might want to check out the trivia page on IMDb.

Cheap Creeps

It’s possible that my recent dissection of Paranormal Activity came across as a tad harsh. Although I tempered the review with praise, the general impression was probably negative. I didn’t mean to imply that Paranormal Activity is a bad movie, because it isn’t. But even a brief inspection of proceedings reveals the forced plot mechanics cranking away underneath. As a consequence, Oren Peli’s debut doesn’t feel genuine. It’s a work of palpable fiction, slave to the same story conventions as a more traditional narrative. Unless you’re making anti-cinema that only people seeking refuge from the rain will see, that’s the tried and true way to do it.

But despite the touch of artificiality that all fake documentaries possess, Paranormal Activity is still creepy as hell. Though not the best new movie I saw this year, it was certainly the eeriest. Peli makes effective use of simple elements like a door, a light switch and a billowing blanket. (More “cinematic” ingredients, like the demonic footprints and Ouija board, aren’t quite as effective.) Additionally, the mundane setting heightens the tension. Many people, after viewing the film, go home to houses that look not unlike the one in the movie (Peli’s own). In the dead of night, do they wake up for no apparent reason, dreading the innocuous click of a light switch?

Peli is currently at work on an Area 51 movie, once again comprised of “found” footage but this time with a bigger budget ($5 million). I can picture it now—lab technicians ensconced in dark laboratories, panicked soldiers, shadowy hallways and a sinister, barely-glimpsed alien or two. Or perhaps something completely different. At any rate, on the basis of his debut, I’m looking forward to Peli’s next project. I just hope he doesn’t shake the camera too much, as that gives me motion sickness. Fat chance, right?

“Take him to Detroit!”

So said the mighty island warlord Dr. Klahn in “A Fistful of Yen,” that wacky send-up of Bruce Lee from Kentucky Fried Movie. 32 years later, if Butterfly Effect 3: Revelations is to be believed, banishment to the Motor City is still an unwelcome prospect. The outskirts, at least, are portrayed as a wasteland of gutted homes and dejected souls. One such soul is Sam Reide (Chris Carmack), who makes his living as a psychic for the local homicide squad. Unbeknownst to the police, Sam actually travels back in time to witness the murders as they happen. Back in the present, he submits his findings to Detective Glenn (Lynch Travis) as a kind of extrasensory revelation. Things quickly get out of hand, however, when he travels back to his high school days to solve the murder of his girlfriend. Regrettably, back in the new present, he has become a suspect. And when he tries to fix things with further leaps in time, more people die and he finds himself the prime suspect. Things culminate in a twist that’s no great shakes but fair enough.

Amazingly, Elizabeth (Sarah Habel) had never seen a book before.

Horror franchises don’t die, they just live on in direct-to-DVD purgatory. BE3 isn’t the sort of thing I’d usually watch, especially in light of the mean-spirited original (which starred Ashton Kutcher and should have been titled The Butterfly Defect—yeah, I know, I’m funny). But a generous colleague gave it to me, and my Friday night was free. Also, since the three movies are unrelated, it didn’t matter that I haven’t seen part two.

Harry’s back couldn’t take the weight of his impressive beard.

All in all, I thought BE3 was pretty good. IMDb estimates that the budget was $4,5 million. That’s very low, about 34% of the first entry’s budget—and the first entry was in itself a low budget movie! To paper over the absurd storyline, lazy dialogue and lack of money, BE3 makes good use of its strengths while turning shortcomings into assets. There are no elaborate visual effects—just as well, since they would have looked terrible. The brisk pace doesn’t give viewers much time to ponder how the story makes no sense at all. The acting is good, especially from Kevin Yon as Harry, a kind of mentor to the glum Sam. And the locations have a nice look of age and dark wood, accentuated by Dan Stoloff’s moody lighting. Harry’s sun-dappled greenhouse, overflowing with dense but drab flowers, is also a nice visual touch. Sure, I’m a sucker for mood, but BE3 clearly has more to offer. Professionalism always shines through, and some of the people involved will go on to greater things.

Was Sam going crazy, or were the flowers talking to him?

As an aside, according to this article, which I found by way of this Wikipedia entry, Michigan is the new hotspot for filmmakers. Got to love those tax breaks—and at the same time wonder why California doesn’t have them. It’s easy to see why the faded grandeur of Detroit makes for an appealing setting, especially for low-budget horror and crime productions. After all, the city comes with ready-made, all-natural decay that’ll save you a bundle on set design. I don’t think the local tourist board is too pleased, but any money rolling in to the local economy is good money. Instant, memorable visuals—just add film crew!

An Open Door is an Invitation

There are with every man at least two evil spirits.

– “Grean Tea” (1869) by Sheridan Le Fanu

Sometimes, however, one evil spirit is more than enough! But if you know that it likes to hang around in the hallway just outside your bedroom, why would you sleep with the door open at night? Oh yeah, because it looks nicer on the movie screen …

Close the door, I feel a (first) draft.

I finally saw Paranormal Activity a few days ago, and I can sort of understand what all the fuss is about. For one thing, it’s roughly a gazillion times better than The Blair Witch Project. The concept is creepier—not just closer to home but actually in the home. The acting is good, if a bit repetitious. The sound mix is less obtrusive. And there aren’t any close-ups of snotty nostrils, which is always a big plus. But Oren Peli’s $15,000 breakout hit is not above sabotaging itself, and we’ll get to all that in a mo. First, some good points.

Sensibly, Paranormal Activity begins after the supernatural disturbance has already been established in the suburban home of Katie and Micah (Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat). There isn’t a lengthy buildup where the characters wonder what’s going on. They don’t try to rationalize the strange events that have already taken place. As Micah explains immediately, there’s a ghost in the house, and he has bought a camera to document the supernatural shenanigans. Sadly for the young couple, his inability to leave well enough alone will eventually lead to some serious unpleasantness.

Micah and Katie knew how to appreciate a good bedroom ceiling.

The first half of the movie is better than the second by a wide margin. By inserting important information in subtle ways, Peli establishes an early foundation from which to take proceedings into darker territory. I especially liked the visit from a levelheaded medium, played with calm sincerity by Mark Fredrichs. In this scene, Katie explains that a strange presence has followed her all through life, creating an occasional sense of unease but little else. At this point, Fredrichs drops a bombshell. He explains that the presence isn’t a ghost at all, but a demon, and since demonology isn’t his field, he doesn’t want to get involved. But he gives them the name of an expert, as well as a strict warning not to communicate with the presence. So far so good, both for viewer and characters. But the young couple never get a hold of the expert, and that creates a distracting expectation vacuum that’s never filled.

The presence of the camera is in itself a sort of invitation for the demon to become more active. Matters aren’t helped much by Micah’s propensity to shout out defiant challenges to their invisible lodger, along the lines of “Show yourself!” and “Is that all you got?” If Paranormal Activity has one chief liability, it’s Micah. He is a moron, and morons are commonplace in real life, but he’s just so conveniently moronic. In more ways than one, he’s a tool. At one point, when the disturbances are still fairly benign, he tells Katie about an anomaly that he’s recorded. Fair enough, only it’s about 1:30 in the morning, they’re in bed, and Katie is clearly nervous. Would someone, even a jerk like Micah, pick such a tense moment to announce that things might be getting worse? This is the exact point where the movie is hijacked by contrivance. Soon enough, narrative momentum is lost and never really regained.

She had a point ...

Some would probably argue that “narrative momentum” isn’t necessary in a “found” movie. As viewers, we pretend that these are actual events, compiled by the participants before things went horribly bad. Micah isn’t concerned with constructing a narrative, he just wants to capture some juicy footage. And he gets it. But a story must be shaped, because story creates emotional involvement, and that just doesn’t happen in Paranormal Activity. The events escalate, which is a kind of progression, but they escalate thanks to the writer/director’s labored methods. For instance, Micah’s commitment to his camcorder becomes hard to swallow. His dedication to documenting everything is at odds with his casual air. It’s just never established that he cares enough about the disturbance to merit such involvement. Even when a night’s recording yields some evidence of ghostly activity, he doesn’t seem particularly excited. (Sorry to be grumbling about him again, but Micah and the strained storytelling are two sides of the same coin.) His childish defense when Katie berates him for getting a spirit board, as well as the ridiculously comprehensive website he just happens to stumble upon, also stretch credibility beyond breaking point. So, is he a poorly conceived character, or is his inertia a deliberate ruse? I’m feeling diplomatic, so let’s say it’s a little of both.

I do like the reshot ending, which just so happens to be the brainchild of one Steven Spielberg. The very final image, however, is too Hollywood-y. It breaks with the general feel of what we’ve already seen. I’ve read descriptions of two alternate endings, and they both strike me as more true to the spirit of the movie. But in due course, I’m sure we’ll get a chance to see them on shiny disc. Perhaps the newest conclusion is the better one after all.

An alternate ending can be glimpsed in the trailer.

Sorry about the lengthy post, but I haven’t “OP-dEaDed” the blog in a week, so I thought I’d provide more bang for your buck. I’ll just wrap things up by saying that in its efforts to appear authentic, Paranormal Activity ironically becomes just as forced as the competition. Believability suffers for the sake of handy solutions. But I’d still recommend it to horror fans, as there are memorable moments and nice, disturbing ideas to enjoy. I did get motion sickness from the shaky camerawork, but that’s something that doesn’t seem to bother most people.

Now if you’ll excuse me, it’s Friday night and I want to watch a movie!