... a big disappointment, movie-wise, doesn't have to necessarily be a movie that had any chance of being good in the first place, or even a sequel to a good movie. Everyone mentions The Godfather, Part III as being a noteworthy disappointment but I'll be honest: I was much more disappointed in Beyond the Poseidon Adventure and that wasn't even a sequel to a very good movie to begin with. After seeing The Towering Inferno, and liking it, I had high hopes for Earthquake. Boy, did that suck, bad!
Here's another one: The Wasp Woman. Yeah, yeah, I know, how could I have expected that to be good but that's missing the point. It's not that I expected it to be good, it's that I expected to be entertained, and I wasn't.
It also occurs to me that a movie that doesn't disappoint doesn't have to be good either. Like At the Earth's Core. Man, that still doesn't disappoint me. And I'm the first to admit, it's no 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Speaking of which, 2010: The Year We Make Contact. That disappointed, hugely. And I did expect it to be good! What a fool I was.
But Logan's Run and Raise the Titanic didn't disappoint, and lordy, that second one really should've but, you know, the ship came up real nice-like and that's all I paid to see anyway. And Logan's Run has all those cats and ivy in the nation's capitol. I mean, really, if I could cover Washington, D.C. in anything, it'd probably be cats and ivy so, kudos to the filmmakers for hitting the nail on the head there.
I should end this by saying big studio Oscar bait movies rarely disappoint because I expect them to be cliche-filled garbage and, sure enough, they usually are. So when you take in one of those and it sucks, it's expected. But a bad movie you expect to entertain you that doesn't? Brother, that can be crushing.
42 comments:
Earthquake is one of the great unsung camp masterpieces of '70s American cinema. It's never disappointed me.
See, we all have our winners and losers. I bet if I watched it again, I'd like it. Or maybe not.
But the special effects, man, they're freakin' awesome. Really, very impressive model work.
Yeah but then you've got some of the most mind-numbingly bad back-projection work in the history of cinema, particularly during George Kennedy's car chase. I laughed so hard at that I nearly wet myself, to see such sloppiness in such an expensive film. The sets all look like they were hammered together for an episode of Barney Miller. And then you've got Marjoe and Ava as Lorne Greene's daughter - oh, it's the film that keeps on giving.
And the three shots of Walter Matthau that keep getting used over and over and over and over and over and over. He literally must have agreed to sit before the camera for a total of twenty five seconds and what they got, they had to use.
The part that always gets me in "The Towering Inferno" is during the climax, when Newman and McQueen are setting the explosive charges, pause, and look each other in the eye, and I have to resist the urge to burst into a rousing chorus of "We May Never Love Like this Again..."
Greg, I agree with you that "Earthquake" is a terrible film. I'm surprised it was such a box office hit. But those shots of Matthau always crack me up.
At the Earth's Core really didn't do it for me, but I'd take The People That Time Forgot over 2001 any day.
W.B., I always imagine they're each thinking, "I'm the star, not you. I can't believe your character doesn't die!"
Tom, I'm sure they cracked up Matthau too. I mean, I'm sure he made a dollar and a nickel on it for looking drunk for a few minutes in front of the camera. And yes, he is just about the most enjoyable thing in the movie.
Flickhead, I love The People that Time Forgot, The Land that Time Forgot and anything either forgotten or remembered that starred Doug McClure. Those were my sci-fi movies (and Logan's Run) before Star Wars came along and killed off that kind of moviemaking.
I watched The Land that Time Forgot last year and loved it, sincerely, not ironically. Even with the men-in-dinosaur-costumes level of special effects, I really enjoyed it. It had a sense of adventure and fun that a lot of fantasy/sci-fi fiction lost because, somehow, it became important to make the stories epic (like the King Kong 2005 remake or Avatar) than silly and adventurous and exciting.
Greg, yesterday I watched the Blu-ray of Galaxy of Terror (1981), which once got lost in the shuffle of all those late 70s/early 80s Star Wars/Alien ripoffs. This is the movie with the infamous maggot rape scene (!). The intergalactic crew consists of Erin (Happy Days) Moran, Edward Albert, Ray Walston, Sid Haig, Zalman King and Robert Englund. Taffee O'Connell gets porked by the worm. To be quite honest, I loved it. And the bonus features were pretty cool, too.
Man, I really need to see EARTHQUAKE. I've wanted to for years.
THE CORE doesn't disappoint. I think I've brought it up before, but it does the job that was assigned to it.
Taffee O'Connell gets porked by the worm.
That's a blog title right there.
I never saw Galaxy of Terror. Clearly that was foolish on my part. I shall correct the situation.
Bill, you should but be prepared. To some it's camp, to others, pure dreck. I'd go into with Rod's attitude towards as a safety measure.
And guess what? I've never seen The Core. There's so much sci-fi I haven't seen from the last 10 or 15 years because it always disappoints but The Core has popped up on my radar from time to time and I've always thought, "That seems pretty stupid, so... it might not be so bad." Judging from your opinion, I'd say I was right and I should definitely see it now.
Wait a minute, you're saying THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE isn't a good movie? I'm tempted to say you must not really like disaster movies. Or certainly that you don't understand the essential dynamics of a good disaster movie. The original POSEIDON ADVENTURE has never been equaled by any subsequent disaster film, except perhaps ALIVE, which is based on a harrowing true story. One crucial decision that both these films take that makes them so effective is to stay with the survivors constantly and to never once cut away to any search parties or rescuers. Another way that POSEIDON sets a standard and excels is in its dramatization of the problems of community and authority--who to trust to take the lead in an emergency and why. There's the ship's official clergyman, who wants everyone to stay and wait for help, because that's more or less his worldview, to wait around for God to do stuff. Gene Hackman's character, a maverick existentialist man of the cloth, believes that the lord helps those who help themselves. And Borgnine, in one of his typical hothead roles chafes at not being consulted on key decisions because of his implied authority and leadership skills as a retired law officer.
I'm tempted to say you must not really like disaster movies. Or certainly that you don't understand the essential dynamics of a good disaster movie.
Wow, thanks. Glad to know that if I disagree it means I don't understand disaster films. I admit, I probably should have written that a little clearer. I love The Poseidon Adventure (saw it in the theatre when it opened, in fact) which is why I was so disappointed by Beyond the Poseidon Adventure. But in my efforts to write this piece rather breezily and colloquially I simply meant to say that it wasn't like Beyond the Poseidon Adventure was a sequel to some untouchable sainted film. It was a sequel to The Poseidon Adventure.
Anyway, it's just poor wording more than anything else. If I didn't think The Poseidon Adventure worked, I wouldn't have looked forward to its sequel so much.
The first 45 minutes or so of "Earthquake" is pure crackpot comedy. And then the quake hits and the toy truck falls over the bridge with the plastic toy cows. One of the worst special effects in history. And I never understood the scene in the elevator when the people get trapped - when it hits the bottom you hear a scream and then a split-second shot of animated blood. Did you ever notice that?
I disagree with you on The Wasp Woman. I even got to see it on the big screen as part of a Roger Corman retrospective. Of course nothing on screen quite compares with star Susan Cabot's life and DEATH.
And as for Earthquake, I saw it theatrically, in Sensurround in NYC. Everyone had a good time, although the death of Ava Gardner was a bit cruel. The sound effects and rumbling made it seem like a subway was running underneath the theater.
Another cruel moment in "Earthquake" was when Jody shoots down his three housemates in cold blood.
As Raise the Titanic was mentioned here, I'd like to ask you Greg, (I know I am getting off the subject here, and I apologize) what cinematic treatment of the doomed ocean liner would you say is the most artistically accomplished? Naturally, you don't have to answer this question of course. Ha!
A Night to Remember (Baker)
Titanic (Negulesco)
Titanic (Cameron)
And then there's an episode of the celebrated paranormal television series, "One Step Beyond" by John Newland, that many consider to be the series' best, "Night of April 14th" that offered up a harrowing twist on the fateful events.
Actually, this is like an embarrassing tally of stuff I loved when I was 7 years old. You wouldn't believe how much I loved At The Earth's Core and The Poseidon Adventure then...
"There's got to be a morning after". The song is even mocked in the film by Roddy McDowell's character!
Tom, Bill and Rod: I must admit, all this talk has got me wanting to see Earthquake again and wallow in its badness. Now that I know it sucks, perhaps I can enjoy it more.
And no, Tom, I don't even remember the elevator blood thing. Man, I've really got to see this again now.
Peter, here's why (and remember, this was years ago - Also, for everyone, please remember, this is a purely casual off-the-cuff post) I didn't like The Wasp Woman - too much talk, not enough wasp woman. So, you can see where my expectations were. Haven't seen it years but I'm always willing to give Roger Corman another look.
Sam, not only do I think A Night to Remember is the best, but it's probably one of my favorite disaster films, and probably the one I would hold up as a gold standard for the genre.
The thing is, like so many people, I became fascinated with the Titanic when I was a boy and read the book, A Night to Remember (and still have the paperback from all those years ago somewhere in the house). I watched the tv version in the late seventies, the 53 version, followed the Bob Ballard discovery on the PBS National Geographic specials with a sense of excitement and watched every doc or miniseries or fiction film after that, including of course the big one, Cameron's version. And honestly, I don't think I hate or dislike any one of them, just levels of preference for one over the other. And that preference is definitely for A Night to Remember.
You wouldn't believe how much I loved At The Earth's Core and The Poseidon Adventure then...
If it was anything like my love for them, yes I would.
Actually, I also loved A Night to Remember when I was 7 too.
Yes. I was a little freak.
Greg, unless you're already aware of his films, you might want to check out Andrew L. Stone. His The Last Voyage is a great sinking ship movie. He tried not to use elaborate special effects (the ship going down in The Last Voyage is a real ship). He also made some intriguing faux-Hitchcock suspensers like Cry Terror, The Decks Ran Red and Julie, often with A-list stars and generally very well made.
Yes, Rod, as I recall you and I have mentioned before our obsession with the Titanic. You mentioned on my "Land Before CGI Raise the Titanic" post about having to see it when you were a kid as soon as you could get your hands on it.
A Night to Remember, both book and movie, were already weighing heavily upon my psyche by my early teens, but you've definitely got me beat with 7. I don't know if I'd even heard of the Titanic yet by 7.
Flickhead, I'm well aware of The Last Voyage but still haven't seen it. It was recommended by tdraicer, I think, on one of my prior posts (or maybe it was someone else, I can't be sure). Anyway, I found it on i-tunes and Netflix but still haven't gotten around to actually renting the damn thing and watching it. Oddly enough, I just watched the trailer for it about two nights ago on TCM so it's been tumbling around the vast, open, empty spaces of my mind.
Well, I couldn't agree with you more Greg on A NIGHT TO REMEMBER. It is surely Baker's masterpiece (even with OCTOBER MAN in the mix)and the best Titanic film. I would rate Mr. Cameron's least, a sentiment I suspect will also be popular here.
I would rate Mr. Cameron's least, a sentiment I suspect will also be popular here.
I like the ship-sinking part. I do think Cameron did a fine job with the actual disaster part. I've always thought him to be an excellent director of action. But yes, on the whole, I would rank it the least as well.
I wrote about Andrew Stone in 2005: click here.
You have quite a way with words, Ray. An excellent piece. I don't like that the commenter used the word "viddied" but that's not really your fault.
The trailer I saw the other day made it look exactly how your piece made it sound. I cannot imagine I will be disappointed. Also, the trailer seems to tell the entire story so I almost don't have to see it but will anyway.
By the way, remember that contest you had, where the prize was "Cinema Styles dollars"?
I thought you'd be interested in knowing that I have a real contest with a real prize.
Are you intimating that Cinema Styles Dollars aren't real? My friend, they're as real as the paper this blog's written on.
A toast - to Bobby Riggs!
So does anyone else like THE CORE? Anybody? I know Dennis does, but just to be more clear: it's essentially a disaster movie, and I remember at the time everyone complaining that the science in the movie was wrong. WHO CARES??? That's not important. What's important is that you have an appealing cast of actors/characters put in an impossible situation in which many of them will die. It's important that you don't want (most of) them to die, and I didn't. A couple scenes had real emotion to them, and I was rooting for our heroes. That's what you want from a movie like this. You can want that, and get it, and still admit that it's kind of dopey, which THE CORE is. Doesn't make it bad.
By the way, this sounds like I'm responding to someone who disagreed with me, when nobody did. I'm just trying to say more than I did in my initial comment.
I liked THE CORE!
and I remember at the time everyone complaining that the science in the movie was wrong.
Hahahahaaaa... whew. This would fall under the "Man, People are Stupid" Category. You know where else the science is wrong? Practically every science fiction film EVER MADE! Who would lodge such a complaint. Am I to dismiss Frankenstein because you can't really sew dead body parts together and make a living whole?
Now I'm going to see The Core and defend it just because that complaint pisses me off so much.
My favorite "wrong science" is in WHEN WORLD COLLIDE, when the characters land on a "planet" that has vegetation, water and a stable climate even though it zips through space without orbiting a sun.
And then there's the case of WANTED, which a lot of people scoffed it for its prophetic loom. These same people had no problem believing in Superman or Spiderman, but a prophetic loom? Like, no way dude!
sniff... sniff... hmmmmm... I smell a post from all this.
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