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The Adventures of Superseven (2011)
I Spy Retro Fun!
Shining like a beacon through the abyss of dull, uninspired web series comes "The Adventures of Superseven", a nano-budget sendup of swingin' 60's spy thrillers! This multi-award-winning cyberspace serial consistently belies its budget, delivering more entertainment in ten minutes than many of today's Summer blockbusters can muster in two hours!
"Superseven" is a labor of love, and it shows. Writer/director/producer/creator Scott Rhodes, an avid fan of/virtual encyclopedia of knowledge on all things 60's spy, has taken his affinity for this genre and injected it into every facet of the series. "Superseven" is replete with echoes of "James Bond", "Get Smart", "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.", "The Avengers", "The Prisoner", and countless other lesser known spy sagas of yesteryear. Make no mistake, however - "Superseven" is no mere pastiche of tongue-in-cheek homages; it is an inspired, original romp with a style and flavor all its own.
Series star Jerry Kokich is a joy to watch in the role of the eponymous superspy hero. Channeling the likes of Adam West and William Shatner, Kokich brings the perfect amount of deadpan savvy to the character.
The lovely and talented Olivia Dunkley co-stars as the sultry "Sandra West", alternately Seven's foil/love interest.
Rounding out the cast of regulars is up-and-comer Anne Leighton, who utterly sparkles as the adorable "Sparky", Seven's trusty mechanic and unrequited admirer.
Zany and fun recurring characters like the villainous "Thunderpussy" (Michelle Jubilee Gonzalez) compliment the series leads.
Oh, yes - the work behind the camera matches the talent in front of it. "Superseven" is expertly shot and edited, and features impressive stunt work coordinated by Rhodes himself (an accomplished veteran stuntman).
Veteran FX wiz Doug Drexler chips in with top-notch digital effects.
Smart, action-packed and rife with laughs, this spirited valentine to 60's spy thrillers proves heart and imagination can outshine the biggest budget.
Whether or not you are a fan of the genre, "The Adventures of Superseven" is one web series worth checking out!
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)
Attack of the CGI
There are those who say that one must judge the prequels by their own merits, rather than measure them against the imposing shadow of the legendary original trilogy. Though viable arguments have been made that the prequels have few merits, the fact remains that this is allegedly the continuation of ONE story, thus it should seamlessly meld with its antecedent, not only in flavor and texture, but in quality and substance. Unfortunately, in any one of these facets, the prequels are jaggedly connected to the original by nothing more than a thin layer of cheap glue. This second installment of the prequels only further degrades any modicum of adhesive that remained when the credits rolled at the end of "The Phantom Menace".
"Episode II: Attack of the Clones" picks up 10 years after the events of "The Phantom Menace" and opens with the attempted assassination of the now Senator Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman). Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and his apprentice, Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen), are assigned to protect the Senator and investigate who is behind the wet work. Obviously, this sets the stage for the now adult Anakin - who looks, acts and sounds like the clichéd hot-head protagonist from any piece of random sappy anime - to slide, not so gracefully, into the obligatory romance with the girl he befriended as a little boy ("Just being around her again is intoxicating"). However, before Anakin can woo the future mother of Luke and Leia with Casanova-caliber lines such as "Your skin is smooth, not rough like sand", he must first assist Obi-Wan to chase down Padme's would-be assassin in a protracted non-interactive video game sequence through the "sky streets" of Coruscant. Soon after, Obi and Ani are forced to split up - Obi plays galactic detective to get to the bottom of the assassination plot, and Ani takes the Senator to Naboo for a roll in the hay under the guise of "protector". A little further into the film, we learn that bounty hunter Jango Fett (who, as I'll explain later, is like a diamond in a coal mine) has not only been hired to ice Padme, but has been used as the template for a secret clone army. After Anakin (growing ever closer to the "Dark Side") and Padme take a quick trip down memory lane on Tatooine, the rest of the pace-less film is comprised mostly of alternately satisfying/excessive action sequences and vague and incoherent - when not predictable - plot progression.
If George Lucas betrayed his sacred credo of "story first, special effect second" in "The Phantom Menace", he has sold out to the Dark Side wholesale this time around. In no previous film have I witnessed such a tacky and excessive use of digital technology. No less than 90% of the exterior settings - and much of the interior settings - are comprised of CGI-looking CGI, and that's not even counting all of the cartoonish computer-animated creatures and vehicles. In TPM, at least, the visual effects were used sparingly enough to maintain some vestige of believability. AOTC, on the hand, reminds me more of a sequel to "What Dreams May Come". However, the nadir of this veritable cyber rape has to be Yoda, who, for some bassackward reason, is a completely computer-animated character this time around, and looks and acts nothing like the venerable Jedi Master from Episodes V and VI. Then again, little in the prequels looks or feels like it did in the OT.
And that brings me to the acting. As in the first prequel, the performances are, for the most part, wooden and give little incentive to care for the characters. Whereas Ewan McGregor's crackerjack performance is a pleasant exception (though, I still can't make the Alec Guiness connection), Natalie Portman's sleepwalk through the film is the apotheosis of the rule. Not a moment of her on-camera time goes by without her appearing that she would rather be almost anywhere else, doing almost anything else. This may not be far from the truth, as she herself has admitted that Star Wars is "not her thing." Little wonder, then, why her lines are delivered with roughly the same sincerity as a fast-food chain employee's perfunctory "Have a nice day." I will not suggest that she is not a talented young actress, but I think it is apparent that Star Wars is most definitely "not her thing."
Of course, I would be remiss if I failed to mention John Williams' score, which, although not one of his best, is still one of the few palliative aspects of the film. Unfortunately, some of the score's best cues have been completely omitted from the film and tastelessly replaced with incongruous cues cut and pasted from the Episode I score.
In spite of the film's many flaws, there is at least one element that is perfect. Though it is an irony of ironies, the fact remains that my favorite character in the entire Star Wars saga comes from perhaps its weakest installment. That character is none other than Jango Fett. Not only does he wear armor that I can only describe as "ultra cool", he is masterfully portrayed by New Zealander Temuera Morrison in a performance that I honestly believe is Academy Award worthy. In his all too brief on-camera time (probably less than 10 minutes total), Morrison's Jango Fett exhibits more intensity and character complexity than the sum of every other character in the film combined. The relationship with his cloned son (future bounty hunter Boba Fett) is verisimilitudinous and one of the few devices that actually works in the film. Though laconic with little dialogue to begin with, Jango has one of the best lines in the entire SW saga - let alone the prequels - with his "Always a pleasure to meet a Jedi." I only wish I could still share that sentiment.
Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966)
A Misunderstood Masterpiece
"Manos: The Hands of Fate" will go completely over the head of anyone but the super-intelligent. However, there is depth and metaphor in this divinely-crafted piece of art, which you will find nowhere else. If you ignore the misguided and uneducated popular opinion long enough to treat yourself to this gem, you will be rewarded for years to come. It is perhaps the most disturbing psychological thriller ever made.
Although, at first glance, elements like the protracted cuts of the car driving through the desert seem to be gratuitous incompetence on the part of director Hal Warren, they are actually expertly calculated devices designed to engender unparalleled tension (I felt like I was actually experiencing the horrific events myself). What is considered "bad acting" and boring, inane dialogue by most, is in fact Warren's almost supernatural ability to weave a sense of ultra-realism from his supremely skilled thespians. The delicious set design and cinematography are gothically postmodern, conveying an atmosphere of impending dread. Last but not least, kudos of kudos must be given to the brilliant score, particularly the haunting, minimalistic "Torgo" theme. All of these components converge to yield a profoundly subtle epic, a superlative achievement in innovative film-making - in short, one of the greatest films ever made. I could tell you more, but I don't wish to spoil a second of this masterpiece, nor its climactic twist, which would turn M. Night Shaymalan green with envy.
God rest your soul, Hal Warren. One can only imagine what other cinematic wonders you would have blessed us with if only your uncanny genius had been recognized and appreciated. Films like "Manos: The Hands of Fate" are the reason celluloid was invented.