Month: February 2012

Now Hear This (1962, Chuck Jones and Maurice Noble)

Now Hear This is a fairly amazing cartoon. It’s even more amazing when one considers it’s a Warner Bros. cartoon under the “Looney Tunes” banner. Jones and co-director Noble play with the idea of sound as it relates to movies. I suppose cartoons specifically, but it’s really just moving images.

They strip away the background, the superfluous details and just leave their protagonist, a British guy with bad hearing, practically two dimensional in the void.

There’s a narrative–the British guy confuses the Devil’s ear for a hearing trumpet–but it’s really just about the crazy things Noble and Jones come up with. The images constantly change, transitioning via the sound. It’s a great exercise, but they also create an excellent cartoon.

The pacing’s also important–since nothing happens–the gentle gags move it along and they work beautifully.

I wish Now Hear This ran three times as long.

3/3Highly Recommended

CREDITS

Directed by Chuck Jones and Maurice Noble; written by John W. Dunn and Jones; animated by Bob Bransford and Ben Washam; edited by Treg Brown; music by William Lava; produced by David H. DePatie; released by Warner Bros.

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Locke & Key: Head Games 3 (March 2009)

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With this issue, Head Games finally feels like Locke & Key again. The kids are doing something they probably shouldn’t, while talking about how they’re coping with their tragedies. And Mom isn’t paying enough attention to it. Hill could probably do an entire series around Nina’s days.

The thing they shouldn’t be doing this issue is unlocking their heads (get it, Head Games) with one of the keys. They’re able to extract memories and insert knowledge. It’s a disturbing visual–the opened head–and Rodriguez does a great job of making it infinitely uncomfortable without making it gross.

The idea is one of Hill’s best for the series so far, as one can see the advantages. Bad memories can go away, knowledge can be immediately acquired.

The other reason the issue feels familiar again is because Tyler’s a moron.

If he had an iota of sense, Hill wouldn’t have a comic.

Locke & Key: Head Games (2009) #1

Locke Key Head Games 1

I really wish this issue had a better colorist. Well, I guess Jay Fotos isn’t bad overall, he just doesn’t seem comfortable making the lead character, who’s Black, have black skin. Instead it’s a shiny tan; the guy looks like Tyrone Power. There are a bunch of puzzling lines about race until halfway through, when he says he’s Black.

He just doesn’t look Black.

Anyway.

For the first issue of the second series, Joe Hill does an “intermission.” He introduces the protagonist, a teacher at the local high school, who figures out something’s going on when he sees the bad guy. It’s been a while since I’ve read Locke & Key and the brief recap doesn’t cut it, so it was an uphill read.

The regular cast doesn’t even appear. It’s a texture issue and a good one. Hill does a fine job with the protagonist. The issue’s engaging and unsettling.

Locke & Key: Head Games 2 (February 2009)

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Hill spends a lot of time with deceptive bad ghost guy “Zack” again this issue. It’s a problem not just because it refocuses the series on him–Bode gets some page time, but he’s on a micro-quest; it’s not particularly interesting (until the cliffhanger). But Hill’s emphasis on Zack also cuts down on the expectations for the Locke family’s experiences. If we always know Zack is out to get them and his plans… their success over him isn’t going to be as fresh as it could be.

I’m just assuming there will be success over him, since there’s not much of a story if the bad guy wins.

The issue feels like a lot of water treading. There are the repercussions from the last issue, with Kinsey reacting to her teacher’s death but she’s not the issue’s main character.

The issue’s not weak, it’s just not engaging at all.

Locke & Key: Head Games 1 (January 2009)

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I really wish this issue had a better colorist. Well, I guess Jay Fotos isn’t bad overall, he just doesn’t seem comfortable making the lead character, who’s black, have black skin. Instead it’s a shiny tan; the guy looks like Tyrone Power. There are a bunch of puzzling lines about race until halfway through, when he says he’s black.

He just doesn’t look black.

Anyway.

For the first issue of the second series, Joe Hill does an “intermission.” He introduces the protagonist, a teacher at the local high school, who figures out something’s going on when he sees the bad guy. It’s been a while since I’ve read Locke & Key and the brief recap doesn’t cut it, so it was an uphill read.

The regular cast doesn’t even appear. It’s a texture issue and a good one. Hill does a fine job with the protagonist. The issue’s engaging and unsettling.

The Third Secret (1964, Charles Crichton)

Between Crichton’s fantastic CinemaScope composition and Douglas Slocombe’s wondrous black and white photography, it’d be hard not admire The Third Secret. It’s an engaging enough thriller, though it does run into the problem of having one ending too many.

Stephen Boyd plays an American television journalist working in London–one of the lovely things about the script is how little is explained, we find out very little about Boyd’s life before the present action of the film–and he investigates the death of his psychologist. Joseph’s script has some problems with that subject, the topic of analysis needing lots of exposition and reminders there’s no shame. It hurts the film at times, but not significantly.

Boyd’s performance is impressive, since he’s adapting a character performance for a lead role. The friendship between him and Pamela Franklin (she plays the dead psychologist’s daughter) is touching and quite well executed. Franklin’s performance is great.

The rest of the supporting cast is solid. Diane Cilento and Paul Rogers are standouts.

A lot of time is spent developing Boyd’s character and the friendship with Franklin so the mystery aspect suffers. The two surprise endings are both pretty boring. The first one seems a little more believable–and there are some hints to a possible third ending they didn’t include.

The film, with Boyd and Franklin’s performances, should be a lot stronger. The mystery isn’t compelling, which seems like a conscious choice. Unfortunately, the attention the wanders, instead of focusing on the film’s successes.

But worth a look.

Buried Treasure (1926, Robert F. McGowan)

Buried Treasure would be a lot better if director McGowan knew how to embrace the absurdity of the short. The gang has made a seaworthy boat. They take it out to look for buried treasure. Unfortunately, everyone–dog and cat included–get seasick and they’re out all night.

Obviously, the Our Gang kids have difficult home lives… but no one noticed they were missing?

Then they land, conveniently at their intended destination, and crash a location movie shoot. Instead of worrying about the kids or helping them, the movie extras decide to scare them.

Oh, and Farina pals around with a chimp. Regardless of the likely racial undertones, at least Farina got to have some fun this short. He and Joe are the only ones with any personality in Treasure.

The short also shows McGowan’s genre limitations. And the titles are dumb.

I guess Treasure‘s set is nice….

Otherwise, blah.

1/3Not Recommended

CREDITS

Directed by Robert F. McGowan; written and produced by Hal Roach; titles by H.M. Walker; director of photography, Art Lloyd; edited by Richard C. Currier; released by Pathé Exchange.

Starring Allen ‘Farina’ Hoskins (Farina), Jackie Condon (Jackie), Jay R. Smith (Specks), Johnny Downs (Johnny), Joe Cobb (Joe), Mickey Daniels (Mickey), Mary Kornman (Mary), Charlie Hall (Man in gorilla suit), Jack Roach (Man in lion suit), Lyle Tayo (Johnny’s mother) and Dorothy Vernon (Mickey’s mother).

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Star Trek 4 (December 2011)

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These comics ought to come with a fifty cents off coupon for buying the original “Star Trek” episode online.

If I’ve seen the episode, The Galileo Seven, I don’t remember it. But I do know the resolution must be somewhat different because Johnson’s finish for this issue is firmly in movie continuity.

The issue’s a failure, partially due to the awkward pacing, the rest due to Phillips’s art. Molnar is reduced to a layouts credit.

Johnson can’t make the comic, based on television pacing, exciting. Meaningful looks fail, as do the action scenes. And Phillips is so weak, any time Johnson does come up with a good moment, it flops. There’s one in particular, with Kirk spouting off regulations, where Phillips misses the humor. He’s clearly just too busy poorly tracing publicity photos of Chris Pine.

If I were reading Trek for quality, I’d give up now.

I’m not, however.

Star Trek 3 (November 2011)

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Once again, Mike Johnson does well enough adapting an original “Star Trek” episode to the new movie’s continuity. Well enough means it utterly lacks any personality.

This issue Uhura gets the most “movie” personality, just because of her romance with Spock. But even with those added details, she barely makes any impression.

Instead, it’s all Spock, McCoy and the red shirts stranded on a hostile planet. No one agrees with Spock about how to proceed, but he’s in charge, yada yada. He’ll undoubtedly save the day.

The issue also introduces Yeoman Rand, who didn’t get a movie appearance, and Johnson just does it as a nod to the original series. I don’t think she has a line after her first panel.

The art’s a mess. Stephen Molnar manages to use the movie likenesses, Joe Phillips doesn’t. Neither is particularly good, Molnar just fulfills the task better.

Trek remains a curiosity.

Mouse and Garden (1960, Friz Freleng)

Mouse and Garden has some bad animation… shockingly bad. The cartoon’s about Sylvester and his sidekick, Sam, fighting over a mouse. The animation on Sam (an orange cat) and the mouse is awful. Freleng apparently didn’t care about appearing three dimensional.

Actually, a lot of the gags work in two dimensions, as does most of Freleng’s composition. Garden is a bore to watch.

Sylvester looks a little better, like the animators had good reference materials. Not so for the annoying Sam–the character’s weak and a terrible pair for Sylvester.

Maybe if the mouse had any personality the cartoon might work better, but Freleng sort of ignores it until the final gag. Gag might be too strong a word to describe it. Final attempt at humor.

Mel Blanc’s characterization of Sylvester is so strong it’s hard to dislike Garden entirely, but there’s nothing else good about the cartoon at all.

1/3Not Recommended

CREDITS

Directed by Friz Freleng; animated by Gerry Chiniquy, Arthur Davis and Virgil Ross; music by Milt Franklyn; edited by Treg Brown; produced by John W. Burton; released by Warner Bros.

Starring Mel Blanc (Sylvester) and Daws Butler (Sam).

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