Lights... Camera... ACTION!!: A Hollywood Quest

[Cyberphilosipher]

The Ballad of Rain and Fire (Ua a me ke ahi)
Directed by: Markus "Liko" Kana
Written by: Kaheka Patterson
Produced by: Markus "Lilo" Kana, Yoshiyuki Tomino
Production: AuʻAu Ke Kai Swimming Tide Studios, DreamWorks Animation
Distribution: Lucasfilms Unlimited
Starring: Tia Carrere (Pele), Temuera Morrison (Kamapua'a), BD Wong (Kane Akamu), George Takei (Kaniuhu), Clyde Kusatsu (Kamani), Gedde Watanabe (Hanini Ipo), Edi McClurg (Hi'iaka), Wi Kuki Kaa (Kāne), Professor Toru Tanaka (Kū Akuna), James Shigeta (Lono), James Wong (Maui Chief) and Kelly Hu (Kaʹowakaikalani)


Quality: D100 + 400 => 481
Audience: D100 + 400 => 496
Critics: D100 + 400 => 469


Budget: $15,000,000
Domestic Box Office: $41,291,091
International Box Office: $38,738,261
Total Box Office: $80,029,352​

(NO POV)

It came out of nowhere...

That was the general consensus from the Hollywood insiders and those who watched the coming films to prepare their reviews and commercials. It was by the standards of the ever-marching film industries a sleeper hit.

A well-made, tightly directed, and respectful work of animation that told a unique and niche story from a time and place in the world that didn't have a great deal of coverage.

Mythological/Pre-Contact Hawaiian Civilization.

And the work showed itself to be not only interesting, but something primal, something people wanted and wanted to experience.

And then there was the weird part about the US Geological Survey Group at Kīlauea made a Shrine to Pele but that's another story.

(Bruce POV)

It all began on a Monday... or so would Mike tell you when you asked. Back when you were still working on the filming for Return of the Jedi, before that entire fiasco with the Conan production had begun, and put in the backburner when the more critically important films needed to be done in his opinion. And in the end, you could not blame him for this. The last two years had been some of the more hectic periods of your entire career, and had it not been for the time that you'd spent with your wife and family, then you'd more than likely not even found out about this at all.

Still, to think that DreamWorks had managed to inspire the creation of an entire studio in Hawaii of all places.

Mike told you the full story of course; the meeting with Markus "Lino" Kana, a young, yet passionate, man who'd managed to inspire his entire movie club into following him to create an entire original tale, native to their own culture and traditions. How they'd canvassed their funds together to make even the smallest samples and drawings, creating their own distinctive animation look, one that managed to take heavy inspiration from traditional Hawaiian images and drawings.

Yet at the same time, it was that passion which was making things difficult for them, since as they tried making the entire animation come true they found the true cost of animation, the entire waste as each small mistake meant an entire new Cel being discarded. How sequences that did not fit could end up harming the flow of the story, how the images once so fresh and agreeable to all had becomes shouting matches and disagreements when trying to put them into paper, each new design now being unable to match the ones in their mind.

The situation was chaotic, they were bleeding money whenever they tried, and the lack of funds was hurting them more than what any of them had expected. With the chance of their dream dying before it could even start, the group gathered their remaining savings to try for a "Hail Mary" pass in order to get their project of the ground.

They bought a plane ticket for Mr. Kana to travel to the mainland, and from there try to find investors and producers for their project...first place they visited, was their main source of inspiration of course, where Mike welcomed the idea, if not with open arms then at the very least with a balanced and fair contract.

Yet one that Lilo could accept either. While it gave generous funds, enough for them to finally begin their own Studio properly, and made it possible for their film and story to be brought to the big screen as they planned... it also made it so that the entire film would be animated and worked by the DreamWorks staff, in many ways removing their own animation attempts and influence. And for the young man who's entire project had begun because of said dream, this was unacceptable.

Of course there would be incredible creative differences with the studio, it was an ambitious work, with an ambitious crew that wanted to make it their way without cutting into the quality of their work. It was a passion project an investment of not only time but all of their talents and even all of their money.

I will never be able to comprehend the price that they paid, look at that.

And so in order to have a hook and keep good relations with the new blood, Mike gave them a lifeline.

15 million dollars, and a small "D Team" group of DreamWorks Animators to help streamline the process and keep their own animators from quitting due to issues.

It wasn't a lot in the grand scheme of things, but it was a project that deserved all of the help it could get.

And by the lordy it was a project. It wasn't just using stunning animation, it was the research, between linguistic work, tribal histories, poetry and more, if it wasn't the stunning animation that wasn't taking most of the budget it was the sheer amount of research being done to make each frame as accurate as possible.

It was scary in a way, like a full Theatrical Showing of a Classical Tale Episode.

But then again, your team had had six years of experience working on such types of productions, and with the previous research done, they could focus on the main element for which they were brought in; making sure that the animation was up to par.

Lilo's team... well, they were not professionals in the sense of the word, but they had the passion necessary, and with the new direction under Steve Hulett (a name you did not recognize, but apparently was someone that was close to making his debut as Director) they were soon being taught the ins and outs of animation in the same way he had; through hard earned experience, mixed with practice, overnight, and pointing out just what worked and what didn't for their production.

By the end of it, they even sent some much-appreciated fruits. Tomino and the rest liked the pineapples the best.

But going back to the production, one of the first elements they were taught, and was critical for the production to go ahead, was the art of compromise. Steve had to sit them down in a single room and hear all their arguments about the description of the Gods in the film, how they should be represented, the genders of them (with some wanting to keep them as they were, and others hoping for a gender change), not to mention finding just the right amount of traditional iconography along with the more modern types of animation that was being brought in.

Apparently he just let them take out everything they wanted, then told them why such ideas were unfeasible, and then put forth the new direction that the animation would take. They did not get everything each wanted, but at the very least most of their ideas were mixed in. And in that, they could now work in perfect harmony.

...It also helped that Steve helped in drawing all their ire towards him rather than Lilo of course.

But with the main points of contention over, they could finally move on to the lessons being taught by your "D Team" as it were. Perhaps they were not the powerhouses that Brad, Musker and Clements,, or even Lasseter gathered around them, but they had worked with them in many a background scene, made sure that the characters retained their fluid style, along with some vibrant and high impact animation that thrived and shocked in just the right moments of the film. The scenes with Pele's introduction never looked more dynamic, and were only surpassed in her confrontations with Kamapua'a.

The Kapau themselves are shown as both so perfectly human in emotions, yet as larger than life creatures that are composed and behave to their respective elements; Lono has a mixture of rain and green in his composition that makes him look perfectly natural and at ease in discussions. Kāne, the ruler, composed of air and cloud, has the look of tiredness and frustration that only those in power can understand as he holds court over some of the more quarrelsome group of deities. Hi'iaka and Kū Akuna however are a riot and a half, with their personalities being at constant odds, and their arguments devolving into childish tantrums and name callings, showing just how familiar to each other they are.

If anything, this showed how despite it all, they were a true family.

Then again any family like a divine pantheon was always going to be a messy one.

But of course, the story was ultimately about humanity and how they explained the world around them and the Heroes of this tale were no exception to this reality even if it was told in a fantastical way. With the human and the divine telling a tale that might have happened if not for the vail of history being so shrouded over that era.

And to use a phrase that was bizarre yet described everything about the project. They Cooked.

And by cook you mean like a stew, it all came together as a fantastical human story of love, violence and fire.

Oh boy was there a lot of fire in the scenes with Pele, her caldera scenes were so cozy if it weren't for the fact that it was over a thousand degrees in there at best!

But onto the stars of this fantastic voyage of love and fire.

Tia Carrera's Pele was the heart and soul of the flick, and who's stage presence needed no introduction, she had the energy to burn like a raging inferno and a small smolder that could burst into flames like a summer storm, and like a stick of dynamite she couldn't contain all the sparks of a young romantic looking for an equal. The fact they also put little smoldering fuses in her hair when she's angry makes her look like BLACKBEARD without the beard at time. She's the heart of a violent force of nature and she will be respected. It was surprising to here that she was all but a complete unknown here.

On the other side of this romance, was Temuera Morrison's Kamapua'a, and you could tell that not only was he invested into this roll, from what you could tell he was one of the head references, physically able, trained in traditional Maori weapons and well versed as both an actor in New Zealand, the man was not only a fine choice to play a force of nature but also came with a surprising depth with his friendship with Kane Akuna, and his respect for the Big Island's physical and spiritual health, as well as his versatility as a peacemaker, warrior and spiritual leader.

The fact it also plays off his thick-headedness when it comes to Pele's romantic feelings makes it a wonderfully ironic way to play off the numerous sides of Kamapua'a multi-faceted person as both a spirit, a man.

His Transformation into a giant boar of wind, water and steam as well as himself turning into a great boar showed his unspoken power well.

But aside from the Kapau, one of the most interesting aspects of the story was how they managed to tie all the conflicts from them along with the very human conflicts around them. The different chiefs from the island, all who are being threatened by the constant bouts of rage from Pele, and her constant fights with Kamapua'a are shown not as simple casualties, or just beings on the periphery, but actual participants who have to live under the awesome display of fury and rage from the Kapau.

Their different actions and interactions, as they try to find a way to survive adds another layer of context to the entire story, making it not just one about those who have the power, or one about romance or resilience. But also one about consequences, the resilience of those who try to make ends meet, and in the end, how despite the situations may push those into actions that would be despicable, every single one of them has a choice. From Kaniuhu, the Main Chief who chooses peace and cooperation, to Kamani who gears for war in order to save his people.

Their actions, right or wrong, in the end are their own to make, and this message is put clearly in each of their scenes.

The process was grueling for many of the new animators from the fledgling studio, and it would not have surprised you if at any time they had decided to just up and leave, abandoning what at many times seemed to be a thankless profession. But then, you had not counted on just how much of an influence your team had on them. From beginning to end they were able to show the joy of turning a piece of paper into an actual moving set of cels displaying the movement that many had just envisioned in their minds. These were men and women who studied and worked under Bluth, and though many of them were still unable to make the full transition to the more prestige places of the animation department, they were still leagues above and beyond what many would have expected.

Their enthusiasm for any new and interesting piece of creativity was slowly but surely becoming part of the new Swimming Tide Studios, and with each new cel, with each new segment provided, with each tie producing fewer errors in the process, they were able to find the spark that had been part of your own studio, and would come to define them in the upcoming decades to come.

As it was, Mike received constant updates about the project, making sure that everything remained in budget, while making sure that the cinemas he was in contact with would provide the necessary rooms for release. This work might not be a DreamWorks original, but it had the studio name attached to it, and that alone made it so that it deserved nothing but the best for the release of the film. Though the rest of the year was already booked with the now "Big Three" of animation (and God, did it still burn to acknowledge Blue Sky as such), there was little to no competition for the month of March of the current year.

The movie would thus have to prove its success in a win or die situation.

And thus you wait with bated breath that the game ends with a win.

You'd hate to watch all that work, passion and dedication turn to naught because of the lack of a good sprint to the finish just before the end.

Goodness knows how many passion projects met the same fate.
—————-

Opening night was an…odd experience. Mostly because half the people there were animators or members of their families who were there to help and support them.

You were here, because Mike was busy with another project, something about a family meeting with the rest of the Hollywood production magnates about the "America Project"

Plus like Elvis did once before a good endorsement would never hurt.

And perhaps it was the advertising Mike had promoted before the film, or the endorsement actually worked, but you could not have found a better audience for the film than the one that was there for the film's premiere. After all, a movie not made by any of the Big Three, a movie that nonetheless was made with the help of DreamWorks animator in partnership no less, and from a new studio at that from Hawaii of all places? If it wasn't for the promotions, the sheer curiosity would have brought in the people to find out just what it was that was being shown.

Well, they came and left satisfied you'd say, considering the gasps, the laughter, and the thunderous applause at the end of the film, showing the final scenes with Pele and Kamapua'a finally starting their new life together, the humans accepting peace after so much tension and the near beginning of a war, along with some of the most intense fighting and gorgeous animation this side of America. The very traditional drawings, mixed with the experience of DreamWorks at the side, along with incredible attention to detail to the culture that is being referenced, made for an incredibly unique and original take that many would not forget for a long time now.

The rest of the country agreed with you, was while it did not have the numbers that other studios would have achieved, it still did very respectively on its own. Not all of the theaters were ready to take in the same risk as Mike wanted them to, but enough were open so that at the very least all states were able to see the film. Hawaii was the exception though, as being the first of a locally made movie, about their own traditions no less, made the film the number one animated movie in the entire islands, with lines stretching all the way around the corners in order to see the functions available in the day.

Outside of the country there was also quite the reception, but though countries in Europe and Asia gave it the required show, it was countries around Polynesia, Micronesia, and East Asia that were out there watching what was the first ever representation of something close to their own culture. It was certainly nothing that would be going beyond the borders of Hawaii, but it was at least something, and it opened the possibility of sometime being able to do something close to their own hearts as well.

Critics were on their side as well, praising the animation the story, even the voice acting of veterans like James Shigeta and BD Wong, while also seeing the new talent incoming from Hawaii in the form of Tia Carrere and already speculating on her future in filming. There were still also those who were quite annoyed with the film however, more with the descriptions of the Kapau as "Gods and Goddesses" than any other aspect of the film, but then again, if they could not differentiate between fact and fiction then that was their problem.

But in the end, Swimming Tide Studios got their first win... with some help from DreamWorks that is, but still a win. The earnings from the Box Office would help them for their future projects, among them one that would try and adapt the different traditions of their land that were yet to be given a chance. You wish them luck with that, the Lord above knows how many interesting stories are just scattered and hoping to be picked up for everyone to enjoy.

You wonder... is there hope for some Irish tales as well? Probably something to think about.

AN: Fresh from @Cyberphilosipher an @overmind the desire to spread the Disney Rennessance to all corners of the American Animation Sphere, I grant you.

The Fruit of this Labor.

Guest Starring Bruce with his rather suprised POV.

 

[overmind]

Bomberman
Designed By: Shinichi Nakamoto
Game Developer: LucasArts Entertainment
Published By: Sega Corporation
Release: March 1984
Genre: Maze, Puzzle, Strategy

Quality: D100 + 200 => 300
Audience: D100 + 200 => 280
Critics: D100 + 200 => 244

Initial Release (Units): 2,109,785​

Holy Shit! Shinichi Nakamoto created one of the best games ever!

That was your, and everyone's reactions, when the results came out with the number of units that Bomberman, a game that no one had even thought would garner the same amount of praise or numbers as Final Fantasy or The King of Dragons did. A game whose entire formula could have easily been extracted in simply three steps, and a game that so many expected it to go the same way as Pirate Ship Higemaru due to the new "Cute" touches that had been added to the original design after the arrival of the Genesis Console, along with the retooling done by the now rechristened "Team Bomber" that Nakamoto is now in charge of.

But how the heck did this happen?

The entire game was set up and worked on in his free time, and while you don't want to think less of anyone, most of his team was still made up out of those that had yet to be accepted into bigger projects, mostly because most of the games Nakamoto tended to work on were of the more simple type; Mr. Goemon, one of the games that had been done in record time, was one of those, and though it had done well enough to warrant a sequel if pushed for (and you've heard that there are some members who might be interested in such) it had still not gone as far as to become an overnight sensation in both America and Japan.

So, perhaps it might behoove you to start from the beginning.

It all began with a simple design, a small pixelated little man in white that Nakamoto had been working on when he was still an employee for Hudson Soft, something he had been told to work in during his many, many, many hours of unpaid overtime (Seriously Japan, what the heck?!) in order to have a presentation during one of the tech expo's. Shinichi though, had different ideas when he decided that his design belonged to him as he left for LucasArts to work in.

And yet he forgot about it during the time in between. To be fair, it was a very hectic period with the entire company needing to be reorganized and established, but at the same time, it would have saved all of you a lot of problems and headaches had he just come out and showed you the freaking little program. Mostly because in the time between, Hudson had decided to partner with one of the remaining videogame companies known as Broderbund to bring about an interesting game known as Lode Runner. Nothing wrong there, and you'd even grant them that it was pretty fun if only to kill time for a while.

But then, the idea to create a sequel to the game, using the very design that Shinichi had come up with arose, and at the worst time possible as well. A project that would have worked as a prequel, would have helped their company to move forwards in their videogame design and production, while at the same time forming further alliances with Broderbund, while they could court the different consoles in Japan as well.

Yeah, not the best time for your company to start working on said project either.

But it all came to a head however when Nakamoto, after finishing his design on Mr. Goemon, decided that now was the best time to introduce his white little friend to the rest of the world...and Hudson Soft somehow managed to get the news about it fast enough to threaten a lawsuit over it. As far as they were concerned, the entire design, name, and idea for the game was something that belonged to them, and that Nakamoto had taken it with him and tried to make something of it without paying royalties or getting their permissions was going against the proprietary rights of the company.

On your side however, the argument remained that Nakamoto had done the entire work, during periods of time where he was not remunerated, and as such he was entitled to keep his intellectual property to with as he pleased. Perhaps it was not said in such blunt terms when answering back, but it was enough to make it clear how LucasArts was not backing down from their position, and they had their programmers back when it came down to it.

So, for the first time, LucasArts would be going to court in order to defend the intellectual property of one of your employees. In Japan. While having to deal with Proprietary and Patent law in a country where you knew nothing about it.

You could practically hear your legal team crying.

You were not there to be participate or be of much help about it (GODDAMMIT CONAN!!!) but the entire situation was a mess and a half from what you heard. The entire legal phase was confusing enough, and had your entire legal team scurrying about trying to understand just what kind of laws they would be dealing with, while at the same time Nakamoto had to be either testifying in court, or working with his team on the game, which he was still not willing to give up on.

He was still a realist though, which is why he told them to break molds on and bring in their entire creativity for when they presented their ideas. Everything was allowed, whether changing the character, the gameplay, introducing new characters, just everything. His plan was to have a fallback in case the court's decision did not go in his favor, and thus be able to quickly use an alternate version of the game ready to be developed.

...You don't really know whether to praise his forward thinking, or just lament the state of laws when it comes to plagiarism.

In the end however, it all came down to one simple entity; Nintendo. The company that had become a giant and dominated (for now) the American Market in videogames, the company that Hudson Soft was hoping to court in order to release their games.. and the company that so far had a friendly relationship with you and was quite willing to lend their lawyers to you in order to fix this matter in exchange for some favor in the future when it comes to your animation department.

Wonder what Miyamoto meant when he mumbled about "Epic Zelda content" and "Samus as never seen before".

Eh, you'll leave that to Tomino back at DreamWorks.

In the end, Hudson saw the writing on the wall, and decided to settle things out of court, asking for a one-time payment and getting into the good graces of Nintendo at the same time. Mike agreed to it and just washed his hands on the entire matter once it was over. The game could continue as it was, there would no longer be any need to change names or genres, and at last there would be no other obstacles in sight for the rest of its development.

Good thing too, you don't think anyone is going to like playing a game called Eric and the Floaters.

And yet, the whole crisis may just have been a blessing in disguise for the overall game.

Beforehand, Nakamoto had been planning to just give it the old updated look, change some of the pixels and colors, perhaps try and update the music a little bit, but in the end just keep the idea of the game just as it had been developed at first, before the entire push to excellence for the Genesis had come forth.

With the threat of being sued and the game not seeing the light of day however, and his team being given the order to innovate as many different paths as possible, what came out in the end was a smorgasbord of ideas and add-ons for the game; New Power-Ups that could be added, different types of enemies, new background designs and mazes, there was even ideas of changing the overall background story of the game for something a bit more lighthearted (though Nakamoto took note of that for later games he said), even going to the point of designing a side-scroller option that would have the titular Bomberman just move forward while bombing all enemies a la Mario style.

Needless to say, Nakamoto axed the last one with prejudice. They just got out of one lawsuit with Hudson, they are not about to enter another with Nintendo.

But many of the different plans for the game would go forward, beginning with the upgrade with the new technological advance from the Sega Genesis. Unlike the previous games like Final Fantasy however, much of the coding and programming did not have to go to an expanded and all-encompassing world, thanks to the fact that aside from improving some levels (and adding some as well) the game did not need much to make it fun. The overall story followed the titular Bomberman as a robot living a dreary life in an unidentified planet, only working in drudgery and bomb-making. One day, in the middle of his next batch of chores, he happened to overhear a rumor, a tall tale mentioning how if a robot manages to reach the surface of the planet, then he will "become human". It's a ludicrous idea, something out of sheer fantasy and desperation, yet Bomberman feels the need to at least try, to escape his current life no matter cost.

As such, taking on the bombs he can make as his primary weapons, and moving through the underground fortress/factory on his path to freedom, Bomberman must struggle to find the surface, and once and for all discover what it means to "become human".

You would have played the game if only for that story, wanting to see just what will happen next; what will be the end result of it all, will Bomberman really become human, or if it's all a cruel joke in the end. You can imagine an entire movie being made out of this concept, and in making it a videogame, it can be elevated to a greater height by the players experiencing it altogether.

And yet, because of such a dramatic cutscene, when you began to play the game and see what you're up against, you feel a sudden shift that in many ways can only increase your impetus going forward. The entire design went from simple pixelated 8-bits into 16-bit graphics that can give a true feeling of the areas that you are moving through thanks to the definition and the greater color palette with which one can work with. Where before Bomberman was nearly a white splotch, he's now a more detailed looking robot with both arms and legs, along with an antenna on his head, shades of pink and blue finishing his ensemble. It is a really cute design that in many ways does not seem to fit with the entire dark story background of his, but it does seem to complement it instead.

Many of the original enemies received the same upgrade, moving them from simple, ill defined, geometrical creatures to more detailed, colorful, and complex enemies, taking away many of their glitchy movements and keeping nothing more than flowing and smooth patterns that nonetheless work with the computer to form a real challenge when confronted. Nakamoto and "Team Bomber" worked hard in order to also make use of what many are now calling "environmental storytelling" by making each stage have its own unique theme and atmosphere. Sure, each of them may be a maze, but each fit with the entire story of trying to escape a subterranean fortress, while also having to go through a factory, by having the different walls at time be decorated with machinery, or other having a more metallic shine to them.

But it's what they did in the final levels of the game what truly made it shine among the original plans. Where the game before had around five levels, this time there are 10 overall levels to transverse, the final five now encompassing mazes that can't encompass the entire screen, but instead need you to move even further to try and solve. And of course, what is a more complex maze without more complex enemies. You're sure everyone would have been as surprised as you when during the final steps of the fifth maze, just as you were about to form the final path for the exit, "he" just so happened to appear. You know you could not have been the only one to jump as "he" moved so fast in your direction, and the shock of what you were seeing had you remain still as he approached and outright killed you right then and there.

"Grey Bomberman", a complete match for Bomberman himself in a grey and red palette, and as you would soon come to discover, your entire bane through the final five mazes.

That... thing, could only be one of the most despicable creatures to have come from the mouth of hell itself. A being that exists only to bring misery and pain whenever you are reaching the final levels, taunting you with the hope that you could finally reach the end before dashing away all of your hopes and dreams as you scream in vain at the screen for you character to move. You even tried to leave a trail of bombs once as you fled, and in the end it only made you move slower as he reached you, moving through them as if they were nothing.

You grew to loathe the Grey Bomberman, and you're sure that you were not the only one who felt stymied by such an unreasonable obstacle in halfway through the game.

Which made it all the more embarrassing when Mary pointed out how you could just leave obstacles in his path by strategically leaving some walls in his path as you escaped...

...You might not be as good in videogames as you thought.

Regardless, finding out the trick to finally get away from what is clearly the game's personal nemesis did not make it a cakewalk as one would have expected, but it did shift it from an impossible wall to a difficult challenge, one that you had to wrack your brains to overcome through strategic thinking and judicious use of bombs, as well as planning what direction it would take and how to overcome it eventually as you tried to flee to the next level.

But it was all worth it to see the final cutscene, the moment when Bomberman finally reached the surface and you were treated to a beautiful rendition of the outside, where instead of a land ravaged by technology and destruction, Bomberman sees life moving around, sees the night sky full of stars as he wonders about them, and a big happy smile breaks on his face at the thought of being able to decide his own fate from that moment on. The final message, of being able to choose one's own destiny resonated with you in such a profound way that for a moment you wondered if there would be more to do in the game, to actually put it into practice for the little guy.

It bummed you out a little seeing it not to be so as the credits rolled, and yet you could not help but feel that you had fun. The entire premise had been outright simple, the mazes had been complex but not mind breakingly so, the enemies had been a challenge but (aside from the Grey Bomberman) something that you could plan ahead and find weaknesses for after a few runs.

But above all, you found that you would not have minded playing the game again if it came down to it, perhaps with your other little goslings at that. this was a game that really managed to hook you with the ease at which you could have fun with, no matter how many times you played it.

It was not your thoughts about it, but the rest of the buyers and players as well. Though Bomberman's first appearance may have not seemed like much, especially with the design and premise, usually so far away from what they expected from the top games of the Sega, it had nonetheless grown from word of mouth as more and more units were sold, until they actually had to call the company to re-issue more of them since orders kept on piling up one after the other.

There is also the simplicity of the game that imitates the original simple gameplay of yore, without all the needless complications that other controls or consoles would add or mix when making it. The games is basically dropping bombs and blow-up enemies in a grid-based environment, while also trying to obtain the power ups left by the enemies. You do not need to add any instructions or even a manual for it, all you need to do if you want to start the game without even seeing the cutscene is press start, and intuitively press the buttons to understand just what it is you need to do. The screen also has no other secret to it, save for the strategic thinking you may need to do in order to face the enemies, along with the pattern recognition... especially for that Grey Bomberman!!

But what truly made it stand out was something that not even Nakamoto could have thought of by himself, nor did the members of "Team Bomber", but instead it came from the most unlikely source; another designer who was currently working on a different project who just so happened to pass by during the entire trial, where the group was thinking of, and developing new ideas for the game. A programmer whose previous works in different systems and the future capabilities of what could be done with videogames had him take a look at the gameplay, the grid-based screen, and the strategic type of moves one would have to take in facing the enemies, and could only think of one thing to ask.

"Can you make it so that there's a Multiplayer mode?"

And that's how Chip Morningstar became part of "Team Bomber" if only for the moment. A designer and programmer who'd been part of "Project Xanadu" before he joined LucasArts, and a man thoroughly convinced of the validity of the use of the Internet for playing videogames in the future, he saw the game as a chance to put into practice some of his ideas for Multiplayer gaming beyond just a single person facing against the computer, or two people taking turns in order to play. Instead, he wanted something similar to the Arcade Cabinets that allowed two players to play at the same time, either together or against themselves, and this game showed the greatest promise for the latter.

Battle Mode, the newest addition to the game after putting in the newest five levels and enemies, became one of the most revolutionary multiplayer modes for any of the consoles currently in the market. The chance to play with friends or against the computer itself, selecting from any of the different mazes and selecting the difficulty, proving your own strategic acuity against your friends as you bomb them over and over either by the allotted time or until their lives end. It was one of the most intensive and fun type of gameplays that there had been made, and it pushed the sales of the game to heights not foreseen at the time.

Chip wanted to go even further though, and it was only thanks to Nakamoto coming in at the right time that there was not an add on so that four people could play at the same time. nod don't get you wrong, it sounds like an amazing idea, but you're not sure if you want to try and create add-ons for only one game. You're not Nintendo after all.

Huh, hopefully they never find out about that comment.

Overall, the game became an instant success in part for the new multiplayer game in combination with the single player mode. It appeared in news as the newest sensation after Mario, with children were demanding their parents for a console so they could play the game (and it was one of the contributing factors for so many sales in America) with teens and older players following suit as they bought more consoles than expected this year. It was a pleasant surprise for everyone involved, especially with Nakamoto now feeling utterly vindicated on his decision... and perhaps a bit petty in how he sent the sales numbers to Hudson Soft along with a picture that you're not going to think much about it.

God, you're just glad they did not decide to sue again.

But above all, Bomberman may have just achieved what you had been thinking of since the first release of your games, what Mike had told you that you would need if you wanted to play in parity with Nintendo when it came to marketing and advertisements...

Bomberman may have just become the mascot character for the Sega Genesis.

It should really not surprise you though, since despite Final Fantasy's appeal and groundbreaking numbers (along with The King of Dragons), in the end, they are quite niche titles for a specific audience. Furthermore, the former seemed to be developing to be an Anthology, which precluded said characters from being front and center in all sequels, while the latter was a one-off as far as the developer is concerned.

But Bomberman, he has this appeal in him for players of all ages; a dark, mysterious past, a cool ability that can be changed thanks to the many power ups that he can gain through the game. Generic, fun enemies that prove a challenge until the real big, bad appears, where he then has to find a way to overcome and escape from. And an optimistic, nearly cute tone and background that complements the former rather than create dissonance.

Whichever way you want to put it, you may have just lucked out here.

Mike however is never one to let an opportunity slip by, and is making sure to take advantage of this windfall by plastering the little robot in every single piece of Sega Merchandise he can think of to make the connection as unassailable as possible. He may claim that he does not know how to promote videogames, but he knows better than anyone when it comes to merchandising the hell out of it. Soon enough, the console boxes have Bomberman on it, along with the different types of merchandise that Sega produces in a bid to counter Nintendo's own Mario. Heck, you think he would have demanded that the Sega logo was added to his character if the technology was available.

...Note to self, discourage him from doing so even when the technology becomes available.

There was some criticism to the game, because of course there is, mostly critics claiming the game as being overly simplistic as if that was a bug rather than a feature, not liking much of the design choices for the aesthetic for the character, and of course there are a new group of moral guardians now arguing how games like this are the reason why children are doing worse in school, or are becoming dumber, or waste away their days inside rather than trying for more physical activities, thus blaming every single one their children's problems into a single, convenient place rather than face the fact that perhaps they could have just as easily try to inculcate some discipline on their own children.

Is it that hard to ask to spend some time with their children?

There are still others however that have managed to praise the game for what it is; a perfectly developed quality game, far and away from the "shovel ware" that the old games were usually sold before. Credit where its due, its managed to single out LucasArts as the main American company responsible for a new age of quality in the U.S., where the trust of the costumer is finally being restored, and with many other companies following suit in your footsteps as well, with actual quality controls rather than just throwing it all out there hoping that anyone is dumb enough to just buy it.

Not everyone seems to be happy with the results however. Hudson Soft tried launching the sequel to Load Runner they planned for, with the graphics being somewhat similar to what you did with Bomberman, yet distinct enough so as to not make any legal response feasible. Yet, in the end Dyna Blaster never took off beyond their own country. It was fun, sure, but it was no Bomberman; the lack of fun gameplay, battle mode, or even the new and improved multiplayer made it just a poor man's attempt at trying to take advantage of the current wave of support for the game.

In the end though, much of the support for Bomberman seems to have found its roots in North America, while Japan sees it as a fun and quirky kind of game, but nothing to get that excited about. As a consequence, many of the fans of the game seemed to have organized into a small competitive league for videogames. It's still a local thing in the state of Ohio, and there does not seem to be much organization around it yet, but they're mostly just competing amongst themselves, and then having the winners compete against the different winners from different cities and towns, with the winner getting a small price and bragging rights about being the best at the Bomberman's Battle Mode.

There are even talks about it becoming like the old Atari competitions, though Mike is balking at it, not willing to try and give the kind of prices Atari would give. And after doing some research you are in full agreement with him. Who tries to give solid gold crowns, or an actual sword?! What did they think the kids were going to do with them?

Jesus, no wonder they eventually went down.

Your little goslings seem to enjoy the competition among themselves however, as one of the very few games that allow for more than a single player to enjoy. Mary still reigns supreme above both Joseph and Sarah, who still compete against each other for the coveted second place, whereas little George... just looks when he has the time.

He also does not like the Grey Bomberman. Such a wise little boy.

 

[Kaiser Chris]

Splash
Directed by: Ron Howard
Written by: Lowell Ganz, Babaloo Mandel, Bruce Jay Friedman
Produced by: Brian Grazer
Production Studio: The Ladd Company
Distribution: Lucasfilms Unlimited
Starring: Tom Hanks, Daryl Hannah, Eugene Levy, John Candy

Quality:
D100 + 300 => 348
Audience:
D100 + 300 => 319
Critics:
D100 + 300 => 374
Budget: $11,000,000
Domestic: $10,481,397
International: $28,900,661
Global Gross: $39,382,039
VHS: $68,900,661​

Well, at least it made a profit. After the massive success of Ran and Scarface, you were hoping that it was a sign of Lucasfilms having a dominant year of Blockbusters to reinforce its newfound status as the most commercially successful of the Big Five. However, Splash combined with Outsiders return served as a slice of humble pie, that while Lucasfilms wasn't going to fail, that not every film was gonna be a blockbuster. Then again, you would have probably foreseen this if you had given the script a closer read beforehand.

Splash was a fantasy romantic comedy where Tom Hanks plays Allen Bauer, the owner of a produce supplier in New York longing for love and intimacy. Allen finds such when he encounters Madison, a mermaid who he had met when they were young and Madison being smitten with Allen pursues him to New York to start a relationship. However, the two have to contend with a wacky scientist desperate to prove Madison is real, all the while Madison has to deal with her secret identity and being committed to Allen.

The film landed in the Ladd Company after a short bidding war between it, United Artists and Disney. Alan while skeptical at first, had been drawn to the idea of doing a romantic comedy as it was something that was relatively lacking in the Lucasfilms filmography. Ron, who was interested in experimenting in a new genre had agreed to sign on and from there it was a relatively smooth sailed production. Infuriatingly, while Conan's ocean scenes had given you hell, all the good nautical luck went to Ron who didn't have a single thing go wrong with his water filming. Not that you wanted anything bad to happen to Ron, but why did he deserve all the blessings? Then again, he was filming in the sane and rational US instead of the corrupt and cursed Mediterranean.

As for the overall film....it's fine. Carrie said it best in that when it came to the film's two genres it was "Silly not hilarious" and "Cute not passionate". It served both genres competently but it didn't inherently introduce anything innovative or went above and beyond in terms of quality. While Ron's direction was good, the script seemed to be a metaphorical anchor for the plot in that it was more focused on the novelty of the concept and all the silliness of a literal "Fish out of water" and Allen's quest for love than anything powerful. There was plenty for audiences to enjoy in general, but few that would leave a lasting impact. Though in your case the most memorable part was the wacky scientist Kornbluth's determined quest to expose Madison and how he accidentally harasses an innocent couple by splashing them with water, that had you cracking.

The cast all had competent performances with decent chemistry that could get laughs out of the comedic bits and make you smile slightly with the romance. Tom and Daryl had good chemistry, though they are burdened by the script as their characters don't really meet until a third of the movie and most of the film is aimless fun romance and the goofiness of a human and mermaid falling in love. Daryl did give her all for the swimming scenes though and did excellent choreography. Also, you don't know why, but you have a strong gut feeling that Tom Hanks is not only gonna go far, but can surpass you as an actor.

Also a fun part of this movie was how Ron got your Dad to play a cameo as the President, so that was nice of him.

Splash debuted with one of Lucasfilms' smallest opening weekends of $5 million and from there it kind of trickled on in the small theaters until being pulled in late April. You are heavily grateful to the international audiences as they carried the film hard and had it been just a domestic release it would have been a surefire bomb with less than the budget. Europe was the key to success here with over $20 million, and Ireland and Northern Ireland had seen $4 million, more likely than not as a thank you for the Ash Wednesday peace.

If you had to say why it failed, well for one Splash was no longer competing alone and going against Outsiders as now Lucasfilms tended to release two films a month save for special occasions. But it also faced hard competition from Ran and Scarface which were still going strong in March and pulled adult audiences. Combine it from being adult enough to not be enticing to families (even if it was PG) and you didn't really have anyone come out besides those yearning for romance. Though with 3.5 times the budget, at least you got your money back and some nice profits.

Audience reception was mildly positive. People enjoyed themselves but no one was crazy about it and there were a fair amount of detractors who though the romance was below average or the tone was a bit silly. Oddly, critics were strongly in support for the movie across the board with lots of warm recommendations and praise being given to the humor, acting and Hanks and Hannah's chemistry.

Unfortunately, there was no chance of Splash being a cult classic after its theater run. It had moderately healthy VHS sales and low numbers for airings on LucasTV and other stations. People mostly just rented it for date nights and it never really developed a dedicated fanbase. For the long-term, Splash would mostly reappear in interest whenever someone wanted to go through the careers of Tom Hanks or John Candy.

If there was one good thing that came from the film, it was that it had brought you and Ron together as good friends. In March, he had been staying in LA both for Splash's promotion and to sort out the pre-production of his next film Cocoon. Ron was busy one night and due to a everyone he knew already being busy, had asked short hand if you and Carrie could watch over his daughter Bryce. Wanting to help your old Graffiti co-star, you agreed and Bryce had been a delight to watch over. She quickly became fast friends with Sarah and Joseph and the trio had a blast playing games with one another and going on adventures. This lead to many more playdates over the course of March and April and the three of them becoming as thick as thieves like Mary and Wally. Thus you and Ron were Dad Buddies. Well, it was certainly nice to have another friend like that besides George.

Also, you learned from Ron one day when you were watching your kids in the pool that Ron Clements and John Musker had approached him after the premiere of Splash and had sort of an impromptu interview about the film's production and Ron's opinion of the story. Apparently it was research for this new film they were working on for Dreamworks, The Little Mermaid.

 

[overmind]

The Outsiders
Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
Written by: Kathleen Rowell
Produced by: Francis Ford Coppola
Production and Distribution Studio: Lucasfilms Unlimited
Starring: C. Thomas Howell (Ponyboy Curtis), Ralph Macchio (Johnny Cade), Matt Dillon (Dallas "Dally" Winston), Patrick Swayze (Darrel "Darry" Curtis), Rob Lowe (Sodapop "Soda" Curtis), Emilio Estevez (Keith "Two-Bit" Mathews), Tom Cruise (Steve Randle), Glenn Withrow (Tim Shepard), Diane Lane (Sherrie "Cherry" Valance), Leif Garrett (Bob Sheldon), Darren Dalton (Randy Anderson), Michelle Meyrink (Marcia), Gailard Sartain (Jerry), Tom Waits (Buck Merrill) and William Smith (The Store Clerk)

Quality: D100 + 300 => 353
Audience: D100 + 300 => 330
Critics: D100 + 300 => 319

Budget: $10,000,000
Domestic: $25,221,123
international: $14,325,113
Total Box Office: $39,546,236

VHS: $50,403,032​

There were time when you did not fully understood Francis Ford Coppola, but there were also moments when you felt that both of you could be siblings from different mothers. Case in point, his dedication and love for his family was something that you did not doubt, nor did you feel that it could be faked, yet at the same time, he was the same man who did not seem to mind much when it came to filming for overly long period of times away from them if it meant that he could deliver a better product for the masses.

Basically, both of his seeming passions seemed to be at odds altogether.

Still, after an entire decade where his work took precedence with classics like The Godfather (Parts I & II), The Conversation, and Apocalypse Now (and boy did that movie hit you hard when Francis told you the entire behind the movie details), Francis seemed to have decided to try for a more balanced way of life. One where he could still try to make the films he wanted, while also spending the time with his family so as to no longer miss the moments that made up their entire life. It was a well-balanced approach that you could respect, and the fact that you got another director that could work with you and George was another bonus at the time.

It seemed to work well enough as well. After a period of production, Francis got back in the saddle with Devil's Hour: Dead Man's Gold, a film that became a hit in Ireland (and still had them asking for more movies with Dr. Donovan and Sewall) and seemed to showcase his penchant for experimental narrative structures, working on a mystery and fittingly making use of Noir techniques in a more folklore and fantasy setting. That it allowed him to bring his family along and spend time with them was a happy coincidence, and many of them had been looking forward to a family vacation anyways.

Dune nearly threatened to undo all of his progress, yet he managed to keep himself moderated nonetheless. Where before he would have probably gone unchecked, this time he'd had a plan that he'd shared with both you and Mike, making sure to emphasize the time he would be working in the project, the regulated breaks for the workers, and a tight schedule to which he would put himself in order to make this a great space epic, while also keeping to his new and tried methods.

Yet, in the end, we all tend to stumble a bit.

When you heard how Francis had immediately begun production of another film just after closing Dune you were expecting him to perhaps have another relapse, or perhaps for him to have found another blockbuster idea that he just could not get out of his mind. Never would you have thought to have found him working on a simple film, where instead of the grand sets and special effects of the past few years he would instead work with on the stie filming. Where instead of having him be apart from his family for years at an end, he would instead have them be involved, either by giving them cameo roles, or working with the music of the film.

And never would you had thought that the reason was because of a simple letter that would show him one of the greatest novels that you had never heard about.

Sent by Jo Ellen Misakian, a school librarian from Freson, California, it was a letter asking him if it would be possible to make a film about a novel that many in her district were clamoring about. A novel written by S. E. Hinton, one that was actually being panned by parents for the terrible crime of having teens swearing, smoking or getting into trouble with the police. A novel that explored the life in 60s America, and the life of teenagers from different socioeconomical classes without shying away from such heavy topics.

And when you first took a look at it, from Francis own recommendation, you could not believe that such a gem of a story had been under your nose for nearly twenty years without you ever hearing about it.

Set in Tulsa, 1967, the story follows the life of a gang called the "Greasers" and their tribulations through life. Darryl, the older sibling, taking care of Sodapop and Ponyboy, his smaller siblings, after the death of their mother and abandonment by their father. Ponyboy has to move through life enduring both the circumstances of their condition (poverty) while at the same time trying to deal with the other gang in town, the "Socs" who are more affluent and live in the west side. The conflict begins heating up when Ponyboy begins having feelings for the girlfriend of one of the Socs, Cherry, leading to the Socs to try and kill him along with a fellow younger Greaser, Johnny. When Ponyboy is about to be drowned, Johnny grabs a knife and kills one of the Socs, causing the rest to flee, and both of them having to hide in a church for a while.

During their time in hiding, both Ponyboy and Johnny spend the time playing poker, smoking and reading books like "Gone with the Wind" (and damn it, why is that thing still so popular" as well as the poem by Robert Frost "Nothing Gold Can Stay". Eventually they are met by fellow Greaser, Dallas, who helped them hide, and tells them that Cherry is willing to testify that they acted in self-defense to the police. Before leaving however, they go to the church a final time and find it on fire, causing them to go and rescue the children still trapped inside, but though Ponyboy comes out unscathed, Johnny has his back broken and his body with third degree burns.

Ponyboy and Johnny are seen as heroes, though the Greasers and the Socs still go and have a rumble, which the former wins. Johnny eventually passing away from his injuries, but not before saying to Ponyboy to "Stay Gold". And though Ponyboy eventually is exonerated, he is still ignored by Cherry, Dallas dies after stealing from a store, committing "Suicide by Cop". Ponyboy is told he'll get a passing grade if he manages to write a good essay, and though he remains apathetic to it all, his mood changes when he finds a letter from Johnny, where he tells Ponyboy that it was worth it to give his life to save the children, and for Ponyboy to "Never Change".

Inspired by it all, Ponyboy begins writing the very book that you'd been reading all along.

There's.. no words for it. The story was full of life, it was a tale that focused on the connections between the different children and teens who had formed bonds tighter than family. It was a story that truly spoke to you, and yet it had been written over two decades before! There was a divide between the Greasers and the Socs, sure, but it was a divide that could have been mended at some point if the character of Cherry was anything you could guide yourself by. it was a tale of heart, of friends, of finding the goodness and the light inside the dark of the world, showing how despite the many divides that humanity had, we still yearned for connection, how even goodness could come from the most unlikely place, and it was possible despite all the setbacks we might face in life.

God, now you wanted to make the movie!

But, speaking with Francis, you understood why they had gone for him in order to make it. Despite his previous films all being blockbusters, full of epic and ambitious narratives that can explore complex themes, Francis also had a vision of how to bring about this emotive film, with a clear understanding of the book, as well as the experience to bring it to life with all the life that he usually imbued in his own characters. Even when working on a movie that, for all intends and purposes, was a complete turn from what he usually tended to work with.

Beginning the production in the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma in order to make it more real, Francis went through the entire process to make the film fit the book as much as possible, getting the permits to film in the appropriate locations, getting the ILM team to help when said locations did not seem to be enough, and of course always speaking with the experts to find the right clothing and style to fit the era he was working on. He even had to use both the book and his memory to remember just how exactly did people talk back then.

Though that one was even harder for the actors.

Francis was not looking for top actors form what you noticed, but instead trying to go for the perfect ensemble, which at times meant trying to get some actors trying for different roles, and then having them try with other actors to see if they fit together, all the while adding more tension to the entire process. Like trying to fit a gear with another, but at times trying a different gear just in case it fits better. He did not made much friends during the process, but at the very least he got the right actors for the job.

And boy, did he ever find a smorgasbord of teens ready to work in a Lucasfilms Production; Tom Cruise as Steve Randle was a given, since Lucasfilms gave him his breakout role which he then used to springboard into many varied roles that were helping show his range and professionalism while on screen. From what you'd heard, Don and Jerry were thinking on giving him the lead on a new project they were working on, something about fighter pilots? And Patrick Swayze, the man who ended up being Aquaman must have seen something in his role as Darrell, since his audition was among the hardest, yet he never gave up on it no matter how tough it got. He presented the image of a caring older brother, but unable to fully display it as he had to be both father and mother to his siblings.

It was just so powerful when it's shown on screen. His scenes are to be repeated over and over again.

Aside from that, Francis must have been looking for every person of talent, every young man that would have a chance to display his skills in the future, because by God he sure got them; C. Thomas Howell and Ralph Macchio as Ponyboy and Johnny are a match made in heaven when on screen, showing true compatibility as friends forged in the same circumstances, with both of them forming an enduring bond through all the tragedies and penuries of life. Matt Dillon however manages to nearly top them with his tragic interpretation of Dallas, a man who would have had nothing, and in fact had nothing, before he met Darryl or the rest of the gang. And his reaction when losing some of them, brings to mind those veterans who just... snap, who no longer find any meaning in this world, and just want to escape it by any means necessary.

Even if it means dying through cops.

Then there's Rob Lowe, Diane Lane and Emilio Estevez. You're sure that you've heard of them before, yet you can't understand how you must have missed them yet Francis seemed to have discovered such talented kids. Diane Lane makes for an amazing rich girl as Cherry, the girlfriend of one of the members of the opposite gang who forms a bond with Ponyboy while also seeming to be somewhat dislikable at the beginning and the end. In a way she showcases how even "villains" can have feelings as well, showing how the ones we would be rooting against have their own problems to deal with. Rob Lowe and Emilio Estevez have managed to fit into their perfect roles with hardly any disconnect, yet also bringing a degree of familiarity and sensibility that one would not expect to find in any kind of gang as well.

Yet it seems fitting that it does in this movie.

The entire point was to properly adapt the book, and the film managed to do so, showing how despite how rough, violent, and sometimes scary the Greasers could be, in the end they are all a family that takes care of themselves, mostly because they have no one else that can do so.

Darryl has to take care of his siblings by himself, which while he tries to do, he's still a teenager, and not that older either. Sodapop and Pony boy are both stunted emotionally, and trying to deal with all the changes from growing up. Johnny's parents are always at each other's throats and abusive towards him, which is why he tries to spend more time with the Greasers and Ponyboy. Dallas, though not said it explicitly, was a man who had done horrible things before joining the gang, yet managed to change and become less violent once he found a place where he could belong at last.

Yet it also doesn't shy from showing their mistakes and rage that nonetheless they can misdirect at each other; like how Darryl's anger leads to him hurting Ponyboy, which directly leads to the fight and death of one of the Socs members. Or the discovery that the Socs, for all their money and opportunities in life, nonetheless have their own problems and hurts, which is why they take it out on the Greasers, trying to make themselves feel a little bit better, and creating their own circle of friends and support as well. Or even Dallas fall to despair and suicide by cop when he feels that he's losing everything he's got.

It is a story that is conventional and straightforward, with linear storytelling, all unlike Francis' previous movies, yet is one where he brings his own flair and style, with parallelisms to The Godfather in many scenes while keeping to the main themes of parental neglect, poverty, social prejudice and the terror and confusion of a teenager as it tries to navigate their challenging lives and dealing with their own personal challenges.

And though it did not break any records, nor did it became the newest hit for Coppola, audiences who saw the film could not help but praise what could very well considered one of the best movies he's ever made. Men and women alike came out feeling a great deal of appreciation for Ponyboy's struggles, along with being saddened by Dallas' fate and Johnny's own desire to do good despite all the shit that life had thrown at him.

Many of the teens watching the movie could relate somewhat to their struggle, even if their circumstances were not as dire, there was still always that would have them feel like an Outsider, just as Ponyboy and Johnny felt when they had no place safe, neither at their homes nor in the Greasers. But at the end of the day, with all the darkness and sadness, and outright cruelty that the world could throw at them, they still chose to do good, proving that there is always a small light shining in everyone, that there is still a chance to be good people.

A chance to "Stay Gold" as Johnny told Ponyboy, one that he took to heart in the end. At the end of the day, audiences, though not many, would leave the theaters satisfied, feeling that they had watched a transformative experience, even if they would not know it for a long time yet.

Critics took to the film a bit more harshly. They expected another of the sweeping epics of Francis after all, a tale that explore d the human condition, one that pushed boundaries and made use of experimental technology and narrative rather than a by the numbers coming of age movie, claiming that the conflict was presented in a somewhat simplistic manner, with the socioeconomic tension not being as well explored as it could have been. Ebert himself mentioned how despite the movie being "good, but not great" there were many moments where the characters felt like paintings, with hardly any depth or richer context for their actions or motivations.

Yet among the many critics who panned the film, there were still those who gave it their full support. The New York Times review praising the movie as "a compelling and enduring portrayal of youthful camaraderie, and a solid analysis of the challenges of growing up". A true tale and embodiment of how messed up the world can be, how prejudices can blind us to those who might need a helping hand. Furthermore, they praise Francis new approach to cinema, commenting on how he has lost nothing of its flair or camera work, nor his instinctive emotive takes, giving as example the scene where both Ponyboy and Johnnie see a sunset similar in many ways to the "Gone with the Wind" film of 1939.

...Goddammit, why does it always come back to that movie?!

Well, with Tom Cruise and Patrick Swayze's appearance, the movie managed to chug along to a respectable $25,000,000 in sales or more for the domestic market alone. The later international market in Europe and Asia did not seem to think much of the film, but Ireland certainly did, with $5,000,000 coming out from them alone. The movie might be set in America, but the conflict, prejudice, social divide, it all seemed tailor made for a people who had been living with it for decades now. This movie touched so many of their issue that newspapers were claiming it was tailor made for them alone. The final message, of 'Staying Gold', to look for the good inside them, has also re-sparked an interest in the church that had been going downhill ever since The Troubles and the new decade had begun, looking for aid in reconnecting with the most noble aspects of humanity.

...Well, not that you're going to say anything against it.

On the Homefront as well, it did not escape anyone's notice how the entire cast was a showcase of talent, both current and for the future, with later mentions on of this being the first "Brat Pack" movie ever shown. Names like Dinae Lane and Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez and Matt Dillon would soon become household names with their performance and with the regularity with which they would be called to act in more movies overall. John Hughes in fact has already managed to convince many of them to work on his "Breakfast Club" production, which he now has even greater hopes after seeing the dramatic, yet grounded way in which they can develop their characters.

And Francis, despite the lack of praise from critics, or the movie not being as much of a hit as he had expected, is very satisfied with it, commenting how in the end he enjoyed working on something that was not a blockbuster for once, a simple story that allowed him to experiment outside of his usual methods, and be with his family at the same time. He will still be available for any movie that Lucasfilms may want him for, but for now he wants to try any new genres that he'd left behind before.

Not that you're going to stop him if masterpieces like these are going to keep on coming. The movie, despite it not becoming a true blockbuster, would go on to become a Cult Classic, well remembered beyond its time, with VHS Sales going to nearly double their Box Office Earnings. The nostalgia feeling, the grounded tragedy and melancholy of the setting, the hopeful light at the end, and the excellent performance by a star-studded cast made this one of the films that no one can say did not deserve its title.

Heck, from what you heard, Tulsa is now turning the entire shooting places into a tourist attraction that is already bringing in the revenue! Just what the heck Francis! How do you go from trying a smaller production to suddenly turning the place into a small tourist park?! Geez, is the same going to happen to any of your other movies as well?

...Nah, can't be.

That reminds you though, you still need to check on where to have The Hobbit filmed if you want to adapt it before the decade is out.

 

[overmind]

Cult of the Preacher
Directed by: Sam Raimi
Written by: Dave Allistair, Mike Pondsmith, Ed Greenwood and Gary Gygax
Produced by: Jerry Bruckheimer
Production and Distribution Studio: Lucasfilms Unlimited
Starring: Jason Bateman (Jason Walker), Bruce Campbell (Evan Walker), Molly Ringwald (Lisa), Sean Astin (Kevin), Alan Rickman (Father Dominic), Richard Griffiths (Jimmy Baker), Christopher Lee (Doctor Smith) and Jodie Foster (Vanessa Smith)

Quality: D100 + 500 => 569
Audience: D100 + 500 => 587
Critics: D100 + 500 => 575

Budget: $5,000,000
Domestic: $67,747,173
international: $90,970,371
Total Box Office: $158,717,544

VHS: $6,781,197​

Back when you thought to have Cult of the Preacher done, the main thought was not how it would stick it to the so called "Moral Guardians", or how it was supposed to be a revenge plot against televangelists, and all those who would try to use the Bible or the word of the lord to try and discriminate and attack anything and everything that they dislike. After all, you knew pretty well how much of the coverage and news about it was just overblown hype, and many of the parents were just worried about their children and doing what they could to protect them, even if their attempts were just misguided at best.

No, the reason why you greenlit the movie was twofold; it was the first script where you saw Dave and Mike collaborate with the newcomers to the Lucasfilms Family, Ed Greenwood and Gary Gygax, and you felt that such attempts should be encouraged... even if some of the script felt a bit too much like one of those PSA's that were usually shown in the form of a movie.

The second reason however, was Sam Raimi and his desire to once more jump into the fray, not letting the debacle that was Sisu put him down, and instead channeling all his energies into proving how his first film was not a fluke (like many of his detractors were now trying to argue). Sam specifically asked for the script, perhaps hoping that the horror genre would help somewhat in the transition, perhaps because he wanted to challenge himself this time with a script that did not have the same amount of gore as his two previous films... or perhaps he just saw that it was a script written by designers of DnD and he could just not help himself.

A good thing too, considering the message that the entire film has.

It was not bad overall, since it mostly dealt with both family matters as well as the influence that the church and religion would have on them, but it also tried to put in the effects of DnD and try for a deconstruction of the entire idea that it leads to satanism. The entire story follows Jason Walker, a young teen who loves playing DnD with his friends, yet it's also feeling the pressure from both parents and his older brother to perhaps, if not abandon it altogether, at least try to find a different hobby or try to get more involved in the new Megachurch being led by Pastor Jimmy Baker, as both his parent and older brother, Evan Walker, have done.

What follows however is an interesting exploration of both the community and the effects the Megachurch has on it; at first everything looks fine, better than ever even. The different families are getting together to meet and talk more, the children and teens are more polite and involved in religion, more wholesome entertainment is being shown, and is also fun instead of just bland copies of old literature. All in all, the entire idea of Televangelism, Megachurches, and the new approach to religion seems to be in the up and up, and something that it clearly can be beneficial.

Yet all the brightness hides a dark side, one that can be seen through the entire story through small yet obvious signs when you know what to look for; like the fact that Jason and Evan's parents tend to speak overall about the need to be seen donating, the conversation between adults that while cordial on the surface have a touch of negativity when gossiping, almost like trying to compare themselves in order to see who is the better in the hierarchy. How Pastor Jimmy seems like such a nice guy, yet his interactions with those who donate the most always seem to be longer and more cordial than those who gave less, thus making the entire meeting almost seem like a cult.

Fitting for the title then.

Jason and his friends are framed against this supposedly perfect picturesque community life as the odd ones out; Jason with his love for DnD, Lisa and her love of books and fantasy, and Kevin, a fellow DnD and HEMA enthusiast who feel they don't belong in this community, with Evan once being like them but now trying so hard to fit in, yet also feeling like there is something wrong in the entire new Megachurch, along with the way Pastor Jimmy acts.

The mystery of the community then begins to unravel when during one of their usual meets at the Megachurch, they happen to run unto Father Dominic, a catholic priest that leads the congregation on the old Parish, which has been lately coming under heavy criticism by all members of Pastor Jimmy's group, along with the many members who still prefer going to Father Dominic's services instead. Though looking sever, gloomy, and almost a picture-perfect villain, Father Dominic soon proves himself to the kids when they find that he enjoys nearly as many as their hobbies, thereby meeting to discuss them at the library, which also being heaping more suspicion unto him, with the groups of friends being warned by their parents not to meet him.

While this is going on, there's also mentions of a spate of disappearances and killings that have the police on high alert. Many see Father Dominic with suspicion, as he always seems to be skulking around and trying to get into the Megachurch without being noticed, only to be thrown away by Pastor Jimmy and being given a restraining order as well. Kevin is about to have a new sibling, which is not something he's that excited about. And Evan, though now a part of the Church's helpers and youth group finds himself isolated as he soon finds he has nothing in common with the rest of them, only able to make friends with Vanessa Smith, the daughter of Dr. Smith, who is also a friend of Pastor Jimmy and the doctor who is in charge of helping Kevin's mother give birth.

From there the story threads begin connecting as Jason and friends begin investigating the sudden disappearances when during one of their meetings at the Megachurch they happen to find a hidden room containing a book that looks outright satanic. Meeting with Father Dominic and from there connecting the dots as they manage to hide near the ending in Pastor Jimmy's office and hear his voice along with Dr. Smith discussing about "the coming age" and "Hiding the bodies". Evan also helps during the investigation as he begins seeing how everything is just too weird, even with Vanessa who begins acting bipolar in many occasions until he manages to find the truth just as Dr. Smith helps Kevin's mother give birth... and then proclaims the child to be stillborn.

And it all begins spiraling down to the big climax.

Father Dominic moves to confront Pastor Jimmy, Jason and his friends find about Pastor Jimmy's parents and grandparents, as well as their connections to crimes and murders. Both sides end up going to the Megachurch, where Father Dominic confronts Pastor Jimmy about his misdeeds, where both sides end up fighting. Jason, his brother and friends follow into the secret room of the Megachurch, where they find a satanic ritual, with Dr. Smith preparing to sacrifice Kevin's newborn sibling, having lied to the mother.

The climactic confrontation ends with both sides being victorious over the satanists, the police being called, and Pastor Jimmy seeing his long legacy finally being uprooted from the community. And though the parents seem to be glad that it's all over, there is no disguising the fact of their actions, nor that they are trying to hide all they did before where in thrall to the now "Satanic Cult" that had been living under their noses all this time without them noticing.

But it's with the children where true hope is seen, where thanks to Father Dominic they understand that perhaps religion is not so bad, but there are always going to be those that try to use it for their own ends. The teens are given a chance to work things out by themselves after having seen the dark side of the world, and then going back to play some DnD together, this time inviting their parents, trying to create a new activity that they can all share together.

And for all that you can read said story, in the end it just doesn't scream horror to you. You can understand that this is what Dave, Ed, Mike and Gary might be trying to make, and form what you've read of their previous works in both scripts and adventures in their different fields, they have a great wealth of imagination and creativity to bring into the fray. It just seems that this is a classic example of too many cooks spoiling the broth here. On their own, all these different elements should bring about some element of horror, altogether they clash against each other.

Not to mention that while trying to bring about a story to counter the narrative of many of the "moral guardians" or the Televangelists, have made the story a bit too obvious in hindsight. You don't want to say it, but overall, this sounds too much like a coming-of-age story, and one that leans a bit too much into the sentimentality of it all...or at least it would have had it not been for Sam to agree with all of your points and go about it in a way that turned the movie less into pushing a message, and more into just having fun with the entire idea.

And boy did he have fun with it.

To start with, he made the movie less serious than what it would originally been, making sure to have the actors practice behind cameras again and again in order to get just the right frames when in camera and during shooting, making their acting seem real but exaggerated, an over-the-top aesthetic that can complement it, along with a degree of slapstick comedy that makes many of the scenes not be taken as seriously, but it imbues them with a degree of humanity within.

The element of horror was also reworked so that instead of trying to push into outright slasher or mystery, it would instead push into atmospheric horror, the feeling that for all that everything seems normal there is just something overly wrong with the picture being shown at you, the idea that in the mundane alone there is something to fear and be wary of, where the authorities that you were supposed to trust in are now the ones that you have to fear and avoid. Even the later subversion of showing how Father Dominic can be trusted does nothing to remove much of the distrust and outright tension of the movie.

Another element that Raimi made excellent use for the film was the actors, taking a mix of both well-known and newcomers to bring in the chaotic mix that he usually delights with his movies; Burce Campbell was of course a given, and he was given the role of Evan. Jason Bateman, thanks to recommendations from Are You Afraid Of The Dark? was given the role of the main character of Jason Walker, both him and Bruce clicking into the sibling relationship from the start of the film. Sean Astin, giving his first live role in Lucasfilms after Sword of the Stranger, along with Molly Ringwald, one of the most acclaimed newcomers into the big screen, managed to imbue their characters with both the innocence and tempestuousness that comes when you're moving from being a child to a teenager, confused, angry, and with no idea what to do, but still moving ahead and trying to make sense of it all. To this ensemble, Jodie Foster is added as Vanessa Smith, the daughter of Dr. Smith, a teen who has it all and does not seem to care about who it hurts so long as she gets to keep her lifestyle.

An odd role for Jodie, but one that you have to admit she plays to perfection. She is just that good it seems.

But it's the trio from across the pond that nearly steal the show with their own performance; Alan Rickman, Richard Griffiths and Christopher Lee seemed to have gotten together and spoke with Sam about the script, both sides coming to an agreement that let the three work around their character in order to bring them into just what they should be without the script becoming a hindrance; Rickman's Father Dominic is a true figure of authority and fear, yet one with a soft spot for children who does all he can to keep them away from danger, only relenting when knowing that not saying anything would harm them. Griffiths Pastor Jimmy revels in his feeling of superiority in every scene without a need to outright say it, a small mocking smile whenever no one looks at him, and a bluster that tries to hide it all at the end, even when cornered. A true fanatic through and through.

And Christopher Lee, you don't know how he does it, but he keeps on making sure every role he takes is another work of art; unique, beautiful, irreplaceable, being able to play both into both the horror and slapstick aspect alike, turning what could have been just a generic henchman role into a look inside the dark side of the medical profession, turning the ideals it's supposed to hold into perversions of it, while also adding a touch of goofiness whenever interacting with Griffiths or in the final confrontation with the children.

Overall, it was a near reconstruction of the script by keeping to their themes, but also not completely to the letter of it, and in that Sam made sure to put his signature in as much as he could through the entire films. not that Dave and the rest minded either, they were just glad to see their film being made, and even if not told outright, the criticisms they levied were still there for all to see; the overemphasis on wealth and donations that much of the supposed Televangelists" claimed would help Christians, the sheer hypocrisy of pointing the finger at DnD for the degradation of the moral fiber and yet having their own hidden skeletons and vices within, the near cultish mentality of the members of said Pastors and leaders while trying to profess their individuality and tolerance.

It would have been an attack on the overall church had it not been for the excellent portrayal of Father Dominic as true and faithful man of God, yet one that did not try to push in the message of Catholicism being the true path (no matter how much you may have wanted to) but instead admitting that though the Church was not perfect, in the end no one but the lord was. Alan Rickman truly made an excellent work with this character, and impressed many of the other directors for perhaps more roles in the upcoming movies. Personally, you could see him making an impression in one of the adaptations for Tolkien's Legendarium, though you'll leave that to the directors.

Oh shit, you really should get to work on them, right?

In the end, the movie was released in April, a bit too far from Halloween, but fitting for the film. Initial screenings did not seem to favor it that much, but it was on the premiere that the real strength of the film was shown. Though At first Mike wanted to market it as a horror film, it was Sam and Dave who convinced him to keep that element down to serve as a surprise for first time viewers and leaving the rest to word of mouth, believing that the teens to which this was marketed to would be able to immediately detect just what kind of movie this was just from the reviews alone.

And what do you know, it seemed to have worked.

At first much of the audience was of the current "Moral Guardians" the groups that would try to talk a lot about things they did not know about, perhaps thinking, just like Dave and the others had expected, that this was some sort of "peace offering" or "throwing in the towel" as they expected from much of their campaigns and attempts at regulating both books and films regarding the topics they did not want children to watch. Well, many of them left in the middle of the film, outrage in their faces and anger in their veins as they once more stood in their soap box and began yelling for all and sundry about the wickedness of the film and how it clearly made light of the very real problem of having to deal with DnD.

You know, the usual drivel they engage in.

And like the very well true and tried strategy used before, all kinds of attacks by the Moral Guardians became useful when it came to promote the film once more to the rest of the country, which after an initial burst that seemed to make up for the initial numbers, it started to go down as they saw what the entire furor is all about. Frankly, you think that most of the ones that still remained afterwards to see the film did so out of both, a true appreciation of the story, but also because they enjoyed mocking the Moral Guardians who tried to protest outside of the cinema.

It made for a good $60 million on the domestic market alone, and though it did not reach the heights of horror one would have expected, in the end many would admit that it was a very good film, a good story about family and the dangers of being too naive, while at the same time avoiding the true and tried trap of just blaming religion for everything. It made for a good palate cleanser for all the different "slasher" films that are being made lately, with some parents even bringing their children in as the movie avoids gore, and it's something they can be sure that they can talk with them afterwards.

Heck, even the critics are on your side this time around. Nearly all of them feel that the movie is somehow one of the best stories focusing on family, friendship, as well as an excellent message for both teens and children growing up currently. At some point you thin one of them mentioning how this seemed to be better than The Outsiders, which makes you wonder just what the heck are they drinking?!

On the other hand, this movie exploded in popularity in the most unlikely of places; Latin America. You don't know how they interpreted, or if perhaps it was the subtitles or dubbing, but the entire continent seems to see the movie as made just for them; the tale of a Catholic Priest who despite being mocked and turned against, rises and nonetheless manages to uncover the truth behind a Satanic Ritual hiding under the eyes of those who claim to believe in God, yet in the end are exposed.

You don't know who the hell began making such wild claims, or how can they get that after seeing the movie, but it somehow stuck.

The result however went beyond your expectations; on a movie that you expected to get at best some $20 million overseas, it exploded into $90 million thanks to the then sudden popularity in Spain, Italy, France, and the rest of the Catholic Countries, even those like Poland on the other side of the Curtain which have managed to sneak in. Heck, the Philippines have somehow become one of the biggest contributors, and every cinema there has at least two rooms for them to see it.

Unfortunately, there is always a dark cloud with the silver lining, and that would be the VHS sales which sunk way below what one would expect them to see. You don't know if it was because they suddenly got smart, but the rest of the Moral Guardians seemed to have noticed how sales went up when they went on the attack, so their sudden silence could have been nothing short of premeditated. And without their attention, the entire debacle seemed to have died down, not to mention that while the film was good enough to grab the attention of the audience, it was not to the point that they needed to own physically. Europe however had the bad luck of being in the middle of Mary Whitehouse's new campaign, which she launched to great success to try and make films like yours be rated R, and to have as little as possible distribution for VHS systems.

Sam took it like a champ though, feeling glad for the positive reception, while preparing to go back to work after taking a few months off and recharge his batteries. he's been talking about making a sequel to his original film, perhaps something a bit grander than before, and from there he wants to try and experiment a bit more with the different genres available. He's mentioned that after seeing all the superhero films from Columbia, he's gotten the idea of perhaps trying to bring about some comics characters to the big screen himself. Perhaps Marvel or any other of the properties you currently own.

Well, you're sure he'll do great with whatever he's given, as he's just proved to you and the entire country.

Now, how do you get that duo to sell that turtle comic? You know there has to be a way there.

 

[overmind]

The Bounty
Directed by: Roger Donaldson
Written by: Robert Bolt
Produced by: Bernard Williams and Dino De Laurentiis
Production Studio: Dino De Laurentiis Corporation
Distribution Studio: Lucasfilms Unlimited
Starring: Mel Gibson (Fletcher Christian), Anthony Hopkins (William Bligh), Laurence Olivier (Admiral Hood), Edward Fox (Captain Greetham), Daniel Day-Lewis (John Fryer), Bernard Hill (William Cole), Philip Davis (Edward Young), Liam Neeson (Charles Churchill), Wi Kuki Ka (King Tynah), Tevaite Vernette (Mauatua), Philip Martin Brown (John Adams), Simon Chandler (David Nelson), Malcolm Terris (Dr. Thomas Huggan), John Sessions (John Smith), Andrew Wilde (William McCoy), Neil Morrissey (Matthew Quintal), Richard Graham (John Mills), Dexter Fletcher (Thomas Ellison), Pete Lee-Wilson (William Purcell), Jon Gadsby (John Norton), Barry Dransfield (Michael Byrne), Steve Fletcher (James Valentine), Jack May (Prosecuting Captain), Sharon Bower (Betsy Bligh) and Mary Kauila (Queen Tynah)

Audience: D100 + 300 => 377
Critics: D100 + 300 => 366

Domestic: $12,312,124
International: $55,522,323
Total Gross: $67,834,447​

When it came to the history of The Bounty, and its legendary (and disastrous) trip to the islands of the Pacific, there are few naval tales that are as renowned, nor as remembered. A tale that for nearly a century has been told and retold in both plays and books, as well as through the art of cinema once the technology was available, and perhaps even before. The story of Captain Bligh and his infamous mutiny has been told in many ways and through different versions that at the time it was already considered an old, tired story.

It all began in 1916 with the first version, The Mutiny Of The Bounty, a silent Australian film of all things, yet it nonetheless set the ball rolling. 1933's version, In The Wake Of The Bounty, which was the screen debut of Errol Flynn (another of Hollywood's greats during its golden era) was the first time it was attempted in an American production, and it shows as it is a mix of documentary and re-enactment, focusing more on the consequences than the actual mutiny. It was then followed in 1935 with its more famous adaptation, Mutiny On The Bounty, where Charles Langdon and Clark Gable gave the performance of a lifetime, allowing the character of Bligh to become as an obnoxious, brutal and sadistic disciplinarian, a true villain in the sense of the word, while Fletcher was shown as the shining hero and foil for the character, a man of the people, compassionate towards all, and only rising for the sake of others.

It was the characterization that was also tried, yet failed to be achieved, with the 1962 Mutiny On The Bounty, A flop if there ever was one, and another reason as to why you're never going to hire Marlon Brando for any of your movies. As if you needed any after what Kathleeen told you of his performance in Superman.

Yeah, not going to happen buddy.

It didn't surprise you that there was another attempt at bringing one of the most infamous stories back to the silver screen, and you did not hesitate to speak with De Laurentiis once more in order to become the sole distributor for the film. Considering your previous acquaintance, the discussion did not take long, you even had the time to ask about the production and the future of his studio, asking about the Flash Gordon sequel many had hoped for yet no one would get for now.

But the news about the production threw you for a loop when you asked about it.

You've heard about longer and troubled productions, those kinds of films that just seem to have the worst kind of luck, or just don't have the necessary funds in order to continue, leading to the legendary and dreaded "Production Hell" label. George's attempts to bring Star Wars to life could be considered one, Francis' own Apocalypse Now was an ordeal and a half, your very own Conan The Destroyer certainly qualifies, but hearing about a film that took over five years to make it to the big screen, had to replace actors nearly monthly, and had a script that was only finished and with no more rewrites only one day before filming was set to start... yeah, you might want to re-evaluate your previous complaints.

And those were just some of the small issues! It does not include how the entire project at first was going to be split in two movies detailing first the mutiny and then focusing on the later aftermath of the mutineers. Nor how the entire thing began with the first director, David Lean, who had envisioned this as a passion project and was willing to get to work on the entire thing, that is until his second collaborator, Robert Bolt, got a heart attack and died in the middle of production, and then Paramount, who had been scheduled to distribute the film pulled out when the entire production had spent over three years just trying to set things for filming and there was hardly any principal photography done.

Overall, the entire film has been a debacle and a half, and it's a wonder that Dino De Laurentiis decided to stick to the course after it seemed this was going to be one of those films that would just flounder, be forgotten and stuck in development hell. But there were still elements going on for him at the time; Anthony Hopkins had decided to jump in on the project, he now had full control after Lean had bailed, they still had the replica of The Bounty to use...which had cost $4,000,000 dollars to make... and was nearly sold after David Lean abandoned the project...

But he had managed to get a director for the film... one that was about to have his directorial debut in Hollywood...

Roger Donaldson was an Australian director who had debuted with films in New Zealand who had shown interest in The Bounty, and Dino grabbed him before he could change his mind. As Dino tells you, Donaldson mentioned having doubts at first since this was his first project that would be over a million, but looking at the script and the way that they were moving the film, away from the old characterization and stereotypes of previous films, and instead going for a more grounded, and loyal approach to the event, he could not help but feel drawn to it, seeing it as a way to being about something new, something that would not be just another remake but, the true story of two men that at one point would have been regular people, and were thrown into the tides of history.

By the time you had noticed the film and had begun talks to have it distributed, it had just recently started filming, after an entire period of five years of waiting. After having its cast change at the last minute when Mel Gibson had to quickly substitute the primary actor for Christian Fletcher, mainly thanks to hearing how you were about to distribute the film, and seeing the chance to work with Lucasfilms once more, if even on a tangential role. A good stroke of fortune, as the interactions between him and Hopkins are what basically make the movie what it is, giving a sense of gravitas and true tension between the character through the entire story.

And what a story it is.

To begin with, the story, unlike the previous adaptations, is framed as the report of Captain Bligh during his court martial, as he tries to explain the details of how and why The Bounty mutinied against him. You enjoyed this, as you could clearly see the tension in every word, the insinuations in every question, and the sense of urgency whenever Bligh tried to defend himself, yet at the same time is forced to acknowledge how badly he must have screwed up during the entire debacle.

The entire film then goes on to show the truth in between these sections; the first time Bligh is given his orders as a Lieutenant to lead a Cutter, an unrated ship without any kind of protection from marines nor any kind of real authority beyond the one he could enforce with his warrant officers. The initial friendship between him and Fletcher, as both of them had sailed together before and saw nothing wrong with trying again, the promise of promotion for Fletcher enough to coax him. The initial disagreements with John Fryer, the navigator in charge who tried to give advice yet was ignored at many times and even demoted in front of everyone, insulting him in the process. The constant demands of Blight to change the watch schedule, keep the ship clean every single day with vinegar, and forcing them to do "dance exercises" every day for at least four hours...

Dear God, what the fuck is wrong with him! There is a moment where he actually defends himself in the court martial and has the gall to actually say how everyone enjoyed this moment while the crew is actually shown to absolutely despise them.

And yet... the movie also makes efforts to show some much-needed sympathy for Bligh as well; it gives time to show how he was a commoner, how he had to rise through the ranks in a class-oriented society. How he sailed with Captain Cook and was quite experienced at it, as well as the moments with Fletcher where he is shown to be a loving husband and caring father. How he despised the surgeon on board of his ship for being a drunkard and was not caring for his men enough. The sheer joy at commanding a ship and wanting the best for all his crewmembers.

This humanized Captain Bligh in a way no other film had done before, showing how each side had their own story, and he may have actually really believed that what he was doing was for the best... yet in the end it was clearly not enough, as his actions are seen as tyrannical, obsessive, and stubborn to the extreme. His attempts to go through Cape Horn nearly sink the ship, only giving way to go through the Cape of Good Hope after much meddling, and even then letting his feelings of pettiness free rein to have John Fryer be demoted in front of everyone.

Bligh was making mistakes and he was not even aware of it, he was letting the entire crew focus his hatred on him and he thought that they would just follow along since Cook had done the same. During the entire film, there is this sense of disconnect between Bligh and the rest of the crew, as if he lived in a world apart and the impression that he had of them existed only in his mind.

And no other is this shown as clearly as when they reach Tahiti.

An entire crew who'd had to live under the strict orders of a man who was sure that they were the ones that would keep them safe, where they had no other place to vent their hatred than on the Captain himself, where even his closer supporter, Fletcher Christian, had tried giving advice but was routinely ignored or just given platitudes about it and told to get in line once more. It is no wonder then than the sailors just up and decided to jump into the paradise that they had just arrived. During the entire film, there were more than enough shot of the cramped accommodations, the little food, the constant work, and the very little time they had to just take time and relax, much of it being taken by Bligh's "Dancing".

But when they reach Tahiti it's like an entire new paradigm is opened; the shots are now of wide spaces, where there is food aplenty, beautiful women to walk around and mingle, an entire new way of life that is so different than what they've had to live through, and it's all for them to enjoy since they can't leave because of the current season.

And all the while, Bligh is there, serving as the one trying to enforce discipline once more, the very devil in their paradise, as their anger towards the man increases.

But here the camerawork does something interesting; it highlights how alone Bligh is during the entire debacle, how his attempt at establishing discipline are not because of a desire to bring about misery, but more because he needs to keep the ma from splitting or breaking apart. He even talks about it with Fletcher in his own way, how the man are going about because the officers like him are also not following discipline, but there is a sense of helplessness that is being hidden as well, one that Bligh recognizes as he does not have the support of armed forces to cajole or force the man to keep to their duties.

It all comes to a head during the breach of conduct during the dinner with the Captain that Fletcher had to attend due to his responsibilities as Lieutenant. There, Fletcher arrives not properly dressed, and late, a huge transgression towards the captain, one that he knows very well and followed through the entire movie in different scenes, yet now he does not seem to notice nor understand what the entire problem is about.

Through the entire film, Christian has been seen cavorting with the natives, falling in love with one of the women there, and even marrying her. Thus, the Movie uses the time in Tahiti to chronicle Christian's breakdown in discipline, and how the longer he stays in island the clearer it becomes that he never wants to leave, thus serving as a surrogate for the rest of the crew as well, and their feelings towards Bligh and their mission.

It's no wonder then, that when they are forced once more to go back to The Bounty, to their miserable lives, to their constant cleanings and "Dances" that the men can't take it anymore. Added to this is that Bligh has grown even harsher in order to enforce more discipline, specially towards his former friend and ally, as he personally targets Fletcher in a petty crusade to make his life as miserable as possible. A huge change where both would talk and discuss the voyage as friends, and would have each other's back.

In a way, Fletcher still does though, as when he hears about how the men are planning to mutiny because of Bligh's attempt to sail through Cape Horn again, he goes to warn him to not go through Cape Horn, how the men are angry, to please understand. yet Bligh once more shows his misunderstanding of the situation or the mood of his men, as he rejects all entreaties from Fletcher, and thus is shocked and taken by surprise when the mutiny actually happens, when nearly all his men have turned against him, with only a few sticking by his side.

And Fletcher, the leader of the Mutineers, is not one of them.

You have to give credit where its due here; the confrontation between Hopkins and Gibson in this scene is Pure Cinema. There is nothing else that can be compared to the outpouring of emotion, the high stress environment, or the energy and passion in their delivery. Fletcher trying to keep Bligh alive, even threatening the men he's leading to not try to harm him in any way, the way he yells and seems on the verge of losing it as Bligh now entreats him, asking him to remember his duty, his family, all that he is throwing away. And the breakdown, when Fletcher finally yells, his repressed emotions finally let loose, demanding Bligh to answer why now is he finally being reasonable, and screaming his frustration and anger for all and sundry to hear, to finally give voice to what everyone in the ship wanted to say all along:

"I AM IN HELL!!!"

...It took your breath away.

The movie could have climaxed right then and there and still be an absolute masterpiece. Yet in the end, it continues, and it gets better because of it, as it goes on to show the aftermath of the mutiny; Fletcher and their men going back to Tahiti, asking for supplies as they move now in search of the Pitcairn Islands to make a new living there, whereas Bligh and the men who still followed him are given a raft and some supplies, and then are sent to find a way back to civilization.

But both sides serve as an excellent mirror of each other, as neither of the travels are safe or comfortable; Bligh's men are found by cannibals on an island they had put to rest for a moment, and from there they decided not to leave the ship unless they reached safe harbors. There is hunger, sickness, and near mutiny, but through it all, Bligh keeps the crew united. With the look of a man who may have gotten them into this situation, but he was going to get them out of it again. And he does, with his skills at navigation, using only a single compass to reach Timor, and from there go back to England.

Fletcher's travels however were dogged by hunger, weather, getting lost, and a near mutiny where Fletcher had to threaten one of the men to keep on course until they reach the Pitcairn islands. It clearly highlights the leadership style of both men, as well as the type of crew that each has.

The final scene, a clear contrast between the two men, is one of the most chilling you've seen as well. With Bligh being acquitted and promoted to Captain, but having the mutiny remain in his record for the rest of his life. Whereas Fletcher arrives at the Pitcairn Islands to a new home, but has to burn their ships, knowing they will never see England as well, the haunted look in his face wondering if it was the right choice to make.

And the audience loved it! Thanks to Mike's campaign to rework the narrative, taking the five-year time to make the movie and comparing it to how Star Wars did the same in order to create quality cinema helped remove much of the stigma that the film would have otherwise garnered. That Mel Gibson was given top billing as well also helped, considering how many still remembered him as Mad Max and wanted to see what he would be doing this time around. You think he may be the most known Australian Actor at the time.

But despite the reason why everyone arrived, the reason why they stayed was because of the excellent tale of one of the most famous naval stories in history, an excellent depiction of how far someone can be pushed before they break, an accurate portrayal of what happened between two men, once friends, whose decisions aboard The Bounty cemented their place in history forever. Excellent character development, and a fresh new take on an already told tale. One that rather than just making Bligh the bad guy and Fletcher the good guy, makes them full of nuance and tragedy. Both sides that could not communicate, and when looked through different lenses, you can understand as to why they acted in the way they did.

In the end, Bligh was not the monster, nor the sadistic monster he was portrayed, and Fletcher was not the compassionate hero of the downtrodden he was depicted as. They were both human, and they both made mistakes that they would have to live with for the rest of their lives.

Critics of the film gave their full support to the film. They had to after it was nominated for the Palm d'Or at the Cannes Festival. Praising it as one of the more historically accurate portrayals of the film, with both Siskel and Ebert visibly arguing about the performances of the cast, with the former arguing how it clearly eclipsed the 1935 version and set the standard for the new type of adaptations to come, whereas Ebert remained firm that it was more "spectacle than substance" and it would not bring about any change in the overall tale for the future.

The film did better overseas than in America, and it does not surprise you one bit. In the end, you were sure that not many were going to line up to see a historical tale that had already been done four times already, probably expecting the same thing once more. England however went mad over it, making up for over $10,000,000 alone of the earnings. They certainly appreciated a good take which at the very least tried to give a better view of their navy.

Romania went wild for the film, the current panic in the city making them want to escape the constant fear and panic at least for a little while, and a movie set in the past being just what they needed at the moment. It also did surprisingly well in countries which had been previous British Colonies, but you think that may just have been the desire to see the British showing a loss for once.

but, in the end, the movie that Dino was already expecting to become a loss, managed to become a hit, managing to make over three times its budget, and allowing his company to remain afloat longer. He told you he still gets calls about the possibility of making a Flash Gordon sequel, which he's getting quite sick about it. He even joked about selling the rights to Lucasfilms, but his tone made it seem that it would be a true possibility if things remained as they were.

As for Donaldson, he talked to you about the filming locations he went about; Polynesia, New Zealand, England, talking about how they seemed some of the most peaceful lands to film... right up until they weren't. You know you should not, but at the same time, hearing about how someone else had bad luck filming in the ocean just feels right, as if it was something everyone should experience at least once; the bad weather conditions, the horrible filming locations, the difficulties in the water...

Yeah, you're not going to make the same mistake again.

That New Zealand location he mentioned though... it does sound really peaceful. Perhaps you could give it a look for one of your other projects.

 

[Kaiser Chris]

Footloose
Directed by: Herbert Ross
Written by: Dean Pitchford
Produced by: Dean Pitchford
Production and Distribution: Lucasfilms Unlimited
Starring: Kevin Bacon, Lori Singer, Dianne Wiest, John Lithgow

Quality:
D100 + 300 => 348
Audience:
D100 + 300 => 380
Critics:
D100 + 300 => 331

Budget: $7,500,000
Domestic: $43,600,366
International: $1,365,887
Total: $44,966,253
VHS: $262,986,693​

It's always a good day whenever you manage to fund someone's passion into a film and then release it as a great piece of Lucasfilms art. While Hollywood may perceive Lucasfilms as a "Boys club" of you, George and all your friends, it didn't mean that you were opposed to giving opportunities to talent deserving of a chance, such was the case with Footloose.

The film starred Kevin Bacon as Ren McCormack, a Chicago teen who moves with his mother to their Aunt and Uncle's small Texas town of Bomont to start over after some rough times. However Ren, a free spirited young man with a passion for dancing soon comes into conflict with the rather traditionalist town as he discovers that they banned dancing and rock and roll when the reverend's eldest daughter died in a drunk accident after a night of dancing. This sets Ren on a collision with said Reverend's surviving daughter Ariel, a rebellious young woman struggling against her father's puritanism. Thus, Ren is set on a mission to overturn the town's ban on dancing and convince its people to live freely with a footloose spirit.

So apparently the entire movie was legitimately based off of real events with the town of Elmore City, Oklahoma having instituted a ban for over 80 years since 1898, instituted during a rising tide of the Prohibition movement. However, the activism of two young girls to have a junior prom managed to get it repealed in 1980. When Dean Pitchford heard about the case, he was inspired to write a coming of age story based upon the town, and thus Footloose was born. Really weird such a case was never taken to the Supreme Court, but hey you got a great movie out of it when the rest of Hollywood played Hot Potato, and thank the Lord you secured production rights because it would have been a complete disaster under Paramount's brief plan to do the film with Michael Cimino.

Footloose as a film has been said to be a smoothie mix of many contemporary works with similar genres and themes. Titles that keep on popping up are Grease for its teen drama and free vibes, Flashdance for its style of "MTV Musical" with the characters dancing to a pop soundtrack, and Cult of the Preacher for its messaging of being anti-establishment and not falling to puritan hysteria. You can see the various resemblances, most especially the latter in having the two played at the same time so it was a major point of review and discussion. But whereas Cult of the Preacher was a direct attack on evangelical radicalism, Footloose was more of a general story of the endless generational clash and how it was okay for the youth to express themselves and engaging in recreation and expression didn't mean that they were bad people, but they were just living their lives. While the plot of a town banning dancing may seem silly, you think a lot of the messages presented through a tight script are timeless and the film can stand strong and relatable decades from now.

The cast despite being composed largely of B and C listers did a great job at bringing the story to life and with the young actors especially, you feel a great air of authenticity and genuine relatability in their performances, relatability and chemistry that a lot of teen movies, even some of the great seem to lose in translation. Kevin Bacon did really well in his first major lead role bringing a lot of charisma and coolness to his performance with lots of hidden depth in his personality and actions. You also like the subversion of the Cool Guy/Bad Boy trope where the town makes these assumptions of Ren as a troublemaker, but really he's just a decent and chill person that just wants to enjoy life and he's very loyal to his friends with a strong personal code of respect and honor. The supporting cast is pretty well at their jobs all around, and you like how Lori Singer and Chris Penn execute their respective character arcs really well.

Your favorite actor though had to be John Lithgow as Reverend Moore who was often overlooked in favor of Bacon or could be disregarded by many, especially teens as just the nagging puritan antagonist. While Moore starts out that way, seemingly just a stubborn no-fun obstacle, as the film goes on you see that he's not opposing dance for the sake of it or because he's a nutjob, rather the Reverend is a decent man who is simply consumed by his grief and rather than moving forward, he tries to deal with it by lashing out at an easy target. Though in the process, he is simply alienating himself from his daughter and losing sight of years spent with his living child over the one who was lost. Thanks to Ariel, Ren and his wife, Reverend Moore comes to terms with his griefs and begins to understand the harm his actions caused, as seen in a brilliant scene where he's witnessing the zealous townsfolk burn library books like a Nazi rally in response to Ren's dance campaign, with Moore having his somewhat literal Come-to-Jesus moment and chastise the town for being so consumed by hate that they're not living by the Bible and loving their neighbor, just lashing out to feel good and superior.

From there, Moore supports the dance campaign and gives his blessing for Ariel and Ren to date, though in a good twist, the campaign doesn't manage to outright end the dance and music ban even with Moore's defection as so many of the town's leaders are too set in their ways. A shocking subversion, especially considering the teens did win in real life, but you honestly have to applaud Dean for the bold move and how it shows that even if you get some people to change, sometimes you can't win a war neatly in one go and some people refuse to change. Still, the teens do manage to have their dance through loopholes of having it out of county lines, providing a happy ending to the film with the famous Footloose danceoff.

That's one thing you really appreciate about the film, it's script has a lot of nuance that respects both sides of the argument, and even though Ren is the hero and dancing should be supported, it shows real challenges and how some people are set in their ways and how you can move forward in spite of such hostility. It really builds on what was said with Cult of the Preacher and delivers just as effective a message with the Televangelists and Puritans finally receiving pushback across the nation. You especially love the Dungeons and Dragons reference where as part of Ren's efforts to coordinate universal support from the students for the dance, he sets out to recruit the nerds who may have felt too alienated too attend or bother supporting. He seeks them out after being continuously warned that they're Satanists and delusional troublemakers, only to find a circle of awkward though friendly teens just trying to escape the mundane rural life through their roleplay like Ren and his dancing, with Ren managing to convince them to lend their support in exchange for him joining a session. A pretty funny sub-plot, and it was nice building on what Cult of the Preacher stated, though in a more relaxed manner. You really appreciate the nuance of the storytelling, and if nothing else it seems to have convinced more people than Cult, especially with Moore's arc showing that Lucasfilms' wasn't an anti-Protestant company and the message was more a warning against a certain type of mindset than beliefs.

The choreography was also top notch, probably one of the best in Hollywood and it was especially impressive dance directions for something that wasn't a traditional musical. The dance scenes followed Flashdance in that they were sort of psuedo music videos where characters would break into dance with an accompanying song playing on the soundtrack. Though its presentation was less fantastical and more diegetic than Flashdance as the scenes were real-time and focusing on characters in the moment. Overall you're really impressed with how the story continues to be told in the dances through how the characters dance, how they play off one another and the strong blocking and body language that tell just as much as the dialogue. Not to mention the songs are pretty great with Footloose and Let's Hear it for the Boys being hits afterwards. If you ever do a musical, you got to copy this.

Footloose first premiered a week before general showings in its inspiration of Elmore City where it was pretty warmly received, especially by those who participated in the inspirational dance campaign where they had fun with the Hollywood take on their struggles and afterwards there was an all-night dance reception where Kevin Bacon and some of the other cast members had a fun dance-off with their real life counterparts. When it premiered in LA, the Hollywood crowd seemed to enjoy it though there wasn't an overwhelming enthusiasm in reception. You had a good date night with Carrie watching it, though admittedly it was a bit hard to relate for the two of you, a highschool dropout and a prodigy who graduated at 14 and didn't go to any dances. Carrie did seem slightly bummed at the reminder of a missed experience, though you took her for a dancing night a few days later and you both had a great time, making up for what was missed more than a decade ago and really living the film's themes of just letting loose and having fun.

General audiences seemed to love it with a strong opening weekend of $10 million and continuous high praise across the board in general conversation. People really loved the cast, the music and dancing, and the general themes and story seemed to make a good impact, healing the divide for some cases and inspiring teens across the nation to make a difference. Kevin Bacon, while not quite an A-lister, seems to have made a similar splash to Tom's debut as Robin and is a hot new actor many want for a young leading role. He also seems to have developed a legion of admirers, as you can personally attest when your sister Cat shared that Kevin has sort of become her daughter's Sarah first major celebrity crush and she has the Footloose poster displayed proudly in her bedroom. Maybe you can do a solid and get that poster autographed or get a meet and greet.

Critics generally give the movie praise, but it lacks the enthusiasm that audiences have to Footloose with a few daring and bold critics giving mixed reception in calling it "Generic, Cliche, Carried by its presentation". The average seems to be in the upper 70s, and while you have to admit it's not the greatest thing since Some Nights, it's a damn good and solid movie and you don't understand where the muted enthusiasm comes from.

Though perhaps there is some truth to that as while Footloose had a healthy run domestically, it was next to nonexistent overseas. Sure, May was really packed and blockbuster season was beginning, not to mention Japan was going gaga over Macross. But still, not even $2 million outside of North America? Sure, it was a really American centric story like National Lampoon's Vacation that would be hard to find relatable, but you thought there was some universal values in the overall plot that would strike a chord with people, and MTV was a major global phenomenon. Weird.

At the very least, Footloose had made a strong profit so it was an overall box office success. Plus, sort of similar to Blade Runner it became a cult classic where it really exploded on home video. Most people who watched in theaters were eager to get a personal copy, and from movie nights it managed to reach the audience who missed out on its theatrical run and leave a strong impact. Thus, Footloose despite its low theatrical presence, became another quintessential 80s movie and became timeless and intimate with teens and college adults down the line.

Thus began the start of your Degrees of History with Kevin Bacon.

 

[overmind]

Macross: Do You Remember Love?
Directed by: Shōji Kawamori, Noboru Ishiguro
Written by: Shōji Kawamori
Produced by: Yoshiyuki Tomino
Production Studio: DreamWorks Studios, Sunrise Studios
Distribution Studio: Lucasfilms Unlimited
Starring: Arihiro Hase (Rick Hunter), Mika Doi (Lisa Hayes), Mari Iijima (Lin Minmei), Akira Kamiya (Roy Fokker), Noriko Ohara (Claudia LaSalle), Michio Hazama (Henry J. Gloval), Sho Hayami (Maximilian "Max" Sterling), Katsumi Suzuki (Ben Dixon), Hirotaka Suzuoki (Lin Kyle), Eikie Kanei (Breetai 7018), Ryūsuke Ōbayashi (Exedore 4979), Eri Takeda (Miraya 639), Yūichi Meguro (Khyron 03350) and Osamu Ichikawa (Dolza Zar)

Quality: D100 + 300 => 358
Audience: D100 + 300 => 370
Critics: D100 + 300 => 363

Budget: $5,000,000
Domestic: $81,601,166
International: $32,345,262
Total Gross: $113,946,428

VHS: $88,002,451​

Even though it had been two years, even though there had been the debut of two more Gundam Series, and even though more Mecha Anime had been released, there was no denying that Macross as a franchise and series had yet to die out or be forgotten in this current climate. Where the current trend of the TV game was that unless you become an outstanding piece of media that managed to last for years, and form not only a series but also a toy line and a devoted fan base.

Macross, the series that'd only had a single series run as well as toy line two years ago was still kept alive by their devoted fans, who still regularly wrote letters, held small conventions between their homes, and went to 'Comic-Con' dressed as their favorite characters of the series, most as Rick Hunter or Max Sterling, though there are quite a few that go as Roy Fokker or Commander Gloval as well.

Lin Minmei and Lisa Hayes were the favorite for women of course.

It had become something of a surprise for you, as though you had enjoyed the show and the series, seeing it as one of those stories that had something beyond the technical aspects. it also had passion, a beautiful rendered world, an excellent story with well-developed and complex characters that grow over time due to the circumstances around them, along with a love triangle that, while perhaps a bit too long, it still managed to keep you on the edge, wondering just who will end up with who. And if that wasn't your cup of tea, the amazing space battles and intrigue would keep you stuck to the screen nonetheless.

It was more than enough for Shōji to begin the next stage of his plan.

He'd not been idle either; working on some of the anime projects, concluding ZZ Gundam as Tomino's assistant as before, brainstorming new ideas with Noboru for the second part for the Macross Saga, including a story that would follow the descendent of Max and Miriya as she protects the Earth from a new alien menace. Working with Hannah-Barbera in giving at least some advice on how to handle the new Transformers series to debut as well.

Yet in the end, it could not be denied that he was still drawn to Macross, and the idea that would not go away no matter how much he tried; making a full-length movie of the series.

To think it all started with a simple prank, making you think that they truly wanted to make a more adult oriented version of the series. In a way you understand their reasoning, since for all that you'd been pushing animation forwards, the offerings for Anime movies had been slim pickings, with only Sword of the Stranger getting a Theatre debut. Heck, there was even proof that Anime could thrive on films, Japan alone made sure to put in not only live action but Anime related to TV as well. And if Castle of Cagliostro was anything to go by, it would be successful as well.

What did make you doubt was the direction that Shōji wanted to take the movie on. Not as an addition to the already existing Canon, but instead an entire reconstruction of it, taking the entire story, condensing it, and making it essentially 'What if Macross had been a movie', or to paraphrase him "The real Macross is there. If told as a TV series then it's organized in one way. If told as a movie, then it's organized in another way". It was a bit hard to understand when you first heard it, but it was intriguing nonetheless. It would supposedly have all the broad strokes, all the different enemies and plot points, but set in a world that nonetheless had to be different for all of it to work.

And darn it, you wanted to see it done just with that explanation alone.

When you gave the green light you expected him to go directly to work on the animation, but though that aspect was important for the future movie, what Shōji did instead was to get an immediate flight to Japan and speak with the man in charge of the music and songs, Kentarō Haneda. You could not understand why at first, since while the songs in the original series had been important and catchy, you did not think that focusing on them from the start was that crucial.

You were shown the error of your ways on the next few weeks, when the news of the movie entering production was leaked, and thousands of fans of the show made their opinions know about the music.

In the end, the TV Show had not only helped in expand the Mecha genre among the fans, but it had also introduced the new 'J-Pop' music genre to America. You'd heard some of it occasionally, but apparently it had gone beyond your expectations when thousands of letters began flooding the company demanding to know whether the same composer and the same singer would appear in the film. Mari Iijima, the singer for many of the songs had developed a following in America that, while not on the level of the local music artists, still made her well known, along with her album sells being profitable as well.

To this there were voices among them hat wanted her to be the one to voice the character of Minmei, an insurance perhaps that they would be able to hear her voice once more. Shōji tapped into that energy to then push forth his ultimate gamble; make the movie with subtitles and Japanese 'Voice Actors', not only for Minmei but for all the rest of the characters as well. It was something that left you in a quandary because for all that you loved the style; you were not sure if the audience would be willing to go and see such a movie. Mike was opposed to it, thinking that there would be a drop in sales and tickets.

Yet in the end, you had trusted Shōji before when it came to Macross, so you decided to trust him once more when it came to the film.

And the results were something beyond your wildest dreams when it came to the film. The TV series had not skimmed on the more nuanced topics, or the poignant scenes, making sure to highlight both the darkness of the war and the effects on the characters, as well as the hope that could come in the end, as well as the more lighter tones when it came to romance and interactions between friends. Yet Shōji did not feel it was enough, for he wanted something darker, something that would push at the buttons of the audience, and would move the fans' emotions whenever they saw this movie.

This is the only explanation you can give when you see what he did with the entire Canon, as everything seemed to change visually; the Macross looks different, the Veritechs look different, the Mechas look different, heck even the Zentrandi look different. No longer just taller men with different colors, they are now more alien and inhuman looking, with greener shades that bring to mind some fish and marine life effects and looks. Heck, many of them seem to be genetically modified when you see one that has a bulbous head that pulses at all time. Heck, their scenes with the Microns and the main characters give them a presence and pressure when showing their titanic forms, looming over their smaller and frailer forms, really emphasizing just the kind of threat that they are.

But damn it if it doesn't look amazing as well! It's all so detailed and beautiful to look, with Noboru clearly given wild rein to bring about every small detail for the ships movements and design, while Shōji, having learned from his previous experiences, decided to push forth on the characters and polishing their design, making them sharper and just making them more gorgeous than one would expect, especially the eyes, who look more sparkly and deep. They just make the entire design shine all the brighter, you could swear that they are more expressive and fit with their new designs, enhancing the entire look of the characters.

It's all so... beautiful to look at, not only with the characters but with the prerendered backgrounds that, in your opinion, could have come out of a Don Bluth or Miyazaki film; so detailed, full of life, and outright beautiful to look at, feeling part of a whole new world that just pushes you to explore and see what else there is, what kind of magic or new sights there are to explore. Seeing it all being made, you could not help but wonder just what else could there be, feeling in your chest a desire to live there for a moment to see it all happen.

The power of animation, it always astounds when you see it for yourself.

But aside from the meticulous backgrounds and animations there are also the small details that push the film even further from the original; like the fact that the Zentrandi now have their own language, or how both the Zentrandi and the Meltrandi are their own factions. Other changes like how the Macross is a Meltrandi Gun Destroyer, which was the reason why the Zentrandi began attacking is an amazing way to adapt their fight without going into the entire background of a mysterious ship appearing on Earth and looking for their technology. Then there's the issue of Protoculture, and its role in the entire conflict, becoming not so much as a power source, or new technology, but instead a "weapon more powerful that could ever be imagined" and reworked into literally the culture of a society that knows more than just war and conflict.

In many ways, it's a great way to expand the rest of the elements that were left dangling in the series, all condensed in a two-hour film. Many of the scenes deal with the actions and consequences with the war between the Zentrandi, the Microns and the Meltrandi, at many times working in a more in-depth explanation for both the Zentrandi and the Meltrandi, putting it right there along with the Microns forgotten history. It's not the full detailed account that one would expect, but it's something that perfectly fits nonetheless, and it becomes an important plot point for the climax at the end.

As for the story, when you first saw what they were planning to tell, as well as how to do it, well... there was no other word for it, you felt excited for the very beginning! The story starting in Medias Res with the Macross and the Zentrandi already in the middle of battle, the animation so perfect and fluid as both sides face each other on a cinematic screening. The introduction of Rick, Roy and Lisa both perfect and expository, fitting for the environment and situation they're in and highlighting their core characteristics, and all within the first minutes of the film as well.

From there the events follow the old Canon with some slight adjustments; Minmei is already a famous star and idol (and the songs still are amazing. Shōji was right in getting Iijima to work as VA as well as to keep the songs as they were) when she is rescued by rick, and their stay inside the ship while waiting for rescue does end up with both of them developing feelings for each other. The entire sequence when both of them explore the city of Macross in secret afterwards was both endearing and cute in a way that highlights the highs of a first love.

Many in the audience agreed, mostly the female fans and audience, who had come for the promise of a romantic tale, yet you did not feel any kind of disappointment from the male audience either, too enthralled by seeing their idol and the previous battle as well.

Their later capture by the Zentrandi is one of the more high tension and beautifully crafted animation sequences as well, with actual changes in the backgrounds and environment being detailed during the fight. And the later confrontation with the leaders where the idea of Protoculture and their origins is expounded on may seem like exposition, but it's one that fits perfectly during the conversation, and the later death and sacrifice of Roy Fokker to allow both Rick and Lisa to escape will remain as one of the most impactful and tear inducing moments of the entire movie.

Yet it will not be the only one.

It is a marvel how much emotion there is in every moment and scene of the entire film, with highs and lows at every turn, not letting the grip it has in your, or the audience and fans, hearts; the introduction of Miriya as an amazing pilot that manages to take down an entire squadron of Zentrandi, Rick and Lisa finding themselves on Earth and discovering it with no human life, all having been destroyed by the Zentrandi beforehand. The discussions between the Zentrandi about Protoculture and the effects it has on them, it all melds perfectly together.

Sure, it may feel a bit rushed at first, especially for those who have seen the series beforehand, and yet it still feels fresh nonetheless, with all the core elements of the series still intact if in a different form; the scenes between Rick and Lisa are especially emotive, their relationship and care for each other being well defined and developed, with their eventually ending up together feeling earned and fitting for all that they have gone through until they were finally found by the Macross. Which then perfectly segways into the fight between Max and Miriya, one of the most beautifully detailed fights in the movie, highlighting their skill, as well as how they eventually would come to fall in love with each other.

But the great climax of the film come to the final two moments in it; the final clash between the love triangle and the final battle between Dolza Zar and the Macross forces; the former is more explosive than what was shown in the series, with Minmei running in tears as Rick choses Lisa, but then having to look after her as the battle begins in order to have her sing to help in the battle. Not only that, it's a song that Lisa managed to find in the Protoculture ruins on Earth. It's a moment filled with heartbreak, pain, yet also understanding and empathy between both sides, as they have to learn to move on and gather the courage to do what is right.

All while in the background there is a war going on, as forces from the Zentrandi, the Meltrandi and the Microns all clash against each other in one of the more fluid, spectacular battles in space ever animated. The detail between each of the ships, the characters, and the missiles flying all over is an entire smorgasbord of violence and action that had the adrenalin pumping on everyone watching the film. The audience could barely keep to their seats as they watched it all unfold; the fans themselves could be heard screaming and cheering through it all.

And then the entire room was silent as it happened, the moment when the entire movie shifted into something greater than all its parts, the moment the final sequence of scenes were shown, when the conflict comes to a climax, not because of fighting, not because of the hero coming forward...

It all began with a song.

Lin Minmei begins to sing, and despite having heard all the previous songs composed by Haneda, despite having heard Iijima sing over and over again during the film... this song hits directly to the heart as everyone in the cinema just remained quiet, entranced by it all. Not that the film stops either, as while the song plays everyone can see the rest of the fight, and how that simple song changes the tides; Breetai switches sides as he understands now how Protoculture must be protected, not used as a weapon, the Meltrandi, led by MIriya and Max join the Microns as an unlikely alliance now face Dolza Zar in a final climactic fight.

It is one of the most drop dead gorgeous and action-packed scenes in all of the mecha genre. The animation is fluid, and you have to admit, though at times looks like a music video, this works on so many levels that you are compelled to watch it again and again when you have the time.

It all concludes however when Rick, having fought and infiltrated the entire Zentrandi Fleet, manages to get where Dolza Zar is, and just unloads everything into him as the final notes of the song play, destroying him and his Main Ship, leaving the surviving allies victorious as they celebrate, and Lisa revealing how the song was just a simple love song.

Its name: Do You Remember Love?

And with that, it's over. One of the most beautiful, brutal, and amazing animated movies that you've seen. An entire series compressed into a couple of hours, including all the feelings as they could barely be contained as well. It was an incredibly fun film, a redesign of everything that the series had done before; the animation, the uniforms, the characters and antagonists. The story got a dramatic reinterpretation, and it was rushed from beginning to end

And the audience loved it all! From beginning to end, since the movie was first released to its final run, legions of fans were already camping outside, hoping to be the first to see the new experience promised by Shōji, and feeling fulfilled as they left. Word of mouth managed to get as many non-fans to see the film, with everyone feeling excited at the combination of high action battles in space, and a romance story for the ages with the amazing script and animation. Sure, some of the characters themselves may have some reduced roles, but everyone understood very well who was the main character in the film at the very least.

For all who saw it, whether they were fans or not, this was the quintessential Macross experience. Even the Voice Actors being Japanese did not dampen the enthusiasm or enjoyment of the film, but rather enhanced it! You knew that If this had been done just the decade prior you'd be lucky to have broken even a million when it came to profits, yet this new generation, the one who had now been exposed to Manga, Anime, and Japan's culture were so engrossed in it that they were hungry for any new experience that came from said nation.

And the fans themselves loved to hear Mari Iijima as well, her voice and her songs alone were some of the biggest draws for the film. You're sure she has just made the entire audience her fans for life when you consider the amount of sales that skyrocketed after the film's debut. Heck, there is news about her doing a tour in America if things continue to go as good as they have. For the rest of the Voice actors, well, they may not have become as iconic as Mari, but they have managed to gain a dedicated following for their future works if they ever manage to get another Anime released. In Japan though, well, that's a different story.

Japan went nuts for the film; lines waiting on every theater, fans dressing as their favorite characters, the tickets were sold out for the first weeks and even then continuing for months afterwards. There's no other way to say it, the country loved the entire film, and loved that it had managed to get such an important mark in American culture. Names like Shōji Kawamori and Noboru Ishiguro are now household names for everyone who understand and loves animation, seeing them as the pinnacle, only topped by Tomino. Gundam fans are still resistant, claiming that their show is better, while at the same time writing and asking for Sunrise or DreamWorks to release a Gundam film as well.

Not only that, but out of the entire $30 million earned in the international market, half of it came from Japan alone, with many going to see the movie just to hear the music and songs once more. And with how this has catapulted Iijima into the international stage, there are now many other singers, both new and old, who are clamoring to be included in future projects as well. You don't think that you'll be short in Voice Acting when it comes to the future.

But with all the good news, with all the resurgence in toy sales, as well as the fan's excitement growing when told about the upcoming development in the Macross saga for the future, there always have to be the bad news and their doomsayers. It was not so bad this time around, what with the critics being more on your side than not, but many also descrying what they saw as just a "rush job" and an "unnecessary work that just undoes what came before it". There were still other critics who managed to find the underlying message of peace and cooperation that is universal when it comes to the series, even praising the love story within as one for the ages. Yet you should have expected that your greatest critic would come from the land that was also your greatest supporter.

Hayao Miyazaki did not like the movie at all, and was not shy about letting it know.

He hated the setting, he hated the violence, he hated the war and destruction it brought, and he hated that the entire country of Japan was loving and praising such a movie. Heck, in one interview he went on an entire diatribe when the interviewer mentioned how the graphics and animation was on par with his works. You did not think that anyone could scold and display such anger without raising one's voice, yet Miyazaki made that man feel like a child at the end of it all, excoriating his intelligence and taste overall.

You understood what Tomino had told you on how he despised the very idea of war and violence, and how his films seemed to show his inner thoughts and feelings on the subject, so at some level you perhaps expected this.

Only to then discover that perhaps it was a bit more personal than expected when Sunrise employees explained the entire situation; just a couple of months back, Miyazaki and his group of animators had released their own movie in Japan, the result of nearly a year of work, countless hours of development, and working tirelessly in order to finally have Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind released. A movie that was being hailed as one of the best movies made, a critics darling, and getting a distribution deal with Disney for just this month.

Only for your film to come out, the very antithesis of everything he stood for, and smash it right out of the field.

Yeah, being livid is not that hard to understand at this point. There is even a small rumor that he's making his own studio if only to show you up, thought that is just silly at this point... right?

Right?

...

Moving on, the movie became a hit in both the domestic and international market, enough to justify a VHS run, one that while not to the level of Cult Classic, still garnered enough to for all fans to get at the very least one of them. And for them, Shōji prepared a special surprise for them.

A final epilogue to the series.

When working on the film, Shōji had also worked on the aftermath of the battle, what would happen in the end, and though he had been convinced that adding such would only take away from the final battle and conclusion of the film, there was nothing stopping him from adding it to the VHS, and with yours and Mike's blessing (who went right to work involving the addition into the marketing plans) the VHS soon included what he called the Epilogue of the entire series; "Angel Space", the farewell concert of Lin Minmei two years after the final battle, in front of Microns, Zentrandi and Meltrandi alike.

The song alone would have made any fans' day, but it's what comes after that elevates it to art; seeing what has happened to everyone, Minmei walking through the concert hall a day after and reminiscing on her life, meeting Rick and Lisa as they all prepare to leave Earth in order to expand and spread humanity to the stars, and the flashbacks to when they first started, comparing them to where they are now. It's a final and beautiful farewell to the fans, but one that is both poignant and hopeful, one that expresses the feeling of moving on, yet never forgetting what they experienced before.

It's the perfect goodbye that every fan would wish for.

And goddamn it, now you're being asked when the next installment in the saga is coming out. Fans really always ask for more in the end, don't they?

 

[Kaiser Chris]

1984 Summer Arcade Trio

With the end of the school year coming up, you and Carrie decided to celebrate in a sense by having a family trip to the Bay area. You would be able to visit Gavin and his wife and daughter, and you'd also spend plenty of time with the Lucas' who were also going to stay in LA for most of the summer, something the Goslings were very happy for in getting to see Wally and Amanda more often.

After dealing with Apple and pointing them in the right direction the previous day, you decided to celebrate by taking your family and the Lucas' to a local Sega Saloon for a pizza lunch and an afternoon of fun. You took your kids to the Saloon a few times since you got back, though mainly Mary as Joseph and Sarah were still developing their motor skills to really get good at the games. George had done the same with Wally, and the two of you figured it'd be a nice experience for the kids to bond through one of your businesses, not to mention it was something that Mary and Wally had already been wanting to share.

Thankfully as the owners, you could easily reserve the Saloon just for your two families, that way you didn't have to worry about the kids getting lost or overwhelmed in a heavy crowd or losing sight of them through a swarm of star-struck fans wanting your autograph. You could get by being with the kids in public and with Carrie, but having George along as a Star Wars reunion of sorts would be tempting fate too much.

All it cost was some rather generous bonuses and some autographs for the staff on hand who were all pretty nice and hospitable, though the servers did do their best to strike up conversations and everyone was fighting to help you, not that you could blame them.

Right now you were in the middle of a pizza lunch, the kids rather eagerly devouring their slices and getting lost in conversation about school and all their favorite things. It was something rare to have all the family go out in the past year after little George was born. Thankfully you were able to leave your youngest with Gavin and Susan, who were all too happy to watch over him for a while in addition to their daughter Hannah. Taking George out was a bit difficult so far as he always wanted to be the center of attention and pampered a bit in meals at home, but after recent progress you were hopeful that he'd be ready soon.

"You know, sometimes it just feels so surreal, owning this." George commented.

"An arcade?" You asked with a smile, then taking a rather generous bite of Meat Lovers.

George chuckled and shook his head, "No, not just this, all of it. The studios, Polaroid, Marvel, Lucasarts. Ten years ago all I wanted to do was make movies the way I want to, and now we own the biggest commercial empire in Hollywood."

"Sorry about that." You said a bit sheepishly. Most of the expansion of Lucasfilms had been at your initiative, the Irish spirit as your mom liked to call it.

"It's fine. I don't know if I would have gone into stuff like video games after the crash, but it's working and Wally loves them, so I guess it all works out. I just can't ever think of myself as a billionaire though, if it weren't for you, Marcia and I would be feeding the kids TV dinners." George joked. Neither he nor Marcia were master chefs, but they did try to put in some effort after eating some of your meals.

"I know what you mean, I always kind of fall back in that mindset of being a New York boy just helping his family run the bar, now tens of thousands of people call me boss." Come to think of it, in just one generation your entire family had gone from lower middle class to the peak of new rich with even your parents seeing great success through proxy and the Jumping Whale being a national chain. Luck of the Irish huh?

"Did Mike share with you his plans for the Mega Saloons?" George asked.

"Huh?" You asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, I guess he'll bring it up when you get back. Basically, he was thinking of taking the Saloon concept and expanding it, a Mega Saloon. Half amusement park, half arcade. There would be stuff like go-kart tracks, mini golf, a few rides, play areas for little kids, live performances and stuff. All placed in a really big building complex like two or three times the size of this." George explained.

You drank some Coke and thought out the possibilities, "I guess we could try it out but I don't want the Saloons to all be like that. They should support the games first and foremost." You stressed.

So far, in their first year of operation, the Saloons had been a great success. 30 locations spread across the nation in major metropolitan areas and kids and young adults had fallen in love with the Arcades again through high quality games and a fun atmosphere. For the next year, there were plans to open up 20 more franchises under direct Sega ownership along with opening a franchise system to support greater local investment and further expansion without continual direct investment. That wasn't even to mention Sega's existing Hi-Tech Sega Land arcades in Japan which were dominating the market.

"Yeah, he was thinking for it to be really special places, the best of the best to really dominate the market. Actually, I think Sega Japan first proposed something similar, a Sega World to build later this decade." George informed. You then remembered something similar in a Sega report, how they wanted to release a super entertainment complex when the Genesis' successor was released. Strange wasn't it, how the Genesis was barely a year old and they were thinking about the next console?

"But overall Mike's been really itching to have us break out into theme parks and live entertainment. Get our foot in the door so Disney doesn't hold the monopoly and the other studios won't beat us to the punch."

"You think it's because Mike wants to leave something of his own print on the company besides the marketing division?" You asked. Some in Hollywood liked to joke how Lucasfilms was the Roman Empire of film, with you leading the West of TV, video games, animation and comics while George lead the East of cameras, special effects, toys and audiovisual presentation.

"Maybe, though I kind of agree with him in that we got so much potential to be used for that kind of stuff. It'd be nice to share that magic from Disneyland with the kids through the stuff we made." George said, smiling as he observed Wally cleaning Amanda's face with a napkin.

Lucasfilms theme parks....maybe that had potential.

After half an hour of eating and the kids being stuffed on slices, you organized everyone into a group with the kids bouncing up and down to let loose and play the games.

"Remember everyone, you have to stay within sight of one of us and if you want to go to a different part of the Arcade, just ask one of us to go with you." Marcia stressed.

"Yes Mom/Aunt Marcia." Five young voices said in chorus.

"Play nice and if you want to play a game that someone else is playing, share and take turns and just tell someone if someone else isn't sharing." Carrie added. Everyone agreed, though Mary and Sarah gave each other warning stares, which were broken up by a knowing look from their mother.

"Don't be rough or make a mess for the nice workers-" You tried to add, only to be interrupted by Mary.

"Daddy, we get it, just be good Littles. Now can we go?!" She said impatiently.

You sighed and nodded, with all the kids yelling and running to let loose.

Amanda held on tight to Sarah who also dragged Joseph by the sleeve, "Joseph, you play the Skeeball and Basketball to win lots of tickets for Amanda." Sarah eagerly requested. The last time you took the Goslings to a Saloon, Joseph had completely surprised you by dominating all the sports arcade games which won him buckets of tickets.

"Sarah, let Joseph play what he wants." You told, with Sarah looking indignant in response.

"Wanna Horsise!" Amanda protested, likely referring to a large stuffed horse hanging on the prize rack.

"It's okay Daddy, I wanna win like Lakers and Geese." Joseph said with a smile, before you could ask for confirmation, Sarah dragged a willing Joseph away with a giggling Amanda and Carrie giving chase, while Mary also tugged you in a different direction to try all the new games.

---

Fix-it-Felix Jr.
Game Developer: LucasArts Entertainment
Platform: Sega Arcade
Director: Jonathan Davidson
Genre: Platform

Quality:
D100 + 300 => 306
Audience:
D100 + 300 => 330
Critics:
D100 + 300 => 380
Units Sold: 14,164
Release Profits: $65,559,413
​

One of the first games you tried out together was Fix-it-Felix Jr., the latest in a long line of Donkey Kong clones throughout the video game industry. The story of the game was that an apartment building had been built over the stump home of a giant hobo named Wreck-It-Ralph. Angered at the loss of his home, Ralph storms up the apartment of Niceland and tries to break it down-

Wait....Ralph is the villain of this? Dude was just vibing and living a quiet and peaceful life until some assholes used eminent domain and built over his land. Sure, Ralph wasn't exactly developing it, but it was still his! Weird that Sega would make a game with such a sympathetic antagonist, but then again Nintendo made that weird ass Donkey Kong Jr. where Mario became an abusive circus ring master.

Anyways, Ralph is trying to break the building so the residents of Niceland call Fix-it-Felix, a friendly handyman who has a magic hammer that can undo Ralph's damage. Felix must climb up the building, avoiding falling bricks, geese (WHY IS IT ALWAYS GEESE?!) and other obstacles with each level being cleared by Felix fixing the damage. At the end of the game, the Nicelanders throw Ralph off into a mudpit, and then the cycle resets until death with each player trying to determine a high score.

So Sega and Lucasarts for all their skill and artistry, could admittedly be some stubborn and prideful people. With Nintendo's current dominance on an inferior console along with software that few reached the heights of the Genesis lineup, they wanted to be petty and find ways to outdo Nintendo at its own game. Thus one Jonathan Davidson in Lucasarts America thought of making a Donkey Kong clone. Though instead of jumping barrels as the only form of gameplay, players had to proactively traverse a vertical maze and fix the spreading damage so there was some tactics and strategy instead of just going up and left or right.

True, the game was a bit of a copycat, but this wasn't exactly Sega's first rodeo with their release of Congo Bongo late 1982 which was essentially Donkey Kong but in Africa and with 3D isometric. Pretty neat presentation on its own, but not ground breaking. At least here with Fix-it-Felix, they put in effort to change the settings and play around with it with Ralph being a giant of great strength instead of an ape, an apartment instead of skyscrapers, and Felix had an interesting design of a friendly and upbeat blue collar American instead of just being Mario in a different outfit.

The game is pretty simple as far as Arcade games go and not exactly complex like Battlehawks or Dragon's Lair. Though there was nothing wrong with that as it was still pretty fun and addictive gameplay to guide Felix to the top and dodge all of Ralph's attacks and the many hazards of the building. Pretty solid and simple, though what you see is what you get which may be a shock for Sega fans who were drawn in by a brand of constant innovation and evolving game design.

In its performance, Fix-it-Felix is doing pretty decently. It draws some small lines at the Saloons and small businesses are ordering in droves to draw in the kids through a simple and family fun game. It does have its fans as you could tell from a later undercover visit to the Saloons, but at the same time it's not one of those games with diehard fandom and overwhelming popularity that makes people fight for a spot like Space Ace or Space Paranoids. Nintendo fans are also very much hating on Felix, seeing him as just another Mario clone (Well he kinda is) and there's brewing fights over the summer over which is the better game.

At least critics seem to like it as part of their recent softening on Lucasarts releases, not to mention that there was now a legit developing field of games journalism since it was clear video games were here to stay. Everyone agreed it was a fun twist on the classic Donkey Kong formula with solid gameplay and visuals. At the very least, parents by and large had no issues with the concept.

Nintendo might as you later got a call from Hiroshi Yamauchi who warned you not to do further direct clones of Nintendo Arcades or else they'd repeat the same with Sega cabinets. Though at least he isn't suing, more than likely from Fix-it-Felix's comparatively small sales to Donkey Kong's arcade dominance. At least Miyamoto himself didn't mind, he sent a letter where he said that he thought the designs were interesting and the concept of a vertical platformer was fun.

Such enthusiasm did not seem to be shared by Mary, who after defeating the first run of the game, just backed away from the controls, letting Felix die to stray bricks, "I don't like this game Daddy." She said so matter of factly.

"Why?" You asked in curiosity. It was far from her fit of rage towards Atari Superman, but you were shocked as Mary at worst thought a Sega game was fine.

"It's a terrible story! Ralph got his home stolen and he's being treated as the villain when he's the victim!" Mary protested, you laughed at Mary coming to the same conclusion you did.

"Well, even still it's not nice for Ralph to destroy an apartment where dozens of people have homes." You said, though you still smiled at Mary's logic.

"Felix just fixes the apartments with his magic hammer so it's not like Ralph did any real damage, and they were still jerks and threw him into mud." Mary said.

"How would you have the game go Mary?"

"After Felix reaches the top, he should have convinced Ralph to stop so they could both team up against the real evil bad guy, Governor Jerry Brown. He's gotta be the real villain of the game. He stole Ralph's land just like he tried to steal your castle land and Brandon's Dojo for the oil!" Mary argued so passionately.

Your mouth dropped at that, wondering just how and when Mary learned about Hillsgate. "Why don't we play some Galaga together." You suggested, and Mary nodded, moving on to get her mind of Fix-it-Felix with one of her favorite space games.

As you walked away, you turned to look back at the game which had reset to its demo screen. Fix-it-Felix hadn't beaten Donkey Kong as Nintendo had hoped, but it was still a commercial success so there was potential for something greater. Would Lucasarts try to make sequels on the Genesis like Super Mario Bros. or would it just be a one-off arcade game?

Actually, maybe there was potential for a greater story to be told. Of Ralph seeking redemption and clearing his name. What would that be like?

Hang-On
Game Developer: LucasArts Entertainment
Platform: Sega Arcade
Director: Yu Suzuki
Genre: Racing

Quality:
D100 + 300 => 348
Audience:
D100 + 300 => 388
Critics:D100 + 300 => 400
Units Sold: 42,895
Release Profits: $76,897,313
​

Right after Mary had beaten you in Nidhogg for the fourth time in a row, you were tugged away from the machine by your excited son.

"Daddy! Daddy! Ride the Motorcycle Game!" Joseph requested, pulling you to another of the new games, Hang-On. There were two such arcades stacked side by side, with one model larger than the other, presumably for adults while the other one was for kids.

"You need me to help you hop on?" You asked Joseph. With how tall he was getting, he could likely pull it off as he had excellent balance and grip strength.

"Wanna watch you first! You ride motorcycle like Batman!" Joseph eagerly commanded.

With Mary joining to watch in intrigue, and yourself being quite curious, you agreed to Joseph's request and hopped onto the bike, then got ready after the quarters were placed in and the screen transitioned to a race track, counting down and setting you off.

Hang-On was a racing simulator where you played as a motorcyclist in a race against time, trying to clear five levels before the clock runs out with no breaks as the end of one meant an instant transition to the next. The Racing genre had been a new sensation for the past couple of years since the first Atari games, but Hang-On made video game history as the first motion simulator arcade game where players sat on a bike model and the way they moved and shifted would determine the bike's corresponding moves, as if they were riding a real bike. You could even feel something close to the few real experiences you had with shakes and vibrations and an ever present push on the bike.

A game designed from Yu Suzuki, the same genius who made the fast and dynamic Space Harrier, it was a game born from both a passion for motorcycles and a simple challenge to implement a Torsion Bar into the arcades. Rather than make racing a priority like the Wacky Races concept for the Genesis, Suzuki simply wanted to make the experience as realistic as possible to give people the same thrill from participating in an actual motorrace. Thus the cabinet was designed with the motorcycle attachment with advanced sensors for precise control. Even better, Suzuki and the other programmers altered the hardware board and created an entirely new engine for the game, developing a 16 bit graphics system that was optimized for simulating 3D presentation, thus presenting the most realistic and beautiful graphics of any game with only Final Fantasy coming close in presentation, and that was mainly due to its artwork.

Riding down the fast paced racing highway on the game, you have to say that you see the appeal as there's a lot of fun trying to keep pace with the other riders and beat the clock, the many shock sensations meant to stimulate the wind and turbulence along with the tight turns of the curves giving you an adrenaline rush few games could match, with Mary and Joseph very happy to watch and cheer you on. You do wish that the game had a more complex track design with different elevations instead of a flat plain, and you also wish you could actually race against other racers instead of a clock, but it was still a one of a kind experience.

Hang-On was currently dominating the Saloons, drawing in huge crowds just to play and watch this revolutionary game. It was shaping up to be one of those impossible first experiences of gaming pike Pong, Pac-Man, Super Mario, Final Fantasy or Bomberman, something that changes what people thought were possible with gaming and introduce a whole new world of potential to gaming. As expected, it was dominating Arcade sales in North America thanks to the existing bike and car culture, but what really surprised Sega was just how popular it was in Japan. The number one Arcade game over there and a must have experience for the Japanese youth. It deeply shocked Japan's adult society as they had up til then associated motorcycles with the Bosozoku gangs that could terorrize the roads. Even more, there was a brief controversy of female modesty with the potential for young girls to be exposed with loose skirts, though thankfully the cycles weren't desiged in such a way that one would expose anything unless they were wearing something ridiculously short. In a weird way, it kind of was a perfect showcase of the cultural feedback loop where Japan was embracing just as much of America as the US was from them.

What really surprised you about Hang-On was the critical impact. Critics in publications were giving Hang-On perfect scores by all metrics and going on and on about how it was the birth of a new age of video games. Many boldly called it the greatest video game ever made (It's a damn good game but come on, it's no Final Fantasy) and Hang-On appeared on the covers of numerous tech magazines and journals. Even more, there were some local news broadcasts which covered the game, and it seemed that Hang-On was being a major force of legitimacy not just for Arcades, but video games in general.

Huh, so all the doubters and doomsayers needed for validation was a motorcycle simulator?

In any case, Hang-On was an instant classic and would likely be a hallmark of video game history, not to mention a constant presence in the American malls if the sales are any indication. Not what you expected, but it was certainly an earned success as you finished the game in satisfaction, with Joseph and Mary then arguing over who could next race you on the small bike to see who had the fastest time. Perhaps some of that John Milner spirit was rubbed off on your kids.

Ninja Princess
Game Developer: LucasArts Entertainment
Platform: Sega Arcade
Director: Reiko Komoda
Genre: Run and Gun

Quality:
D100 => 99+300=399
Audience:
D100 + 300 => 394
Critics:
D100 + 300 => 381
Units Sold: 68,712
Release Profits: $193,134,098​

"Daddy look! Mommy is being a ninja Leia!" Sarah shouted, directing you to a cabinet where Carrie was in complete focus as a ninja clearing a town of all sorts of enemies with shuriken and kunai. Wally was there cheering his Aunt Carrie, and soon a crowd formed with the other Goslings and Amanda eager to catch a glimpse of Carrie's run.

It was truly ironic. Sega had purposefully designed Fix-it-Felix to be a Donkey Kong killer and Yu Suzuki managed to revolutionize video games and introduce a new genre to Arcades. Yet in opposition to these two, it was the run and gun cabinet which by all accounts was the made for fun tertiary side project which was currently the most popular game in the Sega Saloons and the best selling Arcade game for the moment, a title it could likely retain for months. This was Ninja Princess, the true birth of the run and gun genre and perhaps the home of Lucasart's next mascot alongside Bomberman.

Designed by Reiko Kodama, Ninja Princess was a subversion to the classic Japanese genre of Ninjas and Samurai. Here instead of needing to be rescued, Princess Kurumi was the bold and daring protagonist who sets out to free her people of the Okhami province from a tyrannical warlord. With years of ninja training to shape her into a deadly warrior and Deadshot-like precision, Kurumi must face waves of Samurai and Ninja in a sidescrolling adventure to bring peace to Japan once more.

It had all started as a passion project of one Reiko Kodama, a failed art student who switched to graphic design for Lucasarts. After working on many projects, Reiko sought to create a game of her own which played to the feudal Japanese genre her nation was known for with subversions. Instead of katana play, the protagonist only used projectiles with kunai and shuriken. Instead of a slow decimation of enemy mobs, it was a fast race through a level. Most importantly, instead of some brave young Samurai on a mission like a Kurosawa movie, it would be a princess taking action as a ninja to free her people, not being kidnapped or waiting for a hero to save the day.

There was a lot of genius storytelling and presentation at play, but most importantly was the gameplay and it was fun from start to finish. Somehow, throwing shurikens and kunai turned out to be a lot more fun than simply shooting, with each kill feeling earned due to it feeling like it was done through skill. There's a great deal of variety in the enemies and having to outmanuver them with near total freedom in mobility is very exciting, especially when you can do more than dodge with counterstrikes and invisibility cloaks. There's just something that feels so rewarding in putting in the effort to clear the area, navigate a treacherous path and face down highly difficult bosses and overcome through battles of attrition.

The only complaints you could have for the game was that there could have been a lot more done like platforming, different paths and elevations or perhaps close combat, but that would change the game into something else entirely and its simplicity is perfect as it is for the genre. It really felt like the same kind of game as Mario where it was a simple standard bearer of the genre but it just feels so right with how perfectly each facet is done. Easy enough for anyone to get in, hard enough that you need to be a true master for a total completion.

In hindsight, perhaps Lucasarts should have expected that with the Japanese Invasion that Ninja Princess would be a hit, but no one expected it to shiv its Sega peers and run to the lead of 1984 as the hottest game in the market. Hang-On may have the most public interest, but Ninja Princess is practically a quarter mint for all of the dedicated players, always having a line of gamers eager to try a run from opening to closing in the Saloons. All kinds of businesses like theaters, malls, restaraunts, bars, amusement parks, hotels and third party arcades are among the many establishments seeking to purchase Ninja Princess to have that lucrative side income.

Like Hang-On, gamers and critics have fallen in love with the game as the progenitor of a new genre and a fun adventure with new twists in an old setting. Though perhaps the highlight of said love and heavy critical support is the protagonist of Princess Kurumi. Kurumi may not have much of a personality on-screen, but the concept of a princess fighting for her land instead of needing to be rescued like Mario's Toadstool makes Kurumi heavily iconic and respected, a Princess Leia of video games. She occupies a similar spot to Samus Aran where boys don't give a damn that they're playing a female character because she's so cool and girls are awestruck at how awesome such representation is. You can see such in your daughters with Mary and Sarah's awed eyes and Carrie herself had a silly grin from start to finish.

Through much trial and patience, and many lives expanded, Carrie was able to defeat the Warlord and win the game, generating celebration from all the kids present.

Carrie turned to you as you snapped a Polaroid borrowed from a camera the Saloon used for birthday parties. "What was that for?" She asked with an amused grin.

"The director behind the game is a huge fan of Star Wars and especially you as Leia, so I thought a pic of you having fun would be a nice present for her." You informed, with Carrie intrigued at the mentioned gender.

"What's her name?"

"Reiko Kodama."

"Well, do you mind if you translate a letter I want to write and send it with that? I really want to give my thanks, it's nice to have good representation and it's a really fun experience. Honestly probably my favorite Arcade game." Carrie said.

"Sure, I don't mind spending some time."

"Mommy, I want to play." Mary requested.

"No, Mary, I was here first." Sarah protested.

"Mommy!"

Man, if this was the quality of Reiko's debut game then you were really hyped for what she had to bring with Phantasy Star. Star Wars and Final Fantasy together, a hell of a concept.

It's a game that Lucasarts is hoping they can release soon, so if nothing else than Reiko can get started on a Ninja Princess game for the Genesis with management having high hopes to turn this hit into a franchise and cement Kurumi as the second mascot. Though you wonder what other kinds of ninja games can be done, especially with those Turtles you recently brought into the fold.

 

[Kaiser Chris]

Duck Dodgers
Directed by: Chuck Jones
Written by: Catherine Powell
Produced by: Joe Hale, Catherine Powell
Production: Walt Disney Animatino
Distribution: Buena Vista Distribution
Starring: Mel Blanc

Budget: $25,000,000
Domestic: $64,583,223
International: $68,554,298
Total Gross: $133,137,521
VHS: $297,971,168

Audience: 398
Critics: 332​

Three and a half years after the Black Cauldron, it was time for another Catherine Powell Disney movie. You wish Cat would have joined up with Lucasfilms like Gavin and Apple, that way it could truly have been an O'Brian family company. However, she did seem to be thriving at Disney, being involved as a writer for the many recent creations of Imagineering along with a colorful lineup of credits on Disney television, and Cat seemed the happiest she was in years, so you couldn't really fault her. After the immense success of Black Cauldron, it was inevitable that Cat would be given another film to do, what you did not expect was that her second film would be a Duck Dodgers movie, the first Looney Tunes film that wasn't a compilation.

As such, the premiere was a pretty flashy event for Disney at the El Capitan Theater and it had the same fanfare and pageantry as a Disneyland event with a lot of the Disney characters present and a good amount of star power in whose who of the Disney alumni.

That didn't stop you from getting a ticket thankfully, both as family of the writer/producer and head of the biggest rival, so you could have a nice family outing, really the first time you and Carrie had taken the kids to a premiere altogether since The Great Muppet Caper.

Well, almost all the kids. George was staying home with Carrie's grandparents for the night, but that was fine by him as he was spoiled in affection by Carrie's grandmother and was happy to have them all to himself for attention.

Honestly, you were proud of how the kids were handling the carpet. Mary was once again all smiles and waves, acting like the perfect little princess of Lucasfilms, infact Carrie had to often corral her from wandering off and giving interviews of her own. Joseph was calm and smiles, just taking it all in. Sarah seemed the most nervous with all the bright lights and people, but you made sure to stay by her side which gave your eldest twin the confidence to move forward.

Thankfully the press was lenient tonight, knowing to go light when your kids were around. Still, they were rather relentless with questions about Batman and the Spider-Man and Hulk movie.

After you got the kids inside and they were together with their cousins under their Uncle's watch, you went back out and did a small round of socialization, manging to find Cat who was in the center of a crowd and looking rather fatigued.

"Excuse me, mind if I steal my sister for a bit." You intruded. Some looked genuinely surprised at such a statement, though everyone was quick to nod, offer apologies and walk away with a certain air of submission.

God, it's still so weird being at the literal top of Hollywood after 15 years.

"Thanks Bruce." Cat said as you escorted her to a nearby bar where the two of you ordered drinks.

"No one's been giving you hell, have they?" You asked with concern.

Cat shook her head, "No, it seems like everyone wants to be your friend as a Disney producer." She said with a tired chuckle. You could only imagine the mixed feelings after having been blacklisted before.

"Never thought you would be into producer work." You commented.

"Same here, but after I turned in the script, Roy thought it'd be best if I got involved in production and coordinated with Chuck. Honestly it felt more like I was stumbling around half the time, but I got a lot of good experience and it'll help me with adapting my works and leading any other projects for writers in need." Cat said with a satisfied smile.

She then noticed your own mixed expression and gave you a sisterly punch in the shoulder, "Come on Bruce, don't look so glum. Not like you're missing out on much with Carrie at your side and her skill with the pen."

"Yeah, but you're pretty great too." You said, giving a warm brotherly hug, "Really happy for you Cat, you definitely deserved it."

"Thanks."

Cat then noticed someone pass by and flagged them down, "Chuck!" She yelled, with you freezing in shock. An elderly man then walked over to you two, a living legend who did as much for animation as Walt Disney. "Chuck, this is my brother Bruce. He's a big fan of the Looney Tunes."

"Really? Would have taken you for a Scooby-Doo fan." Chuck joked, shaking your hand with you reciprocating, experiencing a moment of great awe and wonder that had been so fleeting for the past decade.

"Well, I was an addict to the movies as a kid and the Looney Tunes were always the best part of any showing, all the hijinks, the character interactions and smart dialogue, you were carrying animation on your backs for over 20 years." You say in a bit of a fanboyish tone. Surprisingly, you never met one of the minds behind the Looney Tunes until now, always just passing each other on the sea as they say. "Honestly it was thanks to your shorts and other Tunes work that I got inspired to create Dreamworks."

"Damn, I may have done too much of a good job if it lead to that." Chuck joked, making you laugh.

"Actually, believe it or not, George was gunning hard to have Duck Dodgers play before Star Wars, New Hope that is. Walker just didn't see any point in indulging a competitor." You informed, with Chuck shaking his head.

"Damn, real waste right there. It's good to hear that even George loves the short, he'll definitely love this whenever he gets a chance to see it."

"If you don't mind my asking Chuck, what do you think about how animation is going today?" You asked with intrigue.

"Well, it can be a bit overwhelming at times, all the cinema shows like Gundam and having to compete with Japan's work. But I think this industry's moving for the better and it's nice to see people starting to treat it as just more than kids stuff, as it should be. For now, I'm just aiming to get the Tunes to keep up with the new age, and with Cat's involvement I think we did just that."

---

WHY CAT?! WHY DID YOU HAVE TO WORK FOR DISNEY?!

Not only did she adapt one of the Looney Tune's most iconic shorts to the big screen with lots of hillarity and a great love letter to science fiction past and present, but it was genuinely one of the greatest movies Disney had ever made. You know that not getting Warner Animation was most likely for the best as it pushed you to creating Dreamworks, forming bonds with Sunrise and purchasing Hanna-Barbera, but it's times like this that make you nearly cry for what could have been with the Warner auction.

Expanding upon the premise of Duck Dodgers, the film showed an origin story of shorts, exploring how Daffy became a hero of the future as a test pilot who became frozen in time, later being revived in the 24th 1/2 century where Earth has become an active part of a vibrant galactic community. Over the years, Daffy has risen high as the great hero Duck Dodgers and acquires Porky as the Eager Young Space Cadet who looks forward to learning under Duck Dodgers....only for Porky to realize that Dodgers is one of the greatest frauds in history, a bumbling fool whose charisma and absurdly divine amount of luck manages to get him out of every tough situation by failing successfully in sucha ludicrous fashion that everyone thinks he's just a genius and hero extraordinaire. While the two try to deal with their partnership, war is threatening to break out between Earth and Mars due to machinations on both sides, and thus Dodgers needs to team up with his nemesis Commander Martian and the Martian Queen to save the galaxy.

In a lot of ways, Duck Dodgers is like Star Wars, a love letter to the pulp science fiction of old with modern storytelling and presentation. Still, Dodgers is undeniably more pulpier though it embraces this identity with maximum sillyness while also containing a fair bit of parody to modern sci-fi with more than a few jokes directed to Star Wars, Star Trek and Gundam.

Sure, the movie had the classic Looney Tunes chaos and fast paced slapstick and wit. Plenty of scenes in the movie could have been amazing standalone shorts on this own. But what really pushed the movie to greatness and elevated it beyond just a funny film was the work Cat did with the characters. Instead of Daffy just being an arrogant jerk for the sake of it, his role in Duck Dodgers is heavily dissected with Daffy's bravado being shown as a front for his insecurities and troubled past, trying to elevate himself into something greater to make up for his flaws and failures. Very relatable and powerful stuff that worked great as a standalone for Duck Dodgers and Daffy's greater personality as a whole. While Dodgers didn't entirely change by the end of the movie, it felt like he truly did earn his title of a hero as shown with themes of heroism coming from effort and care, that being active and working for others was noble on all its own.

That being said, the dichotomy of Duck Dodgers throughout the film with him having 20 luck in life and managing to BS his way through trouble with a "Fake it til you make it" attitude or somehow manging to stumble his way to victory with the universe on his side was a really great way to handle the conflicts and it had the whole theater cracking from start to finish.

While it is Daffy's movie, there are plenty of other characters who get to shine. Porky is as lovable as ever as the plucky sidekick doing their best, and in many respects the Hero's Journey seems to apply to Porky in this film as he gains confidence and comes into his own as Dodgers' partner through his adventures, the two helping to balance each other's flaws and work great as a team. Marvin is great as always, playing well to his strengths and his and K-9s slapstick and antagonistic interactions playing well off of Dodgers.

Cat also did a pretty great job with all of the new cast. Queen Tyr-ahnee especially was a surprising hit, a subversion of the bikini-clad eye candy of classic pulp with Tyr-ahnee being a highly competent and able leader of action in the spirit of Leia, and having lots of funny moments as well, including her crush of Dodgers. You were also surprised at how Cat managed to weave into the adventure some strong Cold War critiques and Social commentary with Brash's Jinogism and Woe's Totalitarianism presenting real world conflicts and abusive leaders in such a comedic plot. Not like the Soviets were suddenly good guys, but more that bad actors could be overcome in the search for peace.

It was also nice to see the rest of the Looney Tunes in cameos from stuff such as Gossamer being a Wookie-like gladiator, Speedy as a hotshot smuggler, and Granny as a surprsing mix of Thatcher and Reagan as the head of the United Systems. You also loved the ending of the film where it has a meta scene for the movie being a movie which is being watched by the Looney Tunes and Disney characters in a gigantic theater, kind of like the Muppet movies.

While story and characters were what elevated the movie, everything else was excellently done to wrap it nicely in a beautiful fusion. The animation really was the Looney Tunes drawn at their best with the traditional style of shading reminiscent of the 50s tunes being presented in high definition with vibrant colors and the galaxy of Duck Dodgers being filled with all of these beautiful and creative depictions of a retro-futuristic setting. Chuck played around with the frame rate alot with the movie to show speed through frames, fastening or slowing to make for either really fast and zany slapstick or slow for comic-like action scenes and dramatic effect. It was truly an elevation of the original short much like how the Flash Gordon movie did for the serials.

Last but not least was the amazing musical score, combining the operatic elements typical of Sci-Fi epics like Star Wars with classic 50s synth and the classic Merry Melodies into an excellent fusion. In its own way, it truly was a great collection like if John Williams dabbled in comedic films. The greatest highlight of all was that theme song by Tom Jones which really set the stage for the film's greatness, a Duck Dodgers theme song has no rights being that amazing!

With all that was amazing and perfect for the movie, you were honestly shocked that it didn't become a mega hit like War of the Worlds, Hotel Transylvania or John Henry as it definitely deserved half a billion. Instead, it was very modest with $133 million in global gross, split pretty evenly between domestic and foreign markets with no strong driving country. Part of this may have very well been your fault, with Duck Dodgers directly competing with Macross (And surpassing it, once again Disney having the last financial laugh) which split the Sci-Fi crowd. Both films also had to compete with Gamera coming out in June, a very packed month of blockbusters with Star Trek II: The Search for Spock, Disney's The Gremlins, a Horror-Comedy which did well in the latter, and Cannonball Run II. That's not even taking into account Miyazaki's Naausica.

So unfortunately, Duck Dodgers may have been a victim of poor placing. Though thankfully for Daffy, such a modest theatrical run wouldn't stop his rise as Duck Dodgers. While critics gave quiet praise of 7s and 8s with standard criticism for the pulpiness and more cartoony aspects, audiences LOVED Duck Dodgers and it was universally considered to be peak Looney Tunes, if not among the best that Disney had ever made. Everyone who saw it, young and old, casual and diehard fan of the Tunes, even the Sci-Fi nerds all intensely loved it so when Duck Dodgers was released on VHS for the holidays, it would become a hot seller for Christmas and have a very powerful home media run of $300 million.

This and the profits from the theatrical run alone would have been enough to qualify the film as a strong success and Disney classic. Fortunately for Disney, the very strong following from Duck Dodgers had powerful knock on effects in the realm of merchandise. It seemed that Disney was smart at copying the Lucasfilms playbook as Duck Dodgers toys were strong market leaders for 1984 and 1985, benefitting from Artemis and the general sci-fi craze. From there fans would buy other Looney Tunes merchandise, especially those who got into the franchise from Duck Dodgers, and the Looney Tunes became a true commercial empire alongside the Disney princesses and Mickey and the gang. One need only look into the attendance figures for Looneyland which doubled after the premiere of Duck Dodgers, helping to cement the troubled park in finding its own identity as an equal to the classic Disneyland.

As such, Disney was now going to lean hard into the Tunes. Roy was overseeing a spur of greenlights for new Looney Tunes movies such as a Wile E. Coyote movie or a Bugs Bunny musical. There would very likely be a handful of Looney Tunes films to premiere later this decade, to say nothing of its potential on the Disney Channel after Loonatics Unleashed. Heck, Tune fever was so strong that Disney had approached Lucasarts for the potential of a Duck Dodgers RPG.

With two great classics of what is now being referred to as the "Disney Renaissance" under her belt, Cat was starting to gain some major influence and respect within Disney, no longer just "Bruce's sister" but instead an accomplished creator of her own right. Heck, she was even starting to gain some mainstream attention and you could see her in a couple of magazine interviews or being featured on some of Disney's entertainment news sections like EPCOT Magazine. After many years of struggle, Catherine Powell was living her dream.

Well, if anyone was going to guide Disney's Looney Tunes to success, you were at least happy that it was under Cat.