Carrie: Directed by: Brian Depalma
Produced by: Paul Monash
Distribution: Lucasfilms Unlimited
Starring: Sissy Spacek, Amy Irving, Betty Buckley, Nancy Allen
Film Quality:D100 + 60 => 160
Audience:D100 + 40 => 140
Critics:D100 + 40 => 123
Budget: 1.8 million
Domestic Profits:47,940,683
International Profits:39,970,660
Total Profits: 87,911,343
Lucasfilms Profit: 21,977,835
When you had hoped for a Halloween release, you had… regrettably, forgotten something. The Moral Guardians, as you learned did not like the movie at all, calling it devil worship, and hatred against god, and tried their best to blacklist the film on "Moral Grounds"
That only infuriated Mike, who went out of his way to spend a few thousand dollars lambasting a group that was very likely just acting out of ignorance, like all censors were. After all, the MPAA was the one who decided the rating, and they gave it an R Rating. That meant if children saw it, it was because they were with their parents, or they snuck in.
Now you were not exactly the best at the whole protesting and Moral Gurdian thing, but you knew damn well about movie making, and the trailer was honestly tame as hell.
But that didn't deter the moviegoers, who were just going in and getting their pants scared off of them. Now honestly that was no surprise, Brian was a master of his craft, same as George and Steve, but even with his craft, he just…
Well, he just did work. He made all the strangeness work with a little bit of movie magic and audience manipulation and camera trickery.
And the attempts at censorship and boycotting only got more people interested in the film.
It was why that once it came out, it was blowing up in the second week by Word of mouth.
Like Jaws, but for Halloween, it was a wonderful thing to see lines at the block, though not around it, and it pissed you off that the money was mostly going to Colombia as they produced most of it.
However what surprised you was the International response in Japan.
They loved Carrie. Like really loved it, and considered her like one of their old folk legends but American.
And honestly… That was some high praise.
Though one lingering issue remained.
What the author thought of it.
Though thankfully, Mister King loved the film version, though was a bit saddened that it wasn't gorier. Though he understood due to the MPAA slapping an X rating wouldn't be the best thing for it.
And he said that if he had a book he was really passionate about seeing on the silver screen, he would come around to Lucasfilms.
Reward: The film was a great success. And Mister King liked the film.
Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in the Land of Demons
Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in the Land of Demons Directed by: Kenji Misumi
Produced by: Tomisaburo Wakayama, Masanori Sanada
Distribution (USA): Lucasfilm Unlimited
Starring: Tomisaburo Wakayama, Akihiro Tomikawa, Akira Yamauchi, Hideji Otaki, Taketoshi Naitô, Fujio Suga, Rokko Toura, Shingo Yamashiro, Tomomi Sato, Michiyo Ōkusu, Koji Fujiyama, Sumida Kazuyo, Bin Amatsu, Taizen Shishido, Eiji Okada, and Minoru Ōki.
International Box Office: $13,000,000
Lucasfilm Unlimited Profits: $6,500,000
You had many expectations from this film; that it would break previous records from its past entries was a given for one. After all, so many were waiting with baited breath the next adventures of Ittō and Daigoro after the cliffhanger of the last one, the director from the first three installment was once more at the helm, which meant a true return to form for the overall story (not that it had dipped that much in the end).
Mike helped some more in between his work with Carrie by popularizing it more with some well-placed advertisements and some carefully placed reviews so as to build up the hype. You personally felt that it was unnecessary what with the entire fandom just wanting to see the movie already, but this was the way you did business; you did not tell him how to do his job and he gave 110% in return with the resources available to him.
You just knew this entry was going to be special, something to be remembered for a long time to come.
And at first it seemed to be true; Fans new and old flocked to the theaters to once more see their heroes go on their adventures. They saw Ittō, now fully recovered, as he dealt with promises for a new job in his own way, showing both his martial strength and honor on the line and coming out victorious in each trial. They saw Daigoro go on his first lone adventure after he was separated from his father, and the inner strength and honor he possessed when he refused to break his word, even when he was being flogged in front of everyone (that said promise was to a pickpocket, and said pickpocket came to confess in the end only made him more admirable in the eyes of the audience somehow) he remained quiet, impressing his captors with his stoic courage and honor. Fighting scenes were not a rehash from previous movies but truly original and new, something that attracts the audiences in a world where every studio just tries to save money by any means necessary.
Everyone was enthralled once more, you were enthralled once more, wondering how was it possible that any would ever get tired of seeing movies such as these.
And that was just the tip of the iceberg when it came to the story; overall, the adventure had Ittō going on a journey where either option he took would cause dishonor to himself and those he was supposed to help. If he aided the one that had hired him, he would be forced to let an innocent man suffer for the rest of his life while an usurper for his clan remained in power, however in doing so he would save the clan from extinction, and prevent the death of thousands. If he refused the offer then the clan would die, ronins would roam the land, or many vassals and retainers would kill themselves. It's a moral quandary which Ittō resolves masterfully, putting his life and honor on the line in order to kill an innocent man, rescue the imprisoned one, and deal with the usurper, all the while knowing that his actions will forever remain hidden at best, or twisted at worst. The honor displayed by the members of the Kuroda clan is not something that can be dismissed either, showing true loyalty even when tortured, yet willing to destroy their own when they see the dishonor they can cause, or the depths they might sink into.
It was one of the most beautiful stories ever made, with critics and audience both agreeing with you; both claiming that they were true masterpieces, a true movie that can serve as an ambassador from Japan to America on what one can expect when it comes to entertainment in the big screen. You left satisfied, with big expectations for the upcoming months, after all there's hardly any other film at the moment that could draw in the crowds to affect it after all.
Oh how wrong you were.
The decline began not as a trickle but as a flood as suddenly the audience was more interested in the new Lucasfilm's distributed movie for Halloween than on an import. You could not blame them overmuch, as Carrie turned out to be a hidden gem beyond what you, Mike or George had thought of possible. Brian De Palma truly showed himself as a gifted director...only would it have killed him to perhaps delay the release a bit longer?! Lone Wolf and Cub was set to make a profit that would exceed its previous entry, and now it was lucky to make half as much for Lucafilms.
You can't even be too angry about it, you knew you were releasing Carrie to take advantage of Halloween, you knew very well what lied ahead...you just never thought it would make such a splash or become so much of a sensation that it would drown your newest favorite Japanese film franchise before it could reach its apex. At least more of the truly dedicated fanbase remained so it limped along to its current numbers.
Well, you said this would be a movie to remember, and it was true in a way. The movie will be remmebered as the unfortunate casualty when facing a masterpiece in its own homeground...what a shame.
And the worst is you don't know whether to fell happy or sad now...what was it that Lincoln said? Too old to cry, but too hurt to laugh. Yeah, that fits.
At the very least Toho is not that upset about it. After all, they've seen Carrie too, the same sensation that hit America hit Japan as well. They are understanding of what happened, but did ask that next time try not to put their movies in the same range as yours...or at least put other studios movies to reduce the damage somewhat.
Star Wars (Episode 4: A New Hope)
Directed By: George Lucas
Produced By: George Lucas, Gary Kurtz, Bruce O'Brian Distribution: Lucasfilms Unlimited
Starring: Mark Hamil, Toshiro Mifune, Bruce O'Brian, Carrie O'Brian, Peter Cushing
You thought Some Nights was the biggest film of all time. There was always something that nagged you. Some Nights were supposed to be something special, and you knew Carrie was going to be remembered for her own accomplishments. Yet you had not expected the rabid, almost hysterical crowd of Star Wars fans gathered at the premiere. There were a few dozen showings that occurred earlier that day, hell it wasn't even the first showing of the movie at all.
That honor belonged to the Jumping Whale, where you sent a copy in advance by a few days and told Dad to start playing it immediately when he got it against the south wall and play it for everyone who got a table and paid for the O'Brian Special. Tell them that it was special, and for those who always were always good for them.
Last you heard, over five hundred kids heard about it, and their parents took them into a cramped bar and restaurant to watch the best film ever.
Dad made a killing and thanked you, though he did say he was pretty sure he was going to be able to renovate the bar for an actual theater, rather than a projector against his wall.
But here at the Chinese theater, it was even more telling. Thousands of people were here to see everyone, from the Media to the fans, to just people waiting to see the film itself.
Everyone was talking about it, but you were focused on Carrie, who still trying very hard to smile. "Can we go home?" She asked.
"We promised George we'd be here." You replied as you held her arm. "And you said you wanted to come."
"Well, I didn't expect all these people to be a bit rabid." She replied as the fan girls screeches could be heard as you took her hand and escorted her out.
"Well, we have that effect on people." You replied. "Wanna do any autographs?"
"I think we should just move towards the theater, Bruce." She said, feeling more confident with each step, as she smiled and waved going down the red carpet. "I can't wait to see the headlines."
"I hope you're not planning to kiss me again, we still need to get to Mark-"
"Oh thank god you are here!" Mark erupted from a group of onlookers and autograph collectors. "I assumed I was going to be the only one here tonight!" Mark looked exhausted.
"What happened?" You asked.
"I've been here for the last two hours signing autographs, taking pictures, and doing all the media stuff you guys haven't done at all." He replied as he hugged you. "Save me, I don't think I can answer any more questions, I just want to watch the film and go home."
Poor Mark, your bailing on publicizing the film bore all on poor Mark. But did he do a good job at least? You've seen quite a few interviews and he was perfect. Literally perfect at answering questions.
"Well Mark, thank you for… Everything." You replied as you hugged him. "You know things were hard on Carrie for a while, and she needed me. Thanks for stepping up and being the hero that you are."
"Don't mention it, though I think George wants to talk to you." He pointed towards George and Marcia, who were both shaking hands, and getting pictures, but George's attention was entirely on you.
"Take care of Carrie?" You asked with a smile, as Mark, ever the gentleman, took her arm, and smiled.
Carrie knew that it was important. But she smiled anyway. "Better be next to me." She whispered.
You nodded as you walked over to George who was offering a hand. "Well, we did it."
You took it. "Better wait till Mike and Gary come back to that." that caused him to laugh. "They'll see this as the start of something incredible."
"Well, I just hope that I'm never going behind the chair again. I don't think I could do it again."
You smiled. "Don't be like that, we'll find a way, we always do."
George hugged you. "Thank you. For believing in me, when only a few people did."
Marcia rolled her eyes. "You've said that to everybody on staff George, there is no need to bring it up to Bruce on the Red Carpet."
George then let go. "Oh… Sorry," He paused. "Well, you excited for the Vacation?"
"Never been to Hawaii before, hope it's as great as it is in your stories." You replied. "If Carrie lets me."
Then you walked into the theater, took your seat next to Carrie, and watched the film that would make history.
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Critic Roll:D100 + 450 => 541
All you knew about Critics is that they hate being wrong.
They hate that their ideas of fun and excitement are drab boring and uninteresting.
They hope to find flaws… and while there might be…
They couldn't say anything.
No one ever claimed Star Wars was the Perfect Movie.
But some did.
And you knew that the Academy was trying to give it it's due.
(A Note: Star Wars is Nominated for almost every category that it can be nominated for. Including Best Picture)
-------------------------------------------------------------------- Cultural Influence Roll:D100 + 15 =>93
Something tells you that Star Wars might be bigger than you think.
Nah, it's just a silly space story, who would ever think of it as a big cultural event?
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Meanwhile at Universal:
"We got fucked. By some two-bit hacks that don't have any talent!"
"The lines don't lie. And they have everything all under their purview. We are the ones who are screwed."
"People want space movies, well we'll give them a space movie!"
(They still don't get it. They just don't.)
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Expect Star Wars to cultivate entirely into Pop culture… and even culture itself.
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Reward: Star Wars is widely considered the greatest film ever made.
Oh and so much more.
But here is a hint of things to come:
Bruce is now considered an A-Lister, and now has 10 Actions per turn, instead of 8.
All Audience and Critic Rolls for Star Wars films and TV shows gain a massive, permanent bonus.
There is much more, but those are the most pertinent for now.
AN: enjoy. PArt of me thinks to put this in the main trademarks, but I do not know.
Dawn of the Dead Directed by: George A. Romero
Produced by: Richard P. Rubenstein
Distribution: Lucasfilms Unlimited
Starring: David Emge, Ken Foree, Scott Reiniger, Gaylen Ross
Budget: 660,000 Domestic Gross: 84,793,265
International Gross: 99,186,746
Total Gross: $183,980,011 Lucasfilms Profits (20%): $36,796,002
If there was one bright spot in the collapsing shitshow of Conan's production it was the success of Dawn of the Dead. Looking back you were heavily confused on why no one tried to copy Night of the Living Dead during the era of exploitation films especially with its success as a massive box office hit made on a dime of a budget. Perhaps it was just panic over the controversial release of Night of that kept studios from touching zombie films like it was lepresy for fear of immense public backlash. Whatever the case you were very grateful as it allowed Romero to have a great follow up to his first film and give Lucasfilms the title of the Kings of Horror in addition to Science Fiction.
From the letters you read that Mike sent, Dawn of the Dead went through a hell of a marketing campaign. At first the biggest issue was the rating, as Night of the Living Dead had been in many respects the catalyst for the MPAA rating system and while the first film had gone unrated with millions of little kids in for the scariest time of their lives, the puritans of the Association were looking to get revenge by giving Dawn an X-rating, basically putting it in the same category as pornos. In addition to moral bullshit, Mike had a sneaking suspicion that the rating board had a quiet infusion of cash for Sidney to sabotage the film. For a while it seemed even Mike's magic wouldn't be enough to get them to budge, but unlikely friends came for the rescue with Fox and Disney Chairmans Dennis Stanfill and Ron Miller. Apparently both studios had insanely scary and intense horror movies that were due to release in the next two years and both feared getting the infamous X. When word spread town that Lucasfilms was sponsoring Dawn of the Dead, Stanfill and Miller saw an opportunity to get their films to become R-rated and see a test case for horror through Dawn's performance. So both men visited Lucasfilms and offered Mike a deal, they would use their clout and influence to get the Association to give Dawn an R, and in return Lucasfilms would support their efforts to make their films rated R and there was to be a gentlemen's agreement between the three studios in terms of marketing and distribution competition for their flagship horrors. Wanting to make money and start building bridges with the competition to contain Universal, Mike agreed and from there weeks of negotiations and the hard work of the horror Entente caused the MPAA to relent and give Dawn of the Dead an R rating, and with it came a greatly expanded ability for the Eisner Group to market the film.
Throughout most of the summer a sort of culture war was waged between Lucasfilms and the Moral Majority. Evangelists and parents groups tried to wage a grassroots campaign to organize a boycott of Dawn of the Dead and shelter the children from such "Vodoo Witchcraft and satanic imagery" along with fears of trauma that will scar the chitlins for the rest of their lives. Just as with Carrie, Mike once again went on a defensive attack, pointing that Lucasfilms was releasing an R rated movie so the parents had no one to blame for themselves for either being neglectful of them sneaking in or taking them to the theater. Romero had a few pretty good interviews defending his artistic vision, saying that Dawn was not a political or religious statement but a snapshot of humanity in times of crisis through the best and worst of us and how modern society would handle the end of the world. Universal was pouring hundreds of thousands into public awareness campaigns targeting Dawn, but ironically the huge controversy and buzz served to enhance interest greatly both domestically and abroad as everyone was itching to see what the big, bad film that their pastors and parents were telling them to abstain from was all about. In addition, the kids who were traumitized in 1968 were now teens or young adults who actually liked to get scared and were excited to relieve their childhood fears with a newfound appreciation and mature understanding for the story and craft.
Fortunately the movie would end up living up to the hype and controversy, proving the naysayers wrong and once again cementing Lucasfilms as the leaders of fine cinematic art. It was a very intensely scary experience with the zombies proving to be a continuous menace that were both subtle and dominating in terror to the point where you kind of wanted to stockpile on ammo when you got back after a few nightmares. Since the movie was filmed during the strike, the cast was played by non-guild amateurs but somehow it only served to enhance the movie by giving genuine chemistry and authentic human emotions instead of dramatic greatness. There was some excellent social commentary about consumerism, the city vs the country and society's relationship with the media and actions in times of hysteria. The action was nowhere near an O'Brian film but there was some decent gunplay all around and it was both terrifying and fun. Although you have to admit, the second act was kind of long and repetitive and you do wish there was a greater cast to play off of each other. Not to mention, while it was a good movie, you had a very strong feeling that this was a good progenitor, but it wasn't the best or what a zombie movie could fully be. Perhaps it simply wasn't the right time in terms of technology and materials, but you had a feeling the best of the genre would await in the next generation.
In the end the audience and critic responses were pretty much a mirror of Close Encounters, just with less money thanks to the rating. The blocks weren't busted so to say but the theaters were full for the first three weeks and almost everyone who watched it who wasn't a pearl-clutching puritan had a great time of thrills and fun. The critics once again were soft positive in their responses, a few outstanding acclamations of mastery, and a hell of a lot of buzzing and angry WASPs whining about the morals and society.
After you watched it in a packed Israeli theater, you had a nice long-distance call with Romero who was very thankful to Lucasfilms for pulling all the stops and making the film a massive commercial success, and him a very rich man. You tried to recruit Romero to join Lucasfilms proper as one of the boys, promising a great trove of fantastic scrips in horror and experimental for him to have fun with along with generous funding and access to the Magicians for his movies. Romero said he was greatly honored by the request, but said that while he might accept in the future, for now he wanted to remain independent in production, something which you could respect. Thankfully, he did say that he would always be greatful for you and Lucasfilms and the studio would be at the top of his list for distribution and if he had a really ambitious project that he would first speak with you to get it done in-house. It was a pretty good outcome all things considered so you thanked the second most talented George and wished him luck, glad that the two of you met in that diner four years ago.
However, with every action comes an equal yet opposite reaction and Dawn of the Dead seemed to be doing so with horror. Ever the trend chasers, Universal announced that they were enthusiastically greenlighting horror films with big checks, kind of defeating the whole purpose of horror. UA was reaching out to the Indies and trying to find the next George Romero, or get Romero to make a film for them while within the writer's sphere there was a rumor that Star Trek Phase II would have a couple of light horror themed episodes. Of course the biggest alarms were Fox and Disney, both gearing up for their horror triumphs with Disney's Halloween to be released October of 1978 and Alien to come the year after as "Star Wars with Horror". Seems Exploitation was more than alive, but instead of westerns, urban dramas and blaxploitation there was science fiction, sports and horror.
A/N: So I just watched the film in preparation for the post, and my Lord is it one of the most poorly aged films I've ever seen, like chugging an entire gallon of spoiled milk. Only good parts are the scenes showing society collapsing and the mall shopping, characters had some charm but the zombies were abysmal, makeup terribly aged, action mediocre, music selection poor and it's got hamfisted themes. I can see why other people might like it but I have no idea how this is hailed as a pinnacle of zombie and horror. So essentially a good chunk of this post has been me BSing my way to how Bruce would see it as good, lol.
Five Dates
Directed By: Bruce O'Brian
Produced By: Gary Kurtz, Bruce O'Brian Distribution: Lucasfilms Unlimited
Starring: Bruce O'Brian, Carrie O'Brian, Mark Hamil, Joseph O'Brian, Debbie Reynolds, Michael Jackson, Robin Williams.
Budget: 2.5 Million
Domestic Gross: 81,187,856
International Gross: 66,402,537
Total Gross: 146,090,393
Bruce's Cut (50%): 73,795,196
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Honestly, if it were not for Star Wars Burnign up the chart, and you forgetting that a love story in February may have been better… you did not care. Good ole audiences were happy to see another great film by Carrie and Bruce, especially with Star Wars being the talk of the town still, and raking in so much money.
The fact you could see people coming in to watch Star Wars with Five Dates was something that filled you with a great deal of joy. It was not the best picture ever, hell you never once denied it. But there was always something that felt nice, doing something on your own, while also proving you could do something else other than being a pretty face or a presence on the camera.
It was a gift, that you and Carrie made for one of each other. And you loved it.
And it seems everyone else was too.
One of the truly fun things about the success was simple.
Joseph O'Brian was back in the talk of Hollywood. The old veteran of war and television finally shows up in a triumphant return where his son helps him. Everyone had a favorite, yet despite the obvious praise to you and Carrie, it was Joseph that was on everyone's lips. Dad finally got his big break.
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Yet not everyone was happy. And by Everyone, you meant the critics.
"The film is a schlocky mess of two tones, a comedy that strikes out, and a love story that is too slow and boring to be anything else other than a slow-burning mess that overstays its welcome, even when the film is 90 minutes long. Should have focused on the most interesting part, the relationship between two parents and their children, rather than the two leads, struggles.
Bruce O'Brian is supremely talented with the camera, and his shots are good, even great when he is showing the true intimacy between himself and his wife Carrie, but they serve no purpose besides worshiping something that does not exist, not allowing the subject and the scene to breath naturally.
Michael Jackson, for all his greatness on stage, seems like an afterthought on the script and fails to be interesting as a character. Robin William's Character causes some of the word mistakes in the film, and I fail to see any picture edited in any way, where his presence improves the picture.
The saving grace of this film, besides his attempts at artistic merit, was that of the mature relationship between the leads and their parents, who I think was superbly played by Joseph O'Brian and Debbie Reynolds. Yet even for their talents on celluloid, they could not save a film that should have been a masterpiece, where the director chose to try two things, rather than stick to one thing that would have made it great.
But for all my harshness of this review, I give it 2 Stars out of 4. It is a valiant first effort with greatness that is brimming underneath the surface if only the director could stay focused."
International Box Office: $14,000,000 Lucasfilm Unlimited Profits: $7,000,000
Mike had given you hell when you tried to release this film last month, and you could see his reasoning; Star Wars was still dominating in the Theatres, and any and all films that were trying to compete with George's masterpiece were getting decimated. To release Throne of Blood in such an environment was the equivalent of releasing a School of fish into chum-laced waters. They would be lucky to come out with alive, if even that.
Waiting for one more month was still no better, but it gave a greater chance at success as he was sure audiences would be more receptive to something new...well, "newish" if you want to be more correct. Throne of Blood is an old film, one of those movies that, just like 7 Samurai, had made its debut in the 50s and 60s, and promptly been ignored despite reviews praising the attempt at doing Shakespeare in Japan. Frankly, seeing those same reviews now, you have to admit they were downright generous considering the outright hatred for all things Japan.
Time praised it as "a visual descent into the hell of greed and superstition". The New York Times called the idea of Shakespeare in Japanese "amusing", and complimented the cinematography. Heck, most critics stated that the visuals filled the gap left by the removal of Shakespeare's poetry. A great praise for an eastern adaptation of the bard. Mifune, on one of the times that he told stories from his previous work, even mentioned how Kurosawa was such a perfectionist that he actually waited for fog to naturally appear before filming, rather than just using smoke machines!
So you just knew that you needed to have this movie released, the sooner the better if only to take advantage of Mifune's popularity as Obi Wan. That this was a highly praised movie that involved one of your favorite plays was another matter altogether, and the early numbers of attendees quickly dispelled any of your doubts for the success of the film itself...only for the numbers to soon start dwindling as, from what you were able to find out, most of the audience was going in expecting to see either something exciting and gory like Lone Wolf and Cub, or something destructive and campy like any of the Godzilla series. Watching an adaptation of Shakespeare, on Japan, using more traditional Noh Theatre techniques was something out of their comfort zone and understanding, and even when some came for a rewatch it was not in the same numbers one would expect.
The story itself is innovative in your opinion; Generals Washizu and Miki hear a spirit predict the future, and when it comes true it sparks in Washizu the embers of ambition that he nonetheless keeps at bay, had it not been for his wife, Asaji, then he would not have acted in order to kill Lord Tsuzuki and become the Lord of Spider's Web Castle. Lord Tsuzuki's son, Kunimaru, believes Washizu to be guilty, yet Miki remains faithful to his friend. Washizu then plans to make Miki's son his heir as he has no son, but then kills them when Lady Asaji tells him she's pregnant. Washizu soon starts falling into madness, exacerbated when his son is stillborn and the news of Kunimaru joining hands with their previous enemy (Lord Inui) and Miki's son, Yoshiteru. He once more goes to speak with the spirit who tells him he won't die until "the trees of the Spider's Web Forest rise against the castle", which makes him arrogant and overconfident, to the point he does not flinch even when his men tell him that such a thing is happening, with the approaching army using the cut trees as shields.
The movie ends with Washizu shot by arrows by his own men, a change that in your opinion works with the entire context that the story is working with. And the many critics who have seen the movie seem to agree with you. Where the previous critics from a decade ago where willing to acknowledge the film existed, this new generation of critics, having seen the offerings distributed by Lucasfilms, have nothing but praise and adoration in seeing the Bard's work recognized and adapted as it was. From the camera usage to the ambience, to the actors' roles themselves (and yes, they did heap a great amount of said praise upon Mifune as you hoped) there didn't seem to be enough words for them to describe how this movie made them feel, and how this movie should serve as example to any and all new and up and coming directors in how to produce their craft.
Now, who could they have been aiming that comment to?
In the end, though the critics praised the movie to the heavens and back, it still only did marginally better than the previous Lone Wolf and Cub film, with 5 Dates doing so much better in the audience front, even if Ebert did systematically tear down your direction. He gave 4 out of 4 stars to this movie though, so at least you know he's on the level. Well, this will teach you to listen to Mike when he tells you to wait a few more months before you release something. You had not counted on the huge strength of Star Wars keeping up even after near 4 months.
Incidentally, Toho had called and mentioned how Kurosawa had done another film which was an adaptation from Shakespeare's works, and he had been on the phone with them for a collaboration in order to make a new one.
The Last Dinosaur Directed by: Alexander Grasshoff, Shusei Kotani
Produced by: Arthur Rankin, Jr., Jules Bass, Noboru Tsuburaya
Distribution (USA): Lucasfilm Unlimited
Starring: Richard Boone, Joan Van Ark, Steven Keats, Luther Rackley, Masumi Sekiya, William Ross, Carl Hansen, Tetsu Nakamura, Nancy Magsig, Don Maloney, Vanessa Christina, James Dale, Hyoe Enoki, Shunsuke Kariya, Gary Gundassen, Toru Kawai and Tatsumi Nikamoto.
International Box Office: $92,000,000
Lucasfilm Unlimited Profits: $46,000,000
Your last visit to Toho had been...illuminating in a way. If anyone had told you that a solid partnership built on reliability (and profit as Mike would oh so helpfully add) would be nearly undone because of greed, well, you'd certainly believe them. Hadn't you seen enough of that here in Hollywood? Enough to taint your views on the industry and try for your own studio alongside George than work with and trust them.
But you'd expected better from Toho. If anything, this has shown you that there's no difference between studios around the world, no matter how much they claim otherwise. Toho had been ready (or nearly) to throw away a profitable partnership, one that had given 110% when it came to their distributions, all because of a small chance at a higher percentage profit.
And this made Mike furious.
Hadn't he worked his ass off to make sure each and every one of their films have enough marketing for the audience to actually be interested? hadn't he made sure that all their imports had theaters full where they wouldn't have anything before? Well, he was not going to let this slide. They thought they could make more profit without Lucasfilms, Mike would show them why that was nothing but a Pipe Dream.
And he would do it with The Last Dinosaur.
Made by an unlikely alliance of American and Japanese film companies; Rankin/Bass Productions and Tsuburaya Productions, it was a movie that had found no distributor and had to content itself as being a TV movie just three months back. Its plot had a Tycoon and big game hunter, along with his expedition, go deep underground into a lost world where dinosaurs still lived (as well as cavemen), and it's basically a story of adventures as they try to either escape, or kill the big Dinosaur, with the tycoon displaying some Captain Ahab-esque characteristics as he'd rather remain behind than escape with the group.
This film was obviously made on an incredibly low budget, which you can judge by many aspects of it shown on the screen. But then again, what are you expecting from production companies more used to making holiday specials and Ultraman shows! The Last Dinosaur is preposterous, has campy effects, redone sound effects that still retain aspects of their original versions, and with the exception of Richard Boone who plays the tycoon, everyone has completely wooden acting.
So, why is it so enjoyable!?!
Because it is! You could not stop yourself from being charmed by the film. It just has this quality that grabs you and refuses to let you go. Or perhaps it's all the small things that make it fun instead of a slog to watch; Richard Boone is an absolute delight as he chews up the scenery (Reportedly he was heavily drinking while filming and even drunk during some scenes). The Tyrannosaurus is a gigantic freaking dinosaur, and yet in several scenes (including two kills) it's able to walk right up to where the humans are without being detected. It's called The Last Dinosaur, yet there's clearly many around, with a fight between Tyrannosaurus and Triceratops being one of the highlights. The special effects on the film are simply laughable, with clearly rubber suits for the dinosaurs that just make you laugh rather than be frightened of them.
It is a mindless film, and yet, somehow, there is something enjoyable about it. It's a film that cannot be forgotten by those who have seen it. And whether they loved it or hated it, they remember it. Enough for them to watch it again, and with friends this time who just call their other friends to join them, to the point that everyone is just having a grand old time laughing at a movie that its "so bad it's good". The number of people going for a rewatch it's just insane, the Theaters have been so full that some have considered it another Star Wars with how people just rave about it.
Heck, the entire run made you more money than the Lone Wolf and Cub movies combined!
Critics however are just...disappointed. Well, they should know that not all movies can be pieces of art that deserve to be hanged alongside the Louvre, but to call it an assault on the senses, the final proof of Japan's lack of taste, and Lucasfilms pandering to the lowest common denominator seems a bit harsh to you. There are serious exhortations for the public to boycott this film, others that curse at the theatres for showing such "filth" in their halls, and of course there's the more extreme ones that call for the reels to be found and burned so no one has to see them again.
A bit too much in your opinion.
Though the one that truly got to you was the review of one critic that truly seemed hurt by it all, pretty much arguing that with movies as exemplary as Throne of Blood which was shown just last month, how could Lucasfilms throw then something that rightfully belonged in either a can of garbage or never having made at all.
Frankly, you didn't know whether to pity him, or just scoff at him. Better to just leave it be.
As for Toho...well, they've been pretty quiet. This is a movie they knew was bad, and yet not only made profit, but more than their movies combined had expected. Producers and executives that had been mentioning a chance for greater profits and greener pastures are suddenly not present when interacting with you or Mike. You'd usually call this a win, but you now know very well how studios operate, no matter their nationality. Toho may be willing to continue working with you, but in the end it's nothing more than business.
International Box Office: $68,000,000
Lucasfilm Unlimited Profits: $34,000,000
It's been a while since you've released a Godzilla movie, much of your previous attention being set on space movies, or those involving Mifune Toshiro in order to boost sales of Star Wars, and take advantage of the newest craze sweeping the country. And it seemed to work well so far, the earnings gained, the appreciation for Japanese film, and the accolades received from Directors always came in droves after seeing once more what the East had to offer...so long as it was good of course...
The War in Space still haunts your dreams to this day...why, why was such a bad movie made?
Okay...breaking down from that little fugue, going back to the basics seemed like a good way to clean that previous stinker of a movie out of your palate. Mike even seemed somewhat excited at once more working on promoting the King of Monsters for the big screen once more, the posters igniting the hype train for the confrontation between Godzilla and its mechanical counterpart, a match for the ages to show once and for all if Godzilla truly deserves its title, or the new contender will rise to the occasion to finally dethrone him.
And in the end...well, you liked the movie, but the audience's reaction seemed to be pretty "meh" for the moment. If you didn't know any better, you'd think they're getting tired of seeing giant monsters fighting each other...but that's just ridiculous! Who would ever get tired of seeing Godzilla fight giant monsters! The story itself is simple; aliens create a giant mechanical version of Godzilla, Mechagodzilla, in an effort to destroy Japan. The mechanical creature nearly defeats Godzilla until the hero enlists the help of a fellow Kaiju, the dog-like King Seesar, to defeat the new bionic beast. Simple in theory, perfectly executed in practice. There is actual tension when Mechagodzilla defeats Godzilla for the first time (and you do feel sorry when you see the impostor defeating Godzilla's ally Anguirus as well) but it doesn't make it all sad and mopey, still retaining its campy and fun structure. Hell, the aliens are revealed to be gorilla-like creatures for crying out loud!
And yet, the story wasn't just a rehash of the others, but an actual original plotline that kept you on the edge of your seat. It helped that Toho decided to bring some of their best actors for this entry, and the jazzy tone of the soundtrack makes it interesting if nothing else. You can see why the critics just praised this movie to hell and back, this seems to you the most experimental take on the Godzilla formula that you've seen since they decided to make it more fun and campier from the original movies.
And yet it's not without its flaws; the disguises were just not that good, at times feeling like the aliens were just castoffs from Planet of the Apes, the special effects for their bases and disguises were clearly done cheaply to make more budget for the impressive Kaiju fights. The human plot, a thriller about aliens secretly invading and looking to infiltrate society and looking for a way to defeat mankind has been done and overused in these films so many times that you could recite the entire thing by memory already, plus it's not that good of a plot either.
But where they really shine is in the most important aspect of the film; the monsters. Anguirus fight with Mechagodzilla is very physical, ripping Anguirus' jaws apart and all, showing a more visceral take than previous less violent takes. Mechagodzilla is just... there are no words as you could only look in awe as he, and all his weapons, are brought to life fantastically. Godzilla is still the suit from Godzilla Vs. Megalon but that doesn't take away from the sheer awe at his might one does when facing such a behemoth. The battle between Godzilla and its impostor was spectacular and fun, going to bloody levels never before seen in a Godzilla film so far, with the King of Monsters taking quite a beating. And then there's King Seeser who...is a decent monster. Okay, he's not that bad, but after seeing the fights between Godzilla and Mechagodzilla then everything else is just a disappointment. Not to mention that the final battle is supposed to be a rematch, not a tag battle.
Yet for all that you've expounded in praise, people just don't seem to be rushing to see the movie. Oh sure, they go and enjoy the film, tell their friends, but there's hardly any sense of excitement like one would expect. Instead of anticipation it's more like something they've started taking for granted instead of it becoming an event like previous entries. Heck, you've made more money than previous Godzilla movies, so why is it that you feel that it could have been better?
Critics seem to disagree as they find the newest entry something wholly original and fresh, perhaps a good step above from previous films which could become something respectable, like the Lone Wolf and Cub films, in the future (Wait...don't you still have one more of those to release?). You don't know what to think there. What's next, are they going to suggest making a Kaiju movie where the main focus will be on the human side and interaction while the monsters are only shown sporadically and with poor lightning?
That's just crazy!
Overall, Toho is pleased with the profits, though they don't see much of a future for the Godzilla films despite them. They've also heard of the lukewarm response in America despite the lump of money they've earned, and have mentioned that it may have been a good call to stop making the films after 75'. Despite it all, you've received calls from young and eager producers asking you to greenlight the next entry as soon as possible. They think that a good enough showing, combined with this one, could give enough of an argument to once more restart production of more Godzilla films, and this time they plan to make them right.
Dodes'ka-den was a rather interesting case of distribution. This time it was not you or Mike who made the call to distribute it, but George. Apparently he had become penpals with Akira since the release of Seven Samurai, usually exchanging one or two letters a month between each other. On one of his more recent letters, Akira informed George of Dodes'ka-den, his Icarus film as it were. In many ways it was a dark inverse of what you and George had done with Star Wars. In a time where Japanese cinema had been unkind to him, Akira had bravely ventured on his own to make great art, founding his own production company and funding Dodes'ka entirely out of his own money in one great gamble to prove he still had it and make a film his way. Only Dodes'ka-den didn't make a billion dollars and be hailed as the greatest movie of all time, it was a critical and commercial failure, drove Akira to heavy debt and apparently deep depression and near suicide.
Perhaps George saw this as a case of what could have happened if American Graffiti was shutdown, if Star Wars was a bomb, if he didn't have you. George wanted to help his friend get the release he deserved just as you did for George with THX, and he was adamant that it get a summer distribution, even if it was to be paired with Godzilla.
Mike didn't like this one bit. He heard horror stories from Toho of just how bad Dodes'ka-den was and tried to persuade George otherwise, just wanting to focus on Godzilla and maybe distribute that last Lone Wolf and Cub. George was adamant that Akira Kurosawa's ill-treated child get an American welcome, Marcia was 100% on board, and you fell in out of your friendship with George. Mike, knowing this wasn't a battle worth fighting, agreed and did his best to market the film, leaning heavily on Akira Kurosawa's developing reputation stateside as Japan's George Lucas.
You had two expectations about this film. Either it was going to be as garbage as Japan made it out to be, or another Kurosawa Classic. Somehow...it was both?
The plot was a huge departure from Akira's Samurai films and you had to wonder if he was really passionate about the subject or just wanted to pivot as far away from his Toshiro Mifune collaborations as possible. There really wasn't any structure or a traditional plot to the film, not even a real beginning, middle, end. It was an anthology of people living in squalor in a Japanese slum. Almost none of them were connected to each other, and the only character who could be called a protagonist was some mentally ill boy who pretended he was a trolley conductor at the beginning and end, the final scene showing the boy in one of his delusions running the trolley with all of the characters hopping on board.
Besides that, the story was just a series of anecdotes of really miserable people living in poverty and just going through awful stuff. A dude works himself to near death to support a large family with all of his "Children" being spawn of other men who his wife cheated with. A dude disarms a violent youth and then just lets himself get robbed. Two drunk assholes just swap wives for a day and that's it. A girl is raped by her uncle, becomes pregnant and then stabs a boy with the uncle facing no consequences. It's just a myriad of misery and the worst human experiences.
Honestly there's lots of potential for this to be a great film as the soundtrack was stellar as usual, the cinematography done in its usual painting like capture, the actors are all try their best and have some talent. It's just that it's all done in vain with a garbage script. Maybe if the stories were connected and some kind of theme was shared like how poverty is bad or man can find love and support from the community then it would be good. But there was none of that, it was just an anthology of people living awful lives and that's it, like the first half of Clockwork Orange with less violence.
It honestly boggles your mind that you somehow got 40 million in ticket sales from...this. If you had to take a guess, people were interested because Kurosawa had a reputation of being a cinematic genius and they loved his previous Samurai films so this HAD to be good. Only the near unanimous consensus for this film was that it was a depressing and miserable experience, if not one of the worst films they ever saw.
Then in an ironic twist of fate, Dodes'ka-den's performance was saved by "The Critics getting it wrong". Just as they had with all Kurosawa movies previously, the critics gave high praise to the movie as a pillar of cinematic greatness, a hallmark of the urban drama in a time where Hollywood seemed to be giving it the fate of the Western. They saw the story not as depressing, but as a gripping insight of the human condition and intelligent commentary on poverty and urban decay. At this point you genuinely wanted to see Kurosawa make a paint drying movie and see how the critics react because you were convinced that they worshipped the man as a the Da Vinci of cinema. It was a deserved reputation to be sure, but in this case in spite of its good qualities, not so much.
You really just wanted to purge this out of your mind and move on, but a couple of weeks after release while in the office to see George and his writer, you got a surprising phone call directly from Akira Kurosawa himself. Through Toho International contacts, he had become aware of Dodes'ka-den's performance in America. While he was disheartened that audiences both foreign and domestic were never going to like the film, he was at the very least happy that American critics saw its "beauty" and there were some fans of his work. More than that, he was really grateful to George and Lucasfilms for giving him a genuine shot when Toho just wanted to pretend that the movie never existed, it really touched his heart to know that he had such friends in America, and hearing that you couldn't help but shed a tear, as despite the movie being a mess, Akira definitely deserved it.
There was also a nice happy ending monetarily. Because Akira funded the movie out of his own pockets, he would receive 25% of all gross in America. That meant he got $10 million in a couple of months for a movie he made eight years ago. With this he was able to wipe away all of his debts, treat his family well, and be in a position where he could retire today and live the rest of his life in comfort. He wasn't ready to retire just yet, but there was no longer the burden of being at Toho's beck and call and he could return to making films as he wished, even self-fund an entire movie if he felt like it and not be in danger of monetary collapse. You had no idea what the future was for Akira Kurosawa, but he did promise that he was working hard on the script of that Japanese Shakespeare and looking forward to working on it with Lucasfilms as a collaboration.
So overall Dodes'ka-den was a release that failed successfully, or was a successful failure. With the public backlash and apathy to this and Mechagodzilla respectively, perhaps it was a sign that Japanese imports were becoming normalized or you had to be far more strategic about them. You think Japan still has a lot of great stuff to show, but it would be for the best if Lucasfilms picked up production.
Although...Tomino has been rather insistent that anime films be given a shot. Maybe that was a new market?
A Classical Tale Created By: Dave Allister
Directed By: John Musker and Ron Clements
Stuidio: Dreamworks
Distribution: Public Broadcasting System
Original Release: June-September 1978
When you founded Dreamworks you had a lot of ambitions for what it's standout debut would be, what you did not expect for the firstborn child of the studio to be was a PBS cartoon dedicated to educating general audiences about ancient mythology. The whole project had been the brainchild of Dave Allister, as he had pitched it to mere days after the announcement of Dreamworks' creation was shared across the public. Apparently, classical history was a real passion of Dave's from college and he wanted to share stories of the myths with his daughter Julia, but didn't know how to do it in a child-friendly way. So just as you supported The Muppet Movie so Mary could see her favorite characters go from the "Kermit Box" to the "Kermit Screen", Dave wanted to make a fun cartoon to share his passion with Julia. It was a very noble goal you could agree upon, and since Dave shared this with you right as you started trying to conceive with Carrie, you supported him fully and promised to get the show off the ground in a couple of years. What you expected was for Classical Tale to be made after a few movies and once the Lucasfilms TV division was truly up and running. What you did not expect was for Dave to take your support as unofficial greenlight to start pitching to networks, and from there somehow manage to secure a $10 million contract with PBS.
With the recent success of Schoolhouse Rock, PBS was aiming to secure some educational cartoons to supplement their morning lineup of kids shows with Dave coming in at just the perfect time when the station had a big boost to funding and was hungry for some shows. Additionally, Dave had approached just weeks after Star Wars' release and being credited as one of the writers for the greatest movie of all time certainly enhanced his bargaining power with the show. You had mixed feelings when you found out as you wanted to keep your promise but wanted something grander for Dreamworks' debut, and in addition Mike was very opposed as he saw a PBS show as a money drain. Fortunately, the scheduling worked out with Tomino only needing half of the Dreamworks staff to work on Gundam thanks to the Sunrise cooperation and John and Ron had nominated themselves as Classical Tale directors, both being very passionate about the subject and viewing it as a fun way to stick it to Hanna-Barbera's stagnant hold on tv animation. Thus you gave the greenlight with Classical Tale to hopefully serve as a nice round of experience for the animators before moving onto to more ambitious projects.
Having known nothing but Scooby-Doo ripoffs for the past decade, you were completely amazed by the high quality of Classical Tale. It wasn't anywhere near the quality of Gundam, but it was still leagues above every cartoon currently airing in terms of writing and animation, if not better than many live action shows. It was a very simple premise, each episode an elderly nararrator in a library would greet the viewer and take them on a journey through his books through a tale of mythology in ancient Greece. Then the show would shift to show PG versions of many myths both classic and unknown throughout Greece's many different time periods and regional cultures. In addition to education the kids about the tale they were reading with easy to digest storytelling, the writing was very intellegent and hillarious with lots of zany subtle humor to keep parents and other older viewers engaged along with lots of hidden jokes both visually and in dialogue that prompted viewers to come back and watch reruns to catch everything they missed the first time. A lot of the comedy was derived from the hilarious and well-timed narration but the characters also had some fun dynamics poking fun at some of the absurdities of ancient Greece and grounding the dark and high stakes stories in a fantastical and adventurous light.
The art style could be described simply as a combination of Disney fairy tales and newspaper comics. For the most part it had that elegant and magical look that was in a film like Snow White or Sleeping Beuaty, but when moments of comedy and action called the characters could break out into zany cartoon physics and reactions that walked a nice line between realism and wacky, helping to serve whatever tone or educational purpose the scene was calling for. While not close to Tomino's cinematic art with Gundam's animation, Classical Tale was undoubtedly the best quality animation of anything on television period, or at least before Gundam came along. It's greatest strength was not in the speed or color and line quality, but simply how detailed and diverse in imagery and color the background and character designs were. Instead of simply relying on simple colors and shapes and repeating background art of generic settings in laziness, almost every shot seemed to be something original and everything from the great and grand temples and cities to the small details of the trees and animals seemed to be unique from another like snowflakes and really making the viewer feel like they were in ancient Greece. It was the type of background work one would expect from a movie, and somehow John and Ron managed to mostly keep within budget and they finished well before Tomino and Gundam, although 20 episodes in comparison to 52 tended to allow that.
When John and Ron presented you with the show, you were completely blown away as you were just expecting an animated textbook with some fun cartoon adventures and instead were given a piece of art worthy of the Dreamworks brand. Overall happy with the results, you gave your approval and after voice acting and post-production was wrapped up, Classical Tale would be released in June, the first Dreamworks product and the first television for Lucasfilms period. You knew that you wouldn't have close to the success of MASH, but you were hoping for a relatively popular release. Instead what you got was unfortunately muted success.
By all accounts Classical Tale was a ratings success. It regularly got between 3-4 million viewers nationally for each new episode, reruns could count on hundreds of thousands of TVs watching, and both parents and kids seemed to approve and enjoy the time. However, it was lacking in the universal acclamation and fanfare that usually came with a Lucasfilms product and it was definitely nowhere near beloved as Mr. Rogers and Sesame Street. The general consensus was that it was a nice, pleasant show with good education but it wasn't amazing or as iconic as say Peanuts, Scooby-Doo or Schoolhouse Rock. Critics on the other hand were heavily in love with the show, praising it rightfully as the best children's series currently on the air thanks to its high quality animation, intelligent writing and great family value. The word was around town that Classical Tale was due for lots of Daytime Emmy Nods and a shoe-in for Outstanding Children's Series. Hopefully Gundam could generate greater hype and acclaim so you could have two cartoons dominate the awards.
But if it was so beloved, why then was the reaction nearly lukewarm? Mike is convinced that the issue was it being a PBS show. Unless the show was a ratings wonder like Mr. Rogers or Sesame Street, then PBS wasn't going to spend much of its limited budget on advertisement nor would families be drawn in unless they already watched PBS. Plus unlike Gundam which was going to be marketed as all-ages and Star Wars Mecha, there was only so much you could do to get general audiences to watch a show aimed at lower elementary kids unless they were parents or babysitting. You think Mike is mostly right as there's no reason that Classical Tale should have failed on its own quality, although the fact that the first season was Greece might have been a double edged sword since with Greek mythology being common-ish knowledge then there's no motivation to learn or a strong pull than if it were exotic.
So, that just leaves the question of where to go from here? PBS is overall happy with the show and signaled they're willing to renew a contract for a second season, but they want to negotiate the price tag and you don't feel like they're too passionate to fight for it. Mike is only interested if PBS gives a greater price tag, if the show gets a merch line, or they syndicate it to cable TV but Dave is adamant that it remain a PBS show. John and Ron said they wouldn't mind directing a second season, but right now they're doing their best to aid Don with Hiawatha and are not so subtly requesting to direct their own movie. Dave really wants to give another go and give Norse mythology a proper outlet besides the Thor comics, but he said he understands if it's not a priority and until then will keep writing movie scripts.
That just leaves the most important question, how did your most important fan, your beloved daughter Mary like the show? Well...to be honest since she's not even a year old yet it was unlikely Mary knew what was going on even with her high intelligence. But whenever it popped up on the Kermit Box, she got all excited, smiling and laughing, having a fun time watching it in yours or Carrie's laps. So you made Mary happy with a Dreamworks cartoon, and in the end that's all that matters.
