I actually just realized that the film has a big reference to one of GL's favorite films (and mine), Forbidden Planet.
This is why I'm surprised they didn't include the dialogue about Akator being "one big power generator". Or include at least one matte shot of them exploring the subterranean city.
Crystal Skull - Sci - Fi movies like The Blob,The Thing, etc. which was done nicely in the graveyard sequence almost feel like a scene that could be played at a drive-in.
Now that I think about, the graveyard seems to be one of those scenes that would play on our local drive-in as my brother and I would pass by. Nice observation...
Some of the synopsis from wikipedia is interesting too:
Morbius tells Adams he has been reconstructing the history and science of the Krell, the long-extinct natives. They had possessed a technology and society a million years ahead of that of humanity, but had all died 200,000 years before in a single night of inexplicable destruction. He shows his guests what he calls a "plastic educator". His first use of it put him into a coma for almost two days, but also doubled his intellect, enabling him to build Robby and the rest of the wondrous devices....
While Adams confronts Morbius, Ostrow sneaks in and uses the educator. Before he dies from its effects, he gasps out his revelation: the vast machine was designed to let the Krell materialize anything they wanted at a mere thought. "But the Krell forgot one thing! Monsters, John! Monsters from the id!" Though the Krell considered themselves civilized, their subconscious minds were unleashed to act out their darkest urges, resulting in their destruction....
As Morbius lies dying, he directs Adams to press a lever which sets the Krell machine to destroy itself. Adams, Altaira, Robby, and the surviving crew witness the destruction of the planet from a safe distance in space.
This parallels Spalko getting the advanced knowledge from the skull and dying from it and Indy and the rest watching Akator getting destroyed.
I've actually started to consider creating a fanedit of the film, creating a full frame presentation in black in white. I'm not considering any edits to the film itself (I love it the way it is), but am considering changing the intro and ending credits to match the b-movie vibe:
. . . .and I concur. That b&W opening is priceless. Makes one think those teenagers are going to run into zombies instead of Soviets. Really, really good stuff.
. . . .WEAREGOINGTODIE, I guess the Phillies aren't too entertaining tonight.
And you should do a fan edit. Wasn't there a spinning wheel shot in American Graffiti? Put a shot of that in the opening right after the kids pass the convoy . . .
Hint at some dark demise for the kids in the jalopy (instead of them driving off blissfully down the road) and you set a whole new tone for the film. Instead of a joy ride you get something ominous. Man, KOTCS had great potential.
(and with regard to Mr. Stanton, "The life of a repo man is always intense.")
Last edited by Joe Brody : 10-23-2008 at 10:33 PM.
Ha! Thanks all! (yeah, Phillies were "meh" last night, but the series ain't over!)
I agree, the film's title takes on a different feel once you see it in b-movie font. I almost I didn't consider using American Graffiti footage if I do decide to do the fan edit, good idea! The major difficulty is cutting around the opening titles. I could either cut around them and lay in "Hound Dog" over the trimmed footage, or crop them out (example, show the left side of the screen while Ray Winstone's credit is on the right). I'd plan on leaving the rest of the film intact though.
It occurred to me before the film came out that they might use font like that for the opening credits, just like a '50s B-movie, but I'm glad they didn't.
It occurred to me before the film came out that they might use font like that for the opening credits, just like a '50s B-movie, but I'm glad they didn't.
Aw, c'mon! You'd love it! And a bit of theremin thrown in for good measure.
WOOooooooeeeEEEEEOOOooooo!
I posted this in another thread but since this is appropriate I thought I'd share it here too for those who still hate the fridge scene:
That was a joke. If your as old as the filmmakers and not 14, you'd know that in the 50's the government promoted the ridiculous "Duck and Cover" routine in schools. For those who don't know what that is, basically in the event of all out nuclear war you just crawl under your school desk and let the blast pass over you. There's even a cartoon with a turtle of all things singing a little tune (it's on youtube I bet).
My dad always said they did it so everybody who got nuked was in a neat pile of dust after the blast. Easy to clean up.
Also back then, fridges were made of die cast steel and not plastic like they are today. They also had latches like car doors, which if you were inside, were impossible to open. Many kids in the 50's actually died from locking themselves in the fridge.
The Doomtown scene is a joke that plays on both of these. That's why they made a point to show the fridge is "lead lined" and that the latch on the door breaks when the fridge crashes down in the desert so Indy can get out. Later the General says to Indy "don't you know it's dangerous to climb into one of those things?". They acknowledge the joke right there!
Unfortunately a lot of references in KOTCS are limited to those who lived in the 1950's or those very aware of their history and pop culture references. Of course he couldn't live, but you can't live when your heart is ripped out and a yellow raft would actually pop from a large fall or shred when it hit the ground and slalomed through coarse snow. It's a movie, not a documentary.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has received reports of numerous suffocation deaths involving children who crawled inside latch type freezers, clothes dryers, combination washer/dryer units, picnic coolers, ice boxes in campers, and old-style latch type refrigerators. Most of the victims were four to seven years old. In all cases, the doors could not be easily pushed open from the inside. In some of the incidents associated with clothes dryers, the appliance was accidentally turned on while the child was inside.
Frequently, the children were playing "hide-and-seek" and the appliance or chest provided a deceptively good place to hide. When the door slammed shut, the tight fitting gasket on most of the appliances cut off air to the child. This, along with the insulated construction of the appliance, also prevented the child’s screams from being heard. But abandoned appliances are not the only items involved with accidents like these. Entrapment deaths have been reported in products in use or stored in the kitchen, laundry room, basement, or garage. Deaths also have occurred in ice boxes located in campers parked outside the home.
For the past forty years, the Federal Refrigerator Safety Act has required that refrigerators be capable of being opened from the inside.
Last edited by sandiegojones : 10-27-2008 at 06:08 PM.
Location: Neuchâtel, Switzerland (Canadian from Montreal)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sandiegojones
There's even a cartoon with a turtle of all things singing a little tune (it's on youtube I bet).
Bert the Turtle looks sort of like Hanna-Barbera's Touché Turtle from 1962/63 who was a Zorro-type character. ("Touché AWAY!")
Look at him. Can you see some Mutt similarities? A rapier-wielding, vine-swingin' cartoon?
Despite what some people think, I feel that Spielberg and Lucas may have had the most fun making this film. The other films were period movies but other than the look (or Nazi's) they aren't too time specific.
In KOTCS they went out of their way to acknowledge the 50's because they lived during this time. There are so many things you'd expect to see in a 50's film that are cliche from Elvis and hot rods and diners, but I think they threw in everything they loved since KOTCS has more overt nods to classic films than any of the other in the Indy saga. There's the brief close up of the Converse shoe (the most popular shoe ever) hitting the gas pedal in the opening race, "I like Ike" and doom town (having Howdy Doody on the TV was a nod to their youth I'm sure) to lines like "Smog in the noggin", "daddy-o", "saucer men" and so many film references from Forbidden Planet, THEM, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Body Snatchers, Invaders from Mars, etc.
When they first started working on the story (10-15 years ago) it took place in the 1940's and I think they kind of hit a stalemate, but once they really moved forward and figured it had to be the 50's they all got excited because they could re-connect with their youth while also get back with their friends who they've worked with for so long. I think they really had love for this film and that's why they did it knowing they'd get the backlash for the direction they went.
Bert the Turtle looks sort of like Hanna-Barbera's Touché Turtle from 1962/63 who was a Zorro-type character. ("Touché AWAY!")
Look at him. Can you see some Mutt similarities? A rapier-wielding, vine-swingin' cartoon?
BAHAHAHAHA, *roar*! Great one
I love it!
Nice finds all in all!
*tears of joy running down cheeks* (and because I just watched John Williams conducting at age 76 and receiving a gift from Spielberg in 'Adventures in Post Production'
