While waiting for SWTOR to download

I've had quite a few cues from Williams' Star Wars scores running through my head for the past few days while I was debating about getting into Star Wars: The Old Republic.  For some reason, yesterday or the day before, my brain shifted over to Indiana Jones and I found myself whistling a mash-up of "Duel of the Fates", "Truck Chase" and "Slave Children's Crusade" (which is quite possibly my favorite whistling song).  I caught myself  -and had a laugh at myself knowing Short Run's cues - realizing that most of my early memories are scored by Williams.  Maybe Williams is in my genetic make-up, according to legend my parents went to see Jaws on their first date (I was born a few years later).

I've been a long time soap-boxer about the influence that a score plays on a film (could you imagine Lawrence of Arabia without Maurice Jarre's score?) and the connection between film/score/memory but while I wait for the newest incarnation of Star Wars to download I realize that I can't wait for the Williams brass bang that accompanies the beginning of each Star Wars movie.  Not the scrolling credits, not the wipes, but those first chords of the intro.  Williams is a master of cues and themes and really his four best scores are instantly recognizable: Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Jaws, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind.  Williams has a distinct sonic profile (if that's even a term) which matches the Spielberg/Lucas genre.  I know this may sound absurd but could you imagine Horner or Morricone or Kyd scoring any of these movies?

After losing my train of thought and getting caught up in rewatching Temple of Doom I guess I'll just end this post with Indiana Jones could beat the shit out of Han Solo (plus out fieldwork him).

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) dir. Steven Spielberg. Spoilers!

It is impossible to write an impartial review of this movie. An entire generation of men and women love Indiana Jones. Raiders of the Lost Ark was one of the first movies I can remember seeing in the theater. In Second Grade I wrote a story titled Indiana Jones vs the Great White Shark. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom was the first movie I saw in the theater by myself. My father, Grandfather, and I saw Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade more than several times together. Indiana Jones was the template upon which I built my ideas of what it meant to be a man. Indiana Jones was my hero.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is a disappointment. Not a total disappointment but in some ways that makes it worse. I can forgive Indy for leaving a pregnant Marion. I can forgive his weary distrust of the Atomic Age and eventual pathetic death from radiation sickness. I can forgive Cate Blanchett's "Moose and Squirrel" accent. I can forgive the poor misuse of both John Hurt and Ray Winstone. I can forgive John Williams' piss poor rehashed cues and themes. Hell, I can even forgive "The Beef".

What I can't forgive is the fact that the magic is gone. Who said that this story, that this script, was worth a mummer's fart? Who said, "Yeah, this is good."? Who said, "This is worthy of a final Indiana Jones movie."? That person should have a rabid badger attatched to their taint. Before Amanda and I left the theater we looked at one another and said, "Aliens? Really?". On the ride back to the hotel all we could say was, "Aliens? Really?". From the beginning of the movie there was little mystery about what the plot device was. 1957. Area 51. "Okay, maybe it's going to be a race to unlock an alien superweapon that..." Wait. What? Alien superweapon? When did Indiana Jones get all Chariots of the Gods? Yeah, we'll just white wash the Judeo-Christian mumbo jumbo of the first and third movies and...aliens? Really? Are you sure it wasn't midichlorians? From there the movie just kind of staggers along ticking off marks on the Indiana Jones checklist. The problem is that it doesn't. Crystal Skull doesn't have the mystery, thrill, excitement, "How's Indy gonna escape this time?", or fun of the earlier installments. Amanda said she looked at my face several times during the movie and said that I went from, "YAY! to eh."

There are moments of goodness in Crystal Skull. Most of these moments involve Indy using phrases and mannerisms his father used - i.e. "This is intolerable!". There are moments between Indy and Marion which capture the fire of Raiders. "The Beef" is often being beaten and pummeled and made to look foolish. The Atomic Cafe theme running through the begininng of the movie is pretty neat. Marion is in it. Indy never loses his hat.

Some reviewers have said that if you just take Crystal Skull for what it is worth and go for the ride then you'll enjoy the movie. Fuck that. I'm gonna pretend that this installment never happened and you're talking to a guy whose favorite is Temple of Doom.

Aliens? Really?

The Long Kinda Sorta Maybe Good Friday.

Kind of a quick rundown today - nothing major that I know of:

• Was sent an email by Mike this morning directing me to a link on Ain't it Cool about the digital editing of the US trailer for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. At first I was pretty annoyed but the annoyance has shifted over to, "Well that's fucking typical." Apparently MP40s (German submachine guns) are not supposed to be pointed at our heroes. I rewatched the trailer with a more critical eye and realize that the CGI doesn't really look all that good. I'm a little disappointed but remember that the Indy series has some terrible FX. I guess I'll just have to get over it.
• One of my favorite webcomics Questionable Content has taken a sort of surprising direction. Not to say that I didn't see it coming I just didn't think that it would actually happen. Hey, some people watch WB shows. I read webcomics.
• I'm working on adding/tweaking/fiddling the links at the bottom of the page as well as some of the feeds and good stuff like that. Trying to make it a little more one stop shopping.
• BCIII has been adding more trailers and good stuff over at http://pihytrailers.blogspot.com/.
• If any of you have a copy of James Horner's score for Krull please let me know. Don't mock just because it's Krull - it's a really good score.
• The GTAIV site is live. I am torn between devouring all the info I can and just avoiding any and all news about it.

That's all for now folks. Hope you guys have a good weekend. I'm gonna be on lockdown because the house is a shambles and I'm wearing my emergency clean clothes.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

Finally the real thing!

Thats right kids the First official poster for the new Indiana Jones film.
I'm sorta worried about this movie, but after seeing that they went with the original style poster art I am sorta warmed in the cockles by it...but maybe that just the wool pants I have on.
But hey, its our old pal indy!

"At the sound of the whip, turn the page."

I take my Indiana Jones pretty seriously. I honestly don't know how to feel about a new movie. The cast looks pretty strong though I don't know much about this Shia LaBoeuf kid. However John Hurt, Ray Winstone, and Cate Blanchett are in it and that makes me happy though there's no word on John Rhys-Davies and Denholm Elliot's passed on. Oh well.

Thanks to Mike for this link: http://www.indianajones.com/community/news/news20070621.html