CMT - Batman ('66)

I can't overstate the importance of a film's running time. It's just as vital as the content of the movie. You can have the greatest ending to grace the silver screen, but that doesn't matter if you take too long to get there. Running jokes are funny, with the proper comedic timing but without it, you lose the audience well before the punch line. 

Classic Movie Trailers - Batman (1966) 

The Batman TV series from the 1960's, is a timeless classic, as far as I'm concerned. It's one of those shows in constant syndication. We know it, love it and have done so for years; however, that's because of the excellent presentation. Each episode was approximately thirty minutes, and in hindsight, that's all we needed. 

This feature is over four times the length of the weekly adventures, without a major difference in content. Instead of making changes to justify the scope, what we have here is just an extended romp. Personally I thought that it felt extended. It seems like they had to stretch it out, to make the timing requirements. 

If you do that in stand-up, do you know what happens? I'm told a large hook enters the scene from stage right. It grabs the performer by the neck, and drags that person off stage, while the audience laughs and breathes a sigh of relief. If the hook doesn't come early enough they start throwing tomatoes. Again, this is hearsay, but I'm sure it happens occasionally. 

You really have to get in, do the job and get out. I don't think this movie did that, but it has some great moments. The strength of the TV show was always the performances, and we're treated to the acting that made the show a success. Burgess Meredith steals the show as the Penguin, and Romero's Joker is authentic, despite the stubborn moustache.   

Above all, I think the greatest asset of the movie, is Adam West's portrayal of the lead role. In order for camp to work, you have to pay it straight, and West gives the right amount of seriousness. Despite the rediculous things happening around him, this Batman is earnest and committed to fighting the evil. When he has Robin and the Commissioner around, the whole thing feels like a Silver Age comic. 

  

Still, after eighty minutes I was looking at my watch, and I had another twenty minutes to go. The gags were losing potency and I was losing patience. My smile turned into half of one, and then I was smirking. The crimefighter was running around with a time bomb on his head, and I would have paid extra to have the thing blow up. It just went on and on and I had to wonder, if the editor was told to let it play. 

Regardless, don't let this one dissuade you. The timing crisis here isn't present in the series. If you did enjoy the production and you were left wanting more, please ignore my rambling and carry on. You can have too much of a good thing, but that line is different for all of us. Indulge yourself until you've had enough. 

Trailer Here.  

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@ChannelSeals 

See "Batman" on Netflix! 

Next week: BYE Week. (Happy Halloween!) 

The following Monday: Commentary on "Chaplin".  

CMT - Dressed to Kill ('41)

In order to really appreciate film, you have to accept its faults. One of its weaknesses, is the short amount of time it has to reach a conclusion. This brevity is a strength in certain situations, when the content of the story benefits from the running time. If the tale is complex or packed with details, it's better suited for a different format. 

Classic Movie Trailers - Dressed to Kill (1941) 

A cigarette butt by a serving window. A half-burned receipt from a previous transaction. A love letter in a small lock box and a signed portrait, hanging on the wall. All of these clues were joined by several others, in a movie that was less than 90 minutes. 

Part of the joy of watching a mystery, is the opportunity to solve the case before the end. If you're lucky enough to guess the right answer, I'm sure that you'll feel gratified. Even if you're not smug about it at first, it's hard to answer a puzzling riddle without a sense of accomplishment. For the rest of us that missed the boat the first time around, we can go back to see what led us astray. 

Of course, we'd be assuming that the filmmakers aren't cheating. It's very common for movies to change in the editing room. Any deep mystery has a couple of red herrings, and as a result, they have many plausible outcomes. Since the process of filmmaking is often shrouded in mystery, maybe repeat viewings aren't worth it. I'd even say they're likely to be a waste of time. 

There's a good chance, that your opinion of the story won't change. There's also the chance that it will change for the worse. Besides, one of the greatest things about motion pictures, is the small amount of time we need to invest in them. If we're going to examine the plot with a magnifying glass, we'd be better off with the novel. 

When it comes to telling stories in the mystery genre, books do it better than anyone else. Their narrative can be as long as it has to be, and they give up control of the pace to the reader. You see, when we take our time and absorb the material, there's a much better chance that we'll retain it. Films are quick; they have to keep moving and we don't get a break to ruminate over the evidence. 

There is a place for clues and crime in movies; I'm not suggesting that they should give them up entirely. I just think that mystery should be simplified, if not downplayed in terms of importance. If it's entertaining overall, the resolution may not matter, and a film's first impression is the lasting one. If a movie needs to be seen more than once to be enjoyable, it probably won't be very successful. 

However, if we're seeing it again because we loved it the first time, everyone wins in that case. There's nothing wrong with picking things up during a second viewing, but the movie shouldn't need those minor details. If you weren't paying attention, or it wasn't clear before, that tells you all you really need to know. Every form of fiction isn't suited for film, and it isn't something to be placed under a microscope. 

Trailer Here. 

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@ChannelSeals  

See "Dressed to Kill" on Netflix! 

Next week: "Batman" ('66) feat. Adam West & Burt Ward! 

CMT - Phenomenon

I hate sleeping at times. It feels like a terribly tedious obligation. I remember staying up late to get my school work done and cursing the onset of the inevitable exhaustion. The last time that I had read up on the subject, scientists weren't sure why sleep is necessary. All I can say is that it is a big requirement, though I am loathe to admit it. 

Can you imagine what we could do with our unconscious time? Have you dreamed of the infinite possibilities? Maybe we could cure cancer or solve the energy crisis. We might even be able to put an end to war. 

It's a fascinating prospect to think about. We're talking about an extension of our lives by one-third. I don't know how far we could go with such an extension, but this movie shows that just one man can do a whole lot. 

Classic Movie Trailers - Phenomenon (1996) 

From comics to film I've heard a common complaint, regarding the demise of certain characters. Fans are disappointed when their childhood hero, doesn't receive a death that is 'fitting' or 'heroic'. The general consensus, is that iconic adventurers should be given a send-off worthy of them. My argument would be that life isn't like that, and if art doesn't imitate life it's powerless. 

I do readily acknowledge that fiction has a role, to be better and more satisfying than life often is. After all, we use it to escape the truth, so you may not see the purpose in telling grounded stories. Personally, I feel that fiction needs to mirror our world. If it doesn't, I doubt it would be half as satisfying. 

Let's take any type of fantasy or sci-fi tale. If it's good, it helps you to buy into the magic. We know that we can't fly unaided, and we don't use laser swords, but while we watch and read we can accept these things. Now that Superman and Star Wars are decades old; we're used to slipping into a state of mind that allows us to enjoy them. Be that as it may, if their stories get farther removed, it will become much harder to relate to them. 

I believe there is a line that fiction walks on, and if it crosses it too often, it feels like a falsity. After a while, on a conscious or unconscious level, we realize when something is too good to be true. You might follow the action for years, after becoming indifferent, but you'll be doing so out of habit. We don't want that in the end, and a serialized property is supposed to keep us riveted as long as possible. 

So the art that we see and experience every day, is on a timer that is constantly ticking down. Each one has to keep their patrons invested, or replace them all with new, paying customers. The latter is as hard as you may imagine, so it's better to give the fans some things that they don't want. Death is untimely, heartbreaking and permanent; if no one tells the truth about that, everyone loses. 

What I like about "Phenomenon" is the fact that mortality, has less importance than our own accomplishments. It's saying that death shouldn't be avoided; instead, it should be used as a motivating factor. If you look at George Malley's talents very closely, they all gave him time to do great things. Instead of being trapped in his 9-to-5, and getting caught up in his troubled personal life, he was able to be an inventor, a student, a teacher, a linguist and whatever else he wanted. 

His life was extended, by one-third every day, and he used that time to go farther than any modern genius. He ran circles around us, and we could never catch up, but his purpose was to help us and prod us to try harder. I think that his character is a shining example, of what a hero is actually meant to be. We're not supposed to follow our idols forever; we're supposed to pick up their batons and carry them forward.  

At the end of the day, we all get tired, and death is the final rest we all must take. The problem is that we focus on it, or avoid the matter entirely, to our detriment. Maybe sleep was meant to be a daily reminder, that our lives are as short as our periods of consciousness. We can let that fact depress us, or we can change the subject, but it's better to think about what we can do in the meantime. 

  

Trailer Here. 

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@ChannelSeals 

See "Phenomenon" on Netflix! 

Next week: "Dressed to Kill" (1941)