Halloween Special - Targets (1968)

 

Rent on Apple TV, Amazon, and Microsoft 

Purchase from The Criterion Collection

    TRIGGER WARNING: 

Shootings and acts of mass violence are mentioned in this review. 

    One of my favorite pastimes is enjoying YouTube videos from my favorite content creators. One such creator is an energetic and entertaining gentleman who calls himself Count Jackula from the planet Dracula: a horror cinema enthusiast who reviews and discusses classic horror films and how they reflect often ignored aspects of humanity. It was on Count Jackula's show that I first learned of what may be one of the most underrated classics in horror cinema history, Targets: released in 1968, produced by the king of schlock Roger Corman, with a script secretly rewritten by legendary screenwriter Samuel Fuller, directed by Peter Bogdanovich (who would later go on to direct Paper Moon and Mask), and featuring what is considered by many as the proper farewell performance of the legendary actor, Boris Karloff. 

    Like many classic works of cinema, Targets is especially relevant even today. The film tackles something that is, sadly, far too familiar in American society, spree shootings. The film asks the uncomfortable question, which horror is more terrifying: the monsters of old or the inhumane actions of real people? While the film does not shy away from the brutal results of mass shootings, it does so in a clever way that is more tasteful (for want of a better word) and coherent than one might expect. Targets deposits the real reason for most mass shootings; the concerns stemming from one's mortality and the genuine power of creativity all rolled into a compelling and shocking story of one troubled man's actions coming head to head with another man's mortal revelations. A true horror story, if ever there was one! 

    Many of the points I will make and discuss in this blog entry will be somewhat parroting the points made by Count Jackula in his video review. Typically, I would encourage you to watch the video after reading my blog entry. However, the video concludes with a "joke" that I cannot, in good conscience, feature or repeat on this blog, despite how entertaining and spot-on the rest of the video is regarding today's movie. Please know that I do not intend to plagiarize or rephrase Jackula's words into my own; I merely do not want to feature his video on my blog. 

    Anyway, back to the movie. 

    Targets tells the story of two contrasting visions of horror and how they eventually collide through forces of their nature. Our protagonist is a classic horror movie star, Byron Orlock, portrayed by Boris Karloff (yes, I know, just go with it), and our antagonist, or rather the vessel of the story's antagonistic force, is a troubled young former soldier named Bobby (Tim O'Kelly). 

    Orlock is in the early stages of his golden years, attempting to come to terms with his mortality. He plans to announce his official retirement from the movie business. However, his plans couldn't come at a worse time since a young up-and-coming filmmaker named Sammy Michaels (Peter Bogdanovich) has a script written with Orlock in mind, and the producers will only back the movie if Orlock is involved. So, Sammy has to convince Orlock to postpone his retirement for this last film, causing Sammy to spend the day with Orlock discussing their love for cinema and what constitutes absolute horror in the modern age. 

    Meanwhile, Bobby lives a quiet, decent life with his wife, parents, and siblings. Despite having a seemingly stable environment, Bobby has fits of alienation and isolation, possibly due to his experience in the military. His uncertain feelings initially cause him to cry for help, however subtly, only for his calls to be met with non-committal statements and apparent fits of apathy. His jarred-up feelings slowly build up to a massive secret gun collection, which Bobby eventually decides to put to use in the worst possible way. 

    Toward the end of the film, the two forces of horror find themselves coming head to head at a drive-in movie theater, and what follows is one of the most outstanding showcases of human storytelling and commentary that has ever been put to the silver screen. 

    What makes Targets such a unique film and a perfect choice for a Halloween viewing is how it tackles the horror concept, seamlessly combining fictional and real-world actions to blur the line between the two. Most relevant is how the film showcases the motivation behind horrific acts like mass shootings and what is needed to prevent them but is often overlooked or ignored by too many. Targets is a more human story than it has any right to be and is a must-watch for any cinema fan, especially during the Halloween season. 

    If you can, give this one a look. 

Ladies and gentlemen, I am TheNorm; thank you all for reading. 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! 

Transformers One - Has Most of The Touch

 

Rent it on Apple TV, Amazon, and Microsoft. 

    I have been a fan of The Transformers for as long as I can remember. Transformers are a massive staple of my childhood, from TV shows to toys. I remember crying the moment Optimus Prime almost died; I remember playing with the toys with my friends and taking ten minutes to transform them despite it only taking a few seconds on the show. Of the Michael Bay movies, the first one is the only one with at least a few redeeming factors to justify its existence, but the less said about all the sequels, the better! Bumblebee was the only outstanding live-action Transformers film, as far as I am concerned. It has the touch! 

    This new film, Transformers One, gets many bonus points for being an animated film (a medium better suited to this mythology) and for having a genuine heart and showing a clear direction to take this property seriously, but its overly flashy visuals (stunning though they are) combined with excessive rapid-fire editing, along with world and character designs that occasionally blend into each other too well, makes this a challenge to watch at times. Still, despite all that, the narrative is solid enough, and the dialogue is witty enough to tolerate the fireworks show visuals. Although I didn't mind the blazing styles much, I understand if some viewers need a Tylenol after watching. 

    For those who may not be as familiar with the Transformers as I am, they are a race of sentient robots from a distant planet who can change from humanoid to vehicle at will. In the original cartoon, which, like many childhood staples, was primarily a means of advertising toys, the robots were divided into two factions: Autobots and Decepticons, who were at war with each other over control of their home planet, Cybertron. The original series was your standard, reliable, good vs. evil dynamic with occasional bits of nuanced storylines and characters here and there. Despite being a toy commercial, the series produced compelling stories with interesting characters. 

    Transformers One tells the story of the events before the war, chronicling the early days of Cybertron, the dynamics of their society, and, most compellingly, the doomed friendship between the two characters who would eventually become the evil Megatron and the grand hero Optimus Prime. The story follows the exploits of two best friends, Orion Pax (Chris Hemsworth) and D-16 (Bryan Tyree Henry), who work as minors together, gathering their precious power source, Energon. Orion Pax has ambitions of becoming more than he was relegated to being and actively seeks his means of accomplishing his goal, despite D-16's insistence on finding content in their place. 

    Eventually, Orian Pax's curiosity leads him, D-16, and a few others to discover a frightening conspiracy that turns their perception of their place on its head, forcing them to reevaluate their attitudes toward their society and place within. With their revelations, Orian Pax and D-16 will discover where their true desires reside and how their better-informed choices will affect their destinies. 

    The most compelling part of the film is the character dynamic between Orian Pax and D-16. Chris Hemsworth does his best to not merely emulate the great Peter Cullen (the original voice for Optimus Prime) but channel enough of the character to make his portrayal his own. The best voice performance goes to Bryan Tyree Henry as D-16, a.k.a. Megatron, for delivering excellent emotional depth and sympathy for a character who, realistically, didn't have much to speak of before. 

    Make no mistake—the trailers for this film do not do it justice! Yes, there is a fair amount of comedy in the film, but there is much more dramatic nuance than the trailers would have you believe. Granted, it's still within the realm of Saturday-morning cartoonism, but it's a well-executed version. With such a decent amount of compelling narrative nuances, it's a shame that the visuals don't always compliment the story. 

    While the animation is top-notch, and the character designs are distinguishable enough (at least for the main characters), much of the visual presentation suffers from too much hyperactive movement, overtly uniform lighting, and excessively shiny and sleek robot and background designs. Although I didn't have much trouble distinguishing between the characters and backgrounds, I can understand some of my readers not having a similar experience. Despite my appreciation and enjoyment of most of the design elements, I felt the visuals lacked a much-needed stronger sense of contrast. Granted, it's nowhere near as overly busy and ugly as the designs from the Michael Bay movies, but it can be just as visually confusing at times.

    While Transformers One may not be precisely the kind of movie I was hoping for, there is at least enough nuance and appreciation for the mythology on display to make for an enjoyable experience. Director Josh Cooley, late of Toy Story 4, shows promise for fascinating animation projects in the future. Personally, I wouldn't mind him taking on a Thundercats movie, provided he hired a different design team. 

    If you're a Transformers fan or at least curious, it's worth a look. However, if you're prone to headaches from flashy visuals, consider something else. Check out the original 1987 film. It still has the touch! 

Ladies and gentlemen, I am TheNorm; thank you all for reading. 

TheNorm's Top 5 Bicycle-Related Movies and Television

 

    The bicycle is one of the most enduring and fascinating machines devised by humankind. While some parts of the world have taken to them more than others, there is no denying the wonderful feeling one gets from peddling one's way through the day. Think about it: this simple device gives you exercise, transportation, happy endorphins, and confidence, all rolled up in a simple package. The best part is that it serves as a reminder that you only get as good as you put in! They are beautiful representations of freedom, independence, and rebellion. Perhaps more so than the car could ever hope to be. 

    Over the years, bicycles have been used for everything: sports, commuting, health, delivery, and, yes, making movies. Be they in front of the camera or behind, these two wheels on a metal frame have helped create some of the most memorable moments in cinema. 

    Lately, I have been rediscovering an interest in bicycle riding. So, it might be an excellent idea to take a moment to remember and recognize some of the best moments in cinema and television that utilize or involve a bicycle in some way. I am making this list based on movies and shows I have seen. I know some fantastic cult classics, such as Rad or the Italian classic The Bicycle Thieves, which are both interesting in their own right, but I have not yet seen them, so they won't appear on this list. Those films will likely have their own review later down the line. 

    This is TheNorm's Top 5 Bicycle-Related Movies and Television. 

#5 

Premium Rush 

    While this may not be the first movie about bicycle messengers in the city, it was the first version of the concept I saw in theaters. Released in 2012, the story follows a pro-bike messenger, Wilee (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), as he showcases his passion for his job while delivering some insight into the bike messenger culture, or at least the flashy "Hollywood" version. Things take a turn for the worse when Wilee finds himself accosted by a cop who desperately wants what Wilee has been tasked to deliver, but the bike messenger code of conduct dictates that once the parcel goes into the bag, it doesn't come out until it gets to where it needs to be. What follows is a series of high-octane chases, races, and extreme sports-style cinema. 

    This movie is your classic counter-culture-style story: you have an adrenaline junkie protagonist riding his way against the current of the norm (no pun intended 😂) who runs into "The Man" and fights his way through ridiculous obstacles to not only fulfill his duty but also prove a point about the importance of going against the grain. There are moments when the movie is moving too fast for its own good, and some of the commentary may be a bit too on the nose at times, but it's a fun ride of a film with enough excellent stunt work and witty banter to keep you engaged with the rush. 

#4 

Monty Python's The Cycling Tour 

    Monty Python's Flying Circus remains one of the funniest television shows, and for good reason. Their unusual talent for embracing the absurd and silly made them so memorable that we still quote their sketches today. While their show mainly consisted of collections of short sketches that were rarely (if ever) interconnected with each other, they started to experiment with their style in later seasons. One of the results of that experimentation was The Cycling Tour. 

    Season 3, Episode 34, airing in December 1972, is one of the few episodes of the show that presented itself as a linear story (and I use the word 'story' as a figure of speech). We follow a man named Pither (Michael Palin) on a cycling tour through North Cornwall. Constantly stopping due to an accident, regularly getting his trouser leg caught in the pump, Pither finds himself in the middle of one unusual situation after another, often inadvertently being the cause of it. This often goes over Pither's head since he spends most of his mental energy trying to figure out how to prevent his food from getting crushed with each and every crash. 

    Like most Monty Python presentations, The Cycling Tour is as silly and delightful as ever. It may not have much to say about bicycles, but it cleverly uses them to introduce every joke.

#3 

Hill Climb Girl

    This is an anime short film from 2014 (likely primarily intended as a tech demo) about a young girl trying to win an uphill bicycle race against her school friend. The short features a fascinating fusion of traditional hand-drawn animation and 3D effects, creating a surreal depiction of imagination, determination, and inspiration. You can watch a subtitled version of the seven-minute short on YouTube. Give it a look when you can. 

#2 

E.T. 

    While Steven Spielberg's seminal and definitive classic has remained so over decades for many reasons, it goes without saying that this very image used in the poster is the most recognizable and memorable: it coincides with one of the most heartwarming moments in the film, it has become a symbol of imagination and childhood, and remains the logo for Spielberg's production company, Amblin Entertainment. 

    Although bicycles are not the story's primary focus, they play a pivotal role in the story's resolution and provide some of the best chase sequences in the film. Every kid who saw this film, including yours truly, occasionally pretended to be flying in the air on their Bicycle with E.T. to help him on his journey home. I dare you to watch this movie and not take a long look at your bike afterward and wonder. 

#1

Quicksilver 

    This may very well be an overlooked classic and a fascinating time capsule of the 1980s, and I mean that quite literally. In addition to being a pretty fun movie about bike messengers, everything about this movie (from the music choices to the impromptu dance sequences and especially the opening title presentation) screams "I'm from the 80s" with every subsequent scene. It may not go in-depth about what makes bike messenger culture so alluring, but it does make it look like a lot of fun. Again, "flashy Hollywood interpretation." 

    This one may be a guilty pleasure for me as it contains many of my visual and cinematic preferences despite not being as narratively nuanced as I might prefer. Still, in terms of dramatizing the thrill of bicycle riding, with some pretty awesome chase sequences that add a little anti-car fetishism for good measure, this is a must-watch for bicyclists and 80s enthusiasts. 

Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm; thank you all for reading.