Tag Archives: Alan Oppenheimer

1973 Films, Alan Oppenheimer, Dick Van Patten, James Brolin, Michael Crichton, Norman Bartold, Richard Benjamin, Science Fiction, Western, Yul Brynner

Westworld-1973

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Westworld-1973

Director Michael Crichton

Starring Richard Benjamin, James Brolin, Yul Brynner

Scott’s Review #1,056

Reviewed August 25, 2020

Grade: A-

I have seen the film version of Westworld (1973) before and after having watched the current hit HBO television series, brilliant in its complexities.

Many are not even aware that the series is based on a film, and that is a pity because the film is good stuff with lots to digest in a short time.

Admittedly, watching it in present times, given the series’s extreme psychology, the film has so much more it could have offered, but it’s still a great watch.

One must always remember the time period a film was made in for proper context and comparison.

Yul Brynner nearly steals the film with a spectacular, creepy performance as a wide-eyed, futuristic android cowboy to Richard Benjamin and James Brolin’s regular guys out for an escapist good time.

Much of the film could be conceived as a buddy film with a bevy of homoerotic elements brimming beneath the surface if one is aware. These tidbits spice things up in an already escapist and futuristic world.

A titillating, high-tech adult-themed amusement park serves as the film’s backdrop. Participants can choose any of the three worlds: the Western World, the Medieval World, or the Roman World. All feature lavish, realistic trimmings and ooze realism.

The inhabitants are robots, not real people, so they can be shot, stabbed, or made love to depending on the personal tastes of those who wish to indulge in their wildest fantasies.

The island is very exclusive, and the experience comes at a high cost.

Peter (Benjamin) and John (Brolin) are businessmen who adore the Wild West, so they select the Western World. They enjoy frolicking with desperadoes, gunslingers, and dance-hall girls who appear as if they are human beings.

Enjoying their adventures, the technicians notice odd behavior from the androids. Small at first, events escalate quickly when a gunslinger (Brynner) goes on a rampage with Peter and John as his targets.

Since the television series is fleshed out so well and the motivations and the stories of the androids are examined at length, it makes it easy to ask why the film does not, or rather, wishes it had.

On the one hand, it is creepy not knowing what makes Brynner’s gunslinger tick; on the other hand, I want to know.

I also wanted to know more about the guests. Why were they there, and what are their lives in the real world like?

One way the film is superior to the series is in the way Peter and John are written.

Is it my imagination, or do the pair seem a little closer than merely friends? Do they wish to escape their lives to be together? Are the wives and children waiting at home for them?

A scene of Peter bathing is erotic, especially as he must abandon the tub mid-soak to battle a foe. He is the Marlboro man personified, though Benjamin’s too recent turn as the twit father from Diary of a Mad Housewife (1970) ruins any masculinity he has.

The climax is riveting.

Since we are unsure of the gunslinger’s motivations, we are unsure what he will do. A frightening scene unfolds as the gunslinger intently walks down a corridor, his expressionless eyes attentively stalking his prey. This still gives me the chills.

When the android is sprayed with acid, its face becomes freakish and psychotic-looking. This adds to the fright of an already frightening character. When Peter frantically traverses the park in search of help, his peril is heightened as he finds dead guests and damaged robots everywhere.

The severity of the situation is finally realized.

Crichton deserves much of the credit since he not only directed but wrote the screenplay, and this was his debut! The pacing is excellent, and something is going on at all times, making the film feel as entertaining as it is intelligent.

The dazzling cinematography of the world allows the viewer to see the differences.

Westworld is riddled with intriguing questions that go unanswered, which adds to the tension.

Impossible not to compare the film to the series as much as we might like not to. Westworld (1973) is a freakish, creative adventure that I wanted so much more from, having seen the complexities and story possibilities crafted for the series.

I am not a fan of remakes, but in this case, a modern retelling is not a bad idea. Some accuse the film of being cheesy, over-the-top, or “too 70s,” but I disagree.

I like the hidden trimmings and messages mixed with the good fun.

2019 Films, Alan Oppenheimer, Angus MacLane, Animated, Annie Potts, Best Animated Feature Oscar Winners, Betty White, Bill Hader, Bonnie Hunt, Carl Reiner, Carl Weathers, Carol Burnett, Children, Christina Hendricks, Comedy, Dan Scanlon, Disney, Don Rickles, Drama, Estelle Harris, Flea, Jay Hernandez, Joan Cusack, John Ratzenberger, Jordan Peele, Josh Cooley, June Squibb, Keanu Reeves, Keegan-Michael Key, Laurie Metcalf, Lee Unkrich, Madeleine McGraw, Mel Brooks, Melissa Villaseñor, Patricia Arquette, Pete Docter, Rashida Jones, Rickey Henderson, Rosana Sullivan, Tim Allen, Timothy Dalton, Tom Hanks, Tony Hale, Will McCormack

Toy Story 4-2019

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Toy Story 4-2019

Director Josh Cooley

Voices: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Annie Potts

Scott’s Review #966

Reviewed December 10, 2019

Grade: B

Toy Story 4 (2019) is the fourth installment in the Pixar/Disney-produced Toy Story series, now nearly twenty-five years old!

The glitter is beginning to fade on a once-endearing franchise, and hopefully, this is the last one- additional segments are not needed unless desperation develops.

After a slow start and too many retread moments, the film shows bombast and familiar heart and tenderness in the finale, presumably wrapping up the long story with a neat bow.

The animation is vivid and colorful, almost astounding, and makes up for an otherwise unnecessary story.

In a flashback sequence, nine years after Toy Story 2, Bo Peep (Annie Potts) is donated to a new owner, and Woody (Tom Hanks) begrudgingly decides to maintain his loyalty to the owner, Andy.

Years later, and now a teenager, Andy donates a forgotten Woody to a young child named Bonnie, who lacks the affection for the toy that Andy had. When Bonnie makes and bonds with Forky, a toy made of plastic, Woody struggles to convince Forky that each is more than garbage.

When Bonnie and her parents embark on a summer road trip to an amusement park, Woody and other familiar faces are along for the ride.

The group meets other forgotten toys, some benevolent and some sinister, at the park and a nearby antique store. Woody’s dear friend and comic relief, Buzz (voiced by Tim Allen), is in the mix and helps all the toys realize that they are not forgotten and that they can still bring joy to children.

The film provides an unwieldy list of celebrities in major and minor roles. The incorporation of characters like Chairol Burnett, Bitey White, and Carl Reineroceros (voiced naturally by Carol Burnett, Betty White, and Carl Reiner) may not be necessary.

Still, it’s fun to watch the credits roll and see who’s who from the cast.

The minor characters are little more than window dressing, but the creativity is admirable.

The main story of abandonment, loyalty, and discarding of one’s toys is ample and pleasant, but has occurred in every segment thus far in the series.

Do we need to see this again? Yes, it is an essential message for both children and adults, but why not simply watch the first three installments of Toy Story, each brilliant in their own right?

Toy Story 4 plays by the numbers with little surprises.

One glaring notice is how almost every single adult is either incompetent or played for laughs.

I understand that the main draw is the toys and outsmarting the adults is half the fun, but when Bonnie’s father assumes his navigation system is on the fritz, rather than catching on to the fact that one of the toys is voicing the system, one must shake one’s head.

Suspension of disbelief is increasingly required in these types of films.

Toy Story 4 picks up steam in the final twenty minutes with a thrilling adventure through the amusement park and a cute romance between Woody and Bo Peep.

When the long-forgotten toy Gabby Gabby (Christina Hendricks) emotionally rescues a lost child, she is rejuvenated and breathes new life into both the child’s life and her own.

In a darling moment, Forky meets another creation named Knifey. Knifey suffers from the same existential crisis as Forky once did, and Forky immediately becomes smitten with her, both realizing that even though they are odd-looking, they still matter.

The nice lesson learned is that even toys from the 1960s and 1970s can provide warmth and comfort to a young child and are more than “of their time”.

This is a clear and bold message that resonates with human beings and acknowledges that advanced age does not come with an expiration date.

Everyone matters and brings importance. The underlying theme is heartwarming and central to the film, bringing it above mediocrity.

What should certainly be the final chapter in a tired franchise that continues to trudge along, the bright message and strong animations remain, but the film feels like a retread.

Given that Toy Story 3 was released in 2010, Toy Story 4 (2019) needs to bring the series to a conclusion before installments 5, 6, 7, or 8 result in a dead-on-arrival sequel.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Animated Feature Film (won), Best Original Song-“I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away”