Cinema-related reading (and related media) that has crossed my path in recent months:
Peter Jackson’s Violent Betrayal of Tolkien. Bad enough that they split the story into a triple-segment money-grab, but even worse was altering the Warg/forest chase scene into a trite action movie climax against an archnemesis who was barely even in the book.
Steven Soderbergh on why On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is the best Bond film. I’ve also thought OHMSS and George Lazenby’s James Bond were greatly underappreciated, but the film is constantly at war with itself, vacillating between showing a sensitive Bond in a more realistic setting versus the classic 1960s alpha male Bond battling an outlandish supervillain plot. Lazenby quit the role after one film due to contract disputes and directorial conflict.
Jabootu’s Bad Movie Dimension chronicles the descent of the Jaws franchise, from historic cultural touchstone to mediocre sequel to campy SeaWorld 3-D novelty to just plain bad movie.
“It’s a miracle that Terry Gilliam’s Time Bandits even got made.” Featuring a cast of little people alongside various Monty Python alumni, a child star, and Sean Connery, this film bothered me as a child just because of how it ended.
“Something Terrible Has Happened Here”: The Crazy Story Of How Clue Went From Forgotten Flop To Cult Triumph. Flames. On the side of my face.
What Superman III teaches us about computer programming. Apparently the specific command to salami slice a payroll is "CHANNEL HALF CENTS INTO ACCOUNT."
10 remarkable things about Superman IV: The Quest for Peace. The effects on this film were Super Sentai bad, but even worse was Superman suddenly and inexplicably gaining the power of “Instant Great Wall Repair Vision.”
8 Surprising Details About The Hellish Production Of The Super Mario Bros. Movie / Mario’s Film Folly: The True Story Behind Hollywood’s Biggest Gaming Blunder. I haven’t seen the Super Mario Bros. movie yet but some time I’m going to have to try, just to see how bad it was. (Not to be confused with the >Super Mario Brothers Super Show starring “Captain” Lou Albano.) Also see the coloring book.