Notable Genre Anniversaries in 2021, Part 1 of 3

“From the dawn of time we came, moving silently down through the centuries. Living many secret lives, struggling to reach the time of the Gathering, when the few who remain will battle to the last….” — Juan Sánchez Villa-Lobos Ramírez, Highlander

Readers who have been following me for a while know that I have done a series of posts for each of the past 3 years celebrating certain iconic characters and stories. These were, of course, properties primarily in the sci-fi/fantasy and action/adventure genre(s) that were having significant anniversaries in those years — i.e., in some multiple of 5. I normally start putting them out in the first quarter of the year, but it is heading into mid-2021 already, so I better get movin’ on this year’s honorees. (You may note that two of them are films I included in this list.)

Highlander (1986): 35 years

It has been three-and-a-half decades since audiences were introduced to Gregory Widen’s tale of an immortal Scotsman (with a French accent, thanks to star Christopher Lambert, who barely knew English), Connor MacLeod, and his efforts to learn about his newly-found immortality and to survive the ongoing contest for power with other immortals. These include MacLeod’s mentor, an ancient Egyptian who goes by the name of Ramirez. (Even odder, Ramirez has a Scottish accent and wields a samurai katana, forged by his father-in-law in 592 BC.) The primary foe is a ruthless immortal, the Kurgan, who hails from the steppes of Russia (and currently sports a punk/skinhead fetish). In addition to a creative story concept, there are stunning visuals, intriguing camerawork, terrific swordfights (both in 1985 and flashbacks), and enjoyable performances.

Widen’s original draft of the script was much darker, with many differences in the characters, plot, and concepts than would later be seen in the film. I prefer what we got over what might have been, even if the movie was originally both a financial and critical failure in the U.S. However, international audiences loved it and it soon developed a cult following, one that exists to this day. Of course, much of that following was strengthened by four theatrical sequels/prequels, one made-for-TV film, two live-action television series, an animated television series, an anime film, a Flash-based web series, original novels, comic books, an audio production, video games, a collectible card game, and various other licensed merchandise.

The first TV series (1992-1998) introduced Connor’s relative, Duncan MacLeod, and most stories in the various formats revolved around one or both of them. The most frustrating thing about these later Highlander stories was the many inconsistencies with canon — i.e., histories and abilities established in the original movie. (The absolute worst was Highlander II: The Quickening (1991), which many fans now dismiss as a fevered hallucination by the film’s investors, who removed returning director Russell Mulcahy and changed the story to be a sci-fi retcon of established lore.) But, the franchise still has a huge fanbase, and a long-awaited reboot remains in “heavy development mode.”

Watchmen (1986): 35 years

The same year that Highlander came out, one of the most controversial and fan-favorite comic book “maxi-series” made its debut: Watchmen by Alan Moore and David Gibbons. Based in an alternate reality of Cold War-era 1980s (plus flashbacks), the tale centers around two generations of very flawed, morally ambiguous superheroes. It (along with Frank Miller’s Batman: The Dark Knight Returns) is considered to be instrumental in the industry’s shift into more grim-n-gritty storytelling and darker superheroes, though Moore regrets that, as he had no intention of making it a (sub)genre of its own.

Thematically, Moore said he was not pushing anti-Americanism but anti-Reaganism (and anti-Thatcherism), i.e., a conservative political approach which he saw as being quite dangerous. Many have called the work deconstructionist and postmodern, while Geoff Klock prefers the term “revisionary superhero narrative.” Stylistically, there was a lot of symbolism and imagery throughout, most notably the iconic, blood-stained smiley face. Structurally, the creators utilized some unusual panel layouts, coloring, and pacing for dramatic effect, all of which were designed by Gibbons to give the series a then-unique look.

Due to the graphic violence and adult themes, the series was a bit of a hard-sell, especially to advertisers. But, DC stuck with it. The series ended up being a commercial success, helping DC briefly overtake Marvel in the comic book direct market. It has had multiple printings in trade paperback (TPB) format, and it (again, along with Batman: The Dark Knight Returns) helped usher in the use of the “graphic novel” term, which gave the medium more cred in literary circles (which led to more libraries buying them for people like me to read). The limited series appears on both Time‘s 2005 “All-Time 100 Greatest Novels” list and its 2009 “Top 10 Graphic Novels” list. Other top rankings have come from Entertainment Weekly and The Comics Journal.

Watchmen has had multiple sequels, prequels, and spin-offs, though with limited involvement by Gibbons and none by Moore. (There is a whole, ugly history of contested ownership rights that I won’t get into.) After several aborted attempts, a successful live-action adaptation premiered in theaters in 2009, directed by Zack Snyder. A decade later, HBO produced a single-season, TV series sequel, also titled simply “Watchmen”. And, of course, there have been various licensed collectibles, as well as non-fiction works about the property.

Indiana Jones (Raiders of the Lost Ark) (1981): 40 years

Thanks to George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, the Indiana Jones franchise starring Harrison Ford kicked off forty years ago with the theatrical premiere of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Wow! I don’t have a specific memory of going to see it, but I know that I absolutely loved it. I mean, Indy may not have been Han Solo, but Ford gave him a very similar sort of charm, minus some of the snark. He was an easy-going archaeologist with a penchant for jumping into action and pulling off some amazing feats. The adventure stories were loads of fun, with nasty baddies and pretty ladies — sometimes one and the same. Then there were the great comedic moments! And he had that cool bullwhip! And… and… yeah, you might say I’m a big fan.

The movie was essentially an ode to the B-movie serial films of past decades, but with higher-quality production. Besides Lucas and Spielberg, credit is due also to Philip Kaufman (who helped Lucas flesh out the concept) and writer Lawrence Kasdan (The Empire Strikes Back). After several years of fine-tuning the character and story, and finally armed with a screenplay, Lucas managed to negotiate a deal with Paramount Pictures. Producer Frank Marshall, cinematographer Douglas Slocombe, production designer Norman Reynolds, and editor Michael Kahn were all hired thanks to Spielberg, thus filling most of the upper ranks of the production team. Special F/X by Lucas’ Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) were supervised by Richard Edlund. (Lucas served as exec producer and second unit director.) And a great team it proved to be.

Ford’s tendency to remain aloof caused some frustration. And, of course, there were the usual issues with sickness suffered by cast and crew, overbearing heat, problems with animals, etc. Lack of script details led to a lot of improvisation on set, which made for some interesting, even great, scenes — e.g., the young student with “Love You” written across her eyelids. Spielberg managed to hold to time and budget restrictions (for a change), which he admitted kept the movie from becoming “pretentious”. Another plus was the remarkable lack of studio interference. Filming took only 73 days, followed by two months of post-production (mostly special F/X and pick-up shots).

All the hard work paid off, as the film became a blockbuster, as well as a critical success. In the U.S., Raiders grossed roughly $212 million, making it the highest-grossing film of 1981. International success led to a worldwide gross of $354 million, making it the highest-grossing film of 1981 worldwide. (There were several re-releases and video releases, as well, which brought in many more bucks.) Accolades included labels of “breathless and incredible”, “exhilarating escapist entertainment”, and “instant classic”. Raiders earned five Academy Awards, seven Saturn Awards, a Directors Guild Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Grammy Award, a People’s Choice Award, and a Hugo Award. (This doesn’t count the additional nominations, either.)

This was just the beginning of a huge franchise, too, spawning three more films (with a fourth planned for Summer 2022), a TV series, video games, comic books, novels, theme park attractions, toys, and an amateur remake. Raiders is preserved in the National Film Registry for being culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant. Well done, Indy, my friend.

Hope you enjoyed the first part of our 2021 list. Part 2 will likely be in 3 or 4 weeks, so keep an eye out….

Bits-n-Pieces

I didn’t have time this week to do a regular-size piece on any one subject, but there were a few recent news items that I’ve been thinking of briefly commenting on. So,…

Item #1:  First up is the latest development re the suit against the producers of fan-film Star Trek: Axanar. The film short, “Prelude to Axanar” (2014), got a lot of good feedback, and Axanar Productions has been able to raise over $1 million, so far, for the full-length film. But, Paramount/CBS must have gotten nervous, especially since the production quality rivaled their own. So, they began legal proceedings a few months ago, claiming trademark infringement on multiple elements: species (including Vulcan ears), themes, characters, costumes, settings. Producer/actor Alec Peters predicted as much and was ready for a fight. (Or, perhaps a diplomatic negotiation? Good thing he is an attorney in his “day job”.) The most recent dispute is over the right to use the Klingon language. Sigh!

From what I understand, the planned film is set to adapt ideas from a 2-book module in the FASA Star Trek role-playing game: Return to Axanar/The Four Years War. It follows the events of a serious conflict between the nascent Federation and the Klingon Empire in the 2240s — i.e., two decades prior to ST:TOS. Sounds cool. I guess maybe I should watch “Prelude to Axanar” to see what all the hubbub is about….

Item #2:  There had been quite a lot of speculation about what race the title character would/should be in Netflix’s “Iron Fist”. Originalists like me wanted a white guy, while others thought an Asian or mixed actor would be more appropriate. Now that the very white Finn Jones (“Game of Thrones”) has been cast, the controversy has heated up even more, with those who wanted Danny Rand to be white (as he has always been in the comics) being called “racist”. Gimmeabreak! People throw that term around so much and so unfairly these days that it has lost its punch. (No pun intended.) I read an article a few months ago by an Asian guy who did not want Iron Fist to be Asian, either, but his reason was different. If I remember right, he didn’t want the first major Asian superhero to be a martial artist, ‘cuz it feeds a stereotype. Not sure I agree, but I understand and sympathize with the position. I guess he isn’t too thrilled about the rumor that Shang-Chi will make an appearance in “Iron Fist”.

Item #3:  Spider-Man news! Everybody is talking about the wall-crawler’s cameo at the end of the new trailer for Captain America: Civil War. I loved it, though it sort of ruins the surprise (if Spidey’s appearance is a surprise, anymore) within the movie itself. Still, I understand why they did it. I also love Spidey’s costume. It isn’t quite the comic original, but it is much closer and more like what a teenager would put together than the suits the Maguire and Garfield versions had. (Here’s a Youtube “Costume Breakdown” of the suit.) Also, in case I haven’t mentioned it, I am very happy with the casting of Tom Holland.

A second bit of Spidey-related news is that the Venom movie may happen after all. I have mixed feelings about this. I wasn’t thrilled with the version from Spider-Man 3, but my enthusiasm for the character had waned loooong ago, since its overuse in the 1990s and 2000s. If they want to do a solo film for this creature/villain/anti-hero, fine, but there are other characters I’d rather see get the live-action treatment.

Item #4:  Jessica Jones, Supergirl, and Agent Carter have each been renewed for another season. This is great news! I’ve mentioned (in my review of the show) that I was disappointed in several aspects of the Jessica Jones adaptation, but I liked it enough that I’ll probably watch a second season. I’m rather curious what the plot and main villain might be. Similarly, my “Initial Impressions of Supergirl” post included some negatives, but I continue to enjoy the show and am glad to see that the studio has seen fit to give it another season. (I may need to do a follow-up review, once Season 1 finishes.) As for Agent Carter, I never reviewed it, but I am enjoying that one quite a bit, as well. So, I’m thrilled that Hayley Atwell et al. will get a third season.

Item #5:  On the fantasy front, you may have already heard about the release of a script book for the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts I & II play and maybe the confirmation that there are three Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them films planned. But, unless you are a Potterhead (or whatever they call themselves), you may not be aware that J.K. Rowling is now writing material about other wizarding schools in other countries & continents at the Pottermore website, with particular emphasis on North America (since that’s where the new movies will take place). I checked it out, and so far they are relatively brief pieces. But, they do help to answer a few questions, fill in the blanks, pique our curiosity even more, etc., regarding magic in the rest of Harry Potter’s world. Looks like fun!

Item #6:  A fifth installment of Indiana Jones, starring Harrison Ford and directed by Steven Spielberg, has now been officially (re-)confirmed and even a tentative release date announced: July 19, 2019. Woohoo! That’s just a few days after Ford turns 77, so I hope he doesn’t overdo it! (That’s what stuntmen are for, right?) I also hope he and Spielberg can “make up for” the Crystal Skull and end the series on a high note. I’m rootin’ fer ya, guys!

The End.

UPDATE 5/13/2016:  Regarding #4 above, it looks like I jumped the gun. What I had read about “Supergirl” was, I believe, merely the optimism of one of the producers. However, it has now been announced that the show has been renewed for season 2 but is moving over to CBS’s cousin, the CW. (Now, they just have to figure out how to reduce its huge budget without losing quality or beloved characters.) Unfortunately, the news is not good about “Agent Carter”. Don’t remember what I read that gave me the idea it had already been renewed, but it (and I) was wrong. The show’s future has been in limbo all this time… until now. ABC has finally decided to cancel it. (At least, we’ll see Hayley Atwell in her new series: “Conviction”.) They also decided not to move forward with the “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” spin-off, “Marvel’s Most Wanted”. No word, yet, on if they’ll try to bring the Morse & Hunter characters back into the fold.

Headline Miscellany

Over the past few weeks, I’ve seen several announcements in genre news that I thought were worth commenting briefly on. You may have seen them already, but please indulge me while I give my two cents’ worth (or less) on each. Give your own in the comments, too, if you feel led….

TV/Netflix News

A-Team:  I thought the movie version from a few years ago was just OK and only liked half of the casting choices. If they want to bring it back to TV, I guess that’s cool… as long as they stay faithful to the original. Sounds like they’re going to make at least one of the main characters female. As long as it isn’t B.A., I guess I can deal with that… maybe. Btw, I started fan-casting for an A-Team reboot long ago, so I’ll have to share those ideas in the coming months.

Iron Fist and Moon Knight:  If the rumor is true about “Iron Fist” getting scrapped (or, at least, postponed), that would be disappointing but not entirely surprising, given the problems with casting and developing a workable concept for the series. (I wonder if they’ve considered bringing in some Hong Kong talent….) It would be a shame not to see the other half of “Power Man and Iron Fist”/”Heroes for Hire” in the Defenders. On the other hand, the possible replacement with Moon Knight works for me. Not clear if MK would be part of the Defenders, but he has been in at least one version of the team in the comics. Regardless, I’ve already expressed my desire to see an MK series, so how could I say “no”?

X-Men:  Well, not X-Men, exactly, but it looks as if not one but two new shows are being developed involving some of Marvel’s not-so-Merry Mutants. The first is “Legion”, named after the illegitimate son of Charles Xavier and Gabrielle Haller, who happens to be off his nut (i.e., crazy) and incredibly powerful. The second will be a look at “The Hellfire Club” as it existed in the 1960s. Not sure how I feel about “Legion”, especially when there are, imho, several better options. But, a look at the clandestine mutant elitists know as “The Hellfire Club” could prove quite intriguing, and setting it in the 60s is an interesting twist.

TV/Movie News

(Teen) Titans and Birds of Prey(?):  It’s about time we heard something about this. We got a little news in May and then September that the “Titans” TV show is still in development at TNT. Now, we may be getting a Teen Titans movie, too! I was never a huge Titans fan, but I do like several of the characters, so this could be pretty cool. The quoted line that led to the speculation about a Birds of Prey movie, too, is not that clear to me. I read it as referring to the Teen Titans movie possibly having an “all female cast”. But, if they do it right, I am totally in favor of a big-screen Birds of Prey, as long as the connection to Batman and other heroes is there.

Movie News

Xenomorph (H.R. Giger)

Aliens and Prometheus:  The first part of this is that Scott is now insisting that his Prometheus 2 be scheduled to shoot before Alien 5, which is probably fine, since Blomkamp is still refining his story and script. (Downside, ofc, is that this may delay Alien 5 another year.) A few weeks later, Scott announced that his film will now be titled, Alien: Paradise Lost. This strengthens — or, at least, confirms — its connection to the Alien films. Uncharacteristically, Scott even hinted at “connections with Ripley”, the return (or would that be the debut?) of the classic xenomorph, and big plans for the android David’s severed head. Scott is 77, which may factor into his reasons for this accelerated pace. For me and the rest of the fans, I think it’s a good thing.

Superman:  A bit of bad news, this one. Rumor has it that the much-anticipated Man of Steel 2 is on indefinite hold. Truth be told, though, it’s all a bit sketchy, with nothing definitive coming from the studio or reliable sources. Far as I could tell, we never had any projected dates for production or release, anyway. Still, this is a bit disappointing, and I hope everything comes together in the near future. I’d really like to see Henry Cavill’s Supes in solo action, with focus on him and his classic foes, while he’s still in his 30s.

Men in Black:  I don’t know about this…. MiB is due to return with another trilogy (could be great!) but without Will Smith (could spell disaster). So much of the success of the first trilogy was the characters played by Smith and Jones and their odd-couple chemistry on screen. This makes me dubious of another trilogy’s success without either star. But, who knows? There may be another perfect pair ready to be cast that could — along with clever stories/scripts and F/X — give the franchise three more blockbusters.

Indiana Jones:  According to Spielberg, “I’ll probably do an Indy 5 with Harrison.” This confirms what both (Spielberg protege and current Lucasfilm president) Kathleen Kennedy and producer Frank Marshall have hinted at earlier this year, though there is no script and it will probably be awhile. Of course, if they want to have Ford, 73, actively involved, they better get a move on! One possibility is to have an elderly, possibly ailing, Indy (played by Ford) bookend the movie, as he relates a tale of his younger years to his (grand)children. Not sure how I feel about Chris Pratt (suggested by some) playing that younger version of Indiana Jones, but casting will be crucial to capture that same, lovable, swashbuckling swagger.

Die Hard:  Not sure how I feel about this. I thought the last installment was fun, yet it lacked a little something. Making a prequel could be a great idea, or it could really suck. Willis’ unique presence — the attitude (inc. the ever-present smirk) and delivery of great one-liners — is what made this franchise so popular. Without him, I’m not sure it’s worth the effort. Casting the young John McClane is key, along with a great script and director, of course. (Just as it will be for any Star Wars prequel featuring a young Han Solo, or the Indiana Jones prequel mentioned above.) If it doesn’t all come together, they should just let the franchise rest in peace.

UPDATE, 10/22/2015:  Of course, this came out the day after I published this post….

Krypton:  “It takes place 200 years before Man of Steel.… [W]e’ll learn about the politics of the world. We’ll learn about the culture, the art, all the different guilds… a lot of different locations… some of the other moons, which is kind of cool.” That all sounds cool to me. Lots of opportunity to expand on what we “know” about Krypton and its peoples. I’m sure the creators are having a lot of fun mapping it all out. Now, how about an estimated release date…?