Movies I CAN Wait to See: The Box

Image from io9

Back in the mid-1980s, there was a resurgence of interest in anthology horror and sci-fi programs. Among the offerings were programs like Amazing Stories (produced by Stephen Spielberg), Alfred Hitchcock Presents (a remake, using old footage of the late director, colorized), Tales from the Darkside (a cheapie) Monsters (another cheapie) and The Twilight Zone (another remake). And that was just a little before HBO's Tales from the Crypt. All had stellar episodes, and I was in geek heaven

I only recently tossed a couple dozen VHS tapes containing countless episodes from most of the above shows. I'd taped them when they originally aired. Watching them could be kind of fun, seeing the original commercials, news breaks, and the like. But the sound started getting choppy, the picture quality was never top notch in the first place, and, well who uses VCRs anymore?

One of the short stories from The Twilight Zone that still stands out in my mind is one from 1986, "Button, Button," starring Mare Winningham and Brad Davis. The story revolves around a couple given a box with a domed cover, and a red push button inside. The man who gives it to them says that they have 24 hours to decide whether or not to push the button. If they do, they get a million dollars. But there's a catch: if they push it someone will die. Someone they don't know, but someone. The rest of the story revolves around their choice. It's a higher stakes version of Indecent Proposal. And there's a neat little "a-ha!" stinger at the end that I'll never forget.

Well, somebody got it in their head to turn this neat little story into a full-fledged Hollywood feature, The Box. But unless they've grafted a whole B-story onto this puppy, there just isn't enough there there for a whole film. I like the cast though, Cameron Diaz, James Marsden, and Frank Langella, the latter two co-stars from Superman Returns. Still, since I already know the "twist" ending, I'm not sure what this film would have to offer.

Mini DVD Review: Charlie's Angels The Movies

Image from source, Wikipedia

The past few weeks, having depleted my Joss Whedon DVDs (Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel) I have been watching season one of Charlie's Angels. I was inspired to buy the box set by Farrah Fawcett's Farrah's Story documentary. Since that time, Farrah has regrettably become an actual angel, and I've enjoyed (very much) watching her in her prime.

Charlie's Angels was criticised in its day for being "jiggle TV." The Moral Majority® crusaders heaped much abuse upon what is now seen as fairly tame. The show promised much more than it delivered when it comes to titillation. What it did provide is a nice little enjoyable 70s detective show, which while completely unbelievable, was also very entertaining. And the three stars, Fawcett, Kate Jackson and Jaclyn Smith, managed to make the show something more than the sum of its parts. Shortly after buying the box set, I found the movie versions, both at steep discounts. So, I bought them.

When they made the movies based on the series, they missed the mark entirely. OK, maybe not entirely. Lucy Liu, Drew Barrymore and Cameron Diaz did have something of the same chemistry and camaraderie as the original three. But the feel of the show, the very premise, was discarded. John Forsythe was still there, amazingly still able to pull the gravitas at his very advanced age, to be believable as their never-seen boss. There were two Bosleys, Bill Murray--apparently the same character as the late David Doyle--and Bernie Mac, as Murray's adoptive brother.

But the movie version was vastly different in concept. In McG's Charlie's Angels, the girls were like elite special forces operatives, akin to James Bond or Tom Cruise's character in Mission Impossible. Gone were the ordinary human women who would alternatively kick butt and become damsels in distress. The movie Angels were able to defy the laws of physics, while fighting crime on an international and almost supernatural scale.

There isn't a thing in the movie versions of Charlie's Angels that can be believed as "real world." Your suspension of disbelief must be put on absolute ignore. That said, both Charlie's Angels and Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle are still a hoot. The girls have such enthusiasm, and are so entertaining, that I can't outright condemn their efforts. And major kudos to scoring a cameo by Smith, in character as original angel Kelly Garrett. The show and the movies may have very little in common, but the acknowledgement of what came before was appreciated.

And a little trivia: as unlikely as it might seem, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle was the very first Blu-ray disc issued. And Smith was the only TV angel to appear in every episode of the series, not to mention one out of two of the movies.

My ratings:

Charlie's Angels Season One: Highly Recommended (if you like 70s TV)

Charlie's Angels the movie: Recommended

Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle: If you liked part one, Recommended. If not, no.