LIGHTNING STRIKES SEVEN TIMES by Phil Congleton
As we continue this monthly format for Phil Meets The Movies 2023 on Digging Star Wars, I want to explain more about each month's themes or threads. As the year goes on, I want to explore, from top to bottom, from start to the present, genre to sub-genre, as many areas of the film industry as we can. I will pick a New movie, an Old movie, a Best movie, a Least movie (aka: a bad movie), and a film I rated an E for Effort (I'll explain this later). Every blog article has a common theme or thread for the month, and the films have had certain connections or similarities, which helps explain why they were picked for that particular month. I pick the theme based on two things. First off, part of the theme comes from the New movie choice I picked for the month. The other part of the theme comes from the Best movie pick for the month. The Best (Great) movie pick of the month comes from our Film366 film list, which is a list, that has a film recommendation for every day of the year (including February 29th for leap years). It is a list, based on the original, collaborated list, that myself and our esteemed, Digging Star Wars blog editor, Chris Mich, assembled in 2016.
Phil's Film366 Film List for March on Letterboxd
So, the theme for each month of Phil Meets the Movies on Digging Star War, is based on the New movie pick and the Best movie pick for the month. So, in January, we highlighted Shin Ultraman (2022) and The Wizard of Oz (1939) for the Ultra Yellow Brick Road blog article. For February, we featured Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023) and Giant (1956), which influenced the theme for our Ants and Giants blog entry. So, keep this in mind, as we continue to move through the year, exploring the history of film. As always, there will be connections to Star Wars, sprinkled throughout the articles. We will call this month's list, Your Movie Entertainment Homework For the Month. Welcome to March 2023. Let's begin.....
This month we will start things off slowly and build up to an exciting, shocking conclusion. This film may be a bad movie, but it's also a clue, to the identity of the New film we picked for this month. As a slight continuation of January's visit to the atomic age, which featured science fiction movies of the 1950s, this film was also a part of that era of motion pictures too. It also was part of the mad-scientist sub-genre, that we hit upon last month. However, the main force in this film isn't atomic at all. It is electricity. Fifteen years ago Lon Chaney JR. made his crowning achievement at Universal Pictures, The Wolf Man (1941).
A mere eight years after he ended his run as the Wolfman, in Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), Chaney's star started to fade.
Chaney's career had faded to the level of the low-budget film industry. To make things worse, by 1956, Chaney had developed a drinking problem and looked pretty much like a puffed-up drunk by this time in his career. He had been working, as an actor, on the B-movie side of the film business.
Chaney landed a starring role in the Indestructible Man (1956), which was produced by Allied Artists Pictures Corporation, the most popular producer of American B-movies, operating at this time, not counting Roger Corman. Unfortunately, the bad decision to make Chaney's, murderous character, Charles "Butcher" Benton mute, after he is struck by lightning, is the main reason this film is such a failure. There is one cool note for this film, which also concerns the month of March. This film was released in the United States, on March 25th, 1956. So, remember that, while you slowly get disappointed at this low-budget blunder.
I originally graded the Indestructible Man (1956), with a 1/10 (1/2 Star on Letterboxd), but after seeing it again, 40 years later, on an HD television, there has been some improvement. In the age of streaming services, the quality of old films seems to be climbing. The 1080p upgrade does create a sharpness, that probably was never evident, from the moment this film was first projected in discount drive-in theaters in 1956. This upgrade doesn't take Indestructible Man (1956) off my UNWATCHABLES list, but it makes it one of the better UNWATCHABLES currently on the list. I would love to see what some of you think about this movie. Maybe you will like it more than I did. It's only 72 minutes long. It also is a clue to one of the two main themes for Phil Meets the Movies for March 2023. Lightning strikes seven times.
2.4 (MyGrade Unwatchable) = 3 IMDB, 1 1/2 Stars
Letterboxd
My next film choice is definitely a great film, but for our purposes, concerning this article, this Best film possibility will substitute as my Old film choice for March 2023. You will see why I decided to go this route, later on in this article. The goal for this category is to always have the Old film choice for the month, the oldest film on the list. We have to start somewhere here. This film also starts the second part of the two main themes, for this month's Phil Meets the Movies list. There also are plenty of moments, that will remind us of Star Wars, sprinkled throughout this article. This theme begins in Japan. It begins with the seven.
The main reason this film is on our yearly, Film366 film list for March is, legendary film director, Akira Kurosawa was born on March 23rd, 1910. A perfect day to highlight this great film. Kurosawa has many films, that we could pick, as the ones for this day, but usually, which film is the first one, that you think about when you hear his name? It most likely is the Seven Samurai (1954). But that's not all. Five years before Kurosawa was born, actor Takashi Shimura was born on March 12th, 1905. His career would be remarkable, and he would eventually become one of Japan's most-hailed actors ever. Most film-buffs would pick this film as the greatest film to ever come out of Japan in film history. This film usually appears on all the ‘best film lists”, that you can find. It shows, that all men have to face, head-on, the urge to be bad. We are all born with this trait. It’s just up to us and how we act on that urge, as we move through this thing called life. It's up to you to steer yourself on the right course, toward your destiny and how that destiny will look to others, 500 years from now.
Japanese film composer, Akira Ifukube, who pretty much would end up being one of the most popular composers in Japanese film history, especially from a westerner's point of view, because of his work with Toho Studios' Godzilla franchise, might not have been the most famous composer he is if it wasn’t for another Japanese composer, named Fumio Hayasaka. Hayasaka was a great friend of Akira Kurosawa’s and would work on a lot of his films leading up to the Seven Samurai (1954). His haunting melodies crossed with traditional Japanese folk music the perfect sound, that Akira Kurosawa was looking for. So much so, that his music would help influence how Kurosawa made his films. It was here that Kurosawa realized that music in films should be used more as a counter-point than a complement. That music can strengthen the visual scene. It was here that Hayasaka was able to contribute to the visual style seen throughout the film.
One of the interesting similarities between Star Wars (1977) and the Seven Samurai (1954), was the idea of the Jedi knights, as being an offshoot of the classic samurai from Japan's ancient history. In fact, some of the costumes in the newer Star Wars films do look samurai inspired. It's light sabers and swords, honor, ability, and personality, found in the characters in both films. The Seven Samurai (1954), is really like seeing an epic novel unfolding in front of you. The length of the film is long, but in this case, the success and execution of this film come with the patience needed to get a point across. It is pure beauty and time passes by quickly.
9.8 (A+ MyGrade) = 10 IMDB, 5 Stars Letterboxd
Interestingly, the Seven Samurai (1954), was originally released in the United States, under the title The Magnificent Seven (1955). Five years later, when our next film choice came out in 1960, the film reverted back to its original title. It was a magnificent 1960. It was the year of the seven.
It's time to introduce my Best film choice for March. On the heels of the previous film, the Seven Samurai (1954), this film would come out in the United States six years later. This film also is on the Film366 film list for March, because the birth of Steve McQueen occurred on March 24th, 1930. Steve McQueen was a legend in his day and rightfully deserves a place with the greats. As I mentioned earlier, Akira Kurosawa was born on March 23rd, so it was cool having those birthdays, back-to-back, on the Film366 film list. So, this would be an excellent time to highlight the American incarnation of Mr. Kurosawa’s masterpiece. This American film production, directed by John Sturges, wasn't as great as Kurosawa's masterpiece, but it comes very close.
The Magnificent Seven (1960), was not well received in America when it first was released here in theaters. Much of it had to do with the over-saturation of westerns on movie screens and television. The American public was rebelling against something, that had been a staple in film and television, for over 30 years. They were mostly rebelling because they were worn out and tired of the genre. This makes a lot of sense. It’s only human nature to become bored of something once you have seen it hundreds of times. So, off to Europe, went The Magnificent Seven (1960) and it was there, that it started to catch on. It was a huge hit in Europe and Asia, which prompted it to come back to the states, where it finally started to get the recognition, it deserved. It was then, that the most important endorsement came in when Akira Kurosawa called John Sturges and told him how great The Magnificent Seven (1960), was.
9.5 (A MyGrade) = 9 IMDB, 4 1/2 Stars Letterboxd
When I was a kid, just starting high school in the 1980s, the school district I was in, came up with a new grade (E), that they implemented into the district's grading system. An E is worse than a D, but better than an F. An E is technically, also an F, but if you scored an E, you were allowed to retake the class in summer school, to pass the year or graduate. If you got an F, you failed the class. So, I used this model, to come up with my E For Effort grade, when grading certain movies. I still recommend seeing these films, because a film might have the right idea, but the execution ends up being bad. They are films, that the filmmakers clearly showed to the audience, that they tried their best, but for some reason or another, the film fails in the end. Another thing that makes these movies recommendable, is the idea, that they usually have something interesting for film-buffs, have a historical significance (in film history or real-world history), or a technical gimmick, that still keeps these films as a "need to be seen", type-of film classification. It also could be, they are just good enough, to be "middle of the road" (nothing great, but nothing terrible). They are films, that have those, one or two blemishes, that if the filmmakers could fix them or re-shoot a scene (the summer school parachute concept), it would be the difference between a bad movie or a really good film. My next "E For Effort", film pick, for March 2023, continues the theme, I established with the previous two films. As The Magnificent Seven (1960), was an adaptation of the Seven Samurai (1954), this film was an adaptation of The Magnificent Seven (1960). It also is another Star Wars rip-off film from the late 1970s and early 1980s. For more on the Star Wars rip-off, a sub-genre of science fiction, check out my article called the Ultra Yellow Brick Road and the film Starcrash (1978), in our January edition of Phil Meets the Movies on Digging Star Wars.
Battle Beyond the Stars (1980), is another Star Wars rip-off movie from the years following the release of Star Wars (1977). Not only does it look like Star Wars (1977), but the story also is a direct adaptation, a remake of The Magnificent Seven (1960) and to that extent, the Seven Samurai (1954). On top of that, Battle Beyond the Stars (1980), has cast in it, one of the lead actors from The Magnificent Seven (1960), with Robert Vaugn, returning as one of the seven champions of this galactic war. The Waltons' (1972-1981), John-Boy (Richard Thomas), is your Luke Skywalker character, Shad, a young Akira farmer, in Battle Beyond the Stars (1980). The name Akira, which was used as the name of Shad's people, is obviously a shout-out to the legendary, Japanese film director of the Seven Samurai (1954), Akira Kurosawa. The A-Team (1983-1987), George Peppard, is the Han Solo character in this film. He plays an outlaw, aptly named Space Cowboy, who could be the equivalent of Steve McQueen's, Vin Tanner, in The Magnificent Seven (1960).
The beginning credits of Battle Beyond the Stars (1980) look like the opening to Superman: The Movie (1978). Battle Beyond the Stars (1980), opens up just like Star Wars (1977), with a giant spaceship, coming into view of the camera. It is a menacing sight, already done in another film. This film also has laser blasts, space battles, and light sabers, just like George Lucas' groundbreaking creation. You also will see shout-outs to Lucas' THX-1138 (1971), Star Trek (1966-1969), and Battlestar Galactica (1978). This film has the potential to be a really good one, but a jittery pace, sloppy editing, and a cast working at 50% efficiency bring down the quality of the film. However, with some jazzy effects, art direction, and a soundtrack composed by legendary film composer, James Horner (Titanic - 1997), this film deserves an E for Effort and should be seen by film-buffs.
5.1 (E+ MyGrade) = 5 IMDB, 2 1/2 Stars Letterboxd
It's time to move on to my New film choice for March 2023. First, we need to get through a short history lesson. I have always had a low threshold for the comic book, Shazam. I was not a fan of the character when I was younger. Even when I was a kid, I thought Captain Marvel/Shazam was primitive and was made just for kids. It was most evident when reading Billy Batson's dialogue and viewing the primitive-like drawings that made me not like it. Now today, in my 50s I look at it and think how amazing Shazam really was. He was able to out-sell Superman by the mid-1940s and was actually the biggest-selling title during that time. He has a huge following and was the first superhero to get into the cinema with his own movie serial.
The stories in the comics and in the serial in the 1940s really weren't just for kids completely. In a kid's cartoon today, you really don't hear the hero threatening the bad guy with "death" or threatening to destroy the bad guy's evil machine, by throwing one of his thugs into it. Superheroes don't kill, well maybe in the 1940s they did. Anyway, An ancient wizard grants powers to a young, orphaned, homeless kid, enabling him to become a mighty, full-grown demi-god by saying his name, Shazam! The boy uses his newfound abilities to rescue the innocent and save the world from the horrors of evil. By the 1970s, the character of Captain Marvel/Shazam had definitely been relegated to children viewers.
The DCEU had to conduct major damage control for their franchise, in the wake of the release of Joss Whedon's, disastrous film, Justice League (2017). In that wake, DC managed to roll off a handful of successfully, appreciated features, that helped ease the pain for fans, still reeling from the Justice League film fiasco. DC had to repair its reputation with fans, after releasing a film, that was so badly executed, that it almost felt like a spit in the face. This healing started off with the successful release of Aquaman (2018) and got an even bigger boost, with the release of this film's predecessor. Shazam! (2019), was well-liked by critics, fans, and the general audience. It made a lot of cash at the box office and was totally touted as a healing experience for most DC fans.
As the pandemic began to wind down and movie theaters started opening back up again, major film franchises started to get their groove back. In the case of Warner Brothers and DC, a deal was struck with Dwayne Johnson to play one of Shazam's biggest foes, in an attempt to broaden the DCEU cast of characters. It was also the hope that this would trigger a new direction for the DCEU to go in. Black Adam (2022), would follow Shazam! (2019), three years later.
After having a surprisingly, successful response towards the first Shazam! (2019), film, coupled with the weird press DC Studios had, that was permeating the franchise's background the last few years, Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023), meant, that this sequel has a lot to cover, involving all the characters' stories. They also have big shoes to fill, to top the success of the first film.
Personally, for me, what I like about the Shazam movies, is the fact, that they take place in my home megalopolis of Philadelphia or south-eastern Pennsylvania, whichever is more accurate. Albeit some of the film was shot in Atlanta and Philadelphia is created mostly with CGI, I think the idea of superheroes in a city, other than New York or fictional cities like Gotham or Metropolis, creates a new level of plot points to look for in a film. None is more evident than seeing what Billy and his family have to deal with, after the loss of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge and the media backlash that follows. It so represents the world we live in now, especially when looking at it from a media perspective.
7.1 (C MyGrade) = 7 IMDB, 3 1/2 Stars Letterboxd
It was a good time at the theater for Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023). The after-credits scenes are still rolling around in my head, at the time I took this picture. The 130-minute runtime for this film went by very quickly. It was fun and funny.
Have a great month my fellow movie buffs. Phil Meets The Movies will return to Digging Star Wars in the middle of April. Remember, go to your theaters, as much as possible, in 2023.
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