Fat Man and Little Boy (1989) Review:

When looking at history and how mankind has progressed since World War II, the moment that changed the world forever was dropping the atomic bombs on Japan. Seen as the defining moment for not only the allied powers and defeat of the axis powers, it also set the stage for the arms race between the United States and Russia. Before that time though, the atomic bombs were viewed as a means to end all wars. Little did anyone realize just what doors had been opened since that time. Prior to this though, there were people who were considering such consequences and the journey to the bomb droppings was not easy. This film gives a pretty captivating peak into that time when the race was on.

Viewers are introduced to the two main characters. General Leslie R. Groves (Paul Newman) is trying to have the atom bomb built before the Germans do, so the war can be ended for good. Hoping to have it completed by summer of 1945, he hires J. Robert Oppenheimer (Dwight Schultz) the physicist who would be known for accomplishing such a feat. Together they meet in New Mexico where they begin the project along with several other educated scholars. As milestones are made, tension begins to rise, mainly because everyone begins to realize just how dangerous things have gotten. Written by Bruce Robinson and Roland Joffé and who also directed, deliver a thought provoking film about this topic. Both also worked on The Killing Fields (1984).

What makes the execution so entertaining is that it really drives home to the viewer how both sides are seeing things. This also proves how divisive this project is when looking back on it. Groves, who obviously is working for the military and on behalf of his country's government wants to get the bomb fully functional. In a war, each side wants to win and that's what Groves' wants. That's not to say Oppenheimer doesn't want to be on the winning side. His dilemma stems from seeing what being the creator of such an invention might lead to. Is it worth creating such a terrible device that could kill innocent lives only for other people to obtain them later? Is it a necessary evil? Does peace through power truly resolve the issue? To some, it's very difficult to know. The only issue that may not look good is that depending on the viewer, some may perceive Oppenheimer in the wrong light, but that's it.

That's only some of the factors that affect these characters. There's other stressors like other political officials breathing down Groves' neck and Oppenheimer's personal connections that were not seen as reputable at the time. There's also Oppenheimer dealing with the secrecy of the project, trying to remain true to his lover Jean Tatlock (Natasha Richardson) and dealing with his colleagues’ differing opinions. All factors played into the deeply stressful time that was World War II. There's also Bonnie Bedelia from the first two Die Hards, who plays Kitty Oppenheimer, Michael Merriman played by a young John Cusack, a nurse played by Laura Dern who would later play Ellie Sattler from Jurassic Park (1993), as well as appearances from Don Pugsley, Ed Lauter and John C. McGinley.

From a visual standpoint, the film is competently handled. Working behind the camera was the late Vilmos Zsigmond. Zsigmond's skill in getting large scale shots of different settings is mostly unmatched. And since this took place before CGI was a common place asset, many of the places depicted are physical props and they look great. Zsigmond would also work on The Deer Hunter (1978), Heaven's Gate (1980), Blow Out (1981) and Maverick (1994). Lastly the film score was composed by Ennio Morricone. Better known for his music in the spaghetti westerns like The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966), but also horror films like The Thing (1982), the La-La Land record release of this score mixes both aspects of romanticism and horror due to the nature of the material. It by far deserves a listen to those who are fans of his work.

If a viewer is looking for a movie that makes one think about how things could have played out if the atomic bombs were not created, then this is the film. What's done is done, but it’s always interesting to look at and ponder whether the right decisions were made based on this movie. The acting is great, the story is developed well, the camerawork is professionally shot and the music is horrific and beautiful when it needs to be.

Points Earned --> 8:10

Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988) Review:

The franchise of Friday the 13th (1980) has been a wildly uneven viewing experience. The first three films had a storyline that started strong but gradually faltered as it continued. The next triplet of sequels further declined in storytelling, only to moderately swing itself back with some mild entertainment in the sixth entry at the time. But of course, like all popular franchises, studios cranked out another film, set to begin the next narrative for the hockey masked machete wielding undead killer. As one would expect though, the way this entry plays out is another disappointing attempt at continuing the franchise that has beaten its audience with the same repetitive plot. It's beyond frustrating when nothing changes from story to story. Seriously....no one must have thought the script needed work.

The story for this entry is about a girl named Tina (Lar Park-Lincoln) who accidentally killed her abusive alcoholic father while they lived in a cabin at Crystal Lake. How did she do that? Telekinetic powers....you know like Stephen King's Carrie (1976). Years later as a young adult, she returns with her mother (Susan Blu) and Dr. Crews (Terry Kiser) to confront those demons only to accidentally revive Jason Vorhees (Kane Hodder) who was anchored to the bottom of the lake from the last film. Meanwhile next door, a group of friends are celebrating a birthday party. Written by Daryl Haney and Manuel Fidello, the script is by the book a copy of past entries, except now it also has psychic powers thrown in too. Being that Fidello would only have this to his credit and Haney would have this as his most well-known credit, it's no surprise this entry is a dud.

Any character one would think should be developed or has any kind of interesting trait are completely neglected. The birthday is for the brother of Nick (Kevin Spirtas), who he and others are attending. Most of them don't look like teens, more like early 20s adults. Of that group only some stand out as interesting characters. The rest do what many past entries had the other characters do; fornicate, get drunk or high. It's unfortunate because not all characters do this, but that's all the franchise seems to know, making the story very old very fast. Tina's psycho-kinetic powers largely go unexplained leaving the viewers less interested even though she's the main character and the one who's supposed to reinvigorate the franchise in this new set of oncoming films. The tongue and cheek humor from part six was more creative than this.

Kane Hodder as the new actor to play Jason Vorhees is perhaps the most iconic. Thanks to director John Carl Buechler's insistence, Hodder's look stands out. On top of that, visually speaking this sequel has the best looking effects from a practical standpoint. Being that Buechler's skillset was more well versed with special effects, the look of Vorhees in this film is top notch. The fact that the film acknowledges the prior films and shows that time has passed gives viewers the sense of just how long Vorhees was left undisturbed. The only unfortunate part is, like most horror films, they are heavily cut on the gore, leaving many of the kills not on screen. So much for being gruesome. How is it okay to have Vorhees as a rotting zombie with decaying flesh but can't show gore? Total contradiction.

From an execution perspective, the camerawork was also competently handled. Shot by Paul Elliott, the camera has a number times where its focus captures the right image at the right time. Some of which have become iconic just as a still. Elliot would also shoot for 976-EVIL (1988). As for music, there has been a slight shake up. Due to conflicting schedules, original composer Harry Manfredini couldn't return to create new music. This time, composer Fred Mollin stepped in. For this entry, while its sound is nowhere near the same, Mollin does use the Dies Irae hymn in his music. Most of it is more electronic than organic orchestra, but the post production team recycled in Manfredini's past cues to support the film and it works.

It unfortunately is again a step down from its last entry. The script abandons the fun, self-aware humor of part six and instead focuses again on unlikable characters, not developing the ones that are mildly interesting and having a boring lead. Yes, visually the film looks good and the music works. Even Kane Hodder as the new Vorhees is great, but without having visible kills, there's almost no fun to be had.

Points Earned --> 4:10