This Reel we take a look at WarGames, True Grit, and the trailer for The Rite. We also take a look at Cinema Blends Most Disappointing movies of 2010 and what’s coming up in 2011.

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News:

• Cinemablend’s 2010 Most Disappointing Movies
• COL Movies Most Disappointing Movies of 2010 – The Last Airbender and The Expendables
• Cinema Blend’s 2011 Movie Preview
• Steve’s momentary rant on Movie Trailers seen ahead of True Grit

The Past: WarGames

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Director: John Badham

Starring: Matthew Broderick, Dabney Coleman, John Wood, Ally Sheedy

Trivia:

• The studio had a Galaga and a Galaxian machine delivered to Matthew Broderick’s home, where he practiced for two months to prepare for the arcade scene.
• The computer used to break into NORAD was programmed to make the correct words appear on the screen, no matter which keys were pressed.
• When David comes home the day after the NORAD computer break-in, the newscaster on the television is talking about a prophylactic recycling center.
• The NORAD command center built for the movie was the most expensive set ever constructed up to that time, built at the cost of one million dollars. The producers were not allowed into the actual NORAD command center, so they had to imagine what it was like. In the DVD commentary, director John Badham notes that the actual NORAD command center isn’t nearly as elaborate as the one in the movie; he refers to the movie set as “NORAD’s wet dream of itself.”
• NORAD HQ set was built in the Cascades, the “Oregon” airport was really Boeing Field, “Goose Island” is really Anderson Island in the southern part of Puget Sound (all in Washington). The last ferry off the island really is at 6:30, and you really are stuck there if you miss it.
• The delegation from the city of Birmingham, Alabama, visiting NORAD is a tribute to director John Badham’s hometown.
• The original director was Martin Brest, and several of the scenes he shot are still in the movie. Martin Brest was fired as director a short while into production due to creative differences. He has stated that he took NORAD’S control center layout and did a scaled down version of it for “Beverly Hills Cop”‘s police control center.
• When John Badham took over as director he changed the photographic process. It’s possible to see changes in the frame lines between old and new footage.
• According to John Badham, the scene of the jeep trying to crash through the gate at NORAD and turning over was an actual accident. The jeep was supposed to continue through the gate. They added the scene of the characters running from the jeep and down the tunnel and used the botched jeep stunt.
• The writers’ main inspiration for the character of Professor Stephen Falken was Cambridge Professor Stephen Hawking. Hawking was originally approached to appear in the movie, but he declined because he didn’t want the producers exploiting his disability.
• When the message for the tour group in NORAD is activated, the sound effect that plays is actually used in the video game Galaga, and can also be heard if you listen carefully when David is playing it in the beginning of the movie.
• The part of Prof. Falken was originally written with the idea of John Lennon playing the part.
• First cinematic reference to a “firewall” – a security measure used in computer networking and Internet security. This does not predate the existence of the Internet, however, which is considered to have started in 1969.
• The WOPR, as seen in the movie, was made of wood and painted with a metal-finish paint. As the crew filmed the displays of the WOPR, Special Effects Supervisor Michael L. Fink sat inside and entered information into an Apple II computer that drove the countdown display.
• A video game version of this movie was made in 1984 for the ColecoVision, Commodore 64 and Atari 8-Bit Computer. The game started out greeting you as Professor Falken and you would play a game of Global Thermonuclear War. Your objective was to stop nuclear war from occurring by protecting the country with various military vehicles and weapons in a set time limit without reaching Defcon 1.
• The NORAD Computer System (NCS) used 1950’s-era systems in 1983. After WarGames, visitors for the NORAD tour constantly asked to see the modern computer rooms. Partly driven by this, in coming years color displays (mostly on Sun workstations) started replacing the much older equipment. Incidentally, NORAD only detected threats. Strategic Air Command, until 1992, handled responses to threats.

Talking Points:

• This film definitely set the trend for many technologically-based films in the future.

What We’ve Learned:

• Given the chance to change grades, even the good girl will.
• Yes, there was a time when you could smoke inside government buildings.
• Everything goes back to Tic-Tac-Toe.

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: Classic movie. Honestly, don’t know how this past me by in my childhood.
Ray: This movie is one of the most influential of my childhood.
Steve: Love it! Classic movie. The technology is what I grew up with.

The Present: True Grit

Director: The Coen Brothers

Starring: Jeff Bridges, Hailee Steinfeld, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin

Trivia:

• The original True Grit (1969) featured Robert Duvall. Duvall appeared with Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart (2009). His cousin Wayne Duvall appeared in the Coen Brothers’ earlier film, O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000).
• The original True Grit (1969) starred John Wayne in the role of Marshall Reuben J. ‘Rooster’ Cogburn which is played by Jeff Bridges in this film. Both actors have very similar nicknames. Wayne is also known as Duke while Bridges is known as The Dude.
• Michael Biehn auditioned for the role of ‘Lucky’ Ned Pepper but lost out to Barry Pepper.
• Jeff Bridges and Josh Brolin have both played the character of Wild Bill Hickok in separate productions before starring in this film together. Bridges played Hickok in Wild Bill (1995) and Brolin played Hickok in The Young Riders (1989).

Talking Points:

• Did this come off more as a period film than a “western”?

What We Learned:

• Sleeping in a coffin for free is better than being out on the street.
• Texas Rangers think they’re better than US Marshalls.
• You’re not Labeef

Trailer:

Recommendations:
Jeff: Very well done movie, loved the entire cast, but like alot of westerns, I myself got bored. Still think that should win some Oscars.
Ray: I enjoyed it, and im not a fan of westerns. I think Mattie deserves some sort of award for this, gonna keep an eye on her in the future for sure!
Steve: Enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. Mattie was annoying, but Matt Damon made up for it. 🙂 I’d be shocked it if it’s not nominated for Best Picture.

The Future: The Rite

Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Alice Braga, Ciaran Hinds & Rutger Hauer

Trivia:

• The first trailer for the film features music from Wojciech Kilar’s score of Dracula (1992), which also starred Anthony Hopkins.
• Supposedly based on a true story.
• The film is based on the book The Making of a Modern Day Exorcist by Rome based Matt Baglio, which was released in 2009 over Doubleday. To research the book, Baglio participated in a seminar on exorcism by the Vatican.
• The book follows Father Gary Thomas, an parish priest from Saratoga, California, who is tasked by the local bishop in San Jose, California, with becoming the exorcist for the diocese. Skeptical and reluctant, Father Gary becomes an “apprentice” to a Rome-based exorcist and his skepticism is soon replaced by the cold reality of evil and the ways it sometimes takes the form of demonic possession.

Talking Points:

• This seems to be an interesting spin on the exorcism genre…what do y’all think?

Summary:

• The Rite centers on a disillusioned young American priest. In the Vatican, he learns to carry out exorcisms and finds his faith renewed through encounters with demons.

Trailer:

Excitement:
Jeff: A new type of exorcism, I’d kinda like to see it.
Ray: I love anything that messes with or puts a spin on church history or theology.. im there.
Steve: With all the exorcism movies of late, this one seems to be one they are going to get right! I’m liking that it has a deeper “meaning”.

The Past

The Present

The Future

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