(Author's note: I ran into some technical issues while trying to watch this movie. Rather than cause yet another delay between reviews, I decided to just write this review from memory, since I have seen this film on multiple occasions prior to beginning my Tony Scott quest.)
Days of Thunder focuses on the relationship between Cole Trickle (Will Ferrell) and his coach Robert Duvall (Robert Duvall). Trickle is a hotshot new stock car driver, and Duvall is the salty old retired mechanic brought back into the sport to build a new car and train Trickle how to use it. Helping Trickle grow into a real driver are fellow driver and occasional arch rival Cal Naughton Jr. (John C. Reilly) and Duvall's lead mechanic Buck Bretherton (also John C. Reilly). At one point Trickle and Naughton get in a nasty accident, which prematurely retires Naughton and causes Trickle to become scared of driving.
"...and The Beast shall drink of the child's
blood until His thirst has been quenched."
Luckily Trickle's doctor is Nicole Kidman back when Nicole Kidman was amazingly hot and didn't look like a botoxed skeleton warrior from Hell's 6th parallel, and she uses a very "hands-on" approach to medicine, if you get my meaning (to be clear, she has vigorous sex with him many times, is my meaning). So that gives him confidence, which he is going to need, because his temporary replacement driver Russ Wheeler (Sasha Baron Elwes) has stolen Trickle's thunder (which he only has days of, because if he had several weeks' worth I don't think this would really be an issue). Trickle must beat Wheeler in a race to reclaim that thunder. Which he does. So, the end, I guess.
Oh, and at one point, you can almost see Nicole Kidman's boobs.
Trivia:
Robin Wright-Penn, Sarah Jessica Parker, Molly Ringwald, Meg Ryan, Kelly McGillis, Brooke Shields, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sharon Stone, Kim Basinger, Jodie Foster, Madonna and Ally Sheedy all turned down the doctor role. Which is a good thing, because this is the movie that led to Kidman and Ferrell getting married, despite Ferrell being so short and Kidman so tall.
Revenge has left me so conflicted. On the one hand, it's a by-the-numbers film for 95% of its runtime. A hot shot fighter pilot (Kevin Costner) leaves the Air Force to go hang out with his old friend, who also happens to be a Spanish crime lord (Anthony Quinn) in Mexico. Quinn has recently acquired a young trophy wife (Madeline Stowe), who immediately catches Costner's eye. Soon Costner and Stowe run away together to live out their life in a rustic cabin. Quinn, naturally displeased by this, shows up with his enforcers and does all manner of terrible things to them. Costner is left for dead, and Stowe is disfigured and forced into employment at a brothel. Costner recovers, swears revenge, and goes looking to save Stowe.
It's not an unfamiliar story arc in American cinema. So right out of the gate, the movie doesn't have originality going for it. While she may be a beautiful and talented actress, but Stowe is hugely miscast here. Her Spanish accent is atrocious (think Nicole Kidman in Far & Away or Julia Roberts in Mary Reilly, it's that level of bad). Just thinking back to it is making me angry. Costner, as always, plays the role as Kevin Costner, but this time with a small scar above his eye. Tony Scott's direction is pretty straightforward, like he didn't care enough to give anything any style.
"My accent is so bad it is causing this movie's aspect ratio to warp."
Fortunately the movie is populated by a lot of dependable character actors in minor roles, which keeps things from becoming too much of a bore. The recently-deceased and always-entertaining James Gammon shows up to help Costner get back on his feet. Then cool-as-ice Miguel Ferrer and an impossibly young and nearly silent John Leguizamo help Costner form and execute his revenge plot. And Sally Kirkland also shows up, to show off some cleavage and enable 2 very small plot points, which would normally seem extraneous if Kirkland wasn't so good in her small role. And then there's the great Anthony Quinn, bringing warmth and dignity to a character that most would have played as stone cold evil. Quinn's crime lord may be slightly misogynistic, but he genuinely loves his wife. And while he abuses his pets and verbally abuses his underlings, he also has real affection for longtime friend Costner. He is the most interesting role in the film, and he's barely on screen after the movie's first act. And it is his role that sets up my quandry with the movie.
FYI, there will be MAJOR SPOILERS now, since I need to discuss the ending. Not that I actually imagine any of you will be inspired to go watch Revenge after this anyway, but I feel like playing fair.
I said the film was 95% uninspired. That's because the final 5% is amazing. For its entire length, the film has a very clear plot course. And then the big confrontation comes between Costner and Quinn, and it plays out in the last way expected. Costner is pointing a shotgun at Quinn, and Quinn knows that he is going to die. He has a look of acceptance, but makes a single request: that Costner apologize to him for stealing his wife. Quinn loved Stowe, and he loved Costner as a friend. While he was bad man to others, he treated both of them with caring and compassion, until they both unprovokingly betrayed him. Quinn may have grossly overreacted, but it was Costner and Stowe who were guilty of the first transgression. And now, for the first time in the film, Costner makes that realization. He lowers his gun, apologizes, and lets Quinn go. Quinn tells Costner where he can find Stowe, and he arrives just in time to hold Stowe as she dies from the repeated physical and chemical abuse she suffered in the brothel. Holy. Shit.
The Costner/Quinn scene is played mostly through looks, with very little dialogue. Costner catches a lot of flak as an actor (including from me, in this very review), but here he is incredible as you watch him make the realization that he is the guilty one, and he is so taken aback by it that he can barely stammer out his apology. Quinn, always a master, wears the look of a father who has been stabbed by his own son. Though the film is ostensibly about Costner and Stowe's love, the Coster/Quinn relationship is the one that actually has some heart to it. Their final scene together seems more tragic than Stowe's subsequent death, partly because Stowe is truly awful in this role, but mostly because their close friendship was so well established in the early going, and we now fully realize how much these friends have hurt one another. It may not be worth sitting through the previous 100 mediocre minutes, but that scene by itself is heartbreaking.
Trivia:
Costner wanted this to be his directing debut, but a producer talked him out of it.
Sydney Pollack, Johnathan Demme and Walter Hill were all attached to direct this at one point. The movie was nearly made by John Huston in 1987 (and would have ended up being his final directing credit), but Huston did not want Costner in the role, so he left the project (apparently Costner was somehow contractually attached, because I can't otherwise imagine John Huston not getting his way).
During production, John Leguizamo vomited on Tony Scott at a party.
So, after firing him 3 times during the filming of their last movie, the producer super-duo of Don “I’ve done more coke and hookers than there actually exists coke and hookers” Simpson and Jerry “I know I’m not the director, but I think this scene could really use some more slow motion, patriotic symbolism, and fire” Bruckheimer decided that Tony “I am too as good as my brother, just look how many cuts I have in this scene” Scott would be the perfect choice to helm their next major blockbuster.
The plot, such as it is, predictably exists to provide but a loose framework on which to hang scenes allowing Eddie Murphy to improvise comedic banter with Judge Reinhold and John Ashton. Ronny Cox gets shot (because he was getting too close to the truth!), so Axel Foley travels, once again, from Detroit to L.A. so he can solve the crime. The criminals (led by Jurgen Prochnow, Brigitte Nielson and Dean Stockwell), are ridiculously sloppy and leave behind enough clues (like not wearing a mask when you shoot a police officer, despite being an easily identifiable person like Nielson) that any real-life patrol officer could have solved, let alone a professional homicide or robbery detective. Foley follows the obvious clues, gets the bad guy, the end.
Scott’s direction of the action scenes is the only noteworthy thing about the movie. The heist sequences, in particular, are expertly shot and edited to create a surprising amount of tension in what is otherwise a comedy. Beyond those few minutes, however, there is little that is noteworthy about the film.
And now,Trivia:
Tony Scott and Brigitte Nielson, both married, began an affair during production that ultimately led to both their divorces, Nielson’s being her well-publicized divorce from Sylvester Stallone.
Before deciding on a normal sequel, Simpson & Bruckheimer first tried spinning Beverly Hills Cop into a TV series.
Not directly related but still interesting: Brigitte Nielson is one of the 2 tallest living women who have had a lead role in an American theatrical release (Red Sonya). The other is Mariel Hemingway (Star 80). Both are 6’1” tall.
My review of Beverly Hills Cop 2 is forthcoming, but due to several work, weather and Netflix-related events it may be another week before I can watch Revenge. But after that it should be back to smooth sailing until I get to Domino, at which point I'll be entirely reliant on Netflix sending me physical discs for each movie, which will mean a few days between reviews. I'm determined to see this one through until the end. In fact, from here on out I might turn the site into a way to pose cinematic challenges to myself. Because the more I think about it, I really do kinda want to do this same challenge with Ridley Scott, as well. And Michael Bay. And, God help my tormented soul, Uwe Boll.
People love this movie, and that saddens me. As a piece of pure, empty-headed popcorn fluff, I suppose it's an entertaining movie. But as The Rotten Tomatoes Show recently pointed out, Top Gun essentially serves as a metaphor for the United States' arrogant approach to foreign policy. Though in fairness, it did lead to one of the best games ever for the original Nintendo.
I imagine anyone reading this has probably seen this movie, or at least knows the basic plot from overhearing everyone else they know talking about the movie at some point. But just in case, here's the basic rundown: subtly-named egotistical hotshot pilot Maverick (Tom Cruise) flies the way he wants to fly, loves the way he wants to love, and plays by nobody's rules but his own. He has a brief psychological setback, then discovers that he is the only one who can save the day, which is does by flying the way he wants to fly. He is then disproportionately rewarded. The. Fucking. End.
The movie's thesis is that the Hero is the guy who doesn't listen to reason, puts himself and others in constant danger, sleeps with his teacher, and pulls in-air pranks that are essentially acts of war. USA! USA! USA!
So, story-wise, Top Gun is appalling. But these entries are about Tony Scott, and his direction here is fine. This is easily the most visually-restrained Tony Scott film. Very few of his personal flourishes are present. Sure, it's a big action-packed Hollywood blockbuster with fast-paced editing and 80's rock music, but it all looks thoroughly by-the-numbers. Which is odd, because this is apparently the film where Scott officially went batshit insane. Scott was fired 3 separate times during production, and at one point wrote a personal check for $25,000 to the commander of an aircraft carrier so that he would turn the carrier around so Scott could pick up a single shot. This was only his second movie.
I don't have much else to say, so here's some random Top Gun trivia:
The film's famous anthem by Kenny Loggins was first offered to both Toto and REO Speedwagon. Imagine growing up in a world with the #1 hit single "Danger Zone," by Toto.
Val Kilmer did not want to be in the film, but was contractually obligated to.
Before casting Tom Cruise, the role of Maverick was officially offered to, and subsequently turned down by: Patrick Swayze, Emilio Estevez, Nicolas Cage, John Cusack, Matthew Broderick, Sean Penn, Michael J. Fox and Tom Hanks.
Similarly, Kelly McGillis' role was turned down by Tatum O'Neal, Holly Hunter, Michelle Pfeiffer, Jennifer Grey, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ally Sheedy, Geena Davis, Jodie Foster, Daryl Hannah, Diane Lane, Sarah Jessica Parker, Linda Hamilton and Brooke Shields.
Bryan Adams, Bruce Springsteen and Judas Priest all refused to allow their music to be used on the soundtrack because they thought the movie glorified war and would flop.
John Carpenter and David Cronenberg turned down the offer to direct. So, considering that Tony Scott's only movie prior to this one was The Hunger, the producers of Top Gun apparently really wanted a horror director to helm their mega-budget military action movie. WTF?
Apparently Tony Scott started out his career wanting to be David Lynch. The Hunger is 15% plot development, 5% sex scenes, and 80% under-lit scenes of people staring pensively, jarringly intercut with scenes of monkeys screeching, curtains billowing, and a Bauhaus music video.
The plot follows 2,000 year old vampire Miriam (Catherine Denueve) and her lover John (David Bowie). Together they lure young couples back to their home and feast upon their blood (as vampires are wont to do). But there is a slight catch to their would-be immortal love: while Miriam is indeed immortal, the people she turns to vampires only live a few hundred years before they suddenly and rapidly age into what are essentially mummies. Bowie has begun to age, so they both seek out the help of Dr. Sarah Roberts (Susan Sarandon), who has been researching progeria and trying to develop a medical solution to rapid aging. Bowie is interested in her research, while Denueve is interested in far more than that (leading to the film’s infamous lesbian sex scene, which more than lives up to its reputation for extreme hotness).
This would have worked better as a tightly edited 30-minute episode of Tales From The Crypt, but even at only 93 minutes the film feels overlong. A subplot involving a young girl getting music lessons could have been cut, along with the subsequent subplot of a police investigation by a young Dan Hedaya (based on that sentence, you can probably guess what happens to the girl). Both subplots only exist so there can be a final payoff twist at the end that doesn’t actually have any effect on the main plot.
It wasn’t a terrible movie, and it doesn’t play like a typical Tony Scott film. He clearly hadn’t found his own style yet, though there are brief moments when he uses a certain lighting style that he will continue to use throughout the rest of his career. But you’d have to watch a lot of Tony Scott films to really pick up on it (a fate I wouldn’t wish upon anyone but myself). Overall this was a mediocre debut film that uses stunt casting (Bowie) and an appealing gimmick (hot lesbian sex) to launch the Hollywood career of acclaimed director Ridley Scott’s brother.
So, with my proven track record of failing to follow through on anything I ever promise to do in a blog, here is my latest quest: to watch, and document, every film that Tony Scott has ever directed, in chronological order. Originally I was going to attempt the same thing, but with the films of Tony's brother Ridley. However, that series of posts would have been too easy. Every Ridley Scott film generates 1 of 3 responses from an audience:
"That was an amazing film! So well directed!"
"That was okay, I guess. And it was well directed."
"That really sucked. But it was well directed."
That's Ridley's entire filmography in a nutshell. No challenge there. But Tony Scott? That's a challenge. And it is one that I feel I am well-suited to take on. I grew up in the 80's and have that nostalgia for cheesy 80's machismo action movies, which makes me the target audience for Scott's early career. I am also the target audience for his latter films, because I don't have epilepsy.
So, between my own movie library and Netflix's disc and streaming library, I have arranged the complete Tony Scott line-up:
I also plan to watch the 2 episodes he directed for his erotic-horror anthology TV series, The Hunger, which was thematically based on his debut film and co-created by Ridley, and also the short film he made for BMW, Beat the Devil. Lastly, if I am able to track down a copy, I will watch his 2004 short film Agent Orange. I will not, however, watch the episode of Numb3rs he guest directed, because it does not stand on its own plot-wise, and TV guest directors rarely add any of their personal style to the episodes they direct, and instead fall in line with the show's established visual aesthetic.
