GERONIMO AN AMERICAN LEGEND: GERONIMO’S PLIGHT

I’m a huge fan of director Walter Hill. For me he’s made some of the most interesting and action packed films that I’ve enjoyed repeatedly. STREETS OF FIRE, SOUTHERN COMFORT, 48 HOURS, THE WARRIORS and THE LONG RIDERS to name a few. Hill has always made movies that would fall under the category of man’s man films. So to learn he was making a movie about the old west and the hunt for Geronimo was not a surprise.

As the Indian Wars were coming to an end the Cavalry was rounding up the remnants of the various tribes to escort them to reservations to live on. The story is narrated by young recently graduated military academy Lt. Britton Davis (Matt Damon). It is through his eyes we see the story unfold as well as his glimpse into the land it takes place in. Assigned to help Lt. Charles Gatewood (Jason Patric) escort Geronimo to a meeting with Brig. Gen. George Crook (Gene Hackman) he quickly learns what the west is all about.

Learning from Gatewood and from Geronimo as they travel he develops a respect for the Apache warrior and the code of honor that he lives by. Gatewood has seen and done much while out west and is sympathetic to the plight this man is going through even though he follows the orders given to him. It is through these two that most of the story unfolds.

Crook promises peace with the Indians as long as they remain on the reservation. He is a man they trust, one that they know will live up to his word. But the Apache were not farmers and it isn’t long before one of the medicine men begins claiming visions and encourages war. As the Cavalry attempt to arrest him he is shot and killed resulting in the Apache warriors reacting in kind. The word broken Geronimo and his tribe head out on a rampage against the white man.

Crook resigns after the failed attempt at peace and is replaced with Brig. Gen. Nelson Miles (Kevin Tighe) whose methods are not near so accommodating. Gatewood and his men accompanied by their long time tracker Al Sieber (Robert Duvall) hunt down Geronimo as he wreaks havoc across the countryside. But he is not their only problem. Bounty hunters trying to track him down turn out to be even more vicious than the Indian leader leaving bodies in their wake as well. The end result is known historically as Geronimo eventually was caught and surrendered spending the rest of his life in Florida, once more lied to as he was told he would only be there 2 years.

One thing that makes this movie stand out as so different from others that discussed the same subject matter is that it doesn’t condescend or preach about the topic at hand, the lies told to the Indians by a government intent of moving west. So many movies on the topic prior to this portrayed the Indians as “noble savages” which in itself seems to be an insulting phrase meant to be a compliment. On one hand we had movies made long ago that portrayed them as heartless killers but then after the 60s we had movies where they were the infringed upon owners of the west. Ignored was the fact that for centuries people around the world have been conquered by an invading force who determined their outcome.

What made this different than most was the near attempt at genocide of the Native American Indian. And Hill doesn’t dwell on this topic in a morose way that says oh poor me. Instead he shows a proud leader who is doing all he can to save his people from extinction even if that word was not in his vocabulary. It isn’t until the final moments of the film when we see the Indians loaded in box cars on their way to Florida that one thinks of this. Images of Jews in the same sort of conditions making their way to concentration camps come easily to mind while seeing this.

The movie is best because it doesn’t take one extreme side or the other. It tells the tale of a vanquished people but never paints either side as wholly right or wrong. For the soldiers they are doing nothing more than following the directives sent to them from Washington. They’re not the redneck gun toting soldiers as portrayed in those late 60s/early 70s films determined to do nothing more than “kill an ‘injin”. They are soldiers, nothing more. And in Gatewood, Crook and Davis we see that they not only learned to do their duty but learned something from the man they were sent to capture.

All actors on hand here turn in great performances. Patric once more shows that he was an actor that should have been provided more and better roles that he received. Odds are it was his personal life (if memory serves me correctly) that prevented that which is sad. Hackman. Need I say more? Damon turns in a great performance as a naïve recruit in what is one of his earliest performances. The most wasted actor here is Wes Studi as Geronimo. For a movie with the character’s name in the title it felt like he should have been onscreen more than he was. The moments with Studi there shows that we wasn’t just a Native American Indian actor but a great actor. Here too we have an actor who has been wasted by Hollywood and should have had more and better opportunities than to just play Indians.

The movie looks great in all the images presented with Hill being able to capture the vast openness of the west in golden hues that make you feel the oppressive heat as well as imagining inhaling the dust kicked up from the dirt strewn plains. It’s beautiful and deadly at the same time. The costumes here are well done as well, a little thought of part of a movie but necessary in period films. When done wrong everything looks new and polished in the worst settings but here it was done perfectly with a well-worn look to clothing items making them seem real. My only issue with the movie was the sound. It seems movie makers are determined to shoot dialogue scenes with the lowest volume possible and action sequences as loud as can be. And having them occur back to back leads a viewer to strain to hear what’s being said only to be blown out of their seats seconds later. Thank goodness for subtitles.

When released the movie did decent numbers but nothing stupendous. That might be because at the same time another film based on Geronimo came out from Ted Turner that ran on TV. It might also have been the title which Hill is said to have been unhappy with preferring THE GERONIMO WAR to this one, a title that would have made more sense. The good news is that fans can now own a solid copy of the film and those that have never seen it have an opportunity to do so.

Twilight Time. I never get tired of saying this. Twilight Time is releasing the film in the best possible format and presentation possible in 1080p hi-def blu-ray format. Perhaps the only disappointing thing about this release is that the extras are limited to an isolated music track and the original theatrical trailer. As with all of their releases this one is limited to just 3,000 copies so if interested pick one up soon.

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THE RETURN OF SWAMP THING: BAD BUT FUN

Long before the Marvel Universe took movies by storm and before the DC Universe took us into dark costumes and gritty reality based films made from comics (that still doesn’t make sense to me) DC allowed one of its more popular underground characters come to life on the big screen. In 1982 they released SWAMP THING from who’d only made a few cult films by this time named Wes Craven. The film was released to mixed reviews but developed a bit of a following mostly due to the source material and the campiness of the film. After it was released on video it gained enough interest for them to make a sequel, aptly titled THE RETURN OF SWAMP THING.

This time around the movie was definitely played more for laughs and movie audiences than it was the comic fans hoping for more of their hero. The movie revolves around Abigail Arcane (Heather Locklear), a young woman with a natural ability to take care of plants who’s curious about the death of her mother and why there was no funeral. To find out she leaves her home and heads to the where her mother was and to talk to her step-father.

The man in question is Dr. Anton Arcane (Louis Jordan) who we know from the previous film is the quintessential mad doctor/bad guy. Resurrected from his passing in the first film he’s set up base on the bayou and is still seeking a restorative formula for immortality. Aiding him in this is his assistant and lover Dr. Lana Zurrell (Sarah Douglas). Combining genes from various animals and mixing them with human beings he’s had no luck but in the process created his own group of un-men, half mixed creations of man and beast.

Thinking that perhaps there is something about his step-daughter’s genetics that will provide the answer he treats her kindly at first with plans of using her in his experiments. On a walk one night she is grabbed by his henchmen led by Gunn (Joey Sagal) only to find a rescuer in the form of Swamp Thing (Dick Durock) who is still trying to defeat Arcane. But her safety doesn’t last long after she returns to the house. Can Swampie save her in time?

As I said earlier the movie is played for laughs with some tremendously over the top acting by all, even Jourdan. Locklear looks great and is a good actress but this movie wouldn’t convince you of that. Durock, an actor and stunt man who originated the role and continued to play the character in the TV series, gets to speak more in this film and does a great job of it. Added to the cast for laughs are two little boys who get themselves into various predicaments mostly while trying to get a picture of Swamp Thing to sell. Perhaps the best thing about the movie are the sets that look fantastic even though the budget was on the low end.

The film was directed by Jim Wynorski, a prolific director with over 100 movies he’s directed to his name but whose output leaves much to be desired. Wynorski is one of those directors who absolutely loves movies and does a great job of putting something together from nothing with a miniscule budget. It doesn’t mean the movie will be memorable but it will entertain and odds are it will be campy. That’s what he has to offer here.

The movie is being released on blu-ray as part of the MVD Rewind series that I’ve talked about before. Packaging will once more look like an old VHS box from the shelf of some long lost video store. The movie itself will be offered in both a 2k hi-def blu-ray version and standard DVD version in the package. Extras are over the top this time around. Included are a new audio commentary track with Wynorski, composer Chuck Cirino and editor Leslie Rosenthal, an audio commentary by Wynorski from the DVD release in 2003, a new interview with Wynorski, a new interview with Cirino, a new interview with Rosenthal, a new interview with Lightyear Entertainment executive Arnie Holland, the original theatrical trailer transferred from original 35 materials, 2 TV spots, 6 promotional TV clips, 2 Greenpeace public service announcements, a 1989 promo reel, a photo gallery accompanied by Cirino’s film score, reversible artwork for the disc sleeve and a collectible mini-poster.

In the end the movie is a fun romp and not to be taken seriously. Only those who would do so would be disappointed. If on the other hand you enjoy a good laugh, have fun with movies that feature their lead character in a rubber suit and appreciated the practical effects that film makers had to work with when the film was made odds are you’ll have fun with this one. I know I did.
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THE ACCIDENT: SMALL TOWN MYSTERY

The picturesque seaside resort town of Brittany, France, is disrupted by a single accident witnessed in the opening moments of this min-series. Rebecca Courvy (Emma Colberti) wakes sitting in her car going the wrong direction, parked on a highway exit and drunk. As she tries to maneuver her way off the road she’s hit and killed by an oncoming car that also takes the lives of two others.

The next day her husband Gabriel (Bruno Solo) finds out about the accident and along with his daughter is tossed into a spiral of grief. Rebecca’s mother blames it all on Gabriel for taking her daughter away from her upper class home and bringing her here to this small resort area. The police put the accident down to her being drunk which Gabriel disputes since his wife never drank with the exception of a glass of wine now and then. He demands they investigate which they ignore for the most part.

As all of this is going on Gabriel’s construction business is having issues as well. Poor quality product has been placed in some of his sites that he knows he never ordered and he blames one of his workers. Another worker is having financial difficulties and steals the company checkbook. And the woman who runs his office has just lost her father and takes time off to deal with that situation.

Insisting that his wife was not drunk only one officer at the station decides to follow up on the case, a young female officer named Solène (Charlotte Talepaert). Charlotte follows up on various leads and the clues begin to mount. As the series progresses we learn more and more about what happened that night as well as what is going on in the small town of Brittany.

Little doubt is placed in the minds of the viewer that Gabriel is correct that his wife did not cause the accident nor was she drunk. But if not, then why was she there? Why the alcohol? And who was behind it all?

The suspect list grows as two of Rebecca’s closest friends begin to act suspicious. One was a woman who Gabriel dated in college and whose husband is on the police force. Another is a hyper real estate agent who definitely has something to hide. When the first is murdered and the second threatened but a gun wielding mobster we begin to decipher what happened. Or do we?

The series is well made and planned out taking it’s time to unspool the story we’re being told. Not to the point of becoming boring and repetitive but in a manner that allows us to absorb what is going on, to get an idea of what the town is like having fallen on hard times and how the people here are doing what they can to stay above water. It doesn’t rush things but it also doesn’t belabor them.

In French with subtitles only the performances are well done by all involved. Subtitles tend to take your eyes off of the actors as they perform but if you can keep up you can see the job they’re doing. All do so admirably, in particular the troubled Solo as Gabriel. His pain and frustration are on display so well that you can’t help but feel the same emotions watching him.

Acorn Media is releasing the series on disc and that’s probably the best way to watch it. With only 6 episodes it can easily be binge watched over a weekend. Keeping up with what happens in a show like this, in particular since it’s in French, makes binge watching the way to go. Well made, well acted, well written and interesting from start to finish.

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