Bill Petro

HISTORY OF IRON MAN

I had the opportunity to catch the midnight premier of what is likely to be the initial “summer blockbuster” of the 2008 season. Iron Man has since this debut had the second biggest non-sequel opening day in history, trailing only Spider-Man. Last summer had 14 sequels, this summer only 7. More on the movie itself later. First, this film had not only an interesting debut, but has some interesting high-tech tie-ins.

Debut:

The event in Colorado Springs was sponsored in part by First Showing which is a local promotional company. This event, like other blockbuster previews — for example my article about last year’s Spider-Man III — was what I’d call “event marketing.” It began by having a booth out in front of the theater, with full sized posters, the company’s logo, a couch and chairs in front of a gaming console and TV. The fact that it was cold outside did not discourage the faithful from stopping by.

Before the midnight show began, there were about 40 minutes of pre-show fun. Tests of strength, skill, and armor building ensued. The emcee directed these events, the most interesting was a test of “repulsors-driven flight” on a long board through wickets holding lighted pods. The audience really got into it.

Many in the audience came dressed in Iron Man tee-shirts, some were custom made.

Tie-ins:

During the credits, I noticed that computer graphics were done by Tata Elxsi’s Visual Computing Labs. I used to work for Tata ELXSI some 20 years ago, when they were making one of the world’s most powerful super mini-computers.

But there is a more contemporary high-tech tie-in. Oracle is co-promoting the movie, with a tie-in to the fact that “Marvel Entertainment relies on Oracle to manage growth and provide seamless technology integration.”

Special Effects:

The computer graphics in this movie have defined the new state-of-the-art for film. Like the Transformers movie before it, CG works well for rendering machines. Computers are better at rendering machines than rendering people, which are so much more subtle. Here, it is almost seamless, unlike in the Spider-Man movie.

Movie Review:

Did I like it? Absolutely. I’d give it an A-. This is perhaps the most deeply gratifying film adaptation of a comic book. Many believe that only Batman Returns rivals it. Indeed, it will not have missed the notice of some that there are some similarities between the Marvel Comics hero Iron Man and DC Comics‘ hero Batman. In their secret identities, they are both billionaire industrialists, inventors of creative technologies, and flamboyant playboys. Both characters battle their own personal demons. In the case of Tony Stark (Iron Man), he has battled alcohol addiction, which is ironic, considering the casting of Iron Man.

Robert Downey, Jr. has had a checkered past in Hollywood, battling drug addiction. Nevertheless, this Academy Award nominated actor carries the movie. His sardonic wit, his throwaway lines, and his comic timing make him a flawed and believable industrialist. Initially arrogant and oblivious to the effects of his munitions sales, he comes to repent of his past business failings during the course of the “origin story” part of the film.

I was impressed by his performance and was willing to believe this obsessive personality could become aware of his weaknesses, limitations, and a dawning appreciation of his loyal secretary.

In the role of his dedicated executive assistant Pepper Potts, Gweneth Paltrow lit up the screen. My only complaint is that we did not see her enough in the movie, almost as if she was underutilized. But the chemistry between this Academy Award winner and Downey was palpable, and she was stunning in the role. I could not help but remember her similarly plucky role as Polly Perkins in the movie Sky Captain & the World of Tomorrow.

Terrance Howard plays Tony Stark’s best friend and confidant, Lt. Colonel James Rhodes, military liaison to Stark Industries. This Academy Award nominated actor has been getting a lot of notice for his recent roles. I particularly liked him in the recent film August Rush.

Academy Award nominated (notice a pattern here?) actor Jeff Bridges is featured as Obadiah Stane, a bear of a man, as top executive of Stark Industries and right hand man to Tony Stark. He appears as a bear of a man and chews up the screen each time he’s on the screen.

The action was impressive, the interaction between a talented cast, and the plot made this movie work. I’ve frequently compared this to the Spider-Man movies, as it serves as the benchmark of the Marvel Comics movie franchise. Spider-Man has historically been the most popular title of the Marvel universe, in the same way that Superman has been for DC Comics. And while I started reading Spider-Man comics in the early ’60s, and have not been a close follower of Iron Man, I found the later to be more satisfying as a movie experience. Perhaps it is because Spider-Man is about the travails of an adolescent — appropriate to comics’ primary demographic — while Iron Man deals with the problem of a grown man. The writing for this movie covered more sophisticated themes and more stark violence (no pun intended). The comedy worked better too.

For example, Iron Man creator and Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee had a cameo appearance in this movie, has he had in the previous Marvel movie adaptations. Keep your eyes open, it’s more amusing than his previous movie appearances.

Here’s a tip if you’re planning on seeing the movie: stay to the end of the credits. Not only will you see something interesting in the credits, but you’ll see something at the end of the credits that will be a treat.

Bill Petro, your friendly neighborhood historian
www.billpetro.com

Movie Review: Hairspray

Kenetic! That word alone captures the energy of this movie. This is easily the most enjoyable film of the summer (so far) that starts the viewer with a grin and the ends with applause. It is tempting to say this is the best movie musical since Grease. Sure, other musicals have been good (Moulin Rouge) even Academy Award winning (Chicago) but none of them were so exciting, so electric. This movie worked!

The characters were classic and endearing.

• Nikki Blonsky plays the pleasantly plump heroine Tracy Turnblad who captures our hearts with her opening song “Good Morning, Baltimore.”
• Christopher Walken was a jewel, as Tracy’s father who is delightful in his scenes with other characters.
• Michelle Pfeiffer plays Velma Von Tussle, the TV station manager, faded beauty queen and mother of an aspiring “Hairspray Queen.”
• Jerry Stiller (yes, father of Ben) who played Wilbur Turnblad in the original movie appears in this one as Mr. Pinky.
• James Marsden as the eponymous Corny Collins, the handsome host of the local teen dance show, pure white bread but an interest in making the show more integrated. He shows us that there is life after being an X-man (Cyclops).
• Zac Efron plays Link Larking, the show’s hunk-o-rama and the love interest of Tracy. He’s also the heartthrob in Disney’s “High School Musical.”
• Queen Latifah was big, blond, and beautiful. She consumed every scene she was in, both in terms of her presence and her voice. She can rock, she can do gospel. When she cut loose, it was like Aretha Franklin in the “Blues Brothers.”
• John Travolta as Edna Turnblad, Tracy’s mother, was the big surprise. He dressed in drag and a fat suit and many wondered if it would work. It did. He effected a Baltimore accent — where they make “on” a two syllable word — and it was delightful to see him dance with both daughter and husband.

You were waiting to see if he would make a “tip of the hat” to any of his iconic movies. Would it be “Saturday Night Fever,” “Urban Cowboy,” or “Grease?” No, it was “Pulp Fiction” where he dances with two fingers dragged across his face. Everyone in the audience caught it.

Often throughout the movie one is reminded of other movie musicals. For example, the “dancing in the street” scene in Hairspray hearkens back to one of the scene in “The Blues Brothers” but it’s done better here. One of the conflicts set up in this movie is between the “nice” white dancers who appear daily on the TV dance show, and the black dancers who are showcased only once a month on Motormouth Maybelle’s (Latifah) hosted “Negro Day”. The dancing by the blacks, led by Maybelle’s son (Elijah Kelley) is so vigorous that one is reminded of the virile Sharks street dance in “West Side Story”. The final dance-off scene at the end was like “Hand Jive” in Grease, but was so much better that it blew away the competition. The black “girl group” showed us what “Dreamgirls” should have been, but never achieved.

This movie is based on the 1988 John Waters film, which was turned into a Broadway musical in 2002. Waters has a cameo as a flasher in the current film. Though set in Baltimore, it was actually filmed in Toronto.

60s nostalgia is currently in full bloom not only because it’s the 40th anniversary of “The Summer of Love” but also with such new hit series like AMC TV’s “Mad Men” about 1960’s Madison Avenue advertising men. But by trimming some of the issues from the original movie/show, Hairspray managed to get out with a PG rating. The 60’s of this movie is not the 60’s we usually refer to — this is before the Beatles, before the death of JFK, before drugs and free love. This was an era when kids talked about cooties and teens were most concerned about the latest dance, their image, their hair, and their hairspray.

And it works.

Bill Petro, your friendly neighborhood historian
www.billpetro.com

SPIDER-MAN

There is something about being first in line for the midnight showing of the premier of a summer blockbuster, not to mention that I was probably the oldest person in the theater.

The Experience: A young friend of mine insured our place at the front of the line by camping out since Monday for the Friday 12:01 AM premier. You’ve heard of people who bring a tent and a sleeping bag — this young man built a Spider-Man Den, a veritable “Spidey Suite” in the portico in front of the theater, including posters, a couch, chairs, coffee table, rug, TV, game consoles, a projection screen, and a DVD player where they watched Spider-Man 1 and 2.

It helped that he’s been doing movie camp outs for 5 years and knows the General Manager and mall owner. He even had sponsors: Lowe’s supplied the lumber, Chipotle’s brought burritos daily, Sideshow Collectibles provided giveaway cards for everyone in the theater(s). This movie complex has gone digital, meaning they don’t need multiple expensive film prints, but the movie is played off a hard disk. Seven theaters showed the movie after midnight. Before the movie we were treated to previews of other upcoming summer blockbusters: Shrek-III, Pirates-3, Harry Potter-5, and Fantastic Four-2.

We had gotten in to the theater for first showing 2.5 hours before the film rolled. Trivia contests, feats of Spider Strength, and Sony Pictures giveaways ensued. Oh, how it took me back to my youth when I collected comic books for 22 years. I sold my entire collection to buy my then fiancée an engagement ring. I went cold turkey, but I can still remember.

History: I started reading and collecting comic books in 1961, both DC and Marvel comics. Spider-Man first appeared in August 1962 in Amazing Fantasy #15. The story line for the first two movies was taken from the comic book characters and timeline during the 1960’s and 70’s, but Spider-Man 3 uses a villain, Venom, who first appeared in 1988.

Spider-Man has become the flagship comic for Marvel, in the same way as Superman for the DC line. But Marvel had its finger on the pulse of 60’s teens – the major comic buying demographic – in a way that took DC longer to catch on to. Spider-Man was the story of shy though bright high school teen Peter Parker who was bitten by a radioactive spider and gained surprising spider-like powers. But unlike the more straight-arrow Superman or other DC comic heroes of the 60’s, Marvel in general and Spider-Man in particular dealt with teen angst, psychological conflict, and moral ambiguities. This character, initially developed by artist Steve Ditko and writer Stan Lee (who has had cameos in all the Spider-Man movies) connected with youth during a turbulent era and a difficult age. Peter had classmate and girlfriend problems, employment challenges, and unresolved guilt over his uncle’s death. Yet his free-style fighting style and wise-cracks during combat with villains helped him cope. Spider-Man became more than a cult hero – at one time he had four regular monthly comic books in publication.

Movie review: Without telling you the plot of the movie, I will say that I found this third movie quite enjoyable and satisfying, from the fabulous special effects — at $250-300M this is one of the more expensive, if not the most expensive movie in history — to some standout performances. I am a bit kinder with my review than the critics. I’d give this movie a “B” primarily for the performances rather than either the writing, dialog or pacing. Some of the standouts include Tony and Emmy award winning actress Rosemary Harris as Peter’s Aunt May, who I met in London a few years ago. She has a remarkable presence in person as well as on the screen.

Thomas Haden Church (Oscar nomination in Sideways) played Sandman, who while not as threatening as Doctor Octopus, portrayed a tortured misunderstood criminal. Even James Franco — who looks like James Dean and played him in a TV movie — as the tormented Harry Osborn, turned in a less one dimensional performance than he did in Spider-Man 2. Tobey Maguire got to stretch in several directions, both physically and emotionally, as he portrayed a more aggressive side of his personality. J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson chews up every screen he’s in. Topher Grace, who you know as the lead in “That ’70s Show” was a bit too unctuous for my taste, and Kirsten Dunst, who I have loved in other roles seems miscast as Mary Jane Watson. In the comic book MJ is a saucy, sexy persona and not a whiner — though her hair color looks better in this movie than in the previous ones.

Speaking of hair, a natural redhead appeared as the blond Gwen Stacey, played by Bryce Dallas Howard, daughter of Ron Howard and last seen in the movie Lady in the Water. She makes a striking appearance in this movie, though in the comics, she was Peter Parker’s second girlfriend and MJ Watson was his third.

Did you know: For the last 22 years I’ve been signing my articles “Bill Petro, your friendly neighborhood historian.” I got it from the very earliest days of the comic book, when Peter Parker called himself “your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.”

Bill Petro, your friendly neighborhood Spider-Fan
www.billpetro.com

AMAZING GRACE, part 2

As we mentioned in our first article on the History of Amazing Grace this is the story of the lives of two men and that one song. In the first part we discussed the life of the song’s author John Newton. The recent film “Amazing Grace” however is about the life of one of Newton’s protégés, William Wilberforce. Wilberforce was a man well known to the Framing Fathers of the American Revolution and became in his day not just a politician, philanthropist and abolitionist, but also a writer of such popularity (in his own day) as C.S. Lewis was in the 20th century.

William Wilberforce was born to privilege and wealth in 18th century England and though physically challenged, worked for nearly 20 years to push through Parliament a bill for the abolition of the slave trade in the British Empire 200 years ago.

Born in 1759 in Hull in Yorkshire, upon his father’s death in 1768 he was sent to live with an aunt and uncle in Wimbledon. While there, he came into contact with the great evangelist George Whitefield. He was also influenced by the former slave-trading sea captain, pastor John Newton. However, his mother and grandfather wanted him away from Newton’s influence, which they thought was too evangelical and “Methodist”, much too enthusiastic for respectable Anglicans, and returned him to Hull.

Following private school Wilberforce took both his B.A. and M.A. at St. John’s College in Cambridge — where he began a lasting friendship with the future Prime Minister, William Pitt the Younger — but Wilberforce was not a serious student and he was given to late nights of drinking, gambling, and card playing. At the youngest age at which one could be elected, at 21 he was elected to Parliament. He was noted for his charm and eloquence, indeed, his phenomenal rhetorical skill caused the young Prime Minister William Pitt to later challenge Wilberforce with a considerable undertaking — abolition.

The abolitionist Thomas Clarkson influenced Wilberforce to become an activist in the issue of slavery and together they proposed to Parliament a dozen resolutions against the slave trade. Wilberforce’s early optimism was met with one defeat after another. This did not dissuade him from the cause against slavery, or other issues for that matter.

Where did his motivation come from? At the age of 25 he heard very clearly the Gospel of Christ and converted in a way that changed his life. Within two years he determined to serve God by serving the lowest and most ill-treated. But what of his blossoming career in Parliamentary politics? At this point, he decided to visit his old preacher, John Newton, who was now an influential Anglican clergyman installed as rector of St Mary Woolnoth in London. Wilberforce considered retiring from public life in order to engage fully in the spiritual life.

Newton helped them understand that an awakened faith did not necessitate flight from society. He told him that just as Esther had been put in the palace of King Xerxes “for such a time as this,” Newton went on to say,

“…One may not be able to calculate all of the advantages that may result from your service in public life. The example, and even the presence of a consistent character, may have a powerful, though unobserved, effect upon others. You are in a place where many know Him not, and can show them the genuine fruits of the religion you are known to profess.”

At the age of 28 Wilberforce wrote in his diary: “God Almighty has set before me two great objects, the suppression of the slave trade and the reformation of manners [morals].”

Though he continued to be plagued by poor health that kept him bedridden at times for weeks, he attended to his causes. All his life he suffered chronic ill health that included a crooked spine, poor eyesight and stomach problems. He wrote:

“So enormous, so dreadful, so irremediable did the [slave] trade’s wickedness appear that my own mind was completely made up for abolition. Let the consequences be what they would: I from this time determined that I would never rest until I had effected its abolition.”

When in 1797 he settled in Clapham, he became a member of the so-called “Clapham Sect,” a group of devout Christians dedicated to correcting social ills. Wilberforce was himself dedicated to and help found numerous parachurch groups like the Society for Bettering the Cause of the Poor, the Church Missionary Society, the British and Foreign Bible Society, the Antislavery Society, and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. He championed the cause of chimney sweeps, single mothers, Sunday schools, orphans, and juvenile delinquents. In total, he supported 69 philanthropic causes, giving one forth of his annual income to the poor.

In the same year Wilberforce completed writing his book “A Practical View of the Prevailing Religious System of Professed Christians in the Higher and Middle Classes of This Country Contrasted With Real Christianity” which he’d been working on for some 4 years. He spoke against the decline of morality in the nation but more than anything his own personal testimony and views. His book became a best seller and a strong and influential apologetic for a vital and living Christianity. The book sold widely for over forty years.

Though his bill in Parliament called for the abolition of the slave trade, slavery itself continued, although he always hoped for emancipation of the slaves. As old age set in, he lacked the vigor to work to its accomplishment, though he continued to attack it through speeches in public meetings and the House of Commons. Finally, 46 years after he began his fight in Parliament, the Emancipation Bill gathered sufficient support and had its final commons reading on July 26, 1833. He died three days later and was buried in the north transept of Westminster Abbey next to his friend William Pitt, Prime Minister.

Bill Petro, your friendly neighborhood historian
www.billpetro.com

AMAZING GRACE, part 1

Today marks the 200th anniversary of the British parliament passing a bill banning the nation’s slave trade. In these two articles we’ll explore the lives of two men and one song that played a large role in that effort.

John Newton’s devoted Christian mother dreamed that her only son would grow up to become a preacher. But he lost his mother when he was six years old, and at the age of eleven followed his sea-captain father to sea. He did not take to the discipline of the Royal Navy and deserted ship, was flogged, and eventually discharged.

In looking for greater liberty, he ended up on the western coast of Africa in Sierra Leone, where he worked for a slave trader who mistreated him and made him a virtual slave of his black mistress. At this time he was described as “a wretched looking man toiling in a plantation of lemon trees in the Island of Plaintains… clothes had become rags, no shelter and begging for unhealthy roots to allay his hunger.” After more than a year of such treatment he escaped the island through an appeal to his father in 1747.

The next year at sea, his ship was battered by a severe storm. Newton had been reading “The Imitation of Christ,” and in great fear while he rowed and bailed for hours (for he could not swim!), he cried out to God to save him, a wretched sinner. Years later he looked back and penned these autobiographical words.

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now am found
Was blind but now I see.

Epilogue: Ironically, following his conversion to Christianity, Newton spent the next six years as captain of a slave ship. While he had religious services on board, he eventually came to abhor slavery and later to crusade against it. He influenced British Member of Parliament William Wilberforce to become active in working to abolish it. (We’ll discuss Wilberforce’s story in a subsequent article.) Newton later studied for the ministry and attracted large audiences when he preached where he was known as “the old converted sea captain.” He collaborated with the poet William Cowper in producing the Olney Hymns, which became the standard hymnal of evangelical Anglican churches.

In his old age, when it was suggested that he retire due to his bad health and failing recollection, he said,

“My memory is nearly gone, but I remember two things: That I am a great sinner and that Christ is a great Savior!”

His song, Amazing Grace, has become the American anthem and influenced many generations. You can learn more at www.amazinggracemovie.com

Bill Petro, your friendly neighborhood historian
www.billpetro.com

JAMES “SCOTTY” DOOHAN

The actor James Doohan, who played the beloved engineer Montgomery Scott, or “Scotty” on the original Star Trek’s U.S.S. Enterprise died today at his home in Redmond, Washington. He was 85 and had been battling Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, lung fibrosis and, most recently, pneumonia. Born March 3, 1920, in Vancouver, British Columbia, he fought with the Royal Canadian Artillery during World War II, and landed on the beaches of Normandy, France, as part of the U.S.-led D-Day invasion. He lost a finger in the war, and it was rarely noticeable in the show, as they usually used a “stunt hand.”

He is immortalized by the phrase “Beam me up, Scotty,” although Capt. Kirk never issued that order during the TV series, and indeed didn’t utter it until the subsequent fourth movie.I met Mr. Doohan in 1975 on the campus of the University of California at Berkeley when I was a student. He was doing a play on campus about Ulysses S. Grant and I was doing a show featuring theatrical fencing (and you though I only studied history.) When I saw him sitting on the lawn I excitedly told my acting-student fencing partner, “That’s the actor Jimmy Doohan!” He replied, “Who?” I said “Scotty, from Star Trek.” We sat on the grass with him and talked for about an hour. We spoke about theater, which he loved, and how he would do that exclusively, if it paid well enough but needed to do the occasional movie or TV show to pay the bills. He had a rather gruff Canadian accent and discussed his skill and delight in accents. In the play, he portrayed an American Civil War officer. A Scottish post-doctoral friend of mine used to say, “When he comes on, we watch and laugh at how bad his accent is!”

When my friends, who knew what a Star Trek junkie I was, ask if Mr. Doohan and I spoke about Star Trek, I replied, “No, I didn’t want to seem like a sniveling fan.”

Here’s to ya, lad

Bill Petro, your friendly neighborhood Trek junkie
www.billpetro.com