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Post by Ingram on Jun 17, 2024 10:28:49 GMT
STATS Companies Walt Disney Imagineering Lucasfilm
Executive Producer / Co-writer George Lucas
Director Francis Ford Coppola
Co-editor Walter Murch
Original Score James Horner
Original Songs Michael Jackson
Lead Stars Michael Jackson Anjelica Huston
Don't know if we've ever really discussed this before in these forums, in full. Quick personal history:
I saw this two years after its release in the Summer of 1988 during my one-and-only childhood trip to Florida, Orlando; here, at Epcot Center in neighboring Bay Lake. I was a little kid at the time but this experience continues as a memory highlight and in turn fuels a summertime Florida nostalgia surrounded indefinitely by planted palms & ferns, water fountains, various theme park façade and souvenir outlets—everyone (myself included) dressed in normalized day-glo and Izod Lacoste polo shirts, humid but cool weather, the smell of pizza being sold by the slice etc. I knew nothing about this mini-movie before my parents dropped the news there on the spot. They just told me was "Michael Jackson in space," or something. We waited in line for over 45-minutes for a mere 17-minute feature and, afterwards, coming out of the auditorium it was late-afternoon 'magic hour' and I distinctly recall running atop benches and concrete basins shooting "dance powers" out of my arms at my older brother.
Watching it now? It's pretty stupid. Charming, but stupid. Interesting to consider this was the first official collaboration between George Lucas(film) and Disney... the apparent naivete of it all, I suppose. One undoubtedly gets a sense of Michael pouring his family-friendly heart into this like a ray of sunshine, and with Francis and George obliging respectively with their more kawaii showman sensibilities. It compels me to speculate: What would Star Wars have become if Lucas had sold it to Disney at this juncture, in the latter 80s? The astroturf of pop-cinema was so different then.
Was Hooter a precursor to Jar Jar? God only knows. Actually, he probably doesn't. In any event, anyone else here have any assessments or memories to share regarding this oddly lilted production?
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Post by stampidhd280pro on Jun 17, 2024 11:58:17 GMT
Not really. I only became aware of it on Wikipedia, possibly in the last ten years, and then finally watched it... probably during The 2020 Lockdown. It's been on my mind lately, as I just watched Moonstruck, am prepared to watch Paper Moon, and decided to round it out by downloading Moonwalker.
I was born in the mid 80s, so my perception of Michael was always in the shadow of "Wacko Jacko", even moreso than Pee-Wee Herman and his scandal. I suppose because Michael was always mixing his family image with his provocative BAD antics. Was the 90s more puritan than the 80s? Even as an adult, the more I watch 80s movies, the more it shocks the sensibilities of the 90s kid in me. I have a friend who theorizes that the early 90s was still running off the residual 80s strangeness. Which eventually gave way to the great White Void of GAP ads, the Matrix, and the Prozac-like ambience of iMac commercials.
Anyway, I can't imagine Lucas or Coppola gave this much thought, but what do I know? Lucas was producing a lot more entertainment for *very* young audiences at the time. For some reason, all I can imagine Coppola doing is being fat, bringing his family to the set, and ogling dancers. And of course collecting a paycheck, which from what I can gather, is the main reason for being on board. As a favor from George. Again, this is all based on information I've gathered from the past couple years so, whatever.
By far the most memorable part was the villain suspended on wires, clapping her claws and looking like Frieza from Dragon Ball Z. Apparently Angelica Huston had a precognative dream about appearing in a Michael Jackson video involving elephants, and got a little spooked when Hooter showed up. If I find the article, I'll post it in here.
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EO
Jun 18, 2024 0:03:38 GMT
via mobile
jppiper likes this
Post by Subtext Mining on Jun 18, 2024 0:03:38 GMT
Oh... yes. Captain Eo. I was 10 when it came out and I remember seeing commercials and stuff for it, and wanting to see it really bad. Being a die-hard sci-fi/fantasy, puppet and Lucas fan, and MJ was still kind of cool.
I thought it was a movie that would be in theaters, but after researching around, (before the Internet), I was disappointed you could only see it at Disney parks.
I had gone to Disneyland in the summer of '85 and '86, and I remember seeing it under construction in '86. But never went back until '92, when I finally saw it - but as a 16-year-old, and with MJ being the butt-of-all-jokes by then - I thought it was schmaltzy, and kind of forgot about it.
Then I rented it in around '96 and watched it with a less cynical mind, and ended up thinking it was enjoyable, and definitely pitched perfectly for kids. I think I watched it 3 times, in fact.
Overall, it's pretty darn good for a 17-minute kid's short film. It makes people feel good and happy. And there's not much else like it.
Next, Star Tours!
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EO
Jun 19, 2024 1:32:59 GMT
via mobile
jppiper likes this
Post by stampidhd280pro on Jun 19, 2024 1:32:59 GMT
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EO
Jun 19, 2024 5:50:41 GMT
Post by Ingram on Jun 19, 2024 5:50:41 GMT
George deciding to wear a hula shirt to the techno-industrial set of Michael Jackson's 3D space musical theme park movie attraction:
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