150 Movies You Should See Before You Die Read Free Page B

office, crushed the studio founded by Charlie Chaplin and D. W. Griffith, contributing to its sale to MGM.
    Thumbs Down Rating:
    The Crappies
    The Worst Auteur Award goes to … Michael Cimino for forcing the audience to sit through scene after scene that goes on endlessly while adding nothing to the story. Special mention also goes to Cimino for managing to shoot fifty takes of Kris Kristofferson brandishing a bullwhip.
    And the Special Bailout Award for Worst Business Sense goes to … The producers of Heaven's Gate and United Artist executives for not putting on the brakes sooner.
    They Really Said It!
    John Bridges : It's getting dangerous to be poor in this country.
    Betcha Didn't Know
    The original budget Cimino presented to executives was just over $2 million. The film cost a total of $42 million and took in less than $3 million at the box office.
    French actress Isabelle Huppert was hired for the role of Ella Watson, a Wyoming madam, despite her poor English. Cimino said her accent “would add to the richness of the soundtrack.”
    Trivia Quiz
    Who said of Heaven's Gate : “I enjoy the film each time I see it more and more.”
    A: Michael Cimino
    B: Jeff Bridges
    C: Sam Waterston
    D: Isabelle Huppert
    Answer: B. Jeff Bridges, as quoted in Mark Cousin's 2002 book Scene By Scene: Film Actors and Directors Discuss Their Work.
HOWARD THE DUCK
Lucasfilm/Universal Pictures, 1986
    PRODUCERS George Lucas (executive producer) and Gloria Katz (producer)
    WRITERS William Huyck and Gloria Katz (script), Steve Gerber (characters)
    DIRECTOR William Huyck
    STARS Lea Thompson ( Beverly Switzler ), Chip Zien ( voice of Howard T.
    Duck ), Jeffrey Jones ( Dr. Walter Jenning ), Tim Robbins ( Phil Blumburtt ), and Ed Gale ( Howard T. Duck )
    When Howard T. Duck (Gale/Zien) is teleported to Earth from his home planet, this human-sized, talking bird must find out how to live in a new world. And while he's adjusting, he must also thwart an alien invasion.
    Why It Sucks
    It could have been so damn good! This is one of many tragic examples of Hollywood paying lots of money for a creative property and then completely missing the point. Howard the Duck , the comic book created by the great Steve Gerber for Marvel Comics, was full of great satire and dark humor. None of that made it into the film adaptation. Nor did any of the series' ongoing subtext of isolation and alienation. Instead we get shallow comedy and an even shallower plot.
    Thumbs Down Rating:
    The Crappies
    The Award for Worst Production Management goes to … Gloria Katz and George Lucas, for spending time and money on an animatronic duck suit, as if that were the answer to the film's script problems.
    And the Award for Worst Animation goes to … The animators of the alien overlords, who did stop motion so badly that we feel like we're watching an outtake of a Ray Harryhausen film (though even Harryhausen's rejected bits were undoubtedly better animation than what we see here).
    They Really Said It!
    Howard T. Duck : “If God had wanted us to fly, he wouldn't have taken away our wings.”
    Betcha Didn't Know
    The film cost over $30 million dollars (some sources estimate as high as $37 million) but only grossed some $5.1 million during its theatrical run.
    Howard the Duck creator Steve Gerber engaged Marvel in a bitter legal battle over the rights to the character.
    Trivia Quiz
    What television talk show host was considered for the part that ultimately went to Tim Robbins?
    A: Jay Leno
    B: David Letterman
    C: Conan O'Brien
    D: Stephen Colbert
    Answer: A. Jay Leno, who at the time was an established stand-up comedian and an up-and-coming bit-player in movies.
HUDSON HAWK
TriStar Pictures and Silver Pictures, 1991
    PRODUCERS Robert Kraft (executive producer), Joel Silver (producer)
    WRITERS Steven E. de Souza and Daniel Waters (script), Bruce Willis and Robert Kraft (story)
    DIRECTOR Michael Lehmann
    STARS Bruce Willis ( Hudson Hawk ), Danny Aiello ( Tommy “Five-Tone” Messina