Gene Wilder Retrospective

Actor, writer, and filmmaker Gene Wilder passed away on August 29, 2016. He had a unique career and was a singular figure in American cinema. Wilder, whose birth name was Jerome Silberman, was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1933. Allegedly, he adopted his stage name from dramatist Thorton Wilder, who wrote the play Our Town. Wilder got his start in show business on Broadway in the early 1960s and he acted in made-for-television specials of stage dramas including a supporting role in the 1966 version of Death of a Salesman. Upon breaking into motion pictures, Wilder established himself as a major figure in American comedy with roles in movies like The Producers, The Frisco Kid, Silver Streak, and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. He was also active behind the camera with writing credits on films such as Young Frankenstein and See No Evil, Hear No Evil and he directed a handful of titles in the 1970s and 80s including The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes Smarter Brother, The World’s Greatest Lover, The Woman in Red, and Haunted Honeymoon. In his later years Wilder wrote several books including three novels, a collection of short stories, and the memoir Kiss Me Like a Stranger: My Search for Love and Art, which was published in 2005.

Here is a look back at the highlights of Wilder’s career:

Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
Gene Wilder’s first role in motion pictures was the part of Eugene Grizzard in 1967’s Bonnie and Clyde. He played a mortician who is taken hostage for a short while by the Barrow gang. The role was small but important to the movie and it demonstrated Wilder’s offbeat comic style.


The Producers (1967)
Gene Wilder’s first lead role in a motion picture was in Mel Brooks’ 1967 film The Producers. Released the same year as Bonnie and Clyde, the film was a farce about a pair of Broadway producers who plot to defraud their investors by deliberately putting on a show that is guaranteed to flop. For its time, The Producers was a very crude and transgressive movie and when it was released the film received a mixed critical response. Over time The Producers has gained respectable status and in 2001 it was adapted into a successful stage musical. 1967’s The Producers was the first of several collaborations between Gene Wilder and Mel Brooks, a partnership that would prove quite fruitful to both of them. The Producers was recognized at the Academy Awards with Brooks winning an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay and Wilder getting a nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

 
Blazing Saddles (1974)
Following The Producers, Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder collaborated again on 1974’s Blazing Saddles. In this film an African American assumes the post of sheriff in a western frontier town. Blazing Saddles was a spoof of the western genre and especially the racism of Hollywood movies. The picture is very silly but the absurd humor is combined with a provocatively honest and very funny take on racism. The movie was especially potent at the time and after an in-studio screening some Warner Bros. executives debated whether Blazing Saddles should even be released. Even today the film’s racial humor is challenging and Mel Brooks has doubted that he’d be able to get Blazing Saddles made in today’s Hollywood system. Gene Wilder was cast in a supporting role as a deputy and he had an easy and enjoyable rapport with Cleavon Little as the sheriff. The screenplay for Blazing Saddles was co-written by comedian Richard Pryor who would collaborate with Gene Wilder on several later movies.


Young Frankenstein (1974)
During the making of Blazing Saddles Gene Wilder shared with Mel Brooks a treatment he had written for Young Frankenstein and it was their next collaboration. Like Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein was a spoof, in this case a send up of the classic Universal monster movies. Wilder co-wrote the screenplay with Brooks and played the lead role as the grandson of the mad scientist from James Whale’s Frankenstein films. Wilder asserted a degree of control over Young Frankenstein that makes it distinctly different from either The Producers or Blazing Saddles. The humor of Young Frankenstein isn’t quite as loony as those titles. It’s more deadpan and it maintains a tighter control over its tone. Mel Brooks has said that although Blazing Saddles was his funniest movie, Young Frankenstein was his best made film. The quality of Young Frankenstein was due to a variety of factors but Gene Wilder’s creative influence was certainly one of them. Released in 1974, Young Frankenstein was a hit and like Blazing Saddles it is frequently cited as one of the greatest comedies ever made.


Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor (1976 - 1991)
Another of Gene Wilder’s frequent collaborators was Richard Pryor. The comedian had a writing credit on Blazing Saddles and was known for his edgy stand up work. Pryor’s transition to movies was rocky but much of his best film work came in his partnership with Gene Wilder. Their first film together was 1976’s Silver Streak directed by Arthur Hiller. This movie channeled the filmography of Alfred Hitchcock in the story of an everyday guy, played by Wilder, who is caught in a murder plot while aboard a passenger train. He’s aided in his struggle by a petty criminal played by Richard Pryor. The tone of Silver Streak is all over the place with some parts madcap comedy and other parts serious action film. The radical shifts in tone shouldn’t work but they do and Wilder’s performance is the glue that holds Silver Streak together.



The actors would reteam in 1980’s Stir Crazy, 1989’s See No Evil, Hear No Evil, and 1991’s Another You. The movies Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor made together were uneven but there was something quite special about the on-screen pairing of these two performers. Like Blazing Saddles a lot their films featured some risqué racial humor. In lesser hands this would have been simply cringe-inducing but Wilder and Pryor make it cringe worthy and funny. They brought out the best in each other and their comedic whole was bigger than the sum of Wilder and Pryor’s parts.


Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)
In today’s movie marketplace there are a lot of fantasy titles from superhero movies to animated features to adaptations of young adult novels. And although a lot of these movies benefit from today’s advanced filmmaking technology it is rare to see a fantasy that charms the audience in the same way as Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. The design of Wonka’s factory has such unusual spaces and features that it is an absurd and surreal place that plays to the cinematic form in a way more literal fantasy films don’t. This is enhanced. by the wonderful music score by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley that includes numbers such as “Candy Man” and “Pure Imagination” as well as the many Oompa Loompa skits. And at the center of the movie's charm this movie is Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. Wilder always had a dark and mischievous way about him and Willy Wonka is one of the classic matches of an actor and a role. There’s nothing quite like him in other fantasy movies. Gene Wilder’s Willy Wonka is actually a sinister figure whose wickedness is belied by his confections and goofy outfit. In fact, the movie has a mean spiritedness to it but that’s matched by a sense of justice.

Sounds of Cinema LIVE from Minnesota State Fair

This Sunday, September 4th, 2016, Sounds of Cinema will be broadcasting live from the Minnesota State Fair for the 11am broadcast on 89.7 KMSU FM. The station is broadcasting from the fair all weekend.

The show will still play as normal at 9am 89.5 KQAL FM.

Both broadcasts will include reviews of Don't Breathe and Pete' Dragon as well as a retrospective of Gene Wilder's career and include music from Young Frankenstein and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

Film Reviews: August 7, 2016

Here is a summary of the films reviewed on today's show:

• Despite some logical flaws, Captain Fantastic is a smart story of a family trying to live a genuinely countercultural life. The movie is able to dramatize that experience while illuminating our culture’s shortcomings and this family drama presents us with some interesting and complicated questions about how we live our lives. 

• Jason Bourne is a competent action film but it doesn’t have the edge that distinguished the first three Bourne films. It’s obvious that the filmmakers are at a loss for what to do and the movie retreads the franchise’s greatest hits.

• Nerve is frequently ridiculous but it is also fun. As a teenage coming of age story and a techno thriller the movie succeeds more than it fails and the filmmakers successfully channel the cultural zeitgeist the way John Hughes did in the 1980s and Kevin Williamson did in the 1990s.

• The Game is a movie that plays with the audience’s expectations in a way that is very satisfying. Those who delight in the art of illusion will find The Game to be a fun head trip and the movie is very interesting entry in David Fincher’s filmography.

You can find full text of every review in the Sounds of Cinema Review Archive.

Film Reviews: July 31, 2016

Here is a summary of the films reviewed on today's show:

•  Star Trek Beyond is a satisfying sci-fi action picture. It’s not much more than that and Beyond lacks much of what was interesting about Star Trek and set it apart from other sci-fi properties. But as mainstream popcorn entertainment the movie works.

•  Lights Out is a fun supernatural horror picture. It’s not an especially memorable movie and it is firmly within the realm of PG-13 horror but this is an efficient and enjoyable exercise in gotcha scares.

•  The Secret Life of Pets is an entertaining animated picture. The movie is well below the bar set by its competition such as Zootopia and Finding Dory but it ought to satisfy families looking for an evening at the movies.

• There is a serious documentary to be made about the failures of Hillary Clinton and the complicated history of the Democratic Party but Hillary’s America is not it. This is another clumsy attempt at political relevance by a pseudo-intellectual who is not the least bit interested in truth or democracy but only in shoring up his brand for his next exercise in cinematic and political hackery. 

• The original Manchurian Candidate was a product of a particular time and it was highly unusual in 1962 both thematically and cinematically. For those reasons alone it is significant. The film remains an intelligent and subversive thriller that unsettles in the way it taps into unconscious fears about authority and autonomy. 

You can find full text of every review in the Sounds of Cinema Review Archive.

Film Reviews July 24, 2016

Here is a summary of the films reviewed on today's show:

The specter of the original Ghostbusters haunts the remake and the new film isn’t an instant classic. However, the new Ghostbusters does accomplish what it sets out to do: concoct a fun mix of comedy and supernatural action that reintroduces the series to a younger generation.

The BFG has some great looking imagery but it’s just not very entertaining. The movie is unlikely to hold the attention of children or their parents because it fails so fundamentally with its storytelling.

Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates is an acceptable summer comedy. It recalls the “one crazy summer” movies the 1980s and it has many of the same appeals as titles like Caddyshack and The Great Outdoors. Mike and Dave is not nearly as funny as those pictures but it is amusing enough to merit a recommendation.

The Purge: Election Year is a flawed movie but it is also an effective piece of action filmmaking and a relatively smart political allegory. This is something all too rare in the theatrical market place: an entertaining movie that actually has something provocative to say.

Chi-Raq is an uneven picture but its irregularness is key to why it is unique. The film is heavy handed but it also has a sense of humor and the passion of its message and the ambition of its ideas make this an impressive piece of work.

You can find full text of every review in the Sounds of Cinema Review Archive.

Movies of 1986

Today's episode of Sounds of Cinema examined the films of 1986. Here's a look at some of the memorable titles from that year:

Aliens
Dir. James Cameron

The sequel to Ridley Scott's Alien is among the best sequels ever made and one of the rare follow ups that is better than the original (although that is a matter of debate). The movie features more nuanced characters and a bigger story. The film was later expanded with a director's cut that was twenty minutes longer and is generally considered the definitive version.


Back to School 
Dir. Alan Metter

One of the best--if not the best--Rodney Dangerfield film was Back to School. Reuniting Dangerfield with writer Harold Ramis (who had co-written and directed the comic in 1980's Caddyshack), Back to School is classic Rodney, playing to his strengths while providing enough of a story to give the movie a narrative shape.


Crocodile Dundee
Dir. Peter Faiman

This Australian film concerned a New York City reporter who travels down under to interview a rugged outdoorsman. Crocodile Dundee was one of the biggest hits of 1986 and spawned two sequels. What's sometimes underappreciated about this film is that it is a romantic comedy, making its box office success all the more impressive.


Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Dir. John Hughes

Ferris Bueller's Day Off is the crown jewel in John Hughes' filmmaking career. The writer-director had his finger on the pulse of 1980s youth culture and his films frequently possessed a lighthearted irreverence and a quiet profundity. Hughes also set many of his movies in the Chicago area and the action of this film gets out of the suburbs, making it a time capsule of the Windy City in the 1980s. The impact of Ferris Bueller's Day Off can be seen as recently as 2016's Deadpool.


Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives
Dir. Tom McLoughlin

The Friday the 13th series was one of the defining franchises of the 1980s and the sixth entry was distinct from the other movies in the series. In the late 1980s the horror genre got silly, combining gore with a goofy sense of humor, and Jason Lives was enjoyably self aware a full decade before Scream. As a result, this film was one of the only Friday the 13th movies to get a few positive reviews from critics.


Hoosiers  
Dir. David Anspaugh

The template for the sports film was already established by 1986 but Hoosiers perfected it. The definitive basketball movie, Hoosiers has exactly what we expect from this kind of picture--underdogs, redemption, inspirational speeches--and it set the standard for the way sports movies are made.


Little Shop of Horrors 
Dir. Frank Oz

This adaptation of the stage musical (which itself was adapted from the 1960 Roger Corman film) was a fun piece of work with a cast that included Rick Moranis, Steve Martin, John Candy, and Bill Murray. The version released to theaters in 1986 was not the original cut. As originally written and shot, Little Shop of Horrors had a darker ending that was jettisoned due to poor test audience reactions. The original version of Little Shop of Horrors has been restored for the movie's release on Blu-ray.


Manhunter 
Dir. Michael Mann

This adaptation of Thomas Harris' novel Red Dragon was helmed by Michael Mann of Miami Vice and Heat fame. The movie is very much a work of the 1980s and it features impressive use of color and music. Manhunter was a box office failure in 1986 but the success of The Silence of the Lambs resulted in its rediscovery and reappraisal.


Platoon 
Dir. Oliver Stone

Platoon largely defined the way in which the American experience in Vietnam would be portrayed on screen. The movie concerns a newbie soldier who is dropped into the jungles of southeast Asia and falls under the direction of two opposing officers. Although he made better works since, Platoon is the essential Oliver Stone movie (for both better and worse reasons).


Stand By Me 
Dir. Rob Reiner

The irony of Stephen King adaptions is that most of the best films are not adapted from his supernatural horror stories. Instead it's movies like Stand By Me that distinguish the Stephen King filmography. This story of four young men out to find the corpse of a fallen schoolmate has a great cast including Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, and Jerry O'Connell. Young male adolescence has rarely been captured as well in a motion picture.


Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
Dir. Leonard Nimoy

The most successful Star Trek film to star either the original or the Next Generation cast, The Voyage Home remains one of the most unique entries in the series. It is very funny and radically different from the more militaristic Star Trek films that followed.


Top Gun 
Dir. Tony Scott

The movie that made Tom Cruise a movie star remains one of the actor's best films. Top Gun was on the cutting edge of cinema; its fast paced editing style would become the norm in years to come. It also had a very popular soundtrack and this was one of the first movies in which the soundtrack album became a critical part of the marketing and legacy of the picture.


Other films of 1986 worth mentioning:

• An American Tale
• Big Trouble in Little China 
• Blue Velvet
• The Color of Money  
• The Delta Force
• The Fly  
• The Golden Child
• The Karate Kid Part II
• Labyrinth 
• Lucas
• The Mission 
• The Mosquito Coast 
• Poltergeist II: The Other Side 
• Salvador
• Short Circuit 
• Sid and Nancy 
• The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2
• Three Amigos

For more on movies and media of 1986, check out the IMDb page for that year.

Ben and Andy Wardinski on the Movies of 1986

On Sunday, July 17th Sounds of Cinema host Nathan Wardinski will be joined by his brothers Andy and Ben for a look at movies from the year 1986. In this special episode, the three Wardinski siblings will discuss a few of the memorable titles of that year including Aliens, Crocodile Dundee, and Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

Sounds of Cinema airs Sunday mornings at 9am on 89.5 KQAL FM in Winona, MN and at 11am on 89.7 KMSU FM. The show can be heard in the broadcast area and live online at each station's website.