The Iron Giant (1999)
Article 5703 by Dave Sindelar
Date: 11-11-2019
Directed by Brad Bird
Featuring the voices of Eli Marienthal, Harry Connick Jr., Jennifer Aniston
Country: USA
What it is: A Boy and His Robot

A young boy encounters an amnesiac giant robot from outer space and befriends him, but a government agent seeks to have the robot destroyed.

I remember seeing the ads for this movie when it was out in the theaters, and sadly, they did little to pique my interest in the movie. The movie subsequently bombed at the box office. It wasn’t until it was offered at the Creepy Classics website that I became interested in the movie; the listing claimed the movie had copious references to science fiction movies from the fifties, and so I thought I’d pick up a copy and give it a watch. When I finally saw it, it wasn’t the fifties references that held my attention; it was the movie itself, which was one of the best and most moving animated films I’d seen, and I feel sad that I never caught it in the theater.

Nowadays the movie is considered the classic it is, and I still find myself getting totally caught up in it when I watch it. It’s both hilarious and moving, the characters are a fun and fascinating bunch, and Brad Bird’s direction is marvelous. Plus there are lots of touches of fifties culture in the movie; there’s a “duck and cover” animated movie being watched in schools, a Maypo commercial, and the owner of the junkyard is a beatnik. The only problem I have with the movie is that the villainy of the government agent is too broad; he’s not quite as convincing as the other characters. Still, that’s a minor quibble, and I have an enduring love for this movie, My highest recommendation.

The Invisible Man (1984)
TV Miniseries
Article 5702 by Dave Sindelar
Date: 11-10-2019
Directed by Brian Lighthill
Featuring Pip Donaghy, David Gwillim, Lila Kaye
Country: UK
What it is: Faithful Wells adaptation

A mysterious stranger arrives at a country inn and stays to perform mysterious experiments. It turns out he is a scientist who has turned himself invisible.

No, this TV miniseries of the H.G. Wells novel is not up to the classic Universal version from 1933, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its uses. It’s a solid and faithful take on the tale, and even if there aren’t any big names in the cast, it is adequately acted and directed; the most familiar names in the credits were Terrance Dicks and Barry Letts, both veterans of DOCTOR WHO. It was originally shown in 6 30-minute segments, but was edited into 3 60 minute segments when sold abroad; it is that version I’ve watched. Though it’s certainly made with a small budget, it does have a few interesting moments in the special effects, especially of the invisible man eating. It’s a bit long for one sitting, but that’s what you’d expect from a mini-series.

The Incredibles (2004)
Article 5697 by Dave Sindelar
Date: 9-27-2019
Directed by Brad Bird
Featuring the voices of Craig T. Nelson, Samuel L. Jackson. Holly Hunter
Country: USA
What it is: Animated superhero action

When superheroes fall out of favor, a family of them goes incognito and tries to live an ordinary life. However, a supervillain is out to destroy all of the superheroes for his own profit, and they must do battle with him.

I’m not particularly keen on superheroes, but I saw this one in a theater when it first came out on the strength of Pixar’s reputation and my admiration for Brad Bird’s THE IRON GIANT. It was well worth the effort; I can confidently say that of the superhero movies I’ve seen, I like this one the best. In fact, it made me realize that I’d rather see well-made movies featuring new and original superheroes rather than the well-worn Marvel and D.C. ones that dominate the movies. I love the way the family life / family problems motif dovetails with the superhero sections, and I really like the characters, especially the Edith Head-inspired superhero costumer Edna Mode (voiced by Brad Bird himself). And, like THE IRON GIANT, Brad Bird can’t resist throwing in a few fifties SF movie references; the underground traveling machine near the end of the movie looks very familiar, and I love the clever reference involving Syndrome’s computer password.