WHEN WE WENT MAD!: Thanks For The Memories

WHEN WE WENT MAD! - THE UNAUTHORIZED STORY OF MAD MAGAZINE (Blu-ray)

2025 / 107 min

Gravitas Ventures

Available at www.MovieZyng.com

Review by Princess Pepper😸

I feel kinda sorry for kids these days. They missed-out on the thrill of playing with toys specifically designed to maim them, dropping the needle on that new Rush album just purchased with hard-earned lawn mowing money, and grabbing the latest issue of MAD magazine while grocery shopping with Mom.

Being of a certain age, I enjoyed all those things, and had the good fortune to discover MAD during its glory years.

For many of us coming-of-age during the mid-seventies, traditional comic books were kids’ stuff. As we hit our early teens, MAD became sort of a rite of passage into young adulthood. Just subversive enough that we sorta felt like we were getting away with something, the magazine was sometimes racy, threw in the occasional mild expletive and simply seemed more adult. MAD was a baby step into a more grown-up world, and our first introduction to the concept of satire.

As adolescents, we didn't always "get" some of the adult subject matter they poked fun at, but that was part of its appeal. MAD was a kids' magazine that never felt like a kids' magazine. As an avid monthly reader throughout my teens, I sometimes judged the worth of a film or TV show based on its treatment by “The Usual Gang of Idiots” at MAD.

But the magazine’s history extends far beyond my personal experience, which is affectionately chronicled in the documentary, When We Went Mad. Beginning with founder William F. Gaines reluctantly taking the reins at his estranged father’s struggling company, EC Publications, we see how MAD began life as a comic book in 1952 and eventually became EC’s lone surviving publication after switching to a magazine format (and therefore wasn’t required to adhere to new Comics Code regulations).

Did you bring enough gum for everybody?

MAD evolved from a fledgling comic to a wildly popular cultural barometer with a monthly circulation of over two million at the height of its popularity (the mid 1970s, when yours truly first became a fan). Though enthusiastically narrated by Patrick Warburton, the film wisely leaves a majority of the storytelling to most of the surviving editors, artists and writers who contributed to the magazine for years, included Mort Drucker, Sergio Aragones, Paul Coker, Angelo Torres, Jack Davis, Al Feldstein, and my personal favorite, Al Jaffee.

MAD’s eventual forays into games, television and movies are discussed, as is the origins of its iconic mascot, Alfred E. Newman (who’s been kicking around a lot longer than you think). And of course, the magazine’s slow decline in popularity (largely due to changing times) adds a somewhat bittersweet tone towards the end, but along the way, there are plenty of testimonials to its massive cultural and personal impact, offered by the likes of Quentin Tarantino, Gilbert Gottfried, Howie Mandel, Bryan Cranston and David Zucker (whose classic, Airplane!, was heavily inspired by MAD.

If you grew up on the magazine, When We Were Mad is a can’t-miss documentary. Fascinating, fun and even boasting a bit of the irreverence MAD was renowned for, the film works as both a cultural history lesson and endearing slice of nostalgia. And for those born too late for MAD to help shape your view of the world, here’s what you missed out on.

MAKING APES: The Story Behind The Make-Up

MAKING APES: THE ARTISTS WHO CHANGED FILM (Blu-ray)

2019 / 87 min

FROM GRAVITAS VENTURES

Available at www.MovieZyng.com

Review by Princess Pepper😺

I first saw the original Planet of the Apes on TV when I was a kid, totally amazed at how realistic all these talking primates looked. Too young at the time to appreciate how groundbreaking those make-up effects were, I simply accepted them as characters, not made-up actors. 

Over five decades later, the illusion remains unbroken. John Chambers and Tom Burman’s creations are as convincing today as they were in 1968. Not even the great Rick Baker could improve upon them for Tim Burton’s 2001 remake, and nobody involved with the reboot franchise even bothered to try (choosing the CGI route instead).

1998’s Behind the Planet of the Apes remains the definitive documentary on the original film series, as well as its cinematic and cultural impact. Making Apes covers some of the same bases in less detail, while also including the more recent films. But as the title suggests, the primary focus of this one is the make-up effects. More specifically, the guys who created them.

PetSmart's September Employee of the Month.

The film is just as much a biography of Chambers and Burman’s careers - before, during & after Apes - as a behind-the-scenes look at their handiwork. Since Chambers passed away in 2001, much of their history is recalled by Burman (who also co-wrote & co-produced). He candidly discusses the their roles in the production of the original Planet of the Apes in considerable detail, as well as his sometimes volatile relationship with Chambers (who apparently wasn’t always the easiest guy to get along with). 

The film also features dozens of interviews with historians, filmmakers, surviving colleagues & actors involved in the series, as well as a plethora of testimonials from modern-era make-up artists who cite Chambers & Burman’s work as their biggest inspiration. Interviewees include Rick Baker, Joe Dante, John Landis, Guillermo del Toro, Howard Berger, Greg Nicotero, Richard Donner and Leonard Maltin.

For the most part, Making Apes is pretty interesting, but it features less footage highlighting the creative process and application than one might expect (though there are plenty of stills). What matters is we still walk away with renewed appreciation for what these artists were able to accomplish at the time, paving the way for everyone who followed.

SPLICE HERE: A Love Letter To Film Itself

SPLICE HERE: A PROJECTED ODYSSEY (DVD)

2022 / 128 min

FROM GRAVITAS VENTURES

Available at www.MovieZyng.com

Review by Mr. Bonnie😸

Just in case you don't get out much, most feature films these days are shot digitally. A majority of theaters worldwide have since replaced traditional film projectors - and the need for people skilled at using them - with high-tech machines not unlike those in elaborate home theater systems. When we go to the movies, we’re aren’t actually watching film anymore, but projected computerized data. And most of us don’t notice the difference. 

Rob Murphy does, though. A former projectionist himself, he’s the director, star and narrator of Splice Here, a charming, somewhat bittersweet documentary that’s part personal journey, part history lesson and part love letter to a bygone era. He travels all over (mostly America and his native Australia) to interview projectionists, filmmakers, historians and owners of independent theaters that still actually have film projectors, including the Hollywood Theatre in my hometown of Portland, Oregon (a wonderful place).

Splice Here also delves into the history of film itself, particularly its flammability and susceptibility to rapid deterioration, the latter being a chief reason so many older movies have been lost forever (and not just those from the silent era). Other historical innovations are also featured, such as the three-projector Cinerama process, which was short-lived but revolutionary for its time. Part of Murphy’s journey involves not-only trying to locate any remaining Cinerama projectors, but hoping to experience watching a film in that format. 

Then there’s the semi-underground movement of cinema purists and former projectionists who’ve collected and kept reels from old films, doing their best to preserve them. Though what they’re doing is technically illegal, Hollywood has long since stopped caring about such archaic technology, though studios have occasionally benefited from these people when seeking lost footage to preserve certain films. 

Assembled without instructions.

Speaking of which, preservation is obviously a major theme, and ironically, saving older movies depends largely on the digital technology that rendered film obsolete. That’s an important aspect of Splice Here, because Murphy’s not a crusty old boomer lamenting about the good ol’ days, nor does he overtly champion celluloid over digital technology. The movie acknowledges digital filmmaking is not-only cinema’s future, it’s what will save its past.

What Splice Here does best is provide the strong argument for simply keeping film alive, as exemplified in the final act. When it’s announced that Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight (which was shot on film) will be shown in selected theaters in 70mm Panavision, Murphy joins his old colleagues at an old Australian cinema to restore the projector, which includes the daunting search for an existing 70mm lens. In a surprisingly affecting climax, Tarantino himself shows up to present his film to an eager audience while expressing to gratitude to Morgan’s team. 

Though maybe a little overlong, Splice Here is an entertaining documentary that’s not only informative, it frequently connects with viewers on an emotional level. The total extinction of film is probably inevitable and it’s doubtful most of us will even notice, but meeting so many folks dedicated to keeping it alive (even as nostalgia) is genuinely heartwarming.

A Goopy & Gory DEATH COUNT

DEATH COUNT (Blu-ray)

2022 / 82 min

FROM GRAVITAS VENTURES

Available at www.MovieZyng.com

Review by Josey, the Sudden Cat🙀

Death Count is a bad movie, but not completely without interest for those in the wrong frame of mind. It’s a highly derivative slab of torture porn, sloppily thrown together by folks who’ve probably seen Saw and Cube too many times, but lack the wherewithal to put their own creative spin on things.

Even the basic concept - eight people trapped in individual cells who are forced to repeatedly mutilate themselves on the internet to earn the most “likes” from viewers in order to survive - has sort-of been done before, most notably in the sadistic (and somewhat underrated) 2008 horror thriller, Untraceable. However, this one has a fraction of the talent on either side of the camera.

Still, they manage to enlist Saw alum Costas Mandylor to play “The Warden,” a masked, hooded host (looking like a cut-rate Sith Lord) who lays down the rules before demanding victims to make horrifying choices in order to survive each round. Failure to comply means immediate elimination from the game. And like Jigsaw’s victims, these contestants were chosen for a specific reason (and sort of a goofy one, at that).

While the program is being streamed, Detective Casey (Michael Madsen) leads the cops in a race-against-time to find The Warden before more people die. It’s a fairly thankless role for Madsen, who mostly shouts stuff like “We gotta stop this!” as his partner searches for the location with a cell phone. Why his character is introduced with a bruised & bandaged face is anybody’s guess.

This is the last time she uses Booking.com.

As for the other characters…we’re given little or no reason to care about any of the victims. For the most part, they’re strictly on-hand to die violently, which happens early and often. Speaking of which…for a low-budget rip-off with pedestrian performances, cringeworthy dialogue and a few unintentionally amusing plot contrivances, Death Count does have one thing going for it that might amuse would be thrillseekers: It’s gory as hell.

The entire movie exists as a clothesline on which to hang numerous, lengthy death scenes, and if not always convincing, they are often spectacularly violent. Any tension created by the film doesn’t lie in whether or not a particular dies, but how badly they will die. As such, there’s some sadistic fun to be had here for those who appreciate this sort of thing. And admittedly, most of these scenes are gruesomely effective, particularly since the victims are inflicting much of the torture on themselves. 

The film culminates in a ridiculous climax that leaves the door wide open for a sequel. While the intention of turning its antagonist into another horror icon is obvious, The Warden is no Jigsaw and sticking stone-faced Mandylor in a metal mask doesn’t make him any more intimidating than he was after taking-over the torture tasks in the Saw franchise. But if nothing else, Death Count boasts enough on-screen nastiness to have most viewers squirming in their seats, ultimately saving the entire movie.

SCORE: The Movie Music Movie

SCORE: A FILM MUSIC DOCUMENTARY (Blu-ray)

2017 / 93 min

FROM GRAVITAS VENTURES

Available at www.MovieZyng.com

Review by Pepper the Poopy😺

Score could have simply been a documentary on the history of film music and still fascinate movie lovers. And indeed, its history is definitely explored, from live musical accompaniment during the silent era through noteworthy modern geniuses like Hans Zimmer and Trent Reznor. Even the bubblegum years of the 80s - with soundtracks assembled to sell as many records as movie tickets - are featured.

In between, dozens of historians, composers and directors discuss many of the groundbreaking creators of cinema’s most memorable music, including Max Steiner, Alfred Newman, Ennio Morricone, Bernard Hermann, John Barry, Jerry Goldsmith, Howard Shore and, of course, John Williams, whose work is given far more screen time than anyone else's, which I suppose makes sense (since he’s probably composed more iconic themes than anybody). Interestingly, the late James Horner is never mentioned, but more on that later.

But Score doesn’t stop at history. Dozens of interviews feature a who’s-who of modern composers, such as Zimmer, Reznor, Williams, Tyler Bates, David Arnold, Mark Mothersbaugh, John Debney, Harry Gregson-Williams, Quincy Jones, Danny Elfman, Trevor Rabin, Rachel Portman, etc. Some interviews are archival, others done for this film, but all are interesting, since many discuss what inspires them and their personal approach to scoring films. Zimmer is especially candid about his own occasional insecurities. 

When asked about The Buggles, Hans Zimmer declares the interview over.

Finally, we see some of these composers at work in the studio, either conducting scores for works in progress (at the time), overseeing things in the control room or editing tracks with computers. It’s really fascinating stuff, particularly vintage footage of John Williams working on the score Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (the only part of the movie that was any good). 

Score arguably shortchanges some legendary composers. There ain’t much related to music from international films, nor are synth-score pioneers like John Carpenter, Harold Faltermeyer or Tangerine Dream given any props. Then there’s James Horner. It’s only during the end credits that he’s even mentioned, when director James Cameron shares a charming anecdote during the making of Titanic. I know this memorandum meant to be a bittersweet coda, but Horner’s career extended way beyond Titanic (though he’s discussed more extensively in a bonus feature, again with Cameron). Other than that, Score is an affectionate and engaging look at the people who give movies their pulse.

EXTRA KIBBLES

ADDITIONAL INTERVIEW FOOTAGE - Six individual segments of additional footage with James Cameron, Harry Gregson-Williams, Hans Zimmer, J. Ralph and Tyler Bates. Cameron’s segment is the longest and this where where the late James Horner is discussed most.

AUDIO COMMENTARY - By director Matt Schrader.