MCU Sunday #14: Doctor Strange

 Preface: As promised last year, I plan to review every single currently available movie in what is known as the  Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) over the year 2024. These will appear in order of their release over that time period. This is the fourteenth installment. (Oh, and by the way, after I've exhausted all of the currently available MCU movies I will be rounding out the year with some of the other available movies made from the Marvel comics pantheon.)

Notes: In each of the MCU installments you will be seeing references to two recurring events that occur in nearly every MCU movie.

Where is Stan Lee?: Stan Lee was the driving genius behind Marvel Comics.  He usually shows up in a cameo.  Sometimes these are so quick you gotta be sure you don't blink. Occasionally he gets a line  of dialogue.

And the Credits Roll: You should always stay in the theater for the credits when watching a MCU movie, because during the credits and at the end there is a teaser (or two) that is worth the wait.  Often they were a teaser for the next installment of the films.

 

 

 

The star of Doctor Strange, Benedict Cumberbatch, was not entirely unfamiliar to me going in.  I had first seen him in Sherlock Holmes, the BBC series in which he stars with Martin Freeman in a modernized version of the title character.  And sometime afterwards I saw him in the reboot of the Star Trek universe,  Star Trek: Into Darkness, in which played the character previously made famous by Ricardo Montalban, Khan.

But also in the film, as the star villain, is Mads Mikkelsen.  Don't know much about him.  The only things I remember him from was as the villain in Casino Royale, the first James Bond movie to feature Daniel Craig, and later as the villain in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. (Obviously I haven't seen him as a sympathetic character, but he must have played at least one or two.  A fellow blogger of my acquaintance thinks he's hot stuff, and I doubt she is enamored with him because he's such a cute bad boy.. or maybe not...)

Doctor (or "Dr." as his name appears on the front of the comic book series) Strange appeared first on the scene in 1963. I honestly don't remember seeing this title during my days in my father's store.  Remember back in my Marvel post I mentioned that I got into the Marvel comics through the magazine rack my father stocked at his gas station/convenience store/garage when I was a kid.  Of course he occasionally appeared in some of the comics I read, but I don't recall reading specifically a "Dr. Strange" issue.

As with about 95% of all comics I read back in those days, the character of Dr. Strange had already been established before I ever came across him. (Being born only in 1961, Marvel had several years jump on me in characters by the time I was old enough to read...)  I have to say that I was fairly unfamiliar with the Doctor before the movie came out.  

BTW, it turns out this is not the first film introduction o Strange.  Although I missed it, a TV pilot movie was made in 1978, starring Peter Hooten (a name probably no one here has ever heard of, myself included). I probably would have watched it if I had the opportunity, but a check of the TV schedule reveals that it was my sister's turn to pick the TV shows, because there were shows on that night I remember she always watched.

 

 

 

Doctor Strange (2016):

The film opens with a raid on a library in a  monastery library in Nepal.  The sorcerer Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen) and his cohorts kill the librarian an steal some pages from an ancient text.  Even though .another sorcerer, known as the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton), attempts to stop him, he escapes.

 

In New York City we meet Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch). Strange is a brilliant big time neurosurgeon, with a brilliant  big time ego to match.  (Something like Tony Stark, maybe?)  Of course, without his ability to prove his own ability is not just overinflated self-importance, he wouldn't be worth it.  But he really is as good as he thinks he is.  He saves a man whom a fellow doctor has already pronounced dead.  A skilled man whose hands are his life.

 

Oh, did I mention he is rich, also? (Ego and rich? This Tony Stark comparison is getting more gelled...) So, Doc has a speaking engagement which he tries to get a fellow female colleague, Dr. Palmer (Rachel McAdams) to attend with him, but she declines.  So off he races to the show by himself in his fancy car.  While driving he has a subordinate find him a new challenge for his surgical wizardry. And has him text him the pictures...  Which he looks at...  While driving... Seems to me that even as egocentric as he is, a "brilliant" guy would know that you need to keep your eyes on the road while driving...  ("Stay Alive. Don't Text and Drive", people.) Oh, well, maybe next time.

Because, of course, he gets in an accident. He is lucky to survive.  But the accident ends up costing him anyway.  He no longer has the steady skilled hands he had.  Nerve damage during the accident caused almost irreparable  damage to them. But is he thankful?  Hell, no.  He tells the doctor who saved his life: "You've ruined me."  And all the money he has can't help him, because the nerve damage is too severe.

So the doctor is forced to find other avenues.  He seeks out a man whom he had previously refused to treat because, in his opinion, the situation was hopeless.  But the man found a solution and, instead of being paralyzed from the waist down, he is not only mobile, but physically active.  The guy turns him on to gurus and a secret place that he went to called Kamar-Taj. In Nepal, of course.

And guess what?  When he gets there, his whole world is going to HAVE to change.  The completely logical and rational mind with which Strange approaches life will have to be expanded.  Such things that he does not want to accept as reality, such as chakras and spirits, will have to be accepted if he is to continue.  And the Ancient One is going to help him, if only he will put those narrow visions of the world on the back burner.

(The CGI used during this sequence, and the rest of the movie, for that matter, will blow your mind.  But I would like to add, if you have access to it, a stereo, or multi speaker, system, will enhance the mind-blowing somewhat.  I listened with my primitive headphones, but when the Ancient One talks to Strange during this sequence the vocal part is also a bit impressive.)

But the Ancient One initially rejects helping Strange because of his arrogance,  He reminds her of a former student, Kaecilius.  But a master, Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor), convinces her that despite the failure to keep Kaecilius under reins, that Strange may be the one hope of defeating Kaecilius and preventing the end of life as we know it. See, those pages he stole at the beginning are a threat if he figures out their secret.

 

The training of Strange in the ancient arts means that he will have to learn to surrender to grow stronger.  While that may seem cryptic, it is actually quite useful. (Side note from the blogger:Trust me on that one.  I have 15 years of sobriety because I surrendered in order to have some control over my addiction...)

This film has what seems at the outside to be an interminably long training session before we get to the real action.  But, really, it doesn't seem all that long.  What happens during the training never grows dull, and this from someone who really craves action over exposition. 

The exposition turns out to be necessary however, as Strange is far more advanced a student.  He gets one of the sacred books that he has been told are farther beyond his comprehension and manages to use the Eye of Agamotto, a relic, to control time. And repairs the missing pages from the book.  But is stopped and warned of the potential dangers of tampering with time.  Such as creating alternate timelines. (Boy, gotta love those...)

So Mordo and the current librarian Wong inform him of the ancient past, which includes the creation of three shields (Sanctums) which were made to protect the Earth from dark demons, specifically Dormammu (which is something akin to the Devil, if you wish)  from beyond.  One in Hong Kong, one in New York and one in London.  And he is told that the masters of the ancient One's temple are the only thing helping keep the dark demons from taking over the earth.

Except Kaecilius stole the pages from the ancient text in order to facilitate just that.  And though Strange intimates that he is not there to become one of the ancient One's cadre of defenders, it becomes aparent that he will not have much choice, as Kaecilius has taken the first steps in his goal by destroying the London Sanctum.

A battle ensues, but Strange is wounded and has to use a portal to get himself to the hospital where Dr. Palmer helps keep his body alive while he defeats one of Kaecilius' minions on the astral plane.  Strange is devastated that he, as a doctor who is committed to SAVING lives has taken one.  But it's not going to be so easy to dismiss his (unwanted) mission to save the Earth from the Dark Dimension. 

 

 Where is Stan Lee?:

During a battle between Kaecilius and Strange and Mordo, a scene focuses on a bus going by where Stan is one of the riders.  He is engrossed in reading and doesn't even notice the action. 

 

Ultimately, the Ancient One is killed, but not before passing on one final truth to Strange; he needs to over come his ego. "It's not about you" she tells him, and in that truth, maybe he has more power than he ultimately thought he already had in his own life as a doctor.

And thus the final battle between Kaecilius and his people against Strange and Mordo. Sounds a little one-sided? Well, actually Strange can use the time amulet to repair the damage that Kaecilius caused, And, eventually, cause Dormammu to give up his quest to conquer the Earth (or there will be Hell to pay...)

Ultimately we find out that the Eye contains one of the Infinity Stones, which is taken back to nepal. (Where it won't stay for all that long, but that's for a future movie.) And Mordo decides he no longer wants to be a part of the "saving the world" society and departs.

And the Credits Roll: 

In mid-credits, Doc confers with Thor where Doc informs Thor that one of his missions is to keep an eye on inter dimensional beings who may be a threat, and that Thor's brother, Loki, is one of those perceived threats.  He tells Thor he will help him find Loki. And in  post credits we find Mordo may have his own agenda.

OK, I absolutely loved Doctor Strange.  I don't understand why it ranks so low on the lists I've seen of the MCU rankings.  Maybe some of that has to do with some of the spiritual enlightenment I got from it.  I make no apologies for that. (see the above references to my own path to redemption from addiction.) So as of this posting, Doctor Strange is now ranked very high on the list.

And despite that fairly long build up, it doesn't lose anything because of it.  Which is probably astounding to some readers considering how I've railed against long sequences in these films with no action .  I still crave action sequences, and will probably revert to my former impatient self by next movie, but it was worth the build up in this one.

Time to fire up those engines on the Plymouth now. Unfortunately I can't warp time and space, so I'm dependent on the 8 cylinder primitive engine in the car to get me home.  Drive safely, folks.

Quiggy

 

MCU Sunday#13 Captain America: Civil War

 Preface: As promised last year, I plan to review every single currently available movie in what is known as the  Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) over the year 2024. These will appear in order of their release over that time period. This is the thirteenth installment. (Oh, and by the way, after I've exhausted all of the currently available MCU movies I will be rounding out the year with some of the other available movies made from the Marvel comics pantheon.)

Notes: In each of the MCU installments you will be seeing references to two recurring events that occur in nearly every MCU movie.

Where is Stan Lee?: Stan Lee was the driving genius behind Marvel Comics.  He usually shows up in a cameo.  Sometimes these are so quick you gotta be sure you don't blink. Occasionally he gets a line  of dialogue.

And the Credits Roll: You should always stay in the theater for the credits when watching a MCU movie, because during the credits and at the end there is a teaser (or two) that is worth the wait.  Often they were a teaser for the next installment of the films.

 

 

 

 

First: A big reveal.  Although this movie is titled Captain America: Civil War, it is basically another Avengers movie.  After all, even with the beginning (after the opening sequence), several members of the pantheon makes it's presence known in the first sequence.  We get Captain America (of course), but helping him in his endeavor are  Wanda Maximoff and Falcon.

Civil War took as it's basic story line, the story that had appeared previously in the graphic novel of the same name.  In this one we would also end up getting introduced to a couple of "new" superheroes, one that had been previously introduced in a separate (non MCU story line; see the last portion of this review) series, Spiderman, as well as a preview to one that would be on the horizon for his own future MCU movie, Black Panther.

Most  of the rest of The Avengers appeared later, during the Civil War part. Notably missing was Bruce Banner as The Hulk and Thor, which is probably one of the reasons this wasn't labelled as  another Avengers movie by title.

Captain America: Civil War (2016):

At the start of the movie, Russians, who later turn out to be a part of Hydra, revives Bucky "The Winter Soldier" Barnes (Sebastian Stan) from cryostasis to do a hit on a vehicle and retrieve some samples of super serum.

Flash forward to present day (sometime after the events in The Avengers: Age of Ultron). As stated above, Cap (Chris Evans)  and Falcon (Anthony Mackie)  and Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) are on the trail of  Brock Rumlow (Frank Grillo), a renegade former SHIELD agent who is out to steal a biological weapon in Nigeria (which is a neighboring country of Wakanda... see it coming?).

 

It's almost, but not quite, more than these three can handle.  Rumlow (who has become a super villain known as Crossbones) has a lot of fancy weaponry and is not afraid to use them (but then what kind of super villain would he be if he were...?)

 

In the process and his ultimate defeat at the hands of Cap, Crossbones blows himself up, attempting to take Cap with him.  But Wanda, with her power of telekenisis sends the blast to a nearby building. (Remember that...)

In New York, Tony Stark addresses a group of students and tells them, basically, that they are the future, and that the Stark Foundation is going to fund their projects. After the event, Stark meets the mother of one of the people who were killed in the battle with Ultron in Sokovia.  Tony has some guilt over his actions, which becomes relevant as this movie continues.

Well, the building that was inadvertently damaged during the battle in Nigeria included 11 Wakandans who were on an outreach mission. (see the Wakanda connection now?). As the king of Wakanda says in a TV interview "Victory at the expense of the innocent is no victory at all." 

Which leads to the appearance of the US Secretary of State, Thaddeus Ross (William Hurt), who informs the collected group of Avengers assembled (notably missing Thor and the Hulk)  that some people consider them "vigilantes" and a "threat" and that therefore the nations of the world have created a protocol, called the Sokovia accords, which deem the Avengers to not be able to act independently, but be under the control of the United nations.  Thus they would only be able to act if that group decided their help was "necessary". He says they can talk it over, but if they do not agree to it they will be forced to retire.

(Author's interjection: Having witnessed for most of my life how such committees like this can "work together" so "well", I'm sure you can see which side of the coin I would fall on.) 

Tony, for his part, because of his guilty conscience, more or less, is behind the idea. Cap on the other hand says that if they sign the agreement they will surrender their right to choose.  There are some good points to both arguments (but once again interjecting: if you know me, giving up the freedom to make my own decisions, and giving them to another, is an anathema to me. Sorry. This may be the one movie that gets me on my soapbox.  I apologize.)

Meanwhile Helmut Zemo (Daniel Bruhl) has appeared on the scene.  He kills a Hydra bigwig and steals a book which will help him revive the brainwashing that activates The Winter Soldier.

 

Cap attends the funeral of his enamorata from the 40's Peggy, where he hears her daughter deliver a eulogy which inspires him to stay firm in his conviction. as he tells her later, despite the agreement of some of the others on The Avengers, he just can't agree to the accords.

At a conference to sign the accords, while the king of Wakanda is speakin,  the event is bombed, killing the king.  His son, T'Challa (Chadwick Bozeman) vows revenge. It turns out that The Winter soldier was behind the bombing. Rogers, still having a deep friendship for Bucky, thinks he can reform him and wants to take him alive, however.

Cap and Falcon track Bucky to Bucharest, despite the fact that others have orders to either arrest or kill them. He finds Bucky, but his attempts to try to take him peacefully are thwarted by the appearance of a group of police forces.  Bucky attempts to escape and runs smack dab into T'Challa, now transformed into the Black Panther, who attempts to exact his promised revenge.  None are successful however, as Rogers, Wilson, T'Challa and Bucky end up arrested. Tony attempts to get Steve to give up and sign the accords, promising that they can be amended later. (yeah, right.)

Zemo appears, disguised as a psychiatrist to talk with Bucky.  Meanwhile, he initiates a plan which shuts down the security grid of the prison, among other things. And says the words that reinstates his brainwashing.  Goal? To discuss what happened in 1991 (Remember the opening sequence?) 

During an ensuing battle, Rogers discovers that Bucky was framed and it was actually Zemo who bombed the accords and framed Bucky. And that Bucky is not the only "Winter Soldier".  It seems Zemo has some ulterior motives.

Eventually Cap and Falcon decide they can't wait for "authorization" to go after Zemo and recruit the help of Wanda, Hawkeye and Ant-man.  Iron Man, on the other hand, still trying to keep the Accords in action, forms his own team which consists of Black Panther, Vision, War Machine, Black Widow and newcomer Spiderman, not to go after Zemo, but after these renegade superheroes who are acting of their own initiative.  (The "civil war" of the movie's title).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(And Spiderman by the way has already been established as a viable superhero had an arc that created his background, but is only briefly touched on in the film. If you want to know his background watch this site after the MCU cycle and I'll get to those).

Allies and brothers should NOT have to fight each other, and it usually doesn't go well when they do. (Remember that disagreement from the US history past?)  Things go better when you work together for a common good. And these guys are much better when they do that.

We get to find out in the battle that Ant-man has another power in his suit that no one else knew about which helps the situation get better.

The ultimate outcome is that eventually there is sort of a reconciliation as everyone has to come together.  Leading up to our final battle. Which is a battle on on one with Cap and Iron Man.  Which as it turns out was Zemo's whole plan in the first place, as revenge for what happened in his home country.

Where is Stan Lee?  

Stan shows up at the end of the movie, as a FedEx driver, delivering a package for Tony "Stank"...

 

And the Credits Roll:

In mid credits Bucky, now in Wakanda, . voluntarily goes back into cryostasis, hoping that some time in the future somebody may figure out the secret to getting him un-brainwashed.

And post-credits: Peter "Spiderman' checks out a new gadget that Tony made for him.

 

Captain America: Civil War has some problems. For one thing, the villain is not all that impressive.  He's just a psycho and doesn't even have any super powers.  So he ought to be a quick meal for the Avengers, right? But then if you watched until the end you know the REAL reason he was doing what he was doing. Despite that, I really, really liked it.  Especially that battle between the two sets of friends.  So this one ALMOST, but not quite, ends up surpassing The Winter Soldier. 

Well folks, that's it for this installment.  See you next week.  Drive safely.

Quiggy

Sunshine Blogger Award

 

 

Sunshine Blogger Award is an award designed to get a blogger out of his or her comfort zone.  It is an honor bestowed by one fellow blogger on another blogger, and gets the fellow blogger to answer some questions that the first blogger created.  Rachel at Hamlette's Soliloquy picked me as one of the honorees.  Thanks, Rachel.  I always like to answer these kinds of questions.  

Then I have  to come up with my own set of questions.  Which takes some effort to find a theme, but they come easy when I finally find one. The "out of comfort zone" I mentioned is having to come up my own set of nominees for the award. I have an aversion to this, mainly because of the "chain mail" sense it gives me. As usual, I will skip this and just say "anyone who wants to can try their hand at the questions and claim me as their nominator. 

The rules, as stated, are as follows:

• Display the award’s official logo somewhere on your blog. 
• Thank the person who nominated you. 
• Provide a link to your nominator’s blog. 
• Answer your nominator’s questions. 
• Nominate up to 11 bloggers. 
• Ask your nominees 11 questions. 
• Notify your nominees by commenting on at least one of their blog posts.

1.  What was the first movie you have memory of watching?

In the theater? Probably Bedknobs and Broomsticks was one of the first, but I really don't remember it.  Since I don't really remember most of the ones I saw as a youngster, the one I really remember vividly seeing was going to the drive-in (of course) with family to see The Golden Voyage of Sinbad. I must have been 12.

2.  Have you ever written a fan letter to a celebrity? (If so, did you get a response?)

Not to a film celebrity, but I wrote a fan letter to Bill Pronzini (a mystery author), trying to get a line on the nom de plumes under which he had been published. Not only did I get a response, he sent me a 7 or 8 page printout of all the stuff he had done up to that point. Thanks, Bill.  Still remember that honor some 35 years later.

3. What are the three funniest movies you've ever seen?

Blazing Saddles

Arsenic and Old Lace

This is Spinal Tap

4. What movie do you really want to change the ending of?

This is a tough question, because movies I like I don't want to change and movies I don't like, I don't really care.  But the ending of Taps always didn't set well with me, although I liked it up until the final ending.

5.  What movie do you wish had a sequel, but it doesn't?

This one is easy.  It even had the promise of said sequel in the end credits. The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension The promised sequel, "Buckaroo Banzai Against the World Crime League" virtually guaranteed we'd find out more about Hanoi Xan, a character that was hinted at during the first movie but never introduced,

 

6. Who were your favorite actor and actress  when you were a teen?

Already stated numerous times that my favorite actor was John Wayne.  Favorite actress? Probably Goldie Hawn.

 

7. Who are your favorite actor and actress now?

If you mean still active, probably Sly and Sigourney Weaver.

 

8. Does anyone else in your family love movies?

Well my sister and I have entirely different tastes in movies, but she DOES like movies.

9.  If you could pick an actor/actress to play you in a movie who would you choose?

Begs the question: Me now or me as a younger person?  If  he were playing me at 60 I'd pick someone who could pull off the cynical without being annoying at it (which I like to think I am).  Somebody like Jason Alexander (although he would have to slim down a bit.) And wear a toupee since i am not balding...

 

10.  Do you ever watch a movie in the theater more than once?

Only did that once. I saw An American Werewolf in London once a week for every week it was in the theater (as I recall, 4 times).

 

11. Are there any movies coming out in 2024 that you are looking forward to?

I heard there is another installment in the Lethal Weapon franchise forthcoming, although maybe not until next year. And Marvel is going to pair Deadpool and Wolverine in one film, due to be released this summer.

Now for the questions I came up with: Since I am doing an ongoing Marvel Cinematic Universe series of reviews I chose superheroes as a theme..

 

1. Here's a basic one: Marvel or DC? And why did you pick that option?

2  Along those lines: Who is the best Marvel comics superhero?

3. And who is the best DC superhero?

4. If you were a superhero, what would be your super power(s)?

5. If you were a superhero, would you have a sidekick or would you go solo?

5. Every superhero has a weakness.  Be honest. What's your?

7. You are asked to join a superhero team. Honor, or No, thanks?

8. Your super nemesis: What is his or her main attribute?

9. What is your favorite superhero movie? Why?

10. And what is your least favorite? Why?

11. What superhero from the comics is overdue for his or her own movie?

As I said, I have an aversion to tagging people, so feel free to consider yourself tagged if you want it, or don't.  That way no one is obligated or hurt by the picking.

Quiggy

 

Announcing The Neighbors Blogathon

 

Neighbors.  They can be best buddies.  They can be sticks-in-the-mud.  They can be real pains in the butt.  Or they can even turn downright hostile on occasion... ("The Shelter" or "The Monsters are Due on Maple Street" from The Twilight Zone TV series come to mind on that last one..).

Got a neighbor who may or may not have killed his wife? Welcome to the neighborhood, Jeff Jeffries. (Rear Window)

Just moved to fancy apartment where the neighbors are overly inquisitive about your new baby? Welcome to the neighborhood, Rosemary Woodhouse. (Rosemary's Baby)

Got a new neighbor who is a former porn star? Welcome to the neighborhood, Matthew Kidman. (The Girl Next Door)

Got a neighbor who is secretly a vampire? Welcome to the neighborhood, Charley Brewster (Fright Night)

Got a neighbor who was a mad scientist and died leaving behind his Frankenstein-esque creation? Welcome to the neighborhood, Peg Boggs (Edward Scissorhands)

There are just a few of the potential ideas.  Any film (or TV episode) which focusses on the neighborly relations is fair game here. You can pick any entry, and write about it, as long as there is some neighbors interacting with each other as one of the main aspects.  Rebecca at Taking Up Room and I will be running this blogathon from May 26 - 28 and you can post anytime during that time. But since it is Memorial Day weekend (at least in the U.S.) we could extend it a day if you are busy with YOUR neighbors...

There are a few ground rules, however:

1) We are asking for new posts. And asking that you keep posts to 3 or less.

2) Please try to refrain from being derogatory.

3. Only one person per movie or TV episode. There are plenty of choices out there.  But with TV episodes you could do, say The Shelter from Twilight Zone and somebody else could do The Monsters are Due on Maple Street. Additionally, some one could do an overall review of Jerry and Kramer's relationship on Seinfeld and some one else could do one on a specific episode (or two) of the show.

4. Please use one of the banners below that my partner created to promote the blog.

And finally...

5) Have fun! (This is non-negotiable, neighbor...)

Leave a comment here or on Taking Up Room signup page and see you in May.

Quiggy

The Choices So Far:

Me: Neighbors (1981)

Taking Up Room: 13 Going on 30 (2004)

Hamlette's Soliloquy: The Outsiders (1983)

Realweegiemidget Reviews Next Door (2021)

Whimsically Classic: The feuds of the Ricardos and Mertzes on I Love Lucy

In the Good Old Days of Classic Hollywood: The Mertzes & the Kravitzes: I Love Lucy and Bewitched

Hoofers and Honeys: The Seven Year Itch (1955)

Nitrate Glow: The Window (1949)

By Rich Watson  Grady on Sanford and Son

Three Enchanting Ladies: Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)

The Odd Couple

 

This is my entry in the Mismatched Couples Blogathon hosted by Realweegiemidget Reviews and Cinematic Catharsis

 

 

 

The "odd couple" trope never really got as weird in straightforward drama and comedy as it did when used in science fiction.  You could expand that concept to more outré ideas when you didn't have to stick with what was currently acceptable possibilities (human on human; whether male on male, female on female or male on female, or even younger on older of any of those. Or for that matter, even human and animal, at least animals that didn't speak...)

Once in the realm of science fiction you could get such odd couples as robots (i.e. R2D2 and C3PO from Star Wars or even the lovelorn pair from Heartbeeps ) or an alien paired with a human (i.e. Jareeba and Will from Enemy Mine) or in the case of today's feature, an apocalyptic movie featuring a boy and a faithful companion, a dog that is telepathic.

A Boy and His Dog  was the second of only three directorial efforts by a man who was better known as a character actor, L. Q. Jones. 

 

 

 

 

You will undoubtedly recognize Jones.  He was a frequent guest star on TV shows as well as a subsidiary character in several movies (many of them westerns).  An interesting tidbit for you:  Jones' real name was Justus McQueen, but in his first role on film he played a character named "L. Q. Jones" (Battle Cry).  He liked the name so he used it as his stage name ever afterwards.   

The movie features, also, one of the first appearances by a young Don Johnson, and I KNOW you know who HE is...  (even if you may not quite recognize him in a photo from the movie here...)

Also included was Tim McIntyre as the voice of the dog, Blood.  (And McIntyre, BTW,  just missed his shot at iconic stardom a few years earlier.  In the late 60's, Norman Lear's first attempt at creating what eventually became All in the Family, a pilot called Justice for All, featured McIntyre in the role of the son-in-law of Carroll O'Connor's character.)

Oh, and by the way, does Blood himself look familiar?  The dog that did all the physical action and reactions required of him in this film was a consummate actor in his own right.  It was "Tiger", the dog that was the 10th star (after the 2 parents, 6 kids and Alice, of course...) of the classic TV show The Brady Bunch! So he came by his ability to convey frustration and disgust quite naturally.

The story comes from a short story written by Harlan Ellison.  Ellison had some Hollywood efforts that made it to film, but the one you the reader might be most familiar with is the Star Trek episode The City on the Edge of Forever.  Some liberties were taken with the story as it transitioned from print to film and Ellison himself tried to adapt it first, but after a while the script duties were taken over.

 

 

 

A Boy and His Dog (1975):

Note the movie poster above.... "The year is 2024... a future you'll probably live to see."

Well, congratulations.  If you are reading this now, you DID live to see 2024. (Unless you are reading this 100 years hence, of course... a distinct possibility,  given the eternal life of the cyberspace.)

Although, to be fair, the future depicted in A Boy and His Dog is not the future we actually lived to see... As noted in the opening sequence (after some stock footage of some nuclear explosions) the screen crawl told us:

World War IV lasted five days.

 

Politicians had finally solved the problem of urban blight.

(To say the least...)

So wait a minute... "World War IV"?

Well, as we discover in the process of the first reel, World War III was actually the Cold War and some of the conflicts that occurred over the span of time from 1950-1983.  (The optimistic end of the Cold War, of course.  The actual Cold War didn't end until a few years later...) 

Anyway, the peace only lasted a few years, then, as stated the ultimate conflict happened and everyone started firing off their rockets and made the apocalyptic future as now ongoing...  In this world roving bands of renegades vie for their own little bit of "paradise".  In this future comes Vic (Don Johnson) and his companion, a telepathic dog named "Blood" (voiced by Tim McIntyre).

Blood helps Vic out by TRYING to keep him alive, as well as directing him to the one thing he wants more than anything else.  And what, you may ask, is that?  Hint: Vic is an 18 year old boy.  What do YOU think is primary on his brain?  (And if you said a college degree, boy are YOU naive...)

One thing to warn those of you with more conservative sensibilities; Vic is not necessarily a good guy.  His quest is NOT for love or even a compatible companionship.  He just wants sex and usually in a form that does not include the willingness of the recipient. (Yes, that means he is raping the victim.)

Blood also does his best to educate young Vic.  History lessons and the like.  Including the Presidents.  (Apparently after Ford, the Kennedy clan was able to lay claim to a succession of presidencies... which Kennedys I don't know.  But Teddy tried his hand at the job several times back in the late 70's and early 80's so...)

But Blood has very little patience as a teacher.  Plus, like Vic, Blood has a one track mind too.  He wants food.  Which means that Blood occasionally resorts to coercion to get Vic to find food.  You want women? I want food.  You bring me food and then we'll talk.; "Albert".  (For some reason, which is never really made clear, Blood sometimes calls Vic "Albert", apparently just to annoy him...)

Blood keeps urging Vic to seek out "Over the Hill" an idyllic legend that Blood heard about from a police dog (which Vic doesn't actually believe), a place where food grows right out of the ground (instead of the way they have to find it now, scavenging demolished buildings for storehouses of canned goods.)

Vic and Blood end up trading in some of their goods to attend a movie theater, one which apparently deals in cheap cheesy stag (read: pornographic) films,

Vic is being observed by three mysterious characters who come from "Down Under".  They come to the conclusion that he is the best candidate for what, at this point, remains a secret mission.  But they decide to send in the "cheese".  What is the cheese.  As it turns out it is a girl, Quilla June (Suzanne Benton), who is put into place to entice Vic into "Down Under".

After (multiple!) sexual liaisons with Quilla she deserts Vic, and Vic, being someone with only one mind, decides to try and follow her.  (Which was the whole plan.)

"Down Under", it turns out, is an underground society, a leftover from the days before the war.  The Down Under society coincidentally calls itself "Topeka", so maybe the location that Vic wanders with Blood above ground is Kansas.  The Topeka (as I will refer to it here out) society lives on, having separated itself from those "savages" who live on above ground.  And they need Vic because, while the Topeka society still functions, they somehow don't have the ability to generate the necessary qualities to procreate that someone above ground does, and Vic becomes their goal to help resolve that deficiency.

The society in Topeka is bizarre, to say the least.  It appears to be run by religious fanatics, with some really outré Christian basis.  (And a penchant for wearing white face, which is never really explained...)

A Committee runs the show and any citizens who do not fit and follow the strict rules of the society are judged to be uncooperative and sent to The Farm (which turns out to be a death sentence, more or less, and which is completed by an android named Michael, who is dressed, coincidentally,  as a farmer.) 

The process by which Vic is induced to help Topeka get repopulated is not to his preferences however.  What it involves is his being strapped down and manipulated by machine to generate vials of his procreative seed (I am TRYING to keep this entry as "family friendly as possible, but it's not easy).  He has to come up with 35 vials of said seed, but then he is scheduled to be relegated to "The Farm".

If Vic had been required to use his prowess to physically become active with his potential "mates", I doubt he would have wanted to leave Topeka, even if all of them did have that off-putting white face fetish.  

But he is not happy with the situation he has to endure.  Not that he has much choice since he is strapped down and has duct tape over his mouth to prevent any objections.

 Eventually Quilla June comes along to help Vic escape, but her goal is not due to a change of heart.  What she really wants is for Vic to help her make a change in the leadership in Topeka. Failing getting a position on the Committee by peaceful means, she tries to manipulate Vic into helping her in a revolution, by killing off the leaders so she can take over as the leader of Topeka. But Vic just wants to get the hell out of Dodge  (I mean Topeka).

With an effort Vic and Quilla escape Topeka, destroying the android Michael in the process and make their way back to above ground.  But is Blood still there?  And will Quilla convince Vic to make a new life with her?  Or will Vic and Blood chase the elusive dream of Over the Hill, a realm where you don't have to scavenge every single day just to survive?  He eventually chooses Blood, and gets him the food he needs to survive.  The "food" that Vic gets for Blood is not stated in overt terms, but as Blood tells Vic in his final line, about Quilla: "I would say she had marvelous judgement, Albert, if not particularly good taste". So maybe you can draw your own conclusions...

Friends stick together, through thick and then, even in the strange post-apocalyptic worlds of the future (or present, if you want to be technical).  And you couldn't find a better friend to get you through hard times than a super-intelligent dog.  So odd couples, even in sci-fi, are friends to the end (or the end of the movie anyway).

Well folks, time to fire up this old Plymouth and head back to the hovel I call home.  Drive safely.

Quiggy