EROTIC GHOST STORY 3 (1992)

 

PHENOMENALITY: *marvelous* 
MYTHICITY: *fair*
FRYEAN MYTHOS: *adventure*
CAMPBELLIAN FUNCTION: *metaphysical, sociological*

This was the final official film in this franchise, and since the Big Bad of the first two films went to heaven at the end of EGS #2, it behooved the new raconteurs to devise a new way of combining spirits with Category III sexcapades. It's a shame the filmmakers didn't apply themselves a bit more, since the setup here was a little more promising than those of the first to movies.

Male and female leads Chu and Susu (Ching-wah Cheung, Chik King-man) are quickly established. The two medieval-era youths have been betrothed to one another by Chu's father, but though Susu is more than willing, Chu is not. She follows Chu to an inn and is almost raped because the martial skills of Susu are only so-so. Chu rescues Susu and they later seek shelter at a deserted temple. There they meet a man the size of a candlewick, which is apparently the reason he sports the name "Wick." Once Wick grows to man-size, the duo learns that he's a Buddhist monk (and the movie's comedy relief). 

An hour or so later, viewers see why Chu doesn't want to get married, when a painting comes to life and shows the young fellow three gorgeous dancing-girls. Evidently Chu is so eager to play the field, he's willing to enter a supernatural otherworld to get his ashes hauled. Even more improbably, Wick helps Chu do so.

Althiugh Chu does have great sex with the sexy ghost I-meng (Pauline Chan), his allurement is a plot by the otherworld's queen "Ladyship" (Chi Jing Wen). After having sex Chu visits the queen's court, and in bursts a male Chinese god (possibly) who rapes two of the females. Chu's too drunk to fight, but a little later he invades the god's domicile and kills him. But then Ladyship reveals that she made herself look like the god so that Chu would seek vengeance. With the god dead, Ladyship can do whatever she likes to mortals, which she demonstrates by raping the young man.

However, I-meng has fallen for her handsome bedmate, and both Susu and Wick are endeavoring to return Chu to the mortal world. Amusingly, at one point Susu and Wick succeed in getting Chu back to the temple, but Wick tells Susu that the only way Chu cam recover from sickness is if Susu has sex with his unconscious form. Whatever else one says about EGS 3, its script supports Equal Opportunity for Female Rapists. In due course, Chu, Susu and I-meng (with some "inside help" from Wick) destroy the evil queen. Susu is wounded and dies, but thanks to some double-talk from the monk, somehow I-meng becomes human and goes back to the living world for lots more sex.

When I started the film I was almost sure Chu and Susu would be the eminent heroes, but Chu and I-meng turned out to be "the pair whose love transcends death itself," a la CHINESE GHOST STORY. EGS 3 isn't a great film, even of its kind. But its characters are reasonably well delineated and the scenes of wacky comedy don't overwhelm the story.     

MAN ON THE SPYING TRAPEZE (1966)

 

PHENOMENALITY: *uncanny* 
MYTHICITY: *poor*
FRYEAN MYTHOS: *adventure*
CAMPBELLIAN FUNCTION: *sociological*

This Eurospy cheapie has only two minor things going for it: a couple of familiar actors and a memorable if meaningless English-language title. FWIW, it seems to be the only English translation of a film by Spanish director Juan de Orduna.

American agent Jerry Land (Wayde Preston of the TV western COLT .45) gets to traipse around various Euro-locales seeking to find a missing microfilm and the spy ring that stole it. He has various punch-ups with enemy spies-- for once, independent operators rather than loyalists to particular nations-- and romances a pretty brunette played by Helga Sommerfeld. Preston's decent in the fight-scenes but doesn't project much cool, despite a colleague playfully calling him "James Bond."

The sole metaphenomenal content here appears when Land is captured by thugs led by Noe (DR SATAN AND BLACK MAGIC) Murayama, who attempts to make the agent talk by squeezing his head with metal rods.     

  

SMALLVILLE SEASON 3: 20-22 (2004)

 

PHENOMENALITY: *marvelous* 
MYTHICITY: *fair*
FRYEAN MYTHOS: *adventure*
CAMPBELLIAN FUNCTION: *cosmological, psychological*

"Talisman" provides a belated linkage back to the ancestral Kawache story of Naman and Sageeth, implicitly a good and an evil Kryptonian who came to Earth in primeval times. Kawache historian Willowbrook, first seen in "Skinwalker," believes not only that the two man-gods have been reborn in modern times, but also that Clark is the "good god" Naman. Yet Willowbrook keeps in contact with Lionel in order to monitor the cave-research, and one day the prof brings to the cave a student named Jeremiah, also a tribal scholar. Jeremiah uncovers a metal knife and touching it both gives the young man Kryptonian powers and the delusion that he is Naman, who is destined to slay Sageeth. 

Clark, aware that Jeremiah is likely to believe he should kill Lionel, draws the possessed man to the Kent farm, hoping to incapacitate the threat with kryptonite. But this time the rock has no effect on an Earthman, possibly because Jeremiah possesses the Kryptonian dagger, with which he stabs Clark. The heroic teen only survives because the Kents show up, and the power Jor-El instilled in Jonathan heals Clark. Recovering, both Clark and Lex show up on the scene when the fake Naman tries to slay Lionel. Neither Lionel or Lex behold Clark battle Jeremiah, but when Jeremiah loses both the knife and his powers (after which he's never seen again), both Luthors try to seize the weapon. But it dissolves, as was destined to occur if Sageeth touched the blade. Is one of these Earthmen "Naman's great enemy?"

"Forsaken" centers on a running subplot from the last few episodes: that of Lana deciding to study art in Paris. (Was she artistically inclined before this arc?) However, though Clark hopes to dissuade her from leaving Smallville by finally revealing his Big Secret, Emily Dinsmore gets to Lana first. While in Lionel's custody since the events of "Accelerate," the clone-girl has aged roughly nine years in eleven months, and she uses her speed-powers to escape captivity. She kills her scientist-"father" and imprisons Lana in the Talon in the belief that they can be best friends forever. Clark puts the skids on the super-speed girl with the clever use of a water tower, but the situation also causes Clark to change his mind about the revelation. The final season episode will make it doubtful that any of the regulars will return, but "Forsaken" has Pete Ross forsake Smallville a little earlier, only returning for one much later guest appearance in Season Seven.

   The title "Covenant" refers to the bargain Jonathan made with the AI: that, in exchange for empowering the farmer during "Exile," Jonathan would facilitate Clark returning to Jor-El, possibly to be molded into some sort of world-conqueror. "Covenant " focuses on the devil calling in his marker-- though Jor-El's methods are bizarre, given that "he" hasn't made an explicit demand of Jonathan. A "supergirl" named Kara shows up on the farm, claiming to be from Krypton and offering Clark the chance to be united with his birth mother, of whom he had a fragmentary recollection in "Memoria." The elder Kents don't buy Kara's tale, but Clark's been through the sturm-and-drang mill, and Kara contributes to the youth's desire for "exile" (AGAIN?) by making Lex seem a betrayer. Clark follows Kara to a rendezvous, but Jonathan shows up with evidence that Kara is either a dead Earth-girl revived by Jor-El or a simulation thereof. Still, a threat to Jonathan's life accomplishes the same end, and Clark enters the AI's dimensional doorway, while most of the rest of the cast lies in peril from the vengeance of Lionel Luthor. Who will return in Season Four? Stay tuned.       
          

SMALLVILLE SEASON 3: 17-19 (2004)

 

PHENOMENALITY: *marvelous* 
MYTHICITY: (1) *good*, (2,3) *fair*
FRYEAN MYTHOS: *adventure*
CAMPBELLIAN FUNCTION: *cosmological, psychological*

Finally, in "Legacy," Season Three wanders back to the still-mysterious designs of the Jor-El AI, left unaddressed since "Exile." In a few previous episodes the writers suggested that Jonathan's health has suffered from Jor-El's "power boost," and Clark becomes concerned enough that he takes the Krypton-Key to the Kawache Caves, trying to draw out the AI for a heart-to-heart. But the key's only response is to send forth a ray that carves a new aperture in the wall with the Kryptonian symbols. Critically-ill Lionel, though, gets alerted by his agents re: Clark's cave-trespass, and somehow arrives in time to behold Clark and the "new keyhole," but not the key in Clark's possession.

Lionel doesn't reference the Adam Knight failure, but clearly he ups his investigation of the Kents, even sending bogus FBI agents to the farm, because he seeks a reprieve. He also meets with Virgil Swann (Christopher Reeve in his final performance), and the enigmatic genius reveals nothing, though he lends Lionel some conditional aid. This motivates Clark to confront Swann, thus also providing the show's last encounter between "Superman" and "Superboy." Jonathan makes an effort to end Lionel's threat, and Clark must intervene. It's a solid "mythology" episode, though I suspect the many SMALLVILLE mysteries don't have a payoff much better than LOST.

"Truth" turns out better than its premise suggests. Demon journalist Chloe inhales an experimental gas and acquires the power to make almost anyone answer her questions with complete truthfulness. Clark alone can resist her power, but Chloe becomes drunk with her new abilities. Naturally most of the episode concerns characters managing to dance around the Big Reveal, though Chloe does play dice with the devil when she tries to blackmail Lionel.

"Memoria" puts aside one Luthor's obsession for another's, as Lionel's struggle to avert death takes a back seat to Lex's quest for his repressed Belle Reve memories. To that end, he accepts treatment by Doctor Garner, one of Smallville's many resident mad scientists, who stimulates buried memories via a machine powered by-- what else-- meteor rocks. Both Lionel and Clark don't want Lex's memories to return, but while Lionel just puts pressure on Garner, Clark beards the rogue researcher in his den. Garner sticks Clark in the memory-machine, offering the teen's memories to willing buyer Lionel, but even after kryptonite weakening Clark's body generates enough feedback to destroy the machine. Lex then arrives in time to save Clark's life without learning the Big Secret. Yet Garner's process does give Lex closure on a trauma dating back to the show's first season: the belief that he killed his baby brother Julian. It's a good payoff for a so-so story.

   

    

TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN (2009)

 

PHENOMENALITY: *marvelous* 
MYTHICITY: *fair*
FRYEAN MYTHOS: *adventure*
CAMPBELLIAN FUNCTION: *cosmological, sociological*

REVENGE received a lot of brickbats in its day, with one critic calling it "incomprehensible"-- which I for one find incomprehensible. It's just a formulaic sequel seeking to keep its audience's attention with even more giant-robot action and silly humor than the previous film. And it's hard to see any other logical avenue for such "high concept" filmmakers. For me the biggest attraction of the 2007 film was to see how its craftsmen attempted to make a kids' cartoon into a general-audience feature film-- which was an act that could only be offered once.

So, the plot. Despite Sam Witwicky having saved the Earth by (temporarily) destroying Megatron, he's attempting to live an ordinary life by going off to college, even though this separates him from girlfriend Mikaela. However, his contact with a shard of the "All Spark" causes him to experience visions-- which, in a circuitous manner, will lead him and various allies to discover a new threat to Earth's survival. But before they can do so, Megaton is resurrected while the Autobots' noble leader Optimus Prime is slain. Yet once the audience learns that only a Prime can defeat "The Fallen," a world-destroying Decepticon who's constructed as an "Autobot Devil"-- can Optimus' revival be far behind? 

Most of REVENGE is comfortably predictable and nothing more. The most unlikely development in my view was that the writers brought back Seymour Simmons (John Turturro) from the 2007 film. I described the character as a "minor dick-villain," but here he's a more rounded (if still goony) character who adds some variety to the human allies of the Autobots.

       

 

LEGEND OF THE SEEKER, SEASON ONE (2008-09)

 

PHENOMENALITY: *marvelous* 
MYTHICITY: *fair*
FRYEAN MYTHOS: *adventure*
CAMPBELLIAN FUNCTION: *metaphysical, sociological*

As I have only read the first of Terry Goodkind's "Seeker" books, WIZARD'S FIRST RULE, I can't speak to the overall quality of the series, or whether it was a crying shame that Sam Raimi's teleseries adaptation didn't get more than two seasons. But the first novel offers in part a theme opposed to most otherworldly Tolkienian fantasies. one that might boil down to, "Power of all kinds-- not just One-Ring power-- corrupts the good and the bad alike." The dramatic consequences of this theme are that even the three pure-hearted heroes are innately capable of harming one another, even with the best of intentions.

Though most of the 22 episodes of LEGEND's first season don't adapt incidents from the first book, the overall outlines remain the same. Large portions of Goodkind's unnamed fantasy-verse have been conquered by the military might of tyrannical Darken Rahl, whose long-range goal is to control all life through assorted sorcerous stratagems. However, it's been prophecized that a rare crusader for justice, the Seeker, is destined to kill Darken Rahl. Young Richard Cypher (Craig Horner) is raised without knowing that he is the Seeker, but soon he's drafted to fulfill his destiny by two other heroes. One is elderly wizard Zed (Bruce Spence), who arranged Richard's concealment from hostile forces. The other, Kahlan (Bridget Regan), belongs to a line of priestesses, the Mother Confessors, and she becomes vital to Richard's mission-- although she threatens it as well, as the two fall in love, causing distractions from their purpose.

Some storylines are definitely derived from Goodkind, as with an arc involving the heroes trying to keep Rahl from obtaining the Boxes of Orden, whose power can corrupt even the Seeker. Other episodes are built around "done in one" problems. Yet even the simpler episodes, despite comedy relief, often reflect grim realities about war and death. This may be a reason why LEGEND didn't catch on like Raimi's more famous fantasy-serials, HERCULES and XENA. 

Only one episode merits a rating of high mythicity, and that is "Denna," a faithful adaptation of a long sequence from WIZARD'S FIRST RULE. In this sequence, Richard is captured by Denna (Jessica Marais), who attempts to break his will via torture. Like Kahlan, Denna belongs to an all-female priestesshood, but where Kahlan's order compels obedience through the emotion of love,  Denna's order uses pain. To some, this might sound like Goodkind importing the Marquise de Sade into a Tolkienian fantasy-setting. Yet because Goodkind structured his world so scrupulously, the concept is both dramatically and mythopoeically compelling. 

One additional point of merit is that the showrunners did contrive a "wrapup" in the final episode of Season One, in case they didn't get another order of episodes. This meant a lot of rewrites to make Season Two come about-- but, going on memory, the game was indubitably worth the candle.           

SMALLVILLE SEASON 3: 13-16 (2004)

 

PHENOMENALITY: *marvelous* 
MYTHICITY: (1,4) *fair*, (2,3) *poor*
FRYEAN MYTHOS: *adventure*
CAMPBELLIAN FUNCTION: *cosmological, psychological*

The "middle episodes" of Season 3 continue to prove unimpressive.

"Velocity" turns out better than it should, given a horribly contrived script. Pete Ross suddenly acquires a jones for illegal drag-racing, and he receives sponsorship from Smallville hoodlum Jason Dante, whose name is certainly disproportionate to his significance as a character. Dante pressures Pete to lose a race for purposes of putting in a fix, and when Pete wins instead, Dante threatens Pete's family. To end Dante's menace without violence, squeaky-clean Clark must use his powers to steal from Lex, his other best bud, to come up with a "purse" that Dante will accept in a racing challenge, the goal being to cancel Pete's debt. Clark plans to fry Dante's engine during the race, but Dante is able to stuff the hero in his trunk because the hood's car runs on-- meteor rocks! Still, Clark and Pete survive the race while Dante dies in a blazing "inferno"-- though Clark resents Pete's rash actions. Welling and Jones have their best dramatic interaction here, somewhat making up for the banality of the B-plot, in which Lex gets involved in the Frankenstein experiment of Adam Knight.

OBSESSION-- Clark is forced to reveal his powers in front of a stranger, but because Alicia Baker is a meteor-freak, she assumes his powers stem from the same source. Clark, not dating anyone even though Lana's rejected Adam, becomes interested in Alicia, but she turns out to be, as Chloe puts it, the "Fatal Attraction" type. Aside from hinting at Clark's libido more than do most episodes, and an irrelevant subplot about Alicia injuring her father for unclear reasons, this one's a wash, though a final scene reveals that Lionel is responsible for the experiment involving Adam Knight. Alicia appears next season as a Belle Reve patient. 

 RESURRECTION-- The A-story's awful, concerning an aggrieved fellow who takes the Smallville hospital hostage using a "human bomb" laced with kryptonite. The episode's more worthwhile in having Lex discover that Adam has actually been revived from death by a project under the control of Lionel. The Kents know that the revival serum was made from a sample of Clark's blood, and it's also revealed that Lionel sent Adam to Smallville High to spy on Clark.

CRISIS-- Thanks to a "time anomaly," this time Clark gets to work backwards to figure when and where Lana's life will fall into jeopardy (again). This culminates the Adam Knight plotline given that he dies menacing Lana (who still needs saving though she does perform a couple of martial stunts). The episode is stronger for yet another joust between Lex and Lionel as Lex tries to use his job at Luthorcorp to ferret out the nature of the revival experiment. Lionel's motive this time involves his own mortality, though since he remains in the show for four more seasons, the elder Luthor is in no danger here.