COMMENTARY 45

29 Things We Learned From the ‘Spider-Man’ Commentary *sung to the tune of the original "Spider-Man" theme* Sam Raimi, Sam Raimi Does whatever a Raimi does Hear him talk about his flick It's not Evil Dead, but it's slick Okay, so I’m not good at rhymes, but that’s definitely what we’re listening to in this weeks’ Commentary Commentary, Sam Raimi’s 2002 Spider-Man. Other cast and crew members join in on the fun, but we’re more interested in what Mr. Raimi has to say. A director beloved by many, the announcement that he was directing this Summer blockbuster of all the Summer blockbusters he could have stepped into slapped smiles on the faces of millions. It even made us forget about James Cameron’s idea for the web-slinger. With the reboot, The Amazing Spider-Man, hitting this week, just a few months over a decade later, it was time to crack open this DVD case and see what glorious insight Raimi and crew have to offer. And with reviews coming in for the newly released Spidey flick, it seems there might be more enjoyment in listening to people talk about a different version. We’re not saying it’s awful, but we’re hoping, praying that someone at Columbia Pictures gets Cameron on the line stat. The Amazing Spider-Man bashing aside, here are the 29 items we learned from this commentary for Spider-Man. Spider-Man (2002) Commentators: Sam Raimi (direct0r), Grant Curtis (co-producer), Laura Ziskin (producer), Kirsten Dunst (actress) The title designer, Kyle Cooper, also designed the opening Marvel logo which now runs in front of every Marvel film. Ziskin remembers the rousing ovation the logo got when the film played for the first time. “I think this is one of the best title sequences I’ve ever seen in my entire life of any film,” says Kirsten Dunst, who promptly looked up the word “hyperbole.” According to Ziskin, Raimi has a habit of working with two editors, each of whom cuts the film the way they see fit. He then takes both cuts of the film and creates his master cut from those. From initial concept of getting Spider-Man to the screen to the film’s actual release was 18 years. Ziskin says this was a good thing, since visual effects weren’t advanced enough to bring the character to life the way he needed to for this film. Some would even say visual effects weren’t advanced enough until Spider-Man 2. Certain shots of the spider who bites Peter were pulled off by taking a black widow spider and painting it blue and red. Raimi says the spider was fitted with a cover so that it could be painted without harming the spider, because, if any spiders died on the set of Spider-Man, that’s just bad form. There wasn’t enough money in the budget to execute Peter’s dream sequence the way it was scripted, and the entire segment was nearly scrapped altogether. Bob Murawski, one of the two editors, pieced the sequence together using shots from the opening titles, stock footage from Raimi’s earlier film, Darkman, and even a shot from the Lucio Fulci film, The Beyond. Ziskin points out that the wallpaper on Peter’s bedroom walls are little spiderwebs. Awwwww! When Peter is running to catch the bus and pulls the banner off the side, there was originally another moment after that where he had to jump over a truck to avoid being hit. This was cut because of budget constraints. The moment in the lunch room where Peter catches Mary Jane and her tray was very nearly scrapped due to time and budget. What was initially a two-day shoot on that set was cut down to one day, but Raimi and Ziskin were determined to get that moment in the scene. Ziskin remembers when Randy Savage auditioned for the role of Bone Saw McGraw and how she fell in love with his voice. Actually, the most important thing we learn here is that Randy Savage had to audition at all. It’s the Macho Man. They should have been calling him. “There’s my buddy, Bruce Campbell,” says Raimi, not realizing that we don’t need the man pointed out to us. Zisken tells the story of showing a CG mock-up of Peter Parker dressed in his wrestling outfit scaling a wall to the film’s investors and told them it was test footage of Tobey Maguire in the suit. They were convinced that it was real footage. “It’s the thing about hair,” says Ziskin when J.K. Simmons shows up as J. Jonah Jameson, “Once we got the hair, he was Jameson.” Dunst mentions how the paparazzi were always around while they were filming on location in New York City. She notes that Maguire always liked to mess with them, something he usually does when he isn’t trying to run them over. Can you really blame him, though? According to Ziskin and Curtis, the Times Square Unity Festival scene was the most difficult scene to shoot given all the practical and digital elements that had to be incorporated. Ziskin notes it took three weeks to shoot. Raimi notes that Willem Dafoe did all of his own fighting while wearing the Green Goblin suit. This helped create a consistency with how the character moves. Dunst notes that it really annoys her when girls scream a lot in movies. She adds that she was sick of her own scream by the end of Spider-Man. Wish we could say she’s alone in that. We really do. It was executive producer Avi Arad’s idea to have MJ call Peter “Tiger” when she does in the film. It was Dunst’s idea to have her casually throw it out as she’s walking off. “So, together, I think they satisfied that 1 of 1000 fan requirements,” says Raimi. Ziskin asks Dunst if she thinks Mary Jane knows who Spider-Man is in the scene when he rescues her in the alleyway, something about Peter and Spider-Man both saying a line about being “in the neighborhood.” “No,” says Dunst, “I don’t think MJ’s that bright.” The Spider-Man mask wasn’t designed to be pulled right off, and one had to be made specifically for the shot where Peter takes it off as he’s hiding from MJ, Aunt May, Harry, and Norman. The scene where Harry walks in on Peter and MJ at the hospital was James Franco’s first day of shooting. Even though Raimi along with everyone else had agreed Harry’s hair would match that of his father, Franco showed up to set with black hair. Can’t imagine what would cause him to forget something like that. The set for Norman Osborn’s condo was on the Warner Brothers lot, where the production chose to choose a number of scenes. This condo set, however, had also been used in Tim Burton’s Batman, and Raimi had to make sure to shoot it in such a way that no one would notice. He would then reveal it to everyone on a commentary track. Fool-proof plan. When they first showed the end sequence to the producers, the bridge on which the scene takes place hadn’t been digitally constructed yet nor was there a Spider-Man for half of the scene. “We were trying to say, ‘No, no, trust us. It’s going to be okay.’,” says Ziskin. The location where Spider-Man and Green Goblin do their final battle wasn’t a set but an actual, abandoned hospital on Roosevelt Island. “Sam came in one day and said, ‘I want him to have a trident.’,” says Ziskin regarding Green Goblin. When Sam Raimi asks for a trident, no one questions him. Curtis asks Raimi if the Green Goblin’s arm coming up out of debris was an homage to Evil Dead. Raimi says it’s not, but it’s a reference to all of the Universal monster movies. The shot where Norman Osborn dies was filmed later in production after Willem Dafoe had already gone on to another project. His hair was different, and he had to wear a wig for this shot. “He’s more like the David Bowie of Green Goblins,” jokes Raimi. “Sam, if you were 19, would you walk away?” asks Curtis about Peter’s decision to lave MJ at the end of the movie. “I don’t remember what it was like to be 19,” responds Raimi. The last shot of the film with Spider-Man swinging through the city was the most time-consuming shot of the entire film. Completely CG, execution on it began when production began and was the very last shot completed on the film. All in all it took 18 months to create. Best in Commentary “It’s a brilliant idea of Stan Lee’s originally to have Peter enter a wrestling match where those colorful costumes are a must to develop the Spider-Man costume.” -Sam Raimi “I love when he swings off and lets out that yell. It’s like the high of public service. You know you’ve done the best you can do to help others, and I feel like that’s what he’s celebrating.” -Sam Raimi Final Thoughts This commentary track isn’t the most information-heavy track we’ve covered, nowhere near, in fact. There aren’t any prolonged gaps in any of the commentators speaking, but much of what’s said isn’t that insightful or groundbreaking and revelatory. Raimi points out a lot of shots in the film that he didn’t direct, of which there are a lot. His second unit was working overtime here. Dunst acts giddy and mentions all the things she loved about the production. It’s fine to hear how excited she is about the movie, but it doesn’t add anything informative. Curtis has even less to offer. The real stand-out on this commentary is producer Laura Ziskin who probably speaks more than anyone else on the track. A breakdown on everyone’s time isn’t included, unfortunately, but it seems fairly obvious that she has the most in terms of both quantity and quality to offer. It’s the first time a producer has made us want to search and discover other tracks to which they’ve contributed. Spider-Man remains the best that franchise has to offer, The Amazing Spider-Man absolutely included in that statement. However, as continuous as the commentary track for it is, it’s nowhere near one you definitely have to check out for yourself

JUNKFOOD CINEMA 174

Editor’s Note: This week, Brian is busy shoving hotdogs into his mouth to prepare for Comic-Con. We asked how that would help, but he hung up on us, so I’m writing this week’s entry. Enjoy!

Welcome back to Junkfood Cinema. You’re welcome. Our weekly dive into the gluttonous, saturated fat-saturated world of questionable movies has taken a detour into the educational this week, but it won’t be boring like a high school calculus class. It’ll be far worse than that.

Why? Because we’ll be dissecting to death a piece of trash blowing about the graffiti-lined streets of some big city in the 1980s. We’ll rip out its guts, toss its sexual organs under a microscope, but then, yes then, we’ll get to its heart.

And at its heart, we’ll learn the true meaning of dance. Or something. We will lift it up on the highest pedestal possible because Lorenzo Lamaswill have taught us what it really means to keep it real.

That’s right. This week’s unhealthy portion is the sweaty, 1984 breakdancing opus known as Body Rock.

What Makes It Bad

To put it mildly, Body Rock makes Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo like like a fine aged brie compared to its cheese levels. Strangely, the only real core mistake they made was in taking a semi-plausable story and shoving Lorenzo Lamas into it like a dead rat into a cheeseburger. A cheeseburger we would have gladly eaten.

To demonstrate, imagine a movie where a plucky young rapper with breakdancing skills starts to gain acclaim and money for his abilities. The result is his internal wrestling with what the money is changing him into and the toll its taking on his friendships. Doesn’t sound too crazy.

Now imagine that Lorenzo Lamas is the plucky rapper.

Now clean up that vomit you just spilled onto the rug.

All good? Excellent.

The biggest problem with this atomically bad casting is that Lamas can’t dance. He’s not just bad, he’s amazingly inept. If you’ve been to a middle school dance, you have more moves than Lamas does in this movie. The result is like watching a scene where a woman is supposed to be so overwhelmingly beautiful that she stops a room cold and makes the hero fall in love with one look…as played by Large Marge. Only, in this case, the scene is the entire movie. To repeat:  casting director Annette Benson and director Marcelo Epstein are ultimately to blame for making a movie about a dude who is crazy awesome at dancing and casting a guy who can’t help but look like he’s having a slow motion seizure. Let’s not even mention the rapping.

Beyond mugging on the cardboard, Lamas’ character Chilly D says a ton of stuff that’s meant to be cool, but just flat out isn’t. You don’t get street cred for saying your jacket is big in Europe this season, and you’re not a thug for failing at moon walking. No, TLC doesn’t want your number, and no, they don’t wanna give you theirs.

And why are you talking directly into the camera??

Yeah, Chilly my man, what is happenin’?

The other elements in the movie are too generic to complain about. The dialogue is boring and mostly consists of saying the obvious, but Lamas is where the true magic lies. The man take even the most heartfelt declaration and turn it into a mouth fart.

Why We Love It

Body Rock is a gift from the movie gods because it cannot be explained. It is so absurd, so thoughtless in its execution, that it stands as a grave marker for all that is wrong with filmmaking in the 1980s. Grand excess in service of nothing, the exploitation of a youthful fad, Lorenzo Lamas. But enough time has passed that this wound of a moving picture has healed, and we can all laugh about how gutsy and unapologetic it is.

In fact, it’s so bad that it must be someone’s experimental art project in audience response. “Marcelo Epstein” has to be, has to be, the alias of Michael Haneke or Jonas Mekas or something.

Lamas is at his most confident here. He has no reason to be, which is why Chilly D becomes a ridiculously fun character to watch. At some points he’s plausibly mentally challenged, and you don’t want to be rude. He’s so bad at dancing, and everyone acts like he’s so good, that it seems for certain that a bucket of blood will end up on his European-cut jacket by the end.

At other points, he’s this great cartoon character, willing to do anything for attention and respect. He’s compelling for the same reason The Situation is compelling. No one actually thinks he’s cool, but watching him pretend to be is just as funny as watching the best Emmett Kelly routine. Lamas is a foolishly un-self-aware clown who exists for pure amusement.

Plus, the film gets bonus points for wantonly ripping off Michael Jackson‘s Thriller and paying dues for it by dressing Lamas up as a mummy who claims the stuff that goes down in his ‘hood would scare Dracula.

The only way this movie would have better is if they’d ended it by making Chilly D walk through real gang turf at night and watching him get savagely beaten to death.

Junkfood Pairing: Pop (and Lock) Rocks

We’ve undoubtedly featured these explosive treats before, but other than an entire case of whiskey per person, this is the best thing to enjoy while watching Lamas flail and jerk his way to glory.

Mad Props go to the movie-mad Michael Treveloni who owns this monster on VHS and shared it with me after delighting in the wonder that is the 1980 musical The Apple.

PLANET FURY - THE PACT

The Pact (2012)

Directed by: Nicholas McCarthy
Written by: Nicholas McCarthy
Cast: Caity Lotz, Agnes Bruckner, Casper Van Dien, Haley Hudson

Seasoned horror fans generally know what to expect from a haunted house movie these days. The protagonist or family with a troubled past moves into a house where tragic events have occurred years before. At some point, a creepy old woman/child/bald corpse pops up in the bathroom mirror to scare the crap out of us.

The Pact appears initially to fit this mold. Fortunately, the story diverges from the formula in an interesting way.

Two young women return to their childhood home to attend their mother's funeral. Neither has fond memories of the mom, whose strict approach to parenting has adversely affected them as adults.

Troubled Nicole (Agnes Bruckner) is first to arrive at the now vacant house. She hears strange noises and begins to suspect that she is not alone. When younger sister Annie (Caity Lotz) arrives the next day, Nicole is nowhere to be found. Annie's attempts to find her sister take a strange turn when she finds a hidden photograph of their mother standing next to an unknown woman.

Before long, Annie finds herself tossed around the house like a rag doll by an unseen force. Further investigation leads her to the sinister realization that the house is linked to a serial killer known as Judas.

Writer and director Nicholas McCarthy manages to construct an effective thriller despite some major flaws that weaken the credibility of the script. One involves a ghost that can physically manipulate some people and not others. There may be an explanation for this, but it requires the audience to connect too many dots. Rather than provoking us to think, we are forced to compensate for sloppy writing.

Also problematic are the exaggerated stereotypes that pass for characters. Annie is a motorcycle-riding rebel with the body of an NFL cheerleader, who frequently walks through the parking lot of her motel clad only in underwear. Skeptical yet supportive detective Creek (Casper Van Dien) is perhaps too conveniently handsome and newly divorced to be believable. There's even a goth chick medium (Haley Hudson) who coincidentally went to school with Annie and knows how to talk to spirits.

The characters are cheesy, but still likeable enough that we want to see them solve the puzzle. Once Annie accepts the possibility of a supernatural explanation, she pursues it with gusto. The pace quickens and the movie develops into an enjoyably bizarre ghost story.

The woman in the photo is predictably the source of much of the film's eeriness. Yet she is not a retread of the vengeful spirit seen in other recent films like 2010's Insidious and 2011's The Caller. Similarly, the truth about the Judas killer, while far-fetched, provides a fun plot twist that seems clever rather than manipulative.

McCarthy also avoids trotting out the cliché mirror gag, replacing it with a few Internet-era tricks involving webcams and Google maps. It's likely that a J-horror franchise has employed similar techniques at some point, but their use here is novel enough to provide the necessary scares.

The Pact is slightly cartoonish and frequently awkward. While it's not going to redefine the genre of haunted house films, it's not a huge step backward either. Horror fans looking for old-fashioned creepy thrills could do far worse.

THE ADVENTURES OF MARILYN

Marilyn Monroe as…, 1957

Marilyn as Theda Bara

Theda Bara

Marilyn as Lillian Russell

Lillian Russell

Marilyn as Marlene Dietrich

Marlene Dietrich

Marilyn as Jean Harlow

Jean Harlow

Marilyn as Clara Bow

Clara Bow

…

Images of Marilyn by Richard Avedon

Source: Wicked Halo

PLANET FURY 6/27

'Anna Karenina' - Kiera Is No Garbo Posted: 27 Jun 2012 09:40 PM PDT If there are two things I love in the world, they are, in order, 1) Old Movies About Love Starring Really Amazing Actresses and 2) 19th Century Novels About Adultery That End Sadly. Do not fuck with my two things. Tolstoy's 19th Century Russian novel about the titular unhappily-married, seduced-by-true-love, and then hit-by-train (ooops, spoiler alert!) Anna Kareninais rivaled only perhaps by Flaubert's 19th Century French novel about an unhappily married, seduced-but-ends-badly woman named Madame Bovary. ButAnna Karenina has an entire chapter devoted to a dog's inner monologue so it is by far my favorite of the two. That being said, the story has been put to film several times, usually quite well. Artsy Fartsy, but beautiful-looking in a Baz-Luhrmann kind of way, this trailer for the 2012 new version of Anna Karenina from Joe Wright (Hanna) starring Kiera Knightley just doesn't quite live up to the predecessors. Why? Kiera has no personality. She just doesn't. Compare her to the understated and inward Garbo from 1935: Or compare her to the gorgeous and fiesty Vivien Leigh from 1948: (Can you believe there's no video of that shit online, anywhere? jees. I thought everything was online now): There's also a 1997 version with Sophie Marceau and Sean bean, but who cares about that one? Not only does Knightly bore me, but her dashing love interest Count Vronsky (played by the stone-faced, completely unattractive, mute Aaron Johnson) is just a big snore. Her cold husband, played by Jude Law, is actually really good. I mean, he fits. Who knew the prettier-than-most-girls Jude Law would end up being such a good character actor? I will see this because it has pretty dresses and someone gets hit by a train. I will wish it was Greta Garbo instead of Knightly the whole time, though. Oh! Check out this tacky poster: This is one of my favorite stories. Kiera Knightly is not a dazzling, charismatic, talented actress. I wish someone less bony were playing Anna. And in case you were wondering, she dies at the end. *Note, another good depressing 19th century novel about love is Camille by Alexandre Dumas, also depicted by Garbo in 1936. They better not redo this one and stick Kate Beckinsale in it.

'Frankenstein Enters Fray In Dracula VS. Robin Hood VS. Jekyll & Hyde ' Is A Real Headline Posted: 27 Jun 2012 09:08 PM PDT Mohawk Media is publishing a new comic book called Dracula VS. Robin Hood VS. Jekyll & Hyde, so says my email inbox, and Frankenstein will be included in the storyline. Of course. British writer Chris Bunting says "You will see Frankenstein in a way never portrayed. And this monster is not this issue's only legendary guest star, as a colossal character from the Robin Hood myth is also introduced." In a way never portrayed yet. I believe him. What I LOVE about this is that if The Asylum had a comic book, it would be Dracula VS. Robin Hood VS. Jekyll & Hyde, and Frankenstein would make an appearance. Mohawk media is the company behind the astoundingly well-written and well-thought-out Mr. T comic books, launched in 2008. Frankenstein will first appear in Dracula vs. Robin Hood vs. Jekyll & Hyde #3. And I did not make any of this up.

BOILING POINT 44

Bad Dialogue Cliches: This Time It’s Not Personal

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, though I’ve never been one to ascribe to that notion. In Hollywood, virtually everything is, at some level, derivative. Hell, not just Hollywood. Virtually every story has been told before, whether it’s comparing the Bible to ancient Egyptian beliefs or Star Wars to The Hidden Fortress.

Telling a similar story is okay, hey, there’s only so many ways the good guy can beat the bad guy, right? The details are where the magic happens, and the devil lives. Samurai swords? No. Lightsabers. Transformers are the good guys? How about Transmorphers are the bad guys!

However, these are all broad strokes. If we travel further into the script, past plot, past character, past props, we have dialog. Dialog is where the real difference can be made – this is where the magic lives. It’s how a movie like Clerks or My Dinner with Andre or a show like Mad Men can keep you riveted without much going on other than characters talking.

But what happens when characters start using the same phrases?

Shit sucks and stuff, that’s what. Some lines are call backs – when someone says “I’ve got a bad feeling about this” you immediately think of the trash compactor scene in Star Wars and all is good in the world. Then there are things that people really say all the time, that kind of make sense, so it works: what part of that don’t you understand? Feel free to exchange “that” to any other phrase on Earth.

How many times has someone screamed “Don’t you go dyin on me!” as they pounded the chest of a fallen compatriot? How many people have been told to “Go on with me” or “Get back! Get back! Get the hell out of here!”

That’s all cool – sure, it can be tiresome, but all in all, people talk like that and it makes sense. But there is one turn of phrase that is bothering me lately. It’s been around a long, long time, but it took my eleventh viewing of Taken to finally push me over the edge. Any variation of It’s not personal, it’s just business is complete and utter horseshit. You know why?

Because it always is most assuredly very fucking personal for at least one person. And the bad guy has to know that. He can’t be so warped as to think that the kidnapping of someone’s child to be sold into sex slavery is not going to affect someone on a personal level. Robbing a bank isn’t personal. Robbing a man is. Smashing the window of a department store isn’t personal. Throwing a trash can through the window of the business of the only man who ever gave you a fair shake is, Mookie, you little son of a bitch.

It may just be business for the person doing the action, but to somehow not see the personal connection on the victim’s end is ridiculous. I mean. Seriously. If I kidnapped your daughter and sold her into a slavery ring and told you it was “just business” would you be like “Oh shit. Sorry. Didn’t realize. Please, continue. I understand.” I mean, for fuck’s sake, it’s not like these guys are opening competing gyms or pizza chains across the street – they’re endorsing or committing crimes ranging from abduction to murder to rape and probably some fucked up shit we haven’t even thought up yet.

So to all you aspiring writers and especially you working writers – it’s time to ditch the it’s not personal, it’s business bullshit. It’s totally personal. It’s obviously personal to them. They have no concept of it not being personal. In fact, the entire idea that it’s not personal, that this was just some random transaction, makes the whole thing even worse. But worst of all, it’s a terrible, horrible, over-used cliche. So please, people, stop having your characters say it! Every time I hear it, I go past my boiling point. And then I have to rant about it and point out how stupid that line in your movie is. But it’s nothing personal. It’s business

PLANET FURY 7/3

Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

Directed by: Wes Anderson
Written by: Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola
Featuring: Kara Hayward, Jared Gilman, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Jason Schwartzman, Tilda Swinton, Harvey Keitel

Wes Anderson is one of those polarizing filmmakers. Like Woody Allen, Kevin Smith and Whit Stillman, he's often accused of making the same film over and over again, and whether or not you like Anderson's latest flick probably depends on how much you liked Anderson's previous flick.

If you're one of those people on the fence about Anderson, Moonrise Kingdom might be the film to finally convert you into a fan. The director's new movie contains all the Anderson-isms people love or hate or love to hate — the self-conscious camera moves, the over-decorated frames, the heavily curated soundtrack — but there's a freedom at play here not usually associated with Anderson, a filmmaker who it seems might be more comfortable working with dolls and dioramas than with living, breathing actors (which is perhaps why some felt Fantastic Mr. Fox to be the apotheosis of Anderson's oeuvre thus far).

The story of two precocious misfits who find in each other the acceptance society denies them, and in doing so discover life does not have to be as terrible as they believe, Moonrise Kingdom is a magical tale that's part French New Wave and part children's adventure — a ripping coming-of-age yarn set in 1965, when life was more innocent, yet more cruel than today.

Troubled tween Suzy Bishop (Kara Hayward) comes from a dysfunctional family who favor the classics, though the rebellious Suzy prefers YA fantasy novels and yé-yé music. One fateful summer day, she encounters Sam Shakusky (Jared Gilman), a bespectacled young orphan who lives with a foster family. Recognizing themselves to be kindred spirits, they become pen pals and as their epistolary relationship blooms, they vow to run away together and escape the confines of a world that does not understand nor appreciate them.

So, Suzy packs her belongings and leaves behind her parents (Frances McDormand and Bill Murray), attorneys for whom every conversation is a legal argument, and Sam gathers his camping gear and resigns from his scout troop, led by the dutiful Scout Master Randy Ward (Edward Norton). Together, they literally hit the trail, hiking through the wilderness to follow an old Indian path.

Called in to investigate is Captain Sharp (Bruce Willis), a local policeman with whom Suzy's mom is having an affair. As Sam and Suzy's adventure unfolds, Captain Sharp and Scout Master Ward and troop do their best to follow, eventually tracking them to an idyllic cove where the two runaways have pitched their tent and found some measure of shelter from the metaphorical storm that is their pending adulthood.

They are dragged back to the real world, where Suzy is locked away and Sam is placed with Captain Sharp while waiting to be turned over to Social Services (personified by Tilda Swinton). Recognizing the injustice being thrust upon the young lovers, Sam's scout troop decides to rescue Sam and Suzy and stash them away at a scout camp led by the militaristic Commander Pierce (Harvey Keitel), where they meet a fast-talking scout master played by the scene-stealing Jason Schwartzman. The adventures conceived by Anderson and co-writer Roman Coppola continue to intensify, escalating to the point where the only appropriate conclusion is an act of God...well, two acts of God.

As you can tell, Moonrise Kingdom is loaded with story though, amazingly, it never feels like it. The movie flies by breezily, filled with wonderful performances and the director's patented tonal palette, striking imagery, distinctive dialogue and eccentric characters.

Anderson's films often feel like cinematic equivalents of classic 20th century short fiction, and Moonrise Kingdom is no different. Though rather than John Cheever or Flannery O'Connor, Anderson is channeling Boy's Life by way of J.D. Salinger or S.E. Hinton. And while his usual affectations are in place (slow-motion passages and heavy-handed symbolism), Anderson's work feels less mannered than in previous efforts. His love affair with music of the past continues unabated, this time mining Hank Williams and Benjamin Britten in lieu of his beloved British Invasion bands.

I hate to sound like a movie critic, but Moonrise Kingdom is a grand, romantic triumph. Anderson has managed to capture and communicate all the feelings of blooming adolescence — the excitement, hope, confusion and despondency — so successfully that even his trademark air of twee melancholy can't squash them. And that, my friends, is an achievement in itself.