The Jamaican Cinematic Experience: My Experience with the now defunct Odeon Cineplex in Mandeville or how did that movie reel end up at the back of a bus?

(image courtesy of panoramio.com)

The Odeon Cineplex in Mandeville, Manchester, once owned and managed by the Palace amusement Co., is defunct having closed  September 2,  2014. I had several experiences with that now defunct establishment because I travel to Manchester quite often.  In Manchester the cool town of Mandeville is the most prominent. It has a university in the form of NCU (Northern Caribbean University), a strong real estate sector as it is a destination where many people (local and foreign) choose to settle,  a vibrant commercial and retail sector  and the town once benefitted significantly from the operations of the bauxite companies such as Windalco,  Alpart and Jamalco. Bauxite operations in Manchester are now closed for the time being since 2009 following the global economic recession in 2008. There has been news that  Alpart is slowly resuming operations as there was a reported shipment of  bauxite ore in September 2015 from Port Kaiser in the parish of St. Elizabeth. The end of operations by the bauxite companies significantly affected the earning capacity of many individuals in the town of Mandeville that depended on the investment made by these companies in the exploring, mining and processing of bauxite and alumina ore. The establishment of the Odeon Cinema in Mandeville from the 1950s also coincided with the increased bauxite production in Manchester that began during the same period. The Odeon cinema closed in 1998 and was reopened in 2003 with the name Odeon Cineplex under the management of the Palace Amusement Co. which was responsible for subsidizing its operations. (Info on Odeon  courtesy of reports in The Jamaica Observer August 31 &22, 2014 and June 14, 2012).

Well after 11 years of operations the Odeon Cineplex is now defunct.  There are several reasons as to why this is. From 2012 the management of Odeon Cineplex, according to  a report in The Jamaica Observer, were bemoaning that the increase in DVD piracy was beginning to significantly affect its operations. I already discussed illegal DVDs in my previous post when it comes to the Jamaican cinematic experience and it is clear that this could not be the only reason. The Odeon Cineplex had 2 movie screens  each capable of  seating up to 400 people. They assumed that with the rise of DVD sales they were no longer  able to fill the seats but what about the other side of the coin.  Movie prices in Jamaica have increased particularly as a lot of films are in 3D and you don’t really have a choice because of the limited capacity of the cinema houses. The increase in movie prices means that a lot of average citizens started to settle for the 2 for 1 special (I discussed this earlier). The other nights would be attractive only if a massive blockbuster film was being screened. The increase in movie prices coupled with the closure of bauxite operations did more to affect Odeon Cineplex than DVD piracy although it’s not clear from the report in The Jamaica Observer how they measured the increase in ILLEGAL DVD SALES apart from some prosecutions. The managing director of Palace Amusement Co. , Douglas Graham, acknowledged the effects of the closure of the bauxite industry alongside DVD piracy but did not mention the steady increase in movie prices that made a lot of people incapable or uncomfortable spending that kind of money to watch a movie. As Palace Amusement Co. releases films mostly in 3D the cost for an adult is now JM$ 1350.    With a seating capacity of 400 seats for each movie screen the Odeon Cineplex could not compete with illegal DVD sales and a parish reeling from the effects of the global economic recession.  It is also very clear that the movies they offered at one time were quite limited or 2 at a time. With DVD piracy Palace Amusement was competing with films that were never even released in Jamaica. Graham said that it was  ‘something of a mystery’ why Odeon could not attract enough people as it was located in the supposed centre of the town  on Caledonia road. It was a mystery although he previously stated that it was due to the effects of the closure of the bauxite industry and the increase in DVD piracy. Strange much.

The reality is that the increase in DVD piracy is a reflection of the state of the Jamaican economy which has a low per capita income. Graham was bemoaning the decline in the midst of a general downturn in the economy. The economy was not growing and with the closure of the bauxite industries one could not expect Mandeville to cope as well. People love to go to the movies regardless of DVD piracy but they have to feel that it’s worth the cost.  Most people would prefer to watch it on the big screen than on the roadside or in their living rooms unless they have a major private entertainment centre. It makes you wonder how Palace Amusement will compete once more films are released through Netflix before they go to DVD. Netflix has already started and one expects that more films will be released through it in the coming years. It’s good business for film studios. Regardless of private entertainment issues the Palace Amusement Co. just could not compete with the downturn in the Jamaican economy. It missed the boat in terms of improving its product offerings in order to attract people especially the young. The closure of Odeon Cineplex was hardly talked about in the streets only the activity when they were pulling the place apart. No one in Mandeville misses it at the moment. It did not establish itself as a force to attract people from all around.  Instead of bemoaning increased DVD piracy they could have done more  to fill the 400 seat capacity for both movie screens. As I mentioned before they have some rigid ideals when it comes to pricing. They are not very flexible apart from the 2 for 1 special which, in my opinion, should be available at least 4 times a week.  Palace Amusement Co. is a retail company for an industrial product in a  poor agrarian economy. You have to be really up there with your marketing.

The main issue is how to convince the populace that watching movies with you are better than the  cheaper alternative.  They should have gone all out to promote their product. They probably should have made 3D a special screening event instead of the basis for increasing revenue. Just saying that apart from the 2 for 1 there are other things they could have done to attract people. Palace amusement Co. does not even have a televised advertisement on local television. They don’t even have posters throughout the towns in which they operate. They just assume that by setting up a movie house then people will come in droves. This is not the 20^th century.  Instead, in regard to Odeon, they bemoaned the increase in DVD piracy and wondered at the mystery of their inability to attract despite placing themselves in the supposed centre of town. Most people that come from the surrounding rural communities to Mandeville do not shop in that area on Caledonia road. They go to the public hospital instead.  The upper and higher income groups do a lot of spending in that area not the lower income groups. So how big a statement was Odeon making when it placed itself in what was considered a central location in the town. Did they want to attract the well to do and not the people with lower incomes? For a lot of people in the rural districts of Manchester Mandeville is 30-40 minutes away. Can you say taxi fare$ which also increased over the same period when Graham was bemoaning the effects of DVD piracy.  The lower income groups rely more on DVD piracy than the well to do. Another main issue is that instead of jumbling everyone into a perfect whole the management of  Palace Amusement Co.  should have acknowledged the class distinctions. What was the management of Odeon doing to attract the lower income groups that became more reliant on DVD piracy? Doesn’t seem like they were doing much.  And why weren’t the upper and middle income groups supporting the product with such enthusiasm since  Odeon was located in the supposed centre of Mandeville? I am sure they could afford to support it. Just saying that it’s ‘something of a mystery’.

Well my experience with Odeon is quite limited. The first film I watched there was Batman Begins (2005) and the last film I watched at Odeon was Man of Steel (2013). In terms of the interior design it was not very good when compared with other cinemas in Kingston which are also under the management of Palace Amusement Co. It had a very dry look,  bright lights (100 watt bulbs) highlighting  the walls painted gray. It looked like a rudimentary set up. ‘Just watch the movie on the big screen and go home,’ they seemed to be saying with that look. Oh the burden of private enterprise.   The last time I went there the equipment kept malfunctioning causing several delays while watching the film. They also took forever to start. Much worse in that regard when compared with those in Kingston. It seemed like they were waiting for more people to arrive so they wouldn’t miss the start of the movie. I had to go and ask why it was taking so long to start and I consider myself to be fairly patient. Their response was the typical Jamaican ‘Soon come’.  It means that not much was happening for them at the time.

One thing that does standout in my experience was the moment I saw a movie reel  in a metallic case at the back of a country bus I was travelling in that was going to Mandeville. I don’t remember the title but it was an animated film.  I overheard the driver saying that he was delivering  it to Mandeville.  I know nothing of the arrangement and to this day it remains ‘something of a mystery’. It makes you wonder if this was a regular practice for transferring movie reels from Kingston to Mandeville. Was Odeon really that underfunded that they hired bus drivers to transport movie reels? Was it a hint of corruption? How did Palace Amusement Co. account for this movie reel in the back of country bus? I found it amazing and amusing and it fit well with the destitute look of Odeon. ‘Just watch the movie on the big screen and go home.'

Straight Outta Compton ****/5: A pretty good film but i had issues with some of the glaring biases in the film.

(photo courtesy of forbes.com)

Well I finally watched Straight Outta Compton and it was a pretty good film. I already knew the story and so I was not in a rush to watch the fictional or more dramatic version. The fictional or dramatic versions of real live events are always exaggerated and biased and dilute the reality of the original situation. This is why it’s good to have many films on the same subject in some cases. The exaggeration and biases in Straight Outta Compton are very evident in the film.  There are still some very strong  moments in this film that capture the reality of life in the streets and emphasize the power of having street knowledge. 

This film is about the rise and fall of the pioneering hip hop group N.W. A (Niggers with Attitude). The members of the group were the late Eazy E, Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, MC Ren and DJ Yella. Their album ‘Straight Outta Compton’ put gangsta rap on map in a big way with such controversial hits as ‘Fuck tha Police’. It also reflected the harsh reality of street life and shows how unprepared some people in the mainstream media were for this kind of music.

Positives

The primary positive in this film was the first half when the group is formed in the harsh streets of Compton and South Central , Los Angeles. There is a very realistic edge in these early moments that showed to some extent how street life formed the basis for the birth of gangsta rap music as we know it and how it was geared for mass consumption as opposed to just remaining in the underground.  This allowed it to reach a mass audience in the United States and highlighted the violent activities of street life experienced by  a lot of members in the impoverished black communities throughout the United States. I listened to the album and it was a fairly good listen.  I also read some of the reviews by the critics at the time and one made an important point when he said that the album might celebrate the violence and bravado required for survival in the streets but there is little room for introspection.  That is pretty accurate for as gangsta rap matured more introspective songs were made about how black people in the communities were impacted by the violence of street life. NWA pioneered gangsta rap as a club banging experience. This allowed it to reach a mass audience and once the dollars started rolling in, as a result of increased record sales, who can really complain. If people in the market are buying then N.W.A’s  music must have had some social relevance because it affected or reflected the perception of some people, especially black people.   Classic albums like The Chronic, Doggystyle and All Eyez on Me, also benefitted from the inroads made by the album Straight Outta Compton.  I just mentioned those albums and I’m sure that other albums were influenced by the N.W.A album.  So how the album came together was very interesting especially the hit song ‘Fuck tha Police’ which was the most controversial one on the record.  One could understand, based on the group’s early experiences, how their harsh experience with police officers gave birth to the song.

The intensity of the first half of the film made the birth of gangsta rap as an art form very believable but there are still some significant biases.

There is also some relevant historical material in this film although it’s a bit choppy in the 2^nd half. Some of this material included the reasons for the breakup of the group starting with Ice Cube’s departure as he was rightly frustrated with manager Jerry Heller and Eazy E. Ice Cubes departure led to a musical confrontation between himself and his former group members still in the N.W.A. The famous track ‘No Vaseline’ was Cube’s response to N.W.A’s diss track ‘100 miles and running’.   The film also shows the role played by Suge Knight in getting Dre off his contract with Eazy E’s Ruthless records and how the partnership between Suge and Dre  led to the formation of Deathrow records. Dre then leaves Deathrow to form the company Aftermath. We also see Eazy E’s tragic  battle with Aids, ‘but I aint no faggot.’

The acting in this film is pretty good and the direction by F. Gary Gray is assured for the most part especially for the first half of the film when the group had all 5 members.

Negatives

The film is clearly biased in many regards especially when one considers the portrayal of Eazy E, Dre and Ice Cube. At times I thought the film dragged because it tried to spend time on the careers of Dre and Cube after they split from N.W.A and the thin material did not justify so much time being spent. Did the film really have to get into the Deathrow  saga just so  Dre could man up and say  he is leaving to form Aftermath? What did that have to do with the impact of the record Straight Outta Compton? By the 2^nd half of the film these personalities are treated as holy figures that are always in the right. In order to make Eazy E’s death more palatable a lot of false reconciliations are made. For instance I find it hard to believe that Eazy E was planning a major comeback for N.W.A by reuniting with Cube and Dre even though his last record, released after his death, had a lot of disses  aimed at Dre. I am not saying it is false  that Eazy E was planning to reunite N.W.A without Jerry Heller;  I am just saying I find it hard to believe. I find it hard to believe because he was portrayed in such a special light towards the end. It just felt that a lot of realistic elements were missing. I never knew Eazy fell out with Jerry towards the end but would that necessarily lead to the group being reunited. Something is missing here.  Dre is portrayed as a saint as well despite his history of domestic abuse. We see Suge Knight portrayed as the devil but I find it hard to believe that Dre was so blind to what Suge was capable of. After all he was a security guard trained in enforcement. After Ice Cube’s diss track there is nothing of note in regards to the group. If they were not prepared to delve into the other album’s released by N.W. A why just Straight Outta Compton since they focus on the careers of Dre and Cube after they left the group.  The film would have been stronger if it just focused on N.W. A and how the group fell apart or just focus on the impact of the album itself.  It did not have to go into so much detail about Cube and Dre’s careers after they left. It could have been mentioned but not emphasized so much. After awhile the film was not about the N.W.A but about ruthless records. The emphasis on the impact that the album had is lost by the 2^nd half. The 2^nd half makes for good dramam because of Eazy E’s death although he was no saint also.  The movie was stretched thin towards the end even with the portrayal of Eazy E’s final days.  By then the writers were trying to make too many U turns and corrections.  Just by focusing on the impact of the album and its immediate aftermath then the film would have been stronger in my opinion.

It also makes you wonder about the reality of the situation because although a man like Suge seems reprehensible today brute force was clearly a tactic that was required in the early days of gangsta rap because it was a struggle for power.  Dre sided with Suge for a reason and so trying to highlight that Suge pistol whipped someone for parking in his customary space doesn’t really say much apart from painting Suge in a negative light. Yes what he did on that occasion was reprehensible but what does it say about how close gangsta rap was to the streets of Compton and South central Los Angeles. It wasn’t really just the personalities involved. So Dre excused himself although the foundation for his success was due to his connections with the streets. Others didn’t excuse themselves as they progressed but that does not mean that brute force wasn’t required in the early days. Suge just embodied that aspect of it. It seems reprehensible because rap is now a more mature art form.  Now you can rap without trying to gain street credibility. You can do collaborations with Justin Bieber , Katy Perry, Taylor Swift etc and not worry about your street or hardcore image. Doing a collaboration with Bieber is a good thing because it will be a hit record and the dollars will start pouring in. One can now rely on rapping solely as an art form without having to gain street credibility. You can rap about the birds and the trees once it can make money. Gangsta rap is just one aspect of rapping nowadays whereas before, as a result of N.W.A, Gangsta rap was  the dominant force in rap. At the time when gangsta rap was the dominant force money still did not come as easily and the dispute over contracts in the film is a clear indicator of that. You could go broke very easily in those days. Selling millions of records was not a guarantee for monetary success. This is why the fight for control of these resources was  crucial and the film did not emphasize that enough. We see Ice Cube trash the office of a white executive but could he take that chance with a man like Suge Knight without serious repercussions. A man so close to hardcore street life.

Another element of bias was how the album was presented in the film. I expected to hear about how more of the tracks were conceived but emphasis was placed primarily on ‘Fuck that Police’. It excused the filmmakers from showing the other side of gangsta rap that has to do with the glorification of violence or black on black crime. I didn’t see enough instances about black on black violence and why N.W.A decided to promote this lifestyle instead of being more introspective. Could it be that because some members were so close to the streets that they saw the gangsters as powerful figures as they tormented their fellow citizens? Why side with the gangsters and not with the people being killed by the gangsters? When they say it is their reality that is false unless they are gangsters themselves? There are those in the black communities that are not too accepting of gangsters or the gangster lifestyle.  So I would have liked to understand more about why these rappers sided with glamourizing the gangster lifestyle which is a ruthless one and is responsible for a lot of black on black crime. Would the Dre of today rap about killing a nigga because he gave him attitude?  I think not.  So the film did not explore why people, even in the poor  communities, would have a problem with gangsta rap. Why is celebrating black on black crime a good thing? This is why when they portray Dre as being so incensed with the activities of Suge Knight it comes across as false since a lot of the songs that he produced in those days celebrated that kind of behavior. Was the reality eventually too much for Dre to bear? Did it finally dawn on him that black on black violence is not such a good thing after all? So demonizing Suge Knight  achieves nothing especially if gangsta rap is promoting or glorifying violence especially black on black crime. Maybe we should be glad that gangsta rap is not such a dominant force in rap and we can look forward to rappers collaborating with Justin Bieber. It seems that Suge Knight was the scapegoat in the film in order to excuse the writers from addressing the real issues.  Eazy E was prepared to kill Suge Knight and it shows that Suge’s behavior in the film was the norm. Eazy E just had to be the better man. So how close was gangsta rap to street life? The film should have addressed that issue some more apart from the track ‘Fuck tha police’.

It was a tough time and instead of accepting that some of the protagonists embraced  some aspects of the gangsta lifestyle they are portrayed as saints who went straight outta Compton to Riverside. Right Ice Cube.  Let’s just imagine that N.W.A’s album was not a  major  mainstream success and still remained in the underground. How reprehensible would Suge Knight’s behavior seem when everyone would be competing for the music product just like  they compete for drugs. That normally ends in violence.  That’s why Eazy E was prepared to kill Suge Knight. If he did kill Suge Knight who would have missed him? It’s the way of the streets.

Why I have been thinking about Total Recall (1990).

This is one example of the attention to detail in Total Recall. Here we see the two moons of Mars, Phobos and Deimos (Image courtesy of scifi.stackexchange.com)

I have been thinking about Total Recall (1990)-- starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and directed by the great Paul Verhoeven--  a lot recently and its place among the greats of sci-fi. When some critics and regular movie goers mention the great sci-fi films the typical films are mentioned such as Star Wars,  Blade Runner, Alien, Aliens, 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Matrix. After recently watching Total Recall  a couple of times  I now hold the opinion that it should be spoken of when one considers the other great sci-fi films. Technically and philosophically it may not be as profound as Blade Runner or 2001… or as groundbreaking in terms of action like The Matrix but it certainly represents the bridge or the link between the great sci-fi films such as Blade Runner and the more modern ones such as The Matrix. Jonathan Rosenbaum, from the Chicago Reader, rightly states that the film found its own niche in the dystopian concept that was developed for Blade Runner. This made Total Recall less derivative and superficial than the immediate successors to Blade Runner. Just like Blade Runner,  Total Recall was based on a novel by Philip K. Dick. If one were to use the strict criteria for greatness then Total Recall won’t fit the bill for a lot of people but appearances might be deceiving because the film moves forward at a high pace and barely stops for breath. A lot of its unique qualities can be missed and it would be easy for some people to dismiss it and call it just a very good action film. All of its more important contributions to sci-fi, however, are quite clear in the moments when it takes a breather from all the gunfire. As I will briefly highlight there is a reason why this film was an important stepping stone in sci-fi and this is due not just to the special effects and make up but to the thematic elements that had a significant impact on the sci-fi films that succeeded it.

Firstly, Total Recall is great because it makes one of the first serious attempts to question the nature of reality. The scene when the doctor appears at Quaid’s (Arnold) room door at the Hilton hotel in  Mars to try and convince him that he is living out his fantasy strapped to a chair in the company called Recall is very influential. He offers Quaid a red pill to swallow as it is a  symbol of his desire to return to reality. A red pill? What does that remind you of? Of course, that moment in The Matrix when Morpheus gives Neo  a choice between the red pill and the blue pill. If Neo takes the blue pill he stays in the matrix but if he takes the red pill it will make it easier for Morpheus to track him and release his body and mind from the fantasy that is the matrix. If only he took the blue pill. In Total Recall it is a more meaningless gesture or a symbol. It was probably just a pill to put him into a deep sleep in order for the agency to start over with Quaid by having him forget the recent events.

There are also a lot of questions to be asked regarding the role played by Hauser the man who the agency brainwashed into thinking that he was Douglas Quaid. Was it an elaborate ruse? Who is the true individual, Hauser or Quaid? As Kuato said ‘You are what you do.’ When Mars is freed from bondage Quaid has a terrible thought that he is dreaming. Melina sets him straight by saying ‘Kiss me before you wake up.’  Sort of reminds me of the ending for Inception (2010). With all that went on before you do have to wonder if Quaid really was dreaming all along or just acting out his ego trip, strapped to a chair in Recall. This film does find a way to make you question the reality of the situation and that is a major achievement. The scene with Quaid, his fake wife Lori and the doctor in a hotel on Mars is a scene that truly gets you thinking when you watch it for the first time.  In fact it all starts when Quaid decides to go to Recall and experience Mars as a dream and ego trip and becomes the basis for his reality to be questioned. This film really does play with the idea that things are not what they seem. It just  goes to show how effective the villain, Cohagen, was in keeping Quaid in a sort of mental bondage. Quaid’s life was thrown into so much turmoil that when he does get a taste of freedom he has to wonder if he is dreaming or not.  We know Quaid isn’t dreaming because the perspective and motivation of the other characters in the film is quite clear. Quaid couldn’t imagine all of that. The film does make you think just like Blade Runner did when you questioned whether or not Deckard was a replicant. Total Recall goes one step further by making this an explicit element in the film. It’s not as subtle as Blade Runner but more practical as this element drives the story onwards. Probably because it’s not as subtle this film does not appear as profound but its explicit nature does make it profound. ‘Open your mind to me.’

Secondly, the colonization of Mars is another great element in Total Recall. In films like Blade Runner we are made aware of the colonies established by America on other planets but we never actually see how they operate. The replicants that escaped from the planetary colonies to earth paint a tale of massive exploitation and degradation akin to slave labour. Obviously that was not the focus of Blade Runner and it was enough that they mentioned that there were planetary colonies. These planetary colonies were valuable as a result of the wealth of raw materials available for extraction. This is the case when most colonies are formed. They are established as a means to extract whatever resources are available for the benefit of the colonizers. Little attention is paid to developing colonies internally as they only serve a particular purpose that involves raw material extraction. In Total Recall the fundamentals established in Blade Runner also apply but in this case we actually witness how a planetary colony operates. In this case the planet that is colonized is Mars and the raw material that is extracted and forms the basis for rudimentary development of the colony is Turbinium. We know the  extraction of turbinium is important for the Mars colonization project although it’s not clear what  for  exactly. It’s just a fictional element that will make colonization justifiable in the film. The great reactor built by aliens is also made of turbinium. So I am guessing that it’s a very strong metal and probably laid the foundation for the construction of infrastructure on Mars.

The extreme degradation suffered by the working class groups that mine the precious metal is evident when Quaid, Melina and the traitor Benny are trying to escape from Cohagen’s armed forces. While fleeing through the underground caves they stumble upon the graves of the first or early settlers on Mars. These settlers worked themselves to death for peanuts while Cohagen made all the profits on the back of their labour power.  The operational capacity of the Mars colony is structured around the extraction of the Turbinium metal ore.  Domes are established in order to keep out the elements that can cause significant harm to humans. This is made evident in the film when several individuals exposed to the environment experience literal eye popping moments. A lot of activities on the Mars colony take place underground which makes people further removed from the atmosphere.  The atmosphere is red and this provides a significant visual context for the film and affects how we perceive the colony.  We all know Lori hates the dry, ugly planet of Mars.

There is also the  creation of a class of mutants in the Mars colony. The mutants, being a product of the Mars colony, are some of its core settlers and comprise a large portion of the resistance movement that challenges Cohagen’s rule.  The addition of this mutant element is significant and makes the colonization effort seem more believable in the film. These mutants are grotesque for the most part (apart from the 3 breasted woman) and it is made clear that the creation of this class of mutants was as a result of the cheap domes that allowed some of the harmful elements in the atmosphere to filter through. The primary positive that comes with the creation of this mutant class is the group of psychics. The psychics are all mutants including the leader Kuato, ‘open your mind to me’.  Kuato is a very powerful psychic.

The colonization effort on Mars is run by the villainous Cohagen who maintains a tight grip on the operations of the Martian colony especially the flow of turbinium and air. He is challenged by the rebels that are largely made up of mutants and who want to see Mars freed from his tyranny.  Quaid becomes important because he has a secret stored away about the alien reactor found in the pyramid mine. It’s not clear if the pyramid mine is located in the great mountain of Mars, Olympus Mons.  It is clear that as Hauser Quaid was probably sympathetic to the rebel cause  because of his love for Melina, a member of the resistance who is not a mutant (It would have been very interesting and risky but probably more rewarding if Melina was a mutant).  Hauser’s sympathy for the resistance was probably the main reason  why the decision was taken to turn him into Quaid.  This part of the film is not really clear and is a topic for another discussion. While riding on a train on his “first” visit to Mars, however, Quaid speaks to a man who said that he used to work in the pyramid mine before they closed it down. He said they closed it down after they found that ‘alien shit’ inside.  It has now become a rumour but in reality access has been sealed off. The reactor was designed and constructed by aliens to melt the core of Mars which Is made up largely of ice. When this core melts then it will generate the necessary oxygen and other elements that will make it possible for the creation of an atmosphere that would make life hospitable on Mars. An atmosphere just like the one on earth.  With an atmosphere Cohagen would lose control because he can no longer control the flow of air. Air is a precious commodity on Mars; just like turbinium.

This alien reactor adds to the mystery of Mars. Why did they build it? Why didn’t the aliens turn it on? Did they build it just for us? Why did they leave the planet to go elsewhere? It is made clear that the structure is around  a  million years old. So maybe the aliens did use it but the core of ice built up again after they left. This mystery of the aliens is a very influential concept. In Interstellar (2014) some mysterious beings created a wormhole for human space explorers. This wormhole creates  a shortcut through space so that human explorers can  travel to other galaxies. Regular space travel to other galaxies is significantly much slower and somewhat implausible in our present context  when you consider that the closest galaxy is trillions of miles away.  The concept about great beings leaving behind these great structures for the benefit of humans was developed significantly in Total Recall.  Long before films like Interstellar.

When Quaid does turn on the reactor he frees Mars. This is significant when you consider that by freeing Mars the entire structure and mode of operations for Mars will be expanded. The flow of humans to Mars will expand the scope for development and the planet would slowly  lose the label that it is primarily a colony. Colonies thrive, and so eventually lose their tag, once the internal structures are developed along with the local market in order to make it a place of more permanent settlement. It loses the colonial makeup when its resources are utilized fully for its own development and not simply for the benefit of the colonizers that just want to extract raw materials with minimal investment in the local economic base.  The colonial economy is replaced by one where development of the economy is a priority in order to make it a place where people will want to settle on a more permanent basis. When people do decide to permanently settle somewhere then certain material conditions such as infrastructure, economic opportunities etc, have to be met. Colonies normally meet the basic requirements for some form of rudimentary settlement. This rudimentary settlement is geared towards the extraction of the colony’s resources and not its full scale development. Full scale development is normally the priority  in more settled and developed civilizations ‘No one on earth cares about what goes on up here.’ Cohagen never intended to develop Mars beyond the areas that required basic development in order for the turbinium to be extracted. The shackles of the colonial economy are removed  when all areas are developed in order to facilitate the growth of a citizenry or a group of people committed to settling in the area on a more permanent basis. In order for this to be achieved the resources (capital and labour) at the disposal of the colony have to be utilized in order to increase the production and circulation of commodities and to develop the local markets. A developed local market is one where capital investment and per capita incomes are high (people being sufficiently rewarded for the utilization of their labour). In other words a lot of people in the market have money that they are willing to spend on a wide range of products and services. There is also the development of a cultural base that encourages a sense of kinship among the citizenry. In the case of Mars this kinship is created by the cultural exchange between mutants and the human settlers. This encourages cooperation and the creation of a culture unique to Mars. Cohagen clearly does not care much for the plight of the working class groups which includes the mutants. It’s not clear how Mars develops once an atmosphere is created. It would certainly encourage a lot of investment and an increase in the population.

Another  reason why the Mars colony in Total Recall is a significant feature in sci-fi filmdom is that it puts our own solar system at the forefront. Our solar system should be used more as a source of imaginative undertakings for filmmakers. Only Mars and Saturn are really highlighted.  Too often in sci-fi films people travel to other galaxies to get some action or the beings from other galaxies come to us. In 2001… a trip is made to Jupiter and this makes for some interesting discoveries but these discoveries don’t have much to do with what we know about Jupiter. In Total Recall a significant effort is made to pay attention to the details of the planet that was known from the telescopic and satellite images at the time. In the film we see images of the valleys,  the mountains and the moons that actually exist. Obviously some liberty was taken in order to create the structure of the fictional colony. One can actually have a great sci-fi film without traveling to another galaxy. I am sure the alien element in Total Recall was added to keep up with the trend showcasing beings from other galaxies but the good thing is that the aliens are not present. It is up to the human settlers on Mars to make a difference. The principles of freedom vs. tyranny are fought on a more realistic basis regardless of the great alien artifact.

The attention to detail in Total Recall makes it the best sci-fi film about Mars. This film deserves its place among the greats of sci-fi for this reason alone. Other films about Mars that succeeded it like Red Planet and Mission to Mars were duds.  What made Total Recall such a success was that it didn’t approach Mars as this mysterious planet but one that was already colonized. The mysteries are there but with the planet already  colonized it  laid the basis for this colony to be freed from bondage. Not a mystery about a dead planet but how this mystery will benefit those already settled in the area and not a group of explorers that will be stunned by the magnificence of the mysteries at the core of the dead planet. There is a sense of urgency in Total Recall to free Mars from Cohagen’s iron fisted grip in order to repay the settlers that lived, died and fought for a better tomorrow. In the end it is rewarding when the reactor is turned on and an atmosphere is created. While the people benefit from the free air created when the reactor melts the ice at Mar’s core the planet is no longer considered a dead one. This is why Mars as a character is so well developed in this film. Before Quaid turns on the  reactor  the atmosphere of Mars was toxic and weak and the frozen core suggested that it can never be more than just a colony. When the reactor is finally turned on the dead planet is now reborn. No wonder Quaid thinks it’s just like a dream.

Well I will stop here but there might be a part 2 because I have been thinking about why this film is great. So far I have demonstrated that Total Recall is a very influential film that bridged the gap between the existential and meditative films like Blade Runner and 2001… and the more technically advanced ones like The Matrix, Inception, Interstellar etc. It existed primarily in the dystopic tradition developed by  Blade Runner but it created its own niche as a film about a quest for the freedom of a dead, colonized planet. It’s almost like a dream.

Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation ***½/5: A good action film and an improvement on Ghost Protocol, due to its more intricate story line, but still derivative and superficial in many areas.

(phtoto courtesy of comingsoon.net)

I watched Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation (MIRN) a couple weeks ago but did not bother to comment for two reasons. The first reason is that I was not impressed with the previous entry in the series Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. The second reason is that I watched Rogue Nation while I was a bit sleepy. I was in and out of sleep while watching this film in the cinema despite the loud explosions, crashes, fights and the reactions of various members of the audience. My sleepiness had nothing to do with the film because I was tired going into the film. Anyways the film is now a commercial and critical success and so my views won’t count for much (as if they ever did). I did watch enough of this film to know that it was an improvement on Ghost Protocol because it was more intricate and does raise some questions about the IMF organization.

The film is about a mysterious terrorist group called the Syndicate that seek to disrupt the world order and create a new one with targeted terrorist attacks. The IMF has been absorbed into the operations of the CIA and is now defunct with its members scattered throughout the bureaucracy or left to their own devices. Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) is now on the run but does use his resources to try to track down the syndicate and its leader and he is aided, somewhat by a beautiful woman, Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), whose intentions are never quite clear particularly as it is revealed that she is a British spy working undercover with the syndicate.

Positives

The primary positive of this film is that it is an improvement on Ghost Protocol. This is because the film is more intricate particularly when you’re dealing with so many mysterious figures. There are a lot of questions concerning the actual existence of the Syndicate. Normally when you do encounter them you end up dead or trapped. It adds a air of mystery particularly with the introduction of Ilsa whose motives aren’t always that clear.

I like that the very nature of the IMF is questioned in this film. I am still not convinced by the specialty of the organization itself but it does lay the groundwork for the impossible missions led by Ethan Hunt. This is why I was interested when the nature of the organization was questioned. Why was it not a branch of the CIA in the first place and why is it reliant on such a small crew of individuals? Obviously a large part of this film is about the IMF proving its credibility or salvaging its reputation. In order to do this it must expose the Syndicate and nab its leader. Easier said than done.

The action sequences kept me awake at times while I was nodding off and so they were pretty good. The sequences were still a bit generic and there were no genuine thrills for me. Nothing spectacular. That moment when Tom Cruise was hanging outside of an airplane as it is taking off was the closest the film came to generating a genuine thrill for me. It was a let down because it was designed to be a poster image. What follows after he hangs outside the door was pretty ordinary but they clearly wanted to start with a bang.

Rebecca Ferguson is a  beauty and brings a genuine allure or star quality as the leading female performer in the film.

Negatives

The superficiality of the IMF unit was exposed in this film and this begs the question as to why it is given this grand title yet is so easily disbanded. Is it an organization or just a group of individuals? The film does raise some issues regarding the trail of destruction left by the IMF but does not address how it is structured or its operational capacity. It seems like a flimsy organization and the redemption at the end should not have been enough to redeem it especially as it is so dependent on Ethan Hunt.  

There are a lot of intricacies in this film that are inconsequential such as the role played by Ilsa. While her intentions are not clear there is no reason why this is so. She just acts sometimes with no explanation in order to create an unnecessary air of mystery.  This is because we don’t get much of an insight into her character, especially her motivations.  There are other instances that are designed to give the syndicate this mysterious air although when everything is eventually explained it did not grab me. It seems like just enough for the film and so everything is easily resolved. It’s business as usual. The syndicate does provide a certain challenge but Ethan always seems in control and everything is neatly wrapped up for the next film in the series. Let’s see if this concept of the rogue nation makes enough money to merit a sequel. This series just relies on the next impossible mission.  There is not much of a connecting thread linking the many films in the series except impossible missions.  If that’s the case then I am justified in saying that this film is superficial. The story is pretty flimsy.  The filmmakers just have to do enough to make a mission seem impossible. Once the mission is completed then the film has nothing else to carry it through. The series will run out of gas pretty soon unless they can introduce some new characters and make them more permanent. A next generation of IMF stars.

The action sequences were very generic despite the fancy gadgets. I was not too impressed with the action sequences but they were good enough.