tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post9189280128119083379..comments2024-03-29T04:57:26.162-04:00Comments on John Kenneth Muir's Reflections on Cult Movies and Classic TV: CULT MOVIE REVIEW: Enemy Mine (1985)John Kenneth Muirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15629979615332893780noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post-82759860209684964012013-09-13T21:21:07.151-04:002013-09-13T21:21:07.151-04:00Really enjoyed this movie, especially the end when...Really enjoyed this movie, especially the end when Dennis Quaid character gets to have his name put in the lineage of his nephew. scribouillardsansnomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03247504770120388025noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post-59842431888598042162010-01-06T10:48:12.008-05:002010-01-06T10:48:12.008-05:00Reagrding the reason of Richard Loncraine's re...Reagrding the reason of Richard Loncraine's removal from Enemy Mine... I recall reading an interview with, I think, a friend of Loncraine's who alleged he was replaced because he discovered a studio high-up was stealing from the production.<br />I'd love to see the Iceland shot version. They built a full size earth fighter on top of a truck chassis for the crash scene which was meant to drive through a trench and come to a halt whereupon Quaid would leap out of the cockpit, in one continuous shot.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post-24564809622994932232009-12-15T13:47:53.966-05:002009-12-15T13:47:53.966-05:00I've heard that the reason why the third act h...I've heard that the reason why the third act has a mine filled with bad guys is because film executives were worried that viewers would spend the entire movie wondering where the enemy mine was.<br /><br />So they threw in a mine filled with bad guys. Get it? <br /><br />-Darren MacLennanAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post-35347887127201046872009-12-12T15:07:25.892-05:002009-12-12T15:07:25.892-05:00They had shot parts of it in Iceland before bootin...They had shot parts of it in Iceland before booting off the director and going with Wolfgang Peterson who had a different view of how things should look like, the design for an example.<br /><br />So the production was moved to Germany or something like that.Jósef Karlhttp://www.myspace.com/josefkarlnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post-84488138796744965752009-12-11T19:20:07.791-05:002009-12-11T19:20:07.791-05:00Very interesting comments, all.
Anonymous: I tota...Very interesting comments, all.<br /><br />Anonymous: I totally agree with you about the impressive nature of the film's visuals, and I think that Drac's make-up (especially around the mouth...) looks pretty good in motion; maybe not as good in stills.<br /><br />Jake: Wow! You have done a really great job stating your case about the slavers and their efficacy in the story. I have to admit: you have persuaded me with your eloquence and ideas! The notion that Davidge is confronting the equivalent of his earlier, prejudiced self, is one that hadn't occurred to me, but which tracks well and is a legitimate reading of the film. Wow. Thank you for that; I love it when someone gives me the key to re-interpreting a film, and you have done just that. Kudos. <br /><br />And Le0pard13: You are absolutely right about the context of the WWII conflict, and that quote by Ambrose is on-the-money. In terms of Enemy Mine, I think you are also right to state that it is a softer or more upbeat comment than Hell in the Pacific. And in Enemy Mine -- if anything -- it is the human, Davidge who is seen as the aggressor more often, not the surrogate for the Japanese, Jeriba.<br /><br />Thanks for all your great comments about this fascinating film.John Kenneth Muirhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15629979615332893780noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post-80499329756187451642009-12-11T18:28:39.189-05:002009-12-11T18:28:39.189-05:00John, your review is an interesting comparative an...John, your review is an interesting comparative analysis of <i>Enemy Mine</i> and the great <i>Hell in the Pacific</i> film from 1968. And it's an apt one, I think. That particular theater (my father fought in it) was really quite brutal in its warfare, and I think it made <i>HitP</i> such a thoughtful film with its wary counterpoint to it. I always remember how historian Stephen Ambrose once described the Japanese-American war in WWII:<br /><br />"<i>From beginning to end, the Japanese-American war was waged with a barbarism and a racial hatred that was staggering in scope, savage almost beyond belief and catastrophic in consequence.</i>"<br /><br />Relating it to EM's plot does make a good case for the parallel to HitP, history, and war itself. That opening scene certainly conveys that. IIRC, Enemy Mine's conclusion is more hopeful than Hell in the Pacific's. And that could be related to the passage of time. EM's filmmakers grew up during a period where Japan was always seen as an ally, and not just a former enemy. A very contemplative post, JKM. Thanks for this.le0pard13https://www.blogger.com/profile/09421175808461787862noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post-15590542888963946072009-12-11T17:01:46.071-05:002009-12-11T17:01:46.071-05:00There's too many good things to say about this...There's too many good things to say about this movie. I disagree with you about the last third of the film, I interpret the rescue mission and 2 dimensional bad guys as a reflection on the the shallow perception of the enemy first held by Davidge and Jeriba at the beginning of the film. The nameless faceless enemy is simply objectified, and after Davidge's experiences with Jerry he overcomes them and has to go out in the world and deal with those who are who he used to be. He's fighting himself and the shallowness he used to embrace in good conscience. <br /><br />Like the previous commenter I think if the film were released today it would be mired in political correctness probably less about war and more about the acceptance of gay marriage and validity of gays raising children. Not that there aren't good stories to tell involving a post-gender society (or a modern retelling of Hell in the Pacific/Enemy Mine), but it would be difficult to hit it's mark in today's political climate. Zerophilia is a good example of such an idea that ended up failing to live up to it's potential by leaning towards romantic comedy rather than sci-fi drama.Jake Lockleynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post-23399376039416562492009-12-11T15:44:22.642-05:002009-12-11T15:44:22.642-05:00It's nice to see a thoughtful review for this ...It's nice to see a thoughtful review for this generally overlooked film. 'Enemy Mine' is one of those films that looks much better on the big screen (I saw it back in theaters in '85). I don't agree with the 'Times' review. The film, especially the sets, looked very impressive on the big screen. One thing was distracting. The makeup for the Drac looks rather incomplete around Gosset's mouth (the hole in the face mask seems poorly integrated with the mouth). Maurice Jarre's score is quite beautiful in some of the quieter scenes. Kids in '85 probably weren't familar with the story's similarity to 'Hell in the Pacific', though Galactica 1980's "Return of Starbuck" would come to mind for many sci-fi fans. <br /><br />Also, if the film came out today, many would slam it for 'pushing' a politically correct message. Unfortunate.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com