Guest Blogger: Gummi Bears Remembered

Arriving home late from work the other day, I walked in my door and saw something that warmed the winter chill. My son, Benji, was sitting still (a rarity!) staring intently at the television. And coming from the speakers was one of the most cherished sounds of my childhood; and it wasn’t the theme of Star Wars! I had to grin as I watched my son totally hypnotized by the favorite cartoon of my youth, giggling as the Gummi Bears bounced here and there and everywhere.

Disney’s Adventures of The Gummi Bears (VERY loosely based on the candy) was responsible for the Disney television carton boom of the late eighties and early nineties. With its success, Disney launched several franchises based on their established characters, including Tailspin (Jungle book), Duck Tails (Donald Duck’s family), Chip & Dale’s Rescue Rangers, Darkwing Duck (Ducktails spin-off), Goof Troop (Goofy), and many others. It’s amazing that the genesis of this boom was also the only show not based on a previous property.

Gummi Bears tells the story of the small remnant of a once great civilization of bears possessed of advanced technology and magical knowledge. Jealous of the Gummis, humanity chases the bears from their lands, banishing them to the islands of the sea. Some stay behind to watch and observe, but as time goes by, the descendants of these survivors forget many secrets of Gummi history. Deciding to rediscover Gummi history, the group of bears begins a quest of knowledge. A pretty impressive plot for a kid’s show!

I don’t remember my first exposure to Gummi Bears, but I do remember that I loved it. The mystery of a magical past, ancient tunnels and devices, secret rooms and passages: I lived for that stuff. Gummi Bears had such a rich back story, it made for wonderful storytelling and presented some really unique and new ideas. Based in a fantasy setting, but with real sci-fi elements, Gummi Bears was the perfect chew toy for a teething Geek. All the great stereotypes and elements were there: monsters, a ruthless (though stupid) bad guy, magic, knights, ancient technology of a lost civilization, and a super cool secret base for the heroes.

Above all though, the Gummis were a family and a group of heroes. They fought to save the local humans constantly, and befriended several. Each Gummi had a distinct personality, and all served their roles. While the 80’s did have their influence, Gummi Bears was a strong, well-written, and extremely positive cartoon, especially for its time.

When I saw it on DVD a few years ago, I grabbed it purely out of nostalgia. When I rewatched it, I realized that I apparently had really great taste as a kid because the show was just as good as I remembered. So to see my son watching it now, absolutely transfixed, despite the technology and highly refined shows of today, made me want to leap with joy. Sure, every parent wants to share their interests and loves with their children, but for me, this was something more.

Gummi Bears is one of those truly wonderful relics from my youth, and I believe one of the most influential. Gummi Bears taught me that imagination was powerful, each individual was special, and the past is a fantastic source of knowledge. It was my gateway to a world of imagination and wonder that has held me captive to this very day. While there are parts of my life I’d never wish on my son (such as being a geek in high school… brrrr), I’m excited for him at the same time. He’s discovering something precious, and he’s in a place where he can savor it. And, he’s getting it from a source that I trust and return to every so often myself.

--Mike Cherniske

Great Adorable Grumpy Old Guys

Fish (from Barney Miller): Fish is the ultimate ham. He complains about his health, his wife, and having to retire but never in a whiny way and, oddly enough, never in a way that leads you to think he doesn't actually adore his wife. One of my favorite lines from Fish is when he snaps, "Get away from me" at someone who is being particularly intrusive, such as Wojo. He really is the ultimate grumpy old guy who, no matter how grumpy he gets, you know has a heart of gold (and Barney Miller is not a sentimental type show). Plus, he looks great in a gun.

Adam (from Law & Order): The D.A. of NYC, Adam is the guy who says it like it is. He is also the guy who waves his hands in exasperation when Stone wants to do something risky. Like Brass on CSI, he has a roguish twinkle and sardonic tone that keeps him detached and amused even when he is prophesying doom.

Luger (from Barney Miller): Luger is the raspy-voiced Deputy Inspector who shows up to complain about modern life versus the good old days. His delivery (of some downright outrageous lines) is so deadpan, he always brings down the house. Luger reminds me of Eugene's description: "an aging cold warrior adapting to modern times but not leaving the past behind," a supporting character who keeps a show from veering off into "a mush of shallow moralizing with strawman opponents."

Ducky (from NCIS): Ducky (played by David McCallum who, oddly enough, doesn't look all that different from his Illya Kuryakin character despite the gap in years) isn't really grumpy. With that great accent and gentlemanly kindliness--not to mention all those interesting stories--he is absolutely adorable! However, he can be deadpan sardonic. Ducky represents old guy wisdom while Gibbs represents middle-aged guy terseness. Ducky is what happens when old guys accept that they are old guys.

Lionel Hardcastle (from As Time Goes By): Lionel is grumpiness personified. He is also a die-hard romantic (as so many grumpy heroes seem to be!). He's rather pessimistic but not as misanthropic as the very funny Dr. Becker. Lionel actually quite likes people, and he's very happy in his life--just so long as he can be grumpy about it now and again.

Dr. McCoy (from Oh, You Know): A decade older than Nimoy or Shatner, DeForest Kelly took on the role of grumpy old doctor who becomes the guy everyone goes to for advice. Sure, he complains ("I'm a doctor, not a therapist") but secretly he would hate it if he wasn't the voice of down-to-earth commonsense. In my opinion, Karl Urban did a decent job adopting that role.

James Earl Jones as the grumpy Darth Vader, the supposedly grumpy neighbor in Sandlot, and the grumpy writer in Field of Dreams ("Back, back, you're from the sixties!"). That gruff, melodic baritone is just so cool, it's hard to ever see Jones' characters as anything but attractive. I wouldn't be surprised if James Earl Jones was singly responsible for Darth Vader's redemption.

I should mention Doctor Sloan from Diagnosis Murder. Dick Van Dyke is the antithesis of grumpy old guy. Still, he is a treat to watch, and he can play grumpy old guy if he is really pushed to it.

And representative of young-guy-who-will-grow-up-to-be-an-adorable-grumpy-old-guy: Rodney McKay.

Guest Blogger: Mike Discusses Westerns Re-Imagined

Recently, probably after watching the new 3:10 to Yuma, I became kinda/sorta obsessed with Westerns.  As a kid I found them long and boring, and my tolerance for older looking movies was even lower than it is now.  But now that I'm older, I find I appreciate the slower pace and the greater importance of character in the story.  In a Western, nearly EVERYTHING is character driven--which is really cool after the last few years of big budget special effect juggernaut movies.

In the last couple of months, I've broadened my experience with Westerns, and I've realized something I never really knew: I've always loved Westerns. Some of my favorite movies, books, comics, and even the odd video game or two, are Westerns.  They’ve just been disguised so well you would never know.  

The Western isn't dead--it has adapted. The "Old West" doesn't exist anymore, so the Western now looks either back or forward.  And forward, especially in post-apocalyptic settings, is where the ground is most fertile. 

Here are five movies you might never suspect of being Westerns:

Serenity:  Based on Joss Whedon’s Firefly, Serenity was written and shot as a Western in space.  One can be distracted by the very prevalent sci-fi elements.   Despite these elements, Serenity would not be a very different movie if you removed them completely. 

Many of the Western staples are there: the ruthless man for hire, the out-of-place big city doctor, and the spiritually disillusioned Civil War veteran (who served on the losing side, of course).  The costumes are VERY Western as is the choice of weaponry: bullet-shooting guns (charmingly reminiscent of the Old West) instead of blasters or lasers.  The television series went out of its way to create Western scenery and situations with set design and costumes so accurate, if you watch a few minutes at a time, you’d have no idea there was a spaceship parked out back.

Serenity, however, did put the sci-fi first, bringing together all the action and adventure that such a movie can offer. But that didn’t stop the crew of Serenity starting the movie with an old-fashioned bank heist. The theme of the movie itself also works on both the Western and sci-fi levels: Freedom. Freedom to live, to work, to exist without being controlled, or monitored, which was the point of the Old West after all. 

Kill Bill Vol. 2: The second and final part of what is in reality a four hour movie, Vol. 2 shares a little more backstory of the Bride, revealing her training, her name, the moment her friends betrayed her, and her final confrontation with Bill. 

While the first movie is a bloody, violent homage to samurai movies, Vol. 2 is a tribute to Spaghetti Westerns, even sporting music reminiscent of the “Dollars Trilogy.”  Most of the dialog and plot of the bigger story is contained in this second part, helping to create a slower-paced, more character-driven story. 

The Bride is your classic “man with no name” character, back seemingly from the dead to have her revenge.  She must hunt down and kill each member of her old crew, and each confrontation is memorable and wonderfully paid off.  The movie even moves the action to Western locales with the Bride visiting El Paso and Mexico. The musical moments, I think, are the biggest element stolen from Spaghetti Westerns:  the long pause in action and dialog as two characters stare one another down with the music delivering the lines of word and emotion.  Powerful stuff.   Add to that David Carradine playing Bill, and well, you’ve got an amazing movie.

Harry Brown: Starring the wonderful Michael Caine, Harry Brown is the story of a retired veteran living in a gang-controlled neighborhood.  When his best friend is killed senselessly, Harry decides that someone has to make a stand. The tension in this movie gets so thick at times, you can barely see the screen.  As Harry slowly begins to bring justice to the streets, you see a man acting out of desperation.  The authorities can’t, or won’t, help, so Harry must do it himself.

A dangerous man out for justice may seem obvious for a Western but put him into a British slum, and you’ll understand why people might not catch on at first.

Book of Eli:  A post-apocalyptic road film, Eli stars Denzel Washington as an enigmatic traveller with a mission and a sacred book.  When he ventures into a small town run by the ego-maniacal Gary Oldman, Eli’s book makes him a hunted man.

The setting of this movie--the stark, barren desert of a war-torn country--creates a tone and atmosphere that SCREAMS Western.  The main characters are all takes on classic Westerns motifs, and Eli’s mission and the focus on faith all work as Western themes.   Not only a great movie, Book of Eli is a great Western. It’s even got a shoot out!

Water World: The most expensive movie ever made, until Titanic that is, Waterworld is about another post-apocalyptic world, this time covered in, well, water.  The hero, played by Kevin Costner, is again nameless.  Happily living on his own, the trouble starts when the hero ventures into a small town.  Soon he’s on a quest to find the last piece of dry land on the planet, all the while fighting hungry scavengers for the key to finding it: a tattooed little girl.

Waterworld again explores Western ideas in a sci-fi setting:  the wickedness of civilization, the fear of people living on the frontier, and one very pissed off and dangerous hero working to save his friend.   

Summary

I think I love Westerns because the main character is so vital to the story.  All of the movies above feature a very strong, silent hero that must fight the world to make a difference.  While the hero's moral standing might be a little ambiguous, the hero fights for what he feels is right, even if the law doesn’t agree.  Sparks fly when the hero faces a villain who also believes he is right: that’s the main draw Westerns have for me.