SPAWN... As usual let me set you up with my mental mind set in advance of the film, that way you will know where my head was during the film.
The anticipation for this film began a LOOOOONG time ago. When SPAWN 1 came out, I picked it up and read it through and through (hey I dug it), then my baby sister did the same, and fell in love with the book. Since that day, I and my father have been on quest after quest to get the magical Spawn comics, cards, toys, t-shirts and etc.
We have done battle with evil toy scum guys, etc. It's been tough, but every time my sister's face lit up, well it was worth it.
At Christmas I used every source and contact I had to find the SPAWN script to give to her. I also managed to get the first pics of Spawn and the Violater to go inside the script for her. I had it bound, and we read it.
It was the script we wanted. Solid, emotional, action packed. Then those trailers began. My sister began spontaneously salivating on the front porch, I slipped and hurt my back.
We were a family of SPAWN geeks.
Then Sunday night (as in like 4 days ago) I received a phone call telling me I could get into a press screening of Spawn Monday morning. I'm a night person, so I for go updating the page, to get the proper sleep to wake up and see SPAWN. I couldn't sleep. After 4 hours of shut eye, my nervous can't wait to see it energy woke me. I began pacing. I'm fat so I don't do this often. I woke up my dad and said, "Let's go get some coffee and read the paper." After that we head over to the theater, which is still 45 minutes from showing it. So we head into the book store, Barnes & Noble to be precise.
And I see the new Variety, I comment to Dad, "Hey, I think there is suppose to be something in here on me."
Dad responds, "That's right," and grabs one and heads for the table I'm at. I look at the front page, and there is my damn name.
"Holy shit Dad, I'm on the cover of VARIETY!!!"
Now I know what all of you are probably thinking. Big damn deal. Well to me, this is a realization of a life long dream. When I was a wee tyke, I saw YANKEE DOODLE DANDY, you know James Cagney whupping up the ol heart strings as George M Cohan? Well, at the end where he is sitting in his front yard and is reading Variety and the Jitterbug kids (that's what I call them) ask about the headline. Then begin singing that "Crix nix pix flix..." over and over again. I wanted to be in that, I thought. For the rest of the day I had this goofy damn (life satisfying) smile on my face.
Then the screening was canceled. I didn't care, I was on Variety. I was so pleased that at 10pm that night I had cheek cramps from all the smiling I was doing. Then I got THE CALL.
A certain phone call alerting me to another screening that night of SPAWN. Well I load up the family and we head out. We get in and get the seats we like. Then we sit there awaiting the film to begin. 1am comes along and then Imperial agents ask us to leave. Rather than start a scene, we do.
(Hmmm those studios must really be passing that pic of me around, I think)
I'm pissed. I'm tired. I sleep. Too late in fact for the press screening the next morning. But I remember where Radio Station passes are being given out. We head out, and begin a quest for over an hour trying to find SPAWN passes. I got all the facts wrong. All of em. So we go to PICTURE PERFECT Tuesday night. And there... are my fellow LINE PEOPLE.
Instantly the trading and working of the line begins. One line person gives me an extra Conspiracy Theory pass, we then begin giving out MIMIC passes, then a SPAWN pass finds it's way into our hands via one last trade. The Conspiracy Theory pass for SPAWN. Deal.
When it all comes to it, the LINE PEOPLE take care of their own. We know, we are the LINE PEOPLE.
So that brings us to today. Lots of interviews (on account of that dang VARIETY cover story) and I find out my Rolling Stone issue is out. Coooooool, I'm on the same page with Charlize Theron. Wowowowowow!!! Coooool!!!!
The day went well.
Then we were in line, with THE LINE PEOPLE. We begin discussing Saturday Morning Cartoons with a passion. I begin singing the themes, and talking like the maniac head geek that I am. Probably my impersonation of the Reefer Madness "FASTER" dude scared many. heh heh heeeeeh. Meanwhile a maelstorm begins plowing down from the sky. The tap was opened.. I know the power is going to get knocked out and I'd be out of luck for seeing SPAWN. I believe I'm cursed. The power doesn't go out, but the line goes in.
We get Spawn Balloons, tatoos and a button. Cooooool.
Then the trailers come on. Actually trailer to be precise. The new Chris Rock and Charlie Sheen trailer. This ummm... actually looked good to me. I loved Chris in FIFTH ELEMENT, and Charlie Sheen can do a good movie, if the movie and Charlie lets him. Oh yeah, I believe I remember the guy doing this is doing that Jackie Chan flick, Rush Hour.
Then SPAWN...
Let me qualify this. Almost everyone in the theater seemed to truly enjoy the film. Clapping occuring frequently during the film and after. I clapped. But I wasn't quite sated.
To me Spawn is like after wandering through the desert for a year you come to a shade tree, a sign saying 15 miles to town, and a big ice cold water bottle. In otherwords, this isn't the greatest SUPERHERO film of all time, but it's pointing the right way, and will fill your thirst till we get there.
There are moments of true super coolness, there are moments of ewww. The VARIETY review of yesterday, hit right on how I felt. Coming into this summer there were TWO movies I was dying to see. CONTACT and SPAWN. I loved Contact. I enjoyed Spawn. There is quite a bit of room for improvement.
The effects? Well there are some fantastic images in this film, but they were so about pushing the envelope, that I think on a couple of scenes, well the effect didn't seem like it was quite possible yet. Really nice looking, but not right yet.
The Cape, The Violater are awesome. THE CLOWN is mind blowning. There have been 3 Superhero Comic Characters in film that I completely believe. Christopher Reeve's Clark Kent/Superman, Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman, and now John Leguizamo's CLOWN. Everything that an over the top comic book villian is suppose to be, smart dialogue and jokes. Very cool character, and amazing make up.
There are several things that bugged me about the film, but I'm not going to discuss them here now. Perhaps in the forum late next week. But I can't say because alot of it has to do with an earlier script draft I fell in love with. Same with my sister. My father enjoyed it immensely, as did the 16 & 17 year old guys next to him.
Go see SPAWN, it's not a great film, but if you want Hollywood headed in the right direction, well this is how to tell them. FAR FAR FAR FAR FAR FAR FAR better than that other caped crusader film this summer. And you are not ready for the CLOWN, he is FANTASTIC in my opinion, worth the price of admission twice. My number one problem is a lack of character development, at 87 minutes in this type of action film, there wasn't much room and it shows.
Also I didn't hear an SDDS screening, it was THX though. Couldn't really detect the score.
Kickass visuals on the most part. Cool as hell bad guys. Really cool swipes. That cape, those chains. If only there had been more heart. I'll tell ya about that next week in the Forum. I'll be seeing the Mimic screening Friday morning. Can't wait. Dying to see it.
