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Robogeek meets the MYSTERY MEN... Part III
Well folks, here's the latest chapter and last chapter to Robogeeks epic sonnet to roaming around the superhuman beings behind the scenes on the MYSTERY MEN. Tidbits on some of the producers' upcoming projects are dropped and boy oh boy am I looking forward to what they have in store. My question is this... How do I go about getting that groovy statue? It screams out to be in the backyard (of course you are all thinking the same thing, It belongs in Harry's backyard... right?) On to the tinty narration of Robogeek...
ROBOGEEK MEETS THE MYSTERY MEN -- PART THREE
Another Robogeek Adventure
First look ever inside the cockpit of the mighty
Herkimer!
You know how I said I was in geek heaven? Well, if I'd had any doubts
they were vanquished upon seeing the Robomobile of my dreams -- the
Herkimer. How can I describe the Herkimer? I mean, it's... THE HERKIMER!!!
That word may not mean anything to you now, but once you see it in all its
glory, you're going to want to buy that toy to go along with your Mystery
Men action figures. Unfortunately, I couldn't get a decent exterior shot of
it because the lighting was just too low, so it'll just have to remain
shrouded in mystery for the time being. But, in the meantime, just imagine
yourself in that cockpit, a superhero at your side. Just look at all them
toggles and switches and buttons and levers and wires and thing-a-ma-jigs.
It's just... really, really cool.
I got my chance to pop in the cockpit as I was lead into another
soundstage for lunch, mid-afternoon. I passed a massive green screen set-up,
adjacent to a smaller one. I couldn't help but wonder what special effects
shots they were going to be used for...
As I was inspecting the Herkimer's cockpit, dizzy from coolness exposure,
I thought I saw something out of the corner of my eye -- a fleeting glimpse
of a figure clad in radiant armor and carrying a shining... Nah, it couldn't
have been. But whatever I caught a glimpse of gave me chills, as if I'd
almost come face-to-face with Divine Coolness. Then again, I might've just
been hallucinating. But I think this movie holds coolness beyond even what I
was allowed to see this day.
Anyway, I was brought to the makeshift dining hall on set, and gazed in
wonder at the craft services set-up for lunch. And I thought breakfast had
been impressive! Holy moley, there was one row of long tables set up just
for _sushi_, for Pete's sake, and another row for Italian, and all sorts of
stuff. And damn, it was all really, really good. So I loaded up a plate,
sampling the various offerings, and sat down at a table with the producers.
This was my first real chance to talk to the main man himself, Larry
Gordon.
I told him how impressed I was by how well -- and how smoothly --
everything seemed to be going that day, and that I was getting the distinct
vibe that everything was really clicking. "And it seems like everyone is
having an absolute blast making this movie," I said.
He nodded in agreement. And after a moment of contemplation, he leaned
forward and said, "You know, I've never said this about any film, but this
is the most enjoyable moviemaking experience I've ever had. This one has
been the most fun of all of them. And when you get to where I am in your
career, that really matters," he paused for a moment and smiled. "In fact,
that's another reason we want to make 'Hellboy' next with Guillermo."
He went on to say that it all really comes down to the people you work
with, and the material you've got to work from. We then talked about the
fact that a big reason the production is going so smoothly is that they
really sweated the pre-production process. Levin said that they spent a long
time really trying to nail down the feel of the film just right, putting a
lot of work into the production design and costume design in order to
instill the film with the texture of a real comic book world that was
grounded enough so that audiences would accept it.
Later I got to meet production designer Kirk Petruccelli (who recently
did another comic book film adaptation, "Blade") and costume designer
Marilyn Vance (who's worked on a slew of Gordon/Levin productions). They
both told me how fun it was to work on "Mystery Men," but also how much of a
challenge it was.
For instance, Vance told me how they went through countless costume
designs, trying to come up with stuff that was both cool, yet pragmatic.
That is, costumes that these characters could actually make/assemble, and
would really wear. At the same time, they need to have that coolness factor
that will make you want to rush out of the theater afterwards and buy the
action figures. I complimented her on the inspired touch of giving Blue Raja
red Converse All-Stars (see photos in Chapter Two), which I think is the
coup de grace of his ensemble. She seemed a bit taken aback by the
statement, not quite sure if I was serious or kidding. I also particularly
like the Shoveler's design, and absolutely love the clothes Geoffrey Rush
gets to wear as Casanova Frankenstein, who I caught a glimpse of a little
later.
Petruccelli and I talked about the sets I was touring, many of which have
a strong (and deliberate) Gaudi influence -- intricate and eclectic Art
Nouveau, taken to the bizarre. We also talked about how a lot of the look of
the film is an amalgam of different time periods, especially when it comes
to technology. There's lots of wonderful retro-tech designed into the film,
which ol' Robo is a sucker for, dontcha know.
All this design talk really got me itching to explore more of the sets,
and my hosts graciously obliged me with what was available -- namely,
Casanova Frankenstein's mansion, spread out over two soundstages. I'm
telling you, once Harry sees this movie (and gets rich off the site), he's
going to want to give Petruccelli a call and have him recreate these sets as
a real mansion for AICN World headquarters.
My first peek inside Casanova Frankenstein's lair!
The first part of the mansion I saw was actually C.F.'s private chambers.
The above photo is the view as you enter the high-ceilinged, wide-open room.
Above, just peeking into frame, is a really cool elongated chandelier. On
the left, out of frame, is a beautifully elaborate fireplace. On the right,
out of frame, is the open bedroom / dressing area, which is raised up a few
steps. Lots of dark wood panelling, shag carpeting, deep, rich colors, and
big swirly columns. Once you step up into the bedroom, you are confronted by
a raised circular bed framed in purple curtains. Suspended above the bed is
a chandelier. Cool, cool, cool.
I got to wander around the rest of the mansion, which was assembled on
another soundstage. However, it wasn't lit, so I couldn't get any good
pictures. But I can describe it to you. First, there's the front lawn,
littered with bizarre statuary (see photo at bottom). Then, as you enter the
front hall, you see another similar statue in the center circular foyer.
Spiraling up around you along the wall is a big, broad staircase -- whose
railing is made of giant vertebrae! On your right, you can enter the (fairly
massive) library / study, which is just gorgeous. But straight ahead,
through a beaded curtain, is what I considered the centerpiece set. I call
it the Lounge of Doom.
As you enter the circular chamber, you see the center of the floor opens
up (revealing, I surmise, the Fraculator Chamber / dungeon below, perhaps).
Directly above is a huge disco ball -- actually a bowl, flush to the
ceiling. Centered at the base of the disco semi-ball is a big iron spike
thing, that adds a great gothic touch to this 70s icon.
In front of you is another exit, centered across from the one you
entered. Similarly, there's an exit centered on the right and left. In the
near left corner of the room, there's a giant clock built into the wall. In
the other three corners are raised alcoves. First, on the near right, is an
elaborate bar, on which sit giant-sized martini glasses, among other things.
Next, far right, there's an equally elaborate DJ's station. And then, far
left, is the lounge booth, flanked by giant hookahs. This room, I decide, is
Harry's heaven. (You'll see, and you'll understand.)
It was getting well into the afternoon, and time was running short. I was
more than content with the day I'd had, but was pulled into a trailer by
someone I won't identify, and shown the opening sequence of the film, in
rough cut stage.
The short of it is, it looked really, really good. The long of it is,
well...
SPOILER ALERT!!!
I don't want to give too many details away, but... The film opens in some
sort of tripped out senior citizen dance thing happening in a big ballroom.
Very surreal setting, kind of Sonnenfeld/Burton/Coen/Lynch. Tom Waits (who I
didn't see on set that day) is hitting on an old woman. Then, an Evil Gang
bursts in (wearing really cool illuminated goggles) to rob all these sweet
old people of their money, jewels, etc. But the Mystery Men arrive! Mr.
Furious, The Shoveler and The Blue Raja make _perfect_, way-cool entrances.
I was getting giddy. The action starts. It's fun, well-executed, dynamic.
But the Mystery Men are, well, having a little trouble. It looks like all
might be lost when...
Okay, I really shouldn't give any more away. But it's great -- and the
movie is set up in a very efficient, inspired manner. If the footage I saw
is indicative of the rest of the film (which I expect, since what I saw
jived with my observations on set), then I'm ready to by my ticket now.
I've been waiting to tell you about Mr. Furious. I'd been getting a kick
out of watching Ben Stiller play him on set, but seeing him in the opening
of the film really crystallized his portrayal of the character for me. See,
Mr. Furious is a badass -- just not as much of a badass as he wants to be.
And he knows it, and it pisses him off. He works really, really hard at
being super-cool, but his reach _just_ exceeds his grasp, and it aggravates
the hell out him. Plus, he's the only one of the Mystery Men to really see
them as the public does. He knows people are making fun of them right and
left, while The Shoveler and The Blue Raja remain in blissful ignorance.
This creates a really great dynamic of tension, which is played out
perfectly in the opening sequence of the film.
At the end of the sequence I saw, the trio is exiting the scene, taunted
by some cops. It's implied that this is a frequent occurance. Anyway, Mr.
Furious is, well, furious, and The Shoveler and Blue Raja have to hold him
back. However, Furious is yelling at the cops, calling them "checker-head"
(you'll get it when you see their hats), and spouting all sorts of stuff.
But he's exasperated because he can't quite cinch his rant. You can see his
frustration build and build, as he's tongue-tied and at a loss for a badass
line. Finally, after much stammering, he blurts out, "SWEET DREAMS,
LILAC!!!"
After a moment of "huh?" I just absolutely died. It's hysterical. Later,
as I was getting ready to leave, I passed Ben Stiller in his trailer, and
yelled it out to him. "The catch-phrase of the summer, man, I'm tellin' ya!"
He laughed, surprised to hear it'd made it into the rough cut. Apparently he
tried all sorts of stuff, and that just kinda burst out.
As I said before, the strength of this movie is the ensemble cast,
playing this rich array of characters. Happily, it seems that Universal's
marketing department realizes that; I snuck a peek at some of the marketing
materials for the film, and not only do they look really cool, I think
they'll effectively get these characters in people's minds. This was very
nice to see, just before I got back in the van to go to the airport.
"So how was your day?" Mike asked.
I didn't have to answer. He could tell from the look on my face. I was
beaming with geek-glee.
I can't possibly thank everyone enough for their gracious hospitality,
and the incredible access they so generously afforded me and AICN for this
story. First and foremost, my heartfelt appreciation to producers Lloyd
Levin and Larry Gordon (and their super-cool assistants, Michael and Lucas).
I also want to thank Kinka Usher and Mike Richardson, as well as everyone
else in the cast and crew who I had the pleasure of meeting -- or even just
watching work. Special thanks to the wonderful Mike Shepard, and to Justine
Hebron for making my travel arrangements.
Thanks to them, I didn't just have a good day, I had a _great_ day. And
it was a privilege to be able to share it with our readers here on AICN.
Heh-heh-heh...
P.S.: So what's next for the producers of "Mystery Men"? Well, I asked!
First up, for a Summer 2000 release, should be the film adaptation of Mike
Mignola's "Hellboy," written and directed by Guillermo del Toro. They're
preparing a budget breakdown of the script (which is loved boundlessly by
everyone who's read it), and then hope for a greenlight from Universal soon.
Then, in all likelihood they'll do the "Tomb Raider" feature, although they
are still developing the script, and haven't attached a director yet. (It
will be live-action, and they are exploring some interesting casting
ideas.)
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I can't believe this film is being made, with this cast! I wonder if the obscurity of the source material will help or hurt the mainstream success of this film. On the one hand, the Mystery Men will be fresh and new, and not hindered by the popular preconceptions audiences have of the more mainstream superhero franchises. On the other hand, there is no established franchise to cash in on. I'm hoping, but not sure how easy it will be to sell this to the masses.
Thanks Robogeek for a kick ass article.
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Oh, well. He's notorious for his reclusive behavior. Thanks for caring, Robogeek... hey, they modeled Frankenstein's mansion after *my* house!!!
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This is why we all come to the site. Yes, there are off days, and yes, the Talkback ranting gets tiresome. But fabulous content like this, stuff that is absolutely above complaint, is why this site is such a jewel. Thanks to Harry for making sure somebody got to go, and thanks to Robogeek for the outstanding reportage. And thanks to Larry Gordon & Co. for making what is clearly going to be an awesome flick, and opening their set to the geeks. Lesson to everybody: When you have a cool project, geek-gasm publicity like this cannot be had at any price. If you close your set and protect your ass, we all assume it's because you don't want us to know how lame it is until you've already sold us a ticket. Anyway, again, thanks to all. And now if you'll excuse me, I have to go get in line for this, right the fuck now.
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OK, I stopped reading as soon as I read "SPOILER ALERT". Thank you Robogeek for this extremely detailed inside look at this movie, my 2nd most aniticipated movie this summer (gee, who's #1?). I've never read the comic, but I've known about this project for months now, and absolutely loved the premise. And with this cast, it just blew me away at how cool this will be. And thanks to the MM cast and crew for giving THE REAL FANS an inside look before yoohoos and execs want answers. You guys are the reason movies should be made. Looking forward to this, and your next movies!
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Isn't Paul Reubens supposed to be in this movie? Where was he when all this filming was going on?
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Greetings, citizens! Now that all three installments have been published, I've gone back and responded to each and every Talk Back, because I'm still in _such_ a good mood about the fact that I got to see _two_ Justine Shapiro episodes of "Lonely Planet" this week. Ah, bliss. Anyway, here goes... 1.) With a cast of this caliber, I don't think the film needs a "brand name" title/franchise -- it will _make_ one. I mean, most films are obscure to begin with, right? The fact that this happens to be a comic book adaptation isn't the point; it's a _movie_, first and foremost, and will stand on its own -- but, with the added bonus that those of us who are fans of the comic will be able to experience and enjoy the film on a whole other level. Does that make sense? And from what I saw, they have some good ideas on how to sell this movie. Very good ideas... 2.) In case you haven't read my responses to earlier Talk Back's, basically Tom Waits wasn't scheduled to be on set that day. It's not that he's a "no-show" or a "recluse," it's just that he isn't in every scene, and therefore isn't on set every day. 3.) That's certainly a good idea, isn't it? ;-) I, for one, am getting used to saying The Phantom Menace. It works if you say it like this -- use a big booming voice, crescendo, and draw out each successive word more than the previous one. Like this: THE PHAAANNNTOM MENNNAAACCCEE!!! See? (And, yes, The Bowler... cooool.) 4.) Cervaise, thank you. And your "Lesson" is dead-on! Couldn't have said it better myself. ;-) 5.) You're safe to resume reading about three paragraphs down from the Spoiler Alert. 6.) Paul Reubens has a supporting role, I believe as one of Casanova Frankenstein's henchmen. He wasn't in any of the scenes they were shooting that day.
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I knew from the beginning that Tom's part was a small one and that he wouldn't be hanging around the set everyday when he has so many other projects to be working on. I was just playin'. I just wish he would go on tour again...
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Interesting report, Little Harry. The movie sounds cool, and your little run down is nice. you've managed to copy Harry's rambling and awe-struck original style into your own. Good Work
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I was watching Men In Black this morning on Cienamax and I relezied that the most succesful comic to movie translations have beeen teh REALLY big names(Batman, Superman) or the unknowens(MiB, Blade) so I don't think the name will hurt the chances for the movie in fact I predict that it will boost the movie because people will have no expectations going into it except that it will be good with this cast. Oh and Ben Stiller was on Tom Synder earlier this week and mentioned that Mystery men would be released in Augest(and he wished that Tom would still be on so he could promote the movie on The Tom Synder show)
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I enjoyed all three installments. It was something to look forward to everyday. (Along with Moriarty's Supernatual Series.) I enjoy all the little details and I like hearing what you had for lunch from the Craft Services set up. I would have enjoyed hearing more about Ben Stiller. Love him. I'd watch him in pretty much anything. But, anyway, loved the series. It's why I love this site. How envious am I? It's the closest thing to the Christmas morning excitement felt by six year olds I can think of. If I got to do something like that myself, I would just explode. It's about the best thing I can think of. Vicariously your, LB.
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Hi, again. A source very close to the production kindly clued me in on the Paul Reubens question this morning: "Paul Reubens plays The Spleen. He wasn't working that day, but he is indeed a superhero/mystery man and I have a feeling, amidst some very serious competition, might just walk off with the movie." (You can take that as very reliable info, btw.) And now, to follow-up on the three new Talk Backs since my last post: 1.) Just makin' sure, Uncle. (And, yes, Tom Waits must tour!) 2.) While I am less massive than Harry, I am in fact older. And I think he and I have distinctly different writing styles -- in addition to the fact that I employ consistently better spelling and grammar. ;-) 3.) Astute observations, Everett. I think MM is definitely going to be a break-out hit like such previously obscure comic adaptations like "The Mask" and "Men in Black." (And, funny you should mention Snyder; I was watching that myself, and SO tempted to call in and yell "SWEET DREAMS, LILAC!")
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