Pacific Rim and the art of storytelling
Original Sci-Fi movie by Guillermo Del Toro
Over the summer, my brother, my Dad and I were all in the same city one day and we decided that we wanted to see a movie. We’re all pretty big movie fans in general, but I confess we have a soft spot for sci-fi action in particular. This summer was no slouch to exciting fare. On this day we had a choice of World War Z, Pacific Rim, Iron Man 3, Man of Steel, Red2, RIPD, Fast and Furious 6 and Star Trek: ITD.
My brother, having seen many of the movies on deck already, suggested Pacific Rim. This was the show I’d heard the least about. I didn’t recognize the title and the cursory glance I’d given the marketing left me a little cold. It would not have been my first choice…or even my 2nd or third. What it did have was my new favorite actor Charlie Hunnam in it and it was a Guillermo del Toro movie. So when my brother mentioned it had the best review on Rotten Tomatoes I decided to take a chance.
I loved this movie. I had a blast and I enjoyed the storytelling in a way I haven’t enjoyed a sci-fi action movie in a long time. I left the theater feeling like my $$ (or my brother’s money as he treated) was very well spent. I wanted the movie to do well, to sell well. I wanted all of my friends to know what a good bargain this movie was. My enjoyment of this film felt more personal to me than other movies before it.
Somewhere in that high that comes after listening and watching a great story, I realized that perhaps one of the reasons I liked this story so much was because I’d never heard it before. I wasn’t sure it wasn’t from some obscure comic book that only pre-pubescent boys from 1972-74 would know, so I checked on my trusty Wikipedia. Sure enough: Pacific Rim was an original story. While it may have been based on archetypal realities of a few genres, it was conceived and written by Guillermo del Toro.
Let’s look at the aforementioned titles above. Every single one of them, save Pacific Rim is based on a book (including comics), sequel or both. In fact if you look at the Top Grossing films of 2013 so far (according to IMDB) every single one of the Top 9 are based on something else.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m a sucker for a good sequel. When someone takes the time and energy to create a world around which to tell a story and I like that world, it’s worth a second, third, or in the case of Fast and Furious, sixth look. Like old haunts from high school, we love going back to those old worlds to revisit our favorite characters, families and ways of life. But there is nothing quite like the thrill of a world newly discovered. Like Sade says, “It’s never as good as the first time.” It’s a pity we don’t get to have those first times more often.
It’s harder for me to love a re-told story onstage. I’m talking about stories taken from already “hot” properties. Movies-into-musicals is a particular challenge for me despite their abundance on today’s Broadway landscape. Even the very eloquently told renditions that I enjoy don’t quite hit the mark in some ways. I think it’s because stories from successful movies are inherently told without surprise. Conventional wisdom is if you liked the movie, you’ll buy a ticket to the musical. I’m not so sure that rings true. Regardless of how eloquently a movie’s story is told onstage you know what happens in the end before you even buy the ticket.
New story telling is a huge risk. I’m not sure if Pacific Rim’s considered a success or a failure yet. For one thing it cost $190 Million to make. As the global markets outside of the US are a big factor in charting a film’s success these days, it’s a little too soon to tell. It didn’t make enough in the US to be a sure thing but it didn’t do so poorly as to be a bomb either. Personally I hope you’ll treat yourself and go see it. It gives any of those more platinum properties a run for their money.
As for me, not only did I enjoy the movie, I also was inspired. I hope when the right original story comes my way, I’m not afraid to join the telling and I’m smart enough to give it every chance of competing with the Big Fish, Kinky Boots and (fill in the blank) out there.
Guillermo, have you ever thought about doing theater?
Advice from Nora Ephron
“Whatever you choose, however many roads you travel, I hope that you choose not to be a lady. I hope you will find some way to break the rules and make a little trouble out there. And I also hope that you will choose to make some of that trouble on behalf of women.”
Nora Ephron
Wellesley’s Class of 1996 in a commencement speech
A muse bouche #2
Nobody thinks their own baby is ugly. The same could also be said for plays and musicals.
Smash Down
This season's Smash.
On Smash, Workshops (with a capital “W”) get produced without a script or all the songs completed. Who cares if the show’s not ready, you don’t have a title or couldn’t likely take any investors because you don’t know where you’re going much less if you have a show or not? On Smash money (or at least really expensive art) hangs on walls just waiting to be taken down and sold to the nearest rock star standing next to you. It doesn’t matter that you may be adding 200K to what will become an oversized budget. Who cares if that two hundred thousand dollars might have been put to better use enhancing a development production…or sending the writers to a remote cabin in the Poconos and telling them not to come out until they’ve written an actual musical.
Ok. Ok. I’ll admit it. I think one of the reasons I love this show is because at least once in every episode there’s a plot element or assertion that is, quite frankly, completely ass-backward. I love seeing the characters do something that brings the whole “reality facade” come crashing down.
Don’t be fooled. Smash is fun. Smash is entertaining but it’s not Broadway. It’s Dallas meets Melrose Place meets All About Eve meets insert-your-favorite-musical-here. No, Smash isn’t real Broadway. I like to think of it as “broadway” with a little “Smash-magic”.
So far it’s been fun. And the creators do a fair job of hanging their melodramatic flag high and then pulling it back without getting too out of control. (I like that they’ve pulled back a little from making Jaime Cepero’s character too terribly dastardly. Oh that Ellis is still a piece of work, and he might go all “Alexis Carrington” on us yet. But Angelica Huston’s producing maven “Eileen Rand” keeps him in his place quite nicely.)
Have fun with Smash. Enjoy that “Smash magic”. Spend an hour a week living that dream. And then go and treat yourself to a real Broadway show.
A Muse bouche
“Some days I feel like an angel well and fully flighted, other days I’m Icarus on paper wings ignited.”
-December 15, 2011
Origin Story
Welcome to Theater Zen a new blog about the business and art of theatrical storytelling.
I still remember the time I was bitten by the theater bug…
My parents had taken me to Knott’s Berry Farm while on a visit with some relatives. I was between 7 and 10 yrs old. While there we went to one of those cheesy shows. It was a pretty big concert at an outdoor amphi-theatre type place on the park grounds. The type of show with canned music, super-sized smiles and cheerleader-type choreography. A similar show today would play alot of Celine Dion and “Wind Beneath My Wings”; alot of sap for the sake of sap which I would hate to love.
This show was enthralling to my 7 to 10 year old self. I sat as a statue, completely absorbing all I could. At one point, three black girls came out in their afros, and pink-sequined gowns. I couldn’t imagine a finer trio of singing girls anywhere. With bright pink lipstick against smooth black skin. They were singing the oohs and aahs of some favorite song of the fifties and I was in my 7-10 year old groove. At one point they emerged from the stage. Broke the fourth wall and brought their afros, pink sequins, oohs and aahs out to the audience. Encouraging people to sing along and sway to the music. One of these Bright Pink and Black Angels of the Knotsberry Theme Park came to me. Her face was dripping with sweat and makeup and I remember looking into eyes full of the dreams of fame. Eyes hidden by a thick coating of sagging fake eyelashes laden with mascara. She brought her cordless mic to her bright pink lips and crooned, “ooh, ooh, ooh.”
I was mesmerized and a little shocked when she brought the mic down to my slackened lips, not pursed, not smiling, relaxed in awe and wonderment. I finally realized she wanted me to sing into the mic and just before she gave up hope and turned away disappointed, I did just that. “ooh…ooh…ooh”. Thus a star was born. No, not a star. And maybe not born at all. It was at that moment I was knighted into the vocation. I dub the a singer, an actor, an artist. I pulled the sword out of the rock and I have been fighting the good fight ever since.
Years later as I discovered my yen for producing I realized that theater was more than any one vocation. So many theater artists have an interest and enthusiasm for so much more than their own artistic track and skillset. Whether we are an actor, writer, technician or producer we all want to be part of the community that tells stories to other parts of the community.
As I continue on my own path in the arts, I realize that we all have a story to tell. Theater Zen is one aspect of mine.
Theater Zen 