REITMAN:

the triumph of

imperfect humanity and film art

over perfect but inhuman

blockbuster beasts

in the allegorical film art

of Jason Reitman

 

by Gary W. Wright

 

        Like most film artists in the dread allegorical Zone Wars, Jason Robert Reitman implicitly strove on one level to use his allegorical film art to bust audiences, film art, film artists and the Temple Theatre free from the twilit shadow of the helicopter crash that killed actor/writer/director Victor “Vic” Morrow and illegally hired and employed child extras Renee Chen and Myca Le around 2:20 am in the early morning of July 23, 1982 on the George Folsey jr. produced John Landis set of the twilit, allegorical, computer generated imagery [CGI] enhanced, Kathleen Kennedy associate produced, Frank Marshall produced and Landis and Steven Spielberg co-executive produced Landis, Spielberg, Joe Dante and George Miller docufeature film TWILIGHT ZONE: THE MOVIE [1983].  Significantly, however, and unlike most film artists of the dread allegorical Zone Wars, Reitman was the son of successful Komarno, Czechoslavakia born and Toronto raised film artist Ivan Reitman and, like Sofia Carmina [SCC] Coppola, soaked up the world of allegorical film art like a human sponge as a youth, allowing him to create experienced, knowing, confident, brash, edgy, innovative, intelligent, satirical, and shrewd twilit and allegorical film art of a high quality right from the beginning when he embarked on his own life of film art.  In addition, and also unlike some film artists of the dread allegorical Zone Wars, young Reitman did not initially embrace computer generated imagery [CGI] enhanced blockbuster beasts as a way to triumph over or escape the Zone, preferring instead to create small, low budget, down to Earth, intimate and mostly CGI free indie docufeature film art. 

Significantly, Reitman was also born soon before and then initially raised in a Canada that signed into law a bold new Constitution on April 17, 1982 that made all citizens equal under federal law.  This important neo-constitutional, legal, political, historical, sociocultural, economic and spiritual milestone made Reitman’s success as a film artist, like that of James Cameron, David Cronenberg, Sarah Polley, Patricia Rozema, Denis Villeneuve, amongst others, an inspiration for other Canadian film artists and all other Canadians in Canada’s new constitutional era.  Tragicomically, and last but not least, young Reitman was also more intertwined with beastly and CGI enhanced blockbuster film art in general than other young indie film artists even before he arrived on the scene with his small and slightly CGI enhanced indie docufeature film art.  For Reitman and his father were implicitly linked to two Good and stalwart characters who were united in their determination to save this Middle Earth between Heaven and Hell and its film art and film artists from the Dark and CGI enhanced Forces of Evil threatening the Temple Theatre when Peter Jackson donned the co-writer/director/co-executive producer hats and raised despondent and outraged spirits coming to grips with the 911 disaster with the awesome and awe inspiring twilit, allegorical, CGI enhanced and implicitly George Lucas roasting Peter Jackson indie docufeature artbuster THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING [2001], released on December 10, 2001 and inspired by the allegorical and implicitly Joseph Stalin and Soviet Communism roasting J.R.R. Tolkien indie docufiction novel The Lord Of The Rings: the fellowship of the ring [1954].

 

“Your time will come.

You will face the same Evil,

and you will defeat it.”

 

        Indeed, not long after the film began, the confident, shrewd, knowing, experienced, fearless and implicitly Jason Reitman linked Aragorn the Ranger aka “Strider”-played by Viggo Mortensen-showed up on a dark and stormy night at the Prancing Pony Inn in Bree just outside the Shire.  Which was a good thing, for he arrived just in time to save four naïve and innocent but plucky and courageous Hobbits from the Shire, the implicitly Justin Trudeau linked Frodo Baggins-played by Elijah Wood-his faithful, loyal and implicitly Gerald Butt linked companion Samwise “Sam” Gamgee-played by Sean Astin-and their two feckless friends, the implicitly Eric Idle linked Peregrin “Pippen” Took and the implicitly Michael Palin linked Meriadoc “Merry” Brandybuck-played by Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan, respectively-from themselves and from their Evil and implacable pursuers, the nine Dark Riders, and then led them safely to the sanctuary of the implicitly Ivan Reitman linked Elrond Halfelven-played by Hugo Weaving-and his hidden Elven citadel of Rivendell.  Here Aragorn, the descendant of the weak, fortune and glory lusting and implicitly Spielberg linked Isildur-played by Harry Sinclair-and heir to the throne of Gondor, pledged to join Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippen, the implicitly Cronenberg linked wizard Gandalf the Grey-played by Ian McKellen-and the rest of the fearless Fellowship and help them take the One Ring of Power to the Dark land of Mordor and destroy the baneful ring in the fiery depths of Mount Doom in order to destroy the Evil and implicitly Lucas linked Dark Lord Sauron-played by Sala Baker-and return Good, peace, health and harmony back to the Third Age of Middle Earth in a catastrophic but healing conclusion that Tolkien termed an “eucatastrophe”. 

Significantly, when the Fellowship was attacked by an unholy alliance of Sauron’s Orcs and hulking and half-Elven and half-Orc Uruk-hai created by the sinister, Sauron controlled and implicitly Cameron linked Saruman the White-played by Christopher Lee-and all seemed lost, Aragorn also turned down a chance to take the One Ring from Frodo and use it to beat the Orc and Uruk-hai attackers and the Dark Lord pulling their puppet strings and take over Middle-Earth.  Thus, with Aragorn turning down the Ring of Power unlike Isildur and Sauron, Jackson implied his hope that Reitman would follow in his father’s famous footsteps, take up the film art cause, and create indie film art for film art’s sake rather than give in to the Dark temptation to create brainless CGI enhanced blockbuster beasts like Spielberg with the CGI championed after the TZ disaster by Lucas so as to create dangerous scenes with CGI in order to avoid more fatal film set disasters that would outrage audiences and again turn them against Hollywood as after the TZ disaster in ‘82.  Significantly, this was an implicit new hope that was in complete contrast to the implicit hope that Lucas in the implicit form of Thomas J. Anderson aka “Neo”-played by Keanu Reeves-would be the one to kick off a neo eon of CGI enhanced film art with the help of the last remnants of an embattled, imperfect but vital humanity implied throughout the twilit, allegorical, CGI enhanced, Ozian themed and implicitly Lucas toasting Lana and Lilly Wachowski indie docufeature film THE MATRIX [1999], an implicit new hope that Lucas dashed soon after the release of THE MATRIX with the release of the twilit, allegorical, CGI enhanced, Ozian themed and implicitly Cameron and Spielberg roasting and David Lynch toasting indie animaction film STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE [1999], the first film of his new STAR WARS Tragic Trilogy. 

Just as significantly, this implicit new hope that young Reitman and not Lucas would be the one to kick off a neo eon of daylit, CGI enhanced and TZ disaster and Zone War free film art was implicitly not shared by Columbia-TriStar Pictures and Marvel Comics when they teamed up to kick off the twentieth anniversary year of the TZ disaster and the first year of the new merry marchin’ and mischievous Marvel Cinematic Universe [MCU] in cocky and confident style with the daylit, allegorical, CGI enhanced and implicitly Reitman father and son roasting and Cronenberg and SCC toasting Sam Raimi super satirical animaction film SPIDER-MAN [2002], a film released on April 30, 2002 and inspired by a hero originally implicitly linked to narrative artist Wild Wallace “Wally” Wood created forty years earlier for Marvel Comics by Sturdy Steve Ditko and Smilin’ Stan Lee with some help from Jolly Jack Kirby.

 

“Don’t ever be ashamed of who you are.”

 

        Curiously, the film began with a montage of flickering Marvel Comics pages flashing quick glimpses of many merry Marvel superheroes and superheroines within the letters of the Marvel logo to affirm that a Marvel comic was coming to life in the film and to hint of the expanded MCU to come.  Then SPIDER-MAN revolved around the tragicomic adventures of the shy, geeky, brilliant, science luvin’, blue and red radioactive CGI super spider powered, wall crawlin’, web slingin’, indie, Queens, New York based and implicitly Cronenberg linked teen Peter Parker aka “Spider-Man”-his implicit link to the equally indie Cronenberg affirmed by the film’s allusions to the twilit, allegorical and implicitly Spielberg roasting Cronenberg indie docufeature film THE FLY [1986], and played by Tobey Maguire.  An amazing and friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man who, to his dismay, slowly found himself arrayed against and battling the fortune and glory lusting and implicitly Ivan Reitman linked Oscorp CEO Norman Osborn aka “the Green Goblin” in his sickly green performance enhancing flying suit and glider-played by Willem Dafoe, who openly linked the film to Cronenberg via his role as the manic mechanic Gas in to the twilit, allegorical and slightly CGI enhanced Cronenberg indie docufeature film eXistenZ [1999]-and his initially more modest and implicitly Jason Reitman linked son and Parker’s best friend Harry Osborn-played by James Franco. 

A desperate battle that led to sassy Spidey rescuing his dream girl, the implicitly SCC linked Mary Jane [MJ] Watson-her implicit link to SCC affirmed by the film’s allusions to the twilit, allegorical and CGI enhanced SCC indie docufeature film THE VIRGIN SUICIDES [1999], and played by Kirsten Dunst, who openly linked the film to SCC as she played Luxy Lisbon in the latter film-and triumphing over the Evil Green Goblin Dark Side of Norman in another eucatastrophic conclusion, implying the ironic hope of Raimi that Cronenberg and his mostly CGI free indie docufeature film art for film art’s sake would continue to triumph over the beastly and CGI enhanced blockbuster loot lusting Hollywood studio film art of blockbuster beast luvin’ film artists like Lucas and Spielberg.  Thus, it was ironically fitting that the implicitly Spielberg linked Dr. Mendell Stromm-played by Ron Perkins-was the first tragicomic victim of the Green Goblin, given that Spielberg was implicitly linked to the fortune and glory lusting mad scientist Seth Brundle-played by Jeff Goldblum-who transformed into the dismaying Flyman in THE FLY. 

Significantly, given that young Osborn was traumatized by the fact that webhead’s triumph led to the death of his father, and given that Harry vowed eternal revenge on Spidey, in the end, Raimi also implied his fear that young Reitman would continue in his father’s beastly and CGI enhanced blockbuster loot lusting footsteps if and when he set out on his own life in film art and create films like the twilit, allegorical, and Ozian themed elder Reitman docufeature film GHOSTBUSTERS [1984] and the twilit, allegorical, CGI enhanced and Ozian themed elder Reitman docufeature film GHOSTBUSTERS 2 [1989], which was an ironic implicit hope indeed, given that SPIDER-MAN was released by the blockbuster loot lusting tag team of Columbia-TriStar Pictures and Marvel Comics, and given that Columbia Pictures released GHOSTBUSTERS and GHOSTBUSTERS 2.  Thus, it was also ironically fitting that young Osborn and Parker first met up at Columbia University for an Midtown School of Science and Technology [MSST] field trip at the beginning of SPIDER-MAN, reminding us that some of the opening scenes of GHOSTBUSTERS were filmed at Columbia, and that Cronenberg was implicitly linked to Doctor Egon Spengler-played by Harold Ramis-in that film and in GHOSTBUSTERS 2.

Tragicomically, Raimi also implicitly roasted Francis Coppola in the implicit form of hyper-thyroid wrestler Bone Saw McGraw-played by Randy Savage-who Spidey fought in his first madcap battle.  Last but not least, the film’s many allusions to THE MATRIX, the Tim Burton directed and produced Batman Trilogy, and the Superman Trilogy [1977-86] also implied that Columbia-TriStar, Marvel and Raimi were trying to top those Warner Brothers films with SPIDER-MAN.  Alas for Raimi and Reitman, the sight and sound of an implicitly Reitman linked character coming to grips with a Spidey implicitly linked to a Canadian born in Toronto and still living in the Greater Toronto Area [GTA] in a Marvel film eerily anticipated another implicitly Reitman linked character coming to grips with an implicitly Wright linked Spidey in a Marvel film to come.  Indeed, the Green Goblin openly anticipated that garish future when he exultantly cried “…Speak of the devil!” when he encountered the wallcrawling webhead at the office of the exuberantly tyrannical J. Jonah Jameson, publisher of the DAILY BUGLE newspaper-played in a pitch perfect performance by J.K. Simmons-a cranky and cantankerous character who was originally implicitly linked to DC Comics editor F. Whitney Ellsworth, and who evoked the newspaper and magazine film reviewers who hounded Cronenberg with equally righteous fury and scathing scorn in his early years, particularly Canadian film reviewers.  Not long after, MJ also called Parker “…tiger” at the end of one of their elusive encounters, also openly anticipating a Streetsville Tiger in the future of Reitman to come.

        At any rate, SPIDER-MAN was a classic example of how CGI enhanced film art freed film artists from the constraints of cameras and allowed them to create film art closer to the realm of the imagination than that of reality.  For the zany sight and sound of Spidey crawling, leaping, jumping, flipping, somersaulting and webslinging around in any which way he wanted dramatically affirmed that CGI enhanced film art could also move in any direction it wanted.  An exuberantly CGI enhanced and daylit freedom that was clearly popular with audiences given that the truly spectacular SPIDER-MAN was a huge success, implying that audiences at least had left behind the fateful and fatal July of ’82 and the dread allegorical Zone Wars in the twentieth anniversary year of the TZ disaster but were now flocking to the upbeat film to lift their spirits after the equally shocking and outraging 911 disaster.  Low, angry and troubled spirits that were further raised when Jackson donned the co-writer/director/co-executive producer hats and teamed up again with Astin, Boyd, Lee, McKellen, Monaghan, Mortensen, Weaving, Wood, Time/Warner, New Line Cinema and Wingnut Films and returned to the Temple Theatre that December with another astounding Christmas gift for world audiences that again also implicitly disagreed with Columbia-TriStar Pictures and Marvel and reaffirmed his hope that Reitman father and son would unite on the cause of cinematic Good rather than Evil in the twilit, allegorical, CGI enhanced and implicitly Lucas roasting indie docufeature artbuster THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS [2002], released on December 5, 2002 and inspired by the allegorical Tolkien indie docufiction novel The Lord Of The Rings: the two towers [1954].

 

“This is not the end,

it is the beginning.”

 

        For the implicitly Reitman linked Aragorn-played again by Mortensen-kicked off the film leading the indomitable and implicitly Stanley Kubrick linked Gimli the Dwarf-played by John Rhys-Davies-and the ethereal and implicitly Christophe Lambert linked Legolas the Elf-played by Orlando Bloom-on a desperate quest to find and free the implicitly Idle linked Pippin Took and the implicitly Palin linked Merry Brandybuck-played again by Boyd and Monaghan, respectively-from the hulking Uruk-hai of Saruman and the sneaky Orcs of Sauron that kidnapped them at the end of THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING.  Unable to do so, Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas instead re-united in Fangorn Forest with the reborn and implicitly Cronenberg linked Gandalf the White Wizard-played again by McKellen-who turned out to have not been killed by the dread CGI enhanced blockbuster beast, the Balrog, in the Mines of Moria, after all. 

Heading off to Edoras to enlist the help of the fearless riders of Rohan, the fantastic four freed the implicitly Sir Ridley Scott linked King Theoden-played by Bernard Hill-from the insidious spells of the implicitly Burton linked Grima Wormtongue-played by Brad Dourif-and his puppetmaster, the implicitly Cameron linked Saruman the White-played by Lee-both of whom turned out to be in league with the implicitly Lucas linked Sauron, now represented by an Evil and all seeing CGI Eye.  Freed from the spells that aged him prematurely and sapped his strength, and his health and vitality returned, a younger and bolder King Theoden teamed up with Aragorn, Gandalf, Gimli and Legolas and some Elvish allies to win a huge and inspiring battle over an army of Saruman’s half-Elf/half-Orc Uruk-hai at Helm’s Deep, saving Aragorn and the rest of the forces of Good and setting him up to lead them in a final battle with the Dark Forces of Evil Mordor in the final installment of the epic saga-as long as the implicitly Trudeau and Butts linked Ring Bearer, Frodo Baggins, and his loyal and steadfast companion, Sam Gamgee-played again by Wood and Astin, respectively-successfully brought the One Ring of Power to Mordor and destroyed it deep in the fiery depths of Mount Doom with the unexpected help of the gruesome, untrustworthy, fish killing, all CGI and implicitly then Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien linked Gollum/Smeagol-as conflicted and troubled by his Dark Side as Norman Osborn in SPIDER-MAN, and played by Andy Serkis-that is. 

An implicit new hope that Reitman rather than Lucas would be the one to lead film art into a neo CGI enhanced eon with more thoughtful and thought provoking indie film art for film art’s sake that would slay brainless blockbuster beasts that continued when Jackson donned the co-writer/director/co-executive producer hats and teamed up again with Astin, Bloom, Boyd, Lee,  McKellen, Monaghan, Mortensen, Rhys-Davies, Serkis, Weaving, Wood, Time/Warner, New Line Cinema and Wingnut Films to bring his amazing and epic trilogy to a truly trimatic conclusion with the twilit, allegorical, CGI enhanced and implicitly Lucas roasting indie docufeature artbuster THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING [2003], released on December 1, 2003 and inspired by the allegorical Tolkien indie docufiction novel The Lord Of The Rings: the return of the king [1955].

 

“Put aside the Ranger,

become who you were born to be.”

 

        Luckily for all, the resigned, stalwart and implicitly Reitman linked Aragorn-played again by Mortensen-persuaded an army of ironically orc busting ghosts led by the implicitly Landis linked Ghost King-played by Paul Norrel-to help him and the implicitly Kubrick and Lambert linked Gimli the Dwarf and Legolas the Elf-played again by Rhys-Davies and Bloom, respectively-triumph over the Evil and malevolent forces of Mordor laying siege to Minas Tirith, capital of Gondor, as the implicitly Trudeau linked Ring Bearer, Frodo Baggins, and his loyal, trusty and implicitly Butts linked companion Sam Gamgee-played again by Wood and Astin, respectively-did indeed succeed in destroying the One Ring of Power in the fiery depths of Mount Doom in Mordor with the equally ironic help of the exultant and still gruesome, conflicted, untrustworthy, fish killing, all CGI and implicitly Prime Minister Chretien linked Gollum/Smeagol-played again by Serkis.  And so with the One Ring of Power destroyed in a spectacularly eucatastrophic disaster that brought health, harmony and peace back to Middle-Earth, the Dark Force of the implicitly Lucas linked Sauron and his one Evil CGI Eye disappeared, allowing Aragorn to lead Gimli, Legolas, an army of Men, and two plucky Hobbits, the implicitly Idle and Palin linked Pippin Took and Merry Brandybuck-played again by Boyd and Monaghan, respectively-to victory outside the main gates to Mordor.  And so Good triumphed over Evil, peace, health and harmony returned to the Third Age of this Middle Earth between Heaven and Hell and Aragorn, heir of Isildur, was crowned King of Gondor and husband of the beautiful, brunette and implicitly Kathryn Bigelow linked Arwen-played by Liv Tyler-with the pleased approval of the implicitly Cronenberg linked Gandalf the White Wizard-played again by McKellen-and the rest of the surviving members of the Fellowship of the Ring, and with the blessing of the implicitly Reitman sr. linked Elrond Halfelven-played again by Weaving-on a fittingly beautiful sunny day. 

And so Jackson implied his hope that Reitman would be the one film artist who would triumph over Lucas and his new millennial STAR WARS Tragic Trilogy [1999-2005], the Wachowski Sisters and their Matrix Trilogy [1999-2003], the TZ disaster and the dread allegorical Zone Wars, thus bringing health and harmony back to audiences, film art, film artists and the Temple Theatre, and truly kicking off a neo eon of CGI enhanced film art.  An implication not implicitly shared by Columbia-TriStar Pictures, Marvel and Raimi the following year when, not surprisingly, given the popularity of the irrepressible and gleefully heckling SPIDER-MAN, the young and implicitly Reitman linked Harry Osborn-played again by Franco-returned along with Dafoe, Dunst, Maguire, Simmons, Rosemary Harris and Cliff Robertson-who played Aunt May and Uncle Ben Parker, respectively, in SPIDER-MAN-costume designer James Acheson, visual effects wizard John Dykstra, composer Danny Elfman, editor Bob Murawski, and production designer Neil Spisak-all from SPIDER-MAN-and Avi Arad and Stan “the Man” Lee-executive producers of SPIDER-MAN-in the daylit, allegorical, CGI enhanced and implicitly SCC and Cronenberg toasting and Reitman sr. and jr. and David Lynch roasting super satirical animaction film SPIDER-MAN 2 [2004], a film released on June 25, 2004.

 

“I’m in charge here!”

 

        For, while young Osborn had a smaller role in the film, it was noticeable that he took over as CEO of Oscorp given that his father died trying to kill Spidey at the end of SPIDER-MAN.  It was also noticeable that the insidious and vengeful ghost of the implicitly elder Reitman linked Norman Osborn-played again by Dafoe-persuaded Harry to track down and triumph over the shy, geeky, science luvin’, radioactive CGI spider powered and implicitly Cronenberg linked college student and part-time DAILY BUGLE photographer Peter Parker aka “Spider-Man”-played again by Maguire-his implicit link to Cronenberg affirmed by the film’s allusions to THE FLY and eXistenZ.  Meanwhile, Spidey in turn fought a desperate film long battle with the implicitly Lynch linked Doctor Otto Octavius aka “Dr. Octopus”-played by Alfred Molina-an implicit interest in Lynch affirmed by the film’s ironic allusions to the twilit, allegorical and implicitly Cronenberg toasting Lynch indie moving painting DUNE [1984] and the appearance of Brent Briscoe as a watchful garbage man, for Briscoe openly linked the film to Lynch via his role as Los Angeles Police Department [LAPD] Detective Domgaard in the twilit, allegorical and Ozian themed Lynch indie moving painting MULHOLLAND DRIVE [2001].  Tragicomically, as Spidey fought off Doc Ock, he also desperately fended off the eager attentions of the equally tenacious and implicitly Polley linked teen admirer Ursula Ditkovich-played by Mageina Tovah. 

Significantly, Harry eventually teamed up with Doc Ock to trap and try to kill the hated “Spider-Bug”, but was defeated by Parker with the help of the implicitly SCC linked Mary Jane [MJ] Watson-her implicit link to SCC affirmed by the film’s allusions to the twilit, allegorical, CGI enhanced and implicitly Lucas roasting SCC indie docufeature film LOST IN TRANSLATION [2003], and played again by Dunst-after webhead conquered his doubts that he had nothing to offer the people of New York and redonned the Spidey suit to defeat the dastardly duo, a blockbuster and CGI enhanced eucatastrophic denouement that implied the ironic hope of Raimi that Cronenberg would continue to believe that he had something to offer with his low budget and mostly CGI free indie docufeature films in the neo eon of spectacular and exuberantly CGI enhanced blockbuster beasts like SPIDER-MAN and SPIDER-MAN 2.  Unfortunately for Harry, the film ended with young Osborn discovering his father’s secret cache of Green Goblin goodies back at the Osborn family penthouse high above New York.  Thus, Raimi implicitly reaffirmed his fear that young Reitman would succumb to a Wicked temptation to follow in Ivan’s footsteps and take over his father’s film production company, the Montecito Picture Company, to create brainless blockbuster beasts rather than head off on his own artistic path and create better and more thoughtful, thought provoking, sensitive, aware, inspiring and low budget indie docufeature film art for film art’s sake like Cronenberg. 

Alas for Raimi and Reitman, the film also yet again eerily anticipated another implicitly Reitman linked character coming to grips with an implicitly Wright linked world wide webhead in a Marvel film to come.  And one all too presciently linked to a tiger, as MJ again affectionately called Parker at the end of the film.  An eerie prescience continued by young Reitman when he donned the writer/director hats and teamed up with Simmons to casually and confidently defy and dispel Raimi’s implicit fears by creating a small, low budget, down to Earth, intimate and gleefully annoying film that was in all respects the complete opposite of the beastly, boffo, big budget and CGI enhanced blockbuster SPIDER-MAN films, that implicitly roasted those super satirical MCU animaction films and that implicitly came to the defence of Lynch in the daylit, allegorical and slightly CGI enhanced indie docufeature film THANK YOU FOR SMOKING [2005], released on September 9, 2005 and inspired by the twilit and allegorical Christopher Buckley indie docufiction novel Thank You For Smoking [1994].

 

“They like to use cartoons and symbols

to hook our kids.”

       

        Fittingly, for a feisty first feature film that implicitly roasted the merry, marchin’ and mischievous MCU, the film began with a slightly, ironically and almost mockingly CGI enhanced opening titles sequence to the equally fitting and mordant sound of the allegorical and Merle Travis and Tex Williams written Williams and The Western Caravan tune “Smoke, Smoke, Smoke That Cigarette!” [1947] that saw the names of the most significant cast and crew members, producers and the writer/director written and woven into various colourful and eye catching cigarette packages, many of them with the red and white colours of Canada.  Significantly, the fourth opening cigarette pack title cockily identified the film in all caps as “...A JASON REITMAN FILM…ESTABLISHED 1977”, the latter being the year of the film artist’s birth, to implicitly affirm the confidence that young Reitman had in his fearless and feisty first feature film.  Then the film just as ironically kicked off on television on the “live” set of the Joan Lunden tv talk show with the bald and Professor X evoking teen cancer sufferer Robin Williger aka “Cancer Boy”-played by Eric Haberman-facing off against the brash, handsome, indomitable, indie, iconoclastic, eccentric, outrageous, cigarette luvin’, imperfect but vitally human and likably unlikable divorcee Nicholas “Nick” Naylor-played by Aaron Eckhart-the Vice President of the Academy of Tobacco Studies [ATS], a Washington based cigarette lobbying group created by the big American cigarette manufacturers, who was implicitly linked to the equally handsome, indomitable, indie, iconoclastic, eccentric, outrageous, cigarette luvin’ and imperfect but vitally human and likably unlikable multi-divorcee moving painting artist Lynch throughout the film, an implication affirmed by the film’s allusions to DUNE and MULHOLLAND DRIVE.

        Curiously, here on the Lunden show, Naylor began a cocky, cynical, disparaging and often outrageous film long voiceover [VO] that evoked that of Parker in SPIDER-MAN and SPIDER-MAN 2.  A film long VO that revealed that, not surprisingly, Naylor’s chosen vocation made him a reviled real life super villain like Dr. Octopus to some, including the representative from The Lung Association [TLA] on the Lumden show with him, or the lone, bitterly anti-tobacco, cheese luving and implicitly Brian Linehan linked Senator Ortolan Finistirre from Vermont-evoking the equally implicitly Linehan linked Doctor Curt Connors [played by Dylan Baker] in SPIDER-MAN and SPIDER-MAN 2, and played by William H. Macy-dogooding groups and lone crusaders who evoked the Avengers and lone vigilantes like the bitter and haunted Vietnam vet Frank Castle aka “the Punisher” in Marvel Comics, the latter ominously anticipating an equally bitter and haunted Zone War vigilante known to some as Gardevil, fan with no fear.  Significantly, Sen. Finistirre’s anti-cigarette campaign evoked the anti-comic campaign of the good Doktor Fredric Wertham in the Fifties, a well meaning but silly crusade that linked comics to juvenile delinquency that Dr. Wertham expounded upon in his salaciously entitled book Seduction Of The Innocent [1954], which led Kirby and Lee to implicitly roast the good Doktor in the form of the insidious Space Phantom who possessed the perfidious power to send unsuspecting Marvel super heroes and super heroines to politically correct limbo in the second allegorical issue of AVENGERS in November 1963.

Tragicomically, Naylor relished this real life super villain status, particularly at his favourite and fittingly dark Washington restaurant with the other two members of the informal “Merchants Of Death” aka MOD Squad, Polley Bailey-played by Mario Bello-of the ironically named alcohol promoting lobbyist group Moderation Council [MC], and Bobby Jay Bliss-played by David Koechner-of the firearm promoting lobbyist group Society for the Advancement of Firearms and Effective Training for Youth [SAFETY], whose names and acronyms evoked Advanced Idea Mechanics [AIM] and the Supreme Headquarters International Espionage Law-enforcement Division [SHIELD] in Marvel Comics to reaffirm the implicit Marvel roasting intent of the film.  Indeed, the presence of Simmons in a Jameson evoking turn as Naylor’s equally abrasive boss B.R., President of ATS, openly linked the film to SPIDER-MAN and SPIDER-MAN 2, while the pseudo-scientific advisor of the ATS, the implicitly Cronenberg linked Doctor Erhardt Von Grupten Mundt-played by A.I Smithee-reminded us of the implicit link of Cronenberg to Parker/Spidey to also affirm the implicit MCU roasting intent of THANK YOU FOR SMOKING.  Thus, it was fitting that Nick Naylor had an alliterative name like Otto Octavius and Peter Parker, evoking Lee’s fondness for giving alliterative personal names to his heroes, heroines and supervillains in Marvel Comics. 

It was also fitting that after tragicomically triumphing over Cancer Boy and TLA on the daytime Joan Lumden tv talk show that kicked off the film and returning to ATS HQ, Naylor was told by B.R. that he had been summoned to fly down south to meet with the legendary and Lee resembling and implicitly linked rags to riches head of Winston-Salem, known to all only as the Captain-played by Robert Duvall.  Indeed, the tragicomic sight and sound of the Captain sending Naylor to Los Angeles to try to convince the Hollywood studios to get film stars and starlets smoking on screen again evoked the equally tragicomic, lonely, embittering and mostly unsuccessful decades long quest of Lee to persuade the Hollywood studios to make films based on the heroes and heroines of Marvel Comics, a lonely and embittering quest that finally succeeded with the successes of SPIDER-MAN and SPIDER-MAN 2, affirming the implicit link of the Captain and Winston-Salem to Lee and Marvel Comics, and implicitly linking the addictive cigarettes with their colourful packages of Winston-Salem to the equally addictive super satirical narrative art and super satirical animaction films, with their colourful covers, interior pages, films and film posters or one-sheets, of Marvel Comics and the MCU.

        Curiously, Naylor’s brief stay at ATS HQ, meeting with B.R., and visit with the Captain in his elite and wealthy private club down south evoked the equally brief stay of ex-Los Angeles Police Department [LAPD] replicant hunter Richard “Rick” Deckard-played by Harrison Ford-with his old boss Captain Bryant-played by M. Emmet Walsh-back at LAPD HQ and then his visit with Tyrell Corporation CEO Eldon Tyrell-played by Joe Turkel-in an equally elite and expensively furnished penthouse suite high atop one of the Tyrell Corp. pyramids at the beginning of the twilit, allegorical, CGI enhanced, Ozian themed and implicitly Lucas addressing Sir Ridley Scott indie docufeature artbuster BLADE RUNNER [1982], linking the film to the twilit and disastrous year and summer of 1982.  Indeed, this evocation of BLADE RUNNER was increased by the film long VO of Naylor, which evoked the equally cynical and disparaging film long VO of Deckard in BLADE RUNNER, making it all too fitting that the fondness of Naylor for divine ’82 red wines, particularly an ’82 Margaux, openly linked him to the fateful and fatal year of ‘82.

Just as curiously, Naylor managed to persuade his implicitly Linda Hamilton linked ex-wife Jill and her implicitly Cameron linked new beau Brad-played by Kim Dickens and Daniel Travis, respectively-to allow him to bring his young and implicitly Quentin Tarantino linked St. Euthanasius School boy son Joseph “Joey” Naylor-played by Cameron Bright-with him on the trip to L.A., and revealed himself to be a more thoughtful father than he appeared to be from a distance on the trip, and concerned about protecting personal and individual freedoms including free thought, speech and choice even more than cigarette use.  Here in L.A., Nick and Joey wound up at the Japanese themed HQ of Entertainment Global Offices [EGO], run by the Norman Osborn evoking and perhaps SPIDER-MAN 2 co-executive producer Kevin Feige linked Jeff Megall-played by Rob Lowe-ably assisted by the Harry and Peter evoking Jack and Neal-played by Adam Brody and Timothy Dowling, respectively.  On the way back to Washington, the Naylors also dropped by the isolated ranch of the lonely, despondent, embittered and implicitly Lucas linked Lorne Lutch-played by Sam Elliot-an ex-Marlborough Man model dying of lung cancer whose bitterness about his life long advocacy of the very cigarettes that were now killing him reminded us that the equally despondent, lonely and isolated Lucas was also bitter at the time about his life long advocacy of CGI, given that the same CGI had led to his downfall with the STAR WARS Tragic Trilogy.

Tragicomically, soon after he returned to Washington, Naylor also revealed that he had super powers of his own, for his heavy smoking and the high tolerance for nicotine it gave him allowed him to survive a bizarre assassination attempt led by an implicitly Raimi linked kidnapper-played by Jeff Witzke-carried out by covering his body with nicotine patches to ironically kill him with a nicotine overdose, an ironic survival due to Naylor’s heavy smoking made even more ironic by fact that Naylor was never seen smoking in the film and by the sight and sound of the Captain dying of natural causes implicitly linked to smoking at the same time.  Significantly, after surviving this assassination attempt, Naylor then went on to also triumph over the pretty and perky WASHINGTON PROBE reporter Heather Holloway-played by Katie Holmes-who had been hounding and humping him throughout the film, by insisting in a press interview that he had been seduced and manipulated by her, a WASHINGTON PROBE reporter who evoked the reporters of the DAILY BUGLE to reaffirm the MCU addressing intent of the film on one level.

Last but not least, Naylor also triumphed over Sen. “Cheesehead” Finistirre, the implicitly Spielberg linked Dr. Meisenbach-played by Michael Mantell-and the implicitly Francis Coppola linked Senator Lothbridge-played by Spencer Garret-at a Senate hearing on tobacco, before announcing that he was atoning for his shamelessly shilling life by breaking free from ATS and founding his own spin doctoring firm, Naylor Strategic Relations [NRS], in the end, implying the hope of Reitman that the quirky, eccentric, iconoclastic, indie, imperfect but vitally human and likably unlikable Lynch would also have the super powers to continue to create and succeed with indie moving painting film art that would also gleefully defy and triumph over the critics, the Hollywood studios, and Marvel Comics and their fondness for the big, brainless, lookalike, perfect but inhuman CGI enhanced blockbuster beasts of the MCU.  Indeed, after losing to Naylor at the Senate hearing, Sen. Finistirre openly evoked the development and promotion of CGI to cure film art of all its ills by his tragicomic advocacy of the use of CGI to remove cigarettes from old films, implicitly affirming that Reitman was roasting CGI enhanced blockbuster beasts on one level in THANK YOU FOR SMOKING.  An implicit new hope that Reitman also had for his own film art, given that THANK YOU FOR SMOKING was just as confident, iconoclastic, outrageous, CGI free and indie as the indie moving paintings of Lynch.  Thus, it was fitting that the film often evoked BLADE RUNNER, reminding us that an imperfect humanity triumphed over perfect and scientifically created Replicants in that film. 

Alas, however, Holloway’s seductive comment to Naylor during their first interview that she’d “…like to see where the devil sleeps”, the expressed fear of Jilly that Nick’s job could lead to accusations that he was “…the devil”, Naylor’s comment to Joey that “…I proved that you’re wrong, and if you’re wrong, I’m right”, and Sen. Finistirre’s insistence that his campaign to digitally remove cigarettes from old films was “…the right thing” all again unfortunately and ominously anticipated the arrival of the poor ol’ Gardevil [POG] in the life and film art of Reitman, like similar dismal and ominous comments in SPIDER-MAN and SPIDER-MAN 2.  A dismal and ominous shadow that was thankfully missing when the the bold, brash, confident, impudent, irreverent, shrewd, knowing, creative and cocky first feature film of Reitman implicitly impressed DC Comics and Time/Warner and inspired them to implicitly link Reitman to a superhero rather than a supervillain in the daylit, allegorical and CGI enhanced super satirical animaction film SUPERMAN RETURNS [2006], released on June 21, 2006 and inspired by a character created by Genial Jerry Siegel and Joltin’ Joe Shuster and originally implicitly linked to Perseverin’ President Franklin D. Roosevelt in DC Comics.

 

“You know,

you really shouldn’t smoke,

Miss Lane.”

 

        Significantly, the film began with blue 3D opening titles flying into the foreground centre of the screen from the depths of space like the Warner Superman films of the late Seventies and Eighties, complete with the famous and John Williams composed Main Theme and narration by Jor-El-played by Marlon Brando-from the eerily twilit, allegorical and implicitly Kubrick toasting and then Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau roasting Richard Donner super satirical docufeature film SUPERMAN [1978], immediately re-establishing a link to the Superman films that came before to make audiences feel at home despite the passage of time.  However, unlike the previous Superman films, this time the opening titles were superimposed over a spectacular CGI journey from the doomed planet of Krypton through the galaxy and solar system to the brave new CGI world of Earth, a CGI enhanced blast to the past prologue that implicitly affirmed the hope of DC, Time/Warner, and Singer that a neo eon of CGI enhanced film art had indeed begun and their intention to be a part of it.  Then the film briefly returned to the lonely farmhouse of the widowed Martha Kent-played by Eva Marie Saint-a lonely retirement suddenly uplifted by the return of her adopted son the implicitly Reitman linked Clark “Kal-El” Kent aka “Superman”-played by Stephan Bender as a teen, and by Brandon Routh as an adult, respectively-to Smallville after six years away from Earth visiting the exploded remains of Krypton.

        Heading back to Metropolis and his job as a reporter for the DAILY BUGLE, super Kent was soon competing for the luv of the Holloway evoking and Natalie Portman resembling and implicitly linked Lois Lane-played by Kate Bosworth-with the implicitly Lucas linked assistant editor Richard White-played by James Marsden-son of the implicitly Coppola linked BUGLE publisher Perry White-played by Frank Langella-to the amusement of the implicitly Cameron linked James “Jimmy” Olsen-played by Sam Huntington.  Thus, the sight and sound of Supe winning Lois back to his cause, including saving her and her fellow passengers when their passenger plane went out of control in another spectacular CGI enhanced sequence soon after he returned to Metropolis, and then triumphing over the implicitly Jackson linked Alexander “Lex” Luthor-an implication affirmed by the film’s allusions to The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy and to the twilit, allegorical, CGI enhanced and implicitly Lucas roasting Jackson animaction film KING KONG [2005], and played by Kevin Spacey-and his implicitly Fran Walsh linked floozy Kitty Kowalski-her surname fittingly evoking rebel Replicant Leon Kowalski [played by Brion James] in BLADE RUNNER, and played by Parker Posey-after his madcap plans for creating his own Skull Island evoking continent of Luthor Land in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean literally failed to crystallise, in the eucatastrophic end, implied the hope of DC, Time/Warner and Singer that the return of a new Reitman to the Temple Theatre signalled that the son had indeed become the father and that the son would win audiences back to the cause of film art with fine, fearless and feisty indie feature films like THANK YOU FOR SMOKING that would triumph over fortune and glory lusting film artists and their CGI enhanced blockbuster beasts, an ironic implication, indeed, as in SPIDER-MAN and SPIDER-MAN 2, given the spectacular CGI enhancement of the equally beastly and blockbuster SUPERMAN RETURNS.

        Indeed, the sight and sound of Lane saving Supe from drowning and then kissing him alive in the reverse Snow White fairy tale end after Supe had almost been killed by a shard of green Kryptonite stabbed into him by Luthor implicitly affirmed the hope of DC, Time/Warner and Singer that a lust for equally deadly and beastly blockbuster greenbacks would not kill the film art of SuperReitman.  At any rate, like SPIDER-MAN and SPIDER-MAN 2, SUPERMAN RETURNS was another spectacular example of how CGI enhanced film art was now able to move in any direction and do anything it wanted in imitation of the imagination unlike previous eras of film art, due to not being held back by the constraints of physical cameras. 

Curiously, but fittingly, given the resemblance of THANK YOU FOR SMOKING to BLADE RUNNER, not long after the release of SUPERMAN RETURNS, Sir Scott implicitly roasted and toasted the brash, cocky, confident, indie, outrageous, vitally human and likably unlikable Reitman in the implicit form of the equally brash, cocky, shrewd, knowing, indie, outrageous, likably unlikable and implicitly Scarecrow linked young English financial wizard “Mad” Maximilian “Max” Skinner-played by Russell Crowe-and, in the sight and sound of Skinner giving up his wealthy but grey London life for the colour, humanity, life and luv of a vineyard in Provence, implicitly urged Reitman to create indie film art and avoid creating brainless CGI enhanced blockbuster beasts like SPIDER-MAN and SUPERMAN RETURNS in the daylit, allegorical, montage luvin’ and Ozian themed Scott Free indie docufeature artbuster A GOOD YEAR [2006], a film released on September 9, 2006 whose implicit allegorical intent was affirmed by allusions to the Spider-Man Trilogy and THANK YOU FOR SMOKING.  Just as curiously, Steven Soderbergh also implicitly replied to THANK YOU FOR SMOKING in the twilit, allegorical and CGI enhanced docufeature film THE GOOD GERMAN [2006], a film released on November 12, 2006 inspired by the twilit and allegorical Joseph Kanon indie docufiction novel The Good German [2001].

 

“He’s not hiding them from the Russians,

you dumb fuckin’ cheesehead,

he’s hiding them from you!”

 

Indeed, as if influenced by the implicit fondness for Lynch and by the tragicomic attempt of Naylor and the ATS to persuade Hollywood to get stars smoking in films again in an exuberantly shameless attempt to make smoking cool and sexy again in THANK YOU FOR SMOKING, most of the stars, including the cigarette and dress shirt luvin’ and implicitly Lynch linked American NEW REPUBLIC writer Captain Jacob “Jake” Geismer-his name evoking Jason “Jace” Reitman, and played by George Clooney-his rude, violent, illicit loot lusting and implicitly Tarantino linked U.S. Army motor pool driver Corporal Patrick Tully-his surname evoking the implicitly Woody Allen and Toto linked Louis Tully [played by Rick Moranis] in GHOSTBUSTERS to affirm the film’s implicit interest in the Reitman family on one level, and played by Maguire-the implicitly Dino De Laurentiis linked Soviet General Sikorski-played by Ravil Isyanov-and the implicitly Aline Crumb linked Jewish femme fatale Lena Brandt-played by Blanchett-frequently smoked throughout their troubled time in the dangerous, treacherous, violent, deadly and Casablanca evoking real life sin city of post World War II Berlin.  Thus, the sight and sound of the implicitly Feige and Lee linked U.S. Colonel Muller and Congressman Breimer-played by Beau Bridges and Jack Thompson, respectively-conspiring with the possibly Reitman linked Lieutenant Hasso Schaeffer-played by Dave Power-and the implicitly Ivan Reitman linked U.S. war crimes prosecutor Capt. Bernard “Bernie” Teitel-played by the fittingly named Leland Orser-to have Lena’s husband, the implicitly Robert Crumb linked ex-SS secretary Emil Brandt-played by Christian Oliver-murdered by the implicitly Simmons linked German ex-police officer Gunther-played by Don Pugsley-to stop his war crimes testimony from preventing Brandt’s ex-SS boss, the implicitly Ditko linked German rocket scientist Franz Bettman-who evoked the pseudo-scientific advisor of the ATS, the implicitly Cronenberg linked Doctor Erhardt Von Grupten Mundt, in THANK YOU FOR SMOKING, and was played by David Willis-from immigrating to the U.S. to help the Americans build Cold War blockbuster transcontinental bombs despite the best efforts of Capt. Geismer and Lena to save Emil, in the end, implied the fear of Soderbergh that Lynch would not have the super artistic powers to beat the blockbuster CGI enhanced bombs of Hollywood and Marvel Comics. 

Indeed, the film’s allusions to THANK YOU FOR SMOKING reaffirmed the implication that Soderbergh was replying on one level to Reitman in THE GOOD GERMAN, while the film’s allusions to DUNE, MULHOLLAND DRIVE, the allegorical and implicitly Kubrick addressing Lynch indie moving painting ERASERHEAD [1977], the allegorical and implicitly Cronenberg and Sir Scott addressing Lynch indie moving painting THE ELEPHANT MAN [1980], the twilit, allegorical Lynch and implicitly Burton addressing indie moving painting BLUE VELVET [1986], the twilit and allegorical Lynch indie telemoving painting series TWIN PEAKS [1990], the daylit and allegorical Lynch indie moving painting THE STRAIGHT STORY [1999], and the implicit links of Lena and Emil Brandt to Aline and Robert Crumb, who reminded us that Lynch acted as a producer of sorts and “presenter” of the twilit and allegorical Terry Zwigoff indie documentary film CRUMB [1994], affirmed that Soderbergh was replying to Lynch on another level in THE GOOD GERMAN.  Alas, and last but not least, THE GOOD GERMAN also anticipated the arrival of Wright in the life of Reitman again, for late in the film the crippled and implicitly Frolickin’ Frank Miller linked pawn broker Levi-the implicit interest in Miller affirmed by the film’s allusions to the twilit, allegorical and CGI enhanced Miller and Rollickin’ Robert Rodriguez indie moving narrative artwork FRANK MILLER’S SIN CITY [2005], and played by Dominic Comperatore-tried to sell Capt. Geismer a Rolleiflex camera that set the image in the view finder right instead of upside down.

As for Columbia-TriStar, Marvel, and Raimi, they teamed up again with Acheson, Arad, Dafoe, Dunst, Elfman, Feige, Franco, Harris, Lee, Maguire, Murawski, Robertson, Simmons, Spisak, Tovah and SPIDER-MAN 2 director of photography [DOP] Bill Pope to complete a fittingly trimactic Spider-Man Trilogy with the daylit, allegorical, CGI enhanced and implicitly Cronenberg and SCC toasting and Reitman sr. and jr. and Richard Kelly roasting super satirical animaction film SPIDER-MAN 3 [2007], released on April 3, 2007.

 

“Harry,

she needs us.”

 

        Significantly, after those merrily flickering pages coalesced into the new Marvel Studios logo, the film began with the the shy, geeky, science luvin’, radioactive CGI spider powered and implicitly Cronenberg linked college student and part-time DAILY BUGLE photographer Peter Parker aka “Spider-Man”-played again by Maguire-declaring his luv eternal for the beautiful, intelligent and implicitly SCC linked Mary Jane [MJ] Watson-her implicit link to SCC affirmed by the film's allusions to the twilit, allegorical, CGI enhanced and implicitly Lucas roasting SCC indie docufeature artbuster MARIE ANTOINETTE [2006], and played again by Dunst.  Riding home later on his scooter from the house of Aunt May Parker-played again by Harris-Parker was suddenly and unexpectedly waylaid by the implicitly Reitman linked and “Spiderbug” hating Harry Osborn-played again by Franco-and lifted off into the skies above New York for a super battle, thus living up to the sinister implication at the end of SPIDER-MAN 2 that he would follow in his Dark Father’s footsteps, don the sickly Green Goblin suit and ride the glider.  However, a head injury suffered by Osborn soon into the fight robbed him of his vengeful memory and turned him into a Good guy, implying the hope of Columbia-TriStar, Marvel and Raimi that THANK YOU FOR SMOKING meant that young Reitman had chosen the indie film art for film art’s sake path instead of the path of the blockbuster CGI enhanced beast like his father. 

Curiously, however, the insidious and vengeful ghost of the implicitly Ivan linked Norman Osborn-played again by Dafoe-persuaded Harry to don the Gobby suit again later in the film. Meanwhile, Parker struggled with the implicitly Kelly linked Flint Marko aka “the Sandman”-his implicit link to Kelly affirmed by the film’s allusions to the twilit, allegorical, CGI enhanced and Ozian themed Kelly indie docufeature film SOUTHLAND TALES [2006], and played by Drew H. Church-and his own venomous and all too symbiotic Dark Side throughout the film, perhaps due to Columbia-TriStar, Marvel and Raimi’s displeasure with the gruesome and bloody violence in the all too fittingly entitled, twilit and allegorical Cronenberg indie docufeature film A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE [2005].  Thus, Columbia-TriStar, Marvel and Raimi implied that they were still worried that young Reitman and even Cronenberg might fall prey to their beastly blockbuster Dark Sides. 

Significantly, however, by the end of the film Harry and Pete freed themselves from their Dark Sides and teamed up to save MJ by defeating Sandy when he towered in size like the Stay Puft marshmallow man at the end of GHOSTBUSTERS.  Thus, Columbia-TriStar, Marvel and Raimi implied their ultimate hope that Cronenberg and Reitman would also defeat their beastly blockbuster Dark Sides and work together to save and advance the cause of indie film art for film art’s sake.  In fact, the sight and sound of Harry then dying to save Pete from a potentially fatal blow from the insidious black extraterrestrial symbiote that controlled rival DAILY BUGLE shutterbug Edward Brock jr. aka “Venom”-played by Topher Grace, who was implicitly linked to Justin Timberlake, who played the implicitly Tarantino linked Pilot Abilene, the VO narrator of SOUTHLAND TALES-at the trimactic end of the film even implied that Columbia-TriStar, Marvel and Raimi also believed that THANK YOU FOR SMOKING had indeed signalled that Reitman had chosen to be the best of himself and killed off his beastly blockbuster side, was committed to being a successful indie film artist, and was now worthy of dying as a supervillain and of being implicitly reborn in a more heroic super satirical incarnation like Cronenberg.  Or did the ending of SPIDER-MAN 2 imply that Columbia-TriStar, Marvel and Raimi believed that THANK YOU FOR SMOKING had killed off any hope of Reitman succeeding as a film artist, and that the indie film art of Cronenberg would ultimately triumph over that of young Reitman?  At any rate, the funeral of Harry that ended the film evoked the funeral of Norman that ended SPIDER-MAN, literally bringing the Spider-Man Trilogy full triangular circle.

        Alas, and eerily, before his death, Venom also said to Spidey’s face “…you’re so right” and also called him a tiger, again ominously anticipating a future Marvel film when Wright would be implicitly linked to Spidey and Reitman would indeed be implicitly linked to a marvelous superhero.  An implicitly and lamentably garish turn of events just as eerily anticipated earlier in the film when a director or producer-played by either Tim Maculan or Marc Vann-of a play that MJ had been performing in until she was fired said, when she walked unexpectedly back in to the theatre due to not being informed yet of her dismissal, “…well, Gary was supposed to call her agent.”  Perhaps inspiring Reitman to again avoid beastly, big budget, boffo, and blockbuster CGI enhanced super satirical animaction films and create another small, low budget, down to Earth and intimate docufeature film when he donned the director hat and returned to the Temple Theatre along with Bright, Simmons, editor Dana E. Glauberman and production designer Steve Saklad-both from THANK YOU FOR SMOKING-and Fox Searchlight Films to implicitly toast Cameron and Lucas and roast Bigelow and Jackson in the daylit, allegorical, brash, idiosyncratic, shrewd, knowing, original, montage luvin’, satirical, slightly CGI enhanced and Ozian themed indie docufeature film JUNO [2007], released on September 1, 2007.

 

“Almost there.”

 

        Curiously, the film began in autumn with a short, petite, pretty, brunette, hoodie wearin’, Natalie Portman resembling and implicitly Scarecrow linked teenage girl-played by Elliot Page, who immediately linked the film to the MCU via his role as Kitty Pryde aka “Shadowcat” in the optimistically entitled, twilit, allegorical and CGI enhanced Brett Ratner super satirical animaction film X-MEN: THE LAST STAND [2006]-drinking Sunny D and contemplating an arm chair someone in her suburban neighbourhood had left outside their home, presumably for garbage pickup.  A quaffin’ contemplation that led this girl to state in VO that “…it started with a chair”, kicking off a gleefully outrageous film long VO that evoked that of Naylor in THANK YOU FOR SMOKING and Deckard in BLADE RUNNER again, implicitly affirming that a commitment to an imperfect but vital humanity was happening again in JUNO.  Curiously, this first line of her VO also reminded us that Parker ended his opening VO at the beginning of SPIDER-MAN by stating that “…this, like any story worth telling, is about a girl”, implicitly refuting that traditional Hollywood philosophy and implying that on one level Reitman was replying to the CGI enhanced blockbuster MCU beast in the much smaller and more modest but more human JUNO.

As good as her word, the teen’s reflective contemplation led to a flashback reverie of her equally teen and implicitly Dorothy linked geeky blonde boyfriend-played by Michael Cera-and herself having awkward sex for the first time with each other and perhaps for the first time ever for both on a similar arm chair in her boyfriend’s house.  Significantly, just as they began to have sex, her boyfriend was heard to uncertainly state “…Wizard.”  Significant, indeed, for the vague exclamation was also used by a kid pal named Kitster-played by Dhruv Chanchani-to describe the rebuilt pod racer of the implicitly Cameron and Scarecrow linked slave boy and natural J.D. Jedi Anakin “Ani” Skywalker-played by Jake Lloyd-in STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE, implicitly linking the teenage boy to either Lucas or Cameron.

Just as curiously, this evocation of the first film in the STAR WARS Tragic Trilogy reminded us that the teenage girl having the reverie looked like the implicitly SCC and Dorothy linked Queen Padme Amidala-played by Portman-who young Ani fell in luv with in that film, implicitly linking her to Lucas.  This in turn reminded us that the luv of the ex-slave boy for the implicitly SCC and Dorothy linked Senator Padme Amidala-played again by Portman-swelled higher when he grew up and became the implicitly Cameron and Scarecrow linked teen J.D. Jedi Padawan Anakin Skywalker-played by Hayden Christensen-and led to an illicit and secret marriage between the two at the end of the twilit, allegorical, CGI enhanced, Ozian themed and implicitly Cameron and Spielberg roasting Lucas and Lynch toasting indie animaction film STAR WARS EPISODE II: ATTACK OF THE CLONES [2002].  This also reminded us that this secret marriage led to Senator Padme Amidala-played again by Portman-giving birth before she died to J.D. Jedi twins Leia and Luke Skywalker-played by Alan and Alana Smithee, respectively-at the end of the twilit, allegorical, CGI enhanced, Ozian themed and implicitly Cameron and Spielberg roasting and Lynch toasting Lucas indie animaction film STAR WARS EPISODE III: REVENGE OF THE SITH [2005]. 

Curiously, after this sexual reverie, the teen girl then walked off into a hand animated opening titles sequence filled with twirling maple leaves whose third title again confidently proclaimed “…A JASON REITMAN FILM” and whose fourth title very fittingly, it turned out, proclaimed “…JUNO”, implicitly linking Juno to Lucas and the Force again and also openly linking the teenage girl to narrative art and the hand animated, anime, animaction, and all CGI films it spawned, all to the sound of the twilit, allegorical and Kimya Dawson and Adam Green written The Moldy Peaches tune “Anyone Else But You” [2001].  Fittingly, after this artsy cartoon morphed back into reality, the teenaged girl wandered into a local convenience store swilling Sunny D to take a third pregnancy test in the store’s bathroom to make sure that she was indeed pregnant, reminding us again  that Sen. Amidala became pregnant in STAR WARS EPISODE III: REVENGE OF THE SITH to reaffirm her link to Portman and Lucas. 

This tragicomic interlude at the convenience store with Rollo the clerk-played by Rainn Wilson-also revealed that her surname was MacGuff, and that she was as brash, indomitable, iconoclastic, indie, imperfect and likably unlikable as Naylor and as feisty, pesky, mouthy, spunky, and short as the implicitly Toto linked Carol-played by McKenzie Phillips-in the allegorical, Ozian themed and implicitly Ralph Bakshi roasting and Walt Disney toasting Lucas indie docufeature film AMERICAN GRAFFITI [1973], also affirming her implicit link to Lucas and making it fitting that the allegorical and Bo Diddley, Bob Gibson and Prentice H. Polk written Buddy Holly tune “Dearest” [1959] was heard on the soundtrack of the film.  Indeed, the implicit link of MacGuff to Lucas was reaffirmed by the fact that her trimactic three pregnancy tests evoked the three films of the STAR WARS Classic Trilogy [1977-83] and the STAR WARS Tragic Trilogy, that the film alluded to the allegorical, CGI enhanced, Ozian themed and implicitly Spielberg roasting Lucas indie docufeature film STAR WARS EPISODE IV: A NEW HOPE [1977], that 1977 turned out to be one of the favourite years of Juno, that she was as fond of plaid shirts as Lucas, reaffirming her implicit link to Lucas and implicitly linking the boy in her sexual revery to Cameron.

        Walking away from the convenience store in a sadhappy daze, the Amidala resembling girl called her fittingly SCC resembling and implicitly linked teen girl friend and fellow indie rebel Dancing Elk High School [DEHS] student Leah-also implicitly linked to the Tin Man given that she rarely moved, and played by Olivia Thirlby-her implicit link to SCC affirmed by the film’s allusions to THE VIRGIN SUICIDES, the film’s SCC evoking soundtrack, her fondness for New York film artists and the open reference to Sonic Youth, one of SCC’s favourite bands.  This was a fitting implicit link of Leah to SCC, given that the storied Coppola clan were longtime friends of Lucas and given that SCC was implicitly linked to Amidala in the STAR WARS Tragic Trilogy and had a cameo role as Sache, a handmaiden to Queen Amidala, in STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE.  Curiously, Leah revealed during their phone call that MacGuff’s first name was Juno, and that her taller geeky teen boyfriend who had impregnated her was Paul “Paulie” Bleeker aka “Bleek”.  Just as curiously, it turned out that Bleek, unlike Juno, who was a poor high school student like Lucas in his teen years, was a top student like Cameron in his teen years, and also lived alone with his Hobbit resembling mother Carol-played by Darla Fay-like Ani lived alone with his implicitly Bigelow linked mother Shmi-played by Pernilla August-in the slave quarter of Mos Espa on Tatooine in STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE to reaffirm the implicit link of Bleek to Cameron. 

Tragicomically, and after a run in with the indomitable and implicitly Cowardly Lion linked DEHS anti-abortion crusader Su-Chin-played by Valerie Tian-outside an abortion clinic, Juno and Leah soon cooked up a plan to avoid an abortion by giving the baby away for adoption to an attractive, successful and perfect but ironically barren young couple they came across in a newspaper ad, the music and horror film luving and implicitly Jackson and Nikko the Flying Monkey King linked tv commercial music composer Mark Loring-his implicit link to Jackson affirmed by his The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy evoking surname and his big, expensive and Rivendell themed house, and played by Jason Bateman-and his Bigelow resembling and implicitly linked wife Vanessa-also implicitly linked to the Wicked Witch of the West, and played by Jennifer Garner, who also played the legendary and implicitly Bigelow linked warrioress Elektra Natchios opposite the “blind” and implicitly Kelly linked lawyer Matthew “Matt” Murdock aka “Daredevil” [played by Ben Affleck] in the twilit, allegorical and CGI enhanced Merry Mark S. Johnson super satirical animaction film DAREDEVIL [2003], and the twilit, allegorical and CGI enhanced Rowdy Rob Bowman super satirical animaction film ELEKTRA [2005], a legendary warrioress inspired by a character created by Miller for Marvel Comics-an implicit link to Bigelow that reminded us that Bigs had never had a huge hit like Cameron, Jackson or Lucas, making it fitting that the Wicked Vanessa was unable to have children.

        However, before approaching Mark and Vanessa, Leah helped Juno move the cast off arm chair she had been gazing at with such fond wistfulness at the beginning of the film to the front lawn of Bleek’s house where Juno gave him the news, an insightful session that led to a breakup and, alas, also ominously anticipated the arrival of the poor ol’ Gardevil again in another Reitman film due to the hoodie Juno wore in the encounter and the mat with the wicked tiger face that Juno and Leah took from outside a nearby house and placed the armchair on, a vibrant orange, white and black tiger that was exactly the same as the one used for the Streetsville Tigers of Streetsville Secondary School in Mississauga, Ontario where I worked as a Library Technician.  Soon after, Juno and Leah also revealed their tragicomic adoption plan first to Juno’s shocked, disappointed, divorced and implicitly Marshall linked Army vet and HVAC specialist father “Mac” MacGuff-who was first met complaining about the Spidey evoking hazmat suit he had to don that day to take on a Doc Ock evoking octopus of an HVAC system, was the second divorced father in as many Reitman films, and was played by Simmons, who again openly linked the film to the MCU-and her red headed and implicitly Kennedy and Glinda linked stepmother Brenda “Bren” MacGuff-played by Allison Janney-parental guardians who also unfortunately anticipated the arrival of Gardevil again as Mac was as gruff and bald and good natured deep down, and even resembled, my dear ol’ Dad, making it all too fitting that the film, while set in suburban Minnesota, was actually filmed in the Greater Vancouver Area [GVA] where I grew up in the northern half of Delta, BC. 

Curiously, Mac and Bren did not stop their immature, impertinent, imperfect, naïve, foolish, Maker’s Mark luvin’ and poor but fecund, likably unlikable and vitally human sweet sixteen “June Bug” from attending school as she went through the nine months of her pregnancy from autumn to spring, even as she swelled bigger and bigger and increasingly walked like Wicket the Ewok-played by Warwick Davis-in the twilit, allegorical, CGI enhanced, Ozian themed, Lucas executive produced and implicitly Spielberg roasting Richard Marquand indie docufeature film STAR WARS EPISODE VI: RETURN OF THE JEDI [1983] to reaffirm her implicit link to Lucas.  Just as curiously, Bren, Juno and Leah’s first glimpse of Juno’s luv child was as a vaguely glimpsed and all CGI shape on an ultrasound screen operated by an implicitly Great Oz linked ultrasound technician-played by Kaaren de Zilva-openly linking the tot to CGI enhanced film art in general and to all CGI film art like that created by Pixar in particular long before it was born.  And then when the cycle of the Forceful four seasons morphed patiently and inexorably into spring, Juno fittingly and successfully gave birth like Sen. Amidala to a single boy-played by Matthew Saunders and A.I. Smithee, respectively-on May 4^th to implicitly affirm that the 4^th was with the all natural J.D. Jedi lad...always. 

And so the short, petite, pretty, poor, imperfect but vitally human Juno gave the beamish boy to the tall, lean, beautiful, perfect, pleased and wealthy but barren, distraught, and ahuman Vanessa.  Alas for Nessie, she was also now solitary and lonely, as she had in the interim separated from Mark, while the likably unlikable, endearingly human and tall Bleek and short Juno, as tall and short as Cameron and Lucas, had in contrast gotten back together and ended the film outside Bleek’s house in the early summer sun strumming happily on their guitars singing “Anyone Else But You” as male DEHS students ran by on the sidewalk in school colours that were the same as those of the University of Southern California [USC] where Lucas attended film school.  A happy and harmonious conclusion that reminded us that the implicitly Scarecrow linked Steven “Steve” Bolander-played by Ron Howard-was initially gung ho for leaving the small northern California town of Modesto for an “eastern college” before changing his mind and deciding to remain in town and marry his implicitly Dorothy linked high school sweetie Laurie Henderson-played by Cindy Williams-while her brother, the implicitly Cowardly Lion linked Curtis “Curt” Henderson-played by Richard Dreyfuss-initially balked at leaving Modesto for that eastern college and then changed his mind and left at the end of AMERICAN GRAFFITI to reaffirm the implicit interest in that film in JUNO, in the summer end.  And so it ended in health and harmony with a song, a kiss, and even a chair, bringing the film full healing circle, and allowing Cameron to implicitly and symbolically receive the Juno award and a kiss that he never got from Canada. 

Thus, Reitman, implicitly not impressed with KING KONG, Jackson’s first feature film since the awesome The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, implied that Jackson was a flash in the pan who would quickly fade from view, and that, despite their many disappointing faults and imperfections, the likably unlikable, vitally human and tall Cameron and short Lucas would endure despite being implicitly defeated in the Lord Of The Rings Trilogy in the forms of Saruman and Sauron, respectively, and the widespread scorn heaped on the STAR WARS Tragic Trilogy, because Cameron and Lucas were imperfect but vitally human film artists who were still able to create good, memorable and successful films, unlike Bigelow.  Last but not least, Reitman also implicitly roasted his parents Genevieve and Ivan Reitman in the implicit forms of Amanda and Josh-played by Candice King and Steven C. Parker, respectively-a tragicomically bickering teen couple Juno and Bleek partnered up with on an experiment in a DEHS chemistry class. 

Curiously, and despite the fact that the STAR WARS Tragic Trilogy had failed to excite audiences and film artists, bring health and harmony back to the Temple Theatre, exorcise the TZ disaster, end the dread allegorical Zone Wars and kick off that neo eon of CGI enhanced film art, JUNO was a popular and successful film that pleased world audiences and inspired Canadian audiences who needed inspiration for their own new Constitutional aspirations.  Even the august Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences were pleased, awarding the film’s screenwriter Brook Maurio nee Busey, better known to the world by her diabolical nom d’art of Diablo Cody, an Academy Award for Best Screenplay. 

At any rate, it was fitting that three MCU vets in the forms of Garner, Page and Simmons appeared in JUNO, for the new Marvel Studios and Paramount Pictures soon implied that they were also impressed with JUNO and THANK YOU FOR SMOKING and implicitly believed that Reitman was indeed worthy of being implicitly reborn in the MCU as a headlining super hero in his own right now like Spidey and Superman instead of as a super villain, a fittingly bold, brash, cocky, confident, controversial, iconoclastic, indie, irritating, flashy, showy, wealthy and young Osborn evoking hero who was the complete opposite of the shy, reserved, secretive and poor Spidey and Supe and who was already more world famous and wealthy before he became a hero than Harry as Oscorp CEO.  However, they also implicitly felt that Lucas needed to be roasted rather than toasted as in JUNO, for Marvel and Paramount teamed up with Arad, Feige, Lee and Jon Favreau, curiously already a part of the MCU as an actor via his role as the implicitly Terry Gilliam linked legal adviser Franklin “Foggy” Nelson in DARDEVIL, to implicitly roast Lucas and toast Reitman in the daylit, allegorical and CGI enhanced super satirical animaction film IRON MAN [2008], released on April 14, 2008 and inspired by a character implicitly originally linked to tin can luvin’ machine man wannabe Andrew “Andy” Warhol created by Kirby, Lee, Doughty Don Heck, and Laughin’ Larry Lieber for Marvel Comics.

 

“And what do you say

to your other nickname?

“The Merchant of Death”?”

 

        Curiously, the film began far, far away from Minnesota, Metropolis, Washington, New York and Minas Tirith with with the opening titles flashing on the screen as a small American convoy of armoured Hummers of 1 CAV Security Forces drove through a hot, dry, and dusty desert valley in Kunar Province, Afghanistan.  Sitting in the back of one of the Hummers in the midst of the convoy and guarded by a trio of grim young American soldiers named Jimmy, Pratt and Ramirez-played by Kevin Foster, Garret Noel and Eileen Weisinger, respectively-was the young, brash, brilliant, cocky, confident, intuitively tech savvy, imperfect, likably unlikable, expensive custom suit wearing, whisky sippin’ and Reitman resembling and implicitly linked Stark Industries [SI] CEO Anthony “Tony” Stark-his implicit link to Reitman affirmed by the film’s allusions to THANK YOU FOR SMOKING, and played by Robert Downey jr.-as the allegorical and Angus and Malcolm Young and Brian Johnson written AC/DC tune “Back In Black” [1980] fittingly blasted out from a portable stereo, reminding us that JUNO and THANK YOU FOR SMOKING also both began with pop tunes accompanying the opening titles and immediately implicitly affirming Marvel and Paramount’s delight that young Reitman had successfully re-established the family name and talent for film art and got them both back in black with his first two feisty and fearless feature films. 

Alas for Stark, no sooner did he pose for a digital pic with Pratt than an explosion rocked the convoy as it came under attack by unseen interlopers that quickly scythed down all of the soldiers guarding Stark.  Frantically fleeing the embattled Hummer and rushing off into the desert to hide, Stark was soon badly and ironically injured when of one of his own SI rockets or RPGs landed nearby and exploded, leaving him alive but badly injured and falling unconscious.  At this point, IRON MAN then switched back in time as at the beginning of JUNO, this time not by way of a sexual reverie but by a return to Las Vegas 36 hours earlier, where a carefree and exuberantly womanizing young Stark, heir apparent to SI after the death of his implicitly Ivan linked father Howard Stark-played by Gerard Sanders-had been partying away at a roulette table at Caesars Palace to the resigned annoyance of his older mentor and family friend who had taken over the reigns of SI after the death of his father, the implicitly Irvin Kershner linked SI Deputy CEO Obadiah “Obi” Stane-played by Jeff Bridges-and to the frustrated fury of the ambiguously linked United States Air Force [USAF] SI liaison Lieutenant-Colonel James “Rhodey” Rhodes-played by Terrence Howard, and inspired by a character created by Jocular John Byrne, Beamin’ Bob Layton and Dapper Dave Michelinie for Marvel Comics-who had tried to present him with an Apogee award at a gala elsewhere in the hotel casino. 

Leaving Caesars Palace with his bodyguards and his equally big and imposing chauffeur, the implicitly Saklad linked Harold Joseph “Happy” Hogan-played by Favreau-Stark was waylaid before getting into his car by the beautiful, brainy, sweet, steely and implicitly Polley linked VANITY FAIR reporter Christine Everhart-played by Leslie Bibb.  This first ambush led to a quick and tense interview that made it clear that while not a bad guy and as likably unlikable as MacGuff and Naylor, the brash young Stark did not understand the devastating effects of the weapons produced by SI and needed some enlightenment and understanding lest he turn into Goblin jr. like young Osborn.  This first ambush also led to an exuberant one night stand between Everhart and Stark at his swingin’ and palatial clifftop Malibu bachelor pad and a morning after overseen by a helpful and eerily sentient artificial intelligence [AI] named JARVIS-his name evoking Jarvis Street in Toronto and reminding us of the Reitman family’s links to Toronto to reaffirm the implicit link of Stark to Reitman, and played by Paul Bettany.

Here at the Malibu pad we soon met the beautiful, strawberry blonde, intelligent, indispensable, patient, perky, pertinacious, luvly, luving and Cody resembling and implicitly linked personal assistant [PA] Virginia “Pepper” Potts-often wearing men’s clothing and with her hair styled like Vanessa in JUNO, and played by Gwyneth Paltrow-who gently but firmly escorted Everhart off the premises the morning after, but not before her name reminded us that Pepper Pot was one of the 32 types of soup featured in the first group of Campbell Soup cans painted by Warhol that he revealed to the world for the first time on July 9, 1962 at a gallery show in Los Angeles a year before the arrival of the original Iron Man to implicitly affirm that Stark was indeed implicitly linked to Warhol by Heck, Kirby, Lee and Lieber.  Curiously, after seeing Everhart off the premises, Potts walked downstairs to find Stark playing around in his work room working on an AMERICAN GRAFFITI evoking roadster and listening to the twilit, allegorical and Greg Ginn written Black Flag tune “TV Party” [1984] from the original punk soundtrack for the gleefully satirical, twilit and allegorical Alex Cox indie docufeature film REPO MAN [1984] to openly link Stark and implicitly link Reitman to indie and iconoclastic film art, film artists and 1984, the year of the release of GHOSTBUSTERS. 

Then young Stark received all of the enlightenment and understanding he needed in full measure 36 hours later after he unveiled his new, grandiose, and CGI enhanced blockbuster JERICHO bombing system to the U.S. Army in that hot, dry and dusty desert valley in Kunar Province, Afghanistan before the convoy that drove him away was attacked by a terrorist group that turned out to be called the Ten Rings, who evoked Bren’s Tens fingernail boutique in JUNO.  For waking up from unconsciousness, he found that a fellow brilliant, scientifically minded and implicitly Spielberg linked hostage named Ho Yinsen-played by Shaun Toub-had saved his life by operating on him, cutting out most of the shrapnel fragments that embedded his chest after the rocket explosion, and installed an electromagnet in his chest to repel the remaining sharp metal fragments and prevent them from being carried by his bloodstream and piercing his heart.  Sobered by his near death, the chest electromagnet and his still possible death, he was further sobered to discover that he had been kept alive by the bald and implicitly Lucas linked Raza-played by Faran Tahir-so as to use all of the SI weapons the Ten Rings had accumulated in their secret hideout to build a JERICHO weapons system for them to use for terrorist attacks. 

Refusing to do so, young Stark instead built a more powerful “arc reactor” electromagnet for his chest, an arc reactor that turned out to be smaller but better and more powerful than a larger arc reactor his father had built back at SI in L.A. and that was also a perfect metaphor for the indie docufeature film art of Reitman, which was also smaller but better and more powerful than that of his father.  A fitting reminder of the elder Reitman, for Stark then also built a helmeted grey suit of armour powered by that arc reactor that evoked the Stay Puft marshmallow man in GHOSTBUSTERS and the ominous and equally helmeted black suit that kept the implicitly Kurosawa Akira linked Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith-played by David Prowse, and voiced by James E. Jones, respectively-alive and powerful in the STAR WARS Classic Trilogy.  Stark then used the suit to battle his way out of his captivity and fly away via rockets in the soles of his armoured feet, desert battle scenes that evoked desert scenes on Tatooine in STAR WARS EPISODE IV: A NEW HOPE, desert battle scenes in the eerily and presciently twilit, allegorical, Ozian themed, Lucas executive produced and implicitly William Friedkin toasting and roasting Spielberg indie docufeature film RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK [1981], and even scenes on the snow world of Hoth in the eerily and presciently twilit, allegorical, CGI enhanced, Ozian themed, Lucas executive produced and implicitly Spielberg roasting Kershner indie docufeature film STAR WARS EPISODE V: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK [1980] to affirm the implicit links of Stane, Raza and Yinsen to Kershner, Lucas and Spielberg.  Alas, Yinsen bravely sacrificed himself to allow Stark to escape, a sacrifice on top of that of the soldiers in the convoy who died protecting him that added to the humbling Stark received in Afghanistan, and made him a changed man when he arrived covered in cuts and bruises back in L.A.

So changed he immediately announced at a press conference that SI would be shutting down its blockbuster bombs division, an announcement that enraged Stane and turned him against Stark.  Leading to tensions to build between the two men, tensions increased by the revelation late in the film that Stane was secretly in league with Raza and the Ten Rings and selling them weapons, reminding us that Kershner worked with Lucas on STAR WARS EPISODE V: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK to affirm the implicit links of Stane and Raza to Kershner and Lucas.  Significantly, as these tensions grew, Stark slowly created a new and improved arc reactor and a red and gold Iron Man suit in the hi-tech work shop of his Malibu bachelor pad with the help of JARVIS, often standing upright with his arms outstretched in a classic Da Vinci Renaissance Man pose as he did so, as befitting 21^st Century Renaissance Men like Reitman and Stark.  Not surprisingly, all the while that Stark perfected his Iron Man suit, tensions between him and Stane grew, tensions that finally exploded in all out and over the top CGI combat between Stark, in his new and improved Iron Man suit, and Stane in an equally new and improved, larger and still Vader evoking original grey Iron Man suit found after Stark was rescued in pieces like droid debris by Raza and his men in the desert sand of Kunar, put back together and transformed into a better battle suit.  Luckily for Stark, he triumphed over the sinister Stane with the help of the peppy Potts, in the electrifying and eucatastrophic end, an electrifying ending that unleashed a pillar of electric power that evoked the pillar of divine power seen at the end of RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK and also evoked the equally electrifying end of STAR WARS EPISODE VI: RETURN OF THE JEDI, with a dash of the end of STAR WARS EPISODE V: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK and even a dash of the end of the eerily and presciently twilit, allegorical, CGI enhanced, Ozian themed and implicitly Lucas roasting Sir Scott indie docufeature artbuster ALIEN [1979] as well to reaffirm the implicit Kershner, Lucas and Spielberg roasting intent of the film. 

An eucatastrophic ending that brought health and harmony back to Los Angeles, SI, Hogan, Potts, Stark and the politely pesky and implicitly Arad linked Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division [SHIELD] Agent Phil Coulson-played by Clark Gregg-until Stark revealed that he was indeed Iron Man to Everhart and other assembled reporters at a memorable closing press conference that evoked the final scrum with the press on the steps of the Capitol where Naylor announced his departure from ATS at the end of THANK YOU FOR SMOKING to reaffirm the implicit link of Stark to Reitman, that is.  A shock revelation that immediately and fittingly led to an instrumental version of the allegorical and Geezer Butler written Black Sabbath tune “Iron Man” [1970] to rock out the closing titles.  And one that brought Stark a surprise visit by the querulous and implicitly Spike Lee linked SHIELD Director Nicholas J. “Nick” Fury-inspired by a character originally implicitly linked to Kirby that was created by Kirby and Lee for Marvel Comics, and played by Samuel L. Jackson-and a tart little talk about Stark not being the only hero on Earth, becoming part of a bigger MCU and assembling the Avengers in a cut scene cameo appearance after the end of the closing titles that anticipated a super satirical MCU animaction film to come.

And so Marvel, Paramount and Favreau implicitly affirmed their hope that Reitman would not turn into a real life Goblin jr. and create brainless CGI enhanced blockbuster beasts and bombs, and also leave behind the outrageous MacGuff and Naylor and go on to create more substantial CGI enhanced film art for film art’s sake, an ironic implication indeed given the beastly boffo blockbuster and hyper violent mayhem of IRON MAN.  And so, given that the story arc of IRON MAN saw a wealthy heir apparent of a major tech corporation return from the “dead”, take his dead father’s company in a new direction as its young and swingin’ new CEO, and moonlight on the side as an Evildoer battling superhero like the young and implicitly Cameron linked Wayne Enterprises CEO Bruce Wayne aka “Batman”-played by Christian Bale-in the twilit, allegorical, CGI enhanced an implicitly Burton and Lucas roasting and Cameron toasting Christopher Nolan docufeature film BATMAN BEGINS [2005], Marvel, Paramount and Favreau also implied that they wanted to take on and take out Nolan and Warner Brothers and their new Batman Trilogy as well as the Matrix Trilogy with their far more CGI enhanced and over the top IRON MAN, which at times seemed to anticipate a time when film and video game morphed into one, reminding us that Columbia-TriStar, Marvel and Raimi had also implicitly striven to top Burton’s Batman Trilogy and the Superman Quartet [1978-86], both super sagas also made with Warners, with their Spider-Man Trilogy.  A timely implication from Marvel, Paramount and Favreau, indeed, given that the new Batman Trilogy bataranged back into the Temple Theatre soon after the release of IRON MAN in the implacable form of the twilit, allegorical, CGI enhanced and implicitly Bigelow roasting and Cameron toasting Nolan docufeature film THE DARK KNIGHT [2008], released on July 14, 2008.  Last but not least, a sequence midway through IRON MAN that was set at a Stark sponsored firefighter’s benefit in the Disney Concert Hall in L.A. also presciently anticipated the takeover of Marvel by Disney the following year.

And so soon after the release of IRON MAN, Marvel and Universal Studios had the implicitly Reitman linked Anthony “Tony” Stark aka “Iron Man”-played again by Downey jr.-reveal his interest in assembling Avengers had been piqued by showing up in his own cameo appearance before the beginning of the closing titles to talk to the despondent, SI weapons tech luvin’ and implicitly Stan “the Man” Lee linked World War II vet General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross-originally implicitly linked to ex-General Charles De Gaulle by Kirby and Lee in Marvel Comics at a time when De Gaulle had gone on to become President of Pablo Picasso’s preferred country of France, and played by William Hurt-after the indomitable, unstoppable and implicitly Cameron linked Doctor Bruce Banner aka “the Incredible Hulk”-originally implicitly linked to Picasso by Kirby and Lee for Marvel Comics given that the exaggerated hands and feet of the Hulk evoked those seen in allegorical paintings by Picasso like the banner sized “Guernica” [1937], and played by Ed Norton and voiced by Lou Ferrigno, respectively-disappeared after saving the grumpy General and his luvly daughter, the implicitly Bigelow linked Dr. Elizabeth “Betty” Ross-played by Tyler-by triumphing over the implicitly Roman Polanski linked Emil Blonsky aka “Abomination”-played by Tim Roth-at the end of the daylit, allegorical, CGI enhanced and implicitly Cameron roasting and toasting Louis Leterrier super satirical animaction film THE INCREDIBLE HULK [2008], a film released on June 6, 2008 that was even more hyper violent than IRON MAN or the Spider-Man Trilogy.

Curiously, Fox Searchlight Pictures and Marc Webb kicked off the following film year by implicitly wondering if the relationship of Cody and Reitman would last long or just be a summer fling like the failed romance of the implicitly Cody linked Summer Finn-played as a girl by Olivia H. Bagg, and as an adult by Zoey Deschanel, respectively-and the architecture, Angelus Plaza and obscure pop band luvin’ and implicitly Reitman linked Thomas “Tom” Hansen-played as a boy by Adam Emery, and as an adult by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, respectively-in the twilit, allegorical, and slightly CGI enhanced indie docufeature film (500) DAYS OF SUMMER [2009], a film released on January 17, 2009 whose implicit allegorical intent was affirmed by allusions to JUNO, SUPERMAN RETURNS and THANK YOU FOR SMOKING, a quirky folk and pop soundtrack that evoked that of JUNO, a film long VO narration by Richard McGonagle that evoked the film long VOs of Deckard, MacGuff and Naylor, the appearance of Gregg as Summer and Tom’s greeting card company boss Vance, and the return of JUNO co-producer Mason Novick as co-producer and JUNO DOP Eric Steelberg as DOP, and that fittingly ended with Hansen showing up for an interview for a new job at the Bradbury Building, given that the L.A. landmark featured prominently in BLADE RUNNER. 

Just as curiously, soon after the release of (500) DAYS OF SUMMER, DC and Time/Warners implicitly changed their mind about Reitman, for the bold, brash, cocky, confident, cynical, violent, warped and implicitly Reitman and Wicked Witch of the East linked Edward “Eddie” Blake aka “the Comedian”-fittingly appearing in scenes with pop music playing, and played by Jeffrey D. Morgan-was killed at the beginning by the tall, slim, blonde, world famous and implicitly Cameron and Tin Man linked Veidt Industries CEO Adrian Veidt aka “Ozymandias”-played by Matthew Goode-and the angry, disaffected, troubled, psychotic and implicitly Reitman sr. and Scarecrow linked Walter Kovacs aka “Rorshach”-played by Jackie E. Haley-was killed near the end by the brilliant, strange, solitary, fittingly all CGI and implicitly Lucas and Great Oz linked Jon Osterman aka “Doctor Manhattan”-played by Billy Crudup-to prevent them from revealing the truth about Veidt’s desperate plot to use blockbuster and CGI realized bombs created with the inadvertent help of Dr. Manhattan that wreaked havoc on Beijing, London, Moscow, New York, Paris and Tokyo to end the threat of nuclear war between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R., an ending that implicitly equated with Cameron and other film artists using CGI initially pioneered by Lucas to free audiences, film art, film artists and the Temple Theatre from the TZ disaster so as to end the dread allegorical Zone Wars, in the twilit, allegorical, CGI enhanced and Ozian themed Zack Snyder super satirical animaction film WATCHMEN [2009], a film released on February 23, 2009 that was as implicitly indebted to the super satirical art of Alex Ross as it was to the twilit, allegorical and Ozian themed Angsty Alan Moore and Dapper Dave Gibbons indie super satirical narrative art series WATCHMEN [1986-87], whose allusions to GHOSTBUSTERS, JUNO, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, the STAR WARS Classic and Tragic Trilogies, the Terminator films, THANK YOU FOR SMOKING, THE WIZARD OF OZ and THX 1138, and the embittered sight and sound of the old, dissipated and implicitly Cody and Glinda the Good linked Sally Juspeczyk aka Sally Jupiter aka the original “Silk Spectre”-fittingly the luv of Blake, based on a character originally implicitly linked to Ida Lupino by Gibbons and Moore, and played by Carla Gugino-affirmed its implicit Cameron, Cody, Lucas and Reitman sr. and jr. roasting intent, and which alluded as often to the Matrix Trilogy as did the Spider-Man Trilogy and SUPERMAN RETURNS, reaffirming the fondness of Time/Warners for the Wachowski Sister trilogy. 

For his part, Sam Mendes implicitly disagreed with Fox and Webb and implicitly hoped that the quirky and tragicomic cinematic relationship of Cody and Reitman would endure like the equally quirky and tragicomic relationship of the young, struggling, uncertain, unmarried, Stark and Potts evoking and implicitly Cody and Reitman linked couple Verona De Tessant and Burt Farlander-played by Maya Rudolph and John Krasinski, respectively-in the twilit, allegorical, and slightly CGI enhanced indie docufeature film AWAY WE GO [2009], a film released on June 5, 2009 whose implicit allegorical intent was affirmed by allusions to JUNO, a quirky folk and indie rock soundtrack, a brief stop in Reitman’s birthplace of Montreal, the film long pregnancy of Verona that evoked the film long pregnancy of Juno, and by the presence of Janney as Verona’s implicitly Kennedy linked friend Lily, wife of the sour and implicitly Lucas linked Lowell-played by the fittingly surnamed Jim Gaffigan-by the presence of Catherine O’Hara as Burt’s mom Gloria, openly linking Burt to Canadian film and telefilm artists, and by the implicit link to Jackson of Burt’s brother Courtney-played by Paul Scheider.

At any rate, it was fitting to see Burt and Verona flying around North America in passenger planes and Melanie Lynskey appearing in a small role as the despondent and infertile Munch Garnett in AWAY WE GO, for passenger plane travel and Lynskey in another small role both reappeared when Reitman donned the co-writer/director/co-proucer hats and teamed up again with Bateman, Elliot, Glauberman, Saklad, Simmons, Steelberg, Cut Chemist-who fittingly played a chemistry teacher in JUNO-co-executive producer Michael Beugg, composer Rolfe Kent and costume designer Danny Glicker-all from THANK YOU FOR SMOKING-and now with Ivan’s Montecito Picture Company, and, ironically, with Paramount Pictures, to create another small, low budget, down to Earth and intimate film that sometimes soared high but was again in complete contrast to the beastly, big budget, boffo, hyper violent, and CGI enhanced super satirical animaction films that were invading the Temple Theatre and turning the venerable edifice into Saturday cartoon morning to the furious horror of luvers of film art in the fine and feisty form of the twilit, allegorical, brash, confident, human, intelligent, original, shrewd, knowing, satirical, montage luvin’, slightly CGI enhanced and Ozian themed indie docufeature film UP IN THE AIR [2009], released on September 5, 2009 and inspired by the twilit and allegorical Walter Kirn indie docufiction novel Up In The Air [2001].

 

“Make no mistake,

we all die alone.”

       

Curiously, after the CGI enhanced Paramount Pictures and Montecito Picture Company logos appeared on the screen to the sound of swelling horns blasting out the first notes of a pop tune, then the screen went black and blank and the music stopped for a fraction of a second, and then the film and music began like JUNO and THANK YOU FOR SMOKING with another hip and cocky opening titles montage accompanied by a pop tune and one fittingly up in the air flying through the cloud filled sky and filled with artful landscape shots of the United States taken from airplane windows, shots that evoked the equally hip and artful landscape photography of Edward Burtynsky to the sound of the allegorical, Woody Guthrie written and Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings performed tune “This Land Is Your Land” [2005].  Not surprisingly, given the success of JUNO and its Oscar for Best Screenplay, the seventh title again confidently proclaimed UP IN THE AIR “…a Jason Reitman film”, albeit not in caps.  Then the leisurely aerial shots speeded up stressfully, the POV came in for a landing like the farmhouse of Dorothy-played by Judy Garland-in THE WIZARD OF OZ, and then abruptly shifted right to a disgruntled employee-played by Al Smithee-who resembled and was perhaps linked to Jones, who voiced Darth Vader in the STAR WARS Classic Trilogy, angrily addressing someone off camera about being dismissed from his job, implying that Lucas was being addressed again in UP IN THE AIR. 

This implication was reaffirmed by the Kennedy resembling and implicitly linked disgruntled employee-played by Alana Smithee-that followed “Jones”, and the Spielberg resembling and implicitly linked disgruntled employee-played by A.I. Smithee-who soon followed “Kennedy”, both of whom also angrily addressed someone off camera about being dismissed from their jobs, ironically reminding us that Kennedy and Spielberg had been good friends and supporters of Lucas for decades.  Thus, the implication was that the person being angrily addressed off camera who was eventually revealed to be the handsome, experienced, knowing, and black suit and tie wearing veteran dismissal expert Ryan Bingham-played by Clooney-was implicitly linked to Lucas.  However, given the film’s many allusions to SOUTHLAND TALES and the twilit, allegorical, CGI enhanced, Ozian themed and implicitly Cameron, Lucas and Spielberg roasting Kelly indie docufeature film DONNIE DARKO [2001], the implication was that the acerbic and obdurate bachelor Bingham was actually linked to the acerbic and obdurate bachelor Kelly, his implicit link to the older Bingham reminding us that the film art of Kelly gave audiences the impression that he was older and more experienced than he actually was.

Thus, the sight and sound of the imperfect but vitally human and likably unlikable Bingham being summoned back like Deckard and Naylor to the HQ of a dismissals company euphemistically called the Career Transition Company [CTC] headed by the pragmatically callous and implicitly Sir Scott and Tin Man linked Craig Gregory-his implicit link to Sir Scott affirmed by allusions to A GOOD YEAR, and played by Bateman-and then flying to cities around the U.S. like the Wicked Warlock of the East throughout the film, with fitting stops in Kansas City and Wichita, to the sound of another indie and folksy pop soundtrack that evoked that of AWAY WE GO gently but firmly dismissing employees with the same outrageous nonchalance as the cigarette promoting Naylor on behalf of CTC to prove that the equally pragmatically callous plan of the short, young, naive, and equally imperfect but vitally human and likably unlikable, San Fran originating and Portman resembling, black suit luving and implicitly Wicked Witch of the West linked new CTC hire Natalie Keener-played by Anna Kendrick-to dismiss people over the crystal ball evoking computer while seated in a cubicle at the head office in Omaha, Nebraska was wrong and proving his point, all the way venting an acerbic and Deckard, MacGuff and Naylor evoking film long VO and inspired on his journey by the amused and luvin’ support of the implicitly Glinda the Good linked fellow traveller Alex-played by Vera Farmiga-and the singing and implicitly Cowardly Lion linked Young MC-played by Marvin Young-implied the wistful hope of Reitman that Kelly would not abandon a commitment to an imperfect but vital humanity in his indie docufeature film art. 

Along the way, the tragicomic sight and sound of the implicitly Dorothy linked Julie-played by Lynskey-marrying the reluctant and implicitly Jackson and Scarecrow linked Jim Miller-played by Danny McBride-implied that Reitman was again gently roasting Jackson.  And so Bingham eventually hit his 10 million AA frequent flyer mark and finally met the mysterious, legendary and implicitly Great Oz linked Captain Maynard Finch-played by Elliot.  And so Keener came to her senses and left CTC, winding up in another and less depressing job in San Francisco to affirm her implicit link to the Wicked Witch of the West.  And so Bingham ended the film all alone in an airport looking up at the destination board wondering where to go now, an ending that literally left him up in the air.  And so UP IN THE AIR was another fine film that inspired and enfired audiences, particularly Canadian audiences.  And so, and alas, a dismissed employee who evoked film reviewer Roger Ebert, Keener’s obsession with finding “…the right guy”, the Gary hidden in the name of Ryan Bingham and his lonely and solitary bachelor life in a small, empty and undecorated closet of an “apartment”, his Sara MacLachlan evoking cousin-played by Jennifer Nitzband?-SSS evoking ex-high school, luv of backpacks and the Wright Brothers, and the fact that UP IN THE AIR was a Right Of Way Films production eerily and all too presciently made for yet more creepy and ominous memories of the Wrightmarish future in a Reitman film.  Eerie prescience, indeed, given that I soon rudely intruded upon the peaceful and successful life of Reitman, which included being nominated for Best Director for his latest fine film by the august Academy,  not long after the release of UP IN THE AIR.

However, before Reitman could implicitly take on Wright, DC and Time/Warners implicitly linked Reitman to Lieutenant-Colonel Franklin Clay-played by Morgan-leader of a group of double-crossed ex-CIA special forces soldiers that included the implicitly Luc Besson linked Captain Jacob “Jake” Jensen-played by Chris Evans-the implicitly Johnny Depp linked Sergeant Carlos “Cougar” Alvarez-played by Oscar Jaenada-and the implicitly Clement Virgo linked Sgt. Linwood “Pooch” Porteous-played by Columbus Short-all of whom teamed up with the implicitly SCC linked Aisha al-Fadhil-played by Zoe Saldana-to seek revenge against the implicitly Feige linked “Mad” Max-played by Jason Patric-the ambiguously linked Capt. William Roque-played by Idris Alba-and the rest of their implicitly Marvel linked CIA betrayers in the twilit, allegorical and CGI enhanced Sylvain White docufeature film THE LOSERS [2010], a film released on April 22, 2010 that was inspired by a narrative artwork of the same name by Antsy Andy Diggle and Jocular Jock released under DC’s Vertigo imprint, that was as fond of THE MATRIX as the Spider-Man Trilogy, SUPERMAN RETURNS and WATCHMEN, and whose use of Alba, Evans, and Saldana was ironic, given that all three went on to greater fame in iconic roles in the MCU.  At any rate, the implicit interest in SCC, Reitman, Virgo and Marvel in THE LOSERS was fitting, for Marvel, Paramount and Marvel’s new owner the Walt Disney Company, who purchased Marv in 2009, clearly believed that UP IN THE AIR reaffirmed that Reitman’s metaphoric chest arc reactor was still smaller but better and more powerful than the larger arc reactor of his father and worthy of more implicit merry Marvel mischief and mayhem, for they teamed up with Bettany, Bibb, Downey jr., Favreau, Feige, Gregg, Jackson, Lee and Paltrow to implicitly roast and toast Cody and Reitman again and to implicitly roast and toast SCC and Virgo as well in the daylit, allegorical and CGI enhanced super satirical animaction film IRON MAN 2 [2010], released on April 26, 2010.

 

“You’re the wonder boy…

but this ain’t Canada.”

 

        Curiously, the film began with an opening titles filled prologue set in a run down apartment in bleak, cold, snowswept and wintry Moscow that saw the bitter, brilliant, cockatoo and vodka luvin’ and implicitly Dan Aykroyd linked hi-tech genius Ivan Vanko aka “Red Tsar”-played by Mickey Rourke-sadly mourning the death of his forgotten, equally brilliant and implicitly Peter Aykroyd linked father Anton Vanko-played by Evgeniy Lazarev.  Significantly, Vanko then proceeded to avenge his father’s death by digging out some SI blueprints for an arc reactor that Anton had worked out with Howard Stark and then using these blueprints to create his own arc reactor.  Then the POV shifted to the sight and sound of the brash, brilliant, cocky, confident, likably unlikable and implicitly Reitman linked Anthony “Tony” Stark-his implicit link to Reitman affirmed by the film’s allusions to JUNO and THANK YOU FOR SMOKING, and played again by Downey jr. as an adult, and as a boy by Davin Ransom in a reel blast from the past of Stark, respectively-standing in the hold of a military aircraft in his Iron Man suit and then leaping out of the back of the plane when the rear cargo doors opened and falling down and then rocketing through the fireworks exploding nighttime sky above Flushing Meadows, New York.  Soon Stark made a spectacular landing on a stage before a packed audience and again adopted an arms wide Da Vinci Renaissance Man evoking pose in front of a huge digital screen displaying a Stars and Stripes that cheekily often only showed the red stripes over the white background to evoke the red and white Maple Leaf flag of Canada to immediately reaffirm Stark’s implicitly link to a Canadian film artist while a chorus line of tall, beautiful, leggy and red and gold Rockette evoking Ironettes showing off those long and beguiling American thighs high kicked and danced on a stage behind Stark to literally kick off a revamped and year long Stark Expo in an exuberantly spectacular, brash, confident, and cocky CGI enhanced sequence all to the hard rockin’ sound of the allegorical and Johnson and Angus Young written AC/DC tune “Shoot To Thrill” [1980]. 

Shedding the Iron Man super suit with the help of some CGI robots, Stark then modestly proceeded to praise himself and his achievements to the amusement of the assembled audience and welcome them to the Stark Expo.  Thus, Expo and Temple Theatre audiences were returned to the brilliant, cocky and super successful and wealthy life of Stark, an ironic sight and sound indeed, given that it was far removed from the more modest and down to Earth life and film art of Reitman but which immediately and implicitly affirmed the super satirical intent of the film.  The super spectacular CGI sequence also implicitly reaffirmed that Disney, Marvel, Paramount and Favreau were indeed using spectacular CGI sequences that it needed to create the super satirical animaction adventures of its MCU heroes and heroines to win audiences over to their Zonebusting cause and implicitly assure them that the MCU was leading the way in the neo eon of daylit, TZ disaster free and CGI enhanced film art.  The Stark Expo and its nostalgic blast from the Seventies past complete with an archival Expo ’74 documentary film about life in the fabulous hi-tech City of the Future featuring a new Howard Stark-played by John Slattery-not only evoked the initial CGI enhanced and Skyrocking Seventies era of film art led by Lucas before the TZ disaster, but also immediately affirmed the implicit link of Stark to a Canadian film artist like Reitman, for the Stark Expo evoked Canada’s famous future themed Expo ’67 in Montreal and the fact that the film career of the elder Reitman began in the Seventies. 

Alas for Stark and his implicitly Saklad linked bodyguard Harold “Happy” Hogan-played again by Favreau-this boffo beginning led to Stark being subpoenaed and forced to immediately head to Washington to be grilled at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing about his Iron Man super suits, a political grilling led by the pesky and implicitly Harvey Weinstein linked Senator Stern-played by Garry Shandling, ominously and openly linking Stark and implicitly Reitman to someone named Garry in yet another creepy anticipation of Reitman’s garish future to come-a tragicomic sight and sound that evoked the equally tragicomic sight and sound of Naylor being grilled in Washington by a Senate committee headed by the equally pesky Sen. Finistirre that explored the possibility of putting explicit warnings on cigarette packages at the end of THANK YOU FOR SMOKING, reaffirming the implicit link of the brash and confident Stark to the equally brash and confident Reitman.  A hearing attended by Stark’s indispensable and implicitly Cody linked PA Virginia “Pepper” Potts-played again by Paltrow-and the implicitly Virgo linked Lt.-Col. James “Rhodey” Rhodes aka “War Machine”-now played by Don Cheadle-and whose tension was relieved by the tragicomic testimony of the implicitly Mike Myers linked Hammer Industries [HI] CEO Justin Hammer-played by Sam Rockwell.

Soon Stark was back at his swingin’ and palatial clifftop Malibu bachelor pad arguing with Potts, and, as he did, hanging on a wall a pop art-style portrait of Iron Man that evoked the initial implicit link of Stark to Warhol in Marvel Comics on a wall.  Then, to the surprise of Potts and the audience, Stark suddenly and unexpectedly announced that he was making her CEO and Chairwoman of SI, a position that would allow her to take care of all of the complaints she had about his disinterested leadership and that reminded us that Cody not Reitman won an Oscar for JUNO.  Curiously, right after this surprise development, a boxing match between Hogan and Stark in a boxing ring in his swingin’ pad led to the equally unexpected arrival of a sultry, sexy and implicitly SCC linked red headed seductress and truly dressed to thrill notary namedNatalie Rushman who soon turned out to actually be ex-Russian KGB assassin and SHIELD Agent Natasha Romanoff aka “Black Widow”-inspired by a character perhaps originally implicitly linked to Jacqueline “Jackie” Kennedy that was created by Heck, Lee and Debonair Don Rico for Marvel Comics, and played by Scarlett Johansson-her implicit link to SCC affirmed by her ability to speak Italian, her Tokyo fashion model experience, and the film’s allusions to LOST IN TRANSLATION and the twilit, allegorical, CGI enhanced and implicitly SCC toasting Tony Scott indie docufeature film DOMINO [2005], which was openly linked to IRON MAN 2 by Rourke, who played bounty hunter Edward “Ed” Moseby in that film. 

Smitten by her beauty, “Rushmore” was hired to replace the peppy Potts as the PA of Stark given Pep’s promotion to Chairman and CEO.  And so, Romanoff secretly established next to Stark by SHIELD, it was off to Monaco to watch the Stark racing team in their Toronto evoking blue and white colours, a visit that saw Potts and Stark briefly meet up with Elon Musk at the Hotel de Paris to reaffirm the implicit link of Stark to Reitman, given that Musk was one of the co-executive producers of THANK YOU FOR SMOKING.  Curiously, the stop in Monaco was then unexpectedly livened up by the sight and sound of Stark leaping into the Stark team car and driving the race.  A drive that was interrupted by an attack by Vanko in an exo-skeleton with electro-whip enhanced arms powered by his chest arc reactor that forced Hogan, Potts and Stark to work hard to defeat Vanko.

Curiously, while Vanko soon escaped from custody, Stark created a new element with the help of JARVIS-played again by Bettany-the implicitly Arad linked SHIELD Agent Phil Coulson-played again by Gregg-the battered shield of Captain America, and his father’s scale model of the Stark Expo ’74, a new element-digitinium? excelsiorinium? marvelinium? narcissusinium?-that perhaps symbolized the Oscar won by JUNO to replace the deadly and poisoning palladium used to power his chest arc reactor and create an even more powerful chest arc reactor that would not poison him.  New and more powerful chest arc reactor in place, Stark then teamed up again with Hogan, Potts, Rhodes, Romanoff, and the implicitly Lee linked SHIELD Director Nicholas “Nick” J. Fury-played again by Jackson-to triumph over Vanko in his own electro-whip equipped and Darth Stane evoking battle suit, and his gullible and tragicomic enabler, HI CEO Hammer, and their all CGI and Iron Man evoking Variable Threat Response [VRT] battle suit drones aka “the Hammeroids”, each linked to a different branch of the American Armed Forces, in a battle at Stark Expo at the end of the film, bringing the film full circle.  Fittingly, Iron Man and War Machine defeated Red Tsar by crossing their palm repulsor beams in front of him in a GHOSTBUSTERS evoking denouement that affirmed the implicit link of Vanko to Aykroyd as it reminded us that Aykroyd not only co-wrote GHOSTBUSTERS with Ramis, but played the implicitly Lynch linked Dr. Raymond “Ray” Stantz in that film.  Alas, this concluding triumph did not impress Potts, who resigned as SI Chairwoman and CEO, and sealed her rejection with two passionate smooches with Stark to make up for the one that almost happened in IRON MAN.

Tragicomically, soon after these super smooches, SHIELD Agent Romanoff also rejected Stark as too narcissistic to be a member of the Avengers.  But not too narcissistic to be awarded, along with Lt.-Col. Rhodes, a fittingly Maple Leaf flag evoking red and white military medal from Sen. Stern in a ceremony in Washington to the equally fittingly brash, cocky, outrageous and swelling sounds of the allegorical and Young Brothers and Bon Scott written AC/DC tune “Highway To Hell” [1979], reminding us that “Shoot To Thrill” helped kick off the film to bring IRON MAN 2 full AC/DC rockin’ circle, in the end.  Then the film, which had anticipated the arrival of Black Panther and Captain America, teased audiences with another cut scene after the end of the closing titles in the desert of New Mexico with SHIELD Agent Coulson pondering a mysterious hammer lying in the midst of a crater while fittingly standing next to a car with the license plate 8RE 2Z1 that reminded us that Cameron began his film art career in the twilit and disastrous year of ’82 with the eerily and presciently twilit, allegorical and implicitly Sir Scott roasting indie docufeature film PIRANHA II: THE SPAWNING [1982], setting us up for the implicit link of Cameron to Thor, Norse god of thunder, in a MCU film to come.

Alas, along with an actor named Garry, the film’s stops in Queens, NY to visit the HQ of HI also again ominously anticipated the arrival in the life and film art of Reitman of a strange and “marvelous” hero who lived just off Queen Street in the Streetsville “village in the city” area of Mississauga, Ontario.  Just as eerily, Toronto shooting locations, the surname of Wright and even a bewitching and beguiling young beauty named Natalie also featured prominently soon after the release of IRON MAN 2 in a feature film that roasted and revelled in more merry marchin’ mischief and mayhem than an MCU film, the fittingly daylit, allegorical, brash, confident, montage luvin’, CGI enhanced, tragically hip, super satirical animaction film roasting and implicitly Cody and Reitman roasting and toasting Edgar Wright indie super satirical docufeature film SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD [2010], a film released on July 27, 2010 and inspired by the also Toronto based and possibly Cameron addressing Bryan Lee O’Malley narrative art series Scott Pilgrim [2004-10].

 

“!They make films in Toronto?”

 

Tragicomically, after a retro Universal logo accompanied by an 8 bit score that evoked the graphics and sounds of a classic arcade game from the late Seventies and early Eighties like Pac-Man or Space Invaders set the video game luvin’ spirit of the film, a film long VO-courtesy of Bill “Darth” Hader-that evoked those in all of the films of Reitman so far set the scene by saying “…not so long ago…in the mysterious land…of Toronto, Canada…Scott Pilgrim was dating a high schooler.”  Cut to the wintry exterior of an older and snow covered house in Toronto and then into the interior where the lanky, toque luvin’ and implicitly Reitman linked Canadian indie rocker Scott Pilgrim-played by Cera, who openly linked the film to Reitman via his Bleek role in JUNO, which was alluded to in the film-was hanging with his bandmates Kim Pine and the implicitly Kent linked Stephen “the Talent” Stills-played by Alison Pill and Mark Webber, respectively-and their friend young Neil-played by Johnny Simmons, no relation to J.K., who also played Chip Dove in the twilit, allegorical, CGI enhanced, Cody written and executive produced, Reitman co-produced and possibly SCC and Polley addressing Karyn Kusama indie docufeature film JENNIFER’S BODY [2009], a film that also saw Simmons return as Mr. Wroblewski, to affirm the implicit interest in Cody and Reitman in the film.  Pine, Stills and young Neil teased Pilgrim about his 17 year old Chinese girl friend Knives Chau-played by Ellen Wong, and resembling and implicitly linked to Reitman’s then wife Michele Lee-making it all too fitting that she soon arrived, inspiring Pilgrim, Pine and Stills to cut loose with the daylit, allegorical and Beck written Sex Bob-Omb tune “We Are Sex Bob-Omb” [2010] while multi-coloured and psychedelic opening titles that fit the person being singled out flashed on the screen, evoking the pop tunes that played as the opening titles flashed on the screen at the beginning of all of the Reitman films so far to affirm the implicit link of Pilgrim to Reitman.

Opening tune and titles over, Pilgrim returned home to his bunker evoking pad on Alberta Avenue to banter with his cool and perhaps Saklad linked gay roommate Wallace Wells-played by Kieran Culkin-and reveal that he was now dating a high school girl.  A revelation that caused Wells to immediately text Pilgrim’s Second Cup barista sister Stacey Pilgrim-resembling and implicitly linked to Reitman’s sister Catherine Reitman and played by Kendrick, who also openly linked the film to Reitman via her role as Keener in UP IN THE AIR.  Soon Pilgrim was off on a date with Chau, playing combo videogames at an arcade, eating takeout slices from Pizza Pizza, shopping at a Goodwill and at a music store, where Pilgrim refused to allow Chau to inspect a CD by The Clash At Demonhead, due to the lead singer turning “…into a real bitch and ruining [his] life forever.” 

Significantly, date over, Pilgrim had a desolate dream that staggered him with unspeakably infinite sadness and eternal loneliness until he saw a beautiful young woman with pink hair roller blading through it and reassuring him that he was “…not alone.”  Waking up, he soon rushed off to meet Chau at the local library, where to his shocked surprise he met his roller blading dream girl, her hair indeed pink with the Infinite Weirdness.  Soon he was off to a party with young Neil, Pine and Stills, where he met the Aykroyd resembling and implicitly linked Comeau-played by Nelson Franklin-who informed the disappointed Pilgrim that the girl of his dreams was named Ramona Flowers, was an American like Cody, and was also at the party.  Searching desperately for her, he soon found the implicitly Cody linked Ramona Flowers-played by Mary E. Winstead-who left the party before Pilgrim could find out much about her other than that she was from New York and worked at Amazon.  However, luckily for Pilgrim, another dream soon led to another encounter with Flowers, a more romantic nighttime encounter that led to Flowers promising to show up at a battle of the bands that Sex Bob-Omb was participating in the following night at the Rockit Club.

Alas for Pilgrim, after Flowers appeared at the Rockit Club, the Evil and ambiguously linked Matthew Patel-played by Satya Bhabha-and his Demon Hipster Chick companion-played by Christine Watson-also crashed the club to battle him.  Luckily for Pilgrim, Patel’s mystical powers did not prevent him from being exploded into $2.40 in spare change by a cataclysmic punch from Pilgrim that also netted him 1000 points.  After which Flowers revealed that Pilgrim would only be able to win her luv by defeating her League of Seven Evil Ex-es, Seven Evil Ex-es who evoked the seven cigarette companies that created the ATS in THANK YOU FOR SMOKING.  And so Pilgrim sighed with tragicomically hip resignation, and over the course of the film proceeded to fight and defeat the infamous League of 7 Evil Ex-es in exuberantly over the top and CGI enhanced super satirical animaction battles complete with slowmo, flying leaps, cataclysmic KO punches and kicks and visible “Pows!”, super satirical struggles that evoked and mocked the equally over the top, CGI enhanced and cataclysmically kicking and punching super satirical struggles of the DCEU and MCU complete with allusions to IRON MAN and THE INCREDIBLE HULK, and in addition also led to showers of spare change, video game evoking points and even one extra life to be awarded to Pilgrim when he vanquished his villainous opponents, all to the sound of a quirky indie rock soundtrack that evoked those of the films of Reitman to reaffirm the implicit interest in Reitman in SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD. 

And so Flowers died her hair the blue of Infinite Sadness just in time for Pilgrim to battle the Evil and implicitly Clint Eastwood linked skateboarder turned blockbuster action movie star Lucas Lee-played by Evans, who affirmed the film’s implicit interest in also roasting the MCU on another level, for Evans played the ambiguously linked John “Johnny” Storm aka “the Human Torch”, inspired by a character created by Crafty Carl Burgos for Timely Comics and recreated by Kirby and Lee for Marvel Comics in the twilit, allegorical and CGI enhanced Tim Story super satirical animaction film THE FANTASTIC FOUR [2005]-at a film shoot at Casa Loma, a battle that led to Pilgrim’s defeat and to him to con Lee into a dangerous skateboarding “grind” down the long railings on the Baldwin Steps that led to his explosion into 2000 points.  And so when things were not already frustratingly complicated enough, Pilgrim’s own Evil Ex-, the blonde, slim, slinky, fashion luvin’ and implicitly SCC linked Natalie “Envy” Adams-played by Brie Larson-lead singer of The Clash At Demonhead, showed up to make his precious little life a misery and literally and easily show up Sex Bob-Omb by playing a gig at Lee’s Palace that included the daylit, allegorical and Emily Haines and James Shaw written The Clash At Demonhead tune “Black Sheep” [2010]. 

Embarassment over, Pilgrim was soon in another desperate battle including a bass battle with the peroxide blonde, insidious, psychic powered and implicitly Cronenberg linked vegan Todd Ingram-ironically played by Routh, indeed, since he played the implicitly Reitman linked Kent in SUPERMAN RETURNS-the bassist of The Clash At Demonhead and the third Evil Ex- of Flowers, with a huge black “3” on his white t-shirt to prove it.  Not that the trimactic shirt helped, for he was laid low by his own foolish refusal to strictly adhere to the ominously twilit Vegan Code # 827 and head butted by Pilgrim into an explosive shower of 3000 points.  Curiously, the uncredited appearance of Thomas Jane as a Vegan Policeman who arrested and de-vegenated Ingram for breaking the Vegan Code before Pilgrim head butted him into Limbo also affirmed the film’s implicit interest in roasting the MCU, for Jane played the haunted and troubled Vietnam vet Frank Castle aka “the Punisher” in the twilit, allegorical and CGI enhanced Jonathan Hensleigh super satirical animaction film THE PUNISHER [2006], inspired by a character created by Rowdy Ross Andru, Gentle Gerry Conway and Jaunty John Romita sr. for Marvel Comics. 

Not long after, at an after-party, Flowers used a Mjolnir evoking hammer to take on her Wicked Witch of the West evoking and silver mirror belt whip wielding fourth Evil Ex-, the implicitly Polley linked luvlorn lesbian Roxy Richter-played by Mae Whitman-and barely managed to defeat her with desperate martial arts mayhem and the knowing touch of Pilgrim, exploding her into a huge and orgasmic burst of change and 4000 points.  Next up, Sex Bob-Omb had to take on the ambiguously linked electronic music DJ duo the Katayanagi Twins, Ken and Kyle-played by Shota and Keita Saito, respectively-with the daylit, allegorical and Beck written Sex Bob-Omb tune “Threshold” [2010] in a literal battle of the bands at a club attended by the seventh and last Evil Ex-, the implicitly Landis linked New York music producer Gideon Graves-played by Jason Schwartzman.   A battle of the bands enhanced by a blockbuster two headed holographic oriental snow dragon beast created by the bioelectric musical Dark Force of the twins that led Sex Bob-omb to create a blockbuster rampaging Yeti beast with the bioelectric Light Force of their music to battle the dragons and destroy them and the twins, giving Pilgrim that extra life. 

A timely award, because Pilgrim needed it to run to the Chaos Theatre and face down and defeat the dastardly Graves in two Jedi lightsaber and samurai evoking duels, the first with an orange flaming Sword of Luv, and the second with a purple flaming Sword of Self Respect and the help of Chau and Flowers and an implacable and eucatastrophic KO kick that exploded Graves into a huge shower of change and 1,000,000,000 points, before dusting off his Dark Nega Side-also played by Cera-and winning the eternal luv of Flowers, her hair now green with the Infinite Springness, in the end.  Thus, Wright implied his hope that Cody and Reitman would not only defeat all cinematic comers with their quirky indie film art, but also exorcise Landis and the TZ disaster from the Temple Theatre to kick off that daylit and neo eon of CGI enhanced film art, an implication affirmed by the green with the Infinite Springness hair of Flowers, which implicitly affirmed that the victory over Graves was indeed an eucatastrophic triumph over the cold and cruel winter of Gideon discontent that brought peace, luv, health, harmony, rejuvenation, regeneration and stuff back to the world.

Unfortunately, Pilgrim also laconically said “You weren’t wronged.  Right?” and then simply “Right.” before leaving for his final showdown with Graves, again anticipating Reitman’s fast approaching first meeting with Wright.  A menacing meeting again eerily anticipated by the fact that Reitman was implicitly linked in SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD to an ironically and tragicomically hip and quintessentially Canadian anti-hero living and luving in Toronto and battling fiendish and foolish foes in a funtastic and fearless feature film directed by an English film artist with the surname of Wright, a surname that openly foreboded Reitman’s upcoming and Wrightmarish battles with the poor ol’ demented, fiendish and Toronto born and GTA residing Gardevil. 

        A garish and gruesome encounter that quickly occurred, for soon after the release of SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD, I accepted an invitation sent out in newspapers in September of 2010 to the world and to myself in my tiny and untidy closet of an “apartment” in a building overlooking the Credit River in the Streetsville area of Mississauga, Ontario to attend the opening and christening of the new permanent HQ of the Toronto International Film Festival [TIFF] at the corner of King and John Streets in star linked Toronto.  Things went well until I looked through the free TIFF opening souvenir magazine and pondered a list of what TIFF believed to be the One Hundred Essential Films [OHEF].  Noticing that TIFF had condescended to include only two and a half allegorical Canadian films in the forms of the eerily and presciently twilit and allegorical Cronenberg indie docufeature film VIDEODROME [1983], the allegorical Michael Snow indie docufeature film WAVELENGTH [1967], and the allegorical and implicitly Oscar roasting John Huston docufeature film THE MALTESE FALCON [1941] on this “essential” list, I hit the roof, convinced that TIFF had deliberately snubbed Canadian film art, film artists and the Toronto, Ontario and Canadian audiences and taxpayers who had mostly paid for the permanent TIFF Bell Frightbox.  For where was Mary Pickford?  Mack Sennett?  Nellie McClung?  Allan Dwan?  Norman Jewison?  Denys Arcand?  Claude Jutra?  Don Shebib?  Allan Moyle?  James Cameron?  Sandy Wilson?  Patricia Rozema?  Alanis Obomsawin?  Denis Villeneuve?  Zacharias Kunuk?  amongst many others.

        Thus, later that night, when I returned to that tiny closet of an “apartment” in Mississauga, I wrote a furious and nasty letter signed by me and with my name and address on the return address of the envelope trashing TIFF, TIFF CEO Piers Handling, TIFF second-in-command Cameron Bailey, and Reitman jr. and sr., who had donated the land for the TIFF Bell Frightbox and some money to help build the “edifying” edifice, for insulting Canadians with this infuriating OHEF list.  In the weeks and months that followed, I also wrote and mailed several more righteously furious letters with spoof male and female names and return addresses on the various different sized and coloured envelopes that I mailed off, so that the receivers would not know who had really written them until they opened the envelope and read the letter.  Curiously, during these weeks and months, Darren Aronofsky implied, in the moving sight and sound of the sensitive, talented, perfection obsessed, Juno and Padme evoking and implicitly Reitman linked New York ballerina Nina Sayers-played by Portman-being chosen by the implicitly Cronenberg linked ballet director Thomas LeRoy-played by Vincent Cassel-over the older and implicitly Bigelow linked fellow ballerina Elizabeth “Beth” MacIntyre-played by Winona Ryder-and the younger and implicitly SCC linked ballerina Lily-played by Mila Kunis-to play the coveted position of Swan Queen for a production the allegorical Pyotr Tchaikovsky ballet SWAN LAKE [1877] and then being taken over and killed by her Black Swan Dark Side, his fear or hope that Reitman was in danger of being taken over and killed by his Dark Side at the end of the twilit, allegorical and CGI enhanced indie docufeature film BLACK SWAN [2010], a film released on September 1, 2010 whose implicit allegorical intent was affirmed by the presence of Portman and the film’s allusions to JUNO, THANK YOU FOR SMOKING and THE FLY.

Just as curiously, Disney, Marvel and Paramount Pictures did indeed link Cameron to Thor, Norse God of Thunder-inspired by a character originally implicitly linked to Middle-Earth and Norse mythology luvin’ Oxford professor Tolkien by Kirby and Lee in Marvel Comics, and played by Chris Hemsworth-who teamed up with the implicitly Kubrick linked Zeus, King of immortal and implicitly Hollywood linked and Academy Award winning Asgard-played by Sir Anthony Hopkins-the implicitly Bigelow linked Asgardian warrioress Sif-played by Jaimie Alexander-the implicitly Nolan linked Asgardian warrior Fandral-played by Josh Dallas-the implicitly Arad linked SHIELD Agent Phil Coulson-played again by Gregg-and the hefty and implicitly Jon Landau linked Asgard warrior Volstagg-played by Ray Stevenson-to battle and triumph over the implicitly Spielberg linked Loki, God of Mischief and step-brother of Thor-inspired by a character originally implicitly linked to MADcap mischief maker Harvey Kurtzman by Kirby and Lee for Marvel Comics, and played by Tom Hiddleston-and the implicitly Cronenberg linked Laufey, King of the Frost Giants-played by Colm Feore-and the rest of his Frost Giants at the end of the daylit, allegorical and CGI enhanced Kenneth Branagh super satirical animaction film THOR [2011], a film released on April 17, 2011 that ended with another cut scene after the closing credits that saw the implicitly Lee linked SHIELD Director Nicholas J. “Nick” Fury-played again by Jackson-return and unveil a mysterious and powerful blue cube called the Tesseract to the implicitly Roger Corman linked Norwegian physicist Doctor Erik Selvig-played by Stellan Skarsgard-who may or may not have been already under the control of the mischievous Loki. 

Soon after, an implicit interest in the Reitman family returned to the MCU when Dis, Marv and Paramount had the young, brash, brilliant, cocky, confident, handsome and implicitly Reitman sr. linked Howard Stark-played by Dominic Cooper-supervise a top secret American progam that in the dark days of World War II in 1943 developed a Super Soldier Serum that transformed the short, skinny, weak, asthmatic, despondent and implicitly Eastwood linked Brooklynite and wannabe soldier Steven “Steve” Rogers into the tall, handsome, strong, muscular and indomitable “Captain America”-inspired by a character created by Kirby and Jeerin’ Joe Simon for Timely Comics, and played by Evans in his third heroic incarnation-and that led Rogers to heft his vibranium star spangled shield and fly to Europe where, inspired by the slowly swelling luv of the English and implicitly Joan Lee linked Doctor Margaret E. “Peggy” Carter of the Special Scientific Reserve [SSR]-inspired by a character created by Kirby and Simon for Timely Comics, and played by Hayley Atwell-and with the steadfast help of Cap’s lifelong Brooklyn friend, the implicitly Terry Gilliam linked Private James B. “Bucky” Barnes-inspired by a character created by Kirby and Simon for Timely Comics, and played by Sebastian Stan-and some happily Howlin’ Commandos, led the Allied fight against the exultantly Evil and implicitly Alexander “Alex” Cox linked German “super soldier” and wannabe world conqueror Johann Schmidt aka “Red Skull”-inspired by a character created by Kirby and Simon for Timely Comics, and ironically played by Weaving-and the rest of his merciless and murderous minions in HYDRA in the daylit, allegorical and CGI enhanced Joe Johnston super satirical animaction film CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER [2011], a film released on July 19, 2011 that ended with Cap being frozen for decades and then revived in the then present, paving the way for the Avengers to finally be assembled in the next chapter of the MCU.

        As for my nasty and TIFF OHEF blasting writing campaign, I might have even used the name “Mavis McCallion”, a name taken from Mavis Street in Mississauga and then Mississauga Mayor “Hurricane” Hazel McCallion, as one of the spoof female sender names on one of the envelopes I sent to TIFF to give a mischievous heads up to the receiver that the writer was from Mississauga, a pseudonym that was implicitly not lost on Reitman.  For Reitman implied that he read the letters and did not like them, given that, after years of ominously garish memories of the future in film art starting with SPIDER-MAN, an equally nasty and implicitly Gary Wright linked character finally made her corrosive and Wrightmarish appearance when he teamed up again with Cody-now back as a co-producer as well as screenwriter-Glauberman, Kent, Novick, Simmons, Steelberg, Right Of Way Films, co-executive producer Nathan Kahane and co-producers Lianne Halfon, John Malkovich and Russell Smith-all back from JUNO-Helen Estabrook-an associate producer on UP IN THE AIR and now back as a co-executive producer-and Paramount Pictures to implicitly return the nasty favour with yet another small, low budget, down to Earth, and intimate film that was in complete and ironic contrast to the big, boffo, and CGI enhanced super satirical animaction films of the MCU and even SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD, the twilit, allegorical, brash, confident, idiosyncratic, original, montage luvin’, satirical and slightly CGI enhanced indie docufeature film YOUNG ADULT [2011], a film released on December 9, 2011.

 

“There’s a character in that one

that’s based on you.”

 

        Significantly, the film began on an unusual note without the usual confident, creative, smoothly edited, often animated and usually pop music accompanied opening title sequence.  Instead, YOUNG ADULT began one dawning morning in a grey and unnamed city with the camera silently panning up a blah brown apartment, condo or conapt tower with a vertical banner advertising rentals with the contact number of 612-767-7446, numbers that gave the first implication that the film was implicitly addressing me for they openly evoked my birth on 7-4-67.  Then we found ourselves inside one of the messy condos where a young blonde woman-who resembled a beautiful blonde extra played by Helena Mattsson in IRON MAN 2, and was played by Charlize Theron-was seen lying alone and bedraggled on top of her bed in grey t-shirt and sweatpants and slowly and reluctantly waking up to a new and significantly sunlit day.  After struggling out of bed and putting her Pomeranian out on the balcony with some food, this young, slim and pretty blonde of medium height exercised and then sat down in front of her laptop and started writing the first chapter of the latest volume of what turned out to be the last in an once popular franchise young adult series called Waverly Prep created by one Jane McMurray. 

Significantly, as she struggled to compose the first ghost written paragraph of WP #178 concerning the adventures of the pretty and legendary Kendal Strickland in her mind and put them down on the laptop screen, we heard her voice in VO “speaking” her literary thoughts aloud in her head, establishing her film long VO, implying that the unnamed blonde preferred to live in her literary thoughts rather than the real world and reminding us that we heard MacGuff and Bingham in VO before we heard them speak at the beginnings of JUNO and UP IN THE AIR.  Literary thoughts that quickly strayed to her personal email, where she soon discovered an email announcing the arrival of a baby girl-played by Frieda Fricker-complete with colour picture of the happily smiling baby’s face and inviting recipients of the email to drop by and see the baby.  An email that pleased the mystery literary blonde so much she printed a copy and then defaced it with saliva. 

However, after pondering the defaced email while slumping in a cheap white plastic lawn chair on her balcony, after listening to a voicemail while sitting on the balcony from her editor Jim-played by Simmons-urging her to finish the last Waverly Prep novel by Friday, after showing the defaced email to a friend-played by Hettienne Park-and complaining that her old boyfriend Buddy from a place called Mercury would send it to her, after returning to her apartment and introducing a character named Ryan who was the heartthrob of Kendal in the last of the Waverly Prep novels and again evoked Ryan Bingham in UP IN THE AIR, and bored and restless the morning after an unfulfilling one night stand with an equally unnamed young man-played by Brady Smith-the mystery literary blonde soon packed up some clothing in a few bags and her Pomeranian, who turned out to be named Dolce-the dimunitive and Toto evoking dog’s name evoking the allegorical Federico Fellini docufeature film LA DOLCE VITA [1960] to implicitly link the blonde to film art, and played by Hummer-left her unfulfilling date and her apartment, got into her red and white British Mini with the fittingly twilit license of X3N 2R9 in the apartment building’s underground parking garage and drove away from what turned out to be a conapt building on Marquette Avenue overlooking the Mississippi River in the Mini-Apple of Minneapolis, Minnesota, evoking the Minnesota setting of JUNO, to visit Buddy and his new baby girl in her Graeco-Roman God of Wisdom linked, Juno evoking and Toronto cadenced hometown of Mercury, MN while endlessly playing, rewinding and re-playing the twilit, allegorical and Norman Blake written Teenage Fanclub tune “The Concept” [1991] that was on her MAD LOVE, BUDDY mixtape and while the opening titles finally appeared on the screen, with the third title confidently and if not as proudly proclaiming the production “…a film by Jason Reitman”, making for another Reitman film that began with a pop tune accompanying the opening titles, a drive to Mercury which curiously evoked the sight and sound of a distraught Natalie Ravenna-played by Shirley Knight-driving away from her problems in the Big Apple of New York and into the country at the beginning of the allegorical and implicitly Alfred Hitchcock and Arthur Penn addressing Coppola indie docufeature film THE RAIN PEOPLE [1969].

Arriving in Mercury hours later, the mystery literary blonde pulled into the parking lot of a Hampton Inn just off the highway on the outskirts of town, reminding us of the equally bland and blah hotels that Bingham luved so much in UP IN THE AIR.  Striding into the Inn and up to the front desk to get a room, the front desk clerk-played by Louisa Krause-finally identified the mystery literary blonde as Mavis Gary, a revelation that caused me to almost fall out of my chair on first viewing of the film because it suddenly and shockingly implied that Gary was linked to me.  For the first name of Mavis reminded us again that Mavis Street in Mississauga was not far away from where I lived in the Streetsville area of Mississauga and that I used Mavis Street to create the spoof sender name “Mavis McCallion” that I wrote on at least one envelope during my anti-TIFF OHEF list ranting and writing campaign, while the surname of Gary evoked my first name Gary.  Fittingly, the name of Mavis Gary also evoked that of Quebec writer Mavis Gallant, one of my favourite Canadian writers, reaffirming the implicit link of Gary to a Canadian writer. 

Indeed, the red, white, red, white and red colour combination of the Mini that Gary drove from the Mini-Apple to Mercury reaffirmed her implicit Canadian links, as the red and white colours evoked the red and white and true national colours and Maple Leaf flag of Canada.  Of course, the English manufacturers of the Mini also reminded us of Canada’s famously weird but politically pragmatic affection for England, its protective armed forces and its monarchy, whose sovereign was still guaranteed by Canada’s Constitution to be the true ruler of Canada to this day, centuries after the United States won its freedom from the UK in the American Revolution.  Gary’s small and cluttered one bedroom apartment overlooking the Mississippi River in Minneapolis also evoked my equally small and cluttered one bedroom “apartment” closet near the Credit River in Mississauga, Ontario.  Thus, long before Gary reacquainted herself with Buddy, Reitman implied that the sight and sound of Gary accepting the invitation and driving back to Mercury to meet his firstborn equated with my decision to accept the invitation to visit the grand opening of TIFF in September 2010.

The sight and sound of Gary phoning Buddy soon after arriving in Mercury and making a date with him for the following early evening at Champion O’Malleys and then hanging out at Woody’s Village Saloon with the sad eyed, all too knowing and chubby geek Matthew “Matt” Freehauf-played by Patton Oswalt-a fellow ex-Mercury High School [MHS] student who had a locker next to Gary during their school years on her first night back in Mercury also affirmed the implicit link of Gary to Wright.  For Freehauf looked, dressed, thought, spoke, and acted like a friend of mine at the time, and soon revealed that he shared the obsession with the film art of Lucas as my friend and I, including a fondness for distilling Mos Eisley Special Reserve “Star Wars” juice aka aged bourbon hand crafted in his indie garage distillery.  Of course, Gary’s tragicomic obsession with Maker’s Mark bourbon shots and Hard Jacks cider at Woody’s evoked my equally tragicomic obsession with the life, films, and TZ disaster of John “Black Jack” Landis, an obsession always on open display 247365 at www.zonewarsonfilm. 

The fact that Gary preferred drinking Hard Jacks in Woody’s, a dark and cave-like indie bar in Mercury, also reaffirmed the implicit link of Gary to film art and TZ disaster obsessed me.  For gloomy Woody’s evoked not just gloomy Gary, but also the life and film art of Woody Allen, a writer/director/actor/producer who has contributed more than one cinematic salvo to the dread allegorical Zone Wars.  Woody’s neighbourhood bar also evoked Woody Harrelson’s character Woody Boyd on the twilit and allegorical NBC television show CHEERS [1982-1993], which arrived on tv on September 30, 1982 a little over two months after the TZ disaster with an implicit and tragicomic mission to soothe people, particularly teens like the POG and young men and women, who were outraged by and raising hell about the TZ disaster, openly linking YOUNG ADULT to the twilit and disastrous year of 1982. 

Significantly, before she left Freehauf, Gary also revealed her madcap plan to pry Buddy away from his wife, get him to divorce her, and marry her instead, a madcap plan that Freehauf wisely counselled her not to pursue.  Dismissing Freehauf with a “…luv conquers all” and an allusion to the allegorical Mike Nichols docufeature film THE GRADUATE [1967] that openly linked her to film art and to the year of my birth again to affirm her implicit link to Wright, Gary stumbled into a taxi and left Freehauf behind in the dark parking lot outside Woody’s.  Alas for Buddy, wistfully and jealously scheming Gary put her madcap plan in action the next day, and reaffirmed her commitment to her plot by having Kendal Strickland also do her best to win the heart of the implicitly Buddy linked Ryan Ashby in her last Waverly Prep novel, implying that Strickland was linked to her, that Slade was linked to Ashby, and that the last novel was an allegorical attempt to win the heart of Buddy that Gary used to inspire her to win the heart of Slade in real life, implicitly affirming the allegorical nature of literary and film art.  Gary also spent a long time carefully making herself up in the mirror to ensure that her “effortless beauty” was perfectly irresistible, a preparation that ended with the camera focus moving forward so that only her beautiful blonde reflection could be seen to imply that she had been completely taken over by her Evil and dangerous mirror reflection Dark Side. 

Evil preparations complete, Gary met up with her ex-teen beau at Champion O’Malleys on her second night in Mercury, a location that reaffirmed the film’s implicit interest in Wright, as the Irish pub evoked Grace O’Malleys, located just up the street from TIFF at the corner of Ed Mirvish Way and Pearl in Toronto, and a meeting that also reaffirmed the implicit allegorical intent of YOUNG ADULT.  For an NHL logo that openly linked her to Canada and implicitly to a Canadian citizen was on the sinister and Evil left side of Gary when she slinked seductively into the new, bright and shiny chain pub in a Wicked black leather jacket over a slinky, form fitting and low cut black dress.  For his part, a sturdy cardboard cutout NHL hockey player wielding a staunch sword evoking hockey stick to battle and defeat all comers that also linked him to Canada and film art and film artists and that in addition evoked the foamboard photo cutout cutups in UP IN THE AIR was on the Good right side of the solid, grounded, handsome and implicitly Reitman linked Buddy Slade-played by Jason Patrick, who ironically linked another small and intimate Reitman film to big boffo CGI enhanced super satirical animaction films via his role as the implicitly Sir Jackson linked Daniel Dreiberg aka the new and Batman evoking “Nite Owl” in WATCHMEN, inspired by a character implicitly linked to Spielberg by Gibbons and Moore in the original WATCHMEN narrative art series-when the new father walked unsuspectingly but undauntedly into the pub.  Fittingly, Buddy also walked under a “Bud Light” neon sign to imply that he had mellowed out since his wild teen MHS days with Gary and become a more thoughtful and careworn adult. 

Significantly, Slade’s revelation to Gary during this first “reunion” that he still worked with his father at General Mills affirmed his implicit link to Reitman, reminding us that he still worked with Ivan in the same film art business as his father.  This first meeting with Buddy also led him to invite Gary, who had revealed herself to be a divorcee, to his house to meet his wife and the newborn the following day, and then return to Champion O’Malleys to listen to his wife and their band the following night.  Curiously, this first stop at Champion O’Malleys also led to another encounter with Freehauf, who turned out to work there as a bookkeeper.  Just as curiously, after her MHS reunion with Buddy, Gar dropped by Freehauf’s place and hung out with him in his garage distillery, knocking back Mos Eisley bourbon with despondent abandon, leading her to become as drunk as on her first Maker’s Mark chugging night in Mercury with Freehauf at Woody’s.  Here she affirmed that she had set her despairing plot in motion, and was again advised against it by Freehauf.

Ignoring Freehauf’s advice again, Gary met up with Slade and his special needs school teacher wife Beth Slade-played by Elizabeth Reaser-the next afternoon at their place.  Significantly, here she not only gifted Slade with an all too fittingly entitled copy of a Waverly Prep novel called GALLOPING TOWARD TROUBLE that she had ghostwritten for McMurray, but also openly affirmed that Kendal Strickland’s teen heartthrob Ryan Ashby was linked to Slade, implying that Strickland was indeed linked to her and implicitly affirming that she was now using the last allegorical Waverly Prep novel to help her wrest Buddy away from Beth in real life.  Then she ran into Freehauf again when she turned up at Champion O’Malleys with Buddy and Beth to watch and listen to her performing with her friend Mary Ellen Trantowski-played by Kate Nowlin-and their two girlfriends-played by Rebecca Hart and Jenny D. Paulin, respectively-as the drummer of their “indie” rock band Nipple Confusion, allowing Cody and Reitman to gently roast the indie rock antics seen and heard throughout SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD.  To the surprised fury of Gary, Nipple Confusion played “The Concept”, which she implicitly saw as the luv song of Buddy and herself, but was implicitly now the luv song of Beth and Buddy.  In fact, lead singer/guitarist Trantowski implied just that when she dedicated “The Concept” to Buddy before the band rocked out, leaving Gary angry and distraught and hating Beth more.  And in need of another deep drinking visit with Freehauf at Woody’s to recover after driving Buddy home, where we discovered that Buddy and Beth’s “gaybysitter” Daniel was played by the fittingly named Rightor Doyle. 

Waking up with another hangover the following morning, Gary wandered over to the local “KenTaco Hut” that she initially mocked when she arrived in Mercury and did her best to appease the despairing and constantly phoning Jim by completing the last of the determined and Ashby winning adventures of Strickland in WP #178 that she continued to implicitly use to deal with her madcap plot to ensnare and win Buddy.  Here Gary also had a brunch of Kentucky Fried Chicken, an ironic sight given that she initially mocked this one stop Kentucky Fried Chicken/Taco Bell/Pizza Hut place when she arrived in Mercury but was now tragicomically, despondently and voraciously fond of, a tragicomic fondness that also reaffirmed her implicit links to Canada and a Canadian citizen, for the red and white colours of KFC again evoked the Maple Leaf flag and national colours of Canada.  An implicit link of Gary to Canada that was also affirmed after her meal when she was soon noticed shambling around the streets of Mercury and picked up by her mother Hedda Gary-played by Jill Eikenberry-who resembled and evoked Toronto film actress Jayne Eastwood.  An implicit link of Gary to Toronto film art and film artists that continued when Hedda drove Mavis home, for her father David Gary-played by Richard Bekins-looked, dressed, talked and acted like Cronenberg.

Tragicomically, this visit with her parents led to another deep drinking night with Freehauf, another morning waking up sprawled on top of the Hampton Inn bed with a hangover, and another day carefully preparing herself to look perfectly Evil for her third meeting with Slade back at his house to attend the naming ceremony of the baby and hopefully wrest Buddy away from Beth, a third and what turned out to be final meeting that evoked the three films of the STAR WARS Classic and Tragic Trilogies.  And so Gary arrived dressed to the nines and completely out of place at the relaxed and low key naming ceremony.  And so not surprisingly, her madcap plot failed, leading to Gary bitterly criticizing Buddy, Beth and the baby, a baby girl whose successful birth affirmed the imperfect but endearing, enduring and likably unlikable humanity of the Slades in contrast to the desperately perfect but barren and ahuman Gary and the Lorings in JUNO.  A bitter criticism of a successful birth that reaffirmed the implicit link of Gary to Wright, reminding us that I had also bitterly criticized the reborn TIFF and their spanking new HQ in September 2010 and its wrighteously infuriating TIFF OHEF list in my nasty letter campaign.  Storming away from the Slade house even more despondent, angry, frustrated and embittered than she had arrived in Mercury, Gary returned to the sympathetic Freehauf, a meeting that led to a sexual encounter with the surprised but grateful geek that night. 

Thus, with Gary’s failure to woo Buddy back to her cause and the decision of the sullen, sterile, solitary, lonely, embittered, brooding, frustrated, fragile, nasty, scheming, snobby, snotty, desperately self-obsessed, imperfect, ahuman but still, despite it all, likably unlikable Gary to give up on Buddy, Beth, Matt, his Kennedy resembling sister Sandra-played by Collette Wolfe-and Mercury the next morning and drive her now drunken crash battered Maple Leaf Mini back to the Mississauga linked Mini-Apple of Minneapolis all alone like Bingham at the end of UP IN THE AIR and start anew after finishing the last paragraph of the last Waverly Prep saga in a diner similar to one seen on the Emerald City evoking city planet of Coruscant in STAR WARS EPISODE II: ATTACK OF THE CLONES with an older and Lucas evoking waiter with an enviably thick and Lucas evoking head of white hair-played by A.I. Smithee-with his back to the camera behind her, in the end, Cody and Reitman implicitly hoped that the equally sullen, solitary, lonely, embittered, brooding, frustrated, fragile, nasty, snobby, snotty, imperfect, ahuman but still likably unlikable me would just grow up, stop complaining about TIFF and its “essential” film lists and Zone War films, and just get an adult life writing adult books, okay pal?  Indeed, how not surprising that on the day of the release of YOUNG ADULT, and not long before the end of Reitman and Theron’s filmed December 9, 2011 interview with Charles McGrath of the NEW YORK TIMES that could be seen and heard on youtube, Theron went off on a riff on the theme of right that revealed that her acting was based on “…what felt right”, a riff that prompted Reitman to opine “…that’s so smartly put”, reaffirming yet again the implicit Wright roasting intent of YOUNG ADULT.  

        Well, touche.  Write nasty letters and essays, get a nasty response.  Enjoy your oh so implicitly withering and satirical roast.  As for me, I was shocked, surprised, amused, humbled, humiliated, dazed, confused but ultimately happy, thrilled, ecstatic, and reassured that film artists were reading my letters and were moved enough by what they were reading to implicitly reply in such an unusual, but somehow fitting, allegorical and cinematic fashion.  Thanks for also proving my thesis that film art was indeed allegorical, and for giving me a tragicomic implicit example that I was able to use to defend my thesis.  Not just by the implicit intent of the film itself, but also by the sight and sound of the last openly allegorical Waverly Prep young adult novel that Gary despondently wrote over the course of the film in an implicit and increasingly desperate attempt to manipulate reality and win Slade back to her side in real life by having her implicit literary alter ego Kendal Strickland win back her openly Slade linked ex-boyfriend Ryan Ashby, only to kill off Ashby after Slade rejected her at the end of YOUNG ADULT, and have Kendal graduate alone as valedictorian of her Waverly Prep graduating class and head off to Cambridge for the next chapter of her legendary and effortlessly beautiful little life, uncertain but ready for the world and optimistic that her best years were still ahead of her.

        And in my defense, snubbing Canadian film art and film artists at the opening of the most significant shrine to film art in Canada was worth ranting about.  Or, as my implicit “twin sister” Mavis Gary Wright would snarl with embittered and sarcastic fury, “…Gawd!  Excuuuussse me for living with my eyes, ears, nose, mouth, fingers, heart, mind and soul wide open instead of wide shut like the rest of the huvine herd as Kubrick sarcastically implied with the title of his last twilit, allegorical and Ozian themed docufeature artbuster EYES WIDE SHUT [1999] and actually noticing and doing my best to understand the true meanings of allegorical fiction and film art, particularly the fiction and film art of the dread allegorical Zone War era, and also noticing the failure of TIFF to acknowledge the quality and importance of allegorical Canadian film art in that infamous OHEF list.  In fact, if you had any guts and class, Reitman, you would simply have sent a letter to me explaining the reasons for TIFF’s infuriating OHEF list, reasons that I may have accepted, ending any flamewar before it started.

        And what about that shot of Gary sitting in a cheap white plastic lawn chair on the balcony of her apartment in Minneapolis at the beginning of the film, a shot that evoked me sitting in my own cheap white plastic lawn chair on my apartment balcony, a shot from above that suggested that it was taken from space via satellite cam, implying that you spied on me on my balcony from satellite cam before making YOUNG ADULT-talk about creepy!  And that noticeable resemblance of Freehauf to a friend in Streetsville that I had at the time, implying that you had my friend and I tailed by a private detective before creating YOUNG ADULT, an implication that was twice as creepy!!  Who was the real pestilent pest who refused to grow up in this situation?  !Gawd!

        Ah well, luckily for Cody and Reitman, I am not always a diehard mean girl and “…psychotic Prom Queen bitch [PPQB]”, and it was so moving and awesome to be implicitly roasted in YOUNG ADULT that the film will always have a special place in my embittered and nasty heart, so I will content myself with this “enlightening” essay as a response.  If I was truly mean, I would have struck back by writing an equally tragicomic, nasty and allegorical story that would liken you two and your perennial efforts to pitch and sell your films to studios and producers in order to get the money to make your films to the equally resigned and determined efforts of two despondent and lonely Hollywood area Latina prostitutes-Diabla y Jacinta, respectively-to sell themselves to customers at Hollywood and Sunset in order to get the money to “live” their tragicomic “lives”.  Instead, I will leave that tragicomic allegorical tale to real film artists, and instead note that the following year a new level of merry Marvel mischievous mayhem returned to the Temple Theatre when Dis, Marv and Paramount teamed up again with Bettany, Downey jr., Evans, Favreau, Feige, Gregg, Hemsworth, Hiddleston, Jackson, Johansson, Lee, and Paltrow to implicitly reassure audiences in the thirtieth anniversary year of the TZ disaster that CGI would now prevent any more fatal film set disasters in the daylit, allegorical, CGI enhanced and Ozian themed Joss Whedon super satirical animaction film MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS [2012], released on April 11, 2012.

 

“The Avengers.

That’s what we call ourselves.

Sort of like a team.

“Earth’s mightiest heroes”-type thing.”

 

        Curiously, after the familiar flickering pages of Marvel Comics coalesced into the equally familiar red and white Marvel Studios logo, the film began with a cryptic and mostly CGI sequence that saw the otherworldly leader-played by Alexis Denisof-of a group called the Chitauri gloating that the Tesseract had awakened on Earth, that soon an ally, who appeared to be Loki, and was given some sort of staff by the Chitauri leader, would be in control of its power and the Earth, and that someone else in a throne evoking chair would soon be in control of the universe.  Then the film switched to the sight and sound of the personnel of a top secret NASA/SHIELD scientific research centre presumably in New Mexico as in THOR evacuating the base one fearful and fateful night to escape the possible explosion of the awakened blue cube of the Tesseract as the implicitly Lee linked SHIELD Director Nicholas J. “Nick” Fury-played again by Jackson-and the implicitly Tonya Lewis Lee linked SHIELD Agent Maria Hill-played by Cobie Smulders-arrived by sleek black helicopter to confer with the implicitly Arad linked SHIELD Agent Phil Coulson-played again by Gregg-the implicitly Corman linked Dr. Erik Selvig-played again by Skarsgard-and the implicitly Sir Scott linked Clinton “Clint” Barton aka “Hawkeye”-inspired by a character originally implicitly linked to Roy Leichtenstein by Heck and Lee for Marvel Comics, and played by Jeremy Renner-about the potentially explosive situation. 

Significantly, the implicitly Spielberg and Wicked Witch of the West linked Loki, Norse God of Mischief-played again by Hiddleston-soon showed up via an intergalactic space/time door opened by the Tesseract in a fiery and smoking blue CGI explosion, evoking the equally shocking arrival of the greenskinned Wicked Witch of the West-played by Margaret Hamilton-in a fiery and smoking explosion in Munchkinland at the beginning of the allegorical and implicitly Canadian Prime Minister William King and German Chancellor Adolf Hitler roasting Victor Fleming film THE WIZARD OF OZ [1939] to affirm the implicit link of the Wicked Loki to the Wicked Witch.  Here the Wicked Loki used his broomstick evoking Staff to put Hawkeye and Dr. Selvig under his mind control and steal the Tesseract in an action packed sequence that kicked off with a road chase that evoked a similar road chase in RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK to implicitly affirm the link of Loki to Spielberg, and to implicitly link the film to the Last Good Year of film art before the TZ disaster.  Making it all too ominously fitting that the chase ended when the Wicked Loki blasted the pursuing helicopter of Director Fury, which flitted through the sky like a shark out of the eerily and presciently twilit and allegorical Spielberg docufeature film JAWS [1975] out of the sky in a TZ disaster evoking crash to doubly affirm the implicit link of Loki to Spielberg, and also implicitly reassure audiences that dangerous helicopter crashes could now be done on film sets without fatalities, given that the sequence was pulled off with CGI.  The sight and sound of the Wicked Loki blowing the CGI helicopter out of the sky also evoked the fondness of the Wicked Witch of the West for blasting people with fireballs in THE WIZARD OF OZ to reaffirm the implicit link of the Wicked Loki to the Wicked Witch of the West.

        An embarrassing theft that caused SHIELD Director Fury to finally assemble the Avengers in the order in which the various characters are met in THE WIZARD OF OZ to reaffirm the implicit Ozian theme of the film.  Beginning with the troubled, haunted, deadly and implicitly SCC and Dorothy linked ex-Russian assassin and SHIELD Agent Natasha Romanoff aka “Black Widow”-played again by Johansson-who was assembled first while out on a mission, reminding us that the despondent, lonely, pure and innocent orphan Dorothy Gale-played by Judy Garland-was met first in Kansas in the Dirty Thirties prologue of THE WIZARD OF OZ.  Romanoff then travelled to India to pick up the brilliant but equally troubled, haunted, and Earthy Doctor Bruce Banner aka “the Hulk”-now implicitly linked to Lucas and the Scarecrow and played by Mark Ruffalo-reminding us that Dorothy met the elemental and implicitly Earth linked Scarecrow-played by Ray Bolger-as she wandered down the Yellow Brick Road in Oz in THE WIZARD OF OZ,  that Lucas luved Ozian themed film art and that SCC and the rest of the Coppola clan were friends of Lucas to affirm the implicit link of Banner/Hulk to Lucas.

Then Director Fury dropped by a Brooklyn gym to persuade the Good, true, modest, patriotic, once frozen, since revived and implicitly Eastwood, Tin Man and Water linked Steven “Steve” Rogers aka “Captain America”-revived like the film art of Eastwood was revived by the release of the twilit, allegorical and CGI enhanced docufeature film FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS [2006] to affirm his implicit link to Eastwood, and played again by Evans-to head out on a new mission to retrieve the Tesseract that had been used to such deadly and Evil effect by the implicitly Cox linked Red Skull-played by Weaving-in CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER, reminding us that Dorothy and the Scarecrow met the frozen by rain and implicitly Water linked Tin Man-played by Jack Haley-next on the journey down the Yellow Brick Road in THE WIZARD OF OZ.  Next Agent Coulson dropped by the new Stark Tower to enlist the brash, brilliant, cocky, confident, fiery, impatient, imperfect but vitally human and likably unlikable and implicitly Reitman, Cowardly Lion and Fire linked Anthony “Tony” Stark aka “Iron Man”-played again by Downey jr.-and chat with the brainy, beautiful, indomitable, indispensable, peppy and implicitly Cody linked SI Chairwoman and CEO Virginia “Pepper” Potts-played again by Paltrow-and their helpful AI assistant JARVIS-played again by Bettany-reminding us that Dorothy, the Scarecrow and the oiled and revived Tin Man next met the elemental and implicitly Fire linked Cowardly Lion-played by Bert Lahr-on their exuberant journey down the Yellow Brick Road in THE WIZARD OF OZ.

Soon the mostly assembled Avengers left SHIELD HQ on its flying helicarrier battleship and headed off to Stuttgart, Germany to take on the Wicked Loki and his mind controlled minion Hawkeye, a battle that saw Iron Man arrive in a characteristically cocky blast of “Shoot to Thrill” to help defeat Loki.  Curiously, however, as the Avengers guardedly flew the Wicked Loki back to the SHIELD helicarrier, the tall, blonde, bearded, proud, arrogant and implicitly Cameron, Great Oz and Air linked Thor, Norse God of Thunder-played again by Hemsworth-suddenly arrived in a lightstorm of thunder and lightning like the lightstorms that brought time travellers from the twilit and blockbuster machine battling future in the Terminator films of Cameron to affirm the implicit link of the mighty Thor to the all conquering Cameron and reminding us that the implicitly Air linked Great and Powerful Oz-played by Frank Morgan-was the last main elemental character met in THE WIZARD OF OZ.  Swooping down on their plane and taking the Wicked God of Mischief down to Earth for an interrogation, Thor was attacked by an indignant Iron Man, leading to an epic battle between Iron Man and Thor that curiously resulted in a draw despite which film artists the heroes were implicitly linked to before Cap ended it with his resolute vibranium shield and Loki was recaptured and taken back to the SHIELD helicarrier flying battleship.

        Here Fury and the Avengers conducted a hi-tech worldwide energy signature search for the hiding place of the Tesseract, only to be rudely interrupted by a HYDRA attack led by Hawkeye that almost took down the SHIELD helicarrier but was finally defeated, in the end, by the assembled Avengers, a victory that saw Black Widow free Hawkeye from the Evil mind control of the Wicked Loki.  However, Loki killed Agent Coulson during the melee and then escaped, leading to a showdown with the Wicked Loki and his CGI flying monkey evoking Chitauri allies in New York, extraterrestrial CGI flying monkey allies who arrived, in their huge CGI biomechanical shark spaceships to reaffirm the implicit link of the Wicked Loki to Spielberg via JAWS, via a space/time wormhole portal over the Big Apple created by the still mind controlled Dr. Selvig using the Tesseract powered by the new clean energy arc reactor created by Stark to power his Stark Tower.

Significantly, the final battle was won when Iron Man grabbed and guided a nuclear bomb safely away from New York, up into the atmosphere and through the wormhole to destroy the Chitauri Mother Ship in an eucatastrophic explosion that brought health and harmony back to New York, evoking the sight and sound of the implicitly Kubrick linked Clark “Kal-El” Kent aka “Superman”-played by Reeve-flying another nuclear bomb away from California and up into the atmosphere to explode harmlessly in space at the end of SUPERMAN, implying that Dis, Marv and Whedon understood the implicit link of Reitman to Kent/Superman in SUPERMAN RETURNS, and anticipating the sight and sound of Reitman being implicitly linked to Kent/Superman again in another DCEU film to come.

Curiously, the destruction of the Chitauri Mother Ship caused the CGI Chitauri flying monkey legions and their biomechanical shark ships to shut down like robots, ending the battle with them, and evoking a similar shutdown of a blockbuster CGI machine army invasion of Naboo at the end of STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE to reaffirm the implicit link of Banner/Hulk to Lucas.  Meanwhile, an explosion had freed Dr. Selvig of the Wicked Loki’s mind control and Loki had been beaten into submission by the Hulk, allowing Lucas to implicitly unleash some symbolic frustration on Spielberg for all of the grief that Spielberg had caused him, and bringing the first Avengers adventure to a triumphant and eucatastrophically healing and harmonizing elemental Ozian conclusion.  Thus, Dis, Marv, Paramount and Whedon implied their hope that Spielberg, his film art, and the TZ disaster that he had been linked to for decades had all been exorcised and triumphed over by the development of CGI, a development embraced and led by Lucas back in the Seventies, eventually embraced by Sir Scott in films like the twilit, allegorical and CGI enhanced indie docufeature artbuster PROMETHEUS [2012], fittingly released the same day as MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS, and by Cameron in the twilit, allegorical and CGI enhanced indie animaction Zonebuster AVATAR [2009], and slightly embraced by Eastwood, SCC, and Reitman, avenging the deaths of Chen, Le and Morrow, freeing audiences, film art, film artists and the Temple Theatre from the TZ disaster and the Twilight Zone, and allowing a neo eon of daylit film art filled with talented, confident, shrewd and knowing young film artists like SCC and Reitman to truly emerge, making it fitting that MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS was released in 2012, the thirtieth anniversary year of the TZ disaster.  Indeed, the fact that the TZ disaster evoking helicopter crash at the beginning of the film was pulled off with CGI affirmed that implicit point.  However, given that the imperfect but vitally human, and Asgardian, and CGI enhanced Avengers triumphed over not just the Wicked Loki but the perfect, ahuman/aAsgardian and all CGI Chitauri, as well, Dis, Marv, Paramount and Whedon also implied their hope that Cameron, SCC, Eastwood, Lucas, Reitman and Sir Scott would lead the way into a neo eon of CGI enhanced film art that did not lose its imperfect but vital humanity.

Thus, it was fitting that the triumph over the Wicked Loki and the flying Chitauri monkeys took place on a sunny day in New York, and that the film ended on another beautiful sunny day in the Big Apple on an Emerald City evoking Grey Brick Plaza in Central Park with Thor escorting Loki and the Tesseract back to Asgard, implicitly reaffirming the belief of Dis, Marv, Paramount and Whedon that Good daylight had indeed triumphed over Evil twilight in the thirtieth anniversary year of the TZ disaster.  A fitting ending, indeed, for the sight and sound of the Great Thor disappearing with the Wicked Loki also reminded us that the Great Oz floated away in his wayward hot air balloon and disappeared at the end of THE WIZARD OF OZ shortly after the Wicked Witch of the West melted away into nothingness, reaffirming the implicit links of Thor to the Great Oz and Loki to the Wicked Witch of the West and the implicit Ozian theme of MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS.  However, as another CGI cut scene hidden early into the closing titles instead of at the end as with the previous installments of the MCU pointed the way to a bigger and even more Wicked adversary in the form of an all CGI Thanos, inspired by a character created and originally implicitly linked to Ronald Reagan by Jim Starlin for Marvel Comics, clearly the triumph of the Avengers was going to be short lived, and lead to a bigger Ozian themed battle.

        As for the film artist now known as Sir Jackson, he ended the film year by implying his fear that the success of Reitman would cause him to fall prey to beastly lusts for CGI enhanced blockbuster loot like the beastly lust that caused the implicitly Reitman linked Dwarf Thorin Oakenshield-played by Richard Armitage-to lead of group of his fellow exuberant and eccentric Dwarves and one reluctant but plucky and implicitly Pierre Trudeau linked Hobbit Bilbo Baggins-played by Martin Freeman-on a quixotic quest for the blockbuster loot of the dragon Smaug in the twilit, allegorical and CGI enhanced animaction artbuster THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY [2012], released on November 28, 2012 and inspired by the allegorical and implicitly Canadian Prime Minister King and the imperial loot lusting European nations roasting Tolkien children of all ages indie docufiction novel The Hobbit: or there and back again [1937].  For his part, Quentin Tarantino implicitly roasted Reitman in the form of Candyland slave plantation owner Calvin J. Candie-played by Leonardo DiCaprio-in the daylit, allegorical, and CGI enhanced indie docufeature film DJANGO UNCHAINED [2012], a film released on December 11, 2012 whose implicit allegorical intent was affirmed by allusions to THANK YOU FOR SMOKING.  Then Dis, Marv and Paramount kicked off the new film year by teaming up again with Bettany, Downey jr., Favreau, Garret, Paltrow and Toub and rebooting the MCU with their own acerbic and implicit Cinema Garite salvo in the form of the twilit, allegorical and CGI enhanced Shane Black super satirical animaction film IRON MAN 3 [2013], released on April 12, 2013.

 

“Tony needs Gary…”

 

        Significantly, the film began with three Iron Man suits blowing up in their storage alcoves in the swingin’ Malibu pad of the brash, brilliant, cocky, confident, shrewd, knowing, likaby unlikable and implicitly Reitman linked Anthony “Tony” Stark aka “Iron Man”-played again by Downey jr.-which was a surprising but curiously fitting sight given that this was the third film in the Iron Man Trilogy.  This explosive overture was narrated in VO by an unseen Stark, who lamented that “…a famous guy once said we create our own demons.”  These despairing words kicked off a film long and Juno, Nick, Rick and Ryan evoking VO to affirm the film’s implicit Reitman addressing intent.  This implicit Reitman addressing intent was reaffirmed by the sound of the twilit, allegorical and Gianfranco Randone, Maurizio Lobina and Massimo Gabutti written Eiffel 65 tune “Blue (Da Ba Dee)” [1999] playing over the now familiar sight of flickering pages of Marvel Comics super satirical narrative art flickering inside the Marvel Studios logo to imply again that these pages were coming to life in the film, for the tune reminded us that pop music had so far always accompanied the opening titles of every Reitman film.

        Then the POV switched back in time to New Year’s Eve celebrations in a hotel in Berne, Switzerland in 1999 enjoyed by Stark, his hard pressed, resigned, good humoured and implicitly Saklad linked bodyguard Harold “Happy” Hogan-played again by Favreau-the good natured and implicitly Spielberg linked Ho Yinsen-played again by Toub-the beautiful, brainy, brunette and implicitly Bigelow linked biotheorist Maya Hansen-played by Rebecca Hall, her implicit link to Bigelow affirmed by the film’s allusions to the twilit, allegorical, CGI enhanced, Ozian themed, New Year’s Eve 1999 obsessed and implicitly Lucas addressing Bigelow indie docufeature artbuster STRANGE DAYS [1995]-and the giddy, exuberant, long haired, bespectacled, limping and cane using geek and hopeful CEO of AIM Aldrich Killian-resembling and implicitly linked to Todd Mara, the Wright supporting owner/manager of Image Collections, the finest narrative art, cards, game and collectible shoppe in Streetsville, and played by Guy Pearce.  Alas for Stark, his demons were created when he did not turn up for a meeting on the roof of the hotel with Killian about his plans for AIM and when he left Hansen after an enjoyable New Year’s one night stand with her and didn’t get back to her about her eye popping research into hacking and re-coding the brain’s ability to repair and rejuvenate itself and the body. 

Indeed, Stark was repaid for forgetting about his drunken night of revelry in Berne, returning to his swingin’ Malibu bachelor pad and eventually ending up after the adventures related in IRON MAN and IRON MAN 2 in the present at Christmas perfecting his latest Mark 42 Iron Man suit by Hansen and Killian meeting at the hotel back in Berne in ’99, getting along, and teaming up with each other to cure Killian of his bad eyesight and limp with her brain hacking and re-coding revelations so to transform him into a confident and handsome devil, and then wreaking revenge on Stark for snubbing both of them as an ironic Christmas present.  They did this by forming AIM and using its success and money to create a fake Middle Eastern terrorist group that evoked the Ten Rings in IRON MAN led by the mysterious, malevolent and bearded Mandarin aka tragicomic ham actor Terry Slattery-implicitly linked to fellow Peel District School Board [PDSB] Library Technician and Wright supporter Brian Gillam, and played by Sir Ben Kingsley-to draw out Stark, defeat him, and force him to join AIM, so that they could fuse SI’s money and resources to make AIM the world leader in hi-tech. 

Forcing Stark, suffering from post-Chitauri battle anxiety attacks, Hogan, now promoted to SI “Forehead of Security”, the indomitable, indispensable and implicitly Cody linked Virginia “Pepper” Potts-significantly back as Chairman and CEO of SI, and played again by Paltrow-their helpful and Toronto linked AI JARVIS-played again by Bettany-the sturdy and implicitly Virgo linked Lt.-Col. James “Rhodey” Rhodes-played again by Cheadle-and the implicitly Edgar Wright linked Rose Hill, Tennessee boy “genius” Harley Keener-who resembled Scott Pilgrim in the original O’Malley series, had a name that evoked Natalie Keener in UP IN THE AIR, and was played by Ty Simpkins-to take on and take out Hansen, and Killian and Killian’s right hand man, the bald, surly, insolent, mayhem luvin’ and Wright resembling and implicitly linked Savin-played by James B. Dale-both of whom had successfully accepted and adjusted to Hansen’s rejuvenating bio-tech unlike a number of unfortunate and desperate human guinea pigs who blew up, a battle that on one level implicitly symbolized Cody and Reitman’s tiff with the Gillam and Mara supporting Wright throughout the film.  Indeed, the film’s allusions to SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD, UP IN THE AIR, WATCHMEN, and YOUNG ADULT, and the return of Garret, who played Sen. Lothridge in THANK YOU FOR SMOKING, as a Rose Hill sheriff affirmed the film’s implicit interest in Cody and Reitman and their tiff with Wright. 

In addition, the sight and sound of Stark having a tragicomic run-in with Gary the cameraman-played by Adam Pally-in Rose Hill halfway through the film reaffirmed the film’s implicit interest in some annoying character named Gary.  The fact that the name of Aldrich Killian evoked that of Vancouver teacher and writer Crawford Killian also affirmed the film’s implicit interest in a Canadian linked like myself to the GVA, while the resemblance and implicit link of American President Ellis-played by William Sadler-to Toronto Mayor John Tory also affirmed the film’s implicit interest in GTA film art, film artists and film “scholars.”  The surname of Hansen reaffirmed the film’s implicit interest in Mississauga film “scholars” like myself in particular, for Hansen evoked Rick Hansen Secondary School, the first high school I worked at in the PDSB, located not far from where I live in Streetsville, the village in the city of Mississauga.  Slattery also affirmed the film’s implicit interest in Mississauga film “scholars”, for his nom de terreur evoked the Mandarin Restaurant chain in Mississauga.  The sight and sound of Stark raiding Mandarin’s mansion in Florida dressed like the poor ol’ Gardevil in a black hoodie and black backpack reaffirmed the film’s implicit interest in roasting Wright.

        Thus, the fact that Hogan, JARVIS, Keener, Potts, Rhodes and Stark triumphed over Hansen, Killian, Savin and Slattery and their glitch prone but powerful and EXTREMIS attempt to chemically recode the area of the brain that governed repair of the body so as to encourage disease prevention and limb regrowth, in the ironically eucatastrophic end, implicitly affirmed the hope of Black, Disney, Marvel and Paramount that Cody, Reitman and Saklad would triumph over Wright and his few supporters with truly healing and harmonizing film art, in the end.  Healing, harmonizing, small, intimate, and slightly CGI enhanced indie films with heart, given that after the eucatastrophic triumph, Stark blew up all of his inhuman and JARVIS controlled Iron Man drone clones in an ironic and New Year’s Eve fireworks and STRANGE DAYS evoking scene that brought the film full circle, and also had all of the shrapnel removed from his chest, another ironic implication, indeed, given the blockbuster cost, size and scale of the film and its over the top CGI enhancement, and the fact that it was created by blockbuster loot lusting Black, Disney, Marvel and Paramount.  The sight and sound of Potts surviving her injection of EXTREMIS and emerging with super regenerative powers also implied the belief of Black, Dis, Marv and Paramount that Cody had super screenwriting powers.

        As for SCC, she implicitly roasted Reitman that year in the form of the implicitly homosexual or wistfully transgender and desperate celebrity wannabe Marc Hall-played by Israel Broussard-in the twilit, allegorical, CGI enhanced and Ozian themed indie docufeature film THE BLING RING [2013], a film released on May 16, 2013 whose implicit Reitman roasting intent was affirmed by the film’s allusions to JUNO, THANK YOU FOR SMOKING, UP IN THE AIR and YOUNG ADULT, and by the presence of Hall’s implicitly Cody linked partner-in-crime Rebecca Ahn-played by Katie Chang.  Just as curiously, and not to be undone by Disney and Marvel, that same year DC and Time/Warner again implicitly linked Reitman to Clark “Kal-El” Kent aka “Superman”-played by Cooper Timberline at 9 years old, Dylan Sprayberry at 13 years old, and Henry Cavill as a young man, respectively-when Snyder turned a complete about face in the daylit, allegorical and CGI enhanced super satirical animaction film MAN OF STEEL [2013], released on June 10, 2013 and inspired in part by the eerily twilit, allegorical and implicitly Kubrick toasting and Coppola, Lucas and Marcia Lucas roasting Richard Lester super satirical docufeature film SUPERMAN II [1980].

 

“You can embody

the best of both worlds.”

 

        Unusually, the film began on the dying planet of Krypton with the implicitly Sir Scott linked Jor-El-played by Crowe-and his wife Lady Lara Lor-Van-resembling and implicitly linked to Sir Scott’s wife Giannina Facio, and played by Ayelet Zurer-dying as they sent their implicitly Reitman linked natural birth baby son Kal-El-played by A.I. Smithee-blasting off in a spaceship to Earth to save the boy from either being killed by the destruction of their planet or by the Evil, tall, intimidating, Clooney resembling but implicitly Tarantino linked General Zod-played by Michael Shannon, and inspired by a character created by Robust Robert Bernstein and Gregarious George Papp for DC-and his equally Evil and dimunitive, Kendrick resembling but implicitly Daniella Pick linked Sub-Commander Faora-Ul-played by Antje Traue.  Curiously, the sight and sound of the virtual “essence” of Jor-El appearing later to the adult Kent, as bearded as Reitman, in the Arctic Fortress of Solitude, warning Kal-El to not let his inhuman Kryptonian side get the better of his imperfect but vital human side, and urging his super powered extraterrestrial son to work hard to inspire and save humanity and protect a fragile Earth also affirmed the film’s implicit interest in Sir Scott, for the warnings and urgings evoked Sir Scott’s implicit warning to Reitman to not let blockbuster lusts destroy the imperfect but vital humanity of his indie film art and his implicit hope that young Reitman would work hard to save and kick off a neo eon of imperfect and CGI enhanced but vitally human film art in A GOOD YEAR and even PROMETHEUS, affirming the implicit link of Sir Scott to Jor-El and the implicit link of Reitman to Kal-El.  Indeed, the film’s allusions to PROMETHEUS, the twilit and allegorical Sir Scott indie docufeature artbuster LEGEND [1986], and the twilit, allegorical and CGI enhanced Sir Scott indie docufeature artbuster BLACK HAWK DOWN [2001] reaffirmed the implicit interest in Sir Scott in MAN OF STEEL. 

The film’s allusions to DJANGO, the Iron Man Trilogy, MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS, SUPERMAN RETURNS, SUPERMAN II, THANK YOU FOR SMOKING , UP IN THE AIR, YOUNG ADULT, and the implicit link of Ivan and Genevieve Reitman to Jonathan and Marth Kent-played by Kevin Costner and the fittingly surnamed Diane Lane, respectively-also affirmed the film’s implicit interest in Pick, Reitman and Tarantino.  The sight and sound of the Polley resembling and implicitly linked ace DAILY PLANET reporter Lois Lane-played by Amy Adams-helping Supe not only evoked ace WASHINGTON PROBE reporter Holloway in THANK YOU FOR SMOKING, but also implicitly linked Kent to Toronto and its film art and film artists.  The ironic sight and sound of Lane leaking her explosive first article on Superman to the pesky and Gardevil evoking blogger Glen Woodburn-played by Chad Krowchuk-so that he would upload the article to his “cancerous” website, much to the frustrated fury of the implicitly Coppola linked DAILY PLANET owner and publisher Perry White-played by Lawrence Fishburne-also curiously affirmed the implicit link of Kent to Reitman.

Thus, the sight and sound of Lane and Supe working together to defeat General Zod, Sub-Commander Faora-Ul and the rest of their malevolent Kryptonian compadres to save the Earth from being transformed into a neo-Krypton by the beastly and CGI enhanced blockbuster world engines unleashed on the planet by the Kryptonian renegades, in the end, implied the hope of DC, Snyder and Time/Warner that Polley and Reitman and their imperfect but vitally human and slightly CGI enhanced indie docufeature film art would triumph both over that of Tarantino and over perfect but inhuman CGI enhanced blockbuster beasts, allowing both Canadian film artists to be the best of both the American and Canadian film art worlds.  Making it a relief that Cody no doubt pleased Reitman and avoided beastly CGI enhanced blockbuster jackanapes when she donned the writer/director/co-executive producer hats and teamed up with Novick to surprisingly and implicitly roast the poor ol’ Gardevil in her own Cinema Garite salvo in the equally small, low budget, down to Earth, intimate, twilit, allegorical, slightly CGI enhanced and more quietly brash and confident indie docufeature film PARADISE [2013], released on August 8, 2013.

 

“Perfect bitch.”

 

        Indeed, the poor ol’ despondent, TZ disaster scarred and traumatized Gardevil was implicitly linked to the poor ol’ despondent, airplane crash burned, scarred, and traumatized but indomitably sweet, wide eyed, innocent, naïve, strong, courageous and naturally blonde Lamb Mannerheim-played by Julianne Hough-throughout the film.  Indeed, the fact that Lamb’s conservative Christian parents Doug and Melanie Mannerheim-played by Nick Offerman and Holly Hunter, respectively-resembled and evoked my parents Doug and Gail Wright, and that the bold and knowing “Sweet” William Carr-played by Russell Brand-evoked and was implicitly linked to my equally bold and knowing fellow PDSB Library Technician colleague and friend Gillam affirmed the implicit link of Mannerheim to Wright.  The fact that Lamb’s faith leader Pastor Rick-played by Phil Austin-at the Holy Grace Redeemer Church in the small town of Blakesley, Montana resembled and was implicitly linked to then Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper also affirmed the implicit link of Lamb to a Crazy Canuck.  Thus, the fact that Mannerheim left her parents, church and Blakesley behind to find freedom and luv in Las Vegas only to return to her conservative parents, church and limp life in blah Blakesley, in the end, implied that Cody believed that Wright should leave behind decadent Hollywood and its dread allegorical Zone Wars and return to his limp life in blah Streetsville, as well. 

Or did the resemblance of Mannerheim to Polley actually implicitly link her to the equally sweet and innocent but strong, steely, courageous and naturally blonde Polley, thus making the film a gently satirical roast of Polley that hoped that she would leave sinful Hollywood and film art behind and return to her sweet and innocent life in boring Toronto, in the end?  Indeed, the film’s allusions to Disney reminded us that Polley began her life in film art in a Disney telefilm playing the poor and wistful Molly Monaghan in the twilit, allegorical and implicitly Dante and Landis addressing Philip Borsos indie docufeature telefilm ONE MAGIC CHRISTMAS [1985], affirming that implicit possibility.  At any rate, the film long VO of Mannerheim that began in a short prologue that preceded the opening titles and the videotaped sight and sound of Mannerheim singing the allegorical and Lander Coleman written gospel tune “Milky White Way” [1947] as the opening titles of PARADISE flashed on the screen without the confident assertion that audiences were experiencing “…A Diablo Cody Film” evoked the pop tunes that accompanied the opening titles of all of the films of Reitman thus far.  The presence of Octavia Spencer as a Las Vegas bar-tainer named Loray who befriended Mannerheim while in LV also linked PARADISE to the MCU via her role as a check-in girl in SPIDER-MAN, reminding us that the films of Reitman were also always openly linked to the MCU via the presence of Simmons. 

An MCU left far behind soon after the release of PARADISE, for luckily for audiences, Gia [GC] Coppola continued the confident and original Coppola clan tradition by also triumphing over beastly brainless super satirical animaction jackanapes by implicitly roasting the tragicomic tiff between Reitman and Wright in the form of the equally tragicomic film long tiff between teen boys Fred and Teddy-played by Nat Wolff and Jack Kilmer, respectively-in the twilit and allegorical indie docufeature film PALO ALTO [2013], released on August 29, 2013.  Making it triply fitting, given that Reitman was also implicitly roasted and toasted in two super satirical animaction films in 2013, that he would return to the Temple Theatre that year with another small, low budget, down to Earth and intimate film that was, like PALO ALTO and PARADISE, in complete, ironic and pleasing contrast to the big, boffo and beastly CGI enhanced blockbuster mayhem of IRON MAN 3, MAN OF STEEL and MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS when he donned the writer/director/co-producer hats and teamed up again with Beugg, Estabrook, Glauberman, Glicker, Halfon, Kent, Saklad, Simmons, Smith, Steelberg, Right Of Way Films, co-music supervisor Randall Poster and co-producer Jeffrey Clifford-both from UP IN THE AIR-and co-executive producer Steven Bales and Mr. Mudd Films-back from YOUNG ADULT-to implicitly reply to SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD with his most mature, mysterious, thoughtful and thought provoking film yet, the daylit, allegorical, brash, idiosyncratic, original, satirical, montage luvin’ and slightly CGI enhanced indie docufeature film LABOR DAY [2013], released on August 30, 2013 and inspired by the twilit and allegorical Joyce Maynard indie docufiction novel Labor Day [2009].

 

“There’s another king of hunger.

The hunger for human touch.”

 

        Curiously, the film began with a daylit but dreamy and opening title filled montage through sundrenched country roads, with the third title again identifying the film with noticeably less brash confidence as “…a Jason Reitman film”, opening titles that established the film’s setting in a small town and its environs, a dreamy montage unusually accompanied by a pensive and slightly ominous instrumental score by Kent rather than the usual upbeat pop tune, and one that evoked the dreamy montages that began BLUE VELVET, THE VIRGIN SUICIDES, and the twilit and allegorical Lynch indie telemoving painting series TWIN PEAKS [1990-91].  However, the dreamy opening titles montage also evoked the opening titles filled montages that began the early films of Landis.  Thus, it was significant that the montage ended at a house that resembled the notorious college fraternity Delta House in the eerily twilit and allegorical, Reitman sr. co-produced and implicitly Corman and Dante roasting and New Hollywood toasting Landis indie docufeature film ANIMAL HOUSE [1978], implying that the film was actually addressing Landis rather than SCC or Lynch.  Indeed, the fact that the film was released in 2013, the thirtieth anniversary year of the release of TWILIGHT ZONE: THE MOVIE, affirmed the implicit Landis addressing intent of LABOR DAY.

        Just as curiously though, THE VIRGIN SUICIDES was openly evoked soon after the opening titles montage ended by the latest film long VO in a Reitman film, this one by Maguire, for this wry film long VO evoked the equally wry film long VO of Giovanni Ribisi’s unseen and unnamed narrator of THE VIRGIN SUICIDES, as well as openly linked the film to the MCU.  A wry VO that introduced the occupants of the neo-Delta House and made clear that they were not exuberantly rebellious and party hearty Boomer frat boys, but a lonely, depressed, haunted, haunting, troubled, imperfect but vitally human, likably unlikable, blonde and implicitly Hollywood linked single mother Adele Wheeler-her first name fittingly evoking Delta House to affirm the film’s implicit interest in Landis and ANIMAL HOUSE, and played by Kate Winslet-and her worried, anxious, equally likably unlikable and perhaps Edgar Wright linked young son Henry “Hank” Wheeler-played by Maguire as an adult, Gatlin Griffith as a boy, and by Dylan Minnette as a teen, respectively.

        This implicit interest in Landis and his film art was reaffirmed when Adele and Henry were soon taken willing hostages in their house in the small and Hollywood cadenced town of Holton Hills, New Hampshire one sultry and steamy Labor Day weekend in 1987 by the equally lonely, depressed, haunted, haunting, troubled, imperfect but vitally human, likably unlikable and implicitly Landis linked escaped convict Frank Chambers-played by Josh Brolin as a middle aged and old man and by Tom Lipinski in flashbacks as a young man, respectively.  Indeed, this implicit interest in Landis and his film art was also affirmed by the fact that Adele’s ex-husband and Hank’s father was revealed to be the implicitly Marshall linked Gerald Wheeler-played by Gregg, who openly linked the film to the MCU again-and by the fact that his new wife was the implicitly Kennedy linked Marjorie Wheeler-played by Alexie Gilmore-reminding us that Kennedy was the associate producer and Marshall the executive producer of TWILIGHT ZONE: THE MOVIE. 

Curiously, over the course of this steamy and tense weakend, Adele and Frank fell slowly in luv with each other and decided to flee with Hank to Prince Edward Island as Frank was assailed by flashbacks of the fight that accidently killed his young and Polley resembling and implicitly linked wife Mandy-played by Maika Monroe-and their infant child-played by Les Lee-a strange implicit link to Polley that implied that Reitman was not too fond of her.  A luv between Adele and Frank that was so strong that after Frank was re-arrested at the end of the Labor Day weekend just before he hit the road for Canada with Adele and Hank and sent back to prison, Adele waited patiently for his release and married him after he was released years later.  Thus, with Adele and Frank reconciled with each other and last seen walking off together into the countryside on a fittingly beautiful and sunny summer’s day in the luving end to the sound of the same pensive and slightly ominous instrumental music heard as the opening titles appeared on the screen at the beginning of the film, a luving reunion that Hank accepted and embraced and that was the complete opposite of the explosive implicit triumph over Landis at the end of SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD, Reitman implied his hope that Landis, Hollywood, Wright and audiences would also reconcile themselves with each other, embrace the daylight and release the TZ disaster, too, making it fitting that the implicitly Zonebusting film was released in the thirtieth anniversary year of the release of TWILIGHT ZONE: THE MOVIE.

        Significantly, Chambers also resembled Stark throughout the film, implying that Reitman was also replying to Disney, Marvel, Paramount, Black, Favreau and Whedon on another level in LABOR DAY, and grousing over the fact that the DCEU and MCU had taken audiences, film art, serious indie film artists like himself and the Temple Theatre hostage.  Indeed, Hank and Adele were taken hostage by Frank inside the local Price Mart department store soon after Hank pondered the latest issues, all of them DC, including a prescient issue of BATMAN, on a spinner inside the store, openly linking the hostage taking to super satirical narrative art and implicitly affirming that Reitman was responding to the DCEU and MCU on two other levels in LABOR DAY.  In fact, the appearance of Gregg as Gerald openly affirmed the implicit additional DCEU and MCU addressing intent of the film via his role as SHIELD Agent Coulson in IRON MAN, IRON MAN 2 and THOR before he was killed in MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS.  The return of Simmons as Reitman lucky charm and Wheeler next door neighbour Mr. Jervis, a surname that evoked Stark’s helpful and Bettany voiced A.I. JARVIS in the Iron Man Trilogy, and the presence of Maguire as both film long VO narrator and as Henry as a young man, in the end, also implicitly reaffirmed the additional CGI enhanced super satirical animaction film roasting intent of LABOR DAY, while, alas, bringing Reitman closer to a fateful meeting with the implicitly Wright linked Spider-Man.  Even the name of Henry “Hank” Wheeler affirmed the film’s implicit interest in Marvel superheroes, for it evoked that of Stanley “Stan” Leiber, better known to the world as Stan “the Man” Lee.

        Thus, the arrest of Chambers and the escape of Adele and Henry from his troubled grip, in the end, also implicitly symbolized the conviction of Reitman on another level that imperfect but vitally human and slightly CGI enhanced film art like his own would escape from the beastly CGI enhanced blockbuster grip of the DCEU and MCU.  Indeed, the film’s celebration of the ordinary but reassuring and life changing human touch over that of the extraordinary and CGI enhanced superhuman touch supported that implicit additional conviction.  The sight of Chambers being released from prison twenty-five years after the hostage taking and reuniting freely and luvingly with Adele also implicitly affirmed the conviction of Reitman on another level that one day the craze for CGI enhanced super people would be over, and a preference for imperfect but likably unlikable, vital and truly human beings would return to life and film art, in the end. 

        And so LABOR DAY was another fine feature film that inspired world and Canadian audiences.  And so later that year, Kimberly Peirce had the troubled, telekinetic and implicitly Gary Wright linked teen girl Carrie White-played by Chloe G. Moretz, who ironically played Tom’s sympathetic, knowing and implicitly Polley linked younger sister Rachael in (500) DAYS OF SUMMER-triumph over the implicitly Cody and Reitman linked mean teens Chris Hargensen and Billy Nolan-played by Portia Doubleday and Alex Russell, respectively-in the twilit, allegorical and CGI enhanced indie docufeature film CARRIE [2013], released on October 7, 2013 and inspired by the presciently twilit and allegorical Screamin’ Stephen King indie docufiction novel Carrie [1974]. 

        For his part, Sir Jackson ended the film year by again implicitly worrying that the success of Reitman would cause him to give in to beastly lusts for CGI enhanced blockbuster loot when he had the implicitly Reitman linked Dwarf Thorin Oakenshield-played again by Armitage-continue to lead a group of dotty Dwarves and the more resigned, plucky and implicitly Trudeau sr. linked Hobbit Bilbo Baggins-played again by Freeman-on a madcap quest for the loot of the beastly, blockbuster and CGI enhanced dragon Smaug-played by Benedict Cumberbatch-in its lair in the Lonely Mountain of Erebor in the twilit, allegorical and CGI enhanced animaction artbuster THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG [2013], released on December 2, 2013 and inspired by The Hobbit: or there and back again.  An implicit pessimism that initially didn’t continue the following year, when Eastwood implicitly hoped that Reitman would triumph over Tarantino in the long run like the sweet, shy, even tempered and implicitly Reitman and Tin Man linked Belleville, New Jersey crooner Francesco Castelluccio aka Frankie Valli-played by John L. Young-triumphed over the abrasive, brash, hot tempered and implicitly Tarantino and Scarecrow linked Belleville punk Gaetano “Tommy” DeVito-played by Vincent Piazza-in the long run with the help of the tall, brilliant and implicitly Bettany and Great Oz linked composer/singer/songwriter Robert “Bob” Gaudio-played by the fittingly surnamed Erich Bergen, given that Gaudio hailed from Bergenfield, NJ-and the implicitly Lynch linked mob boss Gyp DeCarlo-played by Christopher Walken-in the daylit, allegorical, CGI enhanced and Ozian themed docufeature film JERSEY BOYS [2014], a film released on June 5, 2014 whose implicit interest in Lynch, Reitman and Tarantino was affirmed by allusions to BLUE VELVET, THANK YOU FOR SMOKING, the daylit, allegorical and Ozian themed Tarantino indie docufeature films PULP FICTION [1994] and JACKIE BROWN [1996], the film’s PULP FICTION evoking non-linear structure, implicit link of Valli’s abrasive and booze luvin’ first wife Mary Delgado-played by Renee Marino-to Cody and the Wicked Witch of the East and the implicit link of mob moneylender Norman “Norm” Waxman-played by Donnie Kehr-to Simmons. 

        However, an implicit pessimism returned later that year when Miller and Rodriguez implied with the murders of the brash, bold, cocky, confident, likably unlikable and implicitly Reitman linked young card shark Johnny-played by Gordon-Levitt-and his literally colourful and implicitly Cody linked waitress sweetie Marcie-played by Julia Garner-by the twisted command of the Evil and implicitly Lee linked Senator Roark-played by Powers Boothe-that the small, intimate, low budget, down to Earth, imperfect but vitally human and likably unlikable indie docufeature film art of Reitman and Cody was doomed to be beaten by the brainless and CGI enhanced blockbusters beasts of the MCU and the DCEU in the twilit, allegorical and CGI enhanced indie moving comic FRANK MILLER’S SIN CITY: A DAME TO DIE FOR [2014], released on August 29, 2014.  A doomed destiny that Reitman casually shrugged off and triumphed over when he sighed resignedly and donned the co-writer/director/co-producer hats once more and collaborated again with Beugg, Estabrook, Garner, Glauberman, Novick, Poster, Simmons, Steelberg, Paramount and Right Of Way Films on another small, low budget, down to Earth and intimate film that reaffirmed his support for an imperfect but likably unlikable and vital humanity and film art and his implicit interest in Cinema Garite, the daylit, allegorical, brash, confident, idiosyncratic, shrewd, knowing, montage luvin’, satirical and slightly CGI enhanced indie docufeature film MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN [2014], a film released on September 6, 2014 that was inspired by the twilit and allegorical Chad Kultgen indie docufiction novel Men, Women And Children [2011] and the twilit and allegorical Carl Sagan book Pale Blue Dot [1994], and that often evoked the eerily and presciently twilit and allegorical Robert Redford indie docufiction film ORDINARY PEOPLE [1980].

 

“When he’s plugged in,

your son thinks that world,

the world of Guild Wars,

is the real world.

 Our world doesn’t matter anymore.”

 

Unusually, the film began with a very realistic, expensive and all CGI opening title sequence, with the third title in the right of the screen simply declaring the film “…a Jason Reitman film”, and the centred fourth title created by typing out the film’s title like a MS Word text, an all CGI sequence that saw the NASA Voyager 1 spacecraft drifting and spinning by Jupiter, Saturn and perhaps Neptune on its famous and spectacular photograph transmitting journey through the solar system, accompanied like the opening titles of LABOR DAY not by a pop song as in the first four feature films of Reitman but by samples of the various languages, types of music and sounds of nature of Earth on the gold plated copper records curated by popular astronomer/science writer Sagan that the spacecraft carried into the cosmos for the enlightenment of extraterrestrial beings, sounds, music and voices that coalesced into a jazzy number that accompanied the rest of the all CGI sequence, all of which evoked the all CGI sight and sound of the biomechanical spacecraft carrying the infant Kal-El from the exploding planet of Krypton and though the galaxy and solar system to its crash landing in Kansas on Earth at the beginning of MAN OF STEEL.  Then, as V1 left the solar system, a wry, ironic and film long VO by Emma Thompson, unusually never seen like all of the other film long narrators of the films of Reitman, began that evoked the film long VOs of Bingham, Deckard, MacGuff, Naylor and Wheeler less than the equally wry and ironic film long VO of Stephen Fry’s equally unseen narrator in the twilit, allegorical, CGI enhanced and mostly charmless Garth Jennings docufeature film THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY [2005], giving a sardonic Douglas Adams spirit to the film.  A sardonic spirit that quickly emerged when the film left behind V1 as the intrepid spacecraft left the solar system on September 27, 2013.

For the film then returned to Earth and explored the tragicomic and intertwined real life and internet lives of a group of imperfect but vitally human and likably unlikable parents and their teen children in a suburb of Austin, Texas in the neo digital eon of 247365 desktop computer, iPad, laptop and smart phone connection that linked all the characters and had them in constant digital contact with each other but that also ironically made them more alone and isolated than ever before.  Alas, this lonely isolation also inspired the adult and teen characters to use their digital and internet linked devices to release their unhappy, desperate, conniving and often sex obsessed Dark Sides, tragicomic Dark Sides that slowly took over their human lives in a way that was in complete and ironic contrast to the purity and sincerity of V1’s equally slow but ahuman journey through the Sol system. 

Perhaps not surprisingly, one of the tragicomic teen characters controlled by their digital Dark Side was the troubled, imperfect but vitally human, likably unlikable, backpack, hoodie and Pale Blue Dot luvin’ and implicitly Gardevil linked ex-star East Vista High School [EVHS] sophomore football running back Tim Mooney-played by Ansel Elgort-a troubled teen dealing with the recent divorce of his parents who lived with his gruff, football luvin’ and single father “Clark” Kent Mooney-played by Dean Norris, who resembled my own football luvin’ father to affirm the implicit link of Tim to Gar-like the equally troubled Carrie lived with her single and insanely conservative Christian mother Margaret White-played by Julianne Moore-in CARRIE, making it fitting that Elgort played Tommy Ross, a naively conniving high school student who struck up a doomed relationship with Carrie in CARRIE, and that his girlfriend Brandy Beltmeyer-played by Kaitlyn Dever-resembled and was implicitly linked to Peirce.  Significantly, Tim was so shattered by the divorce that he decided to quit playing football for the EVHS Olympians and devote himself full time after school to a massively multi-player online role playing computer game called GUILD WARS, evoking the equally TZ disaster shattered Gar’s dedication to his Zone Wars website throughout the film to reaffirm the implicit link of Gar to Tim. 

The fact that the surname of Mooney reminded us that I was a moon ruled Cancer with a looney sense of tumour, that GUILD WARS had the same GW initials as Gary Wright, and that the red and white colors of EVHS evoked the red, white and true colours of Canada and its Maple Leaf flag like the equally red, white and true colours of the implicitly Wright linked Gary’s Mini in YOUNG ADULT also affirmed that the poor ol’ Gardevil was being implicitly addressed on one level in MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN.  And implicitly roasting Wright with grim amusement, for Tim attempted suicide with prescription pills after Brandy’s implicitly Bigelow linked, internet security obsessed and self appointed cyber guardian mother “Princess” Patricia Beltmeyer-as strict and controlling as White’s mother in CARRIE to affirm the implicit link of Brandy to Peirce, and played by Garner-banned him from texting Brandy, implying that Reitman thought that I was destroying myself with my unhealthy obsession with the Zone Wars.  However, given that Tim recovered from his pill swallowing attempt with the help of Brandy and his father, Reitman reluctantly implied that there was hope that even the poor ol’ Gardevil might free himself from his self-destructive path and the dread allegorical Zone Wars and become an endearingly imperfect but vitally human and likably unlikable being with perhaps even a girlfriend, and that Peirce might continue to succeed as a film artist, in the end.

Meanwhile, the equally tragicomic sight and sound of Tim’s father Kent recovering from his recent divorce with Lydia Mooney-played by Candace Lantz-by hooking up with the cluelessly conniving, loot lustin’ and equally divorced single mother Donna Clint-implicitly linked to GC’s mother Jacquide la Fontaine, and played by Judy Greer-also linked the film openly to CARRIE, for Greer played the sympathetic but doomed high school gym teacher Ms. Desjardin in that film.  Curiously, the inimitable Ms. Clint lived in a fittingly indie detached house and destroyed the film art career of her beautiful, blonde and implicitly GC linked EVHS cheerleader daughter Hannah-played by Olivia Crocicchia, who fittingly linked her character and the film to GC via her character Chrissy in PALO ALTO-by allowing Hannah to create a website that featured sexy photos of her in skimpy clothes and lingerie that could be purchased by online patrons.

As all this was going on, Hannah’s attempt to strike up a relationship with the implicitly Joe King aka Joe Hill linked fellow EVHS student and football player Christopher “Chris” Truby-played by Travis Tope-went nowhere due to the impotence of Chris, an impotence caused by surfing too much interporn which was also shared and suffered by his implicitly King linked father Donald “Don” Truby-played by Adam Sandler-who, unknown to Chris, liked to use the porn sites on his son’s desktop computer to sexually arouse and relieve himself due to his unfulfilling luv life with his implicitly Tabitha King linked wife Helen-played by Rosemarie DeWitt.  An unfulfilling luv life that led Don to secretly strike up a relationship with an escort named Angelique-played by Shane Lynch-and Helen to strike up an equally secret relationship with a Denzel Washington resembling escort named Secretluvere-played by Dennis Haysbert, who also played the intimidating bodyguard/chauffeur Manute in FRANK MILLER’S SIN CITY: A DAME TO DIE FOR-when she succumbed to the Ashley Madison adultery ads that evoked the ads for the Off World colonies usually seen on the side of a floating blimp that plagued Deckard in BLADE RUNNER in another implicit nod to that film in the latest film of Reitman.

        Curiously, Reitman also implicitly meditated over his oeuvre in MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN.  Indeed, the title reminded us that Naylor had boasted at the beginning of THANK YOU FOR SMOKING about the multitudes of “…men, women and children” that were killed each year by the cigarettes he shamelessly lobbied for, thus preparing audiences for the tragicomic sight and sound of the main characters of MEN, WOMAN AND CHILDREN being scythed down by their own Evil actions.  The troubled and divorce haunted house of Tim and Kent also evoked the equally troubled and divorce haunted house of Adele and Henry in LABOR DAY.  In addition, the miscarriage of Tim’s fellow, anorexia suffering and Polley resembling and implicitly linked EVHS student and cheerleader Allison-played by Elena Kampouris-evoked the miscarriages suffered by Adele in LABOR DAY, the miscarriage Mavis bitterly and despondently lamented at the end of YOUNG ADULT, and the sterility of Vanessa in JUNO, a link to JUNO openly affirmed by the return of Garner and of Simmons as Allison’s father.  Last but not least, Hannah and Chris came across as a tragicomic teen version of Mavis and Buddy, while the slowly swelling romance of Kent and Donna evoked the slowly swelling romance of Adele and Frank in LABOR DAY.

        The main difference between MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN and the rest of the indie film art of Reitman was the surprising and unusual use of CGI to recreate the journey of the V1 spacecraft through the solar system at the beginning, middle and end of the film, leaving behind a photograph of Earth as a pale blue dot as the unmanned spacecraft left the Sol system on September 27, 2013.  A solitary passage through the solar system that reminded audiences that while technology came and went, including digital film technology and the linked desktop computers, iPads, laptops and smart phones used throughout the film an imperfect but vital humanity always remained on Earth.  Thus, the sight and sound of most of the main characters of the film abandoning their digital devices after their insidious use of those devices led them to be humbled and humiliated, and embracing each other, in the end, particularly Brandy and Tim, who pledged eternal luv to each other as Tim lay in his hospital bed recovering from the stomach pumping that foiled his suicide attempt, evoking the sight and sound of Bleek and Juno pledging eternal luv to each other as she lay in her hospital bed recovering from giving birth to their bouncing baby at the end of JUNO, affirmed the implication that Reitman was urging audiences to leave behind their perfect but inhuman digital devices and avatars and their petty feuds and to embrace their imperfect but vital humanity and each other.  Indeed, the closing VO reminded us that we should all do our best to embrace each other instead of isolating machines, so as to get along despite our imperfections for the sake of world peace and harmony, an ironic implication indeed given the gleefully implicit roasts of film artists and film “scholars” and their family members that happened before the main characters came to their senses in MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN.   

And so MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN was another fine and inspirational indie docufeature film from Reitman and a talented cast and crew.  Making it fitting that Sir Jackson suddenly and implicitly held out hope that Reitman would defeat his beastly CGI enhanced blockbuster lusts by having the implicitly Reitman linked Dwarf Thorin Oakenshield-played again by Armitage-come to his senses, release his insane lust for the Arkenstone and valiantly lead the Dwarves, Elves, Men and one courageous and implicitly Trudeau sr. linked Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins-played again by Freeman-to victory over an army of goblins and wargs led by the big, mean and implicitly Disney CEO Bob Iger linked Azog the Nasty-played by Manu Bennett-at the triumphant, eucatastrophic, healing and harmonizing end of the twilit, allegorical and CGI enhanced animaction artbuster THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES [2014], released on December 1, 2014 and inspired by The Hobbit: or there and back again.  Curiously, Sean Baker then kicked off the new film year by implying that he had read this “insightful essay” and had been amused by my idle threat to write an allegorical story that linked Cody and Reitman to the resignedly intrepid and L.A. based prostitutes Diabla y Jacinta, for Baker implicitly turned the tables on me and linked me to one of a dynamic duo of imperfect but vitally human and likably unlikable, resignedly intrepid and L.A. based transvestite prostitutes in the twilit, allegorical and shot with cell phone cameras indie docufeature film TANGERINE [2015], released on January 23, 2015.

 

“I promise no drama,

Alexandra!”

 

        Indeed, the poor ol’ perennially walking and backpack wearing Gardevil was implicitly linked to the poor ol’ perennially streetwalking and backpack wearing Hollywood Latino transvestite prostitute Sin-Dee-Rella-played by Kitana K. Rodriguez-throughout the film.  This implication was supported by Sin-Dee-Rella’s film long tiff with “her” cheating and implicitly Reitman linked pimp Chester-played by James Ransone.  Indeed, Chester’s blue and white bandanna and hoodie evoked the colours of Toronto, implicitly affirming his link to Toronto linked film art and film artists like Reitman, a link reaffirmed by the implicit link of his other girl Dina-played by Mickey O’Hagan-to Kendrick.  The presence of Sin-Dee-Rella’s constant companion Alexander aka Alexandra-played by Mya Taylor-also supported this implicit conclusion, as the name of Alexandra evoked the Royal Alexandra Theatre located near TIFF on King Street in Toronto, then recent home to a successful run of the equally twilit, allegorical and exuberantly transvestite Harvey Fierstein and Cyndi Lauper musical KINKY BOOTS, itself based on the also twilit, allegorical and implicitly Lucas addressing Julian Jarrold indie docufeature film KINKY BOOTS [2005].

        At any rate, how fitting that the struggles of the bewigged Alexandra and Sin-Dee-Rella to retain their endearingly imperfect, likably unlikable and vital humanity on the cold, callous and inhuman streets of a sunny and blisteringly hot Christmas Eve in L.A. evoked not only the struggle of the characters of the film art of Reitman to retain their equally endearingly imperfect, likably unlikable and vital humanity, but also the struggle of the equally bewigged and perfect pleasure Replicant Pris-played by Daryl Hannah-to achieve a full and imperfect humanity in the equally cold, callous and inhuman future L.A. of BLADE RUNNER, given the constant echoes of that film in the film art of Reitman.  An imperfect but vital humanity that, alas, took a blockbuster CGI enhanced hit not long after the release of TANGERINE when Dis, Marv and Whedon teamed up again with for more all out merry Marvel mischief and mayhem in the daylit, allegorical, CGI enhanced and Ozian themed super satirical animaction film AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON [2015], released on April 13, 2015.

 

“This [world],

this very vulnerable blue one,

it needs Ultron.”

 

        Curiously, the film began in the environs of the small eastern European country of “Sokovia” with the dissemblin’ Avengers battling the ambiguously linked Baron Wolfgang von “Mother” Strucker-played by Thomas Kretschmann-his second-in-command, the fittingly listless and implicitly Fritz Lang linked Doktor List-played by Henry Goodman-and their heinous HYDRA minions in their fortress hideaway.  Here the mischievous and implicitly Emily Lynch and Glinda the Good or Wicked Witch of the West linked Wanda Maximoff aka “the Scarlet Witch”-originally implicitly linked to Suzanne Duchamp-Crotti by Kirby and Lee in Marvel Comics, and played by Elizabeth Olsen-bewitched the brash, brilliant, cocky, confident and implicitly Reitman, Cowardly Lion and Fire linked Anthony “Tony” Stark aka “Iron Man”-played again by Downey jr.-with a spell that caused him to use the equally mischievous Staff of Loki first seen back in MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS to inadvertently create a malevolent, world genocidal and implicitly Lynch and Wicked Witch of the West linked A.I. called Ultron-his implicit link to Lynch affirmed by the film’s allusions to MULHOLLAND DRIVE, THE ELEPHANT MAN, and the twilit and allegorical Lynch indie moving paintings LOST HIGHWAY [1997] and INLAND EMPIRE [2006], and played by James Spader. 

As a result, Stark had to fight off Maximoff’s Wicked spell and team up again with the implicitly Cameron, Great Oz and Air linked Thor, Norse God of Thunder-played again by Hemsworth-the implicitly SCC and Dorothy linked Natasha Romanoff aka “the Black Widow”-played again by Johansson-the implicitly Eastwood, Tin Man and Water linked Steven “Steve” Rogers aka “Captain America”-played again by Evans-the implicitly Lee linked SHIELD Director Nicholas J. “Nick” Fury-played again by Jackson-the implicitly Lucas, Scarecrow and Earth linked Dr. Bruce Banner aka “the Incredible Hulk”-played again by Ruffalo-the implicitly Sir Scott linked Clinton “Clint” Barton aka “Hawkeye”-played again by Renner-to track down and defeat the Wicked Ultron and his flying monkey evoking clones back at that secret HYDRA Wicked fortress hideaway outside Sokovia to bring the film full eucatastrophically healing, harmonizing and elemental Ozian circle, in the end.

        Significantly, after initially fighting the Avengers alongside the Wicked Ultron, the Wicked Scarlet Witch chose to become Wanda the Good Witch and, with her equally mischievous and implicitly Riley Lynch linked twin brother Pietro Maximoff aka “Quicksilver"-originally implicitly linked to Marcel Duchamp by Kirby and Lee for Marvel Comics, an implicit link affirmed by the fact that his blurred motion at hyperspeed evoked the equally blurred motion of the allegorical Duchamp painting “Nude Descending A Staircase, No. 2” [1912], and played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson-join the avenging cause and help to triumph over the Wicked Ultron.  Along the embattled and gleefully destructive way, Banner, Stark and Thor transformed JARVIS-played again by Bettany-into an implicitly Cronenberg linked android called Vision-inspired by a character created by Jocund John Buscema and Rascally Roy Thomas for Marvel Comics that was in turn inspired by a character created by Kirby and Simon for Timely Comics, and also played by Bettany-that was powered by a yellow Infinity Stone called the Mind Stone.  This marvelous transformation caused Stark to create a new and female A.I. assistant named FRIDAY-played by Kerry Condon-to help him.

Curiously, before the Avengers triumphed over the Wicked Ultron, Stark and FRIDAY led the effort to save the Munchkin citizens of Sokovia, a super rescue aided by the saved in the nick of time Cavalry evoking arrival of SHIELD Director Fury, his right hand woman, the implicitly Lewis Lee linked SHIELD Agent Maria Hill-played again by Smulders-the implicitly Virgo linked Lt.-Col. James “Rhodey” Rhodes aka “Iron Patriot/War Machine”-played again by Cheadle-and an old but functional SHIELD helicarrier.  Significantly, this super rescue reminded us that Iron Man also saved New York and its citizens at the end of MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS, implicitly reaffirming the fondness that Dis, Marv and Whedon had for the imperfect but vitally human and likably unlikable Reitman and his brash and confident indie docufeature film art.  Alas, however, the atyptically brash and confident resolve of Stark to create Ultron and then Vision in order to protect the Earth from further extraterrestrial invasions like that of Loki and the Chitauri also ignited tensions between the Avengers and himself, tensions that would explode in a later installment of the MCU. 

In addition, Quicksilver also died during the battle to save Sokovia, perhaps to repay Taylor-Johnson for playing the frustrated, tragicomic and perhaps Spielberg linked teen wannabe super hero David “Dave” Lizewski aka “Kick Ass” in the twilit, allegorical, CGI enhanced and implicitly Disney and Marvel roasting Matthew Vaughan indie super satirical docufeature film KICK ASS [2010].  Last but not least, another closing credits cut scene quickly revealed the Wicked and all CGI mad Titan, Thanos-played by Brolin-acquiring the sinister left handed Infinity Gauntlet, reaffirming that an even more Wickety Witch than the Wicked Ultron or the Wicked Loki was still on his insidious way, and one on an Evil quest to acquire the six Infinity Stones seen in a vision by Thor towards the end of AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON.

Just as curiously, the implicitly Ivan Reitman linked Howard Stark-played again by Slattery-turned out to be one of the founders of SHIELD after World War II and one of the supervisors of the top secret project of the implicitly Landis linked Doctor Henry “Hank” Pym-originally created and implicitly linked to Frank Frazetta by Kirby, Lee and Lieber in Marvel Comics, and played by Michael Douglas-to create a particle that would allow people like the implicitly Kelly linked Scott Lang aka “Ant Man/Giant Man”-originally created by Jocund John Byrne, Bashful Bob Layton and Dapper David Michelinie for Marvel Comics, and played by Paul Rudd-to decrease or increase their size at will in the daylit, allegorical and CGI enhanced Peyton Reed super satirical animaction film ANT-MAN [2015], released soon after the release of AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON on June 29, 2015. Significantly, Ant-Man also had an inconclusive run-in with the cool, calm, collected, handsome, smart and implicitly William “Will” Smith linked Samuel “Sam” Wilson aka “the Falcon”-played by Anthony Mackie-at that new HQ built and built and paid for by Stark for the Avengers in upstate New York, introducing a new Avenger to the group.

        Then Sir Scott kicked off the following year by acting as co-executive producer on a telefilm series that implicitly linked Cody and Reitman to the young Northern civilian volunteer nurse Baron Mary Phinney von Olnhausen and the equally young and bold, brash, brilliant, bearded, confident, Francophilic, indie, innovative, and initially morphine luvin’ Northern civilian Captain and Doctor Jedediah Foster-played by Winstead and Josh Radnor, respectively-and implied that their stressful work healing Northern and Southern soldiers at the Mansion House Hotel and Hospital in Alexandria, Virginia during the U.S. Civil War equated with the stressful work of creating daylit and healing film art during the equally uncivil, dread, twilit and allegorical Zone Wars in the daylit, allegorical and CGI enhanced Stephen Cragg, Roxann Dawson, Lara Innes, Jeremy Webb and Alex Zakrzenski indie telefilm series MERCY STREET [2016], whose first episode was released on January 17, 2016 and which was fittingly inspired by the allegorical Baroness Mary Phinney von Olnhausen and James Phinney book Adventures Of An Army Nurse In Two Wars [1904].  Indeed, the presence of Parker as the tragicomic “intern” Mr. Percival Squivers affirmed the implicit interest in Cody and Reitman in MERCY STREET, reminding us that Parker played an equally tragicomic and implicitly Reitman sr. linked high school science class lab partner in JUNO. 

Soon after, DC, Time/Warner and Snyder implicitly reaffirmed that they were aware of and roasting the tiff between Reitman and Wright when they teamed up again with Adams, Cavill, Costner, Fishburne, Krowchuk, Lane, Morgan, Shannon and editor David Brenner, producers Nolan, Deborah Snyder and Emma Thomas and composer Hans Zimmer-all from MAN OF STEEL-on the daylit and twilit, allegorical and CGI enhanced super satirical animaction film BATMAN VS SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE [2016], released on March 12, 2016.

 

“Maybe he’s just a guy

trying to do the right thing.”

 

        Significantly, the autumn red CGI maple leaves that whirled wistfully through the digital Time/Warner and DC logos before the film began immediately established the implicit Canadian theme of the film.  An implicit Canadian theme soon reaffirmed by the film’s two contrasting heroes, for the Light, calmly confident, even tempered, rational, strong, Krypton born, Metropolis based and implicitly Reitman linked DAILY PLANET reporter Clark “Kal-El” Kent aka “Superman”-played again by Cavill-battled the Dark, brooding, haunted, haunting, hot tempered, irrational, troubled, Gotham City born and based, ironically Stark evoking but implicitly Wright linked playboy billionaire Bruce Wayne aka “Batman”-based on a character created by and originally implicitly linked to H.P. Lovecraft by Brilliant Bill Finger and Bucolic Bob Kane for DC, and played by Ben Affleck-throughout the film.  Indeed, allusions to MAN OF STEEL and SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD and an Ontario shaped hole that was created when Supe tossed Bats through a wall at one point in their super battle late in the film that linked both contrasting heroes to Ontario and its film art, film artists and film “scholars” also affirmed the implicit link of Superman and Batman to Reitman and Wright and their titanic battle to the tawdry tiff between the two Canadians throughout BATMAN VS SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE. 

Indeed, the sight and sound of the young Bruce Wayne-played by Brandon Spink-being traumatized at the beginning of the film by the 1981 murder of his ambiguously linked parents Thomas and Martha Wayne-played by Morgan and Lauren Cohan, respectively-as they left a Temple Theatre playing the presciently garish and twilit, allegorical and implicitly box office king Lucas and New Hollywood Camelot addressing John Boorman docufeature film EXCALIBUR [1981] reaffirmed the implicit link of Wayne to Wright.  For this flashback in the midst of the prologue that featured the funeral of Thomas and Martha Wayne took young Wayne far away from the Dirty Thirties of the DETECTIVE COMICS that chronicled the original adventures of Batman, and linked him instead to the steadfast, Gardevil anticipating and perseverant Perceval and the early Eighties that brought the TZ disaster that traumatized and haunted the equally steadfast and perseverant Wright.

The appearance of Jeremy Irons as Wayne’s faithful and implicitly Cronenberg linked butler and aide de camp Alfred Pennyworth also openly linked the two battling heroes and the film to Cronenberg and to Toronto and its film art, film artists, film fests and film “scholars.”  For Irons played the deviously doomed identical twins, Beverly and Elliot Mantle, in the twilit and allegorical Cronenberg indie docufeature film DEAD RINGERS [1988] and the equally doomed and implicitly Spielberg linked Rene Gallimard in the twilit and allegorical Cronenberg indie docufeature film M. BUTTERFLY [1993].  The appearance of Hunter as U.S. Senator June Finch also implicitly affirmed the film’s link to Toronto, as her names evoked the apartment near Jane Street and Finch Avenue where I grew up in Toronto.  Hunter also implicitly affirmed the film’s interest in Reitman, as the surname of Sen. Finch evoked that of legendary American Airlines Captain Maynard Finch in UP IN THE AIR, and also evoked her role as the implicitly Gail Wright linked Melanie Mannerheim in PARADISE.

Significantly, however, and despite the intensity of their super struggle, the fact that Supe and Bats eventually put aside their differences and grievances and teamed up with the beautiful, brainy, bold, implicitly Polley linked DAILY PLANET reporter Lois Lane-played again by Adams-and the beautiful, brave, brunette, indomitable, immortal and implicitly Angelina Jolie linked Amazon Princess Diana aka Diana Prince aka “Wonder Woman”-played by Gal Gadot-to battle and defeat the implicitly Gilliam linked Alexander “Lex” Luthor-his implicit link to Gilliam affirmed by the film’s allusions to the twilit, allegorical, CGI enhanced, brilliant and madcap Gilliam indie animaction films TIME BANDITS [1981] and 12 MONKEYS [1995], and played by Jesse Eisenberg-and a dead and implicitly Tarantino linked General Zod-played again by Shannon-that looney Luthor transformed into the all CGI Doomsday, the literal embodiment of the CGI enhanced blockbuster beast, in order to save the world at the end of the film, DC, Time/Warner and Snyder implied their hope that Reitman and Wright would put aside their tawdry tiff and work together with Jolie and Polley to advance the neo eon of daylit, allegorical and CGI enhanced but vitally human film art.  Last but not least, given that Supe died while killing Doomsday with a green kryptonite spear, in the end, DC, Time/Warner and Synder also warned Reitman to watch out lest he destroy himself and his film art with beastly lusts for blockbuster greenback loot.

Significantly, Prince and Wayne slowly became aware of the presence of other superheroic “metahumans” like the implicitly Besson linked Arthur Currie aka “Aquaman”-played by Jason Mamoa-and the implicitly Jay Baruchel linked Barry Allen aka “the Flash”-played by Ezra Miller-over the course of the film, preparing audiences for a world peace and justice preserving and Avengers evoking super group in a DCEU installment to come.  Making it fitting that the fear and loathing of superheroes and the gleefully gratuitous damage to life and property that they caused when battling each other or when battling super villians and the implicit hope that Reitman and Wright would put aside their tedious tiff and work together to advance the cause of the neo eon of daylit, allegorical and CGI enhanced but vitally human film art seen and implied in BATMAN VS SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE returned that year along with an implicit interest in Gilliam and most of the original Avengers, the new additions and some indie rogues when Dis, Marv and Anthony and Joe Russo teamed up with Condon, Downey jr., Evans, Feige, Hemsworth, Johansson, Lee, Renner, Rudd, Ruffalo, and Stan for more gleefully over the top and merry Marvel mischief and mayhem in the daylit, allegorical, CGI enhanced and Ozian themed super satirical animaction film CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR [2016], released on April 12, 2016.

 

“We need to be put in check!

…If we can’t accept limitations,

if we’re boundary-less,

we’re no better than the bad guys.”

 

Significantly, the film began in 1991 with the implicitly Gilliam linked and brainwashed HYDRA assassin James B. “Bucky” Barnes aka “the Winter Soldier”-his implicit link to Gilliam affirmed by the film’s allusions to 12 MONKEYS, the twilit, allegorical, madcap and CGI enhanced Gilliam indie animaction film BRAZIL [1985], and the daylit, allegorical, madcap and CGI enhanced Gilliam animaction film THE BROTHERS GRIMM [2005], and played again by Stan-being woken up with coded phrases by the HYDRA Agent Karpov-played by Gene Farber-and sent out on a mysterious assassination mission on December 16, 1991 that netted him a briefcase full of five equally mysterious pouches filled with an equally mysterious blue substance.  Then after the familiar flickering collage of pages of action packed Marvel Comics coalesced into the equally familiar red and white Marvel Studios logo, the film began in the present in Lagos with the Good, true, pure, innocent, patriotic and implicitly Eastwood, Tin Man and Water linked Cap. Steven “Steve” Rogers aka “Captain America”-played again by Evans-the smart, sexy, deadly and implicitly SCC and Dorothy linked SHIELD Agent Natasha “Nat” Romanoff aka “Black Widow”-played again by Johansson-the calm, confident, handsome and implicitly Smith linked Samuel “Sam” Wilson aka “the Falcon”-played again by Mackie-and the implicitly Emily Lynch and Glinda the Good linked Wanda Maximoff aka “the Scarlet Witch”-played again by Olsen-assembled to take on and take out the rascally and implicitly Depp and Wicked Witch of the East linked HYDRA goon Brock Rumlow aka “Crossbones”-played by Frank Grillo-his name evoking ex-U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld to affirm the implicit link of the SHIELD betraying HYDRA agent Alexander Pierce-played by Redford-to ex-U.S. President George W. Bush in the daylit, allegorical and CGI enhanced Russo Brothers super satirical animaction film CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER [2013].

However, and alas for the dissemblin’ Avengers, the battle in Lagos caused such gratuitous destruction to the city, like the battle that Bats, Supe and Wonder Woman fought with Doomsday did to Metropolis in BATMAN VS SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE, the 117 members of the United Nations turned against the super group.  Indeed, the fear and loathing of “enhanced persons” was so pronounced in this latest installment of the MCU due to the mayhem that they had caused in Lagos and in previous adventures that the United Nations drew up the Sokovia Accords to force the Avengers to operate only when needed under the supervision of a UN panel like UN peacekeepers, reminding us that Canada led the way in creating UN peacekeepers in the Suez Crisis in 1956 to give an implicit Crazy Canuck spirit to the film.  And so the UN assembled in Vienna to sign the Sokovia Accords into law, a peaceful assembly that was marred when a terrorist truck bomb exploded outside the building in which the UN had gathered, killing a number of representatives inside.  Significantly, amongst their number was the implicitly ex-Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau linked King T’Chaka of the secretive and mysterious east African nation of Wakanda-played by John Kani-who led the Wakandan delegation in signing the Sokovia Accords and joining the UN at the same time.

Just as significantly, blame for the deadly explosion in Vienna fell on Barnes, who was tracked down to his lonely apartment hideout in Bucharest, Romania by an AWOL Cap and the Falcon, who managed to save him from being killed by a Bucharest SWAT team and King T’Chaka’s implicitly Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau linked son Prince T’Challa aka “Black Panther”-played by Chadwick Boseman.  Taken into custody by the implicitly Virgo linked Lt.-Col. James “Rhodey” Rhodes aka “War Machine”-played again by Cheadle-the interrogation of Barnes by the supervising Romanoff, the implicitly ex-Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper linked CIA Deputy Task Force Commander Everett K. Ross-played by Freeman-the implicitly J.C Lee linked CIA Agent Sharon Carter-played by Emily VanCamp-the niece of the implicitly Joan Lee linked SHIELD official Margaret “Peggy” Carter-played by Hayley Atwell-who died in the film, and the brash, brilliant, cocky, confident, imperfect but vitally human, likably unlikable and implicitly Reitman, Cowardly Lion and Fire linked Anthony “Tony” Stark aka “Iron Man”-played again by Downey jr.-was hijacked by the mysterious and implicitly Michael Palin and Wicked Witch of the West linked ex-Sokovian intelligence Colonel Helmut Zemo-played by Daniel Bruhl-who had framed Barnes for the Vienna explosion and who, literally using the HYDRA playbook, spoke the magic words that transformed Barnes from the bucolic Bucky to the deadly HYDRA assassin the Winter Soldier, leading to a frantic fight between Wintry, Cap and the Falcon to subdue him that led to Cap and Falc sneaking off with Winters and hiding out with him.

Significantly, this disappearance caused the implicitly Lee linked Defense Secretary Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross-played again by Hurt-to charge Romanoff and Stark to round up Cap, Falcon and Winters in 36 hours with the help of Black Panther, which in turn caused Stark to travel to Queens, NY to round up the new strange, solitary, studious, dingy apartment dwelling, weirdly webslingin’, black and orange backpack and STAR WARS Classic Trilogy luvin’, and implicitly Wright linked teen high school student Peter Parker aka “Spider-Man”-an implication affirmed by the film’s allusions to YOUNG ADULT, and played by Tom Holland-for a Stark internship that turned out to take place in Leipzig, Germany.  A Stark internship that included an upgraded Stark Spidey suit that replaced Parker’s homemade “onesie” Spidey suit and also included a super battle at the Leipzig airport that allowed the film to assemble most of the Avengers and break out in memorable and truly madcap and merry Marvel mischief and mayhem. 

A super mayhem filled battle that mostly pitted super heroes and super heroines that were implicitly linked to Canadian film artists, film “scholars”, and politicians and supported the UN Sokovia Accords like Black Panther, Iron Man, Spidey, and War Machine, joined by Black Widow and the implicitly Cronenberg linked Vision-played again by Bettany-against super heroes and super heroines mostly implicitly linked to American film artists and who were opposed to the UN Sokovia Accords like Captain America, the Falcon, the Scarlet Witch and the Winter Soldier, joined by the implicitly Kelly linked Scott Lang aka “Ant-Man/Giant Man”-played again by Rudd-and the implicitly Sir Scott linked Clinton “Clint” Barton aka “Hawkeye”-played again by Renner.  A super spectacular battle that saw Stark aided again by his helpful A.I. FRIDAY-played again by Condon-and that allowed Iron Man and all of rest of the super heroes and super heroines to show off their respective super powers, saw Spidey take out Falc, Winters and Giant Man and be humbled by fellow New Yorker Cap and openly linked to STAR WARS EPISODE V: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, and that ended in a draw that saw Vis disable the super suit of War Machine and knock him out of the sky, almost killing him, and Winters escape with Cap, trailed by Stark and Prince T’Challa.

Significantly, as Cap and Winters were in turn trailing the fleeing Wicked Zemo and Zemo fled to the secret HYDRA base in the snowswept mountains briefly seen in the prologue of the film where Winter Soldiers like Barnes were brainwashed and trained, the film came full circle and all four heroes wound up at the base.  And leading to the last super battle of the film between Cap, Iron Man and Winters after Col. Zemo sneakily played security cam footage of the Winter Soldier’s deadly mission at the beginning of the film, security cam footage that revealed that Winters had killed the implicitly Ivan and Genevieve Reitman linked Howard and Maria Stark-played again by Slattery, and by Hope Davis, respectively-and that caused Iron Man to go ballistic and attack Winters, forcing Cap to join the battle to save Winters.  And so the three way super battle raged, ending finally when a battered and bleeding Cap beat an equally battered and bleeding Iron Man into semi-consciousness, and then left with Winters, and Black Panther.

And so the film ended with the Wicked Zemo imprisoned in the floating super-maximum prison called the Raft with Barton, Lang, Maximoff and Wilson, until Cap arrived to liberate Wilson and take him with him to Wakanda to stay with Prince T’Challa and Barnes.  And so the huge scale of the Ozian themed film paved the way again for an even bigger film and bigger battle with the Wicked Thanos in the next assemblin’ Avengers adventure.  But before that epic saga began, Dis and Marv teamed up with Columbia and Sony and had some fun with the implicitly Reitman linked Anthony “Tony” Stark aka “Iron Man”-played again by Downey jr.-by returning him to the Temple Theatre and having him play a prominent guiding, inspiring, mentoring and hectoring role for the implicitly Wright linked and pesky fifteen year old hero Peter Parker aka “Spider-Man”-played again by Holland-in the daylit and twilit, allegorical, CGI enhanced and implicitly Reitman and Wright roasting and toasting Jon Watts super satirical animaction film SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING [2017], released on June 28, 2017.

 

“You screwed the pooch hard, big time.

But then you did the right thing.”

 

        Curiously, the film began with a short prologue that was set in New York after the battle with the Wicked Loki and the flying CGI Chitauri monkeys years earlier that introduced the implicitly TIFF CEO Handling linked Adrian Toomes-played by Michael Keaton-and his Wrecking Crew, which included the implicitly Bailey linked Herman Schultz-played by Bokeem Woodbine-and chronicled the transformation of Toomes and Schultz into the villainous and vulpine Vulture and the electrifying Shocker #2, respectively, with the help of extraterrestrial Chitauri technology found in the debris of demolished New York after the battle with the Avengers and not returned to Stark and his Department of Damage Control [DDC], a pithy prologue that set the tragicomic tone of the piece.  Then a symphonic instrumental version of the allegorical, Bob Harris composed and Paul Webster written theme for the equally allegorical and Bakshi cartoon tv series SPIDER-MAN [1967-70], fittingly released the year I was born, played as the familiar flickering pages of Marvel Comics prepared us for them coming to life and coalesced into the Marvel Studios logo, an instrumental version of the famous Spidey theme that reminded us that Canadian Paul Soles played Parker/Spidey in that CanAm co-production series to affirm the implicit link of Holland’s Parker/Spidey to a Canadian.

Then the film became a short and tragicomic indie film within the film shot with a phone cam by Spidevil about being rounded up in the Queens area of New York by the implicitly Saklad linked Hpward “Happy” Hogan-played again by Favreau-and taken on his first airplane trip to a “Stark Internship Retreat” [SIR] in Germany that led to the super rumble at the airport in Leipzig in his new hi-tech Stark Spidey suit before his triumphant return to his hometown of Queens in the back of a limo driven by Hogan while chatting with an amiable Stark.  An amiable Stark who reassured Parker that the Avengers were interested in having him join them in time, before Hogan dropped him off with his new Spidey suit at the apartment he shared in Queens with his Mrs. Wright evoking Aunt May Parker-played by Marisa Tomei. 

Then Stark and Hogan spent the film watching over Parker and his good friend and fellow Midtown School of Science and Technology [MSST] Tiger natty Ned Leeds aka “the Guy in the Chair”-implicitly linked to Bruce McDonald, and played by Jacob Batalon.  Significantly, these scenes at MSST and at a house party mentioned Canada and uranium to openly link Parker and Leeds to Canada, and also revealed that the school mascot was a tiger that looked like Tony the Tiger like the mascot of the Streetsville Tigers at Streetsville Secondary School in Mississauga, ON where I worked as a dedicated but harassed Library Technician, affirming the implicit link of Parker to Wright.  Alas for Parker, Hogan, Leeds, and Stark, outside MSST the two tragicomic teens got caught up in madcap battles with Vulture and the Wrecking Crew.  These madcap misadventures were accompanied by a found pop music soundtrack that evoked the pop music soundtracks of Reitman films, an interest in the film art of Reitman increased by allusions to JUNO, MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN and YOUNG ADULT to reaffirm the implicit interest in Reitman in SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING, while the film’s allusions to IRON MAN 3, PARADISE, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, the STAR WARS Classic Trilogy and the STAR WARS Tragic Trilogy reaffirmed the implicit link of Parker to the Lucas and Spielberg obsessed Wright. 

Fittingly, Stark and Parker argued with each other as much as Reitman and Wright over the course of the film, with Stark getting so fed up with Parker that he even took away the hi-tech Spidey suit with its helpful A.I. KAREN-played by Jennifer Connelly-that he made for the terrible teen, forcing Parker to defeat Vulture and the Wrecking Crew in his homemade Spidey suit before they could steal a plane load of Avengers gear that Hogan was transporting to that new Avengers facility in upstate New York.  A valourous solo victory that impressed Stark enough that he offered Parker a chance to join the Avengers with another and improved hi-tech Spidey suit at the end of the film, implying again that Dis, Marv, and Watts like DC, Time/Warner and Synder, wanted Reitman and Wright to stop squabbling and work together to advance the cause of CGI enhanced film art in the neo millennium.  Significantly, however, Parker turned down the offer and the new suit and returned to his solo Spidevil adventures in his beloved Queens, implying that Marv and Watts also believed that Wright was too disaffected and indie to join any group or cause.  And so SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING ended not with Stark welcoming Spidey as the latest Avenger at a press conference in the new Avengers HQ in upstate New York, but with him instead announcing his engagement to the pretty, perky, indispensable, indomitable and implicitly Cody linked SI Chairwoman and CEO Virginia “Pepper” Potts-played again by Paltrow. 

Not surprisingly, given the implications of BATMAN VS SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE, the implicit hope that Reitman and Wright would end their tepid tiff and work together to advance the daylit neo eon of CGI enhanced film art returned to the Temple Theatre later that year along with DC, Time/Warner, Snyder and Whedon when the calm, confident, strong and implicitly Reitman linked DAILY PLANET reporter Clark “Kal-El” Kent aka “Superman”-played again by Cavill-returned from the dead to team up again with the beautiful, brainy, intrepid, indomitable, and implicitly Polley linked ace DAILY PLANET reporter Lois Lane-played again by Adams-the brooding, haunted, haunting, troubled and implicitly Wright linked billionaire Bruce Wayne aka “Batman”-played again by Affleck-his faithful, long suffering and implicitly Cronenberg linked butler and aide-de-camp Alfred Pennyworth-played again by Irons-and the beautiful, powerful and implicitly Jolie linked Amazon Princess Diana aka Diana Prince aka “Wonder Woman”-played again by Gadot-and with “metahuman” newcomers briefly glimpsed throughout BATMAN VS SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE like the young, slim, hyperfast and implicitly Baruchel linked Barry Allen aka “the Flash”-played again by Miller-and the ocean luvin’ and implicitly Besson linked Arthur Currie aka “Aquaman”-played again by Mamoa-to battle to save and preserve an imperfect but vital humanity on Earth by defeating the CGI enhanced and implicitly Kelly linked extraterrestrial Evildoer Steppenwolf-played by Ciaran Hinds-and his madcap plot to unite an unholy trilogy of Mother Boxes with the help of legions of buggy, beastly, and belligerent CGI alien parademons in the daylit, allegorical and CGI enhanced Snyder and Whedon super satirical animaction film JUSTICE LEAGUE [2017], released on October 26, 2017.  Making it fitting that Simmons returned as the gruff but Good Gotham City Police Commissioner James “Jim” Gordon, for he affirmed the implicit interest in Reitman and Wright in the film.

And so after six big, boffo and over the top CGI enhanced super satirical animaction films, the time had definitely come for another small, low budget, down to Earth and intimate film from Reitman when he donned the co-producer/director hats and teamed up again with Cody, Estabrook, Novick, Steelberg, Theron, Right Of Way Films and DENVER + delilah PRODUCTIONS-Theron’s production company from YOUNG ADULT-and Marceline Hugot-who played Mrs. Farnsworth in LABOR DAY-to kick off the new film year by fusing the mouthy and in your face attitude of YOUNG ADULT with the thoughtful maturity of LABOR DAY in the ironically daylit, allegorical, brash, idiosyncratic, knowing, original, montage luvin’, shrewd, slightly CGI enhanced and implicitly Lucas and Polley addressing indie docufeature film TULLY [2018], released on January 23, 2018.

 

“Should we try and make

Mickey Mouse?”

 

Significantly, after being absent from the last two and least successful Reitman films, the film began with a youngish and pregnant blonde woman-played by Theron-walking downstairs to the bedroom of her five year old son-played by Asher M. Fallica-as the opening titles began to appear, and, after pressing the play button of a portable stereo system to play the soft, mellow, allegorical and John Cale, Sterling Morrison, Lou Reed and Maureen Tucker written Velvet Underground tune “Ride Into The Sun [Demo Version]” [1969], allowing the opening titles to again be accompanied by a pop tune as in most Reitman films, opening titles whose fourth title quietly affirmed that this was “…A film by JASON REITMAN”, the pregnant woman used the song and a small brush to softly brush her son all over his body to soothe and relax him for a good night’s sleep in another opening title montage sequence to kick off a Reitman film.  Then the mother left her son and the room, walked back upstairs, the opening titles ended with Reitman’s director credit, and the film revolved around this pregnant woman, who turned out to be the imperfect but vitally human, likably unlikable, bourbon luvin’, Mavis Gary evoking but implicitly Polley linked Marlo Moreau nee Tully, and her struggles to cope with her marriage to the implicitly Lucas linked Drew Moreau-played by Ron Livingston-their two children, eldest daughter Sarah-played by Lia Frankland-quirky younger brother Jonah seen in the film’s opening montage prologue, and soon arriving newborn girl Mia-played by Jen X.  Indeed, Sarah and Jonah reminded us that Polley implicitly addressed Lucas in her first two films, the daylit, allegorical and CGI enhanced indie docufeature films AWAY FROM HER [2006] and TAKE THIS WALTZ [2011], while Mia reminded us that Polley explored her own life and family in the daylit, allegorical and CGI enhanced indie documentary film STORIES WE TELL [2012], affirming the film’s implicit interest in Lucas and Polley. 

Alas for Marlo, her struggles were so stressful, draining, depressing and imprisoning, imprisoning indeed, given that the Moreau house was filled with vertical and prison bar evoking blinds, drapes, railings and windows that quietly emphasized her implicit imprisonment, that Marlo’s wistful memories of her younger and carefree bachelorette self caused that younger self to escape from within her and literally become embodied in the form of the indomitably upbeat and Mary Poppins evoking night nanny with the fittingly Sarah Polley cadenced name of Marlo Tully aka “the Mermaid”-played by Mackenzie Davis.  Thus, the tragicomic sight and sound of Marlo embracing and then slowly but surely releasing and dispelling the ghost of her past after a traumatic car accident that took place after knocking back Maker’s Mark shooters in a Brooklyn bar hopping night out with the help of Marlo the mermaid and then embracing Drew, Sarah, Jonah, Mia and herself with all of their faults and all of her own, in the end, implied that Cody and Reitman hoped that Polley would also dispel her doubts and commit herself to her equally tragicomic indie docufeature film art path despite its difficulties, given that she had not released a film since 2012, and give difficult birth to one, two, three or ten more.  Indeed, the film’s allusions to AMERICAN GRAFFITI, AWAY FROM HER, MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN, STAR WARS EPISODE IV: A NEW HOPE, TAKE THIS WALTZ, UP IN THE AIR and the Walt Disney Company, the first telefilm employer of child actress Polley, reaffirmed the film’s implicit interest in Lucas and Polley.

Curiously, Marlo’s maiden surname also linked her to one of the first years of the dread allegorical Zone Wars, as Tully evoked the implicitly Allen and Toto linked Louis Tully in GHOSTBUSTERS.  An implicit link to the Reitman family reaffirmed by the fact that Reitman and his ex-wife Michele Lee resembled and were implicitly linked to Marlo’s brother and sister-in-law Craig and Elyse Tully-played by Mark Duplass and Elaine Tan, respectively.  Just as curiously, TULLY ended with a distraught Drew pledging luv eternal to Marlo as she lay in a hospital bed recovering from the car accident caused in part by nervous exhaustion, evoking the equally moving sight and sound of Brandy pledging luv eternal to Tim in his hospital bed at the end of MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN, and the sight and sound of Bleek pledging luv eternal to Juno as she lay in a hospital bed recovering from giving birth to their beamish boy at the end of JUNO, bringing Reitman’s Cody Trilogy to a fittingly luving trimax in another fine feature film to inspire and enfire global and Canadian audiences, film art, film artists and the Temple Theatre. 

It was also fitting that Tully faded away near the end of the film before Marlo released her, for the sight and sound anticipated Disney, Marvel and the Russo Brothers teaming up with Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely-screenwriters of CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR-Trent Opaloch-DOP of CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR-and Charles Wood-production designer of AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON-to also cause half the beings in the MCU to eerily fade away later that year at the end of the daylit, allegorical, CGI enhanced and Ozian themed super satirical animaction film AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR [2018], released on April 23, 2018.

 

“Tony,

there was no other way.”

 

Significantly, after the familiar flickering Marvel Comics pages transformed into the real life super heroes and super heroines of the MCU complete with scenes from the films to openly affirm that a Marvel Comic was coming to life in the film, pages and scenes that coalesced into the equally familiar red and white Marvel Studios logo, the film began with the towering, universal balance obsessed and implicitly ex-Disney CEO Michael Eisner linked mad Titan, Thanos-played by Brolin-and his malevolent flying monkey minions attacking an Asgardian refugee ship, killing most of its occupants, beating up the tall, blonde, bearded, proud, haughty and implicitly Cameron, Great Oz and Air linked Thor, Norse God of Thunder-played again by Hemsworth-and killing the duplicitous and implicitly Spielberg linked Loki, Norse God of Mischief-played again by Hiddleston.  This was an ironic murder, reminding us that executive producers Kennedy, Marshall and Spielberg were responsible for giving the teenage Brolin his first film role as the neo-corporatist Brand in the twilit and allegorical Donner docufeature film THE GOONIES [1985], but it implicitly linked Loki to the Wicked Witch of the East, allowing Thanos to be implicitly linked to the Wicked Witch of the West.  But not before the Wicked Thanos was handed the Tesseract by Loki and crushed it with his right hand, revealing within it the blue Space stone, one of the six powerful Infinity Stones, which the mad placed in its setting next to the purple Power stone on his sinister left handed Infinity Gauntlet. 

But not before the short, shy, sensitive, intelligent and implicitly Lucas, Scarecrow and Earth linked Dr. Bruce Banner aka “the Incredible Hulk”-played again by Ruffalo-was transported back to Earth by the Asgardian Heimdall, Guardian of the Rainbow Bridge-played by Idris Elba-where he crashed through the roof of the New York Sanctum Sanctorum of the implicitly King linked Doctor Stephen Strange, Master of the Mystic Arts-played by Cumberbatch-and his friend and mentor in sorcery, Wong-played by the fittingly surnamed Benedict Wong-and warned that the Wicked Thanos and his flying monkey minions would soon arrive to take the two Infinity Stones that were on Earth.  Alarmed by the ominous news, Dr. Strange used his sorcery to quickly assemble the brash, brilliant, cocky, confident, imperfect but vitally human, likably unlikable and implicitly Reitman, Cowardly Lion and Fire linked Anthony “Tony” Stark aka “Iron Man”-played again by Downey jr.-who just happened to conveniently be in the Big Apple strolling through Central Park with the beautiful, indispensable, indomitable and implicitly Cody linked SI Chairwoman and CEO Virginia “Pepper” Potts-played again by Paltrow-planning the upcoming marriage they announced at the end of SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING. 

A timely assemblage, for no sooner than did Stark arrive via the Good Doctor’s sorcery at the Sanctum Sanctorum to discuss the snituation with Wong and Drs. Banner and Strange than Ebony Maw, the major domo and implicit head flying monkey of the Wicked Thanos-implicitly linked to Jeffrey Katzenberg, major domo of Eisner during most of the latter’s tenure at Disney, and played by Tom Vaughan-Lawlor-arrived with the ambiguously linked big nasty Cull Obsidian-played by Terry Notary-in their donut resembling spaceship to lay waste to New York and steal the green Time stone from its guardian and protector, Dr. Strange.  Leading to a gleefully and gratuitously destructive battle filled with the ironically contrasting science of Stark/Iron Man and the sorcery of Dr. Strange and Wong against the scientific magic of Maw, destructive mayhem that attracted the attention of the shy, solitary, strange, thoughtful, dedicated and implicitly Wright linked MSST student and teen superhero Peter Parker aka “Spider-Man”-played again by Holland-while he was being driven on a schoolbus to MSST by Smilin’ Stan himself. 

Eagerly fleeing the bus through a handy window and joining Iron Man in battling Maw and Obsidian on the side of science and technology, Spidevil soon found himself being pulled into space as he tried to prevent Dr. Strange from being transported to Maw’s waiting donut ship now in orbit over Earth.  Letting go of Strange and falling back to Earth, Spidey was saved by a trailing Iron Man and FRIDAY-played again by Condon-with a handy and upgraded Spidevil suit fittingly designated 17A that allowed Spidey to breathe high up in the atmosphere and web back onto and into the donut ship without the knowledge of Stark, Strange or Maw.  The scene then shifted to the Guardians of the Galaxy arriving in their turkey vulture resembling spaceship at the remains of the Asgardian refugee ship, rescuing Thor, and finding about his quest to stop the Wicked Thanos from getting the rest of the Infinity Stones by heading to Nidavellir and getting the weapons master there to forge a new weapon for him that he could use to kill the mad Titan.  A plan that inspired the fiery, feisty and implicitly Snyder linked Rocket Raccoon-played by Matthew Cooper-and the peaceful and ambiguously linked Groot-played by Vin Diesel-to go with Thor, and the implicitly Besson linked Peter Quill aka “Star Lord”-played by Chris Pratt-the sweet but deadly and implicitly Lilly Wachowski linked Gamora-played by Zoe Saldana-the big, hearty, loud laughing and implicitly Guillermo Del Toro linked Drax the Destroyer-played by Dave Bautista-and the empathetic and ambiguously linked Mantis-played by Pom Klementieff-to head back to Knowhere to get the Reality Stone from the implicitly Jim Jarmusch linked Collector-played by Benicio Del Toro.

Meanwhile, back on Earth in Edinburgh, Scotland, the implicitly Cronenberg linked Vision-played again by Bettany-and the implicitly Emily Lynch and Glinda the Good linked Wanda Maximoff aka “the Scarlet Witch”-played again by Olsen-were also battling to prevent two more of the malevolent flying monkey minions of the Wicked Thanos, the implicitly Burton linked Corvus Glaine-played by Michael J. Shaw-and the implicitly Helena Bonham-Carter linked Proxima Midnight-played by Carrie Coon-from taking the yellow Mind stone from the forehead of Vision.  Luckily for the Scarlet Witch and Vision, just when it looked like they would be overwhelmed by gruesome Glaine and murderous Midnight, they were saved in the nick of time by the Cavalry evoking arrival of the Good, true, pure, innocent, selfless, patriotic, indomitable and implicitly Eastwood, Tin Man and Water linked U.S. super soldier Captain Steven “Steve” Rogers aka “Captain America”-played again by Evans-and the shrewd, sexy, deadly and implicitly SCC and Dorothy linked ex-Russian assassin and dedicated SHIELD Agent Natasha Romanoff aka “the Black Widow”-played again by Johansson-who helped Vis and Scarlet triumph over Glaine and Midnight and send them beaming back up to their donut ship without the coveted yellow Mind stone.

Curiously, on that donut ship, Spidevil revealed his presence to Iron Stark and the faithful and sentient cloak of Dr. Strange, and then the heroic trio united to free Dr. Strange from the torture of Maw by using a vacuum sucking hole in the spaceship’s hull to send the latter to his death in the freezing limbo of outer space.  Maw dead, the three heroes decided to allow the ship to take them to Titan to confront and defeat the Wicked Thanos, something that Quill, Gamora and Drax tried but failed to do when they tried to prevent him from taking the Reality stone from the Collector in Knowhere.  Indeed, not only did the three Guardians fail to prevent the towering Titan from adding the Reality stone to his collection on the Infinity Gauntlet, they also discovered that they had been lured into a trap and were powerless to prevent the Wicked Thanos from taking Gamora with him when he transported himself from Knowhere.  Meanwhile back on Earth, the rest of the heroes assembled in Wakanda and tried to surgically remove the Mind stone from the forehead of Vision, but were prevented from doing so by an extraterrestrial invasion of the malevolent minions of Thanos led by Glaive, Midnight and Obsidian. 

Significantly, and before the Wicked Titan could join them, an anguished Thanos had to kill Gamora on the mysterious and desolate planet of Vormir in order to get the orange Soul Stone, a sad sacrifice presided over by the solitary, forlorn and all too knowing ghost of the implicitly Cox linked Red Skull-played by Ross Marquand.  Then Thanos was off to his ruined homeworld of Titan to take on Drax, Dr. Strange, Iron Man, Mantis, Spidey, Star Lord, and Gam’s nasty and implicitly Lana Wachowski linked sister Nebula-played by Karen Gillan-eventually beating them in a truly titanic and climactic battle of the Infinity War that saw each hero and heroine showcasing their unique super powers in their desperate united effort to defeat him, but alas, they were unable to stop the Wicked Thanos from taking the green Time Stone from Dr. Strange.  And so the Wicked Thanos managed to use the five  Infinity Stones to transport himself to Earth and where he ripped the yellow Mind stone out of the forehead of Vision before the Scarlet Witch could kill him with her magic and despite the best and equally desperate efforts of the rest of the Avengers and Guardians, of the calm, cool, indomitable, and implicitly Prime Minister Justin Trudeau linked King T’Challa aka “Black Panther”-played by Chadwick Boseman-and his fellow Wakandans, and even of the Great and Mighty Thor, armed with his new battleax Stormbreaker crafted by Eitri, the implicitly Sir Jackson linked mighty Munchkin master weapons maker of Nidavellir-played by Peter Dinklage-to stop him. 

And so Vision shut down, and the Wicked Thanos snapped his sinister left fingers and half the beings in the MCU including the poor ol’ Spidevil turned to eerie dust, reminding us that Eisner oversaw layoffs and restructuring at Disney as he did his best to lead the company to the position of global dominance it occupies today, and evoking the pernicious power of the Space Phantom to send Marvel super heroes and super heroines to politically correct limbo in AVENGERS #2.  And so the Wicked Thanos then opened an escape portal and disappeared like the Wicked Witch of the West at the end of THE WIZARD OF OZ to affirm the implicit link of Thanos to the Wicked Witch of the West, and reappeared to enjoy an ironically peaceful retirement on an unknown world.  However, since Maw, Obsidian, Glaive and Midnight had all been killed by the Good heroes and heroines over the course of the film, at least three of them linked to people who figured prominently in the Eisner Era [EE], the implicit potential for the equally deadly defeat of the deranged and demented Thanos in the next installment of the MCU had been laid in AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR.

And so Disney and Marvel shrewdly, knowingly, creatively and ably weaved all of the disparate strands of the MCU together in a spectacular and memorable super satirical animaction film.  And so the global popularity and success of the film already guaranteed that the sequel of AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR would be the most eagerly awaited film of the neo millennium.  Surprisingly, before that concluding sequel arrived, an implicit interest in roasting the poor ol’ Gardevil continued when Reitman donned the co-writer/director/co-producer hats and teamed up again with Beugg, Dever, Estabrook, Farmiga, Garret, Glicker, Saklad, Simmons, Steelberg, Witzke, Bron Studios and Right Of Way Films-from TULLY-and unusually returned to the Temple Theatre soon after the release of AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR with another film in one year for the first time to bring an implicit Gardevil Trilogy full triangular circle and implicitly dismiss any crazy implication that he and I should put aside our tiff and work together on advancing the neo eon of CGI enhanced film art with another reassuringly down to Earth but surprisingly and unusually large, big budget, and impersonal film with another large contingent of characters and intertwined stories as in MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN in the form of the twilit, allegorical, brash, idiosyncratic, original, shrewd, knowing, confident, montage luvin’ and slightly CGI enhanced indie docufeature film THE FRONT RUNNER [2018], a film released on August 31, 2018 that was inspired by the twilit and allegorical book All The Truth Is Out: the week politics went tabloid [2014] written by Matt Bai, who co-wrote the screenplay for the film with Reitman and Jay Carson.

 

“He’s right, isn’t he?”

 

        Curiously, the film began in 1984, one of the first years of the dread allegorical Zone Wars, with a VO by Tom Brokaw of NBC News in Des Moines, Iowa predicting that Walter Mondale would finish first and Gary Hart would finish second in the Democratic caucus primary playing as the various Sony, Columbia, Stage 6 Films, Bron and Right Of Way logos appeared on the screen, establishing a tv reporter VO that continued from various tv reporters for the rest of the film, evoking the film long VOs from Bingham, Gary, MacGuff, Naylor and Wheeler in previous Reitman films before continuing the unusual theme when the logos disappeared by heading into an also unusual, long, unedited, and pop song and montage free travelling shot and with no opening titles for the first time ever amidst a throng of loud and excited American citizens and newspaper and tv reporters outside a hotel in Des Moines before dipping inside the hotel to meet the serious, solemn, well educated, book writing, big issue and idea obsessed, book, education, knowledge, hoodie and women luvin’, likably unlikable and implicitly Gary W. Wright linked Democratic presidential nominee and Colorado Senator Gary W. Hart aka indie docufiction novelist “John Blackthorn”-played by Hugh Jackman, who openly linked another Reitman film to the MCU via his implicitly Eastwood linked character James “Logan” Howlett aka “Wolverine” in the X-MEN films-and his campaign team before he bowed out of the ’84 Democratic presidential nomination race. 

Then the film revolved around the solemn, secretive and solitary Sen. Hart returning in 1988 as the Democratic front runner but losing the bustling and frenetic 1988 presidential nomination race after refusing to take seriously the intense media scrutiny of his personal life and his adulterous relationships, particularly his adulterous campaign relationship with Donna Rice-played by Sara Paxton-a beautiful and brainy albeit sad, silent and despondent young blonde who resembled Mavis Gary in YOUNG ADULT to implicitly affirm that Reitman was wrapping up a Gardevil Trilogy in the film, blasting me again and implicitly warning me either that I would not succeed as a film “scholar” unless I dropped the serious, solemn, secretive and solitary routine and took the press and tv more seriously and became more open with the media and the public, or that I too would be destroyed by media attention if the word ever got out about my work.  Indeed, the fact that Hart’s daughter Andrea was played by Dever affirmed the implicit link of Hart to Wright, reminding us that Dever played Brandy, the teen sweetie of the implicitly Wright linked Mooney in MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN.

        The birthplace of Sen. Hart in Ottawa, Kansas also affirmed the implicit Wright addressing intent of THE FRONT RUNNER, linking Mavis Gary Hart to Ottawa, Ontario, the capital city of Canada, and reminding us that the poor ol’ Gardevil was born in North York, Ontario, a GTA suburb in past years that was now part of the Toronto megacity, and that the POG was now living in the GTA in Mississauga after spending his youth in the GVA.  The signs proclaiming “Gary Hart for President” reaffirmed his implicit link to a person linked to Canada and Toronto, for the sight of the supportive message spelled with blue letters on a white background or red letters on a white background reminded us that red and white were the official colours of Canada and that blue and white were the official colours of Toronto.  The ability of Sen. Hart to cut through the bullshit and explain politics to his fellow American citizens also affirmed his implicit link to Wright, for this ability evoked my more desperate and tragicomic attempts to unravel cinematic and literary allegories and explain them to the citizens of the United Nations on my website.

        In addition, the presence of Simmons as Hart’s top aide, the cigarette luvin’ William “Bill” Dixon, reaffirmed the implicit link of Hart to Wright, for Dix resembled Wright’s father, like Tim Mooney’s father Kent did in MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN.  Significantly, the return of Simmons, like the presence of Jackman, openly linked the film to the MCU in general again and to the Raimi Spiderman Trilogy in particular, as did the presence of Molina as Benjamin “Ben” Bradlee, editor of THE WASHINGTON POST.  Thus, it was fitting that one of the POST’s reporters was AJ Parker-played by Mamoudou Athie-implying that Reitman was aware of the implicit link of Wright to Holland’s Peter Parker aka “Spider-Man” in CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR, SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING and AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR to reaffirm that Reitman was implicitly addressing Wright again in THE FRONT RUNNER.  Indeed, the fact that Parker’s POST colleague, the implicitly SCC linked Ann Devroy-played by Ari Graynor-complained to him that Hart “…is a man with power and opportunity.  And that takes certain responsibility” openly linked AJ Parker to Peter Parker, reminding us that Uncle Ben solemnly reminded Peter that “…with great power comes great responsibility” in SPIDER-MAN, words that haunted the troubled young hero throughout the rest of the Raimi Spider-Man Trilogy.  It was also fitting that William “Billy” Shore-played by Mark O’Brien-one of Hart’s young campaign aides, resembled Peter Parker, and that the always smiling and fittingly alliteratively named older aide William B. “Billy” Broadhurst-played by Toby Huss-resembled Smilin’ Stan Lee and the implicitly Lee linked Captain in THANK YOU FOR SMOKING.  Of course, the trio of Williams surrounding Sen. Hart throughout the film also reminded us that my middle name was William to reaffirm the implicit link of Hart to Wright.

Curiously, the fact that two of Hart’s other campaign staff were the implicitly Kelly linked John Emerson-played by Tommy Dewey-and the implicitly Sir Scott linked Keven Sweeney-played by Chris Coy-also affirmed the implicit link of Sen. Hart to Wright, reminding us that essays on Kelly and Sir Scott were also on my website.  The implicit link of MIAMI HERALD reporters Tom Fielder and Pete Murphy-played by Steve Zissis and Bill Burr, respectively-to Coppola and Lucas, respectively, and the implicit link of another reporter, Mike Shanahan-played by Mike Lawrence-to Landis also affirmed the film’s implicit Wright addressing intent.  In fact, the sight and sound of newspaper reporters in action throughout the film always evoked indomitable DAILY PLANET reporters Kent and Lane as much as indomitable DAILY BUGLE photographer Parker, implying that Reitman was also replying to the DCEU on one level in THE FRONT RUNNER.  Last but not least, the sight of a young reporter who resembled Vancouver based sly fi writer William “Cyberpunk” Gibson standing amongst the reporters at the last press scrum Sen. Hart held before announcing that he was leaving the campaign was another William hovering around Hart who implicitly linked the film to Canadian based literary and film artists.

        Just as curiously, and despite being another fine and confident feature film, THE FRONT RUNNER was unsuccessful, perhaps due to the fact that deep down in the invisible but definite and shrewd and knowing individual subconscious of each audience member who experienced the film it was understood that I was in the right in my tiff with Reitman, and Reitman was in the wrong, okay?  Not that Matt De La Pena noticed or cared if he did notice, for he implicitly linked Reitman and Cody to the sadolescent Clark “Kal-El” Kent aka “Superteen” and his girl friend, Smallville High School [SHS] newspaper reporter Lana Lang, respectively, in the twilit, allegorical and slightly CGI enhanced super satirical animaction novel Superman: dawnbreaker [March 2019].

 

“I’m definitely not a hero.”

 

        Curiously, the fact that young Kent used his super speed and strength in Chapter 3 to prevent a falling helicopter from crashing into the ground on the Kent farm and killing its pilot and two passengers soon implied the hope of De La Pena that young Reitman would succeed breaking audiences, film art, film artists and the Temple Theatre from the twilit trio of the TZ disaster and the dread allegorical Zone Wars and kick off that Zone free and daylit neo eon of CGI enhanced film art.  Significantly, however, the fact that young Kent also used his super powers to triumph over the Evil and implicitly George Walton Lucas jr. linked Mankins Corporatin [MC] CEO Montgomery Wallace Mankins and his madcap attempt to transform people into blockbuster beasts implied the hope of De La Pena that Reitman and his small, down to Earth, intimate and slightly CGI enhanced indie docufeature film art would also triumph over the beastly CGI enhanced blockbuster film art of Lucas.  Indeed, the fact that Kent carried a blockbuster bomb on his first Superteen flight up up and away to explode harmlessly in the sky in order to save the people of Smallville, in the end, affirmed the implicit hope of De La Pena that Reitman and his small indie docufeature film art would triumph over beastly blockbuster bombs. 

The fact that Kent had a friend named Paul Molina affirmed the novel’s implicit interest in Reitman, reminding us that Molina played Ben Bradlee, publisher of THE WASHINGTON POST, in THE FRONT RUNNER, as well as Doc Ock in SPIDER-MAN 2.  The fact that Principal Rice was in charge of SHS reaffirmed the implicit link of young Kent to young Reitman, reminding us of despondent Donna Rice in THE FRONT RUNNER.  The novel’s allusions to MAN OF STEEL, MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN, SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD, SUPERMAN RETURNS, THANK YOU FOR SMOKING, THE FRONT RUNNER, UP IN THE AIR and YOUNG ADULT also affirmed the film’s implicit interest in Reitman and Cody.  Ironically, the novel’s implicit link of Reitman to a superhero and its implicit neo hope that Reitman would triumph over beastly CGI enhanced blockbuster bombs n lusts soon returned when Dis, Marv and the Russo Brothers teamed up again with Markus, McFeely, Opaloch, Wood, and Alan Silvestri-composer of AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR-to bring the MCU saga to a triumphant and creative conclusion brim full of merry Marvel mischief and mayhem in the eagerly awaited, daylit, allegorical, CGI enhanced and Ozian themed super satirical animaction film AVENGERS: ENDGAME [2019], released at last on April 22, 2019.

 

“And I…am…

Iron Man.”

 

        Fittingly, the film began with three prologues to remind audiences that three Avengers films had proceeded this Foursfull and climactic installment of the Avengers saga. In the first prologue, the indomitably indie and implicitly Sir Scott linked Clinton “Clint” Barton aka “Hawkeye”-played again by Renner-stared in puzzled horror at the eerie absence and silence created when his family, comprised of wife Laura and children Lila, Cooper and Nathaniel aka “Nate” Barton-played by Linda Cardellini, Ava Russo, Ben Sakamoto, and Cade Woodward, respectively-suddenly turned into dust and vanished after the sinister left handed finger snap of the towering, universal balance obsessed, and implicitly ex-Disney CEO Eisner and Wicked Witch of the West linked Thanos-played again by Brolin-at the end of AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR, pithily and poignantly reminding audiences that half of the beings in the MCU had disappeared at the end of that film to reacquaint us with the super saga.  Then, as the allegorical and Jim Capaldi written Traffic tune “Dear Mr. Fantasy” [1967] played, the familiar flickering pages of Marvel Comics appeared, flickering pages that quickly and literally came to life again in the form of the super heroes and super heroines of the MCU, again complete with all out action shots from the previous Avengers films, shots that coalesced again into the equally familiar red and white logo of Marvel Studios before that logo transformed into a more grim and stark black and white Marvel Studios logo.

        A fittingly stark black and white Marvel Studios logo, for the scene then shifted to the tragicomic sight and sound of the brash, brilliant, cocky, confident and implicitly Reitman, Cowardly Lion and Fire linked Anthony “Tony” Stark aka “Iron Man”-played again by Downey jr.-and the implicitly Lana Wachowski linked Nebula-played again by Gillan-drifting helplessly through space together in the turkey vulture resembling Ravager space ship of Star Lord.  Saved in the nick of time before fading power and oxygen killed Stark by the beautiful, brainy, sweet, steely and implicitly Polley and Glinda the Good linked Carol Danvers aka “Captain Marvel”-played by Larson-Stark and Nebula were carried back to that Avengers HQ in upstate New York by Marvel. 

Here Stark went into rehab while Neb revealed the location of her father the Wicked Thanos at his ironic Garden retirement planet and then teamed up with Captain Marvel and the remaining Avengers and Guardians, which included the smart, sexy, deadly and implicitly SCC and Dorothy linked Natasha Romanoff aka “the Black Widow”-played again by Johansson-the brilliant, shy, solitary, and implicitly Lucas, Scarecrow and Earth linked Dr. Bruce Banner-played again by Ruffalo-the Good, true, pure, innocent, patriotic, invincible and implicitly Eastwood, Tin Man and Water linked Captain Steve Rogers aka “Captain America”-played again by Evans-the tall, blonde, bearded, proud, arrogant, mighty, and implicitly Cameron, Great Oz and Air linked Thor, Norse God of Thunder-played again by Hemsworth-the sturdy and implicitly Virgil linked Lt.-Col. James “Rhodey” Rhodes aka “Iron Patriot/War Machine”-played again by Cheadle-and the fiery, hot headed, pesky and implicitly Snyder linked Rocket Raccoon-played again by Cooper-to attack him there, kicking off the third opening prologue.  Alas for the Avenging Guardians, after the title of the film appeared on the screen and they arrived at that peaceful garden planet, they discovered that the Wicked Thanos had used the Infinity Gauntlet to destroy the Infinity Stones with another sinister snap of his left fingers, ending any hopes of using the stones to restore the missing half of the population and elemental Ozian health and harmony back to the MCU, causing a furious Thor to make up for his mistake at the end of AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR and wack off the head of the Wicked Thanos with an angry and frustrated wack of his battleaxe Stormbreaker.

        Fading to black, the film took up the cause again five years later, first in a desolate New York, and then in an equally desolate San Francisco.  Here in San Fran, a restlessly roving rat wandering around the jammed interior of a U-Store-It self storage facility accidentally pressed the button that turned on the quantum realm travelling van of the brilliant but naïve and implicitly Kelly linked Scott Lang aka “Ant-Man/Giant Man”-played again by Rudd, and as a baby by Bazlo and Loen Leclair, as a boy by Jackson A. Dunn, and as an old man by Lee Moore, respectively-bringing Lang back from the quantum realm.  And so after touching bases with his now teenage daughter Cassie Lang-played by Emma Fuhrmann-Lang drove the van across country to that Avengers HQ in upstate New York to tell the Avenging Guardians about his ideas about using the quantum realm to travel back in time to various moments when the six Infinity Stones could be easily acquired so as to create a new Infinity Gauntlet and use it to bring elementally Ozian health, harmony and half the population back to the MCU with an eucatastrophic snap of the fingers. 

        And so with the help of Lang, Banner and Stark and the latter’s creation of “…a fully functional time/space GPS” portable time travel device that could be handily worn on the wrist, a multi-escapade time travelling heist that evoked TIME BANDITS was cooked up, sending the Avenging Guardians back in time to round up the Infinity Stones and bring them back to the present to put them into a new Infinity Gauntlet, and bring the missing half of the MCU back to life in that truly healing, harmonizing and eucatastrophic snap of the fingers, allowing Stark to fittingly live up to the implied lyrics of the instrumental version of “Iron Man” that kicked off the closing titles of IRON MAN and truly travel back in time to save the future of mankind.  And so Captain America, the now implicitly Great Oz linked Iron Man, Ant-Man and the new big, brainy and green Dr. Hulk were sent back to New York in 2012 so that Cap, Iron Man and Ant-Man could collect the yellow Mind stone hidden in the Staff of Loki and the blue Space stone hidden in the Tesseract after the battle with the Wicked Loki-played again by Hiddleston-and the flying monkey Chitauri before the Mind and Space stones were rounded up by the 2012 Avengers, while Dr. Hulk collected the green Time stone from the Ancient One-played by Tilda Swinton-at the Sanctum Sanctorum.  Tragicomically, failing to succeed in their two part quest sent Cap and Stark off on an unexpected and unplanned side trip further back in time to 1970 to the Camp Lehigh U.S. Army base in New Jersey to pick up the blue Space stone hidden in the Tesseract after Loki mischievously absconded with the 2012 Tesseract during the struggle to acquire it.  Meanwhile, the equally new look and tragicomic fat, long haired, long bearded and now Cowardly Lion resembling and implicitly linked Thor and Rocket were sent back to Asgard in 2013 to collect the red Reality stone from Thor’s old flame, the implicitly Gale A. Hurd linked Doctor Jane Foster-played by Portman; Neb and Iron Patriot/War Machine were sent back in time to 2014 to the ruins of the planet Morag to collect the purple Power stone before it could be acquired by the implicitly Besson linked Peter Quill aka “Star Lord”-played again by Pratt; and Black Widow and Hawkeye were sent back to the eerie and desolate planet of Vormir in 2014 to collect the orange Soul stone.  All went well except on Vormir, where Romanoff died like Gamora in AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR under the sad gaze of the solitary, forlorn and implicitly Cox linked Red Skull-played again by Marquand-to allow Barton to acquire the orange Soul stone, implicitly linking Black Widow to the Wicked Witch of the East and implying either Dis, Marv and the Russo Brothers thought the indie docufeature film art career of SCC was over or that the time had arrived for SCC to stop making indie docufeature film art and to start making big boffo blockbuster films. 

And so the six Infinity Stones were brought back to the future and fitted into a new and pointedly right handed Infinity Gauntlet created by Banner, Rocket and Stark and used to bring elemental Ozian health, harmony and the missing half of the population of the MCU back to life with one eucatastrophic snap of the right fingers of Dr. Hulk.  Alas, the 2014 versions of the Wicked Thanos, Neb, the implicitly Lilly Wachowski linked Gamora-played again by Saldana-and the implicitly Katzenberg linked Ebony Maw-played again by Vaughan-Lawlor-discovered what they were up to, captured the future Neb on Morag and sent the past Neb in disguise back to the future where she sneakily used the quantum time travelling machine created at that Avengers HQ in upstate New York to bring the Wicked Thanos, Gam, Maw and the rest of their malevolent minions including the Chitauri back to the future as well to take on and take out all of the returning super heroes and super heroines of the MCU, including the Mjolnir wielding Captain America, a sight that evoked the Tin Man with his axe to affirm the implicit link of Cap to the Tin Man, the indomitable, indispensable and implicitly Cody linked Virginia “Pepper” Potts aka “Iron Woman”-played again by Paltrow-and the weird, wacky and implicitly Wright linked MSST student Peter Parker aka “Spider-Man”-played again by Holland-so as to create an entirely new universe with no knowledge of the Infinity War by retrieving the new Infinity Gauntlet and its Infinity Stones from the Scary Dr. Hulk before he could destroy it after returning the missing half of the MCU back to life with that elementally Ozian, healing and harmonizing eucatastrophic snap of the fingers.

Luckily for the MCU, however, the Wicked Thanos was prevented from doing so by the Great Stark, who with the aid of his helpful A.I. FRIDAY-played again by Condon-stole the Infinity Stones from the right handed Infinity Gauntlet worn by Thanos in the nick of time, transferred them to his own ad hoc Infinity gauntleted right hand, and snapped his righteous fingers.  And so eucatastrophic, elemental and Ozian health and harmony returned to the MCU, and the malevolent minions of the Wicked Thanos turned to dust and disappeared, and the Wicked Thanos sat heavily and resignedly down and then also faded to dusty death, evoking the sight and sound of the Wicked Witch of the West melting away to nothingness at the end of THE WIZARD OF OZ to affirm the implicit link of the Wicked Thanos to the Wicked Witch of the West, and ending the EE and symbolically kicking off the Iger Era [IE].  And so the terrible Force of the righteous finger snap killed the Great Stark, in the end, causing his brash, brilliant, confident, cocky, and indomitably indie spirit to drift away like the Great Oz at the end of THE WIZARD OF OZ to reaffirm his implicit link to the Great Oz, proving that he did indeed have a big and luving heart, and implying that Dis, Marv and the Russo Brothers either believed that Reitman had killed his film art with the increasing size of his films or else now had to leave behind his smaller, more intimate and slightly CGI enhanced indie docufeature film art and embrace his true blockbuster but non-beastly CGI enhanced destiny.  And so all of the super heroes and super heroines and their family members turned out for the funeral of Stark, and Cap returned to the past and finally united with his life’s luv Peggy, in the luving and slowly dancing end.

And so the ghost of the implicitly Reitman linked Anthony “Tony” Stark aka “Iron Man”-played again by Downey jr.-haunted the continued merry Marvel mischief and mayhem filled misadventures of the implicitly Wright linked and still pesky MSST student Peter Parker aka “Spider-Man”-played again by Holland-when Dis and Marv teamed up again with Sony, Columbia, Pascal Pictures, Watts, Batalon, Favreau, Holland, Jackson, Smulders, Tomei, Peter Billingsley-who played SI employee William G. Riva in IRON MAN-and Zendaya-who played fellow MSST student Michelle “MJ” Jones-Watson in SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING-and truly kicked off the IE of Disney and rebooted the MCU with the daylit, allegorical, CGI enhanced and implicitly Reitman and Wright roasting and toasting super satirical animaction film SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME [2019], released on July 2, 2019.

 

“Deep down,

you know I’m right.”

 

        Indeed, the film’s implicit interest in Reitman was immediately affirmed by the allegorical and Dolly Parton written Parton tune “I Will Always Love You” [1974, and then re-recorded and re-released in the fateful and fatal year of 1982] that accompanied the moving “in memoriam” video tribute to the marvelous heroes like Romanoff, Stark and Vision who were killed in AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR and AVENGERS: ENDGAME or who retired like Rogers and whose missing presences haunted the rest of the film, particularly that of Stark, whose image and legacy were literally seen everywhere.  Fittingly, this moving tribute was created by the students of MSST for the morning announcements of the school, a pop tune accompanied tribute that returned audiences to events in the MCU and reminded us that a pop tune accompanied the opening titles of JUNO, THANK YOU FOR SMOKING, TULLY and UP IN THE AIR to reaffirm the film’s implicit interest in Reitman, an implicit interest also affirmed by the film’s many other pop tunes that evoked the fondness of Reitman for pop tune filled soundtracks for his films. 

Then the MSST announcement crew of Betty and Jason-played by Angourie Rice and Jason Ionello, respectively-brought the audience up to speed with “the Blip”, the five years that had elapsed before the missing people of Earth and students of MSST were returned to the realm of the living from limbo.  Missing students like the slightly more thoughtful and mature Parker who, after a tragicomically awkward scene with some reporters and supporters in his first hi-tech Stark Spidey suit from SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING that evoked Sen. Hart’s equally tragicomic awkwardness with reporters and supporters in THE FRONT RUNNER to reaffirm Hart’s implicit link to Wright in that film, and Spidey’s implicit link to Wright and the implicit interest in Reitman in SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME, was soon off on a school trip to Europe with Betty and her new and implicitly McDonald linked luv interest natty Ned Leeds-played again by Batalon-Parker’s new luv interest Michelle “MJ” Jones-Watson-played again by Zendaya-and a group of other MSST students.  Curiously, this school trip stopped in Venice, Prague, and London, stops that included desperate battles with the implicitly Edgar Wright linked Quentin Beck aka “Mysterio”-played by Jake Gyllenhaal-against blockbuster and Stay Puft Man evoking CGI Elemental beasts that evoked the blockbuster CGI electro-musical beasts created during the final battle of the bands at the end of the Beck tunes filled SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD to affirm the implicit link of Beck to Wright and which turned out to be illusions created with the help of hologram projecting and weaponized drones made by disaffected ex-SI employees like Beck and William G. Riva-played again by Billingsley. 

Illusions and Beck’s insidious dream to become the next Iron Man and leader of the Avengers that were slowly revealed and defeated by Parker in a pair of hi-tech Stark EDITH glasses-played by Dawn M. King-and a new and equally hi-tech Stark Spidey suit custom designed with the help of Howard “Happy” Hogan-played again by Favreau-with the inspiration provided by his new luv interest, the implicitly Mrs. Wright linked Aunt May Parker-played again by Tomei-and the help of the implicitly Lee linked SHIELD Director Nicholas J. “Nick” Fury and his loyal and implicitly Lewis Lee linked right hand woman SHIELD Agent Maria Hill-played again by Jackson and Smulders, respectively-in final battle and triumph over Beck and his holo-projector drones in London in the triumphant end that affirmed the implicit link of Beck to an English film artist.  A triumphant ending that was marred when Parker returned home to Queens by the fake revelation by Beck solemnly released by THEDAILYBUGLE.NET owner/host J. Jonah Jameson-played again by Simmons-that Parker was Spider-Man, a revelation that openly linked the film to the Raimi Spider-Man Trilogy to point the way to merry Marvel multiverse mayhem in the next Spidevil film.

For his part, Eastwood implicitly urged Reitman not to be so hasty to count people out lest they prove you wrong like the implicitly Reitman linked ATLANTA-JOURNAL CONSTITUTION reporter Kathleen “Kathy” Scruggs-played by Olivia Wilde-accused the short, chubby, earnest, mother luvin’ and implicitly Sir Jackson linked 1996 Atlanta Centennial Olympic Games [ACOG] security guard Richard Jewell-played by Paul W. Hauser-of planting the backpack bomb in Centennial Park in Atlanta during the games before all of the facts were in only to be proved wrong at the end of the daylit, allegorical and CGI enhanced docufeature film RICHARD JEWELL [2019], a film released on November 20, 2019 whose implicit allegorical intent was affirmed by allusions to the Hobbit Trilogy, the Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, THANK YOU FOR SMOKING, THE FRONT RUNNER and YOUNG ADULT.  Two years later, Sir Scott implicitly hoped that Wright would triumph over Reitman and avenge film art like the honour and truth obsessed, unswerving, indomitable and implicitly Wright linked knight Jean de Carrouges-played by Matt Damon-triumphed over the rapacious and implicitly Reitman linked knight Sir Jacques Le Gris-played by Adam Driver-to avenge his violated and implicitly Polley linked wife Marguerite de Carrouges-played by Jodie Comer-in a bloody and brutal duel at the end of the daylit, allegorical, and CGI enhanced indie docufeature artbuster THE LAST DUEL [2021], released on September 10, 2021.

Soon after, Eastwood implicitly completed a Reitman Trilogy by having the old and implicitly Cronenberg linked cowboy Michael “Mike” Milo-played by Eastwood-drive from Texas and down to Mexico City, successfully return with the rebellious and implicitly Reitman linked teen Raphael aka “Rafo” Polk-played by Eduardo Minett-teaching him how to handle horses along the way before handing him back to his implicitly Ivan linked father Howard Polk-played by Dwight Yoakam-at the U.S. border with the help of a fearless and feisty fightin’ rooster named Macho and over the objections of Raphael’s possessive and implicitly Lana Wachowski linked mother Leta-played by Fernanda Urrejola-and her implicitly Keanu Reeves linked bodyguard Aurelio-played by Horacio Garcia Rojas-implying the hope of Eastwood that despite his immaturity, Reitman and his film art would triumph over Wachowski and her film art in the daylit, allegorical and slightly CGI enhanced indie docufeature film CRY MACHO [2021], released on September 16, 2021.  Significantly, after accomplishing his mission, Milo returned to Mexico and the attractive cantina owner Marta-played by Natalia Traven-he had fallen for.  And so the film ended with Milo y Marta dancing slowly and luvingly in the cantina to the romantic sound of the allegorical and Alvaro Carrillo written Eydie Gorme y Los Panchos tune “Sabor A Mi” [1964], evoking the sight and sound of Cap dancing just as slowly and luvingly with Peggy at the end of AVENGERS: ENDGAME to implicitly affirm that Eastwood understood the implicit link of himself to Rogers in the MCU.

As for Reitman, perhaps in need of money after the lack of success of THE FRONT RUNNER, he sighed resignedly and followed in his father’s footsteps and took a big step to master the CGI enhanced blockbuster beast for higher film art purposes when he donned the co-writer/director hats and teamed up again with Ivan, Beugg, Glauberman, Glicker, Simmons, Steelberg, Sony, and Columbia Pictures, the studio behind GHOSTBUSTERS and THE FRONT RUNNER, and merged his brash and confident indie docufeature style with the blockbuster CGI enhanced beast when he implicitly replied to and roasted Sir Jackson again and unleashed some merry mischief and mayhem of his own in the daylit, allegorical, brash, confident, idiosyncratic, CGI enhanced and Ozian themed docufeature film GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE [2021], released on October 8, 2021.

 

“Don’t be yourself!”

 

        In fact, the trademark down to Earth, brash, confident, low key, naturally lit and always indie docufeature Reitman style, complete with another soundtrack of quirky old pop tunes instead of original pop tunes as in GHOSTBUSTERS, and an original orchestral soundtrack composed by Rob Simonsen that quoted from the original Elmer Bernstein composed orchestral soundtrack for GHOSTBUSTERS, was not just fused but ironically and continually contrasted with the more larger than life style of GHOSTBUSTERS and GHOSTBUSTERS II, creating a non-stop dialectic with those two iconic films throughout the film.  A non-stop dialectic with the earlier GHOSTBUSTERS films that began with no opening titles again as at the beginning of THE FRONT RUNNER with a prologue that saw the eccentric and implicitly Cronenberg and Tin Man linked hermit Doctor Egon Spengler-played again by the CGI ghost of the late Ramis-trying and failing to exorcise a ghost from the mines of the Shandor Mining Company, mines that evoked the dwarven mines of The Hobbit Trilogy and The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy to immediately affirm the film’s implicit interest in Sir Jackson and that were located just outside of the Hollywood cadenced Midwest town of Summerville, Oklahoma far away from the New York setting of GHOSTBUSTERS and GHOSTBUSTERS 2.

Alas, not only did Dr. Spengler failure to capture and exorcise the pesky Shandor ghost, he died in the process in his creepy and dilapidated farmhouse after he fled the mines, ironically but fittingly becoming a ghost himself who haunted the farmhouse, evoking the failure of Sen. Hart to win the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 in the prologue at the beginning of THE FRONT RUNNER.  Curiously, Dr. Spengler also left the haunted farmhouse, the “dirt farm” outside, and their contents to his divorced and Blanchett resembling and implicitly linked daughter Callie Spengler-also implicitly linked to Glinda the Good, and played by Coon-and her two children, the brainy, Egon resembling and implicitly Tin Man linked Phoebe-who was fond of a pair of round lensed and Sir Jackson evoking glasses, and played by McKenna Grace-and the skinny and Elijah Wood resembling and implicitly linked Trevor-also implicitly linked to the Scarecrow, and played by Finn Wolfhard.  A tragicomic trio who, soon after Dr. Spengler’s death in the prologue, fittingly arrived in Summerville one curious and scorching summer to check out their inheritance, where they soon met the horror film and shorts luvin’ and implicitly Sir Jackson and Great Oz linked Summerville Middle School [SMS] summer school science teacher and amateur seismologist Gary Grooberson-yet another Gary in a Reitman film to implicitly reaffirm his obsession with Gary Wright, and played by Rudd. 

A meeting that drew all four together and eventually had the quixotic quartet teaming up with Phoebe and Trevor’s implicitly Cowardly Lion linked newfound friend Podcast-played by Logan Kim-and Trevor’s implicitly Dorothy linked sweetie Lucky Domingo-played by Celeste O’Connor-and battling to bust Summerville and the Shandor Mining Co. free of the stubbornly pesky and vengeful ghost of a reborn and implicitly Wicked Witch of the West linked Gozer, Sumerian God of the Dead-played by Emma Portner and voiced by Shohreh Aghdashloo, respectively-and to bust Gary and Callie free from her dogged Keymaster and Gatekeeper control, a liberation that implicitly equated with breaking Sir Jackson free from boffo blockbuster lusts.  Significantly, this liberating and climactic triumph was helped along by the ghost of Dr. Spengler and the “saved by the Cavalry in the nick time arrival” of the rest of the remaining and still living Ghostbusters, the implicitly Lynch and Cowardly Lion linked Dr. Raymond “Ray” Stantz, the implicitly Gilliam and Scarecrow linked Dr. Peter “Pete” Venkman, and the implicitly Coppola and Great Oz linked Winston Zeddemore-played again by Aykroyd, Bill Murray, and Ernie Hudson, respectively-that reaffirmed the Western spirit of the film and also allowed an imperfect but vital and ghostly and likably unlikable humanity to triumph over the blockbuster CGI enhanced Gozer beast in the eucatastrophic and elementally Ozian healing and harmonizing end. 

Alas for Reitman, far from reassuring audiences that he could bring the confident, deft, knowing, indie, original, montage luvin’ and imperfect but vitally human and likably unlikable touch of his smaller and more intimate and down to Earth film art so far to GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE, the lighthearted and lightweight film came across as an halfhearted imitation of his father that completed a Ghostbusters Trilogy in a tribute to Ramis and set the stage for further adventures in New York to follow rather than an edgy Reitman film, an impression increased by the return of the original Ghostbusters, making it clear that Reitman had a ways to go before he could successfully put his own brash, confident, iconoclastic and original indie stamp on oh so boffo, beastly and CGI enhanced blockbuster film art. 

Curiously, Sir Scott then soon returned with Driver to the Temple Theatre to implicitly link the creative union of Cody and Reitman to the even more unlikely marital union of the tall, cultured and fabulously wealthy Maurizio Gucci and bold, brash, short and statuesque working class girl Patrizia Reggiani-played by Driver and Lady Gaga, respectively-and implicitly predict that Cody would bring about the death of Reitman and his film art like Reggiano brought about the death of Gucci at the end of the daylit, allegorical and CGI enhanced indie docufeature artbuster HOUSE OF GUCCI [2021], released on November 9, 2021.  Fittingly, then the ghost of Reitman rather than the ghost of Stark haunted the life of the weird, wacky, thoughtful, and implicitly Wright linked MSST student Peter Parker aka “Spider-Man”-played again by Holland-when Dis and Marv teamed up again with Sony, Columbia, Pascal Pictures, Watts, Batalon, Church, Cumberbatch, Defoe, Favreau, Gyllenhaal, Maguire, Molina, Simmons, Tomei and Zendaya on the daylit, allegorical and CGI enhanced super satirical animaction film SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME [2021], released on December 13, 2021.

 

“Spider menace!”

 

For a tv news VO-played by Pat Kiernan-and then a righteous rant from J. Jonah Jameson-played again by Simmons-of DAILYBUGLE.NET both first heard at the end of SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME played over the logos of Sony and Columbia Pictures and then the flickering pages of Marvel Comics that came to life as images from Avengers films before coalescing into the fittingly red and white Marvel Studios logo, a tv news and righteously ranting J. Jonah VO that reminded us of where we had left off in Spidey’s misadventures and also evoked the tv news VO from an unseen Brokaw that played over the Sony, Columbia, Stage 6 Films, Bron and Right Of Way logos at the beginning of THE FRONT RUNNER and the appearance of Simmons as Hart campaign manager William “Bill” Dixon in that film, openly linking the film to the film art of Reitman and reminding us of the implicit link of Sen. Gary W. Hart to “scholar” Gary W. Wright in that film to reaffirm the implicit link of Parker to Wright.  This evocation of THE FRONT RUNNER continued when Spidey fled the big screen image of a snarling Jameson and the fake revelation from the implicitly Wright linked Quentin Beck aka “Mysterio”-played again by Gyllenhaal-that he was Spidey and the Madison Square Garden area of downtown New York with MJ-played again by Zendaya-and frantically webslinged, curiously to the tune of the allegorical and H. Ball, David Byrne and Brian Eno written Talking Heads tune “I Zimbra” [1979], back to the Queens apartment he shared with his implicitly Mrs. Wright linked Aunt May Parker-played again by Tomei-just in time to find her breaking up with the implicitly Saklad linked Harold “Happy” Hogan-played again by Favreau-for the tv news choppers that descended on their apartment building and hovered outside their apartment windows evoked the hordes of tv news reporters that descended on the Hart family compound in Denver when news got out of Hart’s adulterous relationship with Rice in THE FRONT RUNNER.

Curiously, at that point the film went off on its own wacky tangent full of merry multiverse mischief and mayhem that was helped along by a spell cast by the brilliant and implicitly King linked Dr. Stephen Strange-played again by Cumberbatch-that unfortunately went awry.  A wild and wacky tangent that intersected with Reitman again, however, for Molina returned as the vengeful and implicitly Lynch linked Dr. Otto Octavius aka “Dr. Octopus” from the Raimi Spider-Man Trilogy, openly linking the film to THE FRONT RUNNER again via his role as THE WASHINGTON POST editor Benjamin “Ben” Bradlee in that film.  Soon after the return of Doc Ock, the film also intersected with the Reitman family again, for the spell brought the haunted, troubled, split personality and implicitly Reitman sr. linked Norman Osborn aka “the Green Goblin”-played again by Defoe-back to trade more barbs and blows with Spidevil, until Maguire’s original and implicitly Cronenberg linked Spidey returned as well along with the other implicitly Cronenberg linked Spidey-played by Andrew Garfield-from the Marc Webb Spider-Man films to help Spidevil, MJ, Aunt May, Dr. Strange and the implicitly McDonald linked natty Ned Leeds-played again by Batalon-defeat the Gobster, Doc Ock, the implicitly Kelly linked Flint Marko aka “the Sandman”-played again by Church-and the implicitly Cameron linked Oscorp researcher Doctor Curtis “Curt” Connor aka “the Lizard”-played by Rhys Ifans-and the implicitly Tim Story linked Max Dillon aka “Electro”-played by Jamie Foxx-from the Webb Spidey films in the usual eucatastrophic, healing and harmonizing end.  At any rate, soon after the release of SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME, and fittingly, given that Reitman struggled to find his own iconoclastic groove in GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE, an implicitly Reitman linked hero struggled to get his super powers working in order to kick off a neo eon of CGI enhanced film art when Lana Wachowski ended the film year with the twilit, allegorical, brash, confident, montage luvin’ and CGI enhanced indie animaction film THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS [2021], released on December 16, 2021.

 

“You’re not who you used to be.”

 

        Ironically, the equally ghost haunted and wistful film did, unlike GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE, come across so much like a gently brash, confident, idiosyncratic, naturally lit and montage luvin’ Reitman film to affirm its implicit Reitman addressing intent, it seemed like it was a Reitman remake of THE MATRIX fused with MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN and TULLY, with a few wry nods to his implicit link to Superman in the DCEU, implicitly reaffirmed earlier that year in the Snyder Director’s Cut version of JUSTICE LEAGUE released on DVD on March 18, 2021.  Alas, like the resemblance of GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE to GHOSTBUSTERS, this resemblance to THE MATRIX was also the main problem with THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS, as the film repeated the events of THE MATRIX so much to reacquaint audiences with the series that it struggled to emerge as its own unique film. 

Which turned out to be how Neo was recreated by the bullet time defying, cat loving, controlling, conniving and implicitly Cameron linked Analyst-played by Neil P. Harris-who had also taken over the Matrix, created a new one, and inserted the neo-Neo in it as the black haired, bearded, and Reitman resembling and implicitly linked Thomas Anderson-played by Reeves and in reflection by Steven Roy, respectively-the imperfect but vitally human and likably unlikable award winning video game designer of the popular Matrix video game trilogy for video game company Deus Machina, and the lonely bachelor who pined from afar at his favourite coffee den outside work for an attractive and Marlo evoking but implicitly SCC linked married mother of two named Tiffany aka Tiff-her implicit link to SCC affirmed by a store called Zoetrope that she walked by in a classic Reitman montage sequence at the beginning of the film, and played by Carrie-Anne Moss and in reflection by Sarah McTeigue, respectively.  A significant dimunitive, for Tiff reminded us of TIFF, an evocation of TIFF affirmed by the big black SUVs seen in the film, for they evoked the big black SUVs that carried film artists around Toronto during TIFF.  Making it fitting that the unfiltered, naturally lit and vibrantly coloured city that the cyber action took place in during the scenes set in the computer dream world of the Matrix resembled Toronto more than it did San Fran or Sydney as in the original Matrix Trilogy, reaffirming that the film was implicitly addressing a Canadian film artist linked to TIFF and Toronto like Reitman. 

Thus, the sight and sound of Neo and Trinity, who also turned out to have been recreated by the Analyst and deluded into thinking that she was Tiff, being unplugged from the Matrix with the help of their friends, which included a rogue Agent neo-Morpheus-played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II-the implicitly Anne-Marie MacDonald linked Bugs Bunny-played by Jessica Henwick-and the intense, indomitable and possibly Gardevil linked Shepherd-played by Max Riemelt-from the neo free human city of Io and breaking free from the Analyst and the implicitly Kelly linked Deus Machina CEO and neo-Smith-played by Jonathan Groff-and skyrocking confidently through the skies with carefree and exultant abandon at the end of the film to the swelling sound of the Brass Against cover of the allegorical and Tim Commerford, Zack De La Rocha, Tom Morello and Brad Wilk written Rage Against The Machine tune “Wake Up” [1992] first heard as the first unplugged and implicitly Lucas linked Neo-also played by Reeves-skyrocked confidently through the cyber skies with equally carefree and exultant abandon at the end of THE MATRIX implied the hope of Wachowski that SCC and Reitman would continue to lead the way in battling and defeating brainless and CGI enhanced blockbuster beasts in a world of hypocrisy with their imperfect but vitally human, likably unlikable, and more artistic, thoughtful, thought provoking and vitally human indie docufeature film art, an implicit interest in SCC, Kelly and Reitman affirmed by the film’s allusions to DONNIE DARKO, JUNO, LOST IN TRANSLATION, MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN, SOUTHLAND TALES, TULLY, and UP IN THE AIR.

        A courageous and inspiring path that Reitman would hopefully follow, given the implicit opposition to the destruction of the imperfect but vital humanity of oh so complicated film art by ahuman and brainless blockbuster CGI enhanced beasts.  However, and alas, despite Reitman’s implicit support of the imperfect but vital humanity of real men, women and children and their film art, his tacit acceptance and support of the infamous and infuriating TIFF OHEF list and its dismissal of Canadian film art and film artists and his implicit sarcastic response in MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN, THE FRONT RUNNER and YOUNG ADULT to my outrage over the “essential” list and my “revelatory” Zone War website had unfortunately also implied that while the brash, confident, creative, innovative, shrewd, knowing, experienced, intelligent, intuitive, original, able and talented young film artist was always the right man to righteously roast the man of Wright-!that pesky, pernicious, pertinacious, and perspicacious PQB 4EVR!-Reitman had not entirely triumphed over his perfect and inhuman Dark Replicant Side and like an imperfect but fully and truly human Slade Runner.  A dangerous Dark Side that could capture Reitman in its insidious clutches and compel him to create soulless and brainless CGI enhanced blockbuster beasts unless he triumphed over and tamed the blockbuster beast and made it do his bidding without dying in the process like Stark at the end of AVENGERS: ENDGAME. 

Thus, allowing him to make some progress in getting on with the fascination, the realization, the underlying theme, and truly becoming a complicated, endearingly imperfect, likably unlikable, and fully and vitally human film artist who was not Iron Man or Superman and definitely not Goblin Junior or the son of Ivan but the talented and popular real life Canadian film artist hero that audiences, Maurio and Theron were so fond of, who inspired millions of fellow Constitutionally enhanced and protected Canadians with his excellent and confident film art and who could indeed be the best of both the American and Canadian film art worlds and the slightly CGI enhanced indie docufeature and mega CGI enhanced blockbuster beast worlds, a film artist who was best referred to as…Reitman.

 

Bibliography

 

De La Pena, Matt.  Superman: dawnbreaker.  New York:

        Ember, 2020.

Fingeroth, Danny.  A Marvelous Life: the amazing story of

        Stan Lee.  New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2019.

Moore, Alan and Dave Gibbons.  Watchmen.  New York:

        DC Comics, 2005.

O’Malley, Brian Lee.  SCOTT PILGRIM: & the infinite sadness

        -vol. 3.  Portland, OR: Oni Press, Inc., 2006.

-----.  SCOTT PILGRIM: gets it together-vol. 4.  Portland, OR:

        Oni Press, Inc., 2007.

-----.  SCOTT PILGRIM’S FINEST HOUR-vol. 6.  Portland, OR:

        Oni Press, Inc., 2010.

-----.  SCOTT PILGRIM’S PRECIOUS LITTLE LIFE-vol. 1.

        Portland, OR: Oni Press, Inc., 2004.

-----.  SCOTT PILGRIM: vs. the universe-vol. 5. Portland, OR:

        Oni Press, Inc., 2009.

-----.  SCOTT PILGRIM: vs. the world-vol. 2.  Portland, OR:

        Oni Press, Inc., 2005.