“Tron”

Dan Shor, Jeff Bridges, and Bruce Boxleitner on the grid in ‘Tron’ (Disney, 1982)

I am a huge fan of Disney’s innovative live-action sci-fi pic Tron (1982). Released when I was a kid and at the height of the video arcade craze, the film tells the story of computer programmer Kevin Flynn (played by Jeff Bridges) and his journey into the digital world, aka “the grid,” to fight off the evil Master Control Program who has usurped control of all computer games and programs. On the grid, video games are more like gladiator fights to the death. And no one kicks butt on the grid like the computer program Tron (played by Bruce Boxleitner), who fights “for the users.” I distinctly remember seeing Tron in the movie theater in 1982 and knowing that I was watching something truly unique (I re-watched the film on Disney’s fantastic Blu-ray transfer released in 2011). It was one of the first films to extensively use computer generated graphics. The scenes on the grid were filmed using black and white film on blacked out sets with the actors wearing white costumes. The scenes were then hand painted in post production, giving them their unique color and glow. The process was so labor and cost intensive, it hasn’t been used since. With the influence of visual consultants Syd Mead, Jean “Moebius” Giraud, and Peter Lloyd, and special visual effects by Disney wizards Harrison Ellenshaw and Richard Taylor, the film has a visual aesthetic which I absolutely love. And while it may not have the most interesting plot in the world, the film is a guilty pleasure for me in all regards. Also stars Cindy Morgan, Barnard Hughes, and David Warner. Written and directed by Steven Lisberger. “On the other side of the screen, it all looks so easy.”

“The Fabulous Baker Boys”

Beau Bridges, Michelle Pfeiffer and Jeff Bridges in “The Fabulous Baker Boys” (20th Century Fox, 1989)

This week’s selection is the 1989 drama from 20th Century Fox, “The Fabulous Baker Boys.” Brothers Frank and Jack Baker (played by real-life brothers Beau and Jeff Bridges respectively) have a nightclub piano act that they have been performing in hotels and lounges around Seattle for years. It pays the bills but little else. Big brother Frank decides its time to bring in a singer; that’s where Susie Diamond (played by Michelle Pfeiffer) enters the picture. All three characters are broken by life and the movie shows the interesting ways how they deal with it. And all performances are stellar; however, Michelle Pfeiffer steals the show with her rendition of the jazz/blues standard “Makin’ Whoopee” (the film’s worth watching just for that). The characters’ heartbreak plays beautifully and mournfully through the brilliant soundtrack by jazz great Dave Gruisin (who is also the actual piano player for Jeff Bridges’ character). Definitely made for grown-ups. Written and directed by Steve Kloves. “Frank, if somebody requested ‘Chopsticks,’ you’d ask for the sheet music.”