G.I. Joe : “Arise, Serpentor, Arise!”, -1986
Welcome back to another brand new episode of Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers! Dion Baia and J. Blake are taking a trip down memory lane, covering an epic story from a monumental television series from our collective youth. The boys are revisiting the animated classic G.I. Joe, and the 5-parter storyline that premiered Season 2 and reset the series, called “Arise, Serpentor, Arise! “, from 1986.
Blake and Dion analyze the origins and history of G.I. Joe as a toyline from Hasbro, and how with its reinvention in 1982 (with the help of Marvel Comics), became one of the biggest and most popular toy lines in history. In typical SNMS fashion, they discuss the Serpentor storyline and utilize as a cross reference, the differences in the comic book‘s story arc, to unpack how ahead of its time this and other core stories were in G.I. Joe, and how the Season 2 reset launched an entire new line of toys for us to buy. So come on and have a listen as the boys revisit a classic, on an all new edition of Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers!
*The 1945 Robert Mitchum/Burgess Meredith film is titled The Story of G.I. Joe, not just G.I. Joe.
*Dion misspoke and said Lifeline when he meant Lift-Ticket, who piloted the Tomahawk helicopter.
Extras!
As discussed in the podcast, Blake & Dion attended Hascon in September of 2017. Here are some photos they took of the G.I. Joe display (We apologize for the reflections in some of the pictures- we just couldn’t eliminate those pesky things; and for the framing of other pics- we were moving as quickly as we could to see all the displays! ):
- Check out some original 12inch Joes from the 1960s-70s Here, here, here and here;
- Some amazing original character sketches and designs from Series One, Here here, here, here, here, here, here, and here;
- Here is some beautiful original paintings and artwork done for G.I. Joe in the 1980s by legendary artist Hector Garrido here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here!
- The original designs and prototypes from characters that appear in 1987‘s G.I. Joe: The Movie : here, here, here, and here!
- Post 1987 movie designs and prototypes for characters, here (note the size of prototypes), here, here, here, here, and here!
For more extras, click more!
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The boys get right into it by setting up the backstory of the film, and how it was originally pitched as a Disney television movie, then languished in developmental hell for ten years until it was brought in front of Bette Midler. They debate the theory of how some seasonal-themed films become cult classics, holiday staples because of repeated viewings on television and cable. They analyze the elements within the film that showcase another example of Disney tip-toeing into somewhat dark, erotic material- cleverly disguised inside a light-hearted fairytale. Dion and Blake unpack the historical context of this story, briefly summarizing about how Wiccan and Pagan religious ideologies were deemed to be akin to being in league with the devil, and the horrible witch-hunts that swept through Salem, Massachusetts, at the end of the 15th Century. They also compare the tone of Hocus Pocus to other properties at the time, like Eerie, Indiana and Are You Afraid of the Dark?. So, what is the fan speculation behind this story: going to the How and the Why of the Sanderson Sisters becoming witches? Was Leonardo DiCarprio once considered to star in this movie? Playing their own What if Game, could this film have been envisioned as a Tim Burton/Danny Elfman vehicle at the time? And are the fans finally going to see a sequel to this film, and why would Disney actually not be interested in making a sequel/reboot to this beloved property? Well, you better make sure no virgins are trespassing and lighting any candles, hide your children, and actually listen to that black cat trying to talk to you… because the boys are back with the Halloween-specific episode of SNMS‘ October Halloween Horror Movie Extravaganza!
The lads start off by reminiscing about their first childhood sleepovers in which they had friends attending; watching certain movies at a young age that they only learn the names of much years later in life; and the old idea from when we were all kids, that if you dig a hole deep enough, you’d make it to China– (remember that old myth?!) Blake and Dion then get down to business, discussing this horror classic. They chat about how the script got off the ground, shooting up in Canada, and how very early on it was decided to make this a horror movie specifically geared toward kids. They get into the occultism phenomenon that swept the country and world in the 1970s and 80s, giving us subgenres of horror films (like this one), music, and even things aimed at children, like Ouija Board‘s that are still mass-produced by companies like Hasbro. The fellas also talk about the excellent Special Effects in the film, particularly the amazing use of Forced Perspective, which really helped sell the Minions’ interaction with the human cast. So, what film did SFX man Randall William Cook screen for the filmmakers to sell them on this ideas for the SFX in The Gate ? How do those Effects hold up today? In what direction does the sequel go? And what’s the story with the film’s costar, Louis Tripp, and his journey from moving to Austrialia and changing his name from “Twelve Twenty“, to now Baph Tripp and releasing music under the name x.a.o.s? Well, make sure you don’t accidently read any dubious LP cover art or crudely dispose of any recently deceased family pets in any bottomless pits in the backyard, cause the guys are back with an all new, Halloween edition of Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers!
Dion and Blake jump right in as they remember their first memories of The Karate Kid and how they were originally introduced to the film. Sharing a similar story and a lot of the same themes as another sports classic of director John G. Avildsen‘s, the 1976 movie Rocky, the fellas explore the similitude between both movies. They discuss how amazing the entire cast of this film really was, as well as touch of their own recent interview with actor Martin Kove, who portrays the Cobra Kai dojo sensei John Kreese. They again utilize the novelization to explain some of the story elements that didn’t make the final cut (like Daniel‘s mom was actually sacked and was in fact working as a hostess at that Chinese restaurant they were having lunch at- whaaat?!). Blake and Dion also try and set the table of the era this film was released within, a time when a term like ‘karate‘ became almost as Americanized as ‘pizza‘ was within the cultural lexicon of the 1980s. They also analyze this story and examine why this movie is considered a classic in the annals of sports, beach/summer, and coming-of-age films. And they dissect the disgusting phenomenon of bullying in this film, and the ugly part it sadly plays in so many people’s life’s, both young and old. So how was everyone trained in preparation for this project, and how did that help contribute to each actor’s individual or group performance(s)? Was Chuck Norris really offered the role of Cobra Kai Sensei Kreese? And speaking of Kreese, how great is actor Martin Kove in his role, compared to the relatively short amount of screen time he ultimately has? Well you better do some arm and leg stretches, clean and bleach those Gi’s, and watch out for those notorious Cobra Kai leg-swipes, because here comes another all new exciting edition of Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers!
