For part one of this article click here Amblin into the summer movie past.
Young Sherlock Holmes (1985) Directed by Barry Levinson
If only this movie had been marketed with the same fevered pitch and championed by critics the way The Goonies was. Maybe this should have been a summer movie. Amblin never did have much success with December releases.
Young Sherlock Holmes has a witty and character driven screenplay by Chris Columbus (I still cannot believe he is one of the perpetrators behind The Goonies).
The direction by Barry Levinson is sharp and understated. An entertaining, exciting, well-acted, involving film, Young Sherlock Holmes was ignored when it opened in December 1985 by everyone except those in the SFX industry who took notice of the ground breaking visual effects, including the first on screen CGI character.
The sensational musical score by Bruce Broughton is in a class with the best of John Williams.
One does not have to look hard to see the obvious influence this forgotten film had on the Harry Potter books. And it is easy to see why Chris Columbus was the perfect choice to helm the first two Harry Potter films. In many ways, this was the Harry Potter of its day, except no one actually went to see it.
Harry and the Hendersons (1987) directed by William Dear
The E.T formula of the magical visitor entering the dull world of suburbia and helping teach us something about ourselves is re-used here. But this time it is a Bigfoot instead of an alien.
Played more for laughs this time around, Harry and the Hendersons is a charming, sentimental film, the kind of live action family oriented fare that is not made anymore. Wonderful closing credits sequence (see video below) featuring a terrific song by composer Bruce Broughton Love Lives On sung by Joe Cocker. Beautiful on location shooting just outside Seattle.
Innerspace (1987) directed by Joe Dante
Joe Dante returns to the Amblin fold for this entertaining comedy adventure.
Featuring an engaging performances by a young Dennis Quaid, a pre-star Meg Ryan, and Martin Short at his comedic peak. The movie has nifty (and Oscar winning) special effects, and a terrific score by Jerry Goldsmith.
A nice blend of comedy, action, and romance, the film should have been a summer smash. But after it tested through the roof, Warner backed off on the advertising campaign, and like Amblin’s other summer 1987 film Harry and the Hendersons, Innerspace tanked at the box office.
Batteries Not Included (1987) directed by Matthew Robbins
Jessica Tandy and Hume Cronyn star in this sentimental re-telling of E.T, but this time the setting is an urban environment. The miniature UFO’s are a special effects treat, and like Harry and the Henderson’and Young Sherlock, this a terrific family film.
The big band influenced score by James Horner has become one of the most sought after out of print CDs in the collector’s market
Maybe it was the December release date. Maybe it was the oversaturation of Amblin product including the mega-hyped ground breaking anthology NBC series Amazing Stories. Or maybe Amblin had gone to the well once too often with the E.T formula and drove it into the ground.
Whatever the reason, by the end of 1987 audiences had grown weary of the Spielberg touch, and Batteries Not Included turned out to be the swan song of the golden age of Amblin Entertainment.
Click here for part one of the golden age of Amblin Entertainment.
Comments
I was a huge fan of both Harry and the Hendersons and Innerspace when I was younger. This takes me back!
I was a huge fan of Young Sherlock Holmes, and will go find it somewhere online every few years to re-watch.
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