Well folks, here's the latest chapter and last chapter to Robogeeks epic sonnet to roaming around the superhuman beings behind the scenes on the MYSTERY MEN. Tidbits on some of the producers' upcoming projects are dropped and boy oh boy am I looking forward to what they have in store. My question is this... How do I go about getting that groovy statue? It screams out to be in the backyard (of course you are all thinking the same thing, It belongs in Harry's backyard... right?) On to the tinty narration of Robogeek...
ROBOGEEK MEETS THE MYSTERY MEN -- PART THREE
Another Robogeek Adventure
First look ever inside the cockpit of the mighty Herkimer!
You know how I said I was in geek heaven? Well, if I'd had any doubts they were vanquished upon seeing the Robomobile of my dreams -- the Herkimer. How can I describe the Herkimer? I mean, it's... THE HERKIMER!!! That word may not mean anything to you now, but once you see it in all its glory, you're going to want to buy that toy to go along with your Mystery Men action figures. Unfortunately, I couldn't get a decent exterior shot of it because the lighting was just too low, so it'll just have to remain shrouded in mystery for the time being. But, in the meantime, just imagine yourself in that cockpit, a superhero at your side. Just look at all them toggles and switches and buttons and levers and wires and thing-a-ma-jigs. It's just... really, really cool.
I got my chance to pop in the cockpit as I was lead into another soundstage for lunch, mid-afternoon. I passed a massive green screen set-up, adjacent to a smaller one. I couldn't help but wonder what special effects shots they were going to be used for...
As I was inspecting the Herkimer's cockpit, dizzy from coolness exposure, I thought I saw something out of the corner of my eye -- a fleeting glimpse of a figure clad in radiant armor and carrying a shining... Nah, it couldn't have been. But whatever I caught a glimpse of gave me chills, as if I'd almost come face-to-face with Divine Coolness. Then again, I might've just been hallucinating. But I think this movie holds coolness beyond even what I was allowed to see this day.
Anyway, I was brought to the makeshift dining hall on set, and gazed in wonder at the craft services set-up for lunch. And I thought breakfast had been impressive! Holy moley, there was one row of long tables set up just for _sushi_, for Pete's sake, and another row for Italian, and all sorts of stuff. And damn, it was all really, really good. So I loaded up a plate, sampling the various offerings, and sat down at a table with the producers. This was my first real chance to talk to the main man himself, Larry Gordon.
I told him how impressed I was by how well -- and how smoothly -- everything seemed to be going that day, and that I was getting the distinct vibe that everything was really clicking. "And it seems like everyone is having an absolute blast making this movie," I said.
He nodded in agreement. And after a moment of contemplation, he leaned forward and said, "You know, I've never said this about any film, but this is the most enjoyable moviemaking experience I've ever had. This one has been the most fun of all of them. And when you get to where I am in your career, that really matters," he paused for a moment and smiled. "In fact, that's another reason we want to make 'Hellboy' next with Guillermo."
He went on to say that it all really comes down to the people you work with, and the material you've got to work from. We then talked about the fact that a big reason the production is going so smoothly is that they really sweated the pre-production process. Levin said that they spent a long time really trying to nail down the feel of the film just right, putting a lot of work into the production design and costume design in order to instill the film with the texture of a real comic book world that was grounded enough so that audiences would accept it.
Later I got to meet production designer Kirk Petruccelli (who recently did another comic book film adaptation, "Blade") and costume designer Marilyn Vance (who's worked on a slew of Gordon/Levin productions). They both told me how fun it was to work on "Mystery Men," but also how much of a challenge it was.
For instance, Vance told me how they went through countless costume designs, trying to come up with stuff that was both cool, yet pragmatic. That is, costumes that these characters could actually make/assemble, and would really wear. At the same time, they need to have that coolness factor that will make you want to rush out of the theater afterwards and buy the action figures. I complimented her on the inspired touch of giving Blue Raja red Converse All-Stars (see photos in Chapter Two), which I think is the coup de grace of his ensemble. She seemed a bit taken aback by the statement, not quite sure if I was serious or kidding. I also particularly like the Shoveler's design, and absolutely love the clothes Geoffrey Rush gets to wear as Casanova Frankenstein, who I caught a glimpse of a little later.
Petruccelli and I talked about the sets I was touring, many of which have a strong (and deliberate) Gaudi influence -- intricate and eclectic Art Nouveau, taken to the bizarre. We also talked about how a lot of the look of the film is an amalgam of different time periods, especially when it comes to technology. There's lots of wonderful retro-tech designed into the film, which ol' Robo is a sucker for, dontcha know.
All this design talk really got me itching to explore more of the sets, and my hosts graciously obliged me with what was available -- namely, Casanova Frankenstein's mansion, spread out over two soundstages. I'm telling you, once Harry sees this movie (and gets rich off the site), he's going to want to give Petruccelli a call and have him recreate these sets as a real mansion for AICN World headquarters.
My first peek inside Casanova Frankenstein's lair!
The first part of the mansion I saw was actually C.F.'s private chambers. The above photo is the view as you enter the high-ceilinged, wide-open room. Above, just peeking into frame, is a really cool elongated chandelier. On the left, out of frame, is a beautifully elaborate fireplace. On the right, out of frame, is the open bedroom / dressing area, which is raised up a few steps. Lots of dark wood panelling, shag carpeting, deep, rich colors, and big swirly columns. Once you step up into the bedroom, you are confronted by a raised circular bed framed in purple curtains. Suspended above the bed is a chandelier. Cool, cool, cool.
I got to wander around the rest of the mansion, which was assembled on another soundstage. However, it wasn't lit, so I couldn't get any good pictures. But I can describe it to you. First, there's the front lawn, littered with bizarre statuary (see photo at bottom). Then, as you enter the front hall, you see another similar statue in the center circular foyer. Spiraling up around you along the wall is a big, broad staircase -- whose railing is made of giant vertebrae! On your right, you can enter the (fairly massive) library / study, which is just gorgeous. But straight ahead, through a beaded curtain, is what I considered the centerpiece set. I call it the Lounge of Doom.
As you enter the circular chamber, you see the center of the floor opens up (revealing, I surmise, the Fraculator Chamber / dungeon below, perhaps). Directly above is a huge disco ball -- actually a bowl, flush to the ceiling. Centered at the base of the disco semi-ball is a big iron spike thing, that adds a great gothic touch to this 70s icon.
In front of you is another exit, centered across from the one you entered. Similarly, there's an exit centered on the right and left. In the near left corner of the room, there's a giant clock built into the wall. In the other three corners are raised alcoves. First, on the near right, is an elaborate bar, on which sit giant-sized martini glasses, among other things. Next, far right, there's an equally elaborate DJ's station. And then, far left, is the lounge booth, flanked by giant hookahs. This room, I decide, is Harry's heaven. (You'll see, and you'll understand.)
It was getting well into the afternoon, and time was running short. I was more than content with the day I'd had, but was pulled into a trailer by someone I won't identify, and shown the opening sequence of the film, in rough cut stage.
The short of it is, it looked really, really good. The long of it is, well...
SPOILER ALERT!!!
I don't want to give too many details away, but... The film opens in some sort of tripped out senior citizen dance thing happening in a big ballroom. Very surreal setting, kind of Sonnenfeld/Burton/Coen/Lynch. Tom Waits (who I didn't see on set that day) is hitting on an old woman. Then, an Evil Gang bursts in (wearing really cool illuminated goggles) to rob all these sweet old people of their money, jewels, etc. But the Mystery Men arrive! Mr. Furious, The Shoveler and The Blue Raja make _perfect_, way-cool entrances. I was getting giddy. The action starts. It's fun, well-executed, dynamic. But the Mystery Men are, well, having a little trouble. It looks like all might be lost when...
Okay, I really shouldn't give any more away. But it's great -- and the movie is set up in a very efficient, inspired manner. If the footage I saw is indicative of the rest of the film (which I expect, since what I saw jived with my observations on set), then I'm ready to by my ticket now.
I've been waiting to tell you about Mr. Furious. I'd been getting a kick out of watching Ben Stiller play him on set, but seeing him in the opening of the film really crystallized his portrayal of the character for me. See, Mr. Furious is a badass -- just not as much of a badass as he wants to be. And he knows it, and it pisses him off. He works really, really hard at being super-cool, but his reach _just_ exceeds his grasp, and it aggravates the hell out him. Plus, he's the only one of the Mystery Men to really see them as the public does. He knows people are making fun of them right and left, while The Shoveler and The Blue Raja remain in blissful ignorance. This creates a really great dynamic of tension, which is played out perfectly in the opening sequence of the film.
At the end of the sequence I saw, the trio is exiting the scene, taunted by some cops. It's implied that this is a frequent occurance. Anyway, Mr. Furious is, well, furious, and The Shoveler and Blue Raja have to hold him back. However, Furious is yelling at the cops, calling them "checker-head" (you'll get it when you see their hats), and spouting all sorts of stuff. But he's exasperated because he can't quite cinch his rant. You can see his frustration build and build, as he's tongue-tied and at a loss for a badass line. Finally, after much stammering, he blurts out, "SWEET DREAMS, LILAC!!!"
After a moment of "huh?" I just absolutely died. It's hysterical. Later, as I was getting ready to leave, I passed Ben Stiller in his trailer, and yelled it out to him. "The catch-phrase of the summer, man, I'm tellin' ya!" He laughed, surprised to hear it'd made it into the rough cut. Apparently he tried all sorts of stuff, and that just kinda burst out.
As I said before, the strength of this movie is the ensemble cast, playing this rich array of characters. Happily, it seems that Universal's marketing department realizes that; I snuck a peek at some of the marketing materials for the film, and not only do they look really cool, I think they'll effectively get these characters in people's minds. This was very nice to see, just before I got back in the van to go to the airport.
"So how was your day?" Mike asked.
I didn't have to answer. He could tell from the look on my face. I was beaming with geek-glee.
I can't possibly thank everyone enough for their gracious hospitality, and the incredible access they so generously afforded me and AICN for this story. First and foremost, my heartfelt appreciation to producers Lloyd Levin and Larry Gordon (and their super-cool assistants, Michael and Lucas). I also want to thank Kinka Usher and Mike Richardson, as well as everyone else in the cast and crew who I had the pleasure of meeting -- or even just watching work. Special thanks to the wonderful Mike Shepard, and to Justine Hebron for making my travel arrangements.
Thanks to them, I didn't just have a good day, I had a _great_ day. And it was a privilege to be able to share it with our readers here on AICN.
Heh-heh-heh...
P.S.: So what's next for the producers of "Mystery Men"? Well, I asked! First up, for a Summer 2000 release, should be the film adaptation of Mike Mignola's "Hellboy," written and directed by Guillermo del Toro. They're preparing a budget breakdown of the script (which is loved boundlessly by everyone who's read it), and then hope for a greenlight from Universal soon. Then, in all likelihood they'll do the "Tomb Raider" feature, although they are still developing the script, and haven't attached a director yet. (It will be live-action, and they are exploring some interesting casting ideas.)
