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STAR GATE - THE MOVIE 1994
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The unexpected box office takings of this sleeper sci-fi hit no doubt gave other sci-fi projects the green light and so 1995 saw more than the usual number of SF flicks. For that alone it must be thanked by special effects aficionados. Post-Stargate sci-fi movies seem to offer little else - witness the team behind this film, Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin's next effort: Independence Day .
The plot? A mixture between Erich von Daniken, Dune and Aliens as a marine platoon enters a mysterious dimensional portal activated thanks to the ingenuity of an Egyptologist (James Spader) to find a desert planet ruled by an advanced and vicious alien who uses humans as his slaves. The concept is inconsistent, where a high-tech production process would first require unskilled human labour. But then, perhaps the humans provide more than just labour.
Action follows á la Dune gigantic battle scenes in the desert. The effects are well-done and both Spader and Kurt Russell (as the tough-as-nails platoon leader) give likeable performances.
James Spader & Kurt Russell
However, this remains a matinee movie for the kids and little else. Actually this rather derivative film made me long for other movies: the opening shot with the "stargate" being discovered in Egypt made me want to see Raiders of the Lost Ark again: the film from which the scene was no doubt inspired. No sequels were made, but it did spawn a TV series that proved to be quite popular with SF aficionados.
STARRING:
Kurt
Russell, James Spader, Viveca Lindfors, Jaye Davidson, Alexis
Cruz, Mili Aveital, Leon Rippy, John Diehl, Carlos Lauchu,
Djimon, Erick Avari, French Stewart, Gianin Loffler, Cecil
Hoffman, Raw Allen, Richard Kind
Directed
by: Roland
Emmerich
Genre:
Fantasy
/ Action
/ Adventure
/ Sci-Fi
Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin were sued for stealing the storyline from someone who submitted the story to them about ten years before the movie was made (they "rejected" the story at the time). The person that sued the men (a student of Egyptology) even had a well- respected Egyptologist from Johns Hopkins University vouch for him, since he put his own theories into the story. The only differences between the story and the movie are slight name variations. The issue was finally settled out of court.
Description :
The story combines traditional popular science fiction themes with a heavy dose of Egyptological mumbo-jumbo. Occasional, mostly-halfhearted attempts at character development are ignored whenever they don't impact directly on the plot. As has frequently become the case with movies of this genre, the visual effects and breathtaking cinematography far outstrip everything else offered by Stargate.
James Spader plays nerdish Egyptologist Daniel Jackson, whose linguistic expertise is called upon for decoding inscriptions on tiles discovered in an Egyptian archeological site. These turn out to be the key that turns the lock in something called the "stargate", an intergalactic portal (that looks like a giant donut) to some Earth-like world on the "far side of the known universe."
Kurt Russell is Colonel Jack O'Neil, the borderline-suicidal military commander of a mission to the other side of the stargate. Accompanied by his crack troops and Jackson, O'Neil enters the gate and emerges in what looks suspiciously like Egypt. It's not, however, as the three moons in the sky soon prove. This is the land of the Egyptian Sun God Ra (Jaye Davidson) and his people.
Ra, it seems, created human society on Earth and on this world as well as the stargates, and was displeased when the ancient Egyptians closed their side of the space/time corridor, confining him to one planet. Now that the way is again open, Ra has decided to prepare a little surprise for those waiting at the far end.
What begins as an enjoyable romp degenerates into a tired retread of the age-old good-versus evil battle pitting a group of overachieving mortals against a ruthless god-like being. It's Luke against the Emperor from Return of the Jedi without the malevolent, charismatic presence of Darth Vader. Ultimately, the final battle, aside from being inexplicably rushed, is dull and lacking in genuine suspense.
The first half of the film, which includes the setup, Jackson's intense struggle to break the stargate's code, the expedition to Ra's world, and humankind's first contact with an alien culture, is handled reasonably well. Things only start to fall apart with Ra's appearance. Then it's all shoot-outs and fight scenes, with action taking precedence over intelligence. The cast members do their best with sketchy roles. Kurt Russell makes an effective no-nonsense military man who doesn't overplay his grief at a recent personal tragedy. Not for the first time, James Spader is believable as a dweeb forced into a heroic act or two. And Jaye Davidson, despite never speaking a word of English, has a commanding presence as the androgynous Ra.
Jaye Davidson
Stargate the movie :- superb atmosphreric music, great special effects, excellent cast, intriguing story but - not surprised it launched a successful TV series which has run and run. I cant believe there are so called sci fi fans out there who didn't like it - must be intellectuals!!! I still enjoy the film now 10 years later although disappointed they never made a sequel as it was set up for one. Never really liked the ending - should have included the return to earth. The TV series has moved the story along nicely - even changes to the cast have worked well and I particularly enjoy the dry humour of the TV series.
March
18, 2004 - Stax here with a special tribute
to Kurt
Russell. The former Disney child
star-turned-tough guy actor turned 53 yesterday.
Kurt has been one of my favorite stars since I first
saw him play Elvis Presley and Snake Plissken (I've
only seen a few of his Disney vehicles and that was
ages ago). Here
then are some of my favorites starring Kurt Russell.
(For the films of Kurt and director John Carpenter):
Tombstone, 1993, dir. George Pan Cosmastos.
This fun but flawed hit recreates the feud between
the Earp brothers and the Clanton-McLaury cowboy
faction that led to the October 26, 1881 gunfight at
the
O.K. Corral. Kevin Jarre (Glory) scripted
this film and was its original director before he
was replaced by Cosmastos (Rambo: First Blood
Part II). As with almost every other O.K. Corral
flick, Doc Holliday steals the show. Val Kilmer
delivered an Oscar-caliber performance as the
sweaty, consumptive Southern
dentist-turned-gunslinger. Kilmer's effete manners
and rich drawl made Doc an audience favorite.
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Kurt Russell
Kurt Vogel Russell was born March 17, 1951 in Springfield, MA to Bing Russell, a baseball player who would later play the deputy on Bonanza for 14 seasons. Kurt's first role was in a movie starring musician/actor Elvis Presley called It Happened at the World's Fair. Russell was the untamable scamp who kicked The King in the shins. Kurt was only 10 years old, but he signed to Disney and made numerous Disney films, including The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes. Kurt also starred in the TV series The Travels of Jamie McPheeters.
Kurt Russell
Kurt would tire of acting and followed his love, America's Pastime. Kurt played for the San Diego Padres and later for the California Angels. While playing for the AA Angels in El Paso, TX, Kurt Russel tore his rotator cuff while turning a double play. The injury caused Kurt to retire from baseball and pursue his initial career as an actor. Kurt's first performance back was to play as The King in a TV movie for ABC, directed by John Carpenter. Kurt would portray Elvis, or atleast his voice, in the Tom Hanks classic Forrest Gump.
Kurt would proceed to keep close ties with John Carpenter and the two would work together on several projects together including Escape from New York, The Thing (no not Ben Grimm]), and the comedy "Used Cars," written by Bob Gale and Robert Zemekis. In 1984, Kurt met his hetero lifemate Goldy Hawn on the set of Swing Shift which did not perform well in the box office, however their partnership flourished. Not quite married, but not single by any means, Goldie and Kurt have a son named Wyatt and remain together living alongside fellow family members.
Would then go on to make one of the best movies of all time, Big Trouble in Little China. Containing everything from Chewbacca's retarded younger brother to 3 magical bad ass ninja's, one of whom cam make himself blow up like Rosie O'Donnell at an all you can eat buffett. Kurt plays your sterotypical American tough guy and chases after a girl with green eyes before the scary long haired old guy could force her to watch pokeman episodes!. Maybe not exactly right, but still a good cult movie anyway.
In the early 90's Kurt starred in a series of movie that would dominate in the box office. In Backdraft he played fire-fighter Lieutenant Stephen 'Bull' McCaffrey and spent time riding along with Chicago Fire Dept's Squad 5 in preparation of the role.
Following this suspenseful thriller was a classic retelling fo a western classic. Although I think Kurt looks a bit silly in that mustache, the movie was excellent, par for director Ron Howard, not to mention the uber excellence of one Doc Holliday. And after the west, came the really far west, the egyptian sci-fi action flick Stargate. A meld of Indiana Jones, science fiction, and a proto-matrix. In Stargate, acheologists find a large ancient gateway/archway type object, then the US Government figures out how to use it and sends Colonel Jonathan 'Jack' O'Neil, as well as Dr. Daniel Jackson to a futuristic Egyptian culture chilling on a nearby planet. Hilarity ensues, alongside a love story and crazy scifi-Egyptian stuff and gunfights.
In between Backdraft and Tombstone Kurt would make the randomness that is Captain Ron. A family, headed by Martin Short get a yacht, which Captain Ron captains. Here, hilarity actually ensues.
Kurt co-produced and co-wrote Escape from L.A. the hipped up quasi-remake of Escape from New York, featuring the return of Snake Plissken the 98 degrees of action stars. In his next movie, Kurt would play a husband who's wife is kidnapped by some nogoodnicks, and sets out to find her. No hilarity, but no tears either. In 1998 Kurt "starred" in Soldier. I put it in quotes because Kurt's dialogue was rather limited. Not only was the dialogue small but so was the earnings at the box office. ouch.
His most recent movie was the Tom Cruise driven Vanilla Sky. The movie, an adaptian of the 1997 Spanish film Abre los Ojos, also starred Cameron Diaz. *scwhing*.
Height: 5’ 11” Spouse: Season Hubley (1979 - 1984) Partner: Goldie Hawn (1983 - Present) Film Debut: “It Happened At The World’s Fair” (1963 Uncredited) 1979
Emmy Award Nomination:
Outstanding Lead Actor for “Elvis”.
WASHINGTON,
DC -- Another famous movie star has acknowledged his
libertarian political beliefs. Kurt Russell, star of such
motion picture blockbusters as Escape from New York, Stargate,
and Executive Decision, used the Cato Institute's gala 20th
anniversary celebration in Washington, DC, last week as an
opportunity to go public with his support for libertarianism.
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Summary:
Hit movie about the discovery of an ancient portal capable
of zipping travellers to "the other side of the known
universe." James Spader plays the Egyptologist who
successfully translates the Stargate's hieroglyphic code, and
then joins a hawkish military unit (led by Kurt Russell) on a
reconnaissance mission to see what's on the other side. They
arrive on a desert world with cultural (and apparently
supernatural) ties to Earth's ancient Egypt, where the sun god
Ra (played by Jaye Davidson from The Crying Game) rules a
population of slaves with armoured minions and startlingly
advanced technology. After being warmly welcomed into the
slave camp, the earthlings encourage and support a rebellion,
and while Russell threatens to blow up the Stargate to prevent
its use by enemy forces, — 
