Film Excess - Free Ukraine - Stop Putin - End the war NOW!!: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) - The ultimate thrill ride for a child (and many adults too!)

5/07/2024

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) - The ultimate thrill ride for a child (and many adults too!)

♥♥♥♥♥♥

Vivid characters and dramatic situations in wild colors adorn this spectacular poster for Steven Spielberg's Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

Years prior to the events in Raiders of the lost Ark (1981), archeologist/explorer Indiana Jones is escaping a volatile situation in Shanghai, as he finds himself, along with two companions, recruited to help an impoverished Indian village whose children have been stolen ...

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is written by Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz (American Graffiti (1973), both), with George Lucas (Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)) contributing story elements, - and directed by Ohioan master filmmaker Steven Spielberg (The Sugarland Express (1974)), whose 7th feature it is. It is the second film in the Indiana Jones franchise and a prequel to the first film.

My personal favorite in the beloved series, although widely discarded as "too dark" and "less comedic", I say that Temple of Doom is the ultimate adventure movie: A maddeningly paced spectacle that feels like one long delicious chase. It is stuffed with evil Chinese and Indians, mystical elements, horror, action and wonderful performances: Harrison Ford (The Fugitive (1993)) is tremendous as the exemplary man hero; Kate Capshaw (Love Affair (1994)) is terrific as the nightclub singer tag-along who is not well equipped for India; but it is Ke Huy Quan (Encino Man (1992)) who takes the cake and enriches the film most profoundly throughout as the fresh-faced mirth-maker 'Short Round'.

Spiced with unforgettable set pieces such as the mine scene, the dinner scene, - but perhaps most unforgettable, the bug scene, which stands tall as among the grossest scenes in cinema history. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom also has a hugely fulfilling ending. It is a complete masterpiece.

Indiana Jones franchise: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) - Spielberg reasserts himself with tremendous boyish adventure
Steven Spielberg: The Fabelmans (2022) or, My Wonderful Upbringing

2017 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
The Post (2017) - Spielberg returns to mastery with a thrilling salute to the virtues of real, critical, brave journalism
2012 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED V]
Lincoln (2012) - Spielberg's inspiring presidential portrait stands tall
War Horse (2011) - Spielberg visits WWI with problematic horse drama
The Adventures of Tintin/The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn (2011) - Affinities for Tintin, earlier Spielberg and film will decide your experience of this 3D mo-cap adventure
Super 8 (2011) - Abrams' nostalgic family crowdpleaser (producer)

The 2000s in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess

2005 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

2005 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess

Munich (2005) - Spielberg wrings a brilliant spy thriller from fraught real-life massacre and its aftermath

Top 10: Best HBO titles

2001 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess
Band of Brothers - TV mini-series (2001) - WWII-sacrifice and -comradeship portrayed with skill and integrity (producer)

Top 10: Best future-set movies
A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) - A robot fairy tale with both heart and mind
Amistad (1997) or, Must... Free... Slaves!

Hook (1991) - Arr, Spielbergian folly
Empire of the Sun (1987) - Spielberg's grand production of boy-in-China-during-WWII is a misfire

The Goonies (1985) - Sweet child performances drive Donner's beloved, uneven adventure (story)
Twilight Zone The Movie (1983) - Fear takes many forms in tragedy-struck anthology

Top 10: Best family movies reviewed by Film Excess to date
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) - Spielberg's greatest accomplishment
1941 (1979) - Spielberg's bizarre 'comedy spectacular' sinks like a rock
Top 10: Best car chases in movies reviewed by Film Excess to date
Duel (1971) - Spielberg's truck terror is ideal afternoon fare

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 28.17 mil. $

Box office: 333.1 mil. $

= Blockbuster (returned 11.82 times its cost)

[Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom premiered 8 May (California) and runs 118 minutes. Ford was reportedly paid 4.5 mil. $ for his performance, mysteriously less than the 5.9 mil. $ he reportedly commanded for the first film. Shooting took place from April - September 1983, with reshoots in January 1984, in England, California, Arizona, Washington, Florida, Sri Lanka and China. The film opened #1 to a 25.3 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent another 5 weeks in the top 5 (#2-#3-#3-#3-#5), grossing 179.8 mil. $ (54 % of the total gross). It was the highest-grossing film of the year globally and the 3rd highest-grossing in North America, behind Beverly Hills Cop and Ghostbusters, where it sold 53.5 mil. tickets. Due to critique of the film's PG-rating and at the insistence of Spielberg, also influenced by the release two weeks later of the Spielberg executive-produced Gremlins (1984), the MPAA created the PG-13 rating for similarly intense, violent fare appropriate for older children. The film was nominated for 2 Oscars, winning for Best Visual Effects. It lost Best Score (John Williams) to Maurice Jarre for A Passage to India. It also won 1/4 BAFTA nominations, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave the film a 4/4 star review, equal in rating to this one. Spielberg later distanced himself from the film, whereas Lucas and Ford have spoken lovingly about it. Indiana Jones returned in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) with returning star and filmmakers. Spielberg first returned with Strokes of Genius (1984, miniseries, segments), Amazing Stories (1985, TV-series) and theatrically with The Color Purple (1985). Ford returned in Witness (1985). Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is certified fresh at 77 % with a 7.40/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

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Donald Sutherland has passed away

Born in Canada, Sutherland battled polio as a child. His first credit was in Suspense (1963, TV-series) and his first film was The Castle of the Living Dead (1964). Later credits in his remarkable career include The Saint (1965-66), The Dirty Dozen (1967), M*A*S*H (1970), Kelly's Heroes (1970), Klute (1971), Don't Look Now (1973), 1900 (1976), Casanova (1976), The Eagle Has Landed (1976), Ordinary People (1980), A Dry White Season (1989), JFK (1991), Outbreak (1995), Fallen (1998), Virus (1999), Fierce People (2005), Pride & Prejudice (2005), Lord of War (2005), The Hunger Games (2012), The Undoing (2020, miniseries) and many more. He passed away at age 88. R.I.P.

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Born in Detroit, Michigan, Corman had a sprawling, intellectually hungry life as a youth and young man before arriving with his first film in 1955, Five Guns West. He would follow that with titles such as Apache Woman, It Conquered the World, Attack of the Crab Monsters, Teenage Cave Man, A Bucket of Blood, House of Usher, The Little Shop of Horrors, The Pit and the Pendulum, The Intruder, The Raven, The Terror, The Masque of Red Death, The Tomb of Ligeia, The Wild Angels, The Trip, Bloody Mama and many more. As a producer he was behind almost 500 films. Arguably among the most important filmmakers of the 20th century, Corman passed away at age 98. R.I.P.

William Friedkin has died

Born in Chicago, Friedkin accrued TV credits prior to his advance to the big screen as the director of Good TImes (1967), The Birthday Party (1968), The Night They Raided Minsky's (1968) and The Boys in the Band (1970) before his major breakthrough, The French Connection (1971), for which he won his only Oscar. He followed it up with the even bigger smash, The Exorcist (1973), arguably the best horror film of all time, for which he was Oscar-nominated. Later credits include Sorcerer (1977), Cruising (1980), To Live and Die in L.A. (1985), Rampage (1987), Rules of Engagement (2000), Killer Joe (2011) and The Devil and Father Amorth (2017, documentary). Friedkin passed away at age 87. R.I.P.

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Born in Alabama to deaf parents, Fletcher got her first credits in late-1950s TV-series.She took a 10 year-long sabbatical to devote her time to motherhood after the release of A Gathering of Eagles, but then came back and soon saw her career's most important part, as Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), for which she won her sole Oscar. Later credits include Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977), The Lucky Star (1980), Brainstorm (1983), Two Moon Junction (1988), Cruel Intentions (1999), A Perfect Man (2013) and many more. Fletcher passed away at age 88. R.I.P.

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5/07/2024

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) - The ultimate thrill ride for a child (and many adults too!)

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