R.I.P, Mr. Schumacher

Director Joel Schumacher died earlier this week at the age of eighty.  He was far from the most distinguished of Hollywood filmmakers.  Just peek at his resume....

THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING WOMAN
D.C. CAB
ST. ELMO'S FIRE
FLATLINERS
THE LOST BOYS
PHONE BOOTH

Those are but a few.  Several of his films were financially successful, and in the 1990s he had two mega franchises going: Batman flicks (BATMAN FOREVER and BATMAN & ROBIN) and John Grisham adaptations (THE CLIENT and A TIME TO KILL).  I'm not here to say he was an underrated auteur, but he did provide considerable entertainment, especially during my formative years.  ...SHRINKING WOMAN was an early '80s stable on cable and I just about memorized it.  I remain in quiet awe of its creative use of color, that damned "Galaxy Glue" theme, and Sidney the gorilla.  THE LOST BOYS was quite an iconic vampire tale.  Thoroughly pop, of course, but a lot of fun (and a great double feature with the original FRIGHT NIGHT, which was not directed by Schumacher).   I have somewhat fond memories of FLATLINERS, but maybe it was because of the girl I went to see it with?

You could pick apart most of his work.  D.C. CAB was essentially a dumb family film that inexplicably had a topless scene with a very well endowed woman.  ST. ELMO'S FIRE was a shallow movie about shallow people.  VERONICA GUERIN was an attempt at higher profile cinema, but its urgency didn't quite come across.  8MM was admirably gritty but forgettable, and maybe not gritty enough.  FALLING DOWN mostly worked.  THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA was a so-so remake.  BATMAN & ROBIN? Ha, what more can I add to the nasty chorus?

There was also FLAWLESS, with Philip Seymour Hoffman and Robert DeNiro, a nicely understated comedy/drama that was a fine showcase for the actors.  That may well be Schumacher's finest hour.  It seemed to feel less workmanlike than his earlier stuff.

Maybe you've seen some of these.  Maybe you can have a retrospective on your own.

R.I.P.