Professor Popinjay's Compendium of Perspicacity

A Non-review by Professor Popinjay

(1995)

DO NOT confuse this for a Non-review of the 12 Monkeys SERIES! Oooooo! If you do that!!!! I shan’t be held accountable.

Most 13 year olds back in 1995 were not interested in a film like this. It was science fiction but it wasn’t flashy and sleek. It didn’t take place in the future mostly and didn’t involve aliens that burst out of people’s chests. I was fascinated by it though, probably because of its unique sounding musical score by Paul Buckmaster.

I definitely picked up the musical score for this before ever seeing the movie. I was weird like that. I used to absorb musical scores from movies like the South American Coral Fish absorbs its mate after coitus. Interpret that as you will.

I’m not sure what developed first, my love of epic soundtracks or my frontal lobe but whatever the reason, I now have an encyclopedic memory and perfect recall of any soundtrack to which I have previously listened. My friends would amuse themselves by suggesting a crazy fictional situation to which I was then expected to provide the perfect musical accompaniment via my vast collection of CDs. Great fun. Go ahead, try it, propose a situation in the comments.

Buckmaster’s score for 12 Monkeys seems to incorporate something like an accordion but it is ominous and foreboding. It doesn’t sound like a polka at all. Thinking back, it reminds me of the music from “Brazil” (1985) also directed by Monty Python’s Terry Gilliam, but a completely different composer. Michael Kamen to be precise, a point that goes uncredited in “Brazil”.

The film itself is not quite as bizarre as other Terry Gilliam films. It takes itself very seriously in fact. Cole (Bruce Willis) starts in a post apocalyptic future and is sent back in time to learn about and intercept a disease that would eventually wipe out a large part of the human race and force it to live underground. I think that’s what was going on anyway. It was a bit hard to follow at 13 years old. Honestly, I’d be interested to watch it again just to understand it better. After rereading the plot again, it seems like Cole gets jerked around from past to future a couple of times, even showing up in WWI at one point. I don’t remember catching that the first time around but it seems like that was an important point.

Incidentally, I was talking to a friend about shows that flip-flopped the entire premise half way through the show. Baywatch Nights of all shows came up in a bit of research (I certainly didn’t watch the show) as they tried to salvage that tripe half-way through by adding paranormal elements.

Also mentioned was the 12 Monkeys Series (2015-2018) simply because of the seemingly random occurrences that drastically alter the course of the story. I haven’t actually seen the series but I feel like that concept exemplifies the movie to a certain degree. There’s not a whole lot of randomness per sé but there are many misconceptions presumed by people in the future which Cole has to sort out.

Also, Brad Pitt is insane in this film. I think he might have secretly been Tyler Durden in this film before we meet him in Fight Club (1999). The character arch from Pitt’s character in 12 Monkeys to his character in Fight Club would make perfect sense. I think we need a movie connecting these films!

Optional Tangent:

Wow! I’m finally back to “Numbers” again in my alphabetical list of films I consult for Non-Review inspiration. Since my ten part Godzilla treatise back in March I’ve written 74 (counting this one) Non-reviews, which encompasses a great many more films than just 74, what with sometimes tackling whole franchises plus remakes, reboots, supplements and/or the entire filmography of Ernest P. Worrell all at once.

If you’re curious as to why they’re not all published alphabetically, I alternate between a list of films I’ve seen recently, a list of films I saw years ago, and films I saw in the theater ten minutes ago.

It’s been fun and I have no immediate plans to stop anytime soon. Writing these keeps my mind sharp and I’ve enjoyed cataloging the memories these many films have unearthed from the depths of my brain. Thanks to all who have loyally read these feverish ramblings of mine. I greatly appreciate all your likes and comments!