CAPTAIN EO (1986)

It’s Friday, which means for many people it’s almost the weekend. Why not kick it all off with one of the weirdest intersections of masters of filmmaking, iconic music superstardom, one of the largest entertainment corporations in the world, and some sci-fi goofiness. George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola, Michael Jackson, the writer of ELECTRIC DREAMS, and Disney all came together to create CAPTAIN EO, a 3D attraction/movie to be used in Disney parks in 1986. The story behind its making is fascinating, especially all of the incredible talent involved in its creation. But it’s also a singular slice of pop culture with so many amazing folks converging on one project to turn out a fairly entertaining work that clearly is indebted to STAR WARS and other such projects that came before it.

The plot?

Captain EO and his space crew are on a mission to save the world from the evil queen by giving her a song and dance.

It’s 17 minutes of puppetry, gadgetry, failed 3D “comin’ at ya!” moments, a terrific campy performance by Anjelica Huston, a less fantastic performance by Jackson, some cool designs, some awkward dancing, and so much more.

It’s a great way to start the weekend and dive into this bizarre but fun bit from the ‘80s.