The Black Hole experimented with CGI graphics, which became the chief draw of Tron, released three years later. Inspired by the advent of video games, Lisberger and MacBird came up with the story of a programmer (Jeff Bridges) who gets sucked into a computer world, where the freedom fighter Tron (Bruce Boxleitner) battles against the dictatorial MCP and its henchman Sark (both portrayed by David Warner).
Even today, Tron looks incredible. The bright neon colors pop against the papery-greyscale of the computer world, and the film’s crisp sound design makes it feel ethereal, even to viewers well acquainted with computers and AI.
Just over two months earlier, Disney released another strange genre project to theaters, Something Wicked This Way Comes. Based on the novel by Ray Bradbury, who provided the screenplay that Jack Clayton directed, Something Wicked This Way Comes is a horror-tinged fantasy story about two boys (Vidal Peterson and Shawn Carson) who do battle with a malevolent figure called Mr. Dark (Jonathan Pryce). Mr. Dark has come to their town with a carnival that promises wonders, but in fact captures the townspeople.
Something Wicked This Way Comes boasts an incredible cast. Beyond the aforementioned Pryce, the film also has Jason Robards as one of the boys’ father, Pam Grier as Mr. Dark’s other associate the Dust Witch, and Diane Ladd as the other boy’s mother. Moreover, it has a genuinely creepy tone, an eerie sense of dread that feels even more stark than Goosebumps or other later projects designed for young viewers.
While Tron and The Black Hole made a profit, Something Wicked This Way Comes was a complete flop with audiences. Further, Tron and The Black Hole both were nominated for Academy Awards, but received mixed notices from critics at the time. And yet, decades later, they remain reminders of a better era for cinema.
The Black Hole of Mediocrity
It should come as no surprise that all three of these movies have become cult favorites. Obviously, Tron has spawned two legacy sequels and an animated series, while The Black Hole was a favorite in the months following the launch of Disney+ and the addition to the service of Something Wicked This Way Comes last week generated online excitement.
