At around 1am this morning the evil Wang focused his sleepy ray at me, causing me to fall into a great slumber which I have only just recovered from. Thank the maker that Wang didn't use some of the other rays he has at his disposal.... It could have been terrible. So... upon parting my eyes, I instantly thought..."Harry... somewhere there is a Robogeek that is erratic right now. Hmmmm... Should I post Part II? Yeah... Ok... Here you folks go...

ROBOGEEK MEETS THE MYSTERY MEN -- PART TWO

Another Robogeek Adventure

Hank Azaria, ready for his close-up as The Blue Raja, beneath the dreaded Fraculator.

"So what do you think?" asks mega-cool producer (and, I soon discover, true geek) Lloyd Levin.

"I'm in geek heaven," I repeat, as he leads me through the set and to the monitors.

On-screen is a tight close-up of Kinnear. He's held captive not only by the chair, but by his corporate-logo-emblazoned black rubber costume, which must be as hot as hell. He's padded down and fanned between takes by a couple of attendants.

They're shooting a scene just after the Mystery Men arrive in the chamber, beneath Casanova Frankenstein's Disco Lounge, as Captain Amazing tries valiantly to instruct them on how to release him and deactivate the dreaded Fraculator, which threatens to... well, fraculate him. Things get a little complicated.

Anyway, they'll be shooting various angles of this scene into the afternoon, getting close-ups of the various characters. (See photos above and below.) They go through many takes, playing around with different approaches, throwing out ideas. It's a process that could be tedious -- especially mere days away from the end of a long shoot -- but everyone seems to be having fun. Although I'm guessing Greg would give his big toe to get out of that suit.

Mr. Furious and The Bowler -- er, I mean Ben Stiller and Janeane Garofalo (who have just co-written "Feel This Book," which you should go buy as soon as it hits the stands) -- are standing nearby. Stiller gives me a suspicious look. Garofalo doesn't seem to notice me at all.

I watch on the monitor as they run through the scene again. Captain Amazing is having difficulty explaining to Mr. Furious and The Bowler the details of the deactivation procedure. It's pretty damn funny -- especially watching Kinnear's close-up on the monitor. He's perfect, walking the line between ideal-matinee-idol-super-cool-perfection and annoyed-self-absorbed-condescending-asshole. Captain Amazing, you see, is the only "true" superhero in the world of "Mystery Men," and is a bespectacled millionaire playboy who's discovered the corporate sponsorship possibilities of being a media darling. Following the opening sequence of the film (more on that tomorrow), we discover that he's got a small problem -- he's vanquished all the supervillains, which means he's no longer getting the sort of press he's used to, and corporate sponsors are starting to lose interest in him.

Meanwhile, he's got to deal with these wannabe superheroes -- the Mystery Men -- who idolize yet annoy him. Well, mostly. Mr. Furious can't seem to understand why no one except him can put two-and-two together regarding the whole glasses-as-secret-identity disguise. During this scene, which I think takes place more-or-less halfway through the film, The Shoveler (William H. Macy) is starting to finally consider Furious' hypothesis, and actually poses the question to Captain Amazing directly after hesitant consideration. To give any more away would ruin one of the sure-to-be-classic moments of the film, but let's just say I'm really interested to see how it ends up on film, since Kinnear improvised a couple of really funny alternate replies.

But back to The Shoveler. He's the guy I can't take my eyes off of. First off, I worship Bill Macy. I mean, he must rank among the Ten Coolest Actors Alive. And, as The Shoveler, he just gives me chills. It's a perfect marriage of classic Macy-ism with vintage Jack Kirby heroic authority. He's a man with a shovel, and he knows how to use it. He is A Hero. And he looks SO DAMN COOL. His delivery -- soft-spoken, assured and totally convincing. He IS The Shoveler. And, by God, I cannot wait to buy the action figure.

This, overwhelmingly, is what really struck me throughout the day -- how utterly perfect each character is cast, and how vividly each actor defines their character. This is definitely due also to the production design and costume design, as well as (of course) the script and direction, but for me the hook of this film is the cast, and how sincere they are in their roles.

Levin smiled big when I told him that. "Sincerity was our top priority," he said to me, and that's the word that really stuck in my mind, and best reflects what I observed. This film isn't being played as shallow camp, nor as hollow cliche. It's being approached with real heart by everyone involved. Sure, it's going to be damn funny -- but not because it's taking cheap shots. This is a comic book movie that isn't looking down at its roots, but is treating these characters with respect and affection. Granted, it's a fantasy, but it isn't so far removed from reality that you aren't going to be able to completely believe in these characters. After spending eight hours on the set, and watching a rough cut of the opening reel of the film, I became convinced of that. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Helming this enterprise is first-time feature director Kinka Usher (yes, that's his real name), who's done some highly successful (and impressive) commercial work. And while he seems to be having a great time, he's definitely feeling the pain of the length of the shoot. Given that he's used to making 30-second commercials, it's understandable that the shoot may be proving to be a bit more exhausting than he anticipated. He's in good spirits, though I can't help but detect a slight undertone of crankiness that could probably be cured by a nap. Then again, maybe that's just how he is. Still, I never see him crack, vent, raise his voice or lost his temper. Probably because everything is going really well, and everyone seems happy with the results they're getting.

Between takes, I was quickly introduced, and then he got back to work. Overhearing "Ain't It Cool," and realizing I wasn't some punkass Universal exec, Mr. Furious -- er, Ben Stiller, pumped up and clad in black like a total bad-ass -- leaned over. We were introduced and, upon realizing he was familiar with the site, I whispered conspiratorially, "I'm Robogeek."

"Cool," he said, nodding approval.

On the other side of him, The Bowler continued to pay me no heed. And, well, I just didn't feel worthy enough to do anything about it. See, bowling is a holy activity at Robogeek Heavy Industries. I actually consider it a high form of Zen meditation. And, my God, there was THE BOWLER, a veritable high priestess of coolness on top of being Janeane Garofalo -- which is pretty damn cool to begin with. I knew I could only interact with so much coolness in one day, or Dr. Hikita's bio-mimic array would overload, revealing my true (and somewhat terrifying) true Robo-form. It wasn't worth disrupting the day's shooting with a mass panic.

Anyway, a bit later, between set-ups, I got the chance to chat with master cinematographer Stephen Burum. Wait, don't go to IMDB just yet, hold on... He's best known as Brian DePalma's D.P., having lensed "Snake Eyes," "Mission: Impossible," "Carlito's Way," "The Untouchables," and others, as well as "Hoffa" and "The War of the Roses" for Danny DeVito. (Oh, and he also did "The Shadow." If only that film had been as great as its cinematography...) Anyway, suffice it to say that this guy knows his stuff. He was actually one of the people on "Mystery Men" I was most looking forward to meeting.

I'd already observed him for quite some time when we got the chance to talk. He's a true craftsman and artist, highly professional and methodical. What impressed me most in watching him work was how relaxed and low key he was. You'd think he was gardening, or something; he didn't give the slightest hint of stress. He seemed very pleased with how things were going. I asked him what it was like to work with a director making his first feature.

In essence, he said the following: "It's really nice. Actually, it's very much like the classic studio tradition. They would pair a new director with a seasoned D.P. That was how filmmakers learned how to be filmmakers, by being matched with experienced professionals they could learn from. And Kinka is a good learner." He went on to praise the producers for so carefully assembling such a well-balanced crew.

I asked him to compare this experience to that on other films. He said matter-of-factly that it was going just about as smoothly and as well as anything he'd worked on, and that it was a particularly fun one to work on.

Over the course of the day, I would continue to watch this man work magic. And cinematography really is magic. One of the things that never ceases to amaze me on a shoot is looking at the action live, and then looking over to the monitor, trying to figure out how _this_ (real life) turns into _that_ (the movie), and what makes it look so damn cool. In person, walking around the set, seeing the set-ups, I'd think, "Ooo, that's really neat." Then, I'd head over to the monitor, and my jaw would just drop, and I'd do a double-take; it didn't just look "neat," it looked awesome. That box of magic, the camera, can sure do wonders when in the hands of a master. And the box of magic on this set was turning out a damned cool looking movie.

The next set-up I got to watch (and shoot these pictures of) was close-ups of Hank Azaria as The Blue Raja in this scene. He is one of the first to find the captive Captain Amazing, and I got the chance to observe that encounter. God, is it funny. While everyone in the cast has the chance to shine comedically, Azaria really lands the truly comic role. He speaks in a proper, chipper British colonial accent, and his weapons of choice are utensils. Yes, silverware -- forks, spoons and knives. Anyway, upon finding Captain Amazing, and at a loss as to what to do, he tries to be useful, ultimately offering, "Would you care for a banana?" as the rest of the Mystery Men arrive.

Let me just say that watching The Blue Raja ask Captain Amazing if he wants a banana is just about the funniest damn thing I've seen in a long time.

But the day just kept getting cooler. Later, I wandered back over to the craft services table (the donuts called to me), and lo and behold, there was The Shoveler in all his heroic majesty, pouring himself a cup of coffee. Lloyd Levin graciously introduced us.

I expressed to Mr. Macy my deep appreciation for his work, and how honored I was to meet him. He was very self-effacing and gracious in receiving what could easily be awkwardly burdensome flattery. I asked him if it was as much fun making this movie as it looked, and he smiled, saying it certainly was -- and in particular how much he was enjoying the cast. Then, well, I couldn't resist...

"Mr. Macy, I just have to tell you how much I love your wife's work on 'Sports Night.' I think that show is an absolute joy. Watching it actually makes me kinda giddy."

He beamed, proud as a peacock and pleased as punch. We talked about our affection for the show, and he told me how much his wife [the brilliant Felicity Huffman] was enjoying it, and that if she had the chance, she'd love to do it for five years. I told him I'd cross my fingers and spread the word. (So watch "Sports Night" next Tuesday at 9:30 EST on ABC.)

We chatted a bit longer (FYI, the couple will next appear together alongside Julianne Moore and Tom Cruise in Paul Thomas Anderson's "Magnolia.") and then Dark Horse Comics publisher and "Mystery Men" producer Mike Richardson (who's really, really tall) came by and asked him if he'd received the box-of-goodies he'd sent.

"The comics and stuff? Sure did! It's great! Thanks," Macy replied with genuine appreciation.

Without missing a beat, Lloyd Levin said, "You don't get cool stuff like that working on a Paul Thomas Anderson film, do ya?"

"No, but I did score a couple of porn tapes!" came Macy's reply.

What a day.

But it would bring me even more coolness. I would soon have lunch with mega-producer Larry Gordon, be one of the first people to see scenes from the film, explore Casanova Frankenstein's lair, sit in the cockpit of the Herkimer, and even get a fleeting glimpse at the film's marketing campaign, among other secrets.

You can read about it tomorrow.

- robogeek@hotmail.com

A better look at the awesome terror that is... THE FRACULATOR!

TOMORROW...

EAT LUNCH with Larry Gordon!

EXPLORE Casanova Frankenstein's lair!

SEE the opening scene of the movie!

ENTER the cockpit of the awesome Herkimer!

All this and more in tomorrow's exciting episode of:

ROBOGEEK MEETS THE MYSTERY MEN!

P.S.: Don't forget to watch Justine Shapiro today on "Lonely Planet" as she explores the American Southwest. It airs at 3, 8 or 11pm EST on the Travel Channel. (And if you didn't catch her journey through South Africa yesterday, you missed out on something truly extraordinary.)