Will the 35mm projector go the way of uniformed movie theater ushers and 25 cent popcorn?

In a major article for LA Weekly, writer Gendy Alimurung takes a sobering look at the future of cinema and it isn't pretty, at least if you're a purist who values 35mm film. The mad rush to go to all digital projection is being driven by the major studios because it saves them a fortune in terms of producing prints and shipping them to theaters. With digital, those costs are reduced to a trickle as the "print" is basically a lightweight unit that plugs into a projection system. Picture perfect quality is also an upside- unless you're a film director like Christopher Nolan, who shot his forthcoming Batman epic The Dark Knight Rises on traditional 35mm film. Nolan is among those filmmakers who think that the alleged purity of digital pales in comparison to 35mm. These die hard adherents to traditional film also point out some of the other downsides of digital: the data costs more to store and is very vulnerable to destruction. (An accidental touch of a "delete" button almost erased the master copy of Toy Story 2 for all eternity.) Additionally, theaters are less-than-happy about digital, especially smaller, independent establishments. It can cost up to $150,000 for a theater to convert to digital. Studios are helping to subsidize the cost, but only for a while. After that, procrastinators will have to front the entire expense themselves. The digital revolution will mean the end of many boutique, art house cinemas. They simply won't have product to play. Studios will no longer be investing in restoration of movies in 35mm format. Once the existing prints are deemed too worn out, a movie will no longer be available in 35mm. Additionally, it's clear that studios will not be investing in transferring mid-range and "B" movies to the digital format, meaning a lot of quirky films might not be available in any format once studios get out of renting 35mm prints. (Paramount has only one 35mm print of Breakfast at Tiffanys available for rental, as the studio is pushing its new digital, restored version.) To read the article click here

By Adrian Smith

For many people, having to do your college work is a chore. Assignments are dull and all you really want is to be out partying with your friends. Not John Carpenter and Dan O'Bannon. Their assignment was to make a movie, using equipment provided by the University of Southern California film school, and dragging their friends and fellow classmates in for good measure. The result was a science fiction classic that would launch both of them into fully-fledged Hollywood careers. The original movie ran a little short to qualify as a feature, so a wily distributor encouraged them to shoot a further ten minutes. Both versions of the film, the original and extended editions, are available here.

Dark Star borrows heavily from such space-set classics as 2001 and Solaris in its presentation of space as a working environment. This is not the space of heroes like Buck Rodgers or Flash Gordon. It is a place of work, where astronauts are just ordinary guys just doing their jobs and counting the days, or years, until they can go home. Their mission,which appears to have lasted some three years, involves identifying and then destroying unstable planets with massive thermo-nuclear talking bombs. No particular reason is given as to why they are unstable, or indeed why they need to be destroyed, but it is something to do with the possible colonization of space. When problems develop with one particularly stubborn bomb, the crew are forced to take desperate measures if they want to survive.

Carpenter and O'Bannon wrote the screenplay together, and O'Bannon ended up taking a starring role as Sgt. Pinback, a member of the crew whose sole function appears to be to annoy everyone else on board. The rest of the cast are made up of friends from the film school, and they all sport impressive amounts of facial hair. Given its incredibly low-budget origins, Dark Star stands up remarkably well, thanks mostly to the wit of the script and the imaginative camera work. Yes the miniatures look like miniatures, and the sets look like cardboard, but the story and the performances are so enjoyably goofy and genuine that this simply does not matter.

The Blu-ray restoration gives the film a fresh look and the colours are remarkably vivid. The film has looked rather murky in previous DVD releases, and this is a significant improvement. The main extra available here is a new feature length documentary Let There Be Light: The Odyssey of Dark Star. It provides some fascinating background on the movie, and features interviews with some of the cast including an interview with Dan O'Bannon shot shortly before he died. Sadly the involvement of John Carpenter is minimal. He appears to have been interviewed over the phone, on a line so muffled that subtitles have to be displayed (including some spelling mistakes which are unforgivable!). However, this small gripe aside, it is a documentary with plenty to offer fans of the movie, and is probably the main reason for picking up this new release.

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By Lee Pfeiffer

After several false starts and weak efforts, the much-promised revival of Hammer horror films has finally come to fruition with the release of The Woman in Black, an old-fashioned ghost story that ranks with the finest achievements of the legendary British production company. The story is set in the early 1900s. Daniel Radcliffe gives an excellent performance as Arthur Kipps, a young London-based lawyer who is already a widower, his beloved wife having died while giving birth to their son. Kipps tries his best to juggle being a single parent with the demands of his profession, but his unrelenting grief prevents him from fulfilling his duties at the office. His boss gives him one last chance to redeem himself by sending him to a remote village to investigate a complicated insurance situation relating to a recently deceased person. Arriving in the village, Kipps discovers that the relatively mundane task is fraught with intrigue. He suspects that the person he has to deal with is concealing vital paperwork concerning insurance claims. He decides to secretly act as detective and investigate the matter in a thorough manner. The trail leads to an abandoned mansion in a rural area where he locates a stash of relevant paperwork. While examining this mountain of evidence, Kipps glances out the window and catches a glimpse of a veiled woman clad in black standing in the overgrown garden. Soon, he finds himself terrorized by mysterious noises and apparitions and learns that the ghostly figure he has observed is somehow tied to a series of gruesome deaths among the children of the village. To say any more would divulge too much. Suffice it to say that, in the long Hammer tradition, the local villagers are paranoid about strangers and seem to be hiding a very dark secret. Kipps' only ally is Daily (Ciaran Hinds) who shares his determination to get to the bottom of the mystery, even while he cares for his wife (Janet McAteer) who is coping with a mental illness brought about by the tragic death of their own child. 

The film was directed by James Watkins, an impressive new talent who wisely eschews special effects in favor of the theory that what you don't see can be more terrifying than what you do see. Watkins remains reverent to the early Hammer productions and manages to evoke quite a number of moments that will have you jump out of your seat. He benefits from an outstanding cast of supporting actors who have been chosen on the basis of their talents, not because they look like models. Both Ciaran Hinds and Janet McAteer are particularly excellent. Praise must also go to production designer Kave Quinn for her outstanding work on the old mansion set, aided immeasurably by the appropriately gloomy cinematography of Tim Maurice-Jones and the atmospheric score by Marco Beltrami. Screenwriter Jane Goldman, working from the source novel by Susan Hill, keeps the dialogue literate and intelligent and the character of Kipps sympathetic and completely believable. He is no super hero. Yes, he doesn't shirk from investigating things that go bump in the night, but he looks pretty petrified while doing so. The film comes to a climax that is quite chilling and most unexpected. Suffice it to say, The Woman in Black recalls the best of the haunted house genre that comprises of such films as the original version of The Haunting,  The Innocents and The Others. 

Sony has released the film as a Blu-ray edition with commentary by James Watkins and Jane Goldman. The disc contains two bonus features: Inside the Perfect Thriller, which examines the overall making of the movie through cast and crew interviews and No Fear: Daniel Radcliffe as Arthur Kipps, wherein the actor shares insights about the inspirations for his performance. (Curiously, the film's trailer is not included, though trailers for other releases are). One of the great delights is seeing a dynamic new Hammer logo at the beginning of the film that utilizes classic movie poster art from the golden age of the company. The Woman in Black bodes well for Hammer's comeback. If they can keep up the quality of the productions, they can play a major factor in revitalizing the sorrowful state of the horror film genre, which has largely deteriorated into mindless slasher films. One tip: if you watch the film alone, make sure you keep the lights on.

Click here to watch original trailer

Click here to watch behind the scenes clips 

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Here's a look at entertainment icon Dick Clark's first dramatic movie role as a high school teacher in the 1960 hit Because They're Young, co-starring fellow up-and-comers Tuesday Weld, James Darren, Michael Callan and Doug McClure. The trailer is a hoot, with typical over-the-top narration and sex starved teens trying to get it on without damaging their reputations. The film is largely forgotten today, but it did produce a smash hit instrumental theme song by Duane Eddy, who made an appearance in the movie. Click here to view 

Cinema Retro has received the following press release:

Happier times for O"Neal: with long time love Farrah Fawcett.

Ryan O'Neal has a new book about his experiences during his lover Farrah Fawcett's final days. After spending decades trying to patch up contentious relationships with his three children, he sent them advance copies of the manuscript so they did not get blindsided by the stories he related. One son has not read it (he's in rehab) and the response from the other two offspring, including Tatum O'Neal, was decidedly unenthusiastic. O'Neal, who is battling stage 4 prostate cancer, says he is doing all he can to repair the long history of family feuds but is concerned he may have been too candid in the book regarding personal matters. For more click here 

The National Media Museum in Bradford presents the 11^th Fantastic Films Weekend (FFW), giving horror, fantasy and sci-fi fans their annual fix of thrills and spills, from 15 - 17 June 2012. 

This year the festival will focus on schlock, women in horror and sci-fi, and feature a FFW-first – a Cinerama screening of The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm. Other highlights will include an evening of giallo treats new and old, family fun with Coraline 3D and live make-up demos, and a Hammer strand packed with rare and premiere Hammer screenings. 

Special guests will include Renée Glynne who worked for many years as continuity/script supervisor for Hammer before going freelance. Her work includes The Nanny, Legend of the Golden Vampire and The Quatermass Xperiment, the HD premiere of which will be screened following her screentalk. She will be in conversation with Hammer archivist, Robert J.E. Simpson (Friday 15 June 7.30pm).

Harley Cokeliss will be on hand on Saturday to introduce his lost classic Battletruck (Warlords of the 21^st Century) and discuss his genre career including second unit directorial duties on The Empire Strikes Back. On Sunday, new heir to the giallo crown, Andreas Marschall, will attend a preview screening of his movie Masks, followed by a screening of a rare archive print of Master of Giallo, Dario Argento’s Four Flies on Grey Velvet.

Highlights from the vaults include a very rare re-edited print of Grindhouse classic I Drink Your Blood which is in the UK for a very limited time from the US, and screenings of some of Hammer’s seldom screened Gothic delights, curated by Robert J.E. Simpson, including The Man in Black, Captain Clegg and The Shadow of the Cat.

Red Sonja, Vamp and Barbarella put women centre screen, while a Troma triple-bill of Class of Nuke ‘Em High, Troma’s War and The Toxic Avenger contribute to the schlock-fest. With a weekend in the company of every doctor in the TV Heaven Dr Who takeover, and a screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show in which dressing up will be positively encouraged, every possible (bad) taste is catered for.

“We are thrilled that this year the Fantastic Films Weekend spotlight will fall on the themes of schlock and the much-undervalued role of women in horror and fantasy cinema. We’ll also be treating Fantastic Films Weekenders to a first – the premiere FFW screening of a Cinerama film, The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm. Combine that with an evening of giallo treats new and old, a Hammer strand packed with rare screenings and premieres, and three diverse and exciting guests, and the weekend should hold a host of horrorific treats for the brave of heart (and some less scary fun for the young at heart!)” said Sarah Crowther, Director of Fantastic Films Weekend.

For festival passes, day passes or individual tickets visit www.nationalmediamuseum.org.uk/fantastic or call the Museum box office on 0844 856 3797.

Weekend pass £60 / (£50 concs), day pass £25 (£20 concs). Passes do not include IMAX titles. Single tickets £7.50 (£5.50 concs), Premium Events £10 (£8 concs).

If your mother used to chastise you for wasting your time watching Lost in Space instead of Learn to Draw with John Gnagy, you can take satisfaction in the fact that it turns out there was some educational value to the shows you were enthralled with. The web site Cable TV Providers takes a brief look at how some classic series ended up predicting real-life scientific achievements. Click here to view

FXRH was the magazine published between 1971 and 1974 and devoted entirely to the film legacy of special effects genius Ray Harryhausen. Now Archive Editions is publishing all of these rare issues, along with new supplementary materials, in the form of a limited edition book. Click here for details and to pre-order.  

The 1939 classic Gone With the Wind remains the most popular movie of all time in terms of the number of admission tickets sold.

The Hunger Games is the latest Hollywood blockbuster, pulling in hundreds of millions of dollars in a relatively short period. Impressive under any circumstances. However, critic Richard Roeper points out the film still has a ways to go to top the 1960s Disney hit Swiss Family Robinson. What? How can that be? The Hunger Games has grossed far more than the Disney flick, you say. However, the real test of how popular a film is relates to the number of admission tickets sold. Because today's ticket prices are astronomically higher than they were decades ago, the fact remains that the number of people who paid to see those classics of yesteryear far exceeds many of the so-called blockbusters of today. Using that theory, Roeper says, Gone With the Wind still ranks as the most popular movie of all time. For more click here

By Adrian Smith

A sequel to The Wicker Man was first proposed in the mid-1980s by Anthony Schaffer, writer of the original. Titled “The Loathsome Lambton Worm”, it began as soon as the first film ended, as Sergeant Howie is rescued from his fiery fate by police from the mainland. He seeks justice and revenge and goes back to Summerisle, ostensibly to arrest those responsible for his near martyrdom, but instead becomes embroiled in a series of challenges, pitting the old gods against his own Christian faith. The film was to end with Howie fighting a fire-breathing dragon and then plunging willingly to his death from a cliff whilst tied to two large eagles. It would have been terrible.

However that film, with its witches on broomsticks and reliance on magical special effects, would have probably been far better than this extremely belated follow-up. Thirty-nine years is a long time to wait for a sequel, in which time Anthony Schaffer has died and Christopher Lee has aged beyond the point of being able to take a major starring role in a movie. Robin Hardy, director of The Wicker Man, proposed his own sequel several years ago, originally titled “The Riding of the Laddie”. Unable to find funding he wrote it into a novel, retitled “Cowboys for Christ”. In 2008 a press release announced the imminent filming of this official The Wicker Man sequel, starring Christopher Lee and Joan Collins as leaders of a sinister cult. Funding collapsed a mere two weeks before shooting began. Two years and one major casting change later (due to Sir Christopher’s ill health and advanced years), The Wicker Tree finally went into production. It has taken a further two years for the film to find distribution, which is always a worrying sign. Although Sir Christopher is somewhat frail, he does play an unidentified old man who pops in for one flashback scene to intone something about old religions. His reason for being there makes no narrative sense, and is clearly just meant as a nod to fans of the first film.

The plot follows the “Cowboys for Christ” novel fairly closely. A former US country pop star has seen the light and become converted to evangelical Christianity. Along with her reformed gambler boyfriend, she decides that the most effective way to spread the good news is to spend two years knocking on the doors of disinterested Scots. I would have thought it more likely that she would have recorded gospel albums and performed to sell out gigs. In some convoluted way that is never fully explained, the two of them end up as the guests of Sir Lachlan Morrison (a possible relation to Rowan Morrison, the missing girl from the original film?), in the distant Scottish village of Tressock. He runs his own nuclear power station, and apparently an accident ten years previously has rendered all the men in the village infertile. For this reason Morrison has encouraged the villagers to get into paganism in a big way, with the main focus being May Day, where they have a Laddie and a May Queen. He uses his vast wealth to search the world for suitably virginal candidates, and it doesn’t take a genius to guess the intended fate for his Texan guests. Why he doesn’t just spend some money on fertility treatment I don’t know. It would be much simpler.

(Photo courtesy of www.bondposters.com)

By Hank Reineke

As the eagerly anticipated premiere of Skyfall, the twenty-third James Bond film, counts down to its October 2012 release, Boston area fans of Britain’s favorite secret agent are being afforded the rare opportunity to revel in all that has come before. The staff of the Somerville Theater (located on Davis Square in the Boston suburb of Somerville, Massachusetts), are in the midst of celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of Ian Fleming’s super-spy on the big screen in a big way; with an ambitious year long series-encompassing twenty-two film retrospective. The architect of screenings is Ian Judge, the theater’s Director of Programming. Judge has not only been managing the nearly one-hundred year old theater for the past ten years, but he has long shared a history with the venue having grown up only a few blocks away from its gilded entrance. Built in 1914 as a posh nine-hundred seat forum for vaudeville-era acts and stage plays, the theater began screening films right from the advent of the silent era. Though the intimate, wonderfully decorative auditorium retains its opulent splendor, the theater combines old world elegance with new world technology. Three years ago the venue’s grand balcony was completely refurbished and, perhaps more importantly, the theater was fit with a Dolby digital sound system and twin Norelco DP-70 projectors, the latter addition allowing the venue to be one of the few cinemas in New England to have the capability of presenting films in the 70mm format.

Judge, it’s not too surprising to learn, especially given his enthusiasm and the breadth of the 007 retrospective he’s programmed, has been a long-time fan of the James Bond series. Though his favorite Bond film is From Russia with Love (1963), as a self-described “child of the ‘80s,” Judge admits to a soft spot for Roger Moore’s swan song A View to a Kill (1985), principally due to Christopher Walken’s smooth portrayal of the genetically engineered psychotic industrialist Max Zorin.

Though nothing short of nirvana for some, the concept of screening, chronologically, every James Bond film from Dr. No (1962) through Quantum of Solace (2008) is, without doubt, something of a gamble. But although neighborhood repertory theaters are closing and/or having to devise methods to cope with a sluggish economy and studio pressure to move toward all-digital projection screenings, Judge was adamant that the James Bond films should be screened as they had been over the course of the last fifty years, in glorious 35mm. That’s one of the principle roles of the repertory theater, Judge contends, as “that’s what we’re here for – to show people the magic of the movies, and to make a profit doing so. Despite their availability on TV and DVD, the Bond films still draw a crowd.” There was never any consideration of cheating moviegoers by splashing the 007 back catalog onto the big screen via digital-projection. It was important that the Bond series be presented to fans in the most authentic manner possible outside use of a time-machine… by sourcing the best 35mm prints available. “There’s no question of not doing it on 35mm,” Judge explained, “It is the superior format for these films, and the format they were intended to be shown in. We’re intensely defensive of the 35mm and 70mm film formats. So long as there are prints for classic films, that is the way we intend to show them.”

The retrospective was launched on the weekend of March 2-4 with screenings of the first five Sean Connery films and George Lazenby’s one-shot On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969). The weekend of May 4-5 (which I attended with my daughter Sara, one of innumerable father and child units filling the seats) marked their second exclusive weekend of Bond films. The program featured such entries from the ‘70s as Diamonds Are Forever (1971), Live and Let Die (1973), The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), and The Spy Who Loved Me (1977). The old-timers (present company included) instantly noted that the strikingly pristine prints featured the original and nostalgic “United Artists – A Trans-America Company” animation prior to the series’ iconic “gun barrel” opening.

Cinema Retro has received the following press release from MGM and Park Circus film distributors:

Glasgow, 1st May 2012. Park Circus and Metro Goldwyn Mayer Studios are pleased to announce a special celebration at the 65th Cannes International Film Festival to mark the 50th Anniversary on the big screen of Ian Fleming’s James Bond.

Five James Bond films will screen in new digital versions as part of the Cinema de la Plage screenings.

The celebration will kick off with a 50th anniversary screening of DR NO directed by Terence Young and starring Sean Connery and Ursula Andress.

First released on 5th October 1962 Albert R. “Cubby” Broccoli’s production of DR NO marked the first big screen appearance for Ian Fleming’s James Bond character.

DR NO will be followed by screenings of FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE, DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER, ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE and CASINO ROYALE.

This is the first time a James Bond film has screened during the festival.

The screenings in Cannes mark a year long celebration including a return to theatres worldwide of some of the classic Bond films. The celebration continues on the small screen with BOND 50, a collectible box-set featuring all 22 James Bond films on Blu-ray disc for the first time including the debut of nine James Bond films previously unavailable in high definition Blu-ray. Fans around the world can pre-order now with participating online retailers

Park Circus will distribute a restored version of director Michael Powell's classic The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp to select UK movie theatres on 18 May. Here is the official announcement.

Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s epic wartime masterpiece forensically restored and back in cinemas from Friday 18 May. 

Click here to view another rarity: an original review from 1985 of Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert debating the merits (or lack thereof) of Roger Moore's final Bond film A View to a Kill. 

I'm not sure that a course such as this will ease the pain of parents struggling to pay for sky-high college tuition, but Cornell University is embarking on a study about what makes certain movie lines resonate with the public-in some cases long after the movie's impact has receded. Click here to read 

Jennifer Garlen of the wonderful retro web site The Cinementals provides an intriguing analysis of how scenes set in graveyards play a pivotal role in John Ford's Westerns. Click here to view 

By Lee Pfeiffer

Although I've been a long time admirer of both Jim Brown and Lee Van Cleef, their 1970 Western El Condor had eluded me until the Warner Archive recently released it as a burn-to-order title. I was rather surprised at what a terrifically entertaining film this is and I was particularly impressed by the opulent production values. Filmed in Almeria, Spain (like so many Westerns of the period), El Condor presents Brown and Van Cleef as petty criminals who form a partnership in order to search for a massive fortune in gold that is supposedly secreted behind the walls of a heavily guarded desert fortress run by Chavez, a renegade Mexican general (Patrick O'Neal). Chavez has a full army at his disposal and they are seemingly indestructible. They terrorize the local population, rape women at will and have enough heavy artillery to repel any attack from either side in the on-going Mexican revolution. Nevertheless, Brown and Van Cleef formulate a plan that will allow them to seize the El Condor fortress with the help of Apache warriors. Their scheme goes disastrously wrong in several ways, leading them to rely on their wits to survive.

One of the reasons why El Condor is so good is because it was directed by John Guillerman, an old pro at helming action/adventure movies. Guillerman is known for bringing spectacle to his productions and this one is no exception. The cast is incredibly large for a Western and the climactic battle inside the fortress is astonishing to behold in both its scope and execution. The fortress itself is an amazing piece of work, an massive creation that dominates the desert landscape. Aside from the impressive action sequences, there are other joys in this film. The Butch and Sundance-like byplay between Brown and Van Cleef gives both men a rare opportunity to show their talents at playing light comedy and Van Cleef is particularly amusing as a likable, but untrustworthy cad. Marianna Hill provides the sex appeal as Chavez' reluctant mistress and she gets to dominate a single, extended sequence in which she distracts a large number of soldiers by stripping by candlelight in her bedroom. Hill goes the full monty in a sequence that is genuinely erotic, though tastefully done. Another pleasure of the film is Maurice Jarre's stirring score which adds immeasurably to the atmosphere. 

El Condor is often brutal, but the bloodletting is somewhat mitigated by the humorous barbs between Van Cleef and Brown...and did I also mention that Marianna Hill has an extended nude scene?

(For a report on El Condor locations then and now, see Cinema Retro issue #5 in our back issues section) 

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The Sol Cinema, a solar-powered mobile mini theater in South Wales.

Kimberly Lindbergs, writing on TCM's Movie Morlocks website, takes a look at ten of the most unique movie theaters in the world, from the oldest to the smallest to the most bizarre. Click here to view  

By Lee Pfeiffer

When I received an unsolicited screener of a new film called The Scarlet Worm from Unearthed Films, I let it languish for weeks. Finally, primarily because it is a Western, I got around to viewing it. It's a gritty, grim affair that ranks among the best independent movies I've seen lately. However, I was curious about the cast members because, as talented as they are, I had not heard of any of them. The reason why became clear when I looked at the "making of..." extras on the Blu-ray. Incredibly, this ambitious movie was put together by a team of virtual strangers who met each other on-line. They conceived of the plot and shot the movie on such a low budget that they had to live in an abandoned house that had been foreclosed by a bank. When viewed from this context, The Scarlet Worm is an even more impressive achievement. The film centers on a immoral hired gun named Print (played by film critic Aaron Stielstra, who also provides the film's atmospheric score). Print fancies himself the protector of everything moral in the small, remote desert community in which he lives. He arbitrarily decides lives and dies, and much of his killing is done for pay under the instructions of local cattle baron, Mr. Paul (Montgomery Ford), who wants Print to assassinate a bordello owner named Kley (Dan van Husen), ostensibly because he forces his whores into undergoing barbaric abortions. However, there is a more personal reason for Paul wanting the "hit" to take place. This sets of a virtual war between Paul and Kley that involves an eclectic number of eccentric gunslingers on both sides. The Scarlet Worm may sound like an old Roger Corman horror flick, but the title actually has an intriguing meaning that becomes clear in the course of the film. The movie, very well-directed by Michael Fredianelli, draws upon imagery from any number of old Western classics ranging from the works of Peckinpah and Leone to Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven. The film doesn't stint on brutality and some of the sequences, particularly involving the crude abortion practices, are hard to stomach. Yet, Fredianelli successfully paints a convincing picture of the hard scrabble life on the American frontier, where lives could be snuffed out on a whim. The production team does wonders in compensating for the low budget and manages to provide some very professional and convincing set designs and costumes. The crew also doubles as actors. The most notable performances are those of professional veteran thespians like Ford and van Husen, who have film credits dating back decades. Both are in top form, finally having been awarded leading roles. Stielstra makes for a mesmerizing and highly complicated villain. Lanky in build with a Wyatt Earp look, Stielstra's Print is an unnerving figure- charming one moment, murderous the next. There are also some fine performances by the women who play the abused hookers, with Rita Rey a particular standout. It should be noted that the actresses don't shy away from appearing fully nude in the movie, but it never comes across as gratuitous. Instead, it presents frontier prostitution as a grimy world where women's lives depended on the whims of the men who routinely used and abused them. The Blu-ray looks first rate and contains a "making of" featurette, as well as various trailer for the film. There are also some trailers for productions members of the cast and crew are involved with. The team also has a slasher film out there, but it looks like a waste of their talents to produce yet another gruesome Texas Chainsaw Massacre-style movie. Instead, their production company, Wild Dogs Films, should set their sites on more lofty goals such as The Scarlet Worm. It's an amazing achievement in indy film making and I look forward to their next endeavor. 

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Cinema Retro's Dave Worrall was recently interviewed by the Carjam radio program at the Bond in Motion exhibition at the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu, England. The event is the largest exhibit of 007 vehicles ever displayed. Dave, the author of The Most Famous Car in the World, discusses the history of James Bond's legendary Aston Martin DB5. The interview will debut on May 7 at 2:00 PM (UK time) and there is a link to listen to the show if you miss the initial broadcast. Click here for more. 

Broadway has seen the future: and it lies in Hollywood's past. The Great White Way is shaping up a number of productions based on motion pictures, ranging from modestly budgeted films like Diner and Bullets Over Broadway to major league adaptations of Back to the Future, Flashdance and the Rat Pack opus Robin and the 7 Hoods. For more click here

By Lee Pfeiffer

Actor George Lindsey has been found dead at age 83. Although he had a long and varied career that included stand-up comedy, he is best remembered by generations of fans as Goober Pyle, the lovable but simple-minded garage mechanic from the legendary Andy Griffith Show. The series' long run in the 1960s ensured its status as an evergreen comedy and it maintains an active fan base that gathers for annual conventions. The close-knit cast continued their ties over the decades and, in learning of Lindsey's passing, Andy Griffith said he had only spoken to him a few days ago. Lindsey took on a key role in the series playing the cousin of Gomer Pyle, played by Jim Nabors. When Nabors quit the series in order to star in the equally successful Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., Lindsay managed to pick up the slack and become accepted as popular cast member, which was no easy task. When Don Knotts left the series, the actor who replaced him, Jack Burns, lasted only one season. Lindsay's tenure in with the show extended into the 1970s when he starred in the off-shoot series Mayberry R.F.D. which went into production after Andy Griffith left the series. On a personal level, I met Lindsey back in the 1990s as part of the research I did on a book I authored about The Andy Griffith Show. We met in a small Ohio town where Lindsay was appearing at a fan event. He told me he was often frustrated at being typecast as Goober, as it basically diluted his opportunities to show off his dramatic talents. However, he acknowledged that he was humbled and honored that the character brought so much joy to audiences for so many years. He also said it helped him maintain a successful career, as he made countless appearances every year as Goober. I recall we went with a group of people to a restaurant, but because we lacked reservations, we had been turned away. Lindsey said he would handle the situation. He disappeared to speak with the hostess and returned to tell us we now had a table. He attributed this to his ability to "Gooberize" people, that is, turn on the corn pone country charm. Lindsey was a charming man in real life and a talent whose diversity in acting styles was often overlooked. Nevertheless, he remains an iconic figure in the great era of 60s TV. For more click here

Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis as the Ghostbusters.

Bill Murray's former cast mates and director Ivan Reitman are eagerly hoping that a new Ghostbusters flick will become reality. The sticking point is notoriously finicky Bill Murray, who is deemed crucial to the project. Murray is being maddeningly obtuse about whether he'll do the movie or not, alternately disparaging the concept, then saying it's a possibility he will star in it. His friend and co-star Dan Aykroyd says that Murray is living a serene life, only working when he wants to and enjoying raising his kids. Whether the the former Saturday Night Live teammates will be reunited on screen remains to be seen. Given Murray's ever-changing mood, the film may not stand a ghost of a chance. Click here for more

Here's a blast from the past: Charlton Heston in the late 1950s as the surprise guest on What's My Line? Even though Heston had one of the most recognizable voices in the industry, in this pre-Ben-Hur appearance, he didn't even have to disguise it, as the panel was pretty much stumped. 

Cinema Retro's Steve Saragossi, writing for the web site The Screen Lounge, delves into the past for a tribute to the great 1970s action flick The Taking of Pelham One Two Three starring Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw. Click here to remind yourself why some movies should never be remade. 

On her blog, writer Sydney Levine pays homage to the great movie theaters of her youth. Click here to read- it may bring back a few memories for you, as well, if you are from her neck of the woods.  

At age 92, Ray Harryhausen is still going strong, basking in accolades from generations of movie fans and filmmakers. The special effects genius is celebrated on the MovieMaker web site with columnist Kyle Rupprecht taking a look back at the most notable films of his career. Click here to read 

The Huffington Post has compiled a gallery of suggestive posters for cinematic sex comedies. Some of them are pretty anemic, while a few are truly over-the-top. (The poster for American Pie demands you to "Fill that sticky hole!" ) Many are from grade B comedies no one even remembers, if they heard of them at all. Still, it's a fun browse through pseudo porn. Click here to view 

Here's something irresistible for retro movie lovers. Video magic maker Jeff Desom has created a time lapse tribute to Alfred Hitchcock's Read Window that covers all the highlights of the film, strictly from the point of view of James Stewart, who obsessively observes the action going on in the apartments that face his own. It's a fairly amazing creation.

It's hardly a revelation that Madonna used the image of her idol Marilyn Monroe to help publicize her career, especially in the 1980s and 1990s. We can all remember specific publicity photos, magazine covers and music video in which the legendary actress was channeled by the up-and-coming entertainment industry icon. However, the full extent of Madonna's Marilyn "tributes" borders on an obsession- and she has been accused of blatantly ripping off every aspect of Monroe's career, from specific poses to scenes from her films. The web site www.antimadonna.darkhost.com lays out the full extent of the evidence in mind-boggling detail. 

Clint Eastwood is prepping a new screen version of the oft-filmed A Star is Born. Beyonce is set to star, possibly opposite Tom Cruise. Curiously, this version draws on a more contemporary inspiration for the storyline. Screenwriter Will Fetters says he was motivated by the tragic real life story of rocker Kurt Kobain. Click here to read 

Noted Hollywood historian and movie photo collector Marc Wanamaker has donated his collection of 70,000 rare stills to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Wanamaker began collecting the photos in 1971 as part of a research project. Over the years, he managed to unearth a treasure trove of rare images pertaining to early American films, though some of the photos extend to relatively recent past. In some cases, these represent the only known photos from largely forgotten films. The collection will be available to film historians and researchers. For more click here 

By Lee Pfeiffer

Warner Archive has released the little-remembered 1969 adventure film Kenner as part of its celebration of Jim Brown movies. The film is pretty much a klunky, under-scripted misfire, directed by Steve Sekely, who specialized in B movies. (His greatest success was Day of the Triffids.) Brown plays the title role of Roy Kenner, a rugged, no-nonsense seafarer who arrives in Bombay ostensibly to locate an old friend who has gone missing. In fact, he's trying to track down a ruthless criminal named Jordan (Charles Horvath), a one-time partner whose double crossing ways resulted in the death of Kenner's best friend. The film's misguided premise is to show the touchy-feely side of Brown when virtually no one went to his films looking for his touchy-feely side. Within minutes of arriving in Bombay, he encounters Saji (Ricky Cordell), an adorable child of the streets who longs to see his American father. His devoted mother Anasuya (Madlyn Rhue) keeps a terrible secret from him: she is a prostitute who doesn't even know who fathered the boy. Saji helps Kenner escape harm at the hands of an angry mob and, as a result, the two become inseparable. Kenner romances Anasuya, but both mother and son become unwitting participants in Kenner's dangerous attempts to track down Jordan. The film meanders from one chase to another, and director Sekely does the best he can to capitalize on the exotic locations in old Bombay and provides a few exciting, well-staged chase scenes. However. everyone seems to realize they are participating in a bottom-of-the-double-feature production. Brown is uncharacteristically bland, phoning in his performance and performing the requisite action sequences with something less than zeal. There is one surprising plot development that does pack some emotional impact, but the film is, in the overall sense, a misfire. The former footballer-turned-action star was overexposed at the time, with six movies released between 1968-1969 though he would later redeem himself with more successful films than this. The supporting cast of Kenner contributes some admirable performances, with old hand Robert Coote as a devious English aristocrat providing a few interesting moments. However, the performance of Charles Horvath as the villain is poor enough to make viewers grateful that he has limited screen time. Unless you have an urgent desire to see what Bombay looked like in 1969, this Brown title will be only for the actor's hard-core fans. The DVD contains the original trailer, which rather disingenuously portrays the film as a Blaxploitation movie.

Click here to order from Warner Archive and to view a clip of Jim Brown fighting it out in an old Bombay movie theater. 

The Hollywood Reporter uses a cinematic time machine to revisit the summer of 1975 when Jaws became an international blockbuster and a young director named Steven Spielberg became a household name. Click here to read 

The Ingrid Pitt Fan Club has announced a major festival to be held in Hastings, England on 27 October. The event will celebrate the life and career of the legendary horror films star who passed away in 2010. There will be screenings, VIP guests and much more. Click here for more info 

Although Dorothy Gibson's name has largely been lost to time, she was one of the shining stars of the American film industry during the silent era. Gibson made a fateful voyage on the Titanic and barely managed to survive. She capitalized on her adventure in a successful movie titled Saved From the Titanic. However, another tragedy loomed in her future, when fate brought her to Germany at the advent of Hitler's rise to power. Click here for more

By Lee Pfeiffer

InterVision is releasing the vintage Australian Ozploitation films of director John D. Lamond, whose modestly-budgeted works turned enormous profits with the angle of showing what was going on down under Down Under. Following their release of Lamond's first movie, Australia After Dark (click here for review), the company now presents his second effort, The ABC's of Love and Sex- Australia Style, in an uncut version. (The film had been censored in various countries to conform with censors.) Curiously, although the DVD sleeve refers to the titles as The ABC's..., the film itself is titled The ABC of Love and Sex. Like the previous movie, this 1978 feature uses the guise of being an educational film to explore sexual habits among Aussies, though one would assume there is nothing so unique about Australian sex practices that can't be found in any other country. Perhaps to minimize interference from censors, Lamond mingles humor with surprisingly graphic (if somewhat clinical) presentations of willing couples doin' the dirty deeds. The film starts rather bizarrely with clay animation figures informing us of what we're about to see. Lamond uses the old ploy of interviewing doctors and researchers to give the feature a semblance of intellectual credibility when, in fact, it is clearly designed to titillate. Lamond takes every letter of the alphabet and presents a vignette to illustrate a sexual practice, fetish or deviancy relating to each letter. The prejudices of the era are in full view, with homosexual men being dismissed as catty queens bitching behind each other's backs at a party. However, lesbians are depicted as beautiful, naked and sexually voracious. There are also plenty of tips about masturbation techniques, in case you need some advice in that area. (Remember, it's sex with someone you love...) The film presents food as a sexual aid in a sequence that is obviously inspired by the dining sequence in Tom Jones. Lamond doesn't shy away from some touchier topics such as rape, and was ahead of his time in presenting it as an undeniable act of violence that leaves a woman brutalized. (Though he can't resist pointing out that some women have rape fantasies.)  Lamond does provide equal time in terms of showing both sexes in full frontal nudity mode and some of the scenes are surprisingly graphic, given the era in which the film was made. The film is more amusing than erotic and contains some catchy songs played against images of attractive models dancing. This benign approach seems like a clever way to disarm critics and ensure the movie wasn't regarded as outright pornography. The film is crude but fun and provides an interesting time capsule of how we viewed sex in the 70s.

The DVD contains an audio commentary track by Lamond and filmmaker Nick Hartley that is quite entertaining. However, the packaging promises a gallery of his film trailer that isn't on the DVD.

Click here to order from Amazon

The Naked Gun films were hits: the TV series they were based on, Police Squad, was a flop, lasting only six episodes.

CBS This Morning devotes a segment to analyzing beloved TV series that have been made into feature films. Among those discussed: The Three Stooges (the link acknowledges these were actually theatrical shorts but soared in popularity due to TV airings), Sex and the City, The Naked Gun and The Brady Bunch. The critics also mention Batman, thus showing their ignorance of the fact that the Batman feature films of recent years have not been based on the 1960s TV series, but on a much longer legacy that extends back to serials in the 1940s. Curiously, there isn't even a mention of the hugely successful Mission: Impossible movies.  Click here to view

Would you want to wreck this man's new Mercedes???

Long time Clint Eastwood-watchers thought it was rather strange that the normally private actor and filmmaker consented to a reality TV show that will highlight his wife Dana's attempts to popularize a boy band she discovered. The intrusive look into the Eastwood's personal life has many show biz types scratching their heads about why Eastwood would agree to make some fleeting appearances on the program. The show was being filmed when Clint loaned his new Mercedes to the boy band- and they directly drove it into the front of a grocery store. Eastwood was said to be incensed, but we'll have to see how much of this makes the final cut. According to the Daily Star, Eastwood doesn't appear to be having the time of his life on the project and the crew is becoming intimidated by him. As for the band members, they should tread cautiously. Clint doesn't take kindly to messing with his vehicles, as anyone who saw Gran Torino can attest. For more click here

No matter what age you are, if you grew up in America in the last 71 years, Archie Comics have been a part of your life to one degree or another. The bloom may be off the rose in terms of the overall popularity of the perpetually-young, freckled face red head, but there are signs his mojo is coming back. The introduction of a gay character into Archie's circle of friends has seen sales soaring, as has a fantasy storyline that explores what his life would have been like had he married Betty and Veronica (separately, of course.). Nevertheless, the behind the scenes story of Archie Comics is the antithesis of the family-friendly plots in the comic books. The heirs of the founders are battling for control of the company- and the situation is so ugly that the New York Times is giving it major coverage. Click here to read. (Thanks to reader Nick Sheffo for the heads up).  

Cinema Retro has received the following press release concerning the Horrorfind Weekend. Celebrity guests include Kim Darby, Dee Wallace, Count Gore Devol, Lisa Marie and Meg Foster.

Greetings from Horrorfind,

The Horrorfind Weekend Convention and Film Festival is now accepting submissions for the 2012 Film Fest. This is the 14th Annual Horrorfind Weekend convention and the 3rd year with the addition of the Film Festival. The dates for the event are August 31, 2012 - September 2, 2012 at the Gateway Gettysburg Complex in Gettysburg Pa. http://www.gatewaygettysburg.com

The convention attracts thousands of people and the film festival is quickly becoming popular with fans and filmmakers alike. All films selected for the film fest are shown in real movie theaters on the same property as the convention hotel and are open for viewing by all convention attendees at no additional charge

Get your films in early to take advantage of discounts and to get ahead of the flood of submissions that come in later. 

For more information on the Horrorfind Weekend Convention and Film Festival logon to

http://www.horrorfindweekend.com

http://www.horrorfindweekend.com/filmfestformsubmit.html


Thanks and good luck,
Mike aka Horrormaster

Sony must be bullish on Bond...James Bond. Although Skyfall won't hit theaters until October, the studio has confirmed plans to get a new Bond film in theaters every two years. Although Daniel Craig's three picture contract expires with Skyfall, it's well known that his relationship with EON Productions has been among the best any 007 actor has enjoyed. Thus, it's expected Craig can be lured back into Bondage fairly easily. For more click here

Depp and Armie Hammer in the latest screen incarnation of The Lone Ranger.

Well, after a number of aborted attempts, Johnny Depp finally is fulfilling his quest to play Tonto in a new big screen version of The Lone Ranger. Here's a first look at his unique makeup, which renders him unrecognizable. Click here to read about how this look came about as well as Depp's determination to update the traditional image of one of the most famous side-kicks in history. 

THE LONDON FILM MEMORABILIA CONVENTION

Saturday May The 12 th ( 10 am – 4 pm )

Central Hall Westminster

UK’s longest running film convention!

Dealers from all over the UK , Europe and Canada!

Specialising in selling vintage film memorabilia and rare collectIbles. Items covering the history of cinema can be found.

From the silents to the present.

A UNIQUE EVENT FOR ANYONE WITH AN INTEREST IN CINEMA!

STILLS POSTERS BOTH VINTAGE & THE LATEST RELEASES

PROGRAMMES BOOKS RARE AND HARD TO FIND SOUNDTRACKS

& DVD’S BOOKS MAGAZINES LOBBY CARDS AUTOGRAPHS POSTCARDS VINTAGE & RETRO FILM AND TELEVISION RELATED TOYS PROPS ACTORS SIGNINGS AND TALKS

Flame In The Streets , Operation Crossbow , World Ten Times Over , The Queen , Punch and Judy Man Absolute Beginners , Asylum (Amicus ),Expresso Bongo.

VERA DAY – Who has acted with such greats as Laurence Olivier , Marilyn Monroe Terry-Thomas and Stanley Baker.

Her films include – Quatermass II , Hell Drivers , Too Many Crooks , The Prince and the Showgirl , Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND REGULAR UPDATES

PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE!

www.londonfilmmemorabiliaconvention.co.uk

Vincent Price (see here in the 1964 adaptation of The Tomb of Ligeia) collaborated with producer Roger Corman on several successful cinematic translations of Poe's work.

John Cusack's new movie -a fictionalized look at the life of Edgar Allan Poe that presents the famed writer chasing a serial killer- has brought about renewed interest in seeing how the master of the macabre's stories have translated on to cinema screens over the decades (for better or worse). Click here to read New York Times analysis. 

Here's a blast from the past: America's dueling film critics, Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert debating the merits of the "new" 1983 James Bond movie Octopussy. It begins about 4:40 into the segment, after they both trash a B sci-fi movie. Click here to view

Cinema Retro has received the following news announcement:

On Saturday May 19th, film Historian Bruce Crawford presents his 30th.classic film event: A salute to the 1959 adventure classic "Journey to the Center of the Earth", at 7pm at the Joslyn Art Museum's Witherspoon Hall theater 2200 Dodge St. Omaha Ne. 68102. Special guest will be Icon, singing legend and co star of the film, Pat Boone. Tickets are $25 and available at all Omaha Hy Vee Food stores customer service counters and  limited tickets at the door the night of the show. Proceeds benefit the Nebraska Kidney Association. For more information call 402-932-7200 and www.omahafilmevent.com

Over on his Filmgoers Guide blog, CINEMA RETRO contributor Howard Hughes reviews some Euro-cult rarities from the 1960s and 1970s, including Enzo G. Castellari's Napoleonic comedy The Loves and Times of Scaramouche (1976), with Michael Sarrazin and Ursula Andress
http://filmgoersguide.wordpress.com/2012/04/24/not-tonight-josephine/
The German 'Winnetou' westerns starring Lex Barker and Pierre Brice, including The Treasure of Silver Lake (1962) and Among Vultures (1964)
http://filmgoersguide.wordpress.com/2012/02/03/requiem-apache/
And Marcello Baldi's little-seen Old Testment trilogy - Jacob, the Man Who Fought With God (1963), Saul and David (1964) and The Great Leaders (1965) - some of which was shot in Almeria, southern Spain.
http://filmgoersguide.wordpress.com/2012/02/14/who-was-solomon-king/