Celebrating Films of the 1960s & 1970s - Adrian Smith

BOOK REVIEW: "STAR TREK: THE VISUAL DICTIONARY" BY PAUL RUDITUS

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 05:28:00 -0500

Review by Adrian Smith

'Star Trek' has been with us now for almost fifty years. It has spawned five different incarnations on television, ten official movies and soon the sequel to J.J. Abram's successful reboot of the franchise will be in cinemas, titled Star Trek Into Darkness. Gene Roddenberry's vision of an international, interstellar crew aboard a gigantic spacecraft whose mission was simply to explore the universe has touched millions of people and generated some almost alarming levels of devotion and influence. One only has to look at the campaign to build a real Starship Enterprise to see that this show is taken very seriously by many (www.buildtheenterprise.org).

But not everybody is well versed in 'Star Trek' lore. Over the decades of boldly going through the galaxies a massive amount of alien races, mythologies and technology has been devised to keep the shows and movies interesting. Some of these are well known even amongst non-Trekkies, with most people knowing the difference, say, between a Klingon and a Vulcan. What what about the Jem'Hadar? Or the Yridians? Could you name the home planet of the Xindi? Or explain how the Suliban Cabal became genetically enhanced? Thankfully these questions and more can now be answered without needing to trawl back through all those old 'Star Trek' tapes. If you want to be more familiar with the 'Star Trek' universe in time for the new movie, or just want to take a warp speed trip down memory lane, this new book from D.K. guides you through each incarnation of the television series, from the original 'Star Trek' through to 'The Next Generation', 'Voyager', 'Deep Space Nine' and 'Enterprise'. Also included is information from the first ten movies.

Aside from the introduction by John De Lancie, who played the mysterious extra-dimensional Q in 'Star Trek: The Next Generation', there is no acknowledgement in here that this is all fictional. The book acts as a glossary providing imagery and information as though it was all real. This is fun for fans who may want to check how to distinguish a Type-1 Phaser from a Type-2 Phaser, but a little frustrating if you are more interested in the history and development of the production from its inception. However, there are plenty of other books out there which cover that side of the story. Where Star Trek: The Visual Dictionary stands out is in its wealth of imagery, plenty of which is quite rare, having only just been released from the CBS archives. The book is well laid out and is something you can quite easily dip in and out of. You can marvel at the intricacies of the designs and the imaginations of the show's creators even if you can't find out who any of them were.

BOOK REVIEW: "URBAN TERRORS: NEW BRITISH HORROR CINEMA 1997-2008 by M.J. SIMPSON

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 05:24:00 -0500

Hemlock Books

ISBN: 9780955777479

Paperback

Price: £17.95

295 pages

Review by Adrian Smith

To paraphrase Jonathan Rigby in his book English Gothic, horror is the one genre that Britain can truly claim as its own. And whilst British horror cinema is inextricably connected to gothic-tinged memories of Christopher Lee, cobweb-strewn castles and buxom scream queens, M.J. Simpson points out in this excellently researched tome that the face of British horror today offers far more.

Simpson appears to have taken on the Herculean task of watching every film that could fit the broad definition of being British (not always easy to tell, with funding and production often involving multiple countries), and being horror, again something of a broad church. A lot of the films he describes, giving not only plot synopses but reviews, production information and interview extracts, sound utterly terrible. He seems to have sat through a staggering amount of punishingly bad films so that we, the readers, don't have to. But along the way he has stumbled across a significant number of excellent films, too, many of which have escaped either critical or commercial attention.

Using the term British Horror Revival, Simpson offers a complete breakdown of the twelve years covered, digging up each film and presenting them in the order they received any kind of release. It is fascinating to see just how difficult some filmmakers have getting distribution, often producing a film in the UK but finding it only coming out on DVD in Japan or Australia. Many films manage a few festival screenings before disappearing into obscurity, so Simpson is to be praised for finding them again. Of course, some of them sound so terrible that it does not seem that much of a pity, but others sound like genuine lost gems. If horror is your thing, this book will have you scouring the internet looking for DVD or download copies.

Amongst the filmmakers discussed are genuine talents like Jake West (Evil Aliens, 2006), Shane Meadows (Dead Man's Shoes, 2006), Neil Marshall (The Descent, 2005) and Danny Boyle, whose brilliant and devastating 28 Days Later (2002) did much to raise the profile of the British Horror Revival around the world. Amongst the more obscure entries you can find Beyond the Rave (2008), a cheap teen-themed vampire horror co-produced by the newly revived Hammer Films, which Cinema Retro covered extensively (and even appeared in briefly!) here: http://www.cinemaretro.com/index.php/archives/387-EXCLUSIVE-REPORT-FROM-THE-SET-OF-NEW-HAMMER-HORROR-FILM%21.html

This is an extremely well-researched book, and M.J. Simpson's occasionally sarcastic and exasperated tone is entertaining, even if it does give the impression that he had regrets about this project once he had embarked on it. He has uncovered some gems and revealed that there is a very active, mostly micro-budget British film industry which gets frequently overshadowed by the Bonds, Harry Potters and Richard Curtis rom-coms. It is a pity that aside from a few pages of colour stills the majority of the imagery in the book is black and white. This is a genre that is frequently soaked in the red stuff. The main gripe however has to be the lack of an index or references. It is impossible to search for a specific title unless you know the year it was released, and even then you have to wade through the chapter concerned. The book could have served as a useful reference guide, but instead it appears to have been designed to be read from cover to cover. However, this is only a minor reservation. If you are interested in the horror genre, or want to find out just how active dozens of British filmmakers have are, this is a great read.

(Click here for on-line index of people mentioned in the book)

(Click here for on-line index of titles mentioned in the book)

REVIEW: DEMILLE'S "CLEOPATRA" (1934) UK DUAL BLU-RAY/DVD RELEASE

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 05:55:00 -0600

(Note: This review pertains to the UK Region 2 PAL format release available on www.amazon.co.uk)

By Adrian Smith

Cecil B. DeMille will always be remembered for his lavish historical epics like The Ten Commandments (1923 and again in 1956), Sign of the Cross (1932) and Samson and Delilah (1949). However, with over one hundred and sixty credits as either director or producer, he also worked in plenty of other genres. Following two flops, This Day and Age (1933) and Four Frightened People (1934), Paramount head Adolph Zukor insisted he try to replicate the success of Sign of the Cross with another visual spectacle. DeMille agreed and cast Claudette Colbert in the lead role of Cleopatra (she had already starred in both Sign of the Cross and Four Frightened People and was about to win the Oscar for It Happened one Night (1934)).

The plot focuses on Cleopatra's relationship with Julius Caesar (Warren William), who initially wishes to conquer Egypt, but having been seduced by the Queen of the Nile, he instead pledges Rome's support and protection. This ultimately leads to his downfall and assassination in the Senate, and his right-hand man Marc Anthony (Henry Wilcoxon) takes joint power with Caesar's heir Octavian (Ian Keith). Determined to once again subjugate Egypt, Marc Anthony heads to the Nile and meets with Cleopatra aboard her incredibly extravagant barge. He is in turn seduced and takes Caesar's place as protectorate of Egypt, something which severely displeases Octavian and the Senate back home. This is a piece of history which, thanks to the movies, is very well known. The pleasure here comes not from wondering how it will turn out, but the visual spectacle we are treated to on the journey.

Former United States Postmaster General Will Hays had been tasked with cleaning up the motion picture industry following the great tide of scandal and public outcry over Hollywood decadence during the 1920s. This had in part been prompted by the death of actress Virginia Rappe following her attendance at an orgy with Fatty Arbuckle in 1921. In 1930 Hays published a set of industry rules which became known as the Hays Code or Production Code, and whilst official censorship was not in force, any movie which did not comply would find it extremely difficult to get distribution. The rules particularly clamped down on any form of sexual activity, with the first rule "No picture shall be produced that will lower the moral standards of those who see it," ensuring audiences were to get as little thrills as possible in the movie theatre. Incredibly the studios remained in voluntary subscription to the Hays code until the late 1960s. Fortunately in the early 1930s the code was only just developing its power over Hollywood and some productions did manage to escape, Cleopatra being one of them. DeMille had flirted with erotic imagery before, most notoriously with Claudette Colbert's nude bathing scene in Sign of the Cross. Cleopatra is filled with the kind of steamy, sexually-charged atmosphere that Hollywood would struggle to depict again for many years. Colbert's costumes in particular are eye-popping in every sense.

The sets of the movie also live up to DeMille's reputation, and must have filled every sound stage on the Paramount lot. He had an eye for spectacle and Cleopatra is brimming with it, whether it's the opulent palaces or the climactic sea battle, surprisingly graphic for 1934. The pacing is good, with plenty of story covered in its one hundred minutes. The makers of the Elizabeth Taylor-starring remake in 1963 could have learned a lot from this one. Claudette Colbert's performance is perfect as the sexually alluring queen willing to do whatever it takes to protect Egypt, even if her suitors, Caesar and Marc Anthony, are rather boorish and ham-fisted. This is a film where the cast appear to hail from New York rather than the ancient world, but this does not matter when the gorgeous imagery arrests your senses all the way through.

This new dual format (Blu-ray and DVD) release from Eureka features a tremendous HD transfer authorised by Universal, and some nice documentaries covering DeMille, Claudette Colbert and the background to the Production Code. A commentary by film historian F.X. Feeney and forty page booklet crammed with essays and imagery is also included. This is a highly recommended release.

REVIEW: DIRECTOR ANDY MILLIGAN'S "NIGHTBIRDS" (1970), BFI FLIPSIDE RELEASE

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 05:37:00 -0600

By Adrian Smith

BFI Flipside Dual Format Edition

(Note: this review pertains to the UK Region 2 release.)

New York underground filmmaker and avante-garde theatre director Andy Milligan is perhaps best known for his sleazy exploitation movies that ran in 42^nd St theatres for years throughout the 1970s. Memorable titles include The Rats Are Coming! The Werewolves Are Here! (1972) and The Ghastly Ones (1968), the latter banned in the UK during the 1980s as a “video nasty.” A meeting in 1968 in New York with Leslie Elliot, a British distributor, lead to several of his films being distributed in the UK. Even better for Milligan was the opportunity to shoot five new films under Elliot's production arm Cinemedia Films. Finding himself a flat in Soho and becoming acquainted with the British by hanging out with male prostitutes on Piccadilly Circus, Milligan developed a study of poverty, sexual frankness and sadomasochism that would have caused quite a stir at the British Board of Film Censors, had the film ever been released. After shooting Nightbirds and it's companion piece, the vampire horror The Body Beneath, Milligan had an irreparable falling out with Leslie Elliot's father and business partner Curtis Elliot, and was forced to sever ties with the family before the films could be distributed. He was allowed to keep the films, and somehow managed to raise the money to shoot a further three films here before returning to New York, where he had varying success in getting the films seen. Nightbirds received a limited screening before disappearing into obscurity.

Unlike the horror films he is better known for, Nightbirds is a small character-driven piece following Dink (Berwick Kaler), a young man recently made homeless in swinging London. He meets Dee (Julie Shaw), an enigmatic, sexually playful blonde who invites him to move into her tawdry attic bedsit. They become obsessed with each other to the point where they begin to fear facing the outside world, preferring the insular, psychologically troubling world they have built for themselves. Dee seems reluctant to share anything about her own past, preferring instead to make Dink do the talking. She flirts with the landlord and slowly cuts Dink off from the only friends he has left. The relationship is difficult at best, and emotionally abusive at worst. Milligan has often been accused of being a misogynist, and his depiction of the female character being as rotten as her flat could feed in to that. The film is more nuanced than that however, and as her motivations as slowly revealed, the audience is left to make up their own minds.

Berwick Kaler went on to star in a further four Milligan films before carving an eclectic career for himself in British film and television, and is now the creative force behind the annual York pantomime. Julie Shaw first appeared in Pete Walker's The Big Switch aka Strip Poker (1968), and after her starring role here virtually disappeared. Nobody knows what happened to her following Nightbirds, which is a pity as she found an interesting, emotionally detached performance in what must have been a rushed, occasionally difficult shoot.

Andy Milligan has an undeserved reputation as one of the worst film directors since Ed Wood. One hopes that the release of Nightbirds will help to restore him to a more favourable level of respectability. It is an interesting and well made film, pushing the boundaries of what was acceptable in the late 1960s, particularly in regards to depictions of and discussions about sex. It compares well with similar films from that period, some of which are also available on the Flipside label, such as Private Road (1971) or Duffer (1971). It also compares favourably to Andy Warhol's Trash (1970) or Flesh (1968), films which also put people on the fringes of society in the full glare of the camera.

As a bonus feature here, alongside trailers, an excellent booklet and a commentary track from Berwick Kaler (the first Flipside release to feature a commentary incidentally), Milligan's other completed Cinemedia film has been restored and included; The Body Beneath. This film was more familiar territory for the director. Vampires, ghouls, a hunchbacked assistant (played by Berwick Kaler) and occasional graphic gore are thrown together in a fairly nonsensical, almost slapdash effort, in an attempt to create something which is halfway between a late Hammer horror and a dreary daytime soap opera. Unlike Nightbirds, The Body Beneath merely reinforces Milligan's Ed Wood comparisons, although it does have moments of interest, particularly a grand meeting between vampires which turns into a tirade of anti-American abuse.

Once again the BFI are to be congratulated for putting a package like this together. With the assistance of award-winning director Nicolas Winding-Refn (Drive, 2011), who had the only surviving film materials, the BFI have proven that film matters, no matter how obscure. Cinema Retro eagerly await the Flipside releases for 2013.

For a fascinating in-depth look at how the film was restored for this release click here: http://film.thedigitalfix.com/tag/anatomy%20of%20a%20flipside

To buy this dual format release click here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nightbirds-DVD-Blu-ray-Berwick-Kaler/dp/B006C1M4R8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1351628105&sr=8-1

REVIEW: "HOUSE OF THE LONG SHADOWS" (1983) STARRING VINCENT PRICE, PETER CUSHING, CHRISTOPHER LEE AND JOHN CARRADINE COMES TO UK DVD FOR THE FIRST TIME

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 18:09:00 -0600

(The following review pertains to the Region 2/British DVD release)

By Adrian Smith

By the end of the 1970s Pete Walker was one of the UK's most successful horror film directors, with titles like House of Whipcord (1974), Frightmare (1974) and The Flesh and Blood Show (1972) securing his reputation for originality and controversy. It was perhaps surprising to many when, in 1983, what turned out to be his last film was a throw-back to the old dark house-style gothic horrors of the 1930s. His producers, Menahem Golen and Yorum Globus, wanted a horror film with Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff, not the “aborted foetus on the rampage” film he was trying to raise funding for. Undeterred, and working with long-time script-writing collaborator Michael Armstrong, he devised a film that could cast the old guard and be both an homage to the genre as well as a spoof of its creaky conventions. Thankfully Peter Cushing, Vincent Price, Christopher Lee and John Carradine signed up providing the kind of dream team not seen since the heyday of Amicus or AIP in the 1960s. Sheila Keith, in her fifth film for Pete Walker, was a replacement for Elsa Lanchester, the original bride of Frankenstein, who at that point was too ill to make the journey to the UK. Despite her late casting, Keith's association with Walker's horror films ensured she fitted in perfectly with the rest of the cast.

The story revolves around rich young American author Ken (Desi Arnaz Jr., son of Desi and Lucille Ball) on a book-signing tour of the UK. A bet is made with his publisher (played with relish by Richard Todd, himself no stranger to the horror film) that Ken cannot write a gothic romance novel in twenty-four hours. Taking the bet, he is given the key to a deserted manor house in Wales to provide inspiration, only it soon transpires that the house is anything but. Before he can settle down with his typewriter he has to deal with mysterious caretakers, long-lost relatives, a sexy secretary, cobweb-strewn corridors, a locked room and several grisly murders. The old cast play their parts with obvious glee, these pantheons of terror clearly relishing the chance to play on their horror images. Even Christopher Lee seems to be having a good time! Desi Arnaz Jr. has come in for some criticism in the past for his performance in this film, and whilst he is a little bland, he does provide a useful anchor for the increasing insanity around him.

When released theatrically House of the Long Shadows disappointed at the box office, in part due to the fact that Cannon Films could not decide whether to market the movie as a comedy or a horror, and it has become something of a lost film since. There was a brief VHS release in the mid-1980s and a poor quality burn on demand DVD from the MGM archive, but this release from Final Cut Entertainment represents the first official DVD release, and it is long overdue. Featuring a good quality widescreen print, we finally have an opportunity to appreciate the superb lighting and cinematography by Norman G. Langley, who was working under the difficulties of shooting in a real manor house, not a studio set. The DVD cover is unfortunately cheap and bland, essentially reproducing the original VHS artwork, but do not be fooled. A lot of work has been put into this release, mainly by author, theatre director and super-fan Derek Pykett. He accompanies director Pete Walker on a full commentary track discussing all aspects of the production in great detail. What is more unexpected is the feature length documentary House of the Long Shadows... Revisited, produced and presented by Pykett. It is clearly an amateur production, and somebody needs to teach him how to conduct interviews without constantly giggling in the background, but we should be grateful for his enthusiasm. It is doubtful anyone else would have gone to so much trouble. He reunites Walker and Langley with Julie Peasgood, one of the film's younger stars, at the original location, actually Rotherfield park in Hampshire. He has also secured interviews with several other of the movie's participants from both in front of and behind the camera, the most surprising of all being a fascinating chat with Desi Arnaz. Jr himself. He has fond memories of the film, particularly working with such a terrific cast.

Hopefully this release will allow people the chance to reassess this gleefully playful movie, which is deeply undeserving of the negative reputation it has. Far from the disappointment it was perceived to be at the time, House of the Long Shadows is both a tribute and a swansong to the gothic horror movie, riffing on the clichés and sending up the over the top performances. It is a joy to spend an hour and a half in the company of Vincent Price, Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, John Carradine and Sheila Keith doing what they did best, in a lineup the likes of which we will most likely never see again.

BOOK REVIEW: Muchas Gracias Señor Lobo: Paul Naschy Memorabilia by Thorsten Benzel

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 18:05:00 -0600

By Adrian Smith

Creepy Images/ Kessler & Benzel GbR ISBN 978-3-00-03941-9

Binding: hardback

Price €39.50

392 pages

size: 210 x 270 mm

Paul Naschy has often been described as the Spanish Lon Chaney due to the variety of different roles he has played within the horror genre. It would perhaps be more accurate to liken him to Lon Chaney Jr. however, given his short stocky build and propensity for playing werewolves, vampires and mummies in often second-rate movies. His real name was Jacinto Molina, and in a career spanning almost sixty years in Spanish cinema he progressed from acting through to writing and eventually directing as well. He also dabbled in euro-crime thrillers and giallo-style murder mysteries, but it was the gothic horror film in which he seemed to feel most at home.

Spanish cinema under the Franco regime was quite strictly controlled, but horror tended to have more freedom, which perhaps explains why it was the only genre at the time to really flourish, with many of the films being shown worldwide. This new book, featuring over 1200 images, all in full colour, helps to chart the distribution history of Naschy films around the world by gathering together posters, lobby cards, front-of-house stills and press kits from over twenty countries. It is an entertaining and fascinating wealth of materials, many of which have not been published before. The films are presented chronologically, focusing primarily on those in which Naschy starred. An additional chapter has been added for non-horror movies, or those where he was more of a supporting player. The author has provided plenty of additional information, printed here in both English and German, which sheds light on the production history as well as details on the availability and collectible nature of some of these advertising materials.

Even if you have not seen a Paul Naschy film before, this is a book filled with brilliant images that you will want to pour over for hours before going on line to seek some of these titles out. How about pairing Shadow of the Werewolf aka The Werewolf vs. Vampire Woman (1971) with The Werewolf and the Yeti (1975) for hairy double-bill? Naschy also scripted and starred in Exorcist-style shocker Exorcismo (1974), worked with Hammer's John Gilling on La Cruz del Diablo (1974) and even went to swinging London in Jack the Ripper in London, aka Seven Murders for Scotland Yard (1971). Whether his films were cashing in on the late 1960s cinematic fixation on witch burning, or if he was playing a hunchback in a morgue, Paul Naschy clearly threw himself fully into his work. The publicity images generally put his monstrous visage to the fore, but still find plenty of room for boobs, blood and screaming women. It comes as something of a surprise to see just how explicit some of these front-of-house stills could be, and is an interesting reminder of how relaxed and liberal some countries were at the time.

The book is huge fun, and clearly represents an impressive personal collection from the author. An introduction from Naschy's son Sergio Molina provides some background information on the beginnings of his father's career, and the author has included a memorabilia glossary which is particularly helpful for collectors. This book is a must-have for horror and Euro-cine fans, potentially introducing Spanish horror cinema to a whole new audience.

To order this book go to www.creepy-images.com.

DVD REVIEW: "JOURNEY TO THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH" (1977) STARRING KENNETH MORE

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 05:58:00 -0600

By Adrian Smith

Jules Verne's Fabulous Journey to the Centre of the Earth (1977)

Directed by Juan Piquer Simón

Region 2, released by Odeon Entertainment (This is the UK DVD release.)

Destined to be picked up by people mistaking it for the 1959 version starring James Mason, this release was directed in Spain and Lanzarote by a man often referred to as the Spanish Ed Wood. Taking his cast on location, shooting in spectacular caves and volcanic wastes, the film has a far greater sense of realism than its Hollywood counterpart. Sadly the budgetary constraints meant that a lot of the cave scenes are so darkly lit we are as much in the dark as the candle-bearing explorers.

Following Verne's novel quite closely, the story concerns Victorian Professor Otto Lindenbrock (Kenneth More) who in the inquisitive spirit of the age decides to prove his “crackpot” theories concerning a hollow earth. Armed with an ancient map and accompanied by his assistant, his daughter and stoic guide Hans, they climb down inside a volcano and discover an ocean, dinosaurs, giant mushrooms, man-eating tortoises and even King Kong. Alright, so it doesn't follow the novel that closely, but the film is all the more fun because of it. There are even some intriguing time-travel and cloning elements thrown in, possibly referencing Verne's closest rival in sci-fi literature, H.G. Wells.

Kenneth More stars as Lindenbrock in what turned out to be one of his last roles. It was a physically demanding role, and More plays it all straight, despite the opportunities for camping it up. He was acting alongside a mostly Spanish cast and filmed in some very difficult locations, particularly the caves where the temperature was a constant 99 degrees humidity. More was a well- respected player in the British film industry, perhaps best remembered for playing World War II fighter pilot Douglas Bader in Reach For the Sky (1956). Sadly he developed Parkinson's Disease in his early sixties, and died just a few years after this film was released.

There is a lot going on in Jules Verne's Fabulous Journey to the Centre of the Earth, which is reflected in the title, where it was sometimes abbreviated to just Journey to the Centre of the Earth, or changed completely to Where Time Began. It was the Juan Piquer Simón's first feature as director. He seemed determined to throw in every possible idea, even those which did not really make sense. Thankfully the pace rarely sags and the film is never boring. Simón went to to have quite an interesting career in Spain, making the best of the low budgets and dubious scripts he was offered.

It is an enchanting, undemanding film that provides genuine entertainment through the strength of the performances, and unintended laughs through the rubber monsters. One puzzling aspect of this release is its inclusion in Odeon Entertainment's Best of British range, as with the exception of More and the American actor Jack Taylor and co-writer John Melson, the entire production is Spanish.The print quality is fine, and the DVD includes the original theatrical trailer, which gives away all the best moments of the film, and a short stills gallery. A detailed booklet which lends some much needed production history and a nice summary of the life and work of Jules Verne is also included.

DVD: "THE UNINVITED" (1944) STARRING RAY MILLAND, RUTH HUSSEY AND GAIL RUSSELL

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 17:47:00 -0600

By Adrian Smith

(This review pertains to the UK DVD release. It has not been released in the USA as of this time)

The Uninvited (1944) directed by Lewis Allen

One of the most eagerly anticipated DVD releases of recent times, The Uninvited is considered a classic ghost story, listed by both Martin Scorsese and current genre favourite Guillermo Del Toro as one of the scariest films of all times. Bearing some similarities in tone to Hitchcock's Rebecca (1940), the film takes wind-swept coastlines and adds menacing spectral activity to the potentially doomed love affair. The Uninvited was one of the first Hollywood productions to present the idea of ghosts being real, and the special optical effects used remain convincing and chilling to this day.

The film is based on a popular novel by Dorothy Macardle, and the screenplay was written by Dodie Smith, who went on to pen the original novel for 101 Dalmatians several years later. In the film Ray Milland plays Roderick, a composer persuaded by his sister Pamela (Ruth Hussey) to buy a deserted house atop a Cornish cliff. For reasons not explained, other than they both appear to be single, they live together in this spacious abode despite the fact that a woman died in mysterious circumstances twenty years earlier. Her daughter Stella (Gail Russell) is strangely drawn to the house, ignoring the demands of her over-bearing father to stay away. As if this was not enough, the sound of weeping echoing around the house keeps them awake at night. To complicate matters even further, Roderick falls in love with this young ingenue, and with the help of his sister he is determined to get to the bottom of the haunting.

It is nice to see Ray Milland in his younger 'leading man' years, shortly before he won his Oscar for The Lost Weekend (1945), and well before he was wallowing in the exploitation world of films like Frogs and The Thing With Two Heads (both 1972, the latter with the immortal tagline “They share the same body... but hate each other's guts!”) The Uninvited is beautifully shot, using light and shadow to great effect. Presented in the original Academy ratio of 1.33:1, it is crisp and clear image. A Blu-ray release of this film would have been ideal, but this DVD is more than welcome, and is better looking than any previous release bar its original cinematic run.

Considering its importance in the development of horror cinema, The Uninvited has been difficult to see for many years, with only a VHS and laserdisc release to speak of, and the occasional late-night TV airing. Although produced by Paramount, the film is now owned by Universal along with the rest of their pre-1948 library. The film has been licensed to independent distributor Exposure Cinema, who also have three Fritz Lang film noir titles scheduled for release. It is a pity that there are not more in-depth extras here, a commentary track from a film historian for example, but it is still a good package. Both radio adaptations of The Uninvited are included, from 1944 and 1949 respectively, which run for around thirty minutes each and star Milland. They are fun to listen to as they follow the film very closely, but do not manage to achieve the same level of fear in the audience. The most significant additional extra is a substantial booklet featuring essays and biographies. It is very well put together, featuring a lot of original artwork and publicity material. Most of these images are also available in the stills gallery section on the DVD.

REVIEW: "BABA YAGA" (1973), ITALIAN CULT FILM STARRING CARROLL BAKER

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 05:29:00 -0600

By Adrian Smith

Valentina (Isabelle De Funès) is a marxist fashion photographer in Milan. She is intelligent, talented and sexy, so it's no wonder that the leftist intellectuals all want to sleep with her. On her way home from a totally swinging party, the kind where alcohol and topless chicks are readily available, Valentina is almost run down by a car. Whilst sitting dazed at the side of the road, the driver emerges to check if she is okay. This is none other than the bizarrely-named Baba Yaga (former Hollywood sex symbol Carroll Baker). She tells Valentina that fate has brought them together. Baba Yaga gives her a lift home and explains that they will become firm friends. To ensure this she steals a clip from the top of one of Valentina's stockings and touches it to her lips suggestively. Baba Yaga is a witch, and clearly has sapphic feelings towards her. Valentina, who as far as we know is not a lesbian, does not seem to mind this unwarranted attention. Later that night she dreams about stripping naked in front of Nazi guards. When she visits Baba Yaga's house, Valentina gets horny and touches herself in the spare room. Is she already under the lesbian witch's spell?

Baba Yaga owns an unnervingly realistic doll which is dressed as some sort of bondage queen. Valentina accepts this doll as a gift, with murderous consequences. Luckily Valentina has a boyfriend (played by genre favourite George Eastman, star of the notorious Anthropophagus, 1981). He may not believe that Baba Yaga really is a witch, but he's so desperate to get Valentina in the sack that he'll go along with it.

This is a very weird movie. Everything described here occurs quite early in the film, and it makes less and less sense as it goes on. Based on the black and white Italian erotic fumetti (comics) of Guido Crepax, this Italian/ French co-production is a mixture of pop art, eroticism, dazzling colour, psycho-analysis, dreams and the supernatural. Other fumetti had been successfully adapted into movies previous to this one, including Danger: Diabolik and Barbarella, (both 1968), but in Baba Yaga director Corrada Farina specifically tries to mimic the comic style, using panels and black and white still photography to replicate Crepax's stark line drawings. It is very effective and adds to the “arthouse meets Eurotrash” feel of the movie. This is certainly no Danger: Diabolik though. The pace is slow and ponderous to the point of irritation at times, but you soon forgive it. Valentina likes to do semi-naked photo shoots in her flat, which she somehow hopes will influence the forthcoming left-wing revolution. She also discovers that her unsettling bondage doll comes to life, in the shapely, almost naked form of Ely Galleani, who was an Italian actress and Playboy centrefold. Galleani has no dialogue in this movie but leaves a lasting impression, particularly when wielding a whip in a lesbian S & M torture dungeon.

Carroll Baker was an unusual choice for the movie, and in his interview on the blu ray Farina explains that she was a last minute replacement for his original Baba Yaga, the British actress Anne Heywood. Three days before shooting was to begin Heywood left to star in the Rod Taylor adventure film Trader Horn (1973), a move which lead to her being sued by the studio. Baker was in Italy working on the giallo thriller The Flower With Petals of Steel (1973), and had a name which would look good on the posters. Farina was disappointed that she had a face “like she had been raised on a farm on a diet of popcorn,” rather than the pinched, angular face of Baba Yaga in Crepax's drawings. Carroll was willing to do the film, and with such a tight schedule he was left with no other choice. In the end Farina was very pleased with her performance. Legendarily she appeared completely naked (a moment that was cut by censors and is missing from the restored print on this Blu-ray, but is available in the extras). This was a bold move for a mainstream Hollywood actress in 1973 and Farina insists that it was not in the script but was all her own idea. Incidentally the only other moment of full frontal nudity was courtesy of Isabelle De Funès, a scene that was also cut by the censors but is also available in the extra scenes here.

In some ways Baba Yaga feels like Quentin Tarantino has had a pass at the script. Early in the film various characters discuss the problems of getting political messages into movies, and Valentina remarks that influential French director Jean Luc Godard's last good film was Pierrot le Fou (1965). Another character is an underground comic book artist, and is often talking about the art form and his concerns about becoming commercially successful. Baba Yaga is almost post-modern before the term was invented.

If your main experience of Italian 1970s movies is the “giallo”, you will enjoy most of what this film has to offer. It does have longueurs, some of which can lead you to look impatiently at your watch, wondering when anything is going to happen again. Stick with it and Baba Yaga is a rewarding viewing experience. The far out and groovy soundtrack is supplied by composer Piero Umilani, who is perhaps best known for creating 'Mah Na Mah Na', the song covered by The Muppets! There is no original soundtrack of Baba Yaga available, but the attention-grabbing theme song is available on his 1971 lounge album 'To-Day's Sound'.

This Blu-ray from Blue Underground features the same extras as their DVD release from 2003. The print, howeve,r is a massive improvement from the earlier release. The most interesting bonus feature is the in-depth interview with the director, where he discusses the problems he had with the producers, who made changes in the edit against his wishes. It is also worth sitting through the deleted scenes, if only to catch a glimpse of Carroll Baker as you have never seen her before. There is also a short documentary in Italian about the artist Guido Crepax. Sadly many of his graphic novels have not yet been translated into English, but after watching this film you will want to try and track them all down.

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BOOK REVIEW: "RETRO SCREAMS: TERROR IN THE NEW MILLENNIUM" BY CHRISTOPHER T. KOETTING

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 17:47:00 -0500

BY ADRIAN SMITH

Retro Screams: Terror in the New Millennium by Christopher T. Koetting

(Hemlock Books, Paperback, £18,95)

392 Pages, ISBN#978-0955777462

When Texas Chainsaw 3D is released early next year it will simply be another film in a long line of remakes, re-imaginings, sequels or prequels that Hollywood appears to be churning out non-stop these days. For many this production line of remakes represents a dearth of originality in the mainstream studios. Hollywood has become a corporate entity afraid of anything but the safest possible bet, turning in on itself and it's back-catalogue of recognisable titles which still have some form of cultural recognition amongst potential audiences today.

In his new book Christopher T. Koetting catalogues many of this recent spate of remakes, comparing their origins and productions to those of the originals. It is somewhat alarming to be be reminded in print form just how many remakes there have been. Retro Screams covers eighteen different films in detail dating back to 2003, when the first Texas Chainsaw Massacre was released, which seemingly opened the remake floodgates. Since then we have had classics like The Fog and Halloween (both 2005) revisited, along with lesser-known slasher titles like Prom Night (2008) and Black Christmas (2006).

Whole chapters are dedicated to John Carpenter, Wes Craven and George A. Romero respectively, whose works have been ruthlessly plundered with varying degrees of success. Koetting documents how little or how much involvement these original directors had this time around (Craven has acted as producer on The Hills Have Eyes (2006) and The Last House on the Left (2009) for example). The author proposes to demonstrate whether these new versions are justified by comparing plot details and development information, along with extensive quotes from writers and directors. Due to a lack of footnotes or references it is difficult to ascertain how many of these were from interviews he conducted himself, or whether they are simply cribbed from articles and press releases. This lack of referencing is one of the book's most serious commissions, as it makes it difficult to judge for oneself how seriously to take some of these quotations.

The book makes interesting reading if you have seen either the originals or the remakes being discussed. However, if you are a fan of these films the chances are that you will already know most of the stories surrounding the productions, particularly as Koetting appears to have mostly gathered this information from sources already easily available. He also appears to sit on the fence regarding the need for remakes, and this lack of a satisfying conclusion leaves the reader wondering just exactly what the point of this book is.

Although the idea of the horror film remake is not a recent phenomenon (let's not forget that the best of the Hammer horrors were all remakes of Universal), Retro Screams reminds us that for better or worse, Hollywood is going to keep plundering titles with any sort of recognition, and it is a minor miracle when ideas with any originality make it into production.

To buy this book CLICK HERE

BLU-RAY REVIEW: "THE RAID" (AKA "THE RAID: REDEMPTION") ON BLU-RAY

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 05:30:00 -0500

By Adrian Smith

Although we mainly stick to the golden age of movies here at Cinema Retro, occasionally a new movie does grab our attention. This summer saw the release of The Expendables 2, a creaking collection of aging action stars desperate to get one last gasp out of a tired genre. It could have at least been a comedy, about the relevance of the muscular Eighties hero in the 21st century, but sadly it failed on all levels. One look at The Expendables 2 would lead you to believe that the action genre needs a bullet in the head to put it out of its misery. Thankfully a film has come along that firmly blows away the cobwebs and kicks those geriatrics back to the retirement home they belong in. The Raid (known as The Raid: Redemption in the US), is a film which so utterly revitalises the action genre that you will feel like you have never actually seen people fighting in a movie before.

Shot in Indonesia with mostly non-professional actors, The Raid is the first major release from Welsh director Gareth Evans. A thirty story building is home to gangsters, murderers, drug dealers and thieves, with one major crime lord overseeing it all. The police, armed to the teeth, are sent in with the express purpose of clearing the building and taking him down. Outnumbered, outgunned and double-crossed, they find themselves trapped and almost certain no to make it out alive. The plot of the film is mainly an excuse for some phenomenal martial arts fighting which is photographed in such inventive, bone-crunching and frenetic style that each scene feels fresh and exciting. At the heart of the film is Iko Uwais, playing a rookie cop desperate to make it out alive to get back to his pregnant wife. Incredibly he has only acted once before, and he has terrific screen presence, balancing charisma and vulnerability with the absolute assurance in his own skills. Discovered by Evans in a Silat martial arts class just five years ago, he is clearly going to become a major star, and it is no exaggeration to compare him with Bruce Lee or a young Jackie Chan.

The Raid will make you look at action cinema with raised expectations from now on, and many films are going to struggle to make an impact in its wake. It is now available on both DVD and Blu-ray, and is certainly worth seeing as soon as possible. There are plenty of features which take you further into the story behind the film, which will make you want to jump up from your armchair and get straight to your nearest self-defense class.

(Note: Smith's review is of the UK Blu-ray release)

Click here to order the American Blu-ray special edition

"THE BLACK PANTHER" UK DUAL DISC REVIEWED BY ADRIAN SMITH

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 05:32:00 -0500

By Adrian Smith

(The following review refers to the UK region 2 release)

When I was young I was given a local newspaper that had been printed the day I was born. I grew up in Wolverhampton, and the big news a decade earlier had been the trial of Donald Neilson, the self-styled Black Panther. He was a local who had had graduated from house break-ins, through armed robbery and finally to kidnap and multiple-murder. He was obsessed with the military (he had fought in Kenya as part of the British suppression of the Mau-Mau uprising), and made his wife and daughter act out scenes of warfare whilst he took photos. He was already a wanted man following some botched post office robberies, but it was the kidnapping of Lesley Whittle, a seventeen year old heiress, and the subsequent ransom demands that really propelled him into the public eye. The Britain of the 1970s was one of strikes, cutbacks and unemployment. Prospects were bleak, and here was one man who had taken matters into his own hands. He was a meticulous planner and he truly believed himself to be a master criminal. The reality was very different. He was an inept bungler, incapable of making anything more than a meagre haul from his robberies. If there hadn't been so much death at his hands he would almost be a comic figure, more Pink Panther than Black Panther. It was a devastating combination of Neilson's mishandling of events, press interference and a West Midlands police force ill-equipped to deal with the situation that culminated in his murdering the girl he had kidnapped and locked up in a storm drain. Neilson was only caught two months later by coincidence rather than a concerted effort on the part of the police.

These tragic events were still very fresh in the public memory when Ian Merrick's film The Black Panther was released in 1977. With a script by Michael Armstrong (a director in his own right) based solely on police reports, written statements, trial transcripts and other direct source material, the film sticks to the facts of the case. It was shot in many of the actual locations used, including Dudley Zoo and Bathpool Park in Kidsgrove, Stoke on Trent. This gives the film a documentary feel, that it truly was ripped from the headlines. Neilson was played by Donald Sumpter, known mainly for his TV work, but seen most recently in the remake of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Long sections of The Black Panther have no dialogue and it plays like a silent film, with Sumpter communicating Neilson's emotions purely visually. It is an incredible performance in what must have been a difficult role to embody given his notoriety at that time. Sadly for those concerned, the public did not take to the film. It's release was controversial and many cinemas around the UK refused to screen it. Given the film's implicit accusation that the press were partly to blame for Whittle's tragic death, it is perhaps unsurprising that they took a particular dislike to it as well.

Thankfully, due to the continuing efforts of the British Film Institute to rescue films from obscurity, The Black Panther has been restored and made available on both DVD and Blu- ray for a new audience to appraise. The picture and sound are excellent, although the package is a little light on extras. The only feature of note is Recluse (1978), a thirty minute film also based on a true life murder case. It stars Maurice Denham and is accompanied by some location scouting footage. As usual with these Flipside releases, the main information comes in a booklet crammed with essays and notes from both Ian Merrick and Michael Armstrong amongst others.

The Black Panther is another release from the BFI Flipside Range that comes highly recommended, and demonstrates once again that the label is currently one of the most interesting and eclectic today and fully deserve your support!

BOOK REVIEW: Conspiracy Cinema: Propaganda, Politics and Paranoia by David Ray Carter

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 05:56:00 -0500

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By Adrian Smith

(Headpress, Paperback, £13.99)

288 Pages, ISBN#139781900486811

by Adrian Smith

Ever since the assassination of Abraham Lincoln in Ford's Theatre, the world, and Americans in particular, have had a fascination with conspiracy theories. One of the earliest conspiracy films was The Man in the Barn by Jacques Tourneur in 1937, which explores the possibility that John Wilkes Booth was not working alone on that fateful night in 1865. The Lincoln Conspiracy from 1977 also explores similar plot lines, suggesting that Booth was not killed in a barn ten days later but escaped, in part aided by certain men on Capitol Hill. Some of the most explored and widely accepted conspiracy theories are those surrounding the assassination of President John Kennedy in 1963. Most people now accept the idea that there was no lone gunman, but theories vary widely as to what exactly did happen on that November afternoon. The official version of events were challenged almost immediately by horror schlock-meister Larry Buchanan in 1964 with The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald. Burt Lancaster starred in Executive Action in 1973, a film which suggests that the killing was planned by the CIA and big industry, and most famously of all, Oliver Stone became forever associated with conspiracies and paranoia when he directed JFK in 1991, a film which ensured that nobody knew who they could trust any more.

'Conspiracy Cinema' does not merely focus its attention on Hollywood, however. David Ray Carter has spent literally hundreds of hours scouring the internet for the best and the worst conspiracy films available. There are a lot of filmmakers out there using the web to distribute their films and promulgate their theories on dozens of fascinating subjects, such as alien abductions, the moon landings and assassinations, including those mentioned and Martin Luther King Jr, Robert Kennedy and (allegedly) Princess Diana. There are many fascinating films out there dedicated to the terrorist attacks of September 11^th 2001, with proposals ranging from the plausible to the preposterous. However, these subjects are relatively small fry when compared with those films that deal with the bigger picture: The New World Order and The Illuminati. Do you think you are in control of your own life? If these guys are to be believed, think again.

Carter presents the films in themed chapters with a summary and some information on the filmmakers concerned. He also summarises the “official” version of events alongside the main conspiracies before going into the films themselves. This means you get a great overview of all the main ideas, and the book makes an excellent reference to this unknown cinematic corner of the internet. Most of the films he refers to can be found online for free, although be warned: some of them can be up to four hours in length. Filmmaking skills vary also, with some being little more than someone talking to the camera from the comfort of their front room (or bunker). As professional equipment has become more affordable some of the films have become sophisticated, using all the latest tools available to get their messages across.

'Conspiracy Cinema' is a fascinating read, even if you remain sceptical as to the beliefs presented. Carter himself is sceptical of a great deal of the films he's seen. As such he makes an entertaining and authoritative guide through the murky and contradictory world of the conspiracy theory.

You can order the book here:

http://www.headpress.com/ShowProduct.aspx?ID=107

DVD REVIEW: "THE LEGACY" (1978) STARRING KATHARINE ROSS AND SAM ELLIOTT

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Sun, 16 Sep 2012 05:45:00 -0500

Note: this review pertains to the British Region 2 DVD edition

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By Adrian Smith

Although best known for his work as both a writer, director and producer with Hammer Films, Jimmy Sangster actually relocated to Hollywood during the early 1970s, where he worked very successfully in both film and television. Whilst there he wrote a supernatural script set in a run- down hospital in downtown Detroit. Much to his chagrin, the script was altered to more closely resemble the Hammer movies that were, to him at least, ancient history. Although keeping the American protagonists, events were manipulated to allow the story instead to take place in an English country estate featuring a collection of stereotypical butlers, chauffeurs and curtseying maids. The film is essentially Agatha Christie meets Dennis Wheatley through the filter of Dario Argento.

Katharine Ross is Maggie, a successful American designer who receives a mysterious invitation to work in England. Accompanied by her handsome lover Pete (a youthful and impressively moustachioed Sam Elliott), they jet off to a grey, dull English world of narrow country lanes and chirpy market stall holders. Following a minor motorcycle accident they find themselves guests of the aristocratic Jason Mountolive, who conveniently lives in the kind of stately home that Americans seem to think all the English live in. What they don't realise until it becomes too late is that their arrival there was no accident. When other guests begin to arrive, all successful in their respective fields, it becomes clear that diabolical dealings are underway, and they may be lucky to escape with their lives, or their souls.

The Legacy is perhaps best remembered now for being the film that Ross and Elliott first met on, and subsequently married. It is a peculiar film, mixing cosy drawing room talk with spectacularly violent and gory deaths. Richard Marquand had to be influenced by Argento's Suspiria, released just one year before. Maggie suspects she is descending into madness, feeling that she is losing her grip on reality. And when people like The Who's Roger Daltry and former Bond villain Charles Gray turn up only to suffer spectacularly, she realises that she may be to blame. Could it be something to do with a sixteenth-century witch, with whose portrait she bears an uncanny resemblance?

Although the plot makes very little sense, The Legacy is a very entertaining film. Ross and Elliott show genuine chemistry (perhaps unsurprisingly) as the innocent couple around whom the sinister events unfold. The house becomes a character itself as the camera glides around its oak-panelled hallways, revealing hidden doors, tapestries, archaic ornaments and an increasingly anachronistic collection of 1970s furniture. Although mostly shot on location at Loseley Park House in Surrey, parts of it were also shot at Bray Studios, the spiritual home of Hammer films.

The Legacy in some ways represents the end of an era. By the tail end of the 1970s the money to make films in Britain was running out, and companies like Hammer had gasped their last breath, and Marquand was courted by George Lucas to direct the last part of his Star Wars trilogy. It is well worth taking a look at, and this new DVD from Odeon Entertainment presents an excellent widescreen print. A booklet with background information is the only significant extra, which is a pity. It would be good to hear how Katharine Ross and Sam Elliott look back on the film now, and perhaps a word or two from Roger Daltrey on his dramatic, fish-based demise.

BOOK REVIEW: "MARILYN" BY NORMAN MAILER/BERT STERN (TASCHEN)

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 18:31:00 -0500

(Published by Taschen, £ 44.99) Hardcover, 10.6 x 12.8 in., 276 pages, ISBN 9783836530088

By Adrian Smith

Taken a mere six weeks before her untimely death, the Bert Stein photos of Marilyn Monroe have become legendary. With an estimated 2,500 shots taken over two weekends in a converted Bel Air hotel room, Stein attempted successfully to capture the true Marilyn, past the glamour and the Hollywood glitz. These photos were originally printed in Vogue and have remained in popular circulation ever since. In 1973 Pullitzer-winning author and journalist Norman Mailer was invited to write a introductory piece on Marilyn Monroe to accompany a book of photos, including some of those taken by Stein. Mailer had never met Monroe, and took everyone by surprise when he returned with over 100,000 words, having watched all of her movies, conducted interviews and more essentially, fallen in love. In death, as in life, Marilyn Monroe has a spellbinding effect on everyone.

Bert Stein's photos are perhaps well known for Marilyn being naked, covering herself with chiffon scarves. As he explains in his introduction: “Vogue wanted to dress Marilyn up... I still thought the right thing to do was to take her clothes off. The more they added, the more I tried to think of ways to reveal her. All she had to do was show one toe and it got me excited...”

This new book from Taschen, previously only available as a collector's edition, has been published to coincide with the fiftieth anniversary of her death. Hundreds of the photos from Stein's shoot are reproduced alongside Mailer's text, which is ostensibly a biography but also serves as a commentary on her life. Mailer attempts to get under the surface of Monroe, just like Stein was with his photos. He covers her life from her difficult childhood, her marriages, her depression and finally her death and the various theories around what really happened. Mailer adroitly summarises her power when he states: “She emanated sex, a simple street girl on still another back street, emanated sex like few girls ever did... libido seemed to ooze through her, and out of her like a dew through the cracks in a vase.”

It is hard to believe that it has been fifty years since Marilyn Monroe died, and in many ways she is just as misunderstood now, an enigma, a puzzle that people still want to solve. She was contradictory; emanating fragility and being difficult to work with on set, yet representing a new kind of sexual confidence and freedom that would in part pave the way towards the sexual revolution of the 1960s. This book offers a glimpse into the psyche of Marilyn. One can spend hours simply pouring over the beautifully reproduced photos in this huge book, or read Mailer's accompanying text and discover new insight through his unique approach in constructing a biography. It is a book that can be dipped into again and again for years to come.

Click here to order from Taschen