The Manila International Film Festival was set to open its doors to guests on 20 January 1982. The date was nearly a year to the day that strong-man Philippine President Ferdinand E. Marco had lifted his controversial eight-year term of martial law restrictions in the country. But the lifting of the martial law brought only small relief to the majority populace. ThePhilippines was still racked by issues of rampant poverty, wealth inequality and unemployment. Bothpolitical and cultural observers thought itfolly to stage such a gilded film event during this transitional period.The Associated Press reported the festival was toconvene in a building costing some 21.5 million dollars - and still under construction.The film center, designed to housescreening rooms and film laboratories,was to also serve as primary archive of Filipino cinema holdings.
The center, described as an eight-story “Parthenon-like Film Palace” was ordered to be built withinthe time of 170 construction days. In such rushed circumstance, aroof collapse occurredreportedly endingthe lives of some fourteen construction workers. The order to erect thepalatial center wasgiven by none other than Imelda Marcos, first lady of the Philippines, often chided for her “edifice complex” excesses. Many saw this wild expenditure as sorry government decision-makingconsidering the nation’s significant economic issues. But Marcos – appearing before the press in a pair of lovely pair of shoes, no doubt – saw it differently.
Marcoscountered that a strong Filipino “film industry would help reduce Manila’s crime rate, because it would give people something to do in their leisure time.” But she was also mindful that a prestigious festival might burnish her country’s damaged image worldwide – all those pesky claims of human rights violations continued to dog the regime.Though anti-Marco forces promised to disrupt the festival should it be held, the army was prepared to protect. There was, thankfully, no violence.
On 2 February 1982, a correspondent from Variety sent in a dispatch from the inaugural staging of the twelve-day festival. The report made note that Filipino film product wasn’t often seen outside the borders of the Pacific island nation. He reasoned this was due to the selling inexperience of local producers. They had worked in isolation for so long, they simply were not familiar with the film industry’s “aggressive marketing tactics.” Two months prior to the actual staging of the event, Variety described how “reluctant” Filipino producers had been invited to a seminar – one designed to stoke their “sales offensive” skills through “showmanship” tactics. But the trade sighed that despite the well-intentioned marketing teach-in, the Filipino film industry had been too long xenophobic, their business-side interest mostly “half-hearted.”
Regardless, and despite many boycotts of the Marcos-inspired event, there was a bubbling of international interest in Filipino film product. Brokers had expressed significant interest in buying distribution rights to eight of the Filipino features offered and available, the sum of those investments bringing sales of nearly a half-million dollars to local producers. Nearly 300 films had been made available to international film brokers at the event, sixty of Filipino provenance. One of the most popular Filipino films – described breathlessly as the festival’s “Top scorer by far” - was an unusual, over-the-top secret agent pastiche featuring a two-foot, nine-inch actor named Weng Wengas central hero. (Critic Alexander Walker of London’s Evening Standard would mockingly describe the diminutive Weng as “a James Bond type cut-off”). The Weng film, directed by Eddie Nicart, was mischievously titled For Y’urHeight Only, an obvious word playon the most recent James Bond screen adventure For Your Eyes Only.
I can’t say with certainty that For Y’ur Height Onlyplayed the grindhouse theaters of “The Deuce” on Manhattan’s 42nd Street, but the film would have fit in well there. It’s a spy-film fever-dream of sorts: thecrack addicts and alcoholics in the grungy red seats could awake from their own narcotic-fed hallucinations and behold images on screen even wilder beyond their own madness’s.This was James-Bond-on-a-budget.A very low budget.Weng’s “Agent 00” is even introduced via an ersatz 007 gun barrel sequence, the moment heightened by the pulsing –and very familiar – opening strains of John Barry’s “James Bond Theme.”
The film itself is all spy-film formula.For Y’ur Height Onlyopens with the kidnapping of a scientist who holds the secret formula to a coveted “N Bomb” weapon. The syndicate behind the kidnapping is led by the mysterious “Mr. Giant” who chooses to communicate withhis minions through a blinking-light, oversized facial mirror.Mr. Giant’s crime syndicate is not, all things considered, particularly political. They also dabble in street-level crimes: drugs, prostitution and theft. They’re a cabal of rogues,openly declaring, “The forces of good are our enemy and they must be exterminated.”
In reaction to the kidnapping, little-person Agent 00 (Weng, described as a “man of few words”), is summoned to report to the office of an ersatz “M.” Weng’s boss breaks down the situation before offeringthe agent a staggering number of gadgets to put to use while working in the field. These include a pen that “doesn’t write words,” a tiny jet-pack, and a razor-brim hat with boomerang-return capability. Of courseWeng manages to dutifully employall of these gadgets while targeting the evildoers: one minion remarks, inarguably, that Wengis “a one-an army,”anothertags him as the “scourge of the secret service.”
Honestly, Weng hardly requiresall the gadgetry. He parachutes from the top of a high-rise building using an ordinary bumbershoot for ballast (think Batman ’66 Penguin-style). But he more often employs his karateskills to bring down platoonsof bad guys with multiple sharp kicks to their groins.Weng also appears a lot smarter than his adversaries as well: he’salways a step or two ahead of theircounter-moves.In a filmbrimming-to-the-edgeswith non-stop action, Weng is constantly seen climbing above or understructures orsliding across floors to vanquish evil gunmen. The film reaches its climax when Weng engages in mano a mano fisticuffs with Mr. Giant, at the villain’s secret lair on a hidden island.
I believe it’s reasonable to saythat for all of its eccentric, energetic charm, For Y’ur Height Onlyis completely and utterly bonkers.It’s also a very cheap looking feature film, the settings gritty and tawdry, the scripting ridiculous. The faces of the entire cast are entirely covered in the glistening sheen of South Pacific humidity and sweat. The film’s atrocious dubbing (from native Tagalog to English) – not the fault of the original filmmakers, of course – burdens the soundtrack: an additional later ofaural nonsensetocompliment the madness on screen.Though For Y’ur Height Onlyis often categorized as an “action-comedy” the original filmmakers took exception, arguing it was no such thing. In their mind, they had made a straight-up formulaic spy film, albeit one with an unusual actor in the lead role.
Following the great reaction and interest inFor Y’ur Height Only at the Manila fest, there were discussions of grumbling embarrassment among Filipino artists and intellectuals in attendance. How could this amateurishly produced extravaganza of pure exploitative nonsense have bested the country’s more significantly erudite and artistic entries?But the film brokers at the festival weren’t highbrows. They were interested in buying cheap and making a few dollars off this novelty spy adventure. Kurt Palm of West Germany’s Repa-Film Productions,purchased the rights to For Yur Height Only(and two other of Weng’s films) for $60,000. Sri Lanka chipped in an additional $1500 for Height rights. Before the festival closed,the producers had sold export rights of Height to distributors in Belgium, France, Indonesia, Italy, Morocco, Nigeria and Switzerland, as well asa number of South American countries.Continue reading "AGENT DOWN: THE IMPROBABLE RISE AND SAD FALL OF SECRET AGENT "OO""
Burt Reynolds had been gnawing around the boundaries of genuine stardom for more than a decade, starring in short-lived television shows and top-lining "B" movies. He ingratiated himself to the American public by showcasing his wit and comedic abilities by appearing on chat shows. In 1972, he struck gold when director John Boorman cast him opposite Jon Voight as the two male leads in the sensational film adaptation of James Dickey's "Deliverance". Finally, he could be classified as a major movie star. Soon, Reynolds was cranking out major films even while his uncanny ability to publicize himself resulted in such stunts as his famed provocative centerfold pose in Cosmopolitan magazine. On screen, Reynolds sensed that he could cultivate an especially enthusiastic audience if he catered to rural movie-goers. He was proven right with the release of "White Lightning", a highly enjoyable 1973 action/comedy that perfectly showcased Reynolds' favored image as a handsome, unflappable hero with a Bondian knack for tossing off quips while facing death and also engaging in good ol' boy towel-snapping humor. Playing bootlegger Gator McClusky, Reynolds drew major crowds, very much pleasing United Artists, which enjoyed hefty profits from the modestly-budgeted production. Reynolds learned, however, that his audience wouldn't necessarily follow him if he deviated from that image. When he went against the grain in films like "The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing", "At Long Last Love" and "Lucky Lady", the movies bombed. When he stuck to the basics, he had hits with "Shamus", "The Longest Yard" and "W.W. and the Dixie Dance Kings". The legendary Variety headline that read "Hix Nix Stix Pix" was no longer true. The American heartland loved Burt Reynolds, especially when he played characters that rural audiences could embrace.
In 1976, Reynolds fulfilled another career milestone by directing his first feature film, a sequel to "White Lightning" titled "Gator". Like the first movie, it was shot entirely on location in Georgia and picked up on the adventures of everyone's favorite moonshiner. When we first see Gator in the sequel, he his getting out of jail only to be targeted by the feds to be used as a pawn in a multi-state crackdown on an epidemic of political corruption that threatens the career of the self-serving, ambitious governor (played very well by famed chat show host Mike Douglas in his big screen debut.) Gator is living in a shack located deep in an inhospitable swamp with his elderly father and precocious 9 year-old daughter when the feds launch a major raid to arrest him on moonshining charges. In reality, they want to use the warrant as leverage to convince him to go undercover for them inside the crime ring. Gator wants no part of it and leads the feds on a merry chase around the bayou in which he is pursued by speed boats and helicopters before finally relenting. The lead federal agent in charge is Irving Greenfield (Jack Weston), an overweight, hyper-nervous Jewish guy from Manhattan who has the unenviable task of ensuring that Gator follows orders. A good portion of the film's laugh quotient comes from Irving's less-than-convincing attempts to "blend in" with small town southern locals. The crime ring is run by Bama McCall (Jerry Reed), an outwardly charming and charismatic fellow who, in reality, uses brutally violent methods to ensure loyalty and intimidate local businessmen to pay protection money. He and Gator are old acquaintances and he doesn't hesitate to give Gator a good-paying job as an enforcer for his mob. Things become more intriguing when Gator sets eyes on Aggie Maybank (Lauren Hutton), an attractive local TV anchor with liberal political beliefs that find her squaring off against Bama in order to protect the poor merchants he is exploiting. "Gator" proceeds on a predictable path but its predictability doesn't detract from its merits, which are considerable. Reynolds is a joy to watch and it's small wonder he leaped to the top ranks of cinematic leading men. His cocky, self-assured persona served him well on the big screen and "Gator" is custom-made to please his core audience. He also proved to be a very able director, handling the action scenes and those of unexpected tragic twists with equal skill. He also gets very good performances from his eclectic cast, with Weston engaging in his usual penchant for scene-stealing. Reed also shines in a rare villainous role and ex-model Hutton proves she has admirable acting chops, as well. The action scenes are impressive thanks to the oversight of the legendary Hal Needham, who would forge a long-time collaborative relationship with Reynolds.
The Kino Lorber Blu-ray is a reissue with extras from the 2018 release ported over. The new additional material consists of a commentary track by film historians Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson, who also provide a new track on the KL reissue of "White Lightning". The track is quite valuable and entertaining, as old pros Mitchell and Thompson provide a wealth of interesting facts and observations about the film. For example, they discuss that "Gator" is far lighter in tone than the revenge thriller "White Lightning" and say that Reynolds thought the script for "Gator" was sub-par but did the film on the proviso he could direct it. The disc is also impressive not only because of the excellent transfer but also because it contains a filmed interview with Reynolds, who extols the film's virtues and its personal meaning to him. In an unusually candid conversation, he divulges amusing anecdotes about Hutton's on-set quirks that included a penchant for exhibitionism (she would flash her breasts to appreciative crew members.) He also relates how a car crash stunt almost killed Hal Needham. Most poignantly, he talks about his personal affection for Georgia, a state he has filmed over twenty movies in. He also candidly expresses his regret that only directed a few films and never fulfilled his dream of directing productions he didn't star in. The Blu-ray set also includes a new gallery of trailers for Reynolds films available from KL. In all, a highly impressive release of an action film showcasing Reynolds at his best. Recommended.
This episode of the marvelous web series "Behind the Stunts" looks at producer Euan Lloyd's classic 1978 British adventure film "The Wild Geese" starring Richard Burton, Roger Moore, Richard Harris, Hardy Kruger and Stewart Granger, who was lured out of retirement for the movie. The film is one of the best macho flicks of its era and boasts incredible stunts, which are recounted here by some of the people who performed them.
By the time Burt Reynolds finally starred in the 1972 classic
"Deliverance", he had been paying his dues in Hollywood for many years
with varying degrees of success on television. His feature films,
however, were strictly "B" grade. Saul David, who produced a 1970 film
starring Reynolds titled "Skullduggery", bemoaned at the time that he
should have been a major movie star but bad luck seemed to always
interfere. Reynolds wisely cultivated an image as a hip, towel-snapping
wiseguy through appearing on seemingly every American game and chat
show. His appearances on "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson" merited
"must-see TV" status. Ironically, "Deliverance" entirely abandoned this
popular image of Reynolds and afforded him a dramatic role that he
fulfilled with excellent results. But the success of the film made
Reynolds anxious to prove he could sustain his boxoffice clout without
the help of a strong co-star, in the case of of "Deliverance", Jon
Voight. Reynolds chose wisely for his follow-up feature. "White
Lightning" was developed under the working title "McClusky". The role of
a hunky, charismatic southern good ol' boy fit Reynolds like a glove
because it allowed him to incorporate his penchant for performing stunts
with his flippant, wise-cracking TV persona.
Filmed in Arkansas, the movie finds Reynolds as "Gator" McClusky, a
man doing prison time for running illegal moonshine. Gator still has
another year to spend on the prison farm when he gets word that his
younger brother has been murdered. (We see the scene play out over the
opening credits in which two young men are brutally drowned in a swamp
by the local sheriff, J.C. Connors (Ned Beatty) and his deputy.) Enraged
and spoiling for revenge, Gator accepts a deal to work undercover for
federal agents to expose Connors as the local Huey Long-type power
broker in Bogan County. Indeed, the seemingly affable, understated
Connors runs the entire county like a personal fiefdom, using extortion,
shakedowns and outright murder to ensure his stature. He also gets a
piece of the action from the very moonshiners he's supposed to
prosecute. Gator feels uncomfortable working as a snitch but it's the
only way to find out why his brother was killed and to bring Connors to
justice. Using his considerable charm and his background as a guy from a
small rural community, he finds himself quickly working for a moonshine
ring headed by Big Bear (R.G. Armstrong), who is brutal in retribution
against anyone who crosses him. Gator is assigned to deliver moonshine
with a partner, Roy Boone (Bo Hopkins). They spend a lot of time
together and become fast friends, even though Roy's hot-to-trot
girlfriend Lou (Jennifer Billingsley) succeeds in seducing Gator, thus
endangering his mission when Roy gets wind of the deception. When Gator
learns the reason why his brother and his friend were murdered, he
becomes even more vengeful, leading to a spectacular car chase involving
Connors and his corrupt deputies.
"White Lightning" was directed by Joseph Sargent, who was primarily
known for his work in television. He fulfills the requirements of the
film quite well, though the spectacular car chases and jaw-dropping
action scenes were largely the work of legendary stutman/coordinator Hal
Needham, who would go on to work on many films with Reynolds. The film
is consistently lively but it also has moments of poignancy and drama.
The supporting cast is terrific with Ned Beatty of "Deliverance"
reuniting with Reynolds with good results. Beatty underplays the sense
of menace attributable to his character. He also plays up his status as a
pillar of the community, tossing off barbs about how hippies and big
city liberals threaten "our values" and-worst of all- encourage "our
coloreds to vote!". Meanwhile, he is heading up a vast criminal
enterprise. Jennifer Billingsley is wonderful as the lovable air-headed
seductress who will jump into bed with a man if there's a prospect of
getting a new dress out of the bargain. There are also fine turns by Bo
Hopkins, R.G. Armstrong and Diane Ladd (whose name in the opening and
closing credits is misspelled as "Lad". Ouch!) The movie turned out to
be a big hit for United Artists, aided in part by striking ad campaigns
with the same weapon-as-phallic symbol design employed for Richard
Roundtree's "Shaft's Big Score" the previous year coupled with another
poster showing Reynolds behind the wheel of a speeding car. Sex and
speed became hallmarks for promoting a Reynolds action movie.
Kino Lorber has reissued their 2019 Blu-ray edition, which is
first-rate in all aspects, with a fine transfer and a 2014 interview
with Burt Reynolds, who looks back fondly on the importance the movie
had on proving he could be top-billed in a hit movie. The film initiated
his association with rural-based comedies and action films and three
years later, a successful sequel ("Gator") would be released. Reynolds
also drops the interesting fact that this was to be Steven Spielberg's
first feature film. However, Reynolds says the young TV director got
cold feet about his ability to film on so many difficult locations,
given that his background was largely working in studios. Reynolds
praises his co-star Ned Beatty and reminds everyone that "White
Lightning" was only his second film, having made his screen debut in
"Deliverance". He is also very complimentary towards Jennifer
Billingsley and regrets that she never became a big star. Reynolds also
discusses Hal Needham's zealousness for performing dangerous stunts and
relates how one key scene in which a car shoots out over water to land
on a moving barge almost went disastrously wrong. He says the film has a
realistic atmosphere because of the screenplay by William W. Norton,
who adapted many aspects of his own hard scrabble life. The only
negative note Reynolds sounds is about Diane Ladd, who he cryptically
says he did not like working with, although he doesn't go into detail as
to why.The set includes a new feature not available on the previous
Blu-ray release: a commentary track by film historian collaborators
Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson. As far as commentary tracks are
concerned, the duo are always terrific and this outing is no exception.
Their easy-going, laid-back and humorous style is appropriate for the
tone of the film. They go into great detail about aspects of the and
cast. I hadn't realized until listening to the track how on-the-mark
they are in assessing Ned Beatty as an actor whose physical appearance
varied dramatically depending upon the type of story he was cast in.
Indeed, they are correct. The evil good ol' boy corrupt sheriff of
"White Lightning" is light years away from the fish-out-water rape
victim of "Deliverance" or the demagogic TV executive of "Network". The
track is good enough to merit upgrading to this version of the Blu-ray
even if you have the previous release.
The Blu-ray also includes the original trailer, which was very
effective in playing up Reynolds' emerging star power and reversible sleeve art showing an alternative ad campaign. Highly
recommended.
Ryan O'Neal, the star of "Love Story" and "Barry Lyndon", has died from unspecified causes at the age of 82. He had been experiencing health issues since being diagnosed with leukemia and prostate cancer over a decade ago. O'Neal learned the craft of acting on his own, never having taken a lesson. He entered the film industry as a teenager, performing stunts. In 1964 he received his first major role, starring in "Peyton Place", the successful TV series based on the hit feature film and its sequel. His career went into high gear when he was cast with another up-and-coming actor, Ali MacGraw, in the 1970 screen adaptation of Eric Segal's bestselling novel "Love Story". Segal had adapted his own screenplay to form the basis of the wafer-thin novel about a doomed romance between a young couple at Harvard University. The novel sold millions and paved the way for Paramount's big screen version, which was both a critical and financial success. O'Neal and MacGraw both earned Oscar nominations. O'Neal's post-Oscar career skyrocketed and he worked in with some of the industry's top directors including Richard Attenborough, Peter Bogdanovich and Stanley Kubrick, who raised eyebrows by casting the American actor in the leading role in his opulent 1975 epic "Barry Lyndon". The film won enormous acclaim but much of it didn't rub off on O'Neal, as some critics voiced the opinion that Kubrick, who was not known as an "actor's director" had cast him simply because he was a bland screen presence who wouldn't distract from the more spectacular aspects of the production. Nevertheless, O'Neal had been riding high with hits like "What's Up, Doc?", in which he co-starred with Barbra Streisand, "The Main Event"and "Paper Moon", in which he starred with his pre-teen daughter Tatum, who became the youngest actor to receive an Oscar. O'Neal also had a major role in Attenborough's 1977 WWII epic "A Bridge Too Far". His misfires included the starring
role in an ill-fated 1978 big screen sequel to "Love Story" titled
"Oliver's Story" which he personally denounced as "a complete-off" that
he did for the money.One of his last major big screen hits was "The Main Event" in 1979, which teamed him again with Streisand.
By the 1980s, O'Neal's career was in a tailspin. He still found work but the better roles and films eluded him. Attempts to move into television did not have successful results. He also suffered an endless stream of sensational stories in the press about his personal behavior, most of it centered on his mercurial temper. He was once arrested for beating his son Griffin, though charges were eventually dropped and years later would be arrested on drug charges along with another son, Redmond. He had been married and divorced twice when he began a long relationship with actress Farrah Fawcett, who was married to actor Lee Majors at the time. The couple never married but Ms. Fawcett was mother to Redmond O'Neal. O'Neal and Fawcett split up but eventually reconciled and he saw her through her traumatic battle against terminal cancer. He worked in television with little success before landing a recurring role on the popular series "Bones". The O'Neal family's personal problems had long been regular fodder for gossip columns. He was estranged from Tatum for most of her life and the two never fully reconciled, even though the two had co-starred on a reality show that portrayed their relationship favorably. Characteristically, O'Neal would later say that the show was sanitizing what was still a very volatile relationship. He proclaimed that one of his most satisfying late-in-life highlights was reuniting with Ali MacGraw to co-star in the moving stage play "Love Letters".
One
of the more under-seen and underrated films from 1985 is John Boorman’s
impressive The Emerald Forest, which gave us an ecological message long
before that was much in the public consciousness.
Of
a more cinematic significance, this picture is a grand adventure full of action
and spectacle, much like Boorman’s Deliverance (1972) or Excalibur (1981)
before it. The production values also indicate that this was no easy feat of a
movie to make.
The
Emerald Forest was
shot in and near São Paolo, Brazil, right smack by the Amazon
River and in the rain forest. Native extras populated much of the movie, which
possibly for the first time provided to audiences of a mainstream motion
picture depictions of how indigenous tribes in the jungle live. The result is
fascinating, and the National Geographic lesson is enhanced by an
exciting tale of kidnapping, exploration, survival, and human trafficking!
Powers
Boothe is Bill, a high-ranking engineer with a corporation that is building a large
hydro-electric dam on the edge of the rain forest. He’s moved his family of a
wife and two young children—a boy and a girl—to the city. One day while
overseeing the work of clearing the area of trees, Bill and his family have a
picnic at the edge of the jungle. Little does he know that the “Invisible
People,” a tribe that has not had contact with civilization, has dared to get
close to what they refer to as “the edge of the world.” When Tommy wanders off,
he is kidnapped by the tribe. Bill thus embarks on a long process to search for
his son, but to no avail.
Ten
years later, Tommy (Charley Boorman) has assimilated into the tribe and become
one of the Invisible People. His “father” of the tribe (Rui Polanah) loves him
like a son, and Tommy loves him back, although he has dreams of “Daddy.” Now
Tommy is ready to take a mate, and he chooses young and beautiful Kachiri (Dira
Paes). Meanwhile Bill and a photographer embark deep into the jungle to look
for Tommy again. They encounter the hostile “Fierce People,” who force Bill to
become prey in a hunt through the jungle. Tommy ends up saving Bill, and the
real father and son reunite. Tommy, however, refuses to accompany Bill back to
his first home. And then the human traffickers enter the story. To say more
would spoil the tale!
There
is a lot of “Tarzan movie” aspects to this picture, but without the
unintentional racism. There is also a lot of nudity of all the indigenous
people on display, which received some criticism when the picture was released
(Dira Paes was only fifteen years old). However, this was not exploitation.
Boorman and his team took great pains to be accurate and truthful in the
depiction of the tribes’ customs and ways. Yes, the Fierce People are portrayed
as the villains and the Invisible People are ultimately shown to be good at
heart (even though they kidnapped a young white boy). There is indeed some idealism
and moral ambiguity going on in The Emerald Forest, especially when it
comes to the film’s climactic raid on a human trafficking center in the jungle.
Finally, there is the message that indigenous people are being wiped out by the
actions of white people who are cutting down rain forests.
Powers
Boothe does an admirable job here, but it is Charley Boorman (son of the
director) who steals the movie. He was around eighteen when the picture was
made, and he manages to speak the indigenous language, perform jungle stunts,
and carry on with his native costars as if he were one of them. Boorman’s
direction is notable, too, given the locale and the cast with whom he had to
work. Philippe Rousselot’s cinematography is also quite commendable.
Kino
Studio Classics’ new Blu-ray release is a welcome one, and its 1920x1080p
presentation is colorful and rich. There is an audio commentary by filmmaker
Edgar Pablos and film historian Nathaniel Thompson that sheds light on the
production. Supplements include the theatrical trailer and other Kino trailers. There is also reversible sleeve artwork.
The
Emerald Forest is
for fans of director John Boorman and of jungle exploration adventures.
Recommended.
I
hated William Friedkin’s 1985 police thriller, To Live and Die in L.A., when I first saw it. The mixture of
Eighties-style pop music by Wang Chung and the disreputable characters were, I
felt, meretricious and off-putting. Even the car chase seemed lackluster. I
also hated Dario Argento’s Four Flies on Grey Velvet (1972), James
Toback’s Fingers (1978) and David Lynch’s Blue Velvet (1986) during
my first viewings. Revisiting these titles soon afterwards made me realize that
I failed to fully appreciate or understand them. My ignorance of film was evident!
To
Live and Die in L.A., which
opened nationwide on Friday, November 1, 1985 to lukewarm notices and
underwhelming box office despite being championed by a four-star review by Roger
Ebert, is a highly stylized, dark, and uncompromising crime thriller that
boasts a then-unknown cast with a story and a pace that feels more suited to
the 1970s. It also contains what I consider to be the greatest car chase ever
filmed and edited for a major motion picture, which took no less than five
weeks to plan and shoot.
Having
seen Mr. Friedkin’s brilliant Oscar-winning East Coast police thriller The French Connection (1971), this West
Coast-based yarn centers on a Secret Service agent, Richard Chance (William
Petersen), whose best friend and partner Jim Hart (Michael Greene) has been
murdered in cold blood by artist/currency counterfeiter Rick Masters (Willem
Dafoe) just days prior to his retirement. This plot device occurred before it
became a familiar film trope, and this
is easily one of the best films of the 1980s. Chance has one goal: to put
Masters away for life with no regard for how he has to do it. Truthfully, he
would prefer to kill him. This causes many issues for his new partner John
Vukovich (John Pankow) whose familial lineage of law enforcement officers and his
“by the book” methodology conflicts with Chance’s no-bullshit headstrong attitude.
Vukovich’s unwillingness to go outside the boundaries of acceptability is
tested when: Chance surreptitiously removes crucial evidence from a crime scene
in order to get to Masters; Chance, without Vukovich’s knowledge, springs a
prisoner friend (John Turturro) of Masters to get him to testify; and most
notably forces Vukovich to go along with a plan to obtain cash needed to get
closer to Masters while nearly dying in what is arguably cinema’s most exciting
getaway car chase sequence. What makes the chase work so well is that it’s
physical, it’s possible (though highly improbable), and it’s not done in a Fast and the Furious, over-the-top sort
of way. Nor is it perfunctory as it comes as a result of an important plot
point, nearly besting the director’s own French Connection subway/car
chase with a headlong ride straight up the 710 Long Beach Freeway while driving
in the wrong direction against traffic.
Chance
also beds a willing parolee (Darlanne Fluegel) who gives him information on
current convicts in return for money to provide for herself and her son
Christopher. Like the inexorable Popeye Doyle in The French Connection who will stop at nothing to put drug dealers
and users away, Chance, like his surname, will stop at nothing to capture and
punish Masters. The difference between the two films is that the former paints
Brooklyn and New York City as gritty and almost despairing cities whereas the
latter bathes the frame in a Los Angeles that we have not seen before or since.
While also gritty, grimy and dark, this is a Lotus Land that is also highly
glossy and enticing, with beautiful people who are about as real as the
counterfeit bills that Masters manufactures. The overall theme and central
conceit of To Live and Die in L.A. is
fraudulence. People use each other for their own personal gains. Masters is an
artist but hates what he paints and burns his work in frustration. Since he
cannot find joy or satisfaction in his own originality, he resorts to copying
others, in this case $20, $50, and $100 bills in a procedure that is
painstaking, difficult, and now archaic.
Like
The French Connection, To Live and Die in LA is also based on a
book of the same name, this one a novel written by former Secret Service Agent
Gerald Petievich. What makes the film remarkable is the opening sequence which
features a martyr who shouts “Allahu Akbar” just before blowing himself up on
the roof of a hotel where then-President Reagan is giving a speech. This scene
made little sense to me upon my maiden viewing but is eerily prescient of the religious
extremism that has made its way to America’s shores.
The
performances are excellent all around. William Petersen, whose film debut was
as a bar bouncer in Michael Mann’s Thief (1981),
is terrific as Chance and plays him as a daredevil whose cowboy nature seals
his fate and makes him a dangerous person to be around. This is established in
an early sequence wherein Chance bungee jumps off the Vincent Thomas Bridge in
San Pedro, CA. In addition to the martyr sequence, this could also be one of
the earliest instances of this now highly popular activity’s depiction in a
film. John Pankow is also quite good as Chance’s conflicted partner. The stand-out
is Willem Dafoe as Masters, fresh from Walter Hill’s 1984 outing Streets of
Fire. His icy expressions and demeanor can change on a moment’s notice
without warning. Darlanne Fluegel, who heartbreakingly left us far too soon
following an early onset of Alzheimer’s Disease, is mysterious as Chance’s muse.
I first saw her in Battle Beyond the
Stars (1980). Debra Feuer is striking as Masters’ girlfriend and
confidante. The late Dean Stockwell is great as Masters’ lawyer - you can
almost see him prepping himself for the role of Ben in David Lynch’s aforementioned
and masterful Blue Velvet the
following year. Steve James is an actor I always liked ever since I first saw
him in the “Night Vigil” episode of T.J.
Hooker in 1984. He started in the industry as a stunt man in films as
diverse as The Wiz (1978), The Wanderers (1979), The
Warriors (1979), Dressed to Kill
(1980), and He Knows You’re Alone (1980)
prior to onscreen acting. Here he plays Jeff, one of Masters’ clients and his
performance, though small, shines. He also appeared in the William Friedkin
TV-movie C.A.T. Squad in 1986, which
was also written by Mr. Petievich. His premature death in 1993 from what is
rumored to be the medical treatment that he received after a cancer diagnosis
is a tremendous loss to the entertainment industry.
To Live and Die in L.A. has been released on home video many
times in the United States and is now available on 4K UHD Blu-ray courtesy of
Kino Lorber. The extras, which are ported over from the 2016 SHOUT! Factory
Special Edition Blu-ray and the 2003 MGM/UA Home Video DVD, are all included
and are as follows:
Disc
One:
-
4K UHD Blu-ray remastered from the original camera negative.
-
Audio Commentary by Director William Friedkin from 2003 – this runs the full length
of the film and is the only bonus to be included on both the 4K UHD disc and
the standard 1080p Blu-ray.
Disc
Two:
-
Standard 1080p Blu-ray down-converted from a 4K remastering from the original
camera negative.
-
Audio Commentary by Director William Friedkin from 2003.
-
Taking a Chance: Interview with Actor William Petersen (20:42, in high definition,
from 2016) – Gary Sinise read for the role of Richard Chance with the casting
director, but the role instead went to William Petersen after he read for it at
William Friedkin’s New York City apartment. A second reading with actor friend
John Pankow solidified their roles.
-
Renaissance Woman in L.A. Interview with Actress Debra Feuer (14:56, in
high definition, from 2016) – Ms. Feuer reminisces about how wonderful the
experience was for her. Despite the sexual angle of the film which made her
uncomfortable, the cast and crew made her receptive and accepted on the set. Her
role is small but important and I would love to see her in more films.
-
Doctor for a Day: Interview with Actor Dwier Brown (08:53, in high
definition, from 2016) – Dwier Brown talks about his excitement over reading
for the film. He would later go on to appear as Phil Sterling in Mr. Friedkin’s
1989 druid-horror film The Guardian, and humorously recalls how the
director forgot that he was in To Live and Die in L.A.
-
So in Phase - Scoring To Live and Die in L.A. Interview with Composers Wang
Chung (12:44, in high
definition, from 2016) – It’s amazing that Mr. Friedkin heard Wang Chung’s 1984
album Points on the Curve, in particular the song “Wait,” and explained
that that was the vibe that he wanted from the album for the film score. While
there is a soundtrack album available for this film, it’s incomplete, and I
hope that one day a full soundtrack album, remastered from the original master
tracks, will be issued. Wang Chung recalls some interesting anecdotes in this
onscreen interview.
-
Wrong Way - The Stunts of To Live and Die in L.A. Interview with Stunt
Coordinator Buddy Joe Hooker (35:39, in high definition, from 2016) – The
famous stunt man discusses the intricacies and challenges of filming one of the
most dangerous car chases ever mounted for a film. The director was all about disorienting
the audience, and that notion comes into play here in how the chase was staged
and ultimately executed.
-
Counterfeit World - The Making of To Live and Die in L.A. Documentary
(29:52, in standard definition, from 2003) – This is a fun look behind the
scenes with mini interviews from many of the cast and crew involved, with
discussions regarding the characterizations as portrayed by the actors and
actresses to filming the famed car chase.
-
Deleted Scene and Alternate Ending with Introductions (13:07) – this is
the ridiculous ending that the director shot to please the studio executives
and thankfully was never used. You won’t believe it when you see it.
As
a kid, I watched “Bourbon Street Beat” (1959-60), a Warner Brothers TV series
starring Richard Long and Andrew Duggan as two private detectives in New
Orleans, Rex and Cal.Even in those days
of generally undemanding audiences, most grown-up viewers probably realized
something I didn’t as a nine-year-old.“Bourbon Street Beat” was produced on nickels and dimes like every other
Warner Brothers PI and Western series of the day, and authentic New Orleans
backdrops were limited to a fleeting street shot of the French Quarter, taken
from stock footage.Everything else was
filmed on the Warners backlot in Burbank, including a partial exterior set
representing the Absinthe House at 240 Bourbon Street where the two private
eyes supposedly held down their office.With a quick switch, the detectives’ window looking out on the Vieux Carre
could be transformed into a window looking out on Waikiki, once this week’s
episode wrapped and filming began tomorrow for “Hawaiian Eye.” The most
authentic element of the show may have been Arlene Howell, a gorgeous model and
former Miss Louisiana who played Rex and Cal’s secretary, Melody Lee.Certainly, she was a better reason to tune in
than the archival footage.
Fast-forward
to 1986 and “The Big Easy,” a crime drama with on-location street scenes and
Crescent City atmosphere in abundance.Budgets and audience expectations had come a long way since “Bourbon
Street Beat.”The movie, directed by Jim
McBride, is available from Kino Lorber Studio Classics on Blu-ray.It opens with Detective-Lieutenant Remy McSwain
(Dennis Quaid) investigating the murder of a hit man that he and his fellow
officers in the New Orleans Police Department quickly attribute to a war
between rival organized crime gangs, one commanded by an aging mafia capo (Marc
Lawrence) and the other by a Black kingpin, Daddy Manton (Solomon Burke).The theory begins to unravel when Assistant
District Attorney Anne Osborne (Ellen Barkin) looks into the case and calls
McSwain’s conclusion premature.She is
as strait-laced as the half-Irish, half-Cajun McSwain is uninhibited, and offended
by his offhand acceptance of free meals at restaurants and other gratuities as
perks that go with his badge.So
naturally, in the usual Hollywood formula prizing sexual chemistry over logic,
the two quickly get a thing going.But
duty intrudes.Remy is caught in an
Internal Affairs sting operation, and Anne faces him in court as the chief
prosecutor.Meanwhile, additional mob
gunmen are murdered.McSwain examines
new clues with a more critical eye as they begin to pile up, and he comes to
agree with Anne.A gang war isn’t as
air-tight an explanation as he’d first thought.
Well-cast
with Ned Beatty, John Goodman, and Charles Ludlam in supporting roles, “The Big
Easy” was a respectable hit, even launching a 1996-97 TV series
executive-produced by Daniel Petrie Jr., who wrote the script for the
movie.Quaid and Barkin, both rising
talents, were a big draw, as were McBride’s plentiful scenes of zydeco parties,
crawfish boils, dinner at Antoine’s, and other exotic rituals in those days
before the Mardi Gras Week marathons on the Travel Channel and the Food
Channel. For fans of detective films who want scripts to cut to the chase,
though, there may be too much of Remy’s toothy flirting with Anne and too much
jambalaya in the first half of the movie, which begins to drag. But the pace
picks up in the second half with clever plot twists and a couple of crisply
directed action scenes, in which Quaid appears to do his less dangerous
physical stunts. Full disclosure, I have three degrees of separation from
Dennis Quaid, through someone who knows members of the Quaid family, but fuller
disclosure, I’ve never met the actor and I’m sure, never will.
The
Kino Lorber release of “The Big Easy” presents a rich image at the 1.85:1
aspect and informative audio commentary from Jim McBride, moderated by filmmaker
Douglas Hosdale. McBride offers interesting behind-the-scenes anecdotes,
including an explanation of how the great R&B singer Solomon Burke was cast
as Daddy Manton. Burke is one of two surprise faces in the cast. The other is
former New Orleans district attorney and Kennedy conspiracy theorist Jim
Garrison, who held a Louisiana state appeals court judgeship from 1978 until
his death in 1992. Garrison plays Judge Jim Garrison, who presides over Remy
McSwain’s bribery trial, much as the Beatles, Nicholas Cage, Tommy and Jimmy
Dorsey, Alan Freed, John Malkovich, and others have played “themselves” on the
screen.
The Blu-ray edition
of “The Big Easy” also includes trailers for several other Kino Lorber crime
movies and SDH captions for those of us old enough to remember who Jim Garrison
was.
Cinema Retro has received the following press release from Paramount:
Hailed as “the biggest and best action movie of the year” (Screen Rant), the edge-of-your-seat, non-stop thrill ride MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE—DEAD RECKONING Part One
becomes available to buy on Digital for fans to watch at home starting
October 10, 2023. The blockbuster hit will debut on 4K Ultra HD
SteelBook™, 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray™, and DVD on October 31st.
“Tom
Cruise is at the top of his game” in “the best ‘Mission’ ever”
(KTLA-TV) that’s loaded with “next level action and thrills”
(Entertainment Weekly). Certified Fresh with a stellar 96% critic score* on Rotten Tomatoes,® MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE—DEAD RECKONING Part One received widespread acclaim and a coveted “A” CinemaScore from fans.
Fans
who purchase the film on Digital can go deeper into the mission with
extensive, action-packed bonus content. Get an inside look at how Tom
Cruise and the filmmaking team pulled off multiple breathtaking stunts,
go behind-the-scenes of the exotic filming locations, delve into
spectacular footage not seen in theatres, learn about the intricacies of
the filmmaking process with director Christopher McQuarrie and editor
Eddie Hamilton, and more! Bonus content is detailed below:
Commentary by director Christopher McQuarrie and editor Eddie Hamilton—McQuarrie and Hamilton take viewers through each compelling scene with in-depth commentary.
Abu Dhabi—Explore
the exotic filming locations in the desert and at the international
airport and discover how each thrilling sequence was shot.
Rome—Take
a behind-the-scenes look at the thrilling car chase through Italy's
historic capital, as Tom Cruise's driving skills are pushed to the limit
while handcuffed to Hayley Atwell!
Venice—See
the breathtaking city of Venice as it's never been shown on film.
Plus, witness the cast's dedication and commitment to their training as
they prepare to get "Mission Ready."
Freefall—An
extended behind-the-scenes look at one of the biggest stunts in cinema
history. Watch never-before-seen footage of the rigorous training as
Tom launches a motorcycle off a cliff.
Speed Flying—Join
Tom and the crew as they explain the various training techniques
involved in pulling off the dangerous speed flying stunts in the film.
Train—See
how the climactic train sequence was captured on film. From building
an actual train from scratch to crashing it using practical effects, you
don't want to miss this!
Deleted Shots Montage—Director
Christopher McQuarrie and editor Eddie Hamilton share some of the
breathtaking, never-before-seen footage that didn't make the final film.
Editorial Featurette: The Sevastopol—Director Christopher McQuarrie and editor Eddie Hamilton take viewers through the intense opening scene.
(Photo: Paramount)
Synopsis
Ethan
Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team embark on their most dangerous
mission yet: To track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of
humanity before it falls into the wrong hands. With the fate of the
world at stake, a deadly race around the globe begins. Confronted by a
mysterious, all-powerful enemy, Ethan is forced to consider that nothing
can matter more than his mission - not even the lives of those he cares
about most.
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE—DEAD RECKONING Part One is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some language and suggestive material.
PARAMOUNT PICTURES and SKYDANCE Present
A TOM CRUISE Production TOM CRUISE “MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - DEAD RECKONING PART ONE”
HAYLEY ATWELL VING RHAMES SIMON PEGG REBECCA FERGUSON VANESSA KIRBY
and HENRY CZERNY Casting by MINDY MARIN, CSA
Music by LORNE BALFE Costume Designer JILL TAYLOR Film Editor EDDIE HAMILTON, ACE
Production Designer GARY FREEMAN Director of Photography FRASER TAGGART
Executive Producers DAVID ELLISON DANA GOLDBERG DON GRANGER
TOMMY GORMLEY CHRIS BROCK SUSAN E. NOVICK
Produced by TOM CRUISE CHRISTOPHER McQUARRIE
Based on the Television Series Created by BRUCE GELLER
Cinema Retro has received the following press release from the BFI concerning their new Region 2 Blu-ray of "Brannigan", which can be pre-ordered for 21 August release.
“The Duke is
in London, and London will never be the same!”
Veteran
Chicago detective Jim Brannigan (John Wayne, The
Searchers) is dispatched to London to bring back notorious gangster
Ben Larkin (John Vernon, Dirty
Harry), and is assured that the whole operation will run smoothly.
However, when things don’t go to plan, Brannigan finds himself in the
crosshairs of Larkin’s thugs. Reluctantly teaming up with by-the-book Commander
Swann of Scotland Yard (Richard Attenborough, The Great Escape), but determined to
recapture Larkin no matter what, Brannigan tears through London, leaving a
trail of destruction in his wake.
Boasting
incredible stunts, powerful punch-ups, dry dialogue and panoramic views of
1970s London shot by cinematographer Gerry Fisher (The Go-Between, Highlander), as well as a
superb supporting cast including Judy Geeson and Mel Ferrer, Brannigan still
stands tall as an explosive, action-packed, highly entertaining and peculiarly
British excursion for the legendary John Wayne.
Extras
Presented in High Definition
Audio commentary by Steve Mitchell and critic
Nathaniel Thompson (2017)
A Duke Out of Water (2023, 37 mins): reminiscences from the people
who made Brannigan
Frank Henson on Brannigan (2021, 4 mins): the veteran stuntman looks back
on doubling the Duke
Take It to the Bridge (1905-1956, 23 mins): historical glimpses of the
Thames, Tower Bridge and other Brannigan locations
A Policeman’s Lot (1896-1973, 35 mins): a copper’s clutch of films
concerning crimefighters and crooks, proceeding from the very earliest
days of cinema towards the Brannigan era
The Guardian Interview: Richard Attenborough (1983, 89 mins, audio only): the award-winning
actor and director, and John Wayne’s Brannigan co-star, reflects
upon his illustrious career
An extensive selection of location photographs,
featuring cast and crew
Original trailer
**FIRST PRESSING ONLY** Illustrated booklet with
new essays by Johnny Mains and John Oliver, notes on the special features
and credits
It
was hyped to be another film like The Sting (1973)—a clever heist caper
in a period setting with charismatic actors, witty dialogue, and a lively,
comical tone. Michael Crichton had written a historical novel, The Great
Train Robbery (published in 1975), which was based on the true story of the
first train robbery in Britain. In 1855, Britain was engaged in the Crimean War
and a large amount of gold was shipped monthly from London to pay the troops. A
fellow named William Pierce and his accomplice Edward Agar planned the robbery
and pulled it off, much to the dismay of the British authorities.
Crichton
was keen on getting a film made based on his book, so he went ahead and wrote
the screenplay himself. He also changed the character names to Edward Pierce
and Robert Agar and added a lot more “fun” to the proceedings for a romp of a cinematic
experience. Dino De Laurentiis picked up the film rights and it wasn’t
difficult to get the thing financed and distributed by United Artists. Released
first in the U.K., the title was changed, oddly, to The First Great Train
Robbery. However, in the United States and rest of the world, the picture
bore the simpler title from the book, The Great Train Robbery.
Pierce
(Sean Connery) is a man-about-London with high society connections, but he’s
also a con man with his own cadre of pickpockets and small time crooks. Among
them is Agar (Donald Sutherland), who is adept at lock-picking and copying keys,
and Miriam (Lesley-Anne Down), who has the talent to assume several
personas—usually, though, that of sexy bait for unsuspecting victims. The bank
manager, Fowler (Malcolm Terris), has loose lips and reveals the secret about
the gold’s security on the train—the safes can be opened only with four
different keys, each carried by different people. Pierce sets about instigating
elaborate schemes to first obtain each individual key, making copies of them, and
then to infiltrate the train and snatch the gold. Every step of the way, Agar
pronounces, “That’s impossible!” to comical effect, only to follow Pierce’s
instructions to the letter, succeed, and move forward to the next challenge. To
reveal more would certainly be a spoiler!
The
movie is entertaining and good enough—but it’s not the equal of The Sting. Much of the
film’s strength comes from watching Connery in action in a role that is similar
to the certain suave operator we all associate with the actor, only he’s been
transported to 1855 England. Dressed in the height of fashion for the time,
Connery is charming, dapper, and looks marvelous. There are moments, though, in
which it seems that Connery isn’t totally comfortable in the role. This might
be due to weaknesses in the dialogue and direction, which sadly do not always rise
to the occasion. Sutherland is also winning, although his British accent goes
in and out throughout the movie. Perhaps the most engaging performer is Down,
an extremely attractive and talented actress who unfortunately didn’t retain the
early success of her appearances in the late 70s and early 80s.
The
cinematography (by Geoffrey Unsworth), along with the production and costume
designs, are all exquisite. However, despite winning an Edgar Allan Poe Award
from Mystery Writers of America for the screenplay, it is the dialogue which
causes one to wince at its over-the-top instances of risqué innuendo. The
direction, too, is of journeyman quality; the picture could have benefited from
a Nicholas Meyer or even a Spielberg. That said, Connery allegedly performed
the top-of-the-train stunts himself, which, given that revelation, is
surprising. While not in the same league as top-of-the-train stunts today (i.e.,
Skyfall, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Mission:
Impossible—Dead Reckoning, Part One), for 1978 the stunt work is
impressive.
Kino
Lorber has issued a new Blu-ray disk that looks gorgeous and contains an archival audio
commentary by the late writer/director Crichton. The only other supplements are trailers
from other Crichton features and Kino Lorber releases. There is also a reversible artwork sleeve.
The
Great Train Robbery is
for fans of Connery and Sutherland, and it will hopefully remind viewers of Lesley-Anne
Down’s formidable gifts.
Chuck Norris is an American icon. His resume
is amazingly impressive—undefeated world karate champion, celebrity trainer,
best-selling author, television personality, and action movie superstar. Many
remember him from his eight season stint on the TV favorite Walker, Texas Ranger as well as in action movie classics Missing in Action, Code of Silence,
Invasion U.S.A. and The Delta Force.
However, some forget about Norris’s earlier efforts like Slaughter in San Francisco (1974), Breaker! Breaker! (1977) and Good
Guys Wear Black (1978); films where the talented athlete-turned-actor was
just starting his long, cinematic career. In 1979, Norris headlined A Force of One; a film which,
appropriately enough, cast him as a competitive martial artist.
A Force of One follows karate
champion Matt Logan (Norris) who, while rigorously training to defend his title
in an upcoming match, is contacted by the local police in order to aid them in
their current investigation. It seems that several officers have been murdered
by an assassin who the cops are convinced is a well-trained martial artist.
Matt agrees to help, but doesn’t realize that the killer is someone very close
to him.
Written by Academy Award winner Ernest
Tidyman and 9th degree black belt Pat E. Johnson, A Force of One was directed by Paul
Aaron; filmed in San Diego, California and released on May 18, 1979 by American
Cinema Releasing.
The very entertaining and well-written film,
which functions as an engaging police investigation/murder mystery, boasts solid
direction by Aaron, who more than competently handles the exciting martial arts
and action sequences. We are also given several well-drawn characters that are
brought to life by the talented cast. Naturally, Chuck Norris is totally
believable as the low-key, laid back, but extremely focused karate master Matt
Logan. Norris also brings a bit of humor to this somewhat biographical role.
Next, we have the beautiful Jennifer O’Neill conveying toughness, intelligence,
humor and sensitivity as dedicated undercover cop Amanda Rust. The late, great
Clu Gulager shines as a concerned police captain as does the always welcome Ron
O’Neal, who plays one of the undercover team searching for the killer. Last,
but not least, Eric Laneuville is extremely likeable as Norris’s adopted son,
Charlie.
Adding to the fun and captivating film are a
bunch of incredibly talented character actors/familiar faces such as James
Whitmore, Jr., Ray Vitte, Clint Ritchie, Pepe Serna, Taylor Lacher, Charles
Cyphers, Lisa James, Mel Novak and G.W. Bailey.
Lastly, we have the impressive acting debut
of undefeated middleweight karate champion Bill “Superfoot” Wallace; a brief
appearance by two-time Golden Gloves champion Edwin “Chu Chu” Malave, and Chuck
Norris’s younger brother, Aaron Norris, who does quadruple duty by being stunt
coordinator, performing stunts, choreographing fight scenes (with his brother),
and playing Chuck’s corner man.
In addition to all this goodness is a
wonderful, thriller-type musical score by composer Dick Halligan which, when
combined with everything else, makes A
Force of One a very enjoyable 90 minutes.
A Force of One has been released on
Blu-ray in anamorphic (1.85:1) widescreen from a brand new 2K transfer and the
movie, which I always remember looking a bit washed out, now looks crystal
clear and vibrant. This film has always been a favorite of mine and I’ve never
seen it look this good. The Region 1 disc also contains two audio commentaries;
one with director Paul Aaron, and another with action film historians Brandon
Bentley and Mike Leeder. We are also given the featurette“The Making of A Force of One”
as well as the original theatrical trailer, TV spots, radio spots, a trailer
for The Reincarnation of Peter Proud
(which also stars Jennifer O’Neill) and trailers for five Chuck Norris action
classics: Good Guys Wear Black, The
Octagon, An Eye for an Eye, Code of Silence and Hero and the Terror.
If,
like me, you’re a fan of this Chuck Norris martial arts classic, I highly
recommend picking up a copy of this Blu-ray.
Anne
Francis was director John Sturges’ only female actor in 1955’s “Bad Day at
Black Rock”, and she repeated her solo act ten years later on “The Satan Bug”.
But on that production, she and many cast members felt a preoccupation, a
distance, from the man who held together “The Magnificent Seven” and “The Great
Escape”. Francis was certain “He was thinking about “The Hallelujah Trail”.
This was Sturges’ next production, his entry into the world of roadshow
presentations; a mammoth production with a huge cast and even huger backdrop:
Gallup, New Mexico.
Bill Gulick’s 1963 novel, originally titled “The Hallelujah Train”, seemed a
perfect story to upend all western movie conventions, with the cavalry, the
Indians, the unions, and the Temperance Movement fighting over the
transportation of forty wagons of whiskey. Sturges was comfortable making westerns,
but this was a comedy western. He appreciated the Mirisch Corporation’s vision
of straight actors trying to make sense of the silliness, but still wanted to
persuade James Garner, Lee Marvin and Art Carney for major roles. Sturges knew
these actors could handle comedy.
Garner
passed. “The premise was too outrageous, not enough truth to be funny”, he
said. The rest of Sturges’ dream cast was not available, but what he got seemed
attractive: a pair of solid supporting actors, Jim Hutton and Pamela Tiffin,
and Lee Remick and Burt Lancaster for the leads. Lancaster had previously
worked with Sturges on “Gunfight at the O.K. Corral” and was impressed how the
film turned out. The rest of the supporting cast included Donald Pleasence,
Brian Keith, and Martin Landau. They were in for a tough shoot.
The
weather was unpredictable (you can spot thunderstorms heading their way in the
finished film) and the location had three hundred crew members miles away from
the hotels. Scenes contained countless stunts, and fifty tons of Fuller’s earth
was blown by several giant fans to create The Battle at Whiskey Hills. Bruce
Surtees, son of Sturges’ cinematographer Robert Surtees and focus-puller on the
set, recalled “All this and we’re shooting in Ultra-Panavision 70mm, which made
life even more difficult!” Despite the difficulties, the director was loving
what he saw on set; the film looked as breathtaking as any wide screen western
ever could, the stunts were amazing, and thank God he was also laughing all
through it.
The
hilarity was cut short near the end of the shooting. For the sprawling wagon
chase finale, stunt persons Buff Brady and Bill Williams convinced associate
producer Robert Relyea to let them delay their jump from inside a catapulted
coach. Permission was given, and in the attempt, Williams got tangled somehow
during his planned escape. He was killed instantly. Relyea nixed including the footage in the finished film, but was overruled by
Mirisch. It’s an incredible shot and it plays in every promotional trailer, probably the
most famous footage from the production. Was including it a bad decision or a
tribute? There is still a debate over this among retro movie fans.
“We
all thought it was going to be a hit picture”, said Sturges, “until we hit an
audience.” “The Hallelujah Trail” opened with a 165-minute cut that audiences and critics
found “belabored and overlong”. Sturges overheard some patrons wondering if
this was a straight western or a deliberate comedy. Screenwriter John Gay
blamed much of the response on the performances of Brian Keith and Donald Pleasence.
Gay wanted his lines played straight but the actors played it for laughs. The
film was soon cut to 156-minutes (the version on this Blu-ray) and the
reactions were much more positive; critics noted several inspired sight gags,
audiences enjoyed the cartoonish atmosphere of the DePatie-Freleng maps,
Variety found the film “beautifully packaged”, and the LA Times proclaimed “The
Hallelujah Trail” as “one of the very few funny westerns ever made, and
possibly the funniest.”
When the film finished its roadshow run, United Artists cut the film once more,
to 145-minutes. It didn’t help. Compared to “Cat Ballou” and even “F Troop”,
“The Hallelujah Trail” was unhip.Sturges
was done with comedy, but not with roadshow Cinerama, though his future films would have checkered histories. He was set to direct
“Grand Prix” but clashed with the original star, Steve McQueen. A year later
Gregory Peck turned down Sturges’ “Ice Station Zebra’, wary of its weak third
act. Rock Hudson, now middle-aged and wanting a strong lead role, came aboard
for this Sturges voyage instead. The MGM release still had a confusing third
act, but the film sails nicely mostly due to Patrick McGoohan and some clever
dialogue.
Decades
later, “The Hallelujah Trail” remains a nice memory to those who attended the
Cinerama presentation; not much greatness to retain but a great experience at
the movies. But that experience was tough to relive because the film remained
in legacy format limbo for years: a letterboxed standard definition transfer.
So when Olive Films announced a Blu-ray release in 2019, fans of comedy epics
sung Hallelujah! Now this film can be viewed in 1080P! Retreat! Unfortunately, the quality of the Olive release resembled an upscaled version of the original standard
definition transfer. But two years later “The Hallelujah Trail” was casually
spotted on Amazon Prime, and it was a new HD transfer. And a year after that,
it’s a new Kino Lorber Blu-ray release.
(Above: Dell U.S. comic book tie-in.)
Any
Cinema-Retro reader worth their Cinerama Chops should have this Blu-ray in
their collection. “The Hallelujah Trail” is an hour too long, but you get miles
of lovely landscape. My favorite portrayal? Donald Pleasence as Oracle, who predicts the future in
return for free drinks. And watch for his amazing jump off a roof! Certainly,
the most impressive part of the film is the finale: the runaway wagon chase.
There are sections where you swear it’s Remick, Keith and Landau handling those
coaches but you know it has to be well made-up stunt people, at least for most
of it. You’re also realizing that this sequence, and perhaps the entire film,
is performed without any process work or rear projection.
There’s a legitimate debate on how the film may have been more successful if
James Garner played the role of Colonel Gearhart, though only Lancaster could
have pulled off that bathtub smile scene. There’s no disagreement on the music;
Elmer Bernstein’s sprawling score contains so many themes that Sturges’
biographer Glenn Lovell qualifies the film as “almost a pre-“Paint Your Wagon”
musical." And here’s your tiniest “Trail”
trivia: decades ago, during the production
of the laserdisc version, MGM/UA discovered that a few reels were mono sound
instead of multi-channel, including the main title featuring the chorus. Yours
truly was working on a project for the company at the time, and I happily lent
them my stereo score LP. so the main title would be in stereo. That audio track
mix remains on this new Blu-ray as well. (You’re welcome, America!)
Kino
Lorber is kind enough to provide some expert guides to help you along the “Trail”:
the perfect pairing of screenwriter C. Courtney Joyner and filmmaker/historian
Michael Schlesinger. Joyner had already provided his Sturges bonafides with his
documentary on the director for the recent Imprint Blu-ray of “Marooned”, and I
can verify Schlesinger’s knowledge of film comedy, having been fortunate to
join him, along with Mark Evanier, for the commentary track on Criterion’s
“It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World”. Joyner and Schlesinger tackle and
acknowledge “The Hallelujah Trail”s social and political incorrectness, but
also deflate any virtue signaling by examining how the film is smartly an equal
opportunity offender: the Cavalry, the Indians, the Temperance Movement, all up
for farce. Thanks to this team, and the picture quality of this Blu-ray, I
finally spotted the gag of the Indians circling the wagons as the cavalry is
whooping and hollering. Both gents are in a fine fun mood to tackle this type
of film, and It’s one of my favorite film commentaries of 2022.
“The
Hallelujah Trail” now looks clearer and sharper than any previous home video
release, and somehow it makes the comedy and the performances sharper as well.
I think you’ll be entertained by this roadshow epic, and with Joyner and
Schlesinger as your commentary companions you may indeed learn, as the posters
proclaimed, “How the West Was Fun!”
If you asked anyone who is a fan of Sixties spy movies "In what film did Donald Pleasence play a rich, brilliant international criminal mastermind?", the answer would be obvious: "You Only Live Twice", in which Pleasence portrayed the evil Spectre mastermind Ernst Stavro Blofeld. However, there is another answer that would be equally correct: "Matchless", an unheralded long-forgotten spy spoof made by Italians and shot in such diverse locations as Germany, America and England. Pleasence plays Gregori Andreanu, the main villain of the piece, but he doesn't appear until well into the running time. The film opens with American journalist Perry Liston being creatively tortured by Communist Chinese soldiers who suspect he is a spy. In reality, Liston writes a popular newspaper column under the nom de plume "Matchless", the significance of which is never explained- along with other key plot points. For example, I don't recall if Liston ever does explain to anyone why he is China, but in this fast-moving comedy-adventure, plot points come and go with such rapidity that they may well be regarded as dispensable. While in jail, Liston shows pity on a fellow prisoner, an elderly Chinese man who, before dying, bequeaths to him a magic ring that will allow the wearer to become invisible. There are only two catches: the invisibility only lasts for 20 minutes and can only be utilized once every ten hours. (The team of five screenwriters must have been under the influence of something drinkable to come up with this zany concept.) Much to Liston's surprise, the device works and he escapes from prison, conveniently hiding in a nearby house that happens to belong to a single, gorgeous, horny young woman who even more conveniently happens to be taking a shower. She is startled by Liston's ability to be invisible but not for long. Once he appears in the flesh, it's under the covers for both of them.
The scene then switches to the United States where high level military personnel are subjecting Liston to the same torture applied by the Chinese, which involves tying the victim to a large canister that revolves at lightning speed in much the same way you get a paint can mixed at Home Depot. Again, I can't recall if it's explained how Liston ended up in the U.S. and why he is being tortured, but he is quickly enlisted by two members of the top Army brass, General Shapiro (Howard St. John) and his fawning sidekick Colonel Coolpepper (Sorel Brooke) to undertake a dangerous mission to Europe where he is to ingratiate himself with Andreanu, secure his confidence and somehow steal of case of chemical vials in his possession (though it's never explained what they are or why they are dangerous to the world.) Liston agrees and sets off to London, where somehow he is stalked for assassination by Hank Norris (Henry Silva), an American who was in the Chinese prison. How did he get out and become an assassin? Who knows. Just go with the flow. From there, the unflappable and capable Liston encounters deceitful, beautiful women and numerous villains in between making a series of narrow escapes thanks to his ability to temporarily become invisible. (One downside to the ability is that his clothes remain visible, so each time he wants to disappear, he has to ditch his clothing and often reemerge naked, a running gag used throughout the film.) When Liston finally meets Andreanu, they both pretend they like each other while following the old spy movie tradition of having each man obviously know that the other is his mortal enemy.
"Matchless" is an off-the-charts weird movie in every sense but it's also a lot of fun. Patrick O'Neal, who rarely scored a leading role in his career as a popular supporting actor, is well cast here. He seems to be having a ball playing a hero who is more Derek Flint than Bond. He's handsome, debonair and has the ability to toss out bon mots even when staring at deadly threats. Donald Pleasence gets an equally rare chance to show his comedic abilities and he's delightful playing an eccentric and ruthless megalomaniac. As with most of these lower-grade Bond-inspired spy flicks of the era, this one makes up for its shortcomings by supplying an endless bevy scantily clad women including Ira von Furstenberg (a real life princess), Nicoletta Machiavelli and Elisabeth Wu, who between them expose heaving bosoms and plenty of flesh, all the while dolled up in those marvelous mod fashions of the era. There are cheesy attempts to emulate Maurice Binder's trademark James Bond opening credits and an equally cheesy Bond-style title song ( future legend Ennio Morricone was one of the three credited composers). But the production values are better than you might imagine and the stunts and action scenes work quite well. (Liston utilizes an amphibious car a full decade before Bond did in "The Spy Who Loved Me"). Director Alberto Lattuada keeps the action going non-stop and makes the most of the Continental appeal of the European locations. One of the funniest aspects of the film is unintentional: the dubbing is terrible to the point of being of laugh-out-loud caliber. It appears that everyone other than O'Neal and Pleasence has been dubbed, including (inexplicably) Henry Silva, who was an American actor of repute. Silva gives a maniacal and very funny performance and, as with Pleasence, he seems to be relishing the opportunity to play a comedic role.
It should be noted that the deceitful American marketing campaign disguised the fact that "Matchless" is a comedy and presented it as straight spy thriller. One can only imagine the reaction of the gobsmacked viewers who were expecting a tense Cold War thriller and instead were treated to a film that was more akin to a Jerry Lewis production. I don't want to overstate the attributes of "Matchless" but it is an
unexpectedly enjoyable romp. If you're idea of good viewing is
"Operation Kid Brother", then this one is for you.
(The film is currently streaming on Screenpix, a subscription service available through Amazon Prime, Roku, YouTube and Apple TV for $2.99 a month.)
"RETRO-ACTIVE: THE BEST FROM THE CINEMA RETRO ARCHIVE"
BY ERNIE MAGNOTTA
There's nothing I like better than getting
hold of a movie that I've been searching over three decades for and adding it
to my collection. At my age, there aren't many vintage films left that I don't
own in one format or another, so when I very pleased when I heard that the 1976 cult
classic Bobbie Jo and the Outlaw was
getting a Blu-ray release. This movie has somehow always managed to elude me.
It never seemed to play on any of my cable stations in the early 80s, we never
had a copy of it at the video store I worked at in the mid-80s and I was still
never able to find a copy of it anywhere throughout the 90s. To be honest, by
the time the 21st century hit, I completely forgot about this movie,
so I was pretty surprised and even more excited to find out that it was not
only being released on Blu-ray, but also with quite a few special features.
Why? To begin with, I'm a tremendous fan of the director; not to mention the
entire cast and, last, but not least, I just love fun, action/crime/drama
exploitation films from the 1970s.
Produced and directed by Mark Lester (Truck Stop Women, Roller Boogie, Class of
1984), written by Vernon Zimmerman (Unholy
Rollers, Fade to Black) and released by American International Pictures,
modern western Bobbie Jo and the Outlaw
tells the tale of quick-draw expert and Billy the Kid enthusiast Lyle Wheeler
(Marjoe Gortner, Earthquake, Food of the
Gods, Viva Knievel!, Starcrash) who, together with waitress and aspiring
country singer Bobbi Jo Baker (TV’s one and only Wonder Woman, Lynda Carter) experiences a dangerous cross country
adventure filled with love, robbery and murder.
So, was the movie worth the wait? I certainly
think so. It may not be in the same league as, say, Bonnie and Clyde (1967), but it's still an extremely enjoyable,
well-directed, written and acted low-budget feature that definitely deserves to
be seen. To begin with, Mark Lester's direction is not only solid, but he is
just at home directing the quiet, more character-driven and dramatic/romantic
scenes as he is directing a sequence involving heavy action and stunts. Next
up, Vernon Zimmerman's wonderful writing not only creates an engaging story,
but interesting and likeable three-dimensional characters as well. Lyle Wheeler
aka the Outlaw, seems to live by his own code and has definite ideas of good
and evil; right and wrong. Marjoe Gortner effortlessly and believably gets all
this across and makes his character quite likeable. (This may be my favorite
Gortner performance.) The stunning Lynda Carter gets to show a bit more range
then she did as Wonder Woman and is extremely convincing as the hopeful and
somewhat naive Bobbi Jo. The rest of the outrageously talented cast not only
add immensely to the film, but clearly came to play. Jesse Vint (Chinatown, Forbidden World) perfectly
plays Slick Callahan; a wild, not too bright cocaine fiend and boyfriend of
Bobbi Jo's sister, Pearl. Gorgeous Merrie Lynn Ross (Class of 1984, TVs General
Hospital), who also co-produced the film, brings a hardened heart quality
to slightly ditzy stripper Pearl, and the always welcome Belinda Balaski (Piranha, The Howling) shines as hippie
waitress Essie Beaumont. Rounding out the top-notch cast is Gene Drew (Truck Stop Women) as a no-nonsense
sheriff, B-movie legend Gerrit Graham (Beware!
The Blob, Phantom of the Paradise, The Annihilators, C.H.U.D. II: Bud the
C.H.U.D.) as a helpful hippie, Virgil Frye (Graduation Day), who replaced Dennis Hopper, as a macho gas station
attendant with something to prove, Peggy Stewart (Alias Billy the Kid, Beyond Evil) as Bobbi Jo's alcoholic mom, and
James Gammon (Major League) as a fast
talking salesman.
The New Mexico-lensed, low-budget feature
also benefits from some nice Albuquerque locations, Grammy winner Barry De
Vorzonâ's (The Young and the Restless,
Dillinger, Rolling Thunder) memorable score, Stanley Wright's lovely cinematography,
and "Those City Lights", a catchy country song by Bobby Bare (Tremors). A lot of people believe that
the only reason to see this film is for Lynda Carter's brief nude scene. While
Lynda looks absolutely beautiful and made both my eyes very happy, the movie
itself has more going for it than just that. All in all, it's an extremely
solid and fun piece of 1970s exploitation cinema that fans of this lost era of
filmmaking are sure to enjoy.
Bobbie Jo and the
Outlaw has
been released on Blu-ray by Kino Lorber. The Region 1 disc presents the movie in
its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio. Although the gorgeous transfer is slightly
grainy-looking at times (mostly in a few of the nighttime scenes), it never
detracts from the story, and the images are otherwise extremely clear making
the HD movie beautiful to look at. The disc also contains quite a few wonderful
special features including the original trailer, interviews with Mark Lester
(who mentions various aspects of the film such as casting, directing, budget
and the fact that the concept of the film was inspired by the classic Eagles
hit "Desperado"), Merrie Lynn Ross (who goes into detail about being both an
actor and a producer) and Belinda Balaski (who talks about how she got cast,
how she developed her character, and her recollection of working with Lynda
Carter) as well as a very interesting and informative audio commentary by
director Lester. If, like me, you're a fan of 70s action/crime cinema, I
recommend checking out Bobbie Jo and the
Outlaw.
Brendan Fraser started as most actors do, trying to land supporting roles in high profile films. He landed the leading role in low-brow 1992 comedy "Encino Man" in which he played a caveman in the modern era. Over the next few years, he worked steadily- if unevenly- in a range of films that failed to score at the boxoffice. That changed in 1997 when he played the role of George of the Jungle, a big screen adaptation of a 1960s cartoon series. With his hunky good looks, athletic physique and ability to perform difficult stunts, Fraser was in demand when the film proved to be a hit. More successes followed with "The Mummy" and its sequel. Fraser excelled in playing genial, if fallible action heroes and romantic leads, but he also proved he had the talent to portray dramatic characters as well, as evidenced by his acclaimed performances in "Gods and Monsters" and "The Quiet American". He also won plaudits for his performance as Brick in a 2001 stage production of Tennessee Williams' classic "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof". Then things slowed down. A few modest hits aside, Fraser appeared mostly in forgettable films and in supporting roles in TV productions. A volatile divorce, medical consequences from the many stunts her performed earlier in his career and other personal challenges led to him virtually dropping out of sight a few years ago. Fans who had grown up on his work in the 1990s speculated that he might soon fit into the "Whatever happened to?" category. His much-anticipated role as a villain in the "Batgirl" feature film was a casualty of Warner Brothers' decision to cancel the unfinished film. But Fraser has had plenty to be happy about recently. He landed a major role in Martin Scorsese's currently-filming "Killers of the Flower Moon" and has recently generated Oscar buzz for his leading role in director Darren Aronofsky's dramatic film "The Whale", which premiered last month at the Venice Film Festival to a six-minute standing ovation.
I joined my fellow ink-stained wretches of the press for a screening of the film last Sunday at The Montclair Film Festival in New Jersey. Fraser was on hand to be interviewed by Stephen Colbert, who resides in Montclair and who, along with his wife Evelyn, have been major players in the creation of the film festival, which holds screenings in two local historic theaters, the one-time Cinerama showcase The Claridge and the Wellmont, a grand old venue where this event took place. The cavernous Wellmont had a packed house and the crowd was made up of true cinephiles, as evidenced by their rapt attention to the film and the interview that followed. Nobody was texting, talking or otherwise distracting from the proceedings, despite the fact that there were three bars on site dispensing plenty of adult beverages. This was my first time attending the festival and I was impressed by the atmosphere and choice of venues.
As for "The Whale", like many critics, I found myself with mixed feelings. The primary reason to see the film is because of Fraser's justifiably acclaimed performance. It has been noted that the actor is now more beefy than beefcake but don't confuse Fraser with Charlie, the character he plays in the film, who is a 600-pound man confined to his apartment. Fraser required a rather amazing prosthetic "fat suit" as well as some convincing CGI effects to convincingly play a person this morbidly obese. The film opens on a jarring note. Charlie is slouched in his couch masturbating to a gay porn video, and his aroused state almost causes his death. In fact, virtually every movement is a challenge for Charlie, a kindhearted man whose only regular connection to society is his job teaching an online college course in literature via Zoom. Because he is ashamed of his appearance, he tells his students that his camera is broken. He can see them, but they can't see him, which unintentionally allows him to create an air of mystery about his persona. Charlie is obsessed with Herman Melville's "Moby Dick", and the analogy between the great white whale and his own physical state is obvious. Charlie receives a visit from a young evangelist, Thomas (Ty Simpkins) who ostensibly is there to spread the word from the Good Book but who ends up assisting and befriending Charlie, while keeping a secret about his own background. Next in line to visit is Ellie (Sadie Sink), Charlie's estranged teenage daughter who lugs a pretty good number of plot devices in the door with her. Seems Charlie was once married but left Sadie and her mother when she was very young when he came out of the closet and lived with his lover, who is now deceased and whose memory leaves Charlie in a constant state of despair. This first plot contrivance doesn't hold up for the simple reason that Charlie and his wife and daughter all still live in the same town, so it seems unlikely they would have had no social interaction until now. Next up among the visitors is Liz (Hong Chau), a saucy, no-nonsense nurse who happens to be a personal friend of Charlie. In between looking after his endless medical needs, she lectures him about his health to little avail. Rounding out the parade of eccentric troubadours dropping in on this mini Grand Central Station is Charlie's ex-wife Mary (Samantha Morton), who discusses their mutual concerns about Ellie's rebellious nature and self-destructive tendencies, all of which are squarely blamed on Charlie's negligence toward her.
"The Whale" is based on Samuel D. Hunter's stage play and film looks very much like a filmed stage production. There are precious few exterior shots and the murky interior cinematography by Matthew Libatique, combined with Ron Simonsen's eerie score, results in the mood of a horror film being prevalent. Hunter's screenplay and Aronofsky's direction tip off all but the most gullible viewer that their emotions are being exploited in a naked and shameless manner. Nothing wrong with that. Chaplin did the same with the final scene of "City Lights", as the Little Tramp unveils his identity to his once-blind paramour in a scene that may be the most touching in screen history. But "The Whale" is loaded up with a lot of contrived crises. Charlie is a sympathetic figure throughout but Ellie is painted as the Cruella DeVil of the high school set, a one-note character that you try in vain to find redeeming qualities in. She even charges her own father money in order to spend time with her. Director Aronofsky has Sadie Sink go for the rafters in terms of her cruelty but we know from minute one that at some point she'll fall for young Thomas in another improbable plot twist. The actors can't be faulted. They're just following orders. The only believable character aside from Charlie is Liz the nurse and Hong Chau registers strongly in the role. The most affecting scenes are those centering on Charlie as an individual, as we watch seemingly mundane actions such as attempting to stand up evolve into "Mission: Impossible"-like scenarios. It's painful to watch Fraser, but that's the point. Regardless of the film's flaws, his performance is flawless. "The Whale" isn't the first film to portray morbidly obese people in a sympathetic fashion. Director Anne Bancroft's 1979 film "Fatso" did so through a serio-comedic lens. "The Whale", however, provides precious few reasons to smile.
Following the screening, Brendan Fraser and Stephen Colbert took to the stage to Fraser's latest standing ovation. He appeared genuinely moved and in discussion with Colbert, it became clear how grateful he is to have been cast as Charlie. The chat reinforced Fraser's image as a Mister Nice Guy and to Colbert's credit, he suppressed his comedic side and did nothing to overshadow Fraser in any way. The interview was enjoyable and insightful.
"The Whale" is a flawed film but no so flawed that it can't be recommended for those who seek a moving, if manipulative drama, as well as the performance of a lifetime by Brendan Fraser.
Though
this author has seen many Italian Westerns, for years I had avoided watching Navajo Joe because I had wrongly assumed
it was an American Western due to its star: Burt Reynolds. Happily, I
discovered that Navajo Joe is a
solidly entertaining film. Reynolds stars as the title character, out for
revenge after a gang of cutthroats massacres his tribe and scalps his wife. The
rest of the film shows Reynolds hunting down the bandits and killing them one
by one. Naturally, as this is a Spaghetti Western, Joe has a few anti-hero
traits. When the same outlaw gang begins terrorizing the town of Esperanza, Joe
dupes the townspeople into paying him to kill the gang, thus managing to profit
from an act he was intending to carry out anyway (hence the film's Italian
title A Dollar a Head). Though a
solid film produced by Dino de Laurentiis, directed by Sergio Corbucci (Django) and scored by Ennio Morricone,
Burt Reynolds often puts the movie down, stating that it could only be shown in
prisons and on airplanes to truly captive audiences that couldn't escape. Supposedly
the bad blood began when Reynolds misunderstood that he was to be working with
Sergio Leone rather than Sergio Corbucci, and vice versa Corbucci initially hoped
to cast Marlon Brando. Due to the mutual disappointment the director and his
star didn't get along terribly well. The film was shot between two of
Corbucci's other westerns, Johnny Oro
(1966) and Hellbenders (1967). The
camera work and direction for the action scenes are top notch and Reynolds
himself was said to have done his own stunts, in addition to overseeing the stunt
work on the entire film. Ennio Morricone (under the alias of Leo Nichols)
composes another good score, with the main theme being the most memorable.
The
picture quality on the Blu-ray, though not flawless, is good overall. Included
in the special features is a commentary track by the Kino Lorber Senior Vice
President of Theatrical Releasing, Gary Palmucci. In addition to the usual cast
and crew backgrounds, Palmucci also offers up some interesting insights into
running a company such as Kino Lorber and how they acquire their various
titles. The Blu-ray also comes with a trailer for Navajo Joe and other Reynolds MGM/UA action films White Lightning, Gator and Malone.
John LeMay is the author of several western non-fiction titles, among them Tall Tales and Half Truths of Billy the Kid. Click here to order from Amazon.
Author
and film historian Dana Polan has
recently written a book titled Dreams of
Flight: ‘The Great Escape’ in American Film and Culture that analyzes
director John Sturges’ WWII classic. Cinema Retro Editor-in-Chief Lee Pfeiffer conducted this interview with
Polan regarding his book.
Q:Tell us about your book overall:
Dana Polan: Combining unique
archival research, close analysis, and first-person accounts by viewers, Dreams
of Flight traces multiple histories around the 1963 POW classic The
Great Escape: production history of the film itself but also the history of
the original event (an actual breakout in 1944 that led to the successful
escape of three men, recapture of seventy-three with fifty of those summarily
executed on Hitler’s orders), as well as the trajectory of POW Paul Brickhill’s
written account as it evolved into the bestselling page-turner book The
Great Escape. I also chronicle my own viewing history of the film, starting
as a Sixties adolescent, along with accounts by other viewers who also saw the
film around then and found that its blend of the buoyant and the downbeat
stayed with them over the years. I had long wanted to revisit the film, ever
since first seeing and being so strongly impacted by it. I feel so lucky to
have been given the chance to engage with the film in a book-length study that
could go into much detail about the film and its reception history.
Q:When and where did you first see the film?
DP: I wish I could be
more precise about the exact date but I started researching and writing the
book during Covid quarantine and that limited a wee bit of my research. I know
I saw it at my town’s one drive-in and it was likely about 1965 since that is
when we moved to the area. If so, I would have been 13 years old or so, and it
would have been a re-release. I’d have loved to track down microfilm copies of
the local newspaper to see the dates the film was playing and also to determine
if it was on a double-bill or not. The Great Escape is a long film but
our drive-in generally showed two films and I imagine would only have had one
presentation per night of the double-bill. Although The Great Escape was
not road-showed in its original release in 1963 — no symphonic overture over a
static opening title, no intermission, and so on — I persist in thinking there
was a break half-way through so viewers could be encouraged to go to the
concession stand. In fact, the film has a logical place for a pause just at the
halfway mark — when the first character we care about gets killed and the hitherto
individualist Hilts (Steve McQueen) declares his commitment to the collective
cause of escape. There’s a consequential fade-out and then fade-in as the POWs
resolutely return to their cause. If indeed the drive-in showed The Great
Escape on a double-bill, that would have made for a long evening, and the
intermission might have been essential for concession-stand sales.
An
amusing anecdotal detail: I was away for the weekend when the film opened at
the drive-in and my mom and stepdad went without me on Saturday evening
to see it. I had desperately been wanting to see it as, as I’ll explain in a
moment, it seemed to promise exactly that sort of action entertainment I loved
as a kid. When I got home by Sunday, I was so distraught that they hadn’t
waited that my stepdad ended up having to take me that evening and sat through
this long epic a second time in two days. He dozed off here or there while I
was enthralled by every moment of the film even as I ultimately found it very
disturbing.
Q:What impressed you most about it?
DP: Like, I imagine,
many young American boys of the time, I went to the film for the gungho promise
of its canonic poster, “The great adventure, the great entertainment, the great
escape.” Instead, I was blown away by a narrative that seemed to me to be a
deflation of adventure — a transformation of rousing entertainment into
something questioning and quite bleak.
The
Great Escape’s
downbeat turn from a fun romp into fatalism left a lasting impression on me. As
I write in Dreams of Flight, this unexpected narrative turn was a theme
I began to notice in other films of that historical moment — one that is
telling of American culture in the 1960s.
I
have always imagined that my experience of movies is not mine alone but is
likely representative of my demographic currents (gungho adolescent boy, in
this case) and may be shared strongly by others in the same demographic. At the
time, as I say, I was a pre-teen American boy who especially liked “manly”
action cinema and expected from the trailers and that iconic poster that The
Great Escape fit that mold. I know from other fan accounts that I tracked down
for the book that I was not alone in feeling something disturbing and
consequential was going on instead — in the film and in the times themselves.
In my research for Dreams of Flight, I reached out to other viewers who
first saw The Great Escape in the 1960s and found many had comparable
reactions.
(Photo: Courtesy of the author.)
Q:Where does it stand in relation to Sturges' other films?
DP: John Sturges made
over 40 films in a career that started with B-movies with a graduation to A-films
in the 1950s, some of which combined strong narrative drive with a degree of
artistic ambition — on the one hand, an entrapment drama like Bad Day at
Black Rock (Sturges’s one nomination for Best Director) where thematic
resonance (the topic of racial prejudice) is overlaid with taut suspense and
moments of explosive action; on the other hand, the pretention of literary adaptation
with, for example, the barebones Hemingwayesque allegory of The Old Man and
the Sea. Even though he was thought of most as a manly man’s director,
Sturges even did so-called women’s films, melodramas of love and emotional
turmoil, such as A Girl Named Tamiko or By Love Possessed. But
his forte was films of masculine fortitude and he found apt embodiment,
literally so, for the trials and travails of men under pressure in a visual
fascination with strong, sometimes stocky guys filmed as upright or coiled up bundles
of vitality just itching to burst out. For example, the first time we see James
Garner in The Great Escape (as Hendley, the forger), he’s filmed,
perhaps curiously, from a distance that not only cuts off his feet but hisneck and head as well so that the emphasis is on his torso, taut and
tough as he confronts the fact of incarceration. Throughout the film, there are
long pauses to paint a pent-up male energy that then passes over into scenes of
vibrant action. I suggest in my book that The Great Escape not merely
divides into three parts — planning of the escape, enactment of the escape, the
outcome (as noted, a generally bleak one with most of the men rounded up and
summarily executed) — but finds an overall distinct visual style for each of
these: from coiled up men constrained by the fences that surround the camp and
by the very confinement of the barracks they are walled up in, to the open
expanses of seeming freedom beyond the camp, and back again to the camp for
those POWs who are rounded up but escape execution (with the last shots showing
even greater confinement for Hilts, who once again merits his moniker, “The
Cooler King”).
For
me, The Great Escape shows Sturges at the pinnacle of his dramatic form,
although some fans prefer the tighter professionalism of The Magnificent
Seven. Later Sturges films have their moments but the pauses get longer
(and more talky as in the very sodden The Satan Bug) and the
professionalism turns into long scenes of planning for action that actually
defer that action (for example, the slowly unfolding Marooned and the
overblown Ice Station Zebra which keeps delaying a violent confrontation
that actually never comes for symphonically scored scenes of the submarine
crashing through the ice and men pushing buttons and yelling orders). I find
perfection to the pacing of The Great Escape: men talk out their plans
at length but the suspense never lets up and, as I argue in the book, Sturges
films dialogue scenes in a variety of forms (classic shot/reverse shot,
wide-screen confrontation between men, long takes with a moving camera, and so
on) that keep everything moving forward in thrilling fashion.
Once upon a time (or more
specifically 1952) the amazing Cinerama film process premiered with “This is
Cinerama”, and for the next ten years moviegoers lined up to hurl down a
rollercoaster, cling tight on a runaway train, make a dangerous flyover at a
volcano, even sit and watch an opera, in the comfort of roadshow seats. Three cameras filming in
synchronization and mounted on a shell the size of a refrigerator captured a
panorama of wonders from around the world. This undertaking was legitimized
when three projectors, along with a fourth reel just for the multi-track sound,
spread these vistas across a curved screen and across the country. Cinerama was
a technical marvel…and not a small response to television!
Finally, after a decade of impressive
travelogues, Cinerama joined forces with MGM. The objective: begin to produce
films with actual stories using this immersive presentation. In June 1961, the
popular LIFE Magazine series “How the West Was Won” began its transition to a
giant of a western film; an all-star cast with three directors attached. A
month later, George Pal began production on “The Wonderful World of the
Brothers Grimm” and it would also employ more than one director. Henry Levin
would handle the real-life dramatics, while Pal lent his gentle hand to the
three fairy tales that would surround the story.
“Brothers Grimm” actually opened
before “How the West Was Won” and got its share of kind but not outstanding
reviews. The three fairy tales presented are not as dynamic as a Snow White or
Cinderella, but of course those stories have been strongly “Disneyfied”, so it
certainly made more sense to use less familiar subjects. What played between
the tales could be another issue: the mixture of drama (including Wilhelm Grimm
being deathly ill in the last half hour) sandwiched with “The Dancing Princess”
or “The Singing Bone” seems a tough grind for an audience full of kids. But Russ Tamblyn is a major
contributor to the fun aspects of the film, with terrific comedy, dancing and a
few dangerous stunts.
With “Brothers Grimm” and "How the West Was Won",
three strip Cinerama went out with positive memories, but it did go out.
Audiences enjoyed it but directors and actors didn’t. A decent close up was out
of the question, actors had to look past their subjects to make it appear
normal for the camera, and cinematographers tried using several inventive ways
to hide the join lines.(Trees and doorways were popular.) The rest of roadshow
Cinerama would originate from various 70mm formats with an image squeeze to wrap
around the curved screen. It was not quite the same, of course, but it brought
success to epics like “Its a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” and “2001: A Space
Odyssey”. (Viewing the Cinerama version of “2001”, one fell into space, a
feeling not achieved with any regular 70mm version.)
Time had not been kind to “Brothers
Grimm”. For many years, home video used a print down version (merging the three
panels into a single strip) with less-than-stellar results. Indeed, it was
tough to judge the merits of the film because (to use the words of the late
Cinerama expert John Harvey) it became “The Grim World of the Brothers
Wonderful”. A last hurrah occurred at a Cinerama Dome festival several years
ago when a surviving three panel version played to grateful widescreen fans.
Note: with both “Mad World” and the previously lost “The Golden Head” on the
schedule, a few called the weekend “The Buddy Hackett Film Fest"! And Russ
Tamblyn came to the rescue again when the film broke down for a few minutes and
the movie’s wonderful woodsman filled the time with some behind-the-scenes
stories.
That night, those who were not around for “Brothers
Grimm”s initial Cinerama run discovered the glory previously hidden by its
video version. The surviving print had rough spots but no matter; when the
walk-out music began the Dome audience applauded with the attitude of “We’ve
finally seen this film the way we were supposed to.”
And that, we all thought, was
that.
Photo: Dave Strohmaier
Over the years, producer, editor
(and showmanship expert) Dave Strohmaier has gathered the best technicians in
film and video to transfer the original Cinerama films, including “How the West
Was Won” for the Blu-Ray format. The results are nothing short of remarkable,
and all those titles belong in a film fan’s library. In fact, “How the West Was
Won” has become the standard Blu-Ray for setup according to many home theater
buffs. But while that film’s elements were in excellent shape, some of “Brothers
Grimm” was not. Determining that a photochemical
restoration would be cost prohibitive, if not impossible, Dave Strohmaier, Tom
March and an army of experts set out to create a new digital presentation of
this abandoned work of widescreen art. The result is the best way to see George
Pal’s 1962 effort since, well, 1962.
Like the Warner Archive's Blu-Ray of “How the West Was Won”, “Brothers
Grimm” is a two disc set containing a “Letterboxed” presentation and a “Smilebox”
version, that replicates the experience of seeing the film in its curved screen
Cinerama glory. Choices like this are again another reason to appreciate the
disc medium.
Most may agree that “Brothers Grimm”
is one of George Pal’s most ambitious projects. But is it his greatest
achievement? Probably not. Justin Humphreys, curator of the estate of George
Pal, reflects that the film misses classic status, yet it does accomplish what
Pal, Levin, MGM and Cinema set out to make: a colorful, lively, musical, family
friendly event at the cinema. The money is up on the screen and the European
locations are major attractions.
So the greatness is found,
perhaps not in the film itself but certainly in this Blu-Ray presentation; many
home theater enthusiasts consider “Brothers Grimm” the home video release of
the year, and I agree. From the clarity of Leigh Harline’s Oscar-nominated
score to Paul Vogel’s cinematography, the film sounds and looks like it was
produced today. In fact, due to the richness of Technicolor, dare we say it
looks better than much of what we see in theaters today.
Special features are spread over
both discs; radio interviews, trailers, photo slideshows, a salute to William
R. Forman, promotional artwork, a delightful mini-doc “The Wonderful Career of
George Pal”. But the headliner is surely the 40-minute “Rescuing a Fantasy
Classic” documentary, an in-depth look at the massive digital restoration.
Thanks to the Warner Archive, Dave
Strohmaier, Tom March and the team involved, “The Wonderful World of the
Brothers Grimm” has been given another opportunity to entertain and to live on…happily ever after.
The Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., will present a Zoom lecture titled "60 Years of James Bond". Here is the official press release:
Join
film historian Max Alvarez for a multimedia presentation—unredacted and
for your eyes only!—where the mission is to crack the code behind the
high-tech glamour and globetrotting excitement of the 007 film cycle. Alvarez
shares selections from popular Bond adventures as well as archival and
behind-the-scenes production material, including visual breakdowns of legendary
007 stunts and astonishing production design achievements. The occasion calls
for a toast with a very British, Bond-inspired martini (recipe below).
James Bond's Vesper Martini with Recipe
Cocktail
historian Philip Greene, author of The Manhattan: The Story of the First
Modern Cocktail, recreates the drink that Bond instructs a bartender to
make in Ian Fleming’s Casino Royale. The cocktail is named for the
fictional double agent Vesper Lynd, and though Bond originally called for
Gordon’s Gin, Greene favors Tanqueray, since “Gordon’s nowadays is not what it
used to be and Tanqueray is about what Gordon’s was in 1953.” Libations change.
Bond and his Martini are eternal.
Recipe 2
1/4 oz Tanqueray
3/4 oz Absolut Vodka
1/3 oz Lillet Blanc
Shake
well with ice, strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with lemon peel.
At
long last, the Warner Archive has blessed Marx Brothers fans with a high
definition Blu-ray release of one of the comedy team’s most beloved pictures, A
Night at the Opera (1935).
Many
film historians and critics cite A Night at the Opera (directed by Sam Wood) as the brothers’ “finestâ€
movie, and it has even been named by Groucho Marx as such. While it is
certainly one of their best, this reviewer quibbles with that
pronouncement. The film’s reputation is a result of the success it had at the
box office and with the public’s perception upon release. It was a “reboot†of
sorts for the Marx Brothers, as they had moved to a new studio (the prestigious
MGM) and were overseen by the young genius studio maverick, Irving Thalberg.
Under Thalberg’s guidance, the brothers’ films became more commercial. His goal
had been to make their pictures play as well in Middle America as they had in
New York or Los Angeles.
The
Marx Brothers’ film career can easily be divided into two distinct periods. The
first chapter consists of the five excellent pre-Code entries made at
Paramount. Most aficionados of the brothers hold these anarchic, surreal, and
zany comedies (they include Animal Crackers, Horse Feathers, and Duck
Soup)in the highest regard. Unfortunately, 1933’s Duck Soup was
not a box office hit because the comedy had become too political for the times
(although its stock grew tremendously as the decades went on, and today Soup
is generally considered, certainly by this reviewer, as the team’s “finestâ€â€”or
certainly “favoriteâ€). The team found themselves without a studio. Zeppo, the
team’s “straight man,†dropped out of the act, and he would be replaced by a
succession of Zeppo-types to serve his function. This left only Groucho, Harpo,
and Chico in place.
Enter
Thalberg. Over a poker game with Chico, Thalberg discussed bringing the Marx
Brothers to MGM. He envisioned making their comedy more “friendly†and
emphasizing more story. The result found the three (instead of four)
Marx Brothers becoming lovable—but crazily funny—matchmakers to two young
lovers (in this case, played by Allan Jones, this movie’s Zeppo clone, and
Kitty Carlisle), despite obstacles by defined bad guys.
This
formula was a success, and it continued in 1937’s A Day at the Races (the
brothers’ most profitable film) and three more at MGM, which grew progressively
weaker in quality. By 1941, the blueprint had played itself out and MGM dropped
the team. (The brothers made two more inferior films in the late 1940s for
different studios, a time which could be considered a forgettable third period
in their cinematic journey.)
All
that said, A Night at the Opera is easily the most successful and
funniest of the MGM pictures. Groucho is “Otis B. Driftwood,†a theatrical
manager of sorts, who wants to invest Mrs. Claypool’s money (she is played, of
course, by the wonderful Margaret Dumont) in the New York opera scene, which is
run by pompous Herman Gottlieb (Sig Ruman). Chico is “Fiorello,†another
manager of sorts, who represents his friend Ricardo (Jones), who happens to be
an extremely talented singer. Ricardo is in love with Rosa (Carlisle), also an
opera singer. She is set to co-star with sleazy Lassparri (Walter Woolf King),
who is cruel to his personal assistant, Tomasso (Harpo). Thus, the plot
involves subverting Lassparri and Gottlieb, and installing Ricardo and Rosa in
the opera. It takes the three Marx Brothers to make this happen.
The
script was written by George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind, who had worked with
the brothers several times in the past. Even though Groucho and Chico were
known to improvise dialogue, the film contains many of their best bits. For
example, the “contract scene,†in which Driftwood and Fiorello hash out the
terms to sign Ricardo to the opera, is classic stuff. When they don’t agree on
a specific clause in the contract, they simply physically tear it off the
paper. When Fiorello gets down to the bottom, the clause which states that if
either party is “not in sound mind,†then the contract is void. “That’s the
sanity clause,†Driftwood explains. Fiorello isn’t having it. “Oh no, you can’t
fool me. There ain’t no Sanity Clause!†And
then there is the brilliant ocean liner stateroomscene, the cinematic
equivalent of stuffing the most people possible into a phone booth.
Groucho
and Chico do seem to have all the best stuff. Harpo is always splendid, but
here too much of his physical comedy is dependent on outrageous stunts
(performed by doubles and stuntmen, or visual photographic effects), such as
climbing up a vertical theatrical backdrop like a lizard. Harpo Marx’s
antics should never be performed by stuntmen or faked with technical trickery.
This is probably this reviewer’s biggest complaint about A Night at the
Opera, and the one thing that prevents it from overtaking the likes of Duck
Soup, Horse Feathers, Animal Crackers, and Monkey Business
as the quintessential Marx Brothers movie. At least Opera features two
superb musical solos by Chico (on piano) and Harpo (on harp), as well as a
couple of lavish, MGM-style musical numbers by Jones, Carlisle, and a multitude
of extras.
Warner
Archive’s new high-definition transfer is a vast improvement over the previous
DVD release. The few splices/missing frames in the film are still evident
(nothing to be done about those), but the picture quality is superb. All the supplements
are ported over from the DVD release, including the audio commentary by film
critic Leonard Maltin, as well as an entertaining documentary on the brothers
(featuring the likes of Carl Reiner, Larry Gelbart, Dom DeLuise, and others), a
1961 television excerpt of Groucho being interviewed by Hy Gardner, and two
vintage 1930s MGM shorts (Robert Benchley’s “How to Sleep†and the musical
documentary “Sunday Night at the Trocaderoâ€). A third vintage short, “Los
Angeles: Wonder City of the West†is new to this Blu-ray release. The
theatrical trailer rounds out the package.
A
Night at the Opera is
a welcome addition to the home video collection of any Marx Brothers fan.
Despite the minor quibbles, this is classic, side-splitting, Hollywood comedy.
Cinema
Retro's Dave Worrall attended the Royal World Premiere of No Time To Die at the Royal Albert Hall in London last night
highlighted by the attendance of the Prince of Wales, the Dutchess of Cornwall
and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Due to the world pandemic this was a
tough event to organise, but EON pulled it off big time, withcast members Daniel Craig, Rami Malek, Lea
Seydoux, Lashana Lynch, Ben Wishaw, Naomie Harris, Jeffrey Wright, Rory
Kinnear, Ana Armas, David Denik, Dali Benssalah, director Cary Joji Fukunaga,
writers Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and Phoebe Waller-Bridge, composer Hans
Zimmer, performers Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Conell, and producers Michael
G.Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, arriving
on the red carpet and with some of them greeting the audience in the
auditorium, who responded with rapturous applause, especially for Daniel Craig.
This
event kick-starts a series of premieres in 57 countries, including 10 in the UK
and Ireland to which health care workers will be invited as special guests in
celebration and gratitude of their extraordinary work during the pandemic. Last
night's performance raised over 1 million pounds for charities supporting
serving and former members of the three intelligence agencies (the Secret
Intelligence Service, the Security Service and GCHQ). The evening also assisted
charities supporting past and present members of the United Kingdom Special
Forces, and invited health care workers and members of the armed forces, joined
the cast and other guests inside to watch the film.
Despite
guests having to have had a lateral flow test beforehand, wear a face mask, and
being a little more cautious than usual, it was a spectacular and welcome experience
for everyone who attended, and a great release after being restricted by the
various lockdown situations of the last eighteen months - thanks to Bond. James
Bond.
Here
are Dave's thoughts on the film (No spoilers):
Planes,
boats and automobiles - Daniel Craig's final mission as James Bond is an
emotional rollercoaster of a ride that twists and turns in many directions,
culminating in a finale that left me both exhausted and, dare I admit, in
tears. For many reasons, this 25th chapter in the EON-produced film franchise
has taken six years to reach cinema screens which, interestingly, continues
directly after where Bond and Madeline Swann (Lea Seydoux) drove off in the
agent's fabled Aston Martin DB5 at the end of Spectre in 2015, and then continues five years later. No Time To Die ties up a lot of loose
ends relating to Craig's tenure as Bond, and features many subtle elements
relating to films, and novels of the past that will please both Bond fans and
the general public alike.
Like
Sean Connery's You Only Live Twice
(1967), Craig's fifth and final film is also a spectacular adventure boasting
some outstanding set pieces, stunts, stunning sets and lavish location
photography that are now synonymous (and expected by audience) of a Bond film.
However, none of this distracts from the main aspect of the film - Bond and
Madeline's relationship. Like Casino
Royale, this entry is a love story. One with a difference, but definitely a
love story - and Bond is left hurting once again, but not as you would expect.
It is also the most sinister Bond film I've ever seen, with several very tense and
eerie scenes.
Directed
by Cary Joji Fukunaga (who gave us the magnificent first series of the TV show
'True Detective' 2014, Beasts of No
Nation 2015, and 'Maniac' TV mini-series 2018), his creative vision shines
through in every scene, especially those with the main characters, who are
played by a cast that excel themselves. From Rami Malek to Lashana Lynch, Lea
Seydoux to Ana de Armas - and not forgetting old stalwarts Ralph Fiennes, Ben
Wishaw, Naomie Harris, Rory Kinnear and Jeffrey Wright - no one is wasted. They
are cherished and welcomed back as much as Craig.
As
promised, no plot spoilers, and unlike a lot of the cynical die-hard fans out
there in the Bond community, I am not an overtly critical person. I was just
happy to see his return in this big screen adventure that delivers the goods in
spectacular fashion - which it does in bucket loads. Was there anything that
disappointed me? Yes - the fact that we shall not see Daniel Craig in the role again,
as he delivers big time in No Time to Die.
Definitely his finest hour.
I've
booked my tickets to go and see it again tomorrow, when the film opens to the
public. Yes, it's that good.
Dave Worrall (29/9/2021)
Photos:
Dave Worrall and Joe Osuch.
No Time To Die opens in
the UK and Ireland from 30 September, and in the U.S. on 8 October.
Cinema Retro has received the following press release regarding the opening of the "Bond in Motion" automotive exhibition, which will be opening on September 25 and running through October 22, 2022 at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles:
Produced in
collaboration with EON Productions and The Ian Fleming(TM) Foundation, Bond in
Motion is the first official exhibition in the United States to feature
original vehicles from one of the world’s most iconic film franchises, James
Bond. This exhibit celebrates the 60th anniversary of the franchise since the
release of Dr. No (1962).
With the publication
of his first spy novel, Casino Royale (1953), author and former naval
intelligence officer Ian Fleming introduced the world to the enchanting
exploits of James Bond, a British officer in the Secret Intelligence Service,
also known as MI6. In all, Fleming would produce twelve novels and two short
stories, laying the foundation for what would become a global literary and
cinematic legacy.
Beginning in 1962,
with the movie adaptation of Fleming’s sixth title, Dr. No, the exciting
and dangerous world of James Bond was translated to screen, setting the tone
for Bond films to come. Much like the novels on which they are based, Bond
films combine the adventure of exotic locations and scheming villains with the
action of death-defying stunts, and heart-pounding chases in nearly every type
of vehicle imaginable. Often modified by quartermaster “Q,†these vehicles,
much like Bond himself, conceal their true nature until their weapons and
gadgetry become important plot devices.
The Bond in Motion
exhibit offers visitors a rare up-close experience of the most iconic vehicles
associated with the world’s most famous secret agent, 007.
International screen icon Jean-Paul Belmondo has died at the age of 88. The French star was one of the major influences in terms of popularizing anti-heroes on screen. His somewhat shaggy, rough-hewn look was at odds with traditional screen leading men. Belmondo was not handsome in the traditional sense, nor did he specialize in playing erudite, sophisticated characters. He excelled in playing the common man who was often caught up in extraordinary situations. Belmondo had flirted with being a boxer in his youth before gravitating to acting at the precise time French cinema's "New Wave" was taking the world by storm, led by directors and actors who would revolutionize world cinema. After appearing in numerous French films in the late 1950s, he became a sensation with his leading role in director Jean-Luc Godard's 1960 crime classic "Breathless". There would be no looking back. In the decades to come, Belmondo would be honored with countless film awards and saw his popularity extend to English-language cinema. He was well-versed in convincingly playing dramatic roles as well as light comedy. Belmondo was a real-life daredevil who insisted on performing many of his own stunts, perhaps most elaborately demonstrated in his 1960s spy spoof "That Man From Rio" in which he displayed a jaw-dropping ability to play dangerous scenes himself in the interest of making the film more realistic. Belmondo's reputation as a ladies man cost him his first marriage, which dissolved after he began an affair with Ursula Andress, with whom he starred in another French spy spoof "Up to His Ears" (1965) (aka "Chinese Adventures in China"). Andress would divorce her husband John Derek for Belmondo and their relationship lasted for years. In 2001, Belmondo suffered a stroke that left him partially paralyzed but the affliction did not stop him from continuing to appear on screen.
Mill
Creek Entertainment has released a Blu-ray edition of Universal Pictures’ Safe
House from 2012.This spy thriller
features a first-rate cast including Denzel Washington, Ryan Reynolds, Vera
Farmiga, Brendan Gleeson, Ruben Blades and Sam Shepard.
Directed
by Sweden’s Daniel Espinoza, the story concerns the capture and escape of a
former CIA operative who possesses damning evidence that his superiors are
spilling secrets to anyone with a large bank account.The script is by David Guggenheim and may
remind viewers of Matt Damon’s Bourne films.
Ryan
Reynolds plays Matt Weston, a young CIA agent stuck on housekeeping duty at an
empty safe house in Capetown, South Africa. He's restless and eager for a more important
post in a less isolated location. The
house doesn't see much action, nor does Weston apart from conjugal visits from
his gorgeous girlfriend played by Nora Arnezeder. That is, until the CIA brings in Tobin Frost (Denzel
Washington), a rogue agent wanted for selling state secrets to the highest
bidder.
Right
off the bat we learn that Frost is highly skilled at manipulating those around
him as his captors are intimidated by his history with the agency.He is calm and recognizes that the agents
escorting him to the safe house are following all the standard procedures.In one tense scene Frost is tortured by
waterboarding as the agents need to know what information he has shared with
the enemy.
It
soon becomes apparent that Frost’s contacts on the other side are not too happy
with him either as a squad of assassins arrives at the supposedly secure
location. Weston and Frost manage to escape before the gunmen swarm the
building. It's now Weston's
responsibility to bring his charge back to the American embassy in one piece. Not an easy task for a rookie, considering
Frost's attempts to ditch his captor and their pursuers' attempts to kill them
before they reach safety.
The
remainder of the film is one gigantic chase throughout Capetown as it revealed there
is a mole within the agency feeding details to the other side.Car chases, gun battles and hand-to-hand
fights abound as Weston begins to doubt Frost’s guilt.At one point, Frost tries to confuse his
captor by saying “They’re going to put their arm around you and tell you things
like ‘You did a decent job, son.We’ll
take it from here.’That’s when you know
you’re screwed.â€After hearing that line
you know one of the bosses will actually say it.
The
double agent within the CIA is soon revealed and a smashing fight scene along
with a couple of surprising plot twists bring the story to a satisfying
conclusion.
Denzel
Washington demonstrates why he is a two-time Academy Award winner with his
performance in this film.He’s cagey and
understated in his portrayal of Frost and viewers are never quite sure if he’s
a traitor or not.With this role and his
appearances in the two Equalizer movies, Washington is fast becoming another
action star in the manner of Keanu Reeves’ assassin in the John Wick adventures.
Ryan
Reynolds takes a straight-laced approach as Weston, the bored safe house
monitor suddenly thrust into the center of an international espionage
incident.He relies on his training and
instructions from his handler played by Brendan Gleeson.Weston begins to question his superiors as
Frost gets inside his head sowing doubts.
Sam
Shepard and Vera Farmiga are serviceable as CIA leaders back at Quantico
Headquarters although there is not enough development to make them truly
interesting characters.Ruben Blades has
a small, but memorable role as a document forger that Frost contacts in an
attempt to leave South Africa.Nora
Arnezeder is criminally underutilized as Weston’s physician girlfriend.Her role requires her to be annoyed most of
the time.
The
thugs chasing Tobin are stereotypical Middle Eastern villains who are highly
skilled at killing several hapless CIA agents.The script focuses on Frost and Weston and their mano y mano encounters
as both adversaries and allies.This is
the crux of the story and director Espinoza keeps it moving at a breakneck
pace.The violence is bone crushing, but
not overly bloody.
Editor
Richard Pearson deserves much credit for keeping the action at a warp speed
level throughout the entire film.Most
of the time I find these quick cut thrillers annoying and hard to watch.Michael Bay’s frenetic movies come to mind
when everything looks a trailer for a second rate action flick.Pearce keeps the pace without giving viewers
a migraine, and he is helped by cinematographer Oliver Wood who doesn’t allow
the individual cuts to go all shaky cam on us.Wood also uses tight framing to provide a feeling of desolation in many
of the location shots even though the story is mostly set in a major city.
Composer
Ramin Djawadi provides a wonderful score for the film that utilizes styles and
instrumentation reflecting the film’s setting in South Africa.Music is sometimes not noticed in action and
chase scenes until those brief moments when there are no sound effects from the
cars and guns.There would be awkward
breaks without the music to fill in the blanks.
Safe
House is a terrific film for the stunts and shootout sequences which more than
compensate for the lack of character development.You may not always know what is going on, but
your interest is definitely captured by the cat and mouse game between the two
main characters.The bigger the screen
and the louder the sound, the more you will enjoy this movie.
The
Blu-ray disc issued by Mill Creek Entertainment deserves kudos for the
presentation of the film.The video
quality is terrific with just enough of a gritty quality to put an edge on all
scenes.The 5.1 sound mix is loud and heavy
on the bass.Explosions will jump out at
those viewers using higher end surround systems.Fans of Blu-ray extras will be disappointed,
however, as there are none with the exception of optional English
subtitles.However, the film itself
looks fantastic and, as drive-in critic Joe Bob Briggs might say, things blow
up real good.
Alex Cord immortalized by Norman Rockwell for the marketing campaign for the 1966 version of "Stagecoach".
BY LEE PFEIFFER
Actor Alex Cord has died at age 88 in Texas. Cord overcame a childhood battle with polio to become an active horseman who could perform impressive stunts. Those abilities, along with his rugged good looks and lanky build, helped him land jobs as an actor. He appeared in popular television series beginning in the early 1960s including "Ben Casey", "Laramie", "Naked City" and "Route 66" before transitioning to the big screen. He made his feature film debut in with an uncredited role in "The Chapman Report" in 1962 but it was in the all-star 1966 remake of John Ford's classic 1939 Western "Stagecoach" that Cord was cast in the star-making role of the Ringo Kid, a sympathetic outlaw on a trail of vengeance. The role had launched John Wayne's career to a new level and if Cord didn't enjoy the same meteoric rise, the film's success did enable him to work steadily throughout the rest of his career. Although there were a few underrated gems after "Stagecoach" (i.e. "The Last Grenade", "A Minute to Pray, a Second to Die", "The Brotherhood"), most of Cord's work on the big screen was in "B" movies. He fared much better on television, where he continued to be a regular presence in guest star roles on popular shows such as "Night Gallery", "Gunsmoke", "Mission: Impossible", "Police Story", "Police Woman", "The Love Boat", "Fantasy Island", "Murder, She Wrote" and "Walker, Texas Ranger". In 1984, he was cast as a dapper and mysterious spy who went by the name of Archangel opposite Ernest Borgnine and Jan-Michael Vincent in the action/adventure show "Airwolf". Although the series never became a major hit, it was popular enough to run for three seasons.
I'll admit I'm a soft touch for any spy movie of the 1960s, from the outright classics such as "The Spy Who Came in from the Cold" to the endless Eurotrash James Bond rip-offs that flooded theaters like a tidal wave during this era. One of the more prominent spy flicks of the Sixties that evaded me until recently was "Hammerhead", in which the hero is Charles Hood, an American adventurer and playboy who is occasionally employed by Western intelligence services on a freelance basis. The film is based on a character in a series of novels by Stephen Coulter, who used the nom de plume James Mayo.The film was produced by Irving Allen, who blew the opportunity to make the James Bond movies with Cubby Broccoli in the 1950s. Broccoli instead teamed with Harry Saltzman and launched the most successful franchise the film industry had ever seen. Allen got some compensation by bringing Donald Hamilton's Matt Helm novels to the screen with considerable success. For "Hammerhead", Allen provided an adequate budget to allow for some lush production values and exotic scenery in Portugal.
Vince Edwards is well-cast as Hood and when we first meet him, he's been engaged by British Intelligence to thwart the theft of important NATO secrets that are due to be unveiled by a diplomat at a forthcoming conference in Portugal. The film opens in London with Hood attending a wild, "mod" hippie stage presentation that devolves into chaos. As he slips away, he meets cute with Sue Trenton (Judy Geeson), a dippy young hippie girl who jumps into his car. Before long, she's back at his bachelor pad but Hood doesn't have the time to engage her romantically, despite the fact that she obliges herself by taking a shower and slinking about in a wet towel. Hood receives orders to meet with the titular culprit, Mr. Hammerhead (Peter Vaughan), a tycoon whose hobby is to collect valuable examples of ancient artwork and sculptures depicting pornography. The business deal is designed to get Hood aboard Hammerhead's yacht, which the villain arrives at through his customary method of being lowered from his private helicopter in what appears to be an elaborate phone booth-like contraption. (Like most spy villains, he knows how to make an entrance.) Hood is shocked to find Sue is on board as well. What is she doing there? The plot never clarifies whether she is in league with Hammerhead or is also an agent trying to undermine him- or if she really is just a perky young woman with bad timing. It's just one confusing aspect of a fairly confusing story line that director David Miller manages to overcome by keeping the action flowing briskly and in an entertaining manner via punch-ups, hippie parties and chases on motorcycle and speedboat.
Vince Edwards makes for a dapper hero but although he cuts a dashing figure, he's a notch below Bond in that he occasionally loses a fight and lacks the rapier wit of 007, though he's not without the occasional wisecrack. It must be said that he's excellent in the action scenes, often performing many of his own stunts. Judy Geeson's character is easy on the eyes but quickly wears out her welcome through incessant giggling. She's a mod version of "Laugh-In" era Goldie Hawn and every bit as annoying.She is overshadowed by Beverly Adams (who appeared in two of the Matt Helm films) as Hammerhead's henchwoman. She's the epitome of a Sixties spy girl: promiscuous, sexy and adverse to wearing any extraneous items of clothing. In a scene that would make a modern feminist develop agita, her character demonstrates a prolonged exotic dance that is completely superfluous to the plot but which allows the camera to pan over every inch of her body. (In fact, the cinematographers spend so much time zooming in on bouncing breasts and shaking bottoms that it's surprising there isn't traces of drool on the lens.) Peter Vaughan is properly dour and pompous as Hammerhead, but aside from committing some ruthless acts against his own employees, the role is largely underwritten and the character never makes much of an impression. It should be said that the manner in which he meets his demise is possibly the most absurd death seen in a spy movie of this era, at least until Yaphet Kotto's Dr. Kananga turned into a human balloon and exploded in "Live and Let Die". Diana Dors, having become the British Shelley Winters, is another female accomplice of Hammerhead and one of the villain's thugs is played by future Darth Vader, David Prowse. Michael Bates has a good role as a master of disguise who is vital to pulling off the theft of NATO documents. There are also snippets of a title song, "Hammerhead", that will make you grateful the entire song was not used over the opening credits.
"Hammerhead" is akin to the Matt Helm movies in that it doesn't strive to be anything other than a fun time-killer. In that regard, it succeeds admirably.
"Hammerhead" has finally been released on video in America. Mill Creek Entertainment has included it with five other Cold War films
in a collection that features "Man on a String", "Otley", "The Deadly Affair",
"The Executioner" and "A Dandy in Aspic". The DVD transfer is excellent
but unfortunately there are no bonus features.
Michael Curtiz’s Doctor
X is a more technically extravagant version of the original stage
production of playwrights Howard Warren Comstock and Allen C. Miller.The play was first tested at the Fox Theater
in Great Neck, Long Island, for a single night’s performance on January 10,
1931.It was immediately followed by a
brief run at Brandt’s Carlton Theatre in Jamaica, Queens, where newspaper adverts
suggested theatergoers “Bring Your Shock Absorber†along.The production then moved to Brandt’s Boulevard
Theatre in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York, for several performances, only to
be followed by a week-long preview and fine-tuning at Brandt’s Flatbush Theater
in Brooklyn beginning January 26.
The three-act “mystery melodrama†would finally make its Broadway
debut at the Hudson Theater, off W. 44th Street, on February 9,
1931.The stage play featured actor Howard
Lang in the role of the sinister Dr. Xavier, but the mystery wouldn’t enjoy a
terribly long run on the Great White Way.The Hudson would eventually shutter the doors on the production in
mid-April 1931.
It’s no coincidence that four Brandt-owned theatres were successively
engaged to showcase the early previews of Doctor
X.The play had been intentionally co-produced
for the stage by the theatre owners William and Harry Brandt.Billboard
would note in December of 1930 that the two brothers had chosen to enter the
field of theatrical production as a potential remedy to offset the “slack
business conditions on the subway circuit.â€
The early reviews of the Brandt’s showcase were mainly
positive, especially when considering the decidedly grim fare offered.The critic from Brooklyn’s Times-Union thought Doctor X a “swell show.†The paper reported that the gruesome
goings-on of Jackson Height’s preview had not only caused a woman in the
balcony to scream in fright but that other patrons nervously called “for the
lights to be turned on†midway through the program.Whether such outbursts of fright were genuine
or simply publicity ballyhoo stunts may never be known.But likely more of the latter than the
former.
Not everyone was impressed. Brooklyn’s Standard-Union newspaper took a
contrarian view of the stage show’s ability to curdle the blood of attendees.In the paper’s review of February 10, 1931,
their critic would grieve that Doctor X
was a mostly undistinguished effort, “Freighted with all the dismal baggage of
those lamentable pastimes known as mystery thrillers.â€â€œEven though the authors, no pikers, have
arranged almost an endless procession of synthetic horrors,†the review
mercilessly continued, “spectators are no longer hoodwinked by such drowsy
tidbits.No longer can an actor with an
anaemic makeup or panels that slide open terrify theatergoers into submission.â€
Nonetheless, and though the play opened to mixed reviews,
some of the New York dailies were impressed.There were enough good notices to allow the Brandt’s to run
advertisements suggesting Doctor X as
“New York’s Only Mystery Hit: Electrifies Press and Public Alike!†The critic of the New York Herald Tribune thought it a grand affair, trumpeting, “’Doctor X’ holds the best claim for some
time to the grand heritage of such creepy works as ‘The Bat,’ ‘The Cat and the
Canary’ and ‘The Spider.’â€These
references to past and successful mystery-melodramas of the stage were not only
interesting but prescient: all three of these theatrical properties were
subsequently licensed by Hollywood studios to be brought to neighborhood movie
screens. Such transitioning of
properties from Broadway to Hollywood was, as referenced by the above review,
not unusual.
Mary Roberts Rinehart and Avery Hopwood’s The Bat had made its Broadway debut at
the Morosco Theatre on August 22, 1921.That play would be belatedly adapted for the screen as a vehicle for
Vincent Price in 1959.John Willard’s The Cat and the Canary would debut on
the boards of the Majestic Theatre on June 14, 1937, and enjoy no fewer than three
film treatments: there was Paul Leni’s celebrated silent film version of 1927,
a popular Bob Hope mystery-comedy of 1939, and a late-arriving 1978 British
production featuring Honor Blackman, Michael Callan and Edward Fox.Fulton Oursler and Lowell Brentano’s The Spider would make two appearances on
Broadway with an initial staging at Chanin’s 46th Street Theater in
March of 1927 and, again, at the Century Theater in February of 1928.That play would be brought to the big screen
twice, first in 1931 as a straightforward murder mystery, then reconfigured in
1945 as a film noir-style mystery picture.
Interestingly, Lionel Atwill was working on a different
Broadway stage at the same time Doctor X
was concurrently running at the Hudson.Atwill was working one block north at Broadway’s Morosco Theatre, the
featured player in Lee Shubert’s production of The Silent Witness (opening date 3/23/31).The
Silent Witness too was quickly picked up by Fox and following that show’s
Broadway run, Atwill traveled out to Hollywood to star in the play’s film
version, co-directed by Marcel Varnel and R.L. Hough.Though there were reports that Lionel Atwill
was to return to the New York stage directly following that film’s wrap, in early
March 1932 newssheets reported that Warner Bros. had asked him to remain in
Hollywood for a spell.He had been
offered the title role in their recently optioned property Doctor X.
There’s a lot to like about this film.With the release of Doctor X, Warner Bros. was most likely hoping to siphon off some of
the public interest and box office that Universal was enjoying with such
macabre fare as Dracula and Frankenstein.Though the studio fell short of producing an
iconic film, they nevertheless produced a pretty decent B-picture that offered
a modicum of thrills and chills.One of
the true highlight’s of the film version of Doctor
X, is the art deco “mad scientist†laboratory sets of designer Anton
Grot.The sets were so elaborate and
grand that the New York Herald Tribune
would run a fifteen paragraph long - and impressively detailed - tribute on
Grot and his designs.That article, “Built-in Menace Hangs Over All in Anton
Grot’s House of Doomâ€), includes an unusual for the period in-depth
interview with the designer.The article
also notes that no fewer than “192 sketches and blueprints†of imaginative and
elaborate design had been drafted in preparation for shooting.
Kurt Russell and the late great character
actor J.T. Walsh have shared the screen multiples times together, specifically
in Robert Towne’s Tequila Sunrise (1989), Ron Howard’s Backdraft
(1991), and Stuart Baird’s Executive Decision (1994). In the Spring of 1997,
I saw the trailer for a new film called Breakdown, also featuring these
two fine actors. I groaned - it looked like just another run-of-the-mill,
headache-inducing, over-the-top testosterone action fest with very little basis
in reality. Foolishly, I avoided it until I found myself at the Glendale 9, an
Arizona multiplex drive-in while in Phoenix on a business trip. Breakdown
was just about the only movie on the marquee that looked remotely interesting,
though I still had serious doubts. Reluctantly, I paid the admission, fearing
the worst. For the first time in a long time, I was wrong. Completely wrong.
My initial reservations about Breakdown were totally erased halfway
through the story. Years of suffering through uninteresting action films with empty,
amusement park-like “thrills†almost prevented me from seeing one of the best
films of the 1990s and a movie that easily lends itself to repeat viewings. I
watched Breakdown while reclining on the hood of my rental car. To say
that I was absolutely riveted would be a huge understatement. I thought the
paint would permanently adhere to my sweaty palms.
For
me, Breakdown is a near masterpiece. To disclose the plot would destroy what
I found to be an utterly nail-biting motion picture experience, which is
something I do not think I have ever truly experienced. There are some spoilers
ahead, so non-viewers please tread lightly. There is such an overwhelming sense
of menace and peril in Breakdown that it almost becomes a cruel
experiment in fear. For a first-time directing job by Jonathan Mostow, who
previously scripted the Michael Douglas/David Fincher film The Game
(1997), Breakdown is awe-inspiring. The opening credits sequence alone
is imaginative and appropriate to the story, utilizing animation to simultaneously
represent a mesh of cartographic interstates and what could also be construed
as cerebral arteries. The film’s title is a double meaning. Kurt Russell and
Kathleen Quinlan are Jeff and Amy Taylor, a forty-something married couple
moving from New England to San Diego in a brand-new Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo
SUV. On their way driving through the empty plains of the Midwest, Jeff is
momentarily distracted reaching for his thermos and just misses crashing into a
mud caked Ford F150 pick-up driven by a large man who shouts obscenities. An
unfortunate encounter ensues later when the man castigates Jeff while refueling.
Speeding away, the new Jeep suffers an electrical difficulty and Jeff and Amy
find themselves stranded in a place befitting of an Alfred Hitchcock thriller. The
Ford truck speeds by, cheerfully acknowledging the couple’s plight with a long
horn blow leading to a brief and tense stand-off which is alleviated by the
arrival of Red Barr, a truck driver (the late great J.T. Walsh) who offers to
give Amy a ride to Belle’s Diner some miles down the road to call road service
(his CB blew a fuse earlier and is non-functioning). When she accepts, Jeff
waits…and waits…and discovers an unplugged wire in the Jeep’s undercarriage.
Normally,
I would call out Amy’s foolishness for accepting such a ride as a woman her age
should know the dangers of hitch-hiking, however New Englanders routinely give
rides to one another and this plot point helps explain her action. Jeff makes
his way to the diner and all the patrons and owner (a terrific turn by
character actor Jack McGee) do not recall seeing her, except for a mildly slow
co-worker in the parking lot. This puts into motion a high level of suspense as
Jeff’s cell phone fails to get decent service while he rushes to find his wife.
It turns out that Jeff and Amy have been pegged for financial embezzlement by
Red, Earl (M.C. Gainey as the Ford driver), Billy (Jack Noseworthy, the “slowâ€
diner worker), and Al (the late Rich Brinkley), a husky accomplice. Rex Linn of
TV’s Better Call Saul is also on hand as a police officer who offers
Jeff some recourse.
Breakdown, which opened on Friday, May 2, 1997, might
appear to be an action film, but it is more of a thriller with some action
sequences. It has been a longtime indeed since this level of suspense has seen
the light of day on the silver screen. It is so good, in fact, that it feels
like a Seventies film made in the Nineties. It is amazing that it was not the
blockbuster that it deserved to be. Poor marketing perhaps?
Shooting
in the 2.35:1 Panavision ratio, Mr. Mostow has created a plausible scenario
replete with four of the most frightening villains seen of late. They certainly
give Bill McKinney and Herbert "Cowboy" Coward, the mountain men in Deliverance
(1972), a run for their money. J. T. Walsh, who unfortunately passed away not
too long after this film was released (his death is a real loss to the film
world), appears in one of the best performances of his sterling and memorable career:
a purely evil man who doubles as an everyday Joe who loves his wife and son (Moira
Harris and Vincent Berry, respectively) but commits terrible acts for money. You
get the feeling that these monsters have been doing what they do for a long
time, although there were moments wherein I thought a double-cross would
transpire among them. They all appear to be loyal to one another, making me
wonder how these guys ended up together in the first place. The supporting cast
all do a phenomenal job as well.
Breakdown’s plot is by no means original. This type of
story depicting a person who goes missing has been told over many decades: Robert
Fuest's And Soon the Darkness (1970), Philip Leacock's television film Dying
Room Only (1973), and, in particular, George Sluizer’s icy 1988 Dutch/French
character study Spoorloos, known in the States as The Vanishing. Breakdown
succeeds for the same reason that Steven Spielberg's Duel (1971) does
(though Duel is more cinematic): it takes two ordinary human beings and
thrusts them into a horrendous situation they would never have any reason to
suspect they would ever be a part of. That is not to say that the film does not
have a few convenient plot devices, but even when it does, they can be
forgiven.
Cinema Retro has received the following press release:
Celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Raiders of the
Lost Ark with All Four Indiana Jones Movie Adventures on 4K Ultra HD
for the First Time
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (March 15, 2021) – Relive the unforgettable
exploits of world-renowned, globetrotting hero Indiana Jones in spectacular 4K
Ultra HD when the INDIANA JONES 4-MOVIE COLLECTION arrives in a
new 4K Ultra HD set June 8, 2021 from Lucasfilm Ltd. and Paramount Home
Entertainment.
The cinematic classic that started it all—Raiders of the Lost
Ark—celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, having first
introduced audiences to the man with the hat on June 12, 1981. Forty
years later, the legendary hero continues to captivate new generations of fans.
Now, for the first time ever, all four films are available
together in 4K Ultra HD with Dolby Vision® and HDR-10 for
ultra-vivid picture quality and state-of-the-art Dolby Atmos® audio*.
Each film has been meticulously remastered from 4K scans of the original
negatives with extensive visual effects work done to ensure the most pristine
and highest quality image. All picture work was approved by director
Steven Spielberg.
In addition, all four films were remixed at Skywalker Sound under
the supervision of legendary sound designer Ben Burtt to create the Dolby Atmos®
soundtracks. All original sound elements were used to achieve the fully
immersive Dolby Atmos® mixes while staying true to each film’s
original creative intent.
The INDIANA JONES 4-MOVIE COLLECTION includes a
collectible booklet with behind-the-scenes images from all four films.
Each film is presented on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc with original theatrical
trailers and access to digital copies. The set also includes a Blu-rayâ„¢
with seven hours of previously released bonus content as detailed below:
·
On Set with Raiders of the Lost Ark
From
Jungle to Desert
From
Adventure to Legend
·
Making the Films
The
Making of Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981 documentary)
The
Making of Raiders of the Lost Ark
The
Making of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
The
Making of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade The Making of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (HD)
Behind the Scenes
The
Stunts of Indiana Jones
The
Sound of Indiana Jones
The
Music of Indiana Jones
The
Light and Magic of Indiana Jones
Raiders:
The Melting Face!
Indiana
Jones and the Creepy Crawlies (with optional pop-ups)
Travel
with Indiana Jones: Locations (with optional pop-ups)
Indy’s
Women: The American Film Institute Tribute
Indy’s
Friends and Enemies
Iconic
Props (Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) (HD)
The
Effects of Indy (Kingdom of theCrystal Skull) (HD)
Adventures
in Post Production (Kingdom of theCrystal Skull) (HD)
One
of the more controversial Best Picture Oscar winners is Cecil B. DeMille’s The
Greatest Show on Earth (it won the top prize for the year 1952, as well as
a trophy for Best Story—a category that was discontinued four years later). The
movie is often cited in pundits’ lists of “Worst Best Picture Oscar Winners,”
mainly because many film buffs believe that there were more deserving nominees
that year (such as High Noon or The Quiet Man, or even Singin’
in the Rain, which wasn’t even nominated!). The win for Greatest Show was
perhaps somewhat of an overdue honor for DeMille, who had been working in
Hollywood since the 1910s, was a hugely successful and popular director, and he
had never won a Best Picture Academy Award. In this case, then, why didn’t he
win Best Director (John Ford did for The Quiet Man)?
Controversy
aside, The Greatest Show on Earth is still spectacular entertainment and
worth 2-1/2 hours of a viewer’s time, especially with Paramount Present’s new
Blu-ray restoration that looks absolutely gorgeous. Steven Spielberg has often
pointed to Greatest Show as a landmark for him because he remembers it
as the first movie his parents ever took him to see, and he has placed nods to
it in some of his own features. It is grand, Hollywood epic-style spectacle,
much of which overshadows the rather melodramatic and soap opera plot going on
in the story. It must be said that the melodrama is often corny and eye-rolling
in its heightened angst. Furthermore, it’s a plot that probably couldn’t be
made in today’s social/political climate of #MeToo. But, hey, this is a movie
from 1952.
The
Ringling Brothers & Barnum & Bailey Circus was indeed known as “the
greatest show on earth” during its magnificent heyday decades of the early part
of the 20th Century to at least the 1980s, after which the circus began to have
PR problems and audience dwindling. Animal rights activists, especially, came
down hard on all circuses, and eventually the sensation became something of a
past glory of a bygone era.
When
DeMille set about making a motion picture about the circus, he made a deal with
Ringling Brothers & Barnum & Bailey Circus—then the biggest and best—to
be in the movie. Thus, there literally is a cast of thousands in the
film—all 1,400 of the circus employees appear in it, along with the select
Hollywood actors cast to play important roles. The story follows the day-to-day
running of a circus tour in an almost documentary-like fashion, complete with
DeMille himself narrating sections of the movie as we see crews assembling the
big top tent, loading/unloading equipment, performers rehearsing and dressing,
and the breakdown and travel after each stop on the road. This is surely the
best aspect of Greatest Show—it is a time capsule of what circus life
was really like in those halcyon years.
Brad
Braden (Charlton Heston, in an early screen performance) is the manager of the
traveling circus, and he is very much a “show must go on” type of guy who takes
no guff or excuses from anyone, even his on-again, off-again girlfriend,
trapeze artist Holly (Betty Hutton, who receives top billing on the film). In order
to keep the circus “in the black” and do a full tour, he is forced by the
corporate bosses to hire a big star for the center ring, and this comes in the
form of “The Great Sebastian” (Cornel Wilde), a ladies’ man and a fellow known
for trouble. Holly is hurt by being kicked out of the center ring to the first
ring, so she begins to make a play for Sebastian to make Brad jealous. In the
meantime, elephant act performer Angel (Gloria Grahame) also has eyes for Brad,
but she is the object of affection of not-so-nice elephant trainer Klaus (Lyle
Bettger). Then there is lovable Buttons the Clown (James Stewart, who is in
clown makeup through the entire movie and never reveals his clean face!), who
we learn is on the run from the law because of a mysterious crime in his past.
Added to all this are some gangsters led by “Mr. Henderson” (Lawrence Tierney)
who run crooked midway games, and one of his men plans to rob the circus of its
takings during a harrowing train holdup.
Thus,
there are love triangles and criminal shenanigans going on, but mostly the
movie is a visual documentation of the circus-going experience. We see many
acts in full, and there are numerous reaction shots of audience members (some
of whom are cameo appearances by celebrities like Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Danny
Thomas, and more).
Perhaps
the most impressive thing is that the actors learned how to do much of their
characters’ jobs in the circus. For example, Betty Hutton and Cornel Wilde
really did learn and perform, on camera, the trapeze acts. Whether or not the terribly
difficult ones are done by Hutton and Wilde (doubtful), the Hollywood PR
machine insisted that they did all their own stunts (unlikely). Nevertheless,
that’s really Gloria Grahame being picked up by the mouth of an elephant and
carried away as she lounges happily for the audience. James Stewart performs
silly slapstick routines with none other than the great Emmett Kelly and Lou
Jacobs, two of the greatest clown performers in circus history.
Paramount
Presents’ Blu-ray disk is impressive and a treat for the eyes. Unfortunately,
the only supplement is a 7-1/2-minute featurette about the movie narrated by
Leonard Maltin, which is fine as an “intro” to viewing the picture, but one
wishes that more documentary “making-of” material could have been included.
The
Greatest Show on Earth may not have been the Greatest Best Picture Oscar Winner,
but it is still a fun and colorful spectacle that captures a now long-lost
phenomenon.
CLICK HERE TO ORDER FROM AMAZON (Released on March 30)
When
I first saw Popeye on the big screen on its initial release in December
of 1980, I was disappointed and a little appalled. I was (and still am) a huge
Robert Altman fan, and I had been expecting great things. The film touted the
first motion picture appearance by Robin Williams as well (although he’d had in
a small role in a 1977 picture). Anticipation was high.
Popeye
received
very mixed reviews, but it made a decent amount of money at the box office (however,
it was considered a flop by Paramount and Disney, the studio that co-produced
the picture), and became an object of derision in Hollywood for years. Altman
was unable to get big studio backing for over a decade, so he moved to Europe
and made small pictures there.
Then—home
video turned the movie around. Popeye became a best-selling VHS tape for
children, and its reputation improved. Audiences started to admit that there
were some rather good things about Popeye. Now a 40th Anniversary
Blu-ray disk from Paramount has been released, and the movie’s charms can be
appreciated even more.
There’s
no question that Popeye is a mixed bag of spinach. Altman’s directorial
style always involved much improvisation, a messy mise-en-scène, overlapping and sometimes indecipherable dialogue, and
a quirky sensibility. In Altman’s best works, these traits are assets. In Popeye,
not so much. There are also sequences that drag on too long, especially the
climactic sequence that involves a chase involving two extremely slow-moving
boats. The script, by Jules Feiffer, is also decidedly weak, but there are some
clever moments and funny lines (it’s unknown if these were ad libs).
That
said, Altman’s vision for the movie was downright brilliant, and the
designers and actors rendered that concept with remarkable success. Altman set
out to make a live-action cartoon that captured the original E. C. Segar comic
strip and the early Fleischer animated shorts. By hiring inventive actors who
could transform themselves into the surreal characters, and costuming them
appropriately, Altman accomplished the task of truly creating another world. It
also helped that the entire village of Sweethaven was built on the island of
Malta, where the production was made (that village still exists today as a
tourist attraction). The production/sets and costume designs deserved Academy
Award nominations, but that didn’t happen.
Popeye
(Williams) is searching for his “pappy†(Poopdeck Pappy, played by Ray Walston),
and he arrives by rowboat in Sweethaven. There Popeye is immediately taxed for
everything, including for asking questions, by the Taxman (Donald Moffat). He
“renks a room†from the boarding house run by the Oyl family—Cole (MacIntyre
Dixon), who continually spouts that everyone “owes him an apology,†his wife Nana
(Roberta Maxwell), Castor (Donovan Scott), their son, and, of course, Olive
(Shelley Duvall), their daughter. Olive Oyl is engaged to be married to Bluto
(Paul L. Smith), the meanest man in town and enforcer for the “Commodore,†the
unseen authoritarian of the village. Olive doesn’t want to marry Bluto, but she
makes the motions to do so. Then, Olive and Popeye find an abandoned baby—the
scene-stealing Swee’Pea (played by Wesley Ivan Hurt, who is Altman’s grandson).
Olive and Popeye bond over Swee’Pea, and the story then becomes one of Popeye
attempting to win over the villagers, defeat Bluto, discover the identity of
the mysterious Commodore, and find his pappy.
Robin
Williams does an admirable job and is quite winning in the role, although his
mumblings and mutterings, ad libbed or not, are often unintelligible (it helps
to turn on the subtitles on the Blu-ray disk—something we couldn’t do in the
cinema in 1980!). The standout in the entire movie is Shelley Duvall—as Altman
proclaims in the “making of†documentary on the disk, Duvall was “born to play
Olive Oyl,†and this statement is absolutely correct. It was a great year for
Duvall, who had earlier starred in Kubrick’s The Shining. These were two
wildly different roles. Her Olive Oyl serves to prove that Shelley Duvall is an
underrated, wonderful actress who should have been recognized as a major talent.
Smith
as Bluto is appropriately villainous. Walston is a hoot as Pappy. Paul Dooley
is perfectly cast as Wimpy, who insists he will pay you Tuesday for a hamburger
today. The real gems, however, are the extras in the village portrayed by
circus performers, acrobats, and clowns who can perform jaw-dropping physical
stunts. The great Bill Irwin especially shines as Ham Gravy, who is constantly
kicking his hat along the paths, unable to retrieve it.
Then
there is the music. Yes, Popeye is a musical. The songs were written by
Harry Nilsson (!) and arranged and conducted by the talented Van Dyke Parks. They
are performed by the non-singer actors. There is a certain charm to them, but
the songs are rather weak and unmemorable. In 1980, I felt that the music was
what sunk the ship—however, on the recent revisit, I found the songs
appropriately eccentric and fitting. Beatles fans alert—look for Klaus Voorman
(collaborator with the Fab Four in the 1960s) as the conductor of the onscreen
band.
Paramount’s
new Blu-ray sports a beautiful restoration that looks fantastic.
Supplements include an interesting behind-the-scenes documentary on the making
of the film; a featurette on the different players and their approaches to the characterizations;
a slideshow from the film’s Hollywood premiere (spot the celebrities on the red
carpet!); and the ability to play each song from the movie separately. The late
Robert Altman and late Robin Williams appear in interviews shot in 1999 and
2014, respectively.
Popeye
is worth
a return visit, certainly for Shelley Duvall and little Wesley Ivan Hurt. There
are genuine laughs to be had, and the movie is a curiosity that isn’t nearly so
bad as the picture was first made out to be. It’s got charm and wit and is a
visual delight. So, go holler, “Blow me down,†have some spinach, and enjoy.
(The Blu-ray also includes a digital download version.)
Cinema Retro has received the following press release:
New
York, NY -- November 30, 2020 --MAD MAX, the original 1979
action film classic directed by George Miller, is now available on 4K UHD and
Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics. This post-apocalyptic thriller made
Mel Gibson an international superstar, re-defined the action genre with its
groundbreaking stunts and launched the hit sequels including The Road
Warrior, Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome, and Mad Max: Fury Road.
The
SRP for the 4K UHD edition is $39.95. Bonus features include: Audio Commentary
with Art Director Jon Dowding, Cinematographer David Eggby, Special Effects
Artist Chris Murray, Moderated by Filmmaker Tim Ridge, Australian 5.1 Surround
& 2.0 Lossless Mono, U.S. English Dubbed 2.0 Lossless Mono, Dual-Layered
UHD100 Disc, and Optional English Subtitles.
The
4K edition also contains the Blu-ray as disc 2. Bonus features on the Blu-ray
include: Road Rage: NEW Interview with Director George Miller, Interviews with
Stars Mel Gibson & Joanne Samuel and Cinematographer David Eggby, Audio
Commentary with Art Director Jon Dowding, Cinematographer David Eggby, Special
Effects Artist Chris Murray, Moderated by Filmmaker Tim Ridge, Mel Gibson:
Birth of a Superstar, Mad Max: The Film Phenomenon, Theatrical Trailers, TV
Spots, TRAILERS FROM HELL with Josh Olson
Radio
Spots, Australian 5.1 Surround & 2.0 Lossless Mono, U.S. English Dubbed
2.0, Lossless Mono, and Optional English Subtitles.
The
Blu-ray edition is also available individually with a SRP of $29.95.
From
George Miller, the acclaimed director of The Road Warrior, The
Witches of Eastwick, Lorenzo’s Oil and Mad Max: Fury Road,
comes this post-apocalyptic masterpiece starring screen legend Mel Gibson (Lethal
Weapon, Braveheart, Payback). In the ravaged near-future, a
savage motorcycle gang rules the road. Terrorizing innocent civilians while
tearing up the streets, the ruthless gang laughs in the face of a police force
hell-bent on stopping them. But they underestimate one officer: Max (Gibson).
And when the bikers brutalize Max’s best friend and family, they send him into
a mad frenzy that leaves him with only one thing left in the world to live
for—revenge!
At
least three companies have been doing restorations of Buster Keaton’s silent
comedy classics from the 1920s—Kino Video is one, The Criterion Collection is
another. As the films are in public domain, the separate restorations can now
be copyrighted. A third entity, Cohen Film Collection, has also been re-issuing
the films in high definition. Cohen just released its fourth volume in their
ongoing series, and to this reviewer, the company is doing an outstanding job.
Volume
4 of “The Buster Keaton Collection†contains 4K restorations of Go West (1925)
and College (1927). Most critics and fans will agree that these two
titles may be the lesser of Keaton’s outstanding output of the era (Cohen
released the more acclaimed pictures such as The General, Steamboat Bill Jr., Sherlock
Jr., and others in previous
volumes). Nevertheless, there are moments of genius in both Go West and College, but also an eyebrow-raising instance of
controversy in the latter title.
Go West is a pleasant little ditty of feature length that takes penniless Friendless
(Keaton) to the “West†by jumping on a freight train. There, he manages to get
a job as a cowboy, but he knows nothing about milking cows, riding horses, or
anything else pertaining to working on a ranch. Even the rancher’s daughter
(Kathleen Myers) makes fun of him. Cue the brilliantly executed pratfalls,
stunts, and sight gags that only Buster Keaton can accomplish. Friendless does
become friends with a cow named Brown Eyes, who ends up following him around
wherever the almost-cowboy goes. The climactic sequence in Los Angeles, with
stampeding cattle on the streets of the city, provides the amusing payoff for
the picture.
College follows Ronald (Keaton) after he graduates from high school at the top
of his class, decidedly a bookworm with brains but no athletic interest or ability
whatsoever. Unfortunately, all the girls, especially Mary (Anne Cornwall), only
like the athletes. Nevertheless, Ronald enrolls in the same college as Mary and
the athletes—and Ronald attempts to show her that he, too, can play sports. He
can’t. One unfortunate sequence depicts Ronald getting a part time job as a
soda jerk, and he performs the role in blackface. In 1927, this was not
uncommon. The popular entertainer Al Jolson practically made his career out of
performing in blackface (The Jazz Singer was released the same year). Of course, one might excuse this horror by
stating that it was a vaudeville tradition for white comedians to sometimes
wear blackface. While movies should always be examined within the context of
when they were made and released, it is extremely difficult today to accept
this “tradition†in any way, shape, or form. However, if one gets past the soda
jerk scene, College does provide some laughs and the usual Keaton acrobatic stunts.
Cohen Film Group’s new Blu-ray release looks
marvelous. The films were painstakingly restored using multiple sources,
matching Volumes 1 through 3 from Cohen. These are indeed exceptional
presentations. Supplements include a 1923 short of Go West, plus a nearly-hour-long audio interview with Keaton in which he talks
about a television pitch he once made. Restoration trailers round out the
package.
Neither Go West nor College can be counted among Buster Keaton’s best works, but they still reside
in his golden period of independent silent pictures that are his important material.
For Keaton fans and cinema history buffs, Cohen’s Volume 4 of the Collection is
worth a look.
(RETRO-ACTIVE: THE BEST ARTICLES FROM THE CINEMA RETRO ARCHIVE.)
BY TODD GARBARINI
I’m a sucker for car chases. Not the
perfunctory, last-minute “Hey, this movie needs a car chase!†variety, but the
kind that comes as a result of a particular plot point wherein someone or some group has to get away from some other
group. While most new car chases such as TheFast and the Furious sort are usually
accomplished through CGI, I find that this sleight-of-hand fakery virtually
abolishes all tension. The best ones that I have seen all did it for real
through innovative and unprecedented filming techniques and excellent editing: Grand Prix (1966), Vanishing Point (1967), Bullitt
(1968), The Seven-Ups (1973), The Blues Brothers (1980), The Road Warrior (1981), The Terminator (1984), F/X (1986), Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991), and The Town (2010) all have action sequences that put the full wonder
of film editing on display.
There are two major car chases in the
late John Frankenheimer’s Ronin, which opened on Friday, September 25, 1998, and
it’s the second and longer one that ranks up there in the pantheon of The Greatest
Car Chases Ever Filmed. The French
Connection (1971) and To Live and Die
in L.A. (1985) are the granddaddies of car chases in my humble opinion and Ronin’s is certainly in the top ten,
with a stupendous wrong-way-driving-against-incoming-traffic sequence through a
tunnel in France to composer Elia
Cmiral’s exciting score.
The title of “Ronin†is originally a
reference to the feudal period of Japan relating to a samurai who has become
masterless following his master’s death as a result of the samurai’s failure to
protect him. To earn a living, the samurai wanders from place to place
attempting to gain work from others. For the uninitiated, title cards prior to
the film’s opening credits inform us of this. This name relates to the film as
several mercenaries meet for the purpose of stealing an important silver case.
Sam (Robert DeNiro), Vincent (Jean Reno), Gregor (Stellan Skarsgard), and Spence
(Sean Bean) and several others are the persons for hire. Deirdre (Natascha
McElhorne) is the one who called them all together but she offers little in the
way of an explanation as to what the contents are. Like in Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs (1992), they don’t know
one another and work under the assumption that all involved are trustworthy
which eventually will be their undoing. Now ya see, if they has listened to the
James Poe episode “Blood Bath†on the old time radio show Escape!, none of this would have ever happened! Yeah…
Sam used to work for the CIA, Vincent
is a “fixerâ€, Spence is a former Special Air Service expert in weaponry, Gregor
is an expert in electronics, and Larry (Skipp
Sudduth) is one of the drivers. Sam is the most inquisitive and probably has
the most to lose. They don’t discuss their past and are eager to get paid. Sam almost
acts like the ringleader, but he has some serious competition after they secure
their objective and are double-crossed. It then becomes a game of who can trust
who (naturally, the answer is no one). There are some really good supporting
performances by Michael Lonsdale (I hadn’t seen him in a theater since Moonraker!) and Jonathan Pryce and the
action always keeps moving forward but unlike today’s films, the action
sequences are well-staged and edited and have depth to them. A terrific
addition to Mr. Frankenheimer’s filmography.
Australia during COVID is largely a nation in
lockdown, some States worse than others, with State borders closed to travel,
or exemptive paperwork checked as you cross. The national death toll has now
exceeded 700, and the State that has suffered most is Victoria. The comedian Ross
Noble has commented that Australia is currently like a Spice Girls reunion –
everyone’s trying really hard, but Victoria keeps letting us down. Ouch…
The capital of Victoria is Melbourne, the one Australian
city that rivals Sydney in size and appeal, and probably exceeds it in
cosmopolitanism. With the city under curfew, the newspapers daily feature
disturbing photographs of the streets standing empty and bleak. The images
suggest the end of the world, but Melbourne has already been there. In the
movies.
These same streets were rendered deserted once before …by
Hollywood…for the filming of Stanley Kramer’s apocalyptic movie “On the Beachâ€
in 1959. The contemporary newspaper shots bear a chilly resemblance to the
production stills from that film. Did Hollywood get it right again? Was Stanley
Kramer more prescient than he could ever have believed?
A final shot in the movie - again filmed in a
Melbourne Street, outside the Victorian Parliament House from where today the
Premier fights a valiant battle against COVID - features a Salvation Army banner
reading “THERE IS STILL TIME…BROTHERâ€; while the usual overblown publicity
called it “The Biggest Story of Our Timeâ€, warning that “If you never see
another motion picture in your life, you MUST see ‘On the Beach’.†For once,
was the hyperbole deserved? Double Nobel prize-winning scientist Linus Pauling
said: “It may be that some years from now we can look back and say that ‘On the
Beach’ is the movie that saved the worldâ€. That’s some commendation.
Kramer was big on messages: “High Noonâ€, “Judgement at
Nurembergâ€, “Inherit the Windâ€, “Ship of Foolsâ€, “The Defiant Onesâ€, “Guess
Who’s Coming to Dinner†– yes, it’s a mad, mad, mad, mad world. “On the Beachâ€
was another of Kramer’s warnings, a more than appropriate one at a time when
the Cuban Missile Crisis was just around the corner.
“On the Beach†is a movie depicting the last days of a
dying world; dying from fallout caused by a nuclear war in the Northern Hemisphere.
It seems that some “horrible misunderstanding†launched such a war. “Fail Safeâ€
and “Dr Strangelove†were still to come; horrible misunderstandings, it seems,
were to become de rigueur as a means of triggering an apocalypse. After all, how
else would a nuclear war begin? Life in the North has largely disappeared. The
Antipodes have been untouched by the actual war, but guess what, folks…the
radiation is on the way, and death is inevitable. Hence those damning empty
streets, once cleared for filming, now eerily empty for real.
“On the Beach†was based on a novel by Nevil Shute
published in 1957. Shute was a British engineer who worked on the first British
airship and helped the Royal Navy develop experimental weapons for D-Day.
Following the old story of the insider being the one to see the dangers, he
soon began to warn the post-war world of the proliferation of nuclear weapons.
The scientist in the movie…one Mr Fred Astaire…yes, that one…explains: “The
devices outgrew us. We couldn’t control them. I know. I helped build them, God
help me.†The novel is prefaced by the now-familiar T.S. Eliot quote: “This is
the way the world ends…not with a bang but a whimperâ€. The theme, it seems, was
self-evident after that.
Shute had started writing adventure novels at night,
and was extremely prolific. While his style was highly criticised, he was a
top-selling author for some decades, remembering this is the era of such
prosaic but successful authors as Alistair MacLean. “On the Beach†is said to
have sold over four million copies world-wide, and is reputed to have knocked
“Peyton Place†from Number One sales position in the U.S. How did that happen?
Critic Gideon Haigh claims that with this novel “Shute had published arguably
Australia’s most important novel…confronting (an) international audience to the
possibility of…thermonuclear extinctionâ€. So what’s the Australian connection?
Post-war, Nevil Shute had visited Australia and saw in
it a place of greater refuge perhaps than war-torn Europe. He moved with his family
to Melbourne and proceeded apace with his literary career. Another best-seller
of Shute’s was “A Town Like Aliceâ€, the town being Alice Springs in the
Northern Territory. This was filmed in 1956 starring Virginia McKenna and Aussie
Peter Finch, and re-made as a television mini-series in 1981 with Bryan Brown
and Helen Morse. Incidentally, Bryan Brown also starred, along with his wife Rachel
Ward and Armand Assante (in the lead role), in the 2000 television series of
“On the Beachâ€. Brown played the Fred Astaire role of the scientist!
Kramer had a number of problems getting “On the Beachâ€
to the screen, not the least of which was Nevil Shute who disowned the
soft-soaping of such an important theme, and the immorality of the screenplay
with its suggestion of adultery. United Artists also saw problems, requiring
the film to be tamed for wider public consumption. There was, after all,
explicit reference to euthanasia as a major plot element, and though radiation
was the killer here, the film certainly avoids anything like nasty blistering
and any other physical deformity. The U.S. Navy was in no mood to supply the
nuclear submarine required for the film. A British diesel sub, HMS Andrew, on
loan to the Australian Navy, was dressed up for the part, while the Australian
Navy had no problem with allowing filming on board the aircraft carrier HMAS
Melbourne.
Sometimes
a little Bob Hope goes a long way. There’s no denying that Hope was one of the
more popular comic stars of the 1940s and 50s. His star began to wane in the
60s, and then most of the Baby Boomer generation knew him as perhaps the
greatest host that the Academy Awards ceremony ever had.
During
Hope’s most active years, he made many solo pictures that were truly funny. He
was also established as Bing Crosby’s partner in the massively successful “Road
to…†movies, which arguably launched Hope’s career as a leading or co-leading
man in 1940. When the scripts and direction were good, then Hope’s solo films
were superb. That was not always the case.
The
Paleface
(1948) was co-written by Frank Tashlin (with Edmund Hartmann), who would also
go on to write and direct the sequel, Son of Paleface (1952, co-written
with Joseph Quillan and Robert L. Welch. Tashlin spent many years making
cartoons, hopping in and out of big studios such as Warner Brothers’ Looney
Tunes/Merrie Melodies unit (Tashlin made Porky Pig and other characters’
shorts), Disney Studios, and other indie animation companies. His approach to
directing live action shockingly mimicked his methodology for zany cartoons.
Much of Son of Paleface contains the kind of sledgehammer action, albeit
accomplished with visual effects, and slapstick that is more at home with a
character like Daffy Duck.
Both
movies are western comedies and are among Hope’s more profitable pictures. He
is often costumed in ten-gallon hats that no self-respecting cowboy would wear.
For this reviewer’s money, the first title is the better of the two. It is at
least grounded in some degree of reality, whereas the second film is all-out
wackiness. Both movies co-star Jane Russell, who adds not only glamour to the
proceedings, but also a straight-woman sensibility off of whom Hope plays quite
well. It is this reviewer’s opinion that Jane Russell was underrated as a comic
actress and singer/dancer.
In
The Paleface, Hope is “Painless Potter,†a dentist in the Old West who is
mistaken to be a federal agent by smugglers selling guns and explosives to the
Indians. Calamity Jane (Russell), an outlaw herself, is hired by the government
to identify and help bring down the traitors. She eventually uses Potter as
cover, allowing him to marry her, so that they can travel with a wagon train
and weed out the bad guys.
Son
of Paleface is
a sequel in that it features Hope as Potter’s grown son, “Junior†Potter, many
years later—it’s still the Old West, but the modern age is just around the
corner. Junior drives a jalopy (that’s actually years ahead of the time depicted
in the movie). This time, Russell plays a saloon chorus girl named “Mike,†who
is the civilian identity of a gold thief called “The Torch.†The Torch leads a
gang of outlaws who are pursued by “Roy†(the inimitable Roy Rogers, who
co-stars with his horse, Trigger—“the smartest horse in the movies,†as he is
billed in the credits). Junior has come to town to find and collect his
father’s stash of gold, only to find that his dad owed money to everyone. Mike
uses Junior as cover, but Roy soon becomes wise to her and sets out to foil
Mike, her band of robbers, and Junior, who is unwittingly caught in the middle.
The
Paleface is
funny and enjoyable, if embarrassingly sexist and politically incorrect by
today’s standards (its treatment of Native Americans makes one want face-palm
and shake a head). The director, Norman Z. McLeod, had been making comedies
since the silent days, and he had helmed two of the Marx Brothers’ best titles,
Monkey Business (1931) and Horse Feathers (1932). Hope has some
great bits, and he also delivers the Academy Award-winning Best Song of that
year, “Buttons and Bows†(by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans). The movie is decent
entertainment, but there’s no question that it’s dumb.
Cinema Retro has received the following press release from Shout! Factory:
LOS
ANGELES, Calif. – In celebration of the 40th anniversary of the original and
groundbreaking 1980 film Friday the 13th, Scream Factoryâ„¢, the fan-driven
entertainment brand devoted to all things horror, has announced the Friday the
13th Collection (Deluxe Edition) on Tuesday, October 13th, 2020. The
16-disc set is the definitive Blu-rayâ„¢ collection of one of the most influential
horror franchises ever created and includes all 12 original films from
Paramount Pictures and New Line Cinema.
It
also includes NEW and existing extras, a NEW collectible rigid slipcover with
newly-commissioned art, a NEW 40-pg collectible essay booklet with archival
still photography, and NEW 4K film transfers for Parts 1-4, with Part 3 in its
original 3D presentation. Additionally, each film comes with a dedicated
Blu-rayâ„¢ case featuring original theatrical artwork. A list of bonus features
is below, with additional new extras to be announced at a later date.
The
12 films included in this must-own set are Friday the 13th (1980), Friday the
13th Part 2 (1981), Friday the 13th Part 3 (1982), Friday the 13th: The Final
Chapter (1984), Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning (1985), Friday the 13th
Part VI: Jason Lives (1986), Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988), Friday
the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989), Jason Goes To Hell: The Final
Friday (1993), Jason X (2001), Freddy vs. Jason (2003) and Friday the 13th
(Remake) (2009).
Customers
purchasing the Friday The 13th Collection (Deluxe Edition) on ScreamFactory.com
will receive an exclusive, limited edition 36" x 24" lithograph
featuring new artwork from artist Devon Whitehead, and an exclusive, limited edition 24†x 36†Friday
the 13th 40th Anniversary poster featuring new artwork from artist Joel
Robinson, while supplies last.
The
Friday the 13th Collection (Deluxe Edition) is limited to 13,000 pieces and is
available for pre-order now.
FRIDAY
THE 13TH (1980) (2-Discs)
NEW
4K scan of the original camera negative (theatrical cut and unrated cut)
Audio
Commentary by director Sean S. Cunningham, screenwriter Victor Miller and more
(unrated cut)
Fresh
Cuts: New Tales from Friday the 13th
The
Man Behind the Legacy: Sean S. Cunningham
A
Friday the 13th Reunion
Lost
Tales from Camp Blood - Part 1
Vintage
Fangoria Magazine Article (BD Rom – New to the Set)
TV
Spots (New to the Set)
U.S.
Radio Spots (New to the Set)
U.K.
Radio Spot (New to the Set)
U.
S. Theatrical Trailer
International
Theatrical Trailer (New to the Set)
FRIDAY
THE 13TH PART 2
NEW
4K scan of the original camera negative
Amy
Steel podcast interview
Inside
Crystal Lake Memories: The Book
Friday's
Legacy: Horror Conventions
Lost
Tales from Camp Blood - Part 2
Vintage
Fangoria Magazine Article (BD Rom – New to the Set)
Radio
Spots (New to the Set)
TV
Spots (New to the Set)
Theatrical
Trailer
FRIDAY
THE 13TH PART 3
NEW
4K scan from the original film elements
In
2D and a new 3D version
Audio
Commentary with actors Larry Zerner, Paul Kratka, Richard Brooker and Dana
Kimmell
Fresh
Cuts: 3D Terror
Legacy
of the Mask
Slasher
Films: Going for the Jugular
Lost
Tales from Camp Blood – Part 3
Vintage
Fangoria Magazine Article (BD Rom – New to the Set)
TV
Spots (New to the Set)
Radio
Spots (New to the Set)
Theatrical
Trailer
FRIDAY
THE 13TH: THE FINAL CHAPTER
NEW
4K scan from the original camera negative
Audio
Commentary by director Joe Zito, screenwriter Barney Cohen and editor Joel
Goodman
Audio
Commentary by fans/filmmakers Adam Green and Joe Lynch
Lost
Tales from Camp Blood – Part 4
Slashed
Scenes with audio commentary by director Joseph Zito
Jason's
Unlucky Day: 25 Years After Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter
The
Lost Ending
The
Crystal Lake Massacres Revisited Part I
Jimmy's
Dead Dance Moves
Vintage
Fangoria Magazine Article (BD Rom – New to the Set)
TV
Spot (New to the Set)
Radio
Spots (New to the Set)
Theatrical
Trailer
FRIDAY
THE 13TH PART V: A NEW BEGINNING
NEW
Audio Commentary with Melanie Kinnaman, Deborah Voorhees and Tiffany Helm
Audio
Commentary by director/co-screenwriter Danny Steinmann, actors John Shepherd
and Shavar Ross
Audio
Commentary by fans/filmmakers Adam Green and Joe Lynch (New to the Set)
Lost
Tales of Camp Blood – Part 5
The
Crystal Lake Massacres Revisited Part II
New
Beginnings: The Making of Friday the 13th Part V
Vintage
Fangoria Magazine Article (BD Rom – New to the Set)
TV
Spots (New to the Set)
Theatrical
Trailer
FRIDAY
THE 13TH PART VI: JASON LIVES
NEW
Audio Commentary with Thom Mathews, Vinny Gustaferro, Kerry Noonan, Cynthia
Kania and CJ Graham
Audio
Commentary with writer/director Tom McLoughlin
Audio
Commentary With writer/director Tom McLoughlin, actor Vincent Guastaferro and
editor Bruce Green
Audio
Commentary by fans/filmmakers Adam Green and Joe Lynch (New to the Set)
Lost
Tales from Camp Blood - Part 6
The
Crystal Lake Massacres Revisited Part III
Jason
Lives: The Making of Friday the 13th: Part VI
Meeting
Mr. Voorhees
Slashed
Scenes
Vintage
Fangoria Magazine Article (BD Rom – New to the Set)
TV
Spots (New to the Set)
Theatrical
Trailer
FRIDAY
THE 13TH PART VII: THE NEW BLOOD
Audio
Commentary with director John Carl Buechler and actor Kane Hodder
Audio
Commentary with director John Carl Buechler and actors Lar Park Lincoln and
Kane Hodder
Jason's
Destroyer: The Making of Friday the 13th Part VII
Mind
Over Matter: The Truth About Telekinesis
Makeover
by Maddy: Need A Little Touch-Up Work, My A**
Slashed
Scenes with introduction
Vintage
Fangoria Magazine Article (BD Rom – New to Set)
Theatrical
Trailer
TV
Spot (New to Set)
FRIDAY
THE 13TH PART VIII: JASON TAKES MANHATTAN
Audio
Commentary with director Rob Hedden
Audio
Commentary with actors Scott Reeves, Jensen Daggett and Kane Hodder
New
York Has A New Problem: The Making of Friday the 13th Part VIII – Jason Takes
Manhattan
Slashed
Scenes
Gag
Reel
Theatrical
Trailer
TV
Spots (New to Set)
JASON
GOES TO HELL: THE FINAL FRIDAY (2-discs)
NEW
2K scan of the original film elements (Theatrical Version)
NEW
2K scan of the original film elements with HD inserts (Unrated Version)
NEW
interviews with Sean Cunningham, Noel Cunningham, Adam Marcus, Kane Hodder
NEW
Audio Commentary with Adam Marcus and author Peter Bracke
Audio
Commentary with director Adam Marcus and screenwriter Dean Lorey
Additional
TV footage with NEW optional Audio Commentary with director Adam Marcus and
author Peter Bracke
Electronic
Press Kit (New to the Set)
Theatrical
Trailer
TV
Spots (New to the Set)
JASON
X
NEW
audio commentary with Kane Hodder, writer Todd Farmer and Peter Bracke
NEW
interviews with Sean Cunningham, Noel Cunningham, Kane Hodder, Kristi Angus and
Todd Farmer
Audio
Commentary with director Jim Isaac, writer Todd Farmer and producer Noel Cunningham
The
Many Lives of Jason Voorhees – a documentary on the history of Jason
By
Any Means Necessary: The Making of Jason X - Making-of/production documentary
Electronic
Press Kit (New to the Set)
Theatrical
Trailer
TV
Spot (New to the Set)
FREDDY
VS. JASON
Audio
Commentary by director Ronny Yu, actors Robert Englund and Ken Kirzinger
21
Deleted/Alternate Scenes, Including the Original Opening and Ending with
optional commentary by director Ronny Yu and executive producer Douglas Curtis
Behind-the-Scenes
Coverage of the Film's Development - including Screenwriting, Set Design,
Makeup, Stunts and Principal Photography
Visual
Effects Exploration
My
Summer Vacation: A Visit to Camp Hackenslash
Pre-fight
press conference at Bally’s Casino in Las Vegas
Original
Theatrical Trailer
TV
Spots
Music
Video: Ill Nino "How Can I Live"
FRIDAY
THE 13th (2009)
Includes
the Theatrical Cut and the Special Extended Version
Hacking
Back/Slashing Forward - remembering the groundbreaking original movie
Terror
Trivia Track with Picture-In-Picture with comments from the cast and crew
The
Rebirth of Jason Voorhees – a look at the making of
Additional
Slashed Scenes
The
Best 7 Kills
BONUS
DISC 1:
NEW
interview with composer Harry Manfredini
NEW
location featurette on Parts 1 & 2
The
Friday the 13th Chronicles – an 8-part featurette
Secrets
Galore Behind the Gore – a 3-part featurette
Crystal
Lake Victims Tell All!
Tales
from the Cutting Room Floor
FRIDAY
THE 13th artifacts and Collectibles
Jason
Forever – Q & A with Ari Lehman, Warrington Gillette, C.J. Graham and Kane
Hodder
And
more to come…
BONUS
DISC 2:
Scream
Queens: Horror Heroines Exposed (2014) – including interviews with Adrienne
King and Melanie Kinnaman (78 minutes)
Slice
and Dice: The Slasher Film Forever (2013) – including interviews with Corey
Feldman and John Carl Buechler (75 minutes)Trailer Reel – all 12 trailers in a
row
You can't judge a book by its cover
and you can't judge a movie by its poster. Case in point: "Blood on the
Moon", a 1948 western that was marketed with a poster depicting star
Robert Mitchum in a ten-gallon hat along with an image of Barbara Bel
Geddes wielding a rifle and a tag line that read "A Woman's Bullet
Kills as Quick as a Man's!" At first glance, one would be forgiven for
assuming the movie was yet another of the "Poverty Row" one-day wonders
that flooded theaters in the 1930s. Indeed, the image of Mitchum has him
somewhat resembling good ol' Hopalong Cassidy. However, looks can be
deceiving and "Blood on the Moon" is actually a superior western, thanks
in part to its director, Robert Wise, who had recently transcended from
being a highly-acclaimed film editor to the director's chair.
"Blood on the Moon" is an adaptation of a serialized story by Luke Short that ran in the Saturday Evening Post. Robert Mitchum
is cast as Jim Garry, a mysterious drifter who is invited to meet with
an old friend, Tate Riling (Robert Preston). Riling informs Tate that he
needs his abilities with a gun to aid him in a scheme. He has partnered
with a corrupt local federal agent, Jake Pindalest (Frank Faylen) who
oversees an Indian reservation to ensure they can get the impressive
cattle herd of rancher John Lufton (Tom Tully) at cut-rate prices. This
they contrive to accomplish by having Pindalest terminate the
long-standing contract by which Lufton sells his beef to the U.S. government, which in turn, uses the meat to feed the Native American population on the reservation. A side-swindle is that Riling wants to intimidate farmers to vacate land that they and Lufton occupy so that he can own the enormous acreage. Garry is not your typical white-hat cowboy hero, despite the fact that he favors wearing one. At first he accepts coming in as a partner on the scam and using his skills with a gun to drive off the farmers. However, when he witnesses the brutality Riling is using to further his goals, he changes his mind and ends up siding with Lufton. He's also come to the realization that Riling has been wooing one of Lufton's daughters, Carol (Phyllis Thaxter) as a way to wear down Lufton's resistance. Garry thinks this is particularly egregious. He also has a tense introduction to Lufton's other daughter, Amy (Barbara Bel Geddes), who is a sharp-shooting tom girl who tries to intimidate him by showing off her skills with a gun. As in all films in which the leading male and female characters start off with an acrimonious relationship, they ultimately fall in love. Garry's switching to the other side causes a rift with Riling and leads to a sensational knock-down, drag-out fight between that is a highlight of the film. (Mitchum and Preston choreographed the scene themselves and performed most of their own stunts.) Ultimately, the two old friends must square off in a final shootout that finds Garry, Amy and a local farmer, Kris (Walter Brennan), trapped in a cabin and surrounded by Lufton and his goons during an extended shoot-out that allows Amy to demonstrate her courage and skills with a rifle.
"Blood on the Moon" is a conventional western in some ways but what allows it to rise above the pack is the direction of Robert Wise, who gives the production a moody, film noir-like atmosphere, which is unusual for this genre. The film benefits from the creative B&W cinematography of Nicholas Musuraca, who makes nondescript shots of Garry riding in the moonlight look like frame-by-frame works of art. Mitchum is well cast as the protagonist, a complex man who is a bit of a scoundrel. Preston makes an excellent villain and Bel Geddes and Thaxter thrive in unusual roles for women in this era of filmmaking in that they are more than window dressing and are quite capable of humiliating the male characters. Walter Brennan also delivers a fine performance, cast in a role of a tragic farmer that is devoid of his usual amusing mannerisms.
The Warner Archive region-free Blu-ray presents an excellent transfer and the original trailer. Recommended.
CLICK HERE TO ORDER FROM THE CINEMA RETRO MOVIE STORE
Most
of the available home video options for the works of Buster Keaton consist of
his classic—and brilliant—independent films of the 1920s… movies like Our Hospitality,
Sherlock Jr., The Navigator, The General, Steamboat
Bill Jr., among other features and many shorts. These have separately been
repackaged and restored recently by companies like Kino Video and Cohen Media
Group.
Now
The Criterion Collection is grabbing a corner of the Buster Keaton market with
the release of two of his pictures from the late 1920s, after the
actor/director was forced to close his indie studio and sign a contract with
MGM in order to survive. That’s right, Criterion’s new Blu-ray release of The
Cameraman is a double feature! You get not only The Cameraman, Keaton’s
1928 first feature with MGM, but also the second title made with the studio, Spite
Marriage (1929). Both pictures are silent, and, in fact, they are the last
two silent movies Keaton made. For the remainder of his brief—and
unhappy—contract with MGM, he made sound pictures. Unlike many silent era
stars, Keaton adapted smoothly to talkies… however, talkies did not adapt
easily to Keaton.
The
supplements on this superb release emphasize repeatedly how Keaton was
mistreated, unable to exert his way of working on the films, and having to bow
to the studio’s demands for an “assembly-line†product, i.e., adhering to an
approved script before production began, working with an assigned director, and
being prohibited from performing most of the hair-raising stunts for which
Keaton was known. The comic’s tenure with MGM ended in 1933 with an
unceremonious firing, which catapulted Keaton’s stock into a tragic decline. It
was only later, in the 1950s, that his work was re-assessed, and he suddenly
found himself the object of deserved adoration (for example, Keaton received an
honorary Oscar in 1959).
That
said, one might not know any of this when viewing The Cameraman, which
in this viewer’s opinion, is on par with most of Keaton’s independent features.
It’s genuinely funny, with some remarkable set pieces in which Keaton does do
his own stunts. The movie was considered lost for many years, with the only
print destroyed in the MGM vault fire of 1965. Luckily, a partial print was
found overseas in 1968 and another in 1991—and these two treasures were both
used to create the version we have today.
It’s
the story of Buster, a tintype photographer who attempts to make a living on
the streets of L.A. He meets and falls in love with Sally (Marceline Day), a
secretary who works at the MGM Newsreels division. Buster applies for a job,
but he needs a new camera. He picks up an old, painfully out of date silent
film camera from a pawn shop, and proceeds to shoot various assigned
subjects—which he totally muffs (hilariously). Sally takes pity on him, though,
and keeps helping Buster out. Harold (Harold Goodwin), another newsreel
cameraman, is Buster’s rival for Sally’s affections, and soon the conflict
between them increases. Finally, in a spectacular and belly-laugh-producing
third act, Buster teams up with a hurdy gurdy monkey (played by the amazingly
talented Josephine the Monkey, who also worked with Chaplin and Harold Lloyd at
various times), and eventually saves the day, Sally, and his job.
Criterion’s
new 4K digital restoration looks fantastic—it’s as if the film might have been
made yesterday. It comes with a new score composed and conducted by Timothy
Brock and is presented in uncompressed stereo. There’s also an audio commentary
from 2004 featuring Glenn Mitchell, author of A-Z of Silent Film Comedy.
Contained
within the supplements is the complete feature Spite Marriage, which may
not be as top-notch as The Cameraman, but it still contains an abundance
of laughs and clever set pieces. Here, Keaton is Elmer, a pants-presser, who
has a crush on a stage actress, Trilby (Dorothy Sebastian) and he goes to see
her perform at every performance. His rival this time is Lionel (Edward Earle),
an actor who stars with Trilby. Hilarity ensues when Elmer finds himself
backstage before a performance and is quickly inducted to be a soldier extra
when the original actor must flee the cops. When Lionel marries another woman,
Trilby is so angry that she picks the first man available—who happens to be
Elmer—to marry out of “spite†to Lionel. Things obviously do not go well. The
last act is reminiscent of Keaton’s The Navigator (1924), that finds the
two un-lovebirds alone on a boat cast adrift on the sea.
Spite
Marriage is
a 2K restoration with its original soundtrack (music plus sound effects, but no
spoken dialogue). There is an audio commentary by film historians John Bengtson
and Jeffrey Vance.
The
rest of the supplements include the excellent 2004 TCM documentary, So Funny
It Hurt: Buster Keaton & MGM; Time Travelers, a new documentary by
Daniel Raim that features interviews with Bengtson and film historian Marc Wanamaker
as they explore sites around Los Angeles where The Cameraman was filmed;
new interviews with James L. Neibaur, author of The Fall of Buster Keaton;
and a 1979 documentary about the history of the motion picture camera from the early
silent days through the first few decades. The package booklet contains an
essay by film critic Imogen Sara Smith and a chapter from Keaton’s 1960
autobiography (co-written by Charles Samuels).
Buster
Keaton fans should rejoice. The Criterion Collection’s The Cameraman is
cause for celebration indeed. Both titles contained within display a cinematic
genius still at the full height of his powers. Highly recommended.
"Hudson
River Massacre†is a 1965 Italian Western originally titled “I tre del
Coloradoâ€and also released as “Rebels
in Canada,†“Revolt in Canada,†and “Canadian Wilderness.â€In the film, the Hudson’s Bay Company, an
English corporation, is tightening its monopoly on the lucrative fur-trading
business in western Canada in the late 1800s by driving independent French-Canadian
trappers out of business.The
French-Canadians counter with an uprising led by Leo Limoux, played by Franco
Fantasia, a Spaghetti Western regular with a familiar face if not a familiar
name.Trapper Victor DeFrois (George
Martin) resists joining the rebels until his brother is executed for robbery
and murder on charges fabricated by the ruthless Hudson’s Bay trading-post
manager, Sullivan.When that happens,
Victor throws in with the resistance.At
Limoux’s direction, the young trapper kidnaps Sullivan’s sister Anne and holds
her at a remote cabin for ransom.From
there, veteran fans of old-fashioned Westerns can pretty much write the rest of
the script themselves.What usually
happens in these movies when a handsome, stalwart outdoorsman is cooped up with
a genteel, gorgeous woman, and the two begin to rethink their animosity toward
each other?
The
director of “Hudson River Massacre,†Armando de Ossorio, is better known to
Euro-movie fans for his four horror films in the “Blind Dead†series about
undead medieval knights who rise from their tombs as zombies.As director and co-writer, he keeps the
B-Western fistfights and shootouts moving at a fast clip in “Hudson River
Massacre,â€including the relatively
large-scale “massacre†of the title in which the outnumbered rebels clash with
a troop of Royal Canadian Mounted Police in the shadow of snow-capped Spanish
peaks standing in for the Canadian Rockies.The role of the Mounties as Sullivan’s malleable dupes will surprise
older fans who fondly remember Sergeant Preston of the Yukon.The Spanish actor George Martin had a busy
career in Italian Westerns, sometimes playing against type as a bad guy but
more often cast like here, as the hero.He appears to be performing most of his own stunts in “Hudson River
Massacre†without the help of a stand-in, except for the more dangerous moments
of a fight with a bad guy in a rugged stretch of rapids.He’s ably supported by an attractive trio of
European actresses, Giulia Rubini as Anne, Pamela Tudor as a feisty
action-heroine named Swa, a common fixture in today’s movies but unusual for a
1960s Western, Italian or otherwise, and Diana Lorys as Nina, a French-Canadian
saloon girl whose unrequited devotion to Victor has unfortunate consequences.
A new Blu-ray edition
of “Hudson River Massacre†from MVD Classics presents this obscure movie in a
serviceable hi-def transfer.The only
extra is a trailer, but the Blu-ray includes SDH subtitles that will be
welcomed by those who saw unpretentious fare like “Hudson River Massacre†at
the local drive-in as kids, back in the day.Italian Western enthusiasts will be equally happy to see another
hard-to-find title now available on the commercial market.
In
Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,†Rick Dalton (Leonardo
DiCaprio) accepts an offer to star in an Italian Western out of
desperation.His days of TV fame are
behind him, he needs a gig that will keep his name in lights, and no American
studios are beating down his door.In
real life, Chuck Connors’ lead role in Enzo G. Castellari’s 1968 Spaghetti
Western, “Kill Them All and Come Back Alone,†was less an existential crisis
like Rick’s than one more job in a long, busy career.If Connors was ever at risk of unemployment,
you wouldn’t know it from his resume.Across four decades, he starred in four television series, had recurring
parts in two others, and made prominent supporting appearances in more than a
hundred other movies, series, and made-for-TV films.He was a solid actor who could credibly
portray everything from tough but compassionate cops to the improbably tall,
blue-eyed Apache chief in Geronimo
(1962), to a backwoods yokel named “Superman†who’s comically mistaken for the
real deal in the old George Reeves TV show.
In
Castellari’s film, now available in a Blu-ray edition from Kino Lorber, Connors
plays Clyde McKay, a master thief hired by the Confederate high command to
steal a million dollars in gold from a Union fort during the Civil War.In Mission: Impossible style, he’s told that
if he’s caught, he’s on his own.“The
Confederate Army didn’t hire you and knows nothing about you.â€To carry out the job, McKay forms a team of
five outlaws with the usual specialties.Blade is a knife thrower.Dekker
is an explosives expert.Bogard is a
strong man.Hoagy is a crack shot.Kid is so boyish he makes today’s teen-fave
Timothee Chalomet look like Harry Dean Stanton -- but don’t let that fool you,
McKay advises; “he has one virtue -- he likes to kill and he’s good at it.â€Captain Lynch (Frank Wolff), who devised the
big heist, tells McKay that when he finishes the job with his five men, “kill
them all and come back alone.â€This
seems like an odd command, even given the famously unfathomable workings of the
military mind.If you have a crack team
that’s successfully executed one impossible mission, wouldn’t you rather keep
them around in case you need their skills again?But McKay accepts it with a cynical smile,
perhaps confident that he’s wise not to trust Lynch, or maybe he realizes he’s
simply a character in an Italian Western, a genre in which entire movies like
this one were based on everyone in the story double-crossing everyone
else.Anyway, logic probably wasn’t a
big consideration for Castellari’s core U.S. audience of sleepy, stoned
teenagers who would have caught “Kill Them All and Come Back Alone†as the
final feature in an all-night, up-till-dawn quadruple-bill at the local
drive-in in 1968.
For
the rest of us, Castellari keeps the action moving so briskly and flamboyantly
that we have little time to ponder fine questions of wartime ethics, even with
the luxury of pause and rewind on home video.Right out of the starting gate, McKay and his commandos wreak havoc at a
military base by pole-vaulting across roofs, jumping into wagons from second-story
balconies, blowing up supply sheds, knocking other guys through bannisters to
the floor below, and dropping a massive chandelier onto a bunch of troops who
have obligingly congregated underneath.This pre-credit sequence turns out to be the team’s audition for Captain
Lynch, and it’s followed by three other big, blow-em-up set pieces,
interspersed with more fistfights, shootouts, and acrobatics than I could
count.Where most American Westerns (and
their stars) had gotten old and creaky by 1968, “Kill Them All and Come Back
Alone†keeps its crew of stuntmen and stuntmen-turned-actors like Ken Wood
(Blade) and Alberto Dell’Acqua (Kid) on the move.It’s silly and almost as exhausting as an
hour on a Peleton, but not much more childish than the CGI fights in today’s
Marvel Comics movies, even when Castellari’s stunt doubles go flying back from
punches that clearly miss their chins by several inches.
The
new Kino Lorber Blu-ray presents the movie in a superlative 4K restoration at
the 2.35:1 Techniscope aspect ratio.Fans of escapist action movies will appreciate such care for an
unpretentious Italian Western that would have been ignored by most critics,
back in the day, as hardly a notch above a 42nd Street porno loop.The disc contains both the original,
100-minute Italian print (with English-language subtitles) and the dubbed,
99-minute version released to U.S. theaters.The loss of a minute doesn’t really compromise anything, and if you’re
not turned off by the dubbed dialogue for the European actors, you may prefer
the English-language track because there, Connors speaks in his own distinctive
voice.Director and Spaghetti Western
enthusiast Alex Cox contributes a feature-length audio commentary that’s
informative and amusing in equal proportion.Cox notes the cumulative daffiness of the running, jumping, and falling
stunts in the film, but he’s also appreciative of several technically
complicated shots that Castellari and his crew mount with all the skill of a
big-budget, A-list production.The Kino
Lorber Blu-ray can be ordered HERE.
In
Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,†Rick Dalton (Leonardo
DiCaprio) accepts an offer to star in an Italian Western out of
desperation.His days of TV fame are
behind him, he needs a gig that will keep his name in lights, and no American
studios are beating down his door.In
real life, Chuck Connors’ lead role in Enzo G. Castellari’s 1968 Spaghetti
Western, “Kill Them All and Come Back Alone,†was less an existential crisis
like Rick’s than one more job in a long, busy career.If Connors was ever at risk of unemployment,
you wouldn’t know it from his resume.Across four decades, he starred in four television series, had recurring
parts in two others, and made prominent supporting appearances in more than a
hundred other movies, series, and made-for-TV films.He was a solid actor who could credibly
portray everything from tough but compassionate cops to the improbably tall,
blue-eyed Apache chief in Geronimo
(1962), to a backwoods yokel named “Superman†who’s comically mistaken for the
real deal in the old George Reeves TV show.
In
Castellari’s film, now available in a Blu-ray edition from Kino Lorber, Connors
plays Clyde McKay, a master thief hired by the Confederate high command to
steal a million dollars in gold from a Union fort during the Civil War.In Mission: Impossible style, he’s told that
if he’s caught, he’s on his own.“The
Confederate Army didn’t hire you and knows nothing about you.â€To carry out the job, McKay forms a team of
five outlaws with the usual specialties.Blade is a knife thrower.Dekker
is an explosives expert.Bogard is a
strong man.Hoagy is a crack shot.Kid is so boyish he makes today’s teen-fave
Timothee Chalomet look like Harry Dean Stanton -- but don’t let that fool you,
McKay advises; “he has one virtue -- he likes to kill and he’s good at it.â€Captain Lynch (Frank Wolff), who devised the
big heist, tells McKay that when he finishes the job with his five men, “kill
them all and come back alone.â€This
seems like an odd command, even given the famously unfathomable workings of the
military mind.If you have a crack team
that’s successfully executed one impossible mission, wouldn’t you rather keep
them around in case you need their skills again?But McKay accepts it with a cynical smile,
perhaps confident that he’s wise not to trust Lynch, or maybe he realizes he’s
simply a character in an Italian Western, a genre in which entire movies like
this one were based on everyone in the story double-crossing everyone
else.Anyway, logic probably wasn’t a
big consideration for Castellari’s core U.S. audience of sleepy, stoned
teenagers who would have caught “Kill Them All and Come Back Alone†as the
final feature in an all-night, up-till-dawn quadruple-bill at the local
drive-in in 1968.
“Nightbreed†is a movie I’d wanted to see
for many years. I’m not in a minority. I have the excuse that I missed its
initial limited theatrical run and simply never got round to seeing it. Later,
whenever I went to hire it from the video store on its VHS release , it was
always rented out- no doubt due to its then blossoming cult status. However,
those that did see it initially also
desperately wanted to see it again. By
that I mean that the print that was first shown in theatres and released for
home entertainment wasn’t even close to the vision director and author Clive
Barker had for the project. It was, as many classics have been, butchered as unsympathetically
as the creatures the film celebrated by those “above†who simply didn’t
understand or care. This is touched upon in Arrow’s new press release synopsis
for the film- a cult gem which seems to have morphed as much as the creatures
of it title:
Nightbreed,
from the mind of legendary visionary of the macabre Clive Barker (Hellraiser,
Candyman). A nightmare-induced fantasy
set in a world like nothing you’ve ever experienced before… Nightbreed will
leave you questioning who the real monsters are. The victim of studio interference
and an unrepresentative marketing campaign, Nightbreed has since undergone a
radical reappraisal. Arrow Video is proud to present two versions of this
depraved cult classic and an insane selection of extras that will likely never
be bettered, for the ultimate nightmarish viewing experience.
This release from Arrow is sumptuous and easily the best
version of “Nightbreed†both fans and fascinated seekers such as myself have
yet seen become officially available. The extras, as ever, are excellent and
the transfer is probably (according to those who know) the best the film has
had and may be even better than the prints seen on its initial release. As I’ve
touched on, the film has a huge following and I recently caught up with two of
its most high profile fans, poster artist Graham Humphreys and director John
Stevenson. Although both agree that the infamous Cabal Cut is still the Holy
Grail as far as the films various versions go, this director’s cut is a welcome
treat for fans. I asked them why they thought the movie was still so important
and why fans should seek out this latest Arrow release….
John Stevenson on
Nightbreed
It
wasn’t Clive Barker’s source novel “Cabal’ that got me obsessed with
‘Nightbreedâ€. It wasn’t even the film version, which I saw in the first days of
its release in 1990 in San Francisco. It was the Titan book ‘Clive Barker’s The
Nightbreed Chronicles’ released in 1990 to coincide with the theatrical
release. The book contains beautiful portrait photography by Murray Close of
over 30 of Midian’s denizens (created by Bob Keen, Geoff Portass and their team
at Image Animation) and their wonderfully strange and imaginative back stories,
courtesy of Clive Barker.
Looking
at the book was a much more satisfying experience than watching the frustrating
theatrical release which had cut most of Midian’s monsters, and reduced the
screen time of the few that remained to fleeting seconds. The film also gave no
sense of the fascinating monster society that ‘The Nightbreed Chronicles’
filled in, in Barker’s dark and witty personal histories of his creations.
By the time Burt Reynolds finally starred in the 1972 classic "Deliverance", he had been paying his dues in Hollywood for many years with varying degrees of success on television. His feature films, however, were strictly "B" grade. Saul David, who produced a 1970 film starring Reynolds titled "Skullduggery", bemoaned at the time that he should have been a major movie star but bad luck seemed to always interfere. Reynolds wisely cultivated an image as a hip, towel-snapping wiseguy through appearing on seemingly every American game and chat show. His appearances on "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson" merited "must-see TV" status. Ironically, "Deliverance" entirely abandoned this popular image of Reynolds and afforded him a dramatic role that he fulfilled with excellent results. But the success of the film made Reynolds anxious to prove he could sustain his boxoffice clout without the help of a strong co-star, in the case of of "Deliverance", Jon Voight. Reynolds chose wisely for his follow-up feature. "White Lightning" was developed under the working title "McClusky". The role of a hunky, charismatic southern good ol' boy fit Reynolds like a glove because it allowed him to incorporate his penchant for performing stunts with his flippant, wise-cracking TV persona.
Filmed in Arkansas, the movie finds Reynolds as "Gator" McClusky, a man doing prison time for running illegal moonshine. Gator still has another year to spend on the prison farm when he gets word that his younger brother has been murdered. (We see the scene play out over the opening credits in which two young men are brutally drowned in a swamp by the local sheriff, J.C. Connors (Ned Beatty) and his deputy.) Enraged and spoiling for revenge, Gator accepts a deal to work undercover for federal agents to expose Connors as the local Huey Long-type power broker in Bogan County. Indeed, the seemingly affable, understated Connors runs the entire county like a personal fiefdom, using extortion, shakedowns and outright murder to ensure his stature. He also gets a piece of the action from the very moonshiners he's supposed to prosecute. Gator feels uncomfortable working as a snitch but it's the only way to find out why his brother was killed and to bring Connors to justice. Using his considerable charm and his background as a guy from a small rural community, he finds himself quickly working for a moonshine ring headed by Big Bear (R.G. Armstrong), who is brutal in retribution against anyone who crosses him. Gator is assigned to deliver moonshine with a partner, Roy Boone (Bo Hopkins). They spend a lot of time together and become fast friends, even though Roy's hot-to-trot girlfriend Lou (Jennifer Billingsley) succeeds in seducing Gator, thus endangering his mission when Roy gets wind of the deception. When Gator learns the reason why his brother and his friend were murdered, he becomes even more vengeful, leading to a spectacular car chase involving Connors and his corrupt deputies.
"White Lightning" was directed by Joseph Sargent, who was primarily known for his work in television. He fulfills the requirements of the film quite well, though the spectacular car chases and jaw-dropping action scenes were largely the work of legendary stutman/coordinator Hal Needham, who would go on to work on many films with Reynolds. The film is consistently lively but it also has moments of poignancy and drama. The supporting cast is terrific with Ned Beatty of "Deliverance" reuniting with Reynolds with good results. Beatty underplays the sense of menace attributable to his character. He also plays up his status as a pillar of the community, tossing off barbs about how hippies and big city liberals threaten "our values" and-worst of all- encourage "our coloreds to vote!". Meanwhile, he is heading up a vast criminal enterprise. Jennifer Billingsley is wonderful as the lovable air-headed seductress who will jump into bed with a man if there's a prospect of getting a new dress out of the bargain. There are also fine turns by Bo Hopkins, R.G. Armstrong and Diane Ladd (whose name in the opening and closing credits is misspelled as "Lad". Ouch!) The movie turned out to be a big hit for United Artists, aided in part by striking ad campaigns with the same weapon-as-phallic symbol design employed for Richard Roundtree's "Shaft's Big Score" the previous year coupled with another poster showing Reynolds behind the wheel of a speeding car. Sex and speed became hallmarks for promoting a Reynolds action movie.
Kino Lorber has reissued their 2019 Blu-ray edition, which is first-rate in all aspects, with a fine transfer and a 2014 interview with Burt Reynolds, who looks back fondly on the importance the movie had on proving he could be top-billed in a hit movie. The film initiated his association with rural-based comedies and action films and three years later, a successful sequel ("Gator") would be released. Reynolds also drops the interesting fact that this was to be Steven Spielberg's first feature film. However, Reynolds says the young TV director got cold feet about his ability to film on so many difficult locations, given that his background was largely working in studios. Reynolds praises his co-star Ned Beatty and reminds everyone that "White Lightning" was only his second film, having made his screen debut in "Deliverance". He is also very complimentary towards Jennifer Billingsley and regrets that she never became a big star. Reynolds also discusses Hal Needham's zealousness for performing dangerous stunts and relates how one key scene in which a car shoots out over water to land on a moving barge almost went disastrously wrong. He says the film has a realistic atmosphere because of the screenplay by William W. Norton, who adapted many aspects of his own hard scrabble life. The only negative note Reynolds sounds is about Diane Ladd, who he cryptically says he did not like working with, although he doesn't go into detail as to why.The set includes a new feature not available on the previous Blu-ray release: a commentary track by film historian collaborators Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson. As far as commentary tracks are concerned, the duo are always terrific and this outing is no exception. Their easy-going, laid-back and humorous style is appropriate for the tone of the film. They go into great detail about aspects of the and cast. I hadn't realized until listening to the track how on-the-mark they are in assessing Ned Beatty as an actor whose physical appearance varied dramatically depending upon the type of story he was cast in. Indeed, they are correct. The evil good ol' boy corrupt sheriff of "White Lightning" is light years away from the fish-out-water rape victim of "Deliverance" or the demagogic TV executive of "Network". The track is good enough to merit upgrading to this version of the Blu-ray even if you have the previous release.
The Blu-ray also includes the original trailer, which was very effective in playing up Reynolds' emerging star power. Highly recommended.
Apparently,
the classic silent features of Buster Keaton are now in public domain, which
explains why more than one DVD/Blu-ray company can do individual restorations
and put them out for consumer consumption. For example, both Kino Video and
Cohen Film Collection have released “new restoration†Blu-ray packages of
Keaton’s films. Cohen sent Cinema Retro some review copies of theirs, so
this review reflects this group’s presentations of these wonderful films that
showcase a genius at large.
In
all three volumes, the titles underwent 4K restorations and look marvelous,
with audio options of 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and 5.1 Dolby Digital. The
packaging on Volumes 2 and 3 indicate that the restorations were done by
Cineteca di Bologna at L’Immagine Ritrovata Laboratory in association with
Cohen Film Collection—one can assume that Volume 1 is the same.
VOLUME
1 contains The General (1926) and Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928), two
of Keaton’s most celebrated works. Note that The General’s release date
is often cited as 1927, when it was actually released in the U.S. Technically,
though, its premiere was in Japan (!), of all places, in December 1926.
IMDb designates the film’s release as 1926, while many American publications
will say 1927.
The
General (directed
by Keaton and Clyde Bruckman), despite featuring a Civil War-era story in which
the Confederates are the “good guys,†is an unequivocal comic masterpiece,
often named Keaton’s best picture. Keaton is a train engineer named Johnnie,
who is in love with Annabelle (Marion Mack) and a locomotive called the
General. Much of the tale involves Johnnie hustling to get his locomotive back,
as it has been snatched by the Union. Full of action and inventive comedy bits,
The General might be Keaton’s most technically ambitious picture, and
certainly his most expensive ($750,000, which was a huge sum back then).
Surprisingly, the film was not a hit at the time of release, and it set back
Keaton’s stock in the industry. It was only after years of film buff analysis
that The General was rediscovered and awarded the reputation it holds
today.
Steamboat
Bill, Jr.
(directed by Charles Reisner) contains many of the fabulous stunts for which
Keaton is known, such as when a house facade falls over and barely misses him
since he was standing precisely where an open window was positioned. Keaton is
William Canfield Jr., and his father “Steamboat Bill,†owns a luxury steamboat
that is in competition with Jr.’s girlfriend’s father’s ship. The movie is a
game of one-upmanship between the rivals, with the usual mis-matched romance
and action hijinks. Some may consider this sacrilege, but I prefer Steamboat
Bill, Jr. over The General!
Both
films feature orchestral scores by Carl Davis. Supplements are two shorts
seemingly excerpted from Peter Bogdanovich’s 2018 documentary, The Great
Buster—“Reflections on The General†and “Buster Keaton: The
Luminaryâ€, plus trailers for both films. Oddly, the illustrated inner booklet
contains the credits for Steamboat Bill, Jr. but leaves out The
General.
I love Asian cinema. During the 1990’s
I discovered a whole other cinematic world in the form of Hong Kong action
films at some great Chinatown movie theaters in lower Manhattan, such as the
long-gone Rosemary Theater on Canal Street which is now a Buddhist Temple. Even
the Film Forum, with its gloriously narrow and Quasimodo posture-inducing seats,
also sported its fair share of Hong Kong festivals with screenings of Siu-Tung
Ching’s beloved A Chinese Ghost Story
trilogy, the Swordsman trilogy, and
the follow-up to Jonnie To’s Heroic Trio
from 1993. Independent video stores situated in Asian and Indian neighborhoods
also offered up these amazing Eastern adventures on VHS and the low picture
quality and poorly displayed white subtitles mattered little to those of us
enthralled by the action onscreen. I was lucky enough to locate a store that
rented imported laserdiscs with letterboxed versions of these amazing films. No
one, however, can have a serious discussion about this genre without including
the inimitable Jackie Chan, a powerhouse of a stuntman who also acts in and
even directs much of his own work.
Jackie Chan is known in the United
States through only a handful of films, the first being Hal Needham’s 1981
comedy The Cannonball Run and its
1984 follow-up Cannonball Run II. He
garnered greater exposure in 1995 with Rumble
in the Bronx and his comedic team-up with Chris Tucker in the three Rush Hour films that he appeared in between
1998 and 2007, and a fourth is now rumored to be in the works. His Hong
Kong-based work, though highly prolific, is much less available here and this
is a great shame as these films are wildly entertaining and even flat out
hilarious, easily lending themselves to repeat viewing. Getting his start in
the Hong Kong film business following the void left by the untimely death of
the late martial arts expert Bruce Lee, Mr. Chan worked his way through many
roles and its his turn as a police inspector in 1985’s Police Story wherein his stunt work really shines.
Crime lord Chu Tao is released on bail
and threatens to kill Selina, though a double-cross by a dirty Police Inspector
who intends to frame Ka-Kui for murder leads Ka-Kui to take Superintendent Li
hostage, but he is eventually freed. In one of the cinema’s first instances of
blackmail via computer files that I can recall, Selina decides to breach her
former boss’s computer system by downloading incriminating files. As a front,
his office is in a shopping mall, and one of the craziest sequences of shopping
mall carnage following John Landis’s The
Blues Brothers (1980) ensues involving some top-notch stunt work. The
film’s ending is abrupt and gives way to the sequel, Police Story 2 (1988).
Mill
Creek Entertainment has released a double-bill of“Fort Yuma Gold†(1966) and “Damned Hot Day
of Fire†(1968) in a Blu-ray + Digital edition.Mill Creek notes that the films are two of Quentin Tarantino’s favorite
Spaghetti Westerns -- a shrewd strategy to attract fans who may be interested
in sampling the same, often hard-to-find genre movies that Tarantino devoured
in his formative years.Both pictures
are above-average Italian Westerns.
In
“Fort Yuma Gold,†directed by veteran Italian filmmaker Giorgio Ferroni as
“Calvin J. Padget,†outlaw chief Nelson Riggs schemes with renegade Confederate
Major Sanders to steal a million dollars in gold from Fort Yuma, a Union
outpost, in the last days of the Civil War.While Sanders orders his troops to make a diversionary, suicidal attack
on the fort, he and Riggs will sneak into the post through an abandoned mine
and grab the loot.When a Union
commander some days’ ride away learns about the plot, he dispatches two of his
soldiers, Captain Lefevre and Sergeant Pitt, to warn the fort, guided by Lt.
Gary Hammond, a Confederate prisoner of war.As a native Westerner, Hammond knows the safest route to Fort Yuma.The two Northerners don’t.Secretly, Hammond hopes to elude the two
Yankees en route, locate Sanders‘ detachment, and avert disaster by warning his
friend Lt. Brian, one of Sanders’ adjutants, about the Major’s treachery.
The movie’s traditional plot is reminiscent of
Hollywood’s Civil War Westerns like “Escape from Fort Bravo†and “Alvarez
Kelly,†reflecting the strategy generally used by Italian studios in the early
days of the Spaghettis to make their films look as much like American
productions as possible.The actors
billed as “Montgomery Wood†(Hammond), “Red Carter†(Sgt. Pitt), and “Benny
Reeves†(Juke, Riggs‘ henchman) were actually Italians Giuliano Gemma, Nello
Pazzafini, and Benito Stefanelli.Gemma
also used the “Montgomery Wood†alias in three other Italian Westerns, and his
resemblance to American leading man and future best-selling novelist Tom Tryon
may have helped further the impression that “Fort Yuma Gold†was an import from
America.The deception probably worked
as long as ticket-buyers failed to recognize Ferroni, Gemma, Pazzafini,
Stefanelli, Dan Vadis (Riggs), Jacques Sernas (Sanders), and Antonio Molino
Rojo (Brian) as homegrown veterans of the Italian sword-and-toga epics of the
late 1950s and early 1960s.When the
popularity of the toga spectacles waned with the rise of the Italian Westerns,
many writers, directors, and actors transitioned easily from one genre to the
next.The hammy, WWE-style melees
between gladiators and centurions in the Hercules and Samson movies became the
saloon brawls of the Spaghettis, with athletic actors like Gemma, Pazzafini,
and Stefanelli doing their own stunts.By 1966, in turn, public tastes in the Italian Westerns had begun to
favor the cynical, down-and-dirty violence of Sergio Leone’s massively
successful Spaghettis over the American model.In Italy, “Fort Yuma Gold†opened as “Per pochi dollari ancora†or “For
a Few Extra Dollars.â€The moviemakers
were clearly hoping to ride the recent smash success of “For a Few Dollars
More,†even if Ferroni/Padget’s style bears little likeness to Leone’s.If you don’t expect a polished American
picture on one hand or a nihilistic Leone clone on the other, you might enjoy
“Fort Yuma Gold†on its own terms as a mostly fast-paced, sincere B-Western.
A long time ago in our own galaxy, independent movie theaters prided themselves on creating unique promotional stunts, as evidenced from these photos from a March 1968 issue of Boxoffice magazine. In the parlance of the era, theater owners were "taking it to the streets" in order to drum up awareness of their latest showings. Sometimes models were employed and on other occasions, hapless theater employees were subjected to participating in rather bizarre and comical publicity stunts. These two photos show a model on the streets passing out leaflets to seemingly unimpressed passersby for the Joan Crawford thriller "Berserk!" and a mannequin dressed as Clint Eastwood's Man with No Name for "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly." Those were the days!
Glory days: by the late 1970s, Reynolds and Clint Eastwood were the two most bankable stars in the world.
BY LEE PFEIFFER
Burt Reynolds has died at age 82 from a heart attack in his home town of Jupiter, Florida. Reynolds had been suffering from poor health in recent years but was still appearing in films. He was announced as one of the stars of Quentin Tarantino's forthcoming "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood". Reynolds entered acting in the 1950s but his rugged good looks sometimes worked against him as he was told he bore too close a resemblance to Marlon Brando. He made "B" movies before gravitating to television where he landed a recurring role as a blacksmith in the hit series "Gunsmoke". Reynolds would go on to star in other short-lived TV series that never capitalized on his real life wit and humor. Of playing the title character in the "Dan August" detective series, Reynolds would quip that he had two expressions: "Mad and madder". Reynolds slogged through undistinguished feature films in the 1960s, some of which were undeniably appealing but none of which resonated with the public. However, he gained considerable attention with his frequent appearances on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" where his self-deprecating sense of humor and racy quips endeared him to Carson's mammoth nightly audience. He agreed to pose nude (well, mostly nude) for Cosmopolitan, which caused a sensation. However, Reynolds said he regretted the decision because it detracted from his ability to be taken seriously as an actor. The release of director John Boorman's "Deliverance" in 1972 changed that. Reynolds gave a terrific performance and the "A"-list roles started pouring in. Most of his films had a considerable element of humor attached to them, combined with Reynolds' ability to do his own stunts. He became popular playing wise-ass characters with a penchant for towel-snapping humor. In 1977, he struck gold by starring in "Smokey and the Bandit", a film which became a phenomenal success with rural audiences. The Reynolds persona was often that of a good ol' boy from the south who took on corrupt cops and politicians. For a period of years, Reynolds could do no wrong and became one of the biggest stars in the world. However, his judgment often failed him and turned down major roles in classic films in order to star in forgettable movies. A misguided stunt on the set of "City Heat" in the early 1980s caused him severe injuries and helped spread rumors that was was suffering from AIDS. His career never fully recovered, but in 1998 he earned a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for "Boogie Nights". He didn't win and he also squandered the newfound respect he had earned by churning out mediocre films and TV movies. Not helping matters was his messy personal life that saw marriage problems, nasty divorces and bankruptcy issues spread across the pages of tabloids.
Still, Burt Reynolds was a genuine superstar at his peak and he never went out of style, as evidenced by the enduring affection for his films- and yes, he certainly could act.
Twilight Time has released the 1965 action adventure film "Genghis Khan" as a limited edition (3,000) Blu-ray. The film was released almost ten years after Howard Hughes produced the notorious clinker "The Conqueror" starring John Wayne as the legendary Mongol leader. A decade later, producer Irving Allen ensured he did not make the mistake of laughably miscasting the leading man. Omar Sharif, then a red-hot up-and-coming star, was cast in the title role, and while an Egyptian actor might not seem to be an obvious choice, Sharif possessed an exotic international appeal that saw him convincingly play characters of many different ethnic backgrounds. Ironically, while Allen had successfully hired a leading man, his judgment did not extend to the key supporting roles. If you want to enjoy "Genghis Khan", there are many positive aspects to the film- but you will have to overlook some jaw-dropping casting errors. That feat is a bit like trying to calmly peruse a newspaper in your living room while ignoring the 800-pound gorilla who is sitting across from you, but more about that later.
The film opens with a brutal raid on the tribal home of the young Mongol Temujin and his family. The raid is led by a rival Mongol tribe headed by the merciless Jamuga (Stephen Boyd), who murders Temujin's father and enslaves the women of the tribe. The story then jumps ahead a number of years and we find Temujin (Omar Sharif) has now grown to manhood and is still a captive of Jamuga. He's forced to wear a giant wooden yoke around his neck as a reminder of his humiliation. Ultimately, Temujin escapes captivity with the help of holy man Geen (Michael Hordern) and a mute Mongol warrior named Sengal (Woody Strode.), much to the chagrin of the infuriated Jamuga. Temujin vows to bring the warring Mongol tribes together so that they can form an unstoppable army capable of conquering the known world. How he achieves this is never shown but before long we see he has indeed amassed a devoted army intent on uniting the remaining Mongol tribes, one of which is headed by Jamuga.One of Temujin's obsessions is to humiliate Jamuga, which he does by kidnapping his woman, Bortei (Francoise Dorleac), who he then makes his own wife. As played by the gorgeous but ill-fated Dorleac (she died in a car crash in 1967), Bortei sports a modern hair style and the latest trends in makeup. She's a Mongol by way of the emerging mod scene on Carnaby Street. Dorleac is miscast but at least her performance isn't embarrassing. The same cannot be said of some of her otherwise revered cast members.
Since the film is designed to entertain, not enlighten, we are presented with a truncated historical record of Temujin's conquests. In short order, he and his army become feared as they relentlessly conquer seemingly any land they want to occupy, either by having the inhabitants willingly accede to their demands or face defeat in battle. The script boils down these tumultuous events into a Cliff Notes adaptation of a Classics Illustrated comic book. Temujin next sets his sights on the legendary land of China, and are admitted entrance through the Great Wall. Here they are guided by Kam Ling, a wise man who serves as chief adviser to the Emperor. The role is played by James Mason and if you thought, as I did, that this great talent was incapable of presenting a bad performance, be prepared to be enlightened. Mason sports a sem- Fu Manchu mustache and seems to be foreshadowing those now cringe-inducing Chinese detectives that would be played by Peter Sellers and Peter Ustinov. But wait! Mason's performance seems positively inspired compared to that of Robert Morley as the Emperor. Yes, that Robert Morley, the rotund and usually delightful British character actor who played every role in precisely the same manner. Thus, we have the Emperor of China depicted as a prissy, comical figure. (Presumably, Paul Lynde was not available for the role.) The miscasting of these two pivotal roles makes it difficult to concentrate on the otherwise compelling script by Clarke Reynolds and Beverly Cross. Fortunately, events move quickly. The Emperor treats Temujin and his army with great reverence and respect- and Temujin is even giving the honorary title of Genghis Khan ("Great Conqueror"). But Temujin correctly suspects that they are being held as captives in a gilded cage. Seems the Emperor realizes that Temujin suspects that the Chinese military is a paper tiger and that he would be tempted to gather an even bigger army and take the nation by force. In a creatively-staged scene, the Mongols use the Chinese fascination with fireworks as an elaborate method to affect a daring escape. Armed with the advanced military technology they have secured from China, the Mongols' ever-growing armies continue to sweep through kingdoms far and wide. Jamuga, who had been held captive by Temujin but managed to escape, refuses an offer to join Temujin's forces- and even insults him by implying that Temujin's young son had been fathered by him. This results in a "Mongol Duel" in which both men go mano-a-mano, with the surviving winner taking control of the armies. The sight of two sweaty, hunky shirtless men grappling with each does have an unintended and amusing homo-erotic aspect but the scene is quite suspenseful.