Disney has made a mega $4 billion deal to acquire Marvel Entertainment, thus gaining control of over 5,000 individual comic book characters, many of whom have proven to be a goldmine on the silver screen. The modest comic book company that spun into high gear in the 1960s under the TLC of editor Stan Lee and the late artist Jack Kirby has not only made the realm of comics respectable, but the stuff of business empires as well . Marvel stock soared on the announcement. For more click here

By Lee Pfeiffer

Hollywood's obsession with youth has now reached a comical level as evidenced by the American Cinematheque's announcement that it will award its next lifetime achievement award to Matt Damon - despite the fact he is only 38 years-old. Let me say up front that the absurdity of this decision isn't a reflection on Damon, who remains a popular and talented actor. He has been associated with a number of high profile films from Saving Private Ryan and the Oceans Eleven series to his popular Bourne spy movies. He also copped an Oscar for co-writing Good Will Hunting. However, many of his other films have been received with a mediocre response by both critics and the public. There was a time when such awards were granted to elder statesmen and women of the industry - true giants in their fields. However, in recent years, the dearth of such living legends, combined with the mania for obtaining TV ratings, has seen lifetime achievement awards granted to people who are still very much in their prime. When Paul Newman received an honorary Oscar for his life's work in 1984, he joked that he didn't feel like he was ready to move into Forest Lawn Cemetery yet. He was 61 years old at the time and many people thought that was too young for an actor still making films on a regular basis. Indeed, some of Newman's best work was still ahead of him, as evidenced by the fact that he won a competitive Oscar for Best Actor the very next year.  

By Lee Pfeiffer

Lovable kook Sharon Stone has finally found a way for us to....er....stand up and take notice: she's posed topless at age 51 for Paris Match. It's only when Stone speaks that the unintentional laughs result. The magazine cover may prove to either inspire or depress women of similar age - and it proves once again that when it comes to popular culture, no one has more fun than the uninhibited French. While Americans suffer through indistinguishable magazine covers all featuring reality show morons and mean-spirited "scandals" about actresses who suffer from cellulite, the French stick to real glamor. Let's just hope People magazine doesn't try to jump on the bandwagon by having Rosie O'Donnell in a similar pose.

Columnist Craig "Meathead" Goldwyn provides his take of the greatest movies to feature dining as a central theme to the plot - and, yes, he does include Night of the Living Dead and Soylent Green! Click here to read

The British Ministry of Defence has declassified certain key reports on international sightings and incidents involving UFOs. While certain cases remain intriguing and unsolved, the report says that - unsurprisingly- sightings increase dramatically after high profile films and TV series about aliens are released. For example, the biggest year ever for UFO sightings was 1978 - shortly after Close Encounters of the Third Kind was released. Makes us think maybe we were mistaken about that shark we saw in our bathtub after seeing Jaws. For more click here

What do Jack Nicholson, actor John Goodman, the Dalai Lama, Kirk Douglas as Spartacus and President Obama have in common? They have all been subjects of Philadelphia artist Alex Queral's impressive project to "sculpt" their likenesses from discarded phone books. The amazing portraits are painstakingly carved into the books using a scalpel and razor blades. For more click here

Citing concerns about the economy, Paramount has made the decision to postpone Martin Scorsese's highly-anticipated thriller Shutter Island starring Leonardo DiCaprio from an October opening to February 2010. The studio obviously feels that the current recession would impact the potential gross of the film. Still, the decision is puzzling, as there is no indication the economy will be substantially better by February - and the postponement eliminates any chance of the movie capitalizing on Oscar nominations. For more click here

Cinema Retro readers are a talented lot...take Patrick Humphries, who just received the green light on his long-planned radio documentary on the history of film trailers. Radio 4 in the UK will be backing his project and Patrick is looking for input from people who worked on film trailers in the 1950s and 1960s. Here is his letter:

Writer Caroline White of The Times of London gives us her list of the ten most historically inaccurate movies of all time. Granted, the list could easily be expanded to hundreds, but White's article is interesting because she avoids most of the obvious choices. For example, she cites the 2000 WWII film U-571 as the most egregious example of historical revisionism: the screenplay was changed to show the Americans, not the British, capturing the first German Enigma code machine. The rationale of the screenwriter was simply that America had a bigger movie-going audience! Others in the Hall of Shame include three films by Mel Gibson, including his Oscar winning Braveheart. Click here to read 

We've editorialized repeatedly about the moronic behavior of people who seem intent on ruining the experience of movie-going for fellow audience members. From refusing to turn off mobile phones, to bringing screaming toddlers to the theater, to shouting advice to the characters on screen (as though it will influence them), these idiots have turned art house cinemas into the only safe venues for movie lovers. At least in these theaters, the biggest annoyance is having to overhear the pretentious analysis of film scholars on line in front of you - a fate suffered by Woody Allen's Alvy Singer in Annie Hall. Newspaper columnist Mark Jones is the latest to take a crack at fighting back against the neanderthals who populate local movie theaters. Click here to read his article.  Click here for Cinema Retro related editorial.

Over the weekend, Cinema Retro columnist Gareth Owen and his BondStars.com partner Andy Boyle organized yet another of their magnificent James Bond events at Pinewood Studios. This time the emphasis was on From Russia With Love and included a screening of the new digital print of the film. Cast and crew members from many Bond films mingled with fans from around the world, and Cinema Retro publisher Dave Worrall gave everyone a guided tour of the legendary film studio. Among those in attendance: Caroline Munro, Martine Beswicke, Honor Blackman, Tania Mallet, Shirley Eaton, John Glen, Lewis Gilbert, Eunice Gayson and many others. For a full report and exclusive photos click here

Cinema Retro London correspondent Mark Mawston recently covered the London tribute to John Landis' classic horror flick An American Werewolf in London. (Click here to read). Mark also got an advance look at the forthcoming documentary Beware the Moon which will be the centerpiece of the forthcoming Blu-ray special DVD edition. He recently sat down with the man behind the project, Paul Davis for an inside look at how he overcame great odds to make his tribute to American Werewolf a reality.

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Mark Mawston: Paul, it's wonderful that something made by a fan for a fan has made it onto such an A list title. Why did you decide to target AWIL? Was it out of love or that fact that you simply thought there was a more comprehensive story to be told?

Paul Davis: An American Werewolf in London was the first monster movie I ever saw. I must've been about 3 years-old when I watched it. I was a big fan of Michael Jackson and had ‘The Making of Thriller’ on video, and through that I learned about Werewolf, John Landis, Rick Baker etc. Because it showed you the ins and outs of creating a film, and more importantly a monster, I was able to grasp at an early age that movies were works of fiction. So from then on I could watch anything and pretty much did. Fast forward some twenty odd years later and I found myself writing a 25th Anniversary retrospective article on the film and it just struck me that, while there are so many documentaries out there for classic horror movies, this had nothing! I spoke to my partner Romy Alford and she agreed to produce it with me, and I then got in touch with an acquaintance who I knew was nifty behind a camera and was also an editor, Anthony Bueno. So that's kind of where it came from. The three of us just went out there and did it.

MM: John Landis said he couldn't believe you'd pursued this without any real backing from him or Universal. Yet, he was so pleased with what you'd compiled he decided to back you and pushed the powers that be. That's a rare thing these days, but do you think it helped that John was such a fan boy himself? 

PD: The great thing about John is that he is incredibly encouraging toward toward young filmmakers to just go out there and make their movies - after all he did the same thing when he was 21 with his first film Schlock. It must have been very weird for him to have this kid from England making a movie about one of his fondest films, and at the same time worrying because while John does nurture new talent, he knew that it was going to be a large task for us to get anywhere with the finished product. The film is owned by Universal and the chances of a non entity making something and being taken seriously by a major motion picture studio, as you said, rarely happens. There's a lot of risk involved and a lot of strenuous legal work to clear before anything can see the light of day. As soon as John knew that we were taking the project very seriously and we had secured interviews with a lot of cast and crew, that's when he really went to bat for us, and it literally would not have seen the light of day were it not for John's bullying of Universal to release it. 

 

The folks at Cult Trailers have a wealth of irresistible trailers from our favorite films of the 1960s and 1970s. Click here to watch the original trailer for The Pink Panther starring Peter Sellers, David Niven and Capucine. 

By Lee Pfeiffer

Warner Home Video is suing a California-based company called IWMB for not only failing to destroy hundreds of thousands of excess DVD product, but also for secretly selling the titles to third parties at cut-rate prices. The studio says the end result was a flood of DVDs being sold for prices far below market value. Warners is seeking $10 million in damages from the company. In fact, Warners did not hire IWMB to destroy the product - the company was subcontracted by DVD replicator Cinram, which apparently was unaware of the alleged scheme. According to the suit, IWMB provided Cinram with false documentation indicating that the DVDs had been destroyed when, in fact, they had been sold to other parties who retailed them to the public. Warners estimates that at least 750,000 DVDs were illegally sold into the marketplace. The suit does not name the third parties who allegedly bought them. Warners is seeking a jury trial. Home Video Magazine reports that IWMB president Cal Jones, who is personally named in the suit, has not responded to requests for comments. 

At her peak, she was arguably the most glamorous film star of her era. However, a lifetime of personal tragedies compromised the artistic successes of Elizabeth Taylor. Journalist Maria Ciaccia celebrates the life and career of the legendary actress on About.Com film critic Laurie Broder's site. Click here to read 

NOTE: THESE BINDERS ARE NOT AVAILABLE. STAY TUNED FOR WHEN THEY ARE IN STOCK AGAIN.

Here's a surprising development: German critics are ecstatic over Quentin Tarantino's revisionist WWII epic Inglourious Basterds, saying the director's off-the-charts re-invention of history presents Nazi terror in precisely the proper format. Germany has always grappled with its tortured past, and while condemning Hitler and his regime, has often been sensitive about filmmakers painting all Germans as evil. Apparently, Tarantino has hit the mark with German critics. For more click here

By Lee Pfeiffer

The announcement that the Los Angeles County Museum of Art is scaling back their weekend classic film program has resulted in predictable protests from prominent people in the industry who are decrying the loss of a great program dedicated to an American art form. However, writer Tom Gregory astutely points out one of Hollywood's dirty little secrets: there is scant financial support for such programs from the richest members of the film community. True, some specific films have been championed by certain directors and have been fully restored. However, in many other cases, the contribution of millionaire actors and filmmakers to controversial cuts in arts programs are generally limited to writing letters to the Los Angeles Times.  Gregory points out that people in the industry have got to become more supportive of their heritage- and that requires opening their wallets. For more click here

By Lee Pfeiffer

The New York Times has an insightful piece regarding the concern among Hollywood agents and studios about the lack of drawing power exhibited by top movie stars this year. Under-performers include Julia Roberts, Denzel Washington, John Travolta, Will Ferrell and Johnny Depp. The consensus is that these actors have not delivered audiences in numbers great enough to justify their paychecks. (The article cites Eddie Murphy among the non-performers, but apparently only Hollywood executives didn't get the message that Murphy hasn't been hot since Bill Clinton was in the White House). Consequently, studios are cutting back on paychecks - and actors aren't happy. Denzel Washington refused to take "only" $16 million for his next movie - despite the fact that his recent films have all performed softly. Reasons given for the falling star power is everything from distraction by other forms of entertainment to poor marketing. Here's another one: many new films are simply lousy - and in the current recession,  it now seems to cost a king's ransom to have a night out at the movies. For more

click here

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is virtually eliminating its highly regarded classic movie screening program, claiming it was not profitable. The decision has outraged classic movie lovers and prominent critics and filmmakers (including Martin Scorsese), leading them to plead with the Museum to reconsider its decision. The program has been in existence for 40 years. The Museum says it will still show films, but only on an occasional basis and they will not generally be cinematic classics. To read more click here - it includes a hyperlink of Scorsese's open letter to the Museum. 

One of the coolest things about being President of the United States is that you can invite your favorite entertainers to The White House - and virtually no one can refuse your invitation. Here is a slide show of some of the more prominent celebs to visit The White House since John F. Kennedy invited Marilyn Monroe to drop by. (And we all know how that worked out!) Click here to view 

By Lee Pfeiffer

Robert Downey Jr. has revealed that director Guy Ritchie's new take on the legend of Sherlock Holmes will not only feature a hunky version of the great detective (played by Downey) but also an equally sexy Dr. Watson, played by Jude Law. So far, so good...but emergency rooms across the world better be prepared for an onslaught of members from the Baker Street Irregulars fan society when the film opens on Christmas Day. The reason? According to Downey,there will be a definite homo-erotic quality to the Holmes/Watson relationship. They share a bed and like to wrestle a lot...Ritchie is taking a calculated risk in tampering with the legend of Holmes, but there have been well-received revisionist spins on the yarns released in the past, on screen and in print. Well, at least we get to see two sex symbols doing the groping - the mind reels at the thought of Basil Rathbone chasing Nigel Bruce around. I guess the real clue is if Holmes says "Alimentary, my dear Watson!" For more click here

By Lee Pfeiffer

More bad news for the major networks: virtually every new show of the summer season has bombed. Despite expensive production costs and promotions, audiences are increasingly tuning out to the sludge being offered up in prime time. Not only are the shows not resonating, our guess is that audiences are probably turned off by the outrageous number of commercials during any given program. Networks have virtually eliminated opening and closing credits to squeeze in more promos and you can jog around the block during a commercial break and not miss a single scene of the program. It says something about both the networks and audience when the only shows that have attracted even a semblance of interest are dating programs centered on fat people and others who grope each other in the dark. We've said it before: the networks should just admit defeat. They don't have the taste or talent to produce good programming. They should buy back the syndication rights of classic TV shows from the 50s and 60s and just run the likes of  The Addams Family and Bonanza during prime time. For more click here

By Lee Pfeiffer

Just a month after the death of Walter Cronkite, CBS News mourned the passing of another of its key figures: Don Hewitt has died at age 86. Hewitt joined the network in the early days of TV, back in 1948. He produced the ground-breaking first televised presidential debate between Richard M. Nixon and John F. Kennedy. The debate was a watershed moment in political history. Those who heard the debate on the radio felt Nixon had won, but the TV audience was enthralled with Kennedy's dashing appearance and good looks, which contrasted with Nixon's bland appearance. Since then, politics has been as much about grooming as it has been about political positions. Hewitt introduced the format of a weekly news magazine with "60 Minutes" in 1968. He produced the show through 2003, when he was rather unceremoniously shoved out by CBS, which wanted a more youth-oriented aspect to the show. Yet "60 Minutes" remains Hewitt's personal triumph, as the show routinely dominates the ratings on Sunday nights. For more click here

They just don't make years like 1969 and more...think of just some of the dramatic events that occurred:

• Richard M. Nixon was inaugurated as president
• The Vietnam War protests were heating up
• There were contentious trials for Charles Manson, Sirhan Sirhan, James Earl Ray and the Chicago Seven
• Men walked on the moon for the first time
• The Beatles recorded together for the last time
• President Dwight D. Eisenhower died
• The Woodstock festival made history
• For movie lovers, consider this crop of winners: Z, Midnight Cowboy, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Anne of the Thousand Days, The Wild Bunch, Where Eagles Dare, True Grit...
• Sesame Street made its broadcast debut
• Click here to take slideshow stroll back to this memorable year

The somewhat tortured trail of DreamWorks Studios has taken yet another, perhaps happier, turn. DreamWorks split from its alliance with Paramount, then separated from its animation division which was spun off as a separate company. Now the company headed by Steven Spielberg and his partners have finalized a $800 million+ financing deal with an Indian investment firm. Production is expected to begin shortly on a slate of films, including a remake of James Stewart's classic comedy Harvey.Spielberg also wants to bring the life story of Martin Luther King Jr to the big screen, but the project has been hampered by the usual in-fighting over money within the King family. Disney will distribute the new slate of films worldwide, except for within India. For more click here

THIS ARTICLE WAS UPDATED ON AUGUST 24

Cinema Retro London correspondent Mark Mawston recently caught up with director John Landis to discuss his classic horror film.

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Friday 26^th June 09 was a sad day for many as they woke up to the news of Michael Jackson’s untimely passing. Although tributes were many and were omnipresent on TV and radio, the image that seemed to represent the high point in the singer’s career and resonate with fans and general public alike was his epic ‘Thriller’ video. Probably the most famous and influential music video ever, the landmark film was directed by the incomparable John Landis. On the day of Jackson’s death, Landis was in London to attend the Curzon Soho’s ‘Midnight Movies’ tribute to him with a rare screening of An American Werewolf In London. As usual, the Curzon staff had made a splendid effort, this time creating a theme at the cinema’s bar around the Slaughtered Lamb pub which features in the film, as well as dressing as having characters from the film on hand, too.  The ticket-holding attendees again showed that an Englishman (or woman) never need to be asked twice to dress up, as several of the films most memorable creations seemed to be present and correct. There was even a fully blown lycanthrope that appeared to be stalking the aisles and dancing to the house band in the foyer as the ‘Nightmare Demon’ in full trench coat (on one of the warmest nights of  recent years) prowled the bar looking for American tourists with backpacks (see Mike Strick’s site just to see how much goes into the creation of these monsterpieces).

As the band played, Landis signed a limited amount of copies of the new book detailing his career, which includes essays on such cinematic gems as Animal House, Kentucky Fried Movie, The Blues Brothers, Trading Places, the hugely underrated Into the Night and the aforementioned ‘Thriller’. Kim Newman was on hand to ask the questions in his own inimitable manner, and we were also graced by the presence of John’s wife Deborah and the ever-glamorous Jenny Agutter, who was the female lead in American Werewolf. One of the high points on the night for this writer occurred when Agutter turned up to the strains of ‘Moondance’ by Van Morrison, still looking as though she had just slipped out of the nurse’s costume that many hold so close to their heart. Despite John Landis’ enormous success as a director,  it’s wonderful to see that he is still a fan boy at heart. He was just as enthused about my story in Cinema Retro #14 regarding clearing Ray Harryhausen’s garage as he was about answering the questions about movies he’d made.  

Of course, it was the stories behind his wonderful films that we were all interested in and it was a fascinating experience delving into the Landis treasure trove of iconic cinematic moments. He confirmed that it felt surreal to be sitting in The Curzon which borders Piccadilly in the heart of London where the famous finale to American Werewolf in London had taken place (Ironically, the musical of Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ plays a few doors down). He said he had very fond memories of the area, especially the sequence from the film that was shot in a nearby cinema in which the decomposing Jack visits his friend David as the wonderful parody of a British 70’s porn movie plays (it’s title See You Next Wednesday is a trademark of  Landis which appears in most of his films). Landis told me, “I spent a great deal of time at that cinema when I was over here as one of the fourteen or so writers on The Spy Who Loved Me. I would disappear and head for that cinema as they showed a lot of Tex Avery cartoons, which I’m a big fan of. Cubby thought I was insane!”  

 

Cinema Retro recently received a copy of the new digest-sized comic book Star Babes, a glorious throw-back to the counter-culture comics of the 1960s - and it even features a tribute to Raquel Welch. Here's the official press release.

Independent creator Mike Fisher of Goofa Man Productions has produced a brand new independent book that takes a look at those charismatic curvaceous creatures from the cosmos... STAR BABES in "3-D Pete's Star Babe Invasion Special!"!

From “Devil Girl from Mars” to Jane Fonda as “Barbarella,” Star Babes have been a part of our pop culture consciousness for decades. Fisher — and his cartoon buddy, 3-D Pete — takes a look at some of the more noteworthy Star Babes from television and movies.

In a recent interview, Fisher said, “In these trying times, our nation can’t afford to ignore voluptuous women from the stars in skimpy outfits.”
“And another thing,” Fisher went on to rant, “I know that we’re all moving to pixels and away from comics printed with ink on paper, but that’s just the way I wanted to do it!”

“Sure, I invested a lot of time and money in a dying medium,” Fisher whined.  “WAAAHHH!,”  he cried, as he ran up the stairs in tears.

Fisher produces cartoons for “Animation Magazine” as well as web sites such as strangehorizons.com. He was a contributor to Starlog magazine for over 20 years.

In addition, he is a producer of award-winning independent short animations. His short animations have shown at film festivals across the country. Many have shown at the San Diego Comic-Con Short Film Festival.

For more information about Mike and his work, please go to www.goofaman.com

If you have any questions for Mike, please contact him at fivefish@satx.rr.com.

“3-D Pete’s Star Babe Invasion Special!” is a 24-page
digest-sized book with a full-color cover and a
fabulous full-color center spread of a Star Babe on
vacation... in a BIKINI! Aren’t we naughty? If you’d like
a copy, send $5 to:

Star Babe Invasion
510 Enchanted Way
San Antonio, Texas
78260

London's Daily Mirror says that Brad Pitt has arrived in Old Blighty to begin filming scenes for director Guy Ritchie's new Sherlock Holmes film starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law. However, Us magazine disputes this and cites a studio source as categorically denying that Pitt has anything to do with the film. Click here for more.

Director Terry Gilliam has confirmed to Empire On Line that Johnny Depp won't be in his reshoot of his aborted film The Man Who Killed Don Quixote. Depp had starred in the original version before the production was shut down due to factors beyond Gillliam's control. The debacle resulted in the acclaimed documentary Lost in La Mancha. Gilliam is sticking to the old adage, "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again." He will be re-shooting the entire film with a new leading man, as Depp is scheduled to do back-to-back movies next year including Dark Shadows and The Lone Ranger. (Yikes...how many people remember the immortal Klinton Spilsbury, the last man to play that role on screen???) For more click here

 

Cinema Retro London correspondent Adrian Smith gives us an advance view of the new Tarantino film.

By Adrian Smith

Back in 1995, I thought Quentin Tarantino could do no wrong. After the quadruple whammy of Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, True Romance and Natural Born Killers, it seemed as though he was just about the coolest man on the planet. He even polished the Crimson Tide script, causing Denzel Washington to wax lyrical about the Silver Surfer.

However, I managed to miss Jackie Brown and had no interest at all in the Kill Bills. Earlier this year I finally tried Death Proof, but gave up after half an hour out of sheer boredom. Perhaps I’d outgrown Tarantino. His constant recycling of older, better movies and juvenile glee in violence just weren’t for me any more.

Or so I thought.

This evening I attended a preview of Inglourious Basterds, as part of the Empire Movie-Con II, held at the BFI in London. No doubt many of you are aware that there also exists an Italian war film from 1978 of the same name. QT has stated that he only used the title and basic idea (essentially a re-working of The Dirty Dozen), and the script was all original. The plot follows the exploits of a group of American Jewish soldiers in Nazi-occupied France. As you are no doubt expecting, in true QT style there is a lot of talk. A LOT of talk. The opening scene is a conversation between two people which lasts twenty minutes. There is a barroom scene featuring Nazi drinking games which easily lasts half an hour. QT certainly likes his characters to chat. It was this propensity which I felt killed Death Proof before it even got going. Here however these scenes work brilliantly. This has to be down to the fantastic performances, most notably from Brad Pitt as Lieutenant Aldo “the Apache” Raine, and Christoph Waltz as his nemesis, the Colonel Hans Landa, known as “The Jew Hunter”. Waltz in particular is a mesmerising actor. He manages to turn what could have been a cardboard movie villain into a complex, nuanced, basically human character, and also provides much of the film’s humour. Did I mention it’s a comedy? There are scenes of action and violence, but there is also a lot of comedy in this film. This is essentially an irreverent take on the WWII film, and it is easy to see why it will upset many people. It is another example of Hollywood re-writing history to show that the American’s won the war. However I would argue not to take it so seriously. The film begins with the caption “Once upon a time…”, and if you treat it as a fairy tale, albeit a gruesome, often sadistic one, with more twists and turns than a roller coaster, you will find yourself going with it.

Inglourious Basterds has certainly restored my faith in Tarantino as a filmmaker. His personal video introduction this evening reminded me that he is still quite twitchy and irritating, but he does deserve for this film to be a success. In his version of events it is cinema itself that triumphs over evil, and the closing line of the film is “I think this could be my masterpiece.” He could be right.

By Lee Pfeiffer

Sir Christopher Lee once told me an amusing tale about having filmed the James Bond movie The Man With the Golden Gun on the island of Phuket, back when it was so remote and isolated that the cast and crew feared attacks by local pirates. Many years later, he brought his wife to the island, after warning her that she might find the sense of isolation to be threatening. When he got there, he was shocked to find the place had become a major tourist attraction - with local bars offering 007 cocktails. Such is the impact that a hit film can have on a location. The result is often a mixed blessing. The local economy booms, but the tranquility is lost. The Greek island of Skopelos is suffering a similar fate since the release of the hit movie Mamma Mia! The intoxicating scenery in the film is luring many thousands of tourists - and both the locals and the visitors are finding that the island is woefully inappropriate for the madding crowds. For more click here

Good news for movie lovers: a new premium American TV cable channel will be premiering in October. Epix will showcase many films from major studios -with a cool caveat: subscribers will have access to streaming films from the archives on their home computers. When watching a film, viewers will be able to readily access bonus extras such as trailers and production information. No word yet on how the selection of films will be skewed, but suffice it to say that retro movie lovers will be delighted if Turner Classic Movies didn't have to shoulder the entire weight of broadcasting classic movies in an informative manner. For more click here

Steven Spielberg has long dreamed of making a series of serious spy movies from novelist Donald Hamilton's 27 Matt Helm books. However, when Spielberg and Dreamworks left Paramount, the studio retained control of the project and hired screenwriter Paul Attanasio to develop the project. Attanasio has delivered a script, which finally seems to put the project on the fast track after years of rumors that Helm would be returning to the screen. Dean Martin played the playboy sleuth in four films during the spy craze of the 1960s. However, while these films were commercial hits, Hamilton's fans were appalled at the comedic, over-the-top aspects of the films, which didn't resemble the novels at all. It is said that the new project would be in the vein of the Bourne films. Variety reports that Spielberg may still be involved in the project as either producer or director. Click here to read 

Click here to read Matthew Bradley's article Mr. Helm Goes to Hollywood, tracing the history of the novels and Dean Martin films. 

By Lee Pfeiffer

Sidney Poitier was among the 16 recipients of this year's Medal of Freedom Award. The ceremonies took place at The White House on August 12 and, as is the tradition, honored an eclectic group of world scholars, political leaders, scientists and entertainers, each of whom has made outstanding contributions to their respective fields. President Obama personally presented each award after extolling the virtues of the recipients. For Poitier, who fought an often lonely fight to bring racial equality to Hollywood, the moment must have been particularly poignant, since he was given the award by the nation's first African-American president. Now, if someone can just lure this legendary actor back to the big screen...

By Lee Pfeiffer

Gordon Ramsay, the abrasive British master chef who built his restaurant into an empire, is getting the kind of just desserts that will make his foes smile with satisfaction. His worldwide chain of restaurants has been hit hard by the international recession, as cash-strapped consumers are no longer willing to drop mega-bucks on Ramsay's well-reviewed, but (some say) outrageously over-priced menus. He is laying off workers even as he begins to sell some personal assets. According to The Wall Street Journal, the foul-mouthed chef is taking all sorts of drastic measures to try to save his business interests, which he co-owns with his father-in-law. Unlike most celebrities, Ramsay chose not to be paid a fee to lend his name and image to the restaurants, opting instead to own them outright. In good years, this drastically increased his profits. However, the strategy has come to haunt him as it has also increased his risk in during the current recession. For more click here

By Lee Pfeiffer

While you might not see major Hollywood stars taking advantage of the Cash for Clunkers car rebate program, there is no doubt the glory days are over for some of the industry's most over-paid stars. Cinema Retro has repeatedly pointed out there are precious few stars with the drawing power to justify their enormous paychecks and production deals - and now studios seem to agree. They have sliced the salaries of some famous actors and actresses and cut back on the perks, as well. The only one immune from the cost-savings measures is Will Smith, who remains the closest thing Hollywood has to a genuine superstar. For more click here

Author and TV correspondent Rita Cosby has big trouble ahead: a judge has approved a jury trial for a libel case relating to a book Cosby authored in 2007 about Anna Nicole Smith. Cosby's book Blonde Ambition made a number of sensational allegations relating to the late actress and her lovers Howard K. Stern and Larry Birkhead (who is the father of Smith's daughter). Stern's suit claims that Cosby used information she knew or suspected was false in order to rush out a book about the actress, whose bizarre life and death became a media sensation. According to Cosby, Stern pimped out the drug addicted Smith to as many as 50 men a year. She also claims that Smith had a videotape of her rival lovers, Stern and Birkhead, having sex with each other. No tape has materialized and both men strongly deny the allegation. Cosby made a frantic trip to the Bahamas in order to talk with Smith's daughter's nannies, who she alleged also watched the video. The plan backfired when Cosby ended up meeting with a representative of one of the nannys and offered to pay money in return for her signing an affidavit verifying she saw the sex tape. The conversation was recorded. The judge ruled that Cosby may well have used unsubstantiated stories in an attempt to rush out the book, which became a best-seller. Cosby had been a high profile fixture with her own program on Fox News before she was let go by the network.  She is now a correspondent for the syndicated program Inside Edition. For more click here

By Adrian Smith

In 1964 the BBC, as part of their regular “Wednesday Play” series, produced a 90- minute drama based on the assassination attempt on Hitler in 1944. John Carson played Col. Claus Schenk Count von Stauffenberg, now best known for being played by Tom Cruise in Valkyrie. I’ve not seen that, so I can’t compare them, although I imagine there are a vast number of differences. As a TV play, as opposed to a filmed drama, this is quite stagey, with a limited number of studio sets, and some filmed inserts. There is also an awful lot of talking. However, it is still an excellent production, which benefitted not only from some outstanding performances, but also a talented director in the German Rudolph Cartier. He was incredibly experienced in British television, having shot a number of well known shows including the original live The Quatermass Experiment a decade earlier.

The July Plot is being screened at the BFI in two weeks as part of its “Missing, Believed Wiped” segment. I was fortunate enough to be at a screening two weeks ago as part of a John Carson tribute at the Cine Lumiere in London. John himself was in attendance, and it was exciting to think that nobody, including him, had seen it for over 40 years.

Rather surprisingly, during the opening credits we follow von Stauffenberg and his briefcase containing the bomb through the various levels of security until he places it besides Hitler. We follow the action immediately afterwards, as his co-conspirators wait for confirmation of Hitler’s death and begin to roll out their plans for the takeover of the military and the police. It is tense stuff, despite the fact that we know Hitler was no more than scratched, due to someone else in the room moving the bomb behind a table leg. It is so frustrating to think that this really happened. If this was a Hollywood movie the plot would have worked and the war would have been over. The play rather poignantly reminds the audience of how many more people died in that final year of the war after von Stauffenberg and his comrades are caught and executed. It’s a sobering thought, and leaves you feeling some of the frustration they no doubt felt when they realised it was all over.

 

 

You can book tickets to see The July Plot for yourself at the BFI Southbank in London on the 22nd August  by clicking here. It’s highly recommended, and it can only be hoped that following its rediscovery and restoration the BBC will make this important piece of work available on DVD.

Barbra Streisand will make a one night appearance at New York's Village Vanguard next month to sing songs from her new CD Love is the Answer. Streisand last performed there in 1961 as the opening act for Miles Davis. Fans can enter a free sweepstakes to win tickets to the event. For details click here

The planned remake of Jane Fonda's iconic 1968 pop culture hit Barbarella hit a snag when director Robert Rodriguez and Universal could not agree on key elements of the production. Rodriguez walked away from the project, which had a screenplay by James Bond scribes Neal Purvis and Robert Wade. The aborted project has now been revived, sans Rodriguez, Purvis and Wade. Writer Joe Gazzam is working on a new script and the film will be directed by Robert Luketic (Legally Blonde). For more click here

Warner Independent Pictures has hired producer Bruce Sutter to oversee a planned updated remake of Bruce Lee's Enter the Dragon. Titled Awaken the Dragon, Sutter is wooing Korean martial arts star Rain to top-line the film. For more click here

In a recent interview, Paul McCartney discusses some long-debated ambiguity in a line from his James Bond title song Live and Let Die. McCartney says he actually doesn't remember what the real line is - but our own columnist Craig Henderson has solved the mystery. Click here to read

By Tom Lisanti

The Sexuality and Spirituality of a Porn Priestess

By Graham Hill

Having already paid tribute to Georgina Spelvin and Juliet Anderson, I now complete my Cinema Retro porn legends trilogy  by introducing you to another sexual superstar from the “Golden Era” – Kay Taylor Parker.  Naturally, as you might expect, all three ladies have moved on from those bygone days of love and lust on the big screen.  And just as Georgina and Juliet are so different and fascinating, so is Kay.  In fact, Kay is completely different in that her status as a porn star is just one of many lives that the now sixty-five year old beauty has experienced. I will not attempt  to explain each and every one of them, but I will acquaint you with her body and soul.

It may be a taboo subject for some, but Taboo (1980) is the movie that Kay Parker is best remembered for.  You could say that she was one of the first to launch the mature woman/ younger man trend that is so prevalent today.  Once upon a time, before X-rated movies became totally obsessed  with Botoxed beauties sporting store-bought breasts and pre-pubescent genitalia, the actresses in the industry relied on their natural assets – including Kay, whose 38-DD bust line made her an instant superstar in the X rated film business.  Entering the adult scene at age 33, she exuded not just maturity, but a sense of warmth and charm that elevated any scene she was in. Kay was born in Birmingham, England in 1944.  The middle child of a typical working class British family, with her father being a sailor in the Royal Navy, she unfortunately didn’t have many fond childhood memories.  She recalls her father being a harsh disciplinarian who often  accused her of “acting up.”  To say that Kay is a believer in re-incarnation and the metaphysical world is an understatement  for someone who believes she has lived 182 lives.  She is totally and completely convinced of having been born in Atlantis 48,000 years ago.  For a better understanding, I refer you to her book Taboo –Sacred Don’t Touch or to her website. Kay is not your usual porn-star profile, she’s very much her own person  and is extremely beautiful, highly intelligent and ultra compassionate.

By Lee Pfeiffer

We've studiously attempted to stay away from all Michael Jackson news for the last month, but every time we think we're out, the Jackson clans pulls us back in. The latest bizarre development even has a dotted line relationship to a classic movie. British former child actor Mark Lester, who played the title role in the Oscar-winning 1968 musical Oliver!, suspects he is the father of Michael Jackson's daughter Paris. According to Lester, " I gave Michael my sperm so that he could have kids — and I believe Paris is my daughter." He gave Michael his sperm??? No wonder they were close friends. However, Lester says the transfer of his bodily fluid was done in a more mundane manner than may have been the case with some of Jackson's visitors to Graceland. He donated to a sperm at a London clinic when Michael was married to Debbie Rowe, who he assumes had the sperm implanted. Lester says he sees a resemblance between Paris and his own 15 year-old daughter. For more click here

The fun folks at the addictive web site www.onlygoodmovies.com have an amusing homage to the creepiest kids to ever appear in movies. (No, it doesn't cover home movies, so don't look for your siblings here.) Click here to read