MGM is taking on the persona of the sexy girl every guy wants to date, but no one wants to take home to meet mom. The legendary studio is facing a major financial crisis and has $3.7 billion in outstanding loans that it can't repay. The lenders refused an offer to turn the funds into equity and MGM now faces the possibility of declaring bankruptcy. There have been attempts to sell the studio but the offers are nowhere near the cash required to repay the outstanding loans. Plenty of studios are interested in acquiring MGM, but not to run it as a studio. They are after the jewels in the MGM crown, namely the rights to the lucrative film archive that includes the James Bond series. For more click here

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By Lee Pfeiffer

Cinema Retro generally stays away from the world of cable news, but this is a big story. Lou Dobbs, the last of the original CNN news personalities, shocked viewers by announcing he will be leaving the network after his Wednesday night broadcast. He has been with the network since its inception 29 years ago. Dobbs prides himself on being "Mr. Independent" and, although he primarily espouses conservative viewpoints, he was harshly critical of many aspects of the Bush administration. Those views were virtual love letters, however, compared to his nightly lambasting of President Obama and his policies. Dobbs, who once anchored finance-oriented shows, has been a lightning rod for controversy since he switched to analysis of hard news. Dobbs' signature issue - criticism of both Republican and Democratic administrations over weak enforcement of immigration laws - has drawn protests from Hispanic groups that accuse him of being racist. In reality, Dobbs is married to a Hispanic woman and has repeatedly reiterated he is only against illegal immigration and actually endorses increasing legal immigration limits. Hispanic advocacy groups have been petitioning CNN to drop Dobbs and they are claiming credit for causing his departure. However, there is no clear evidence that this is the case. Dobbs did not give a reason for his sudden resignation, except the old standby that he is looking at other options to spread his brand of public advocacy. (At least he didn't say it was to spend more time with his family, the familiar refrain chanted by scandal-scarred politicians.) CNN could have insisted that he continue his program through 2011 but the network president allowed Dobbs to end his contract early. Both Dobbs and CNN indicated his departure is amicable but its abrupt nature is fueling speculation that he was pushed.  

We're always happy when Cinema Retro gets a good review. Thus, we were pleased to find that writer Rich Drees of the FilmBuff Newsreel site has extolled the virtues of Cinema Retro issue #15, calling it "required reading". Thanks, Rich- the check is in the mail! To read the review  click here, and stay around the site to explore some interesting news articles pertaining to the latest genre films. (We discovered that Anthony Hopkins will play a major role in the Marvel Comics film adaptation of Thor) 

By Lee Pfeiffer

The next time somebody tells you that America has a monopoly on politically correct idiots, you can tell them to drop dead. A plan to commemorate the late, legendary British comic Benny Hill on a postage stamp has been shelved because politically correct bureaucrats feared that Hill's gentle humor (often involving chasing after busty, scantily-clad women) could be seen as a violation of the Royal Mail's policy on sexual harassment. If you need further proof that the inmates have taken over the asylum, the Royal Mail also refused to depict a traditional English fry-up on a stamp because the food shown would be deemed to be too unhealthy! For more click here

By David Savage

In Roland Emmerich's upcoming multi-billion-dollar boondoggle 2012 (a date from which Mayan scholars have already distanced themselves, unfortunately, since the whole plot hinges on a "Mayan prophecy" that the world will end in that year), the director decided to film a scene in which the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio is destroyed, citing his belief against “organized religion.”

Interestingly, though, he lost his nerve when it came time to follow through with filming the destruction of another sacred site of organized religion: the Kaaba -- that cube-shaped shrine that sits at the heart of Mecca. Explains Emmerich: “Well, I wanted to do that, I have to admit. But my co-writer Harald said I will not have a fatwa on my head because of a movie. And he was right. We have to all in the Western world think about this [sic]. You can actually let Christian symbols fall apart, but if you would do this with [an] Arab symbol, you would have a fatwa, and that sounds a little bit like what the state of this world is. So it's just something which I kind of didn't [think] was [an] important element, anyway, in the film, so I kind of left it out.”

The web site Slashfood has compiled ten of the worst celebrity product endorsements ever created. Included is the legendary recording session with Orson Welles, now frustrated at having to pay the bills by plugging a line of frozen peas. Welles argues the text of the ad with the producer as though he is recording dialogue for a sequel to Citizen Kane. The possibly inebriated Welles ends up calling his script "shit". You can also relish other infamous celebrity endorsements by clicking here

By Lee Pfeiffer

With creativity in Hollywood at rock bottom, studios are now bottom-feeding on the toy shelves in order to find the next great franchise. Believe it or not, the board game Battleship is being made into a major movie. Now, Sony has picked up the rights to the classic war game Risk and will be bringing it to the big screen. These franchises are obviously aimed at audiences who felt that Transformers was too intellectually challenging. Can it be long before Nicholas Cage is announced as the star of Chutes and Ladders - The Movie? For more click here  

On September 30, producer Robert S. Baker passed away at age 92. Baker had a long history of feature film production credits, mostly on B movies in his early years. However, he was a major force in British television in the 1960s. It was Baker who managed to bring both

The Saint and The Persuaders to the air. He became Roger Moore's producing partner and the two made the 1969 adventure film Crossplot together. He also served as executive producer on the short-lived, but excellent British series The Baron.

In an E mail to Cinema Retro, legendary Hammer horror writer and director Jimmy Sangster wrote:

"I first met Bob Baker when he and his partner , Monty Berman,asked me to write  Blood of the Vampire. Later I went on to write four or five other scripts for them.  He was an extremely good producer and director, and, from a writer's point of view, extremely easy to work with. He was also a charming man. He and Monty ran a very efficient company which  only stopped making movies when they set up Roger Moore's The Saint.  He will be sadly missed."

You've probably never heard of star/director Tommy Wiseau or his $7 million movie The Room. However, in hip movie fan circles, you're nobody if you haven't seen the film. The Room is considered to be a movie so bad that Variety reports patrons are demanding their money back. This spurred interest among younger movie goers who became eager to see if the film lived up to (or down to) its reputation. The result is that The Room is playing to sold out audiences in America and England. Wiseau seems to think that its because movie goers are enamored of his work  and he immodestly compares himself to Tennessee Williams!  In fact, it appears audiences are finding the film unintentionally funny and see Wiseau as an heir to Ed Wood. Click here for more 

You can't swing a cat on the Great White Way lately without hitting a major star. Add Scarlett Johansson to the mix, as the blonde beauty is coming to Broadway in a revival of Arthur Miller's drama A View From the Bridge co-starring Liev Schreiber. The play is going into previews in December with the formal opening next January. Meanwhile, we'll use this article as an excuse to run a gratuitously sexy photo of Ms. Johansson that has nothing to do with Arthur Miller's writings. Click here for more. 

Chris Pine, who won acclaim for his performance as Kirk in the latest Star Trek film, is in negotiations with Paramount to play the role of spy Jack Ryan in the studio's reboot of the franchise that previously starred Alec Baldwin and Harrison Ford. For more click here

There will be a concert of James Bond music at The Royal Albert Hall in London on Friday November 13. Honor Blackman will present the event. We caught this at Carnegie Hall last year and it's truly a wonderful evening of entertainment. (Click here for our review) Here is the official description:

The theme song of a James Bond film is as much a part of the ‘Bond Experience’ as the cars, the girls, the chases, the guns and the gadgets. Enjoy, for one night only, hit songs from the best of Bond movies.

Featuring classic songs Goldfinger, Licence to Kill, Dr No, Diamonds are Forever, Live and Let Die, From Russia with Love and many many more!

Special guest presenter, Honor Blackman, Pussy Galore!

Mary Carewe and Simon Bowman - vocalists

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Carl Davis - conductor

For more click here

Character actor Carl Ballantine ahas died at age 92. He was one of the comedy industry's favorite second bananas and was also acclaimed for his stand-up act in which he played a bumbling magician. Ballantine, who received a lifetime achievement award on behalf of the magic industry in 2007, continued to perform until last year. His film credits include The Shakiest Gun in the West, Speedway and Mr. Saturday Night. He was also known for his role as the con-man Gruber on the McHale's Navy TV series. For more click here

With a major tribute to Albert R. Broccoli taking place in Los Angeles this month, the man known as Cubby is remembered by his daughter Barbara, his stepson Michael G. Wilson and James Bond screenwriter Tom Mankiewicz. Click here to read

In 2007, Cinema Retro contributing writer Raymond Benson (and author of twenty-one published books, including James Bond continuation novels) teamed up with Chicago’s Daily Herald film critic Dann Gire to create “Dann and Raymond’s Movie Club,” a live cinema history program that has become a big draw at Chicagoland suburban libraries.  

Benson met Gire, who is also founder and president of the Chicago Film Critics Association, around fifteen years ago at the home of mutual James Bond fan Doug Redenius and have been friends ever since.  One day they happened to note how they each had similar interests—especially in film—and decided to try and “do something together.”  After talking with Susan Gibberman, Head of Reader Services at the Schaumburg Township District Library in Schaumburg, Illinois, they struck a deal to present the Movie Club on the first Thursday of every month (excluding the summer).  Using a Siskel and Ebert format, the pair cover a topic with history, anecdotes, jokes, and clips from their representative favorites.  For example, one night they might talk about political films such as The Birth of a Nation, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Dr. Strangelove, and JFK.  Audience participation is encouraged, and the two hour program proved to be immensely entertaining.  Dann and Raymond’s Movie Club quickly became the most popular adult program at the Schaumburg library (the largest suburban library in Illinois).  They are now in their third season in Schaumburg.  The Arlington Heights Memorial Library hired the duo in 2008, so they now present their show there on the second Thursday of every month.  

For anyone in the Chicagoland area who is interested in attending Dann and Raymond’s Movie Club (admission is free), the schedule is always posted on the Appearances page of Benson’s website, www.raymondbenson.com, and on the Dann and Raymond’s Movie Club page on Facebook.

Writer William Bradley provides an in-depth and fascinating analysis of Roman Polanski's Chinatown to mark the film's 35th anniversary. Bradley makes a poignant case as to why it's his favorite movie- and illustrates the points through extensive film clips. He also uses the film to put Roman Polanski's life and woes into perspective. To read click here

Click here to order the new anniversary edition DVD from Amazon

The web site TV Shows on DVD announced that Image Entertainment will release the classic TV series Thriller as a deluxe boxed set of DVDs next year. The acclaimed series was hosted by the great Boris Karloff and was favorably compared to The Twilight Zone. The set will include many extras and represents the first time the show has had a professional release on home video. Among the young up-and-coming stars featured in the series: Richard Chamberlain, Mary Tyler Moore, Rip Torn and Robert Vaughn.  For a synopsis of the episodes, visit the web site the Last Drive-In by clicking here. For more on the DVDs click here

The trailer has been released for Clint Eastwood's Invictus, and it indicates the Oscar-winning director may have another great film. The brief glimpses of Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon's performances bode well for Oscar consideration. To watch click here

By Lee Pfeiffer

Regular readers of Cinema Retro know that legendary actor Christopher Lee has been among our most ardent supporters since the inception of the magazine. Christopher wrote a wonderful article on the making of The Three Musketeers for issue #2 and in the latest issue (#15), he recalls filming the Fu Manchu series. Additionally, he has been supportive in many other ways as well. We are very proud of the fact that he can now be referred to as Sir Christopher Lee, having been bestowed a knighthood by Prince Charles last Friday.He's truly one of the last living legends in the film industry - and a genuinely nice man, as well. For a full report on the MI6 web site click here

An Australian beer company has employed images of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves in campaign to promote it's latest brew. The problem is that the legendary fairy tale icon is seen in post-coital bliss in bed with her seven pals. Her name has also been changed to Ho White. Among those not laughing: Disney executives who point out that the company owns the copyright to the popular image of Snow White. While there is no word of a lawsuit, the beer company has admitted they have been contacted by Disney and it appears the ad campaign is slated for a fast fade. For more click here

Remember that scene in The Shootist where John Wayne's barber collects the hair clumps of the terminally ill gunman so he can sell them after his demise? Well, once again art reflects reality as a clump of hair reportedly belonging to Elvis just sold for $15,000 (Brylcreem presumably included).  Call it the ultimate Presley hairloom. For the bizarre story, click here

By Lee Pfeiffer

I had long wanted to see director Samuel Fuller's 1961 low-budget film noir Underground U.S.A. ever since its star, Cliff Robertson, extolled its virtues to me. Now the movie has finally come to DVD as part of an outstanding new boxed set dedicated to the maverick filmmaker, the seven disc Samuel Fuller Collection. Underground U.S.A. represents the style that has defined Fuller's work: no nonsense, fast-moving and featuring believable characters and dialogue. There isn't a wasted frame of film. Robertson stars as a small time crook from the inner city who witnessed the beating death of his father at the hands of locals thugs when he was a teenager. Years later, after doing a stint in jail for safe-cracking, Robertson makes it his life's mission to track down his father's murderers and extract his revenge. He learns that these goons are now prominent figures in a national crime syndicate. He concocts a scheme to infiltrate the syndicate and gain their trust before dishing out his violent vision of justice.The film largely consists of studio interiors, which gives the story a claustrophobic feel that was probably exactly what Fuller had hoped to achieve. Robertson is particularly good, playing against type in the kind of role Robert De Niro would play in Martin Scorsese's films years later. He's given able support by ultra sexy Dolores Dorn (who should have been a much bigger star) as a streetwalker marked for death by the mob; Beatrice Kay as a lovable old maid/saloon keeper and noted character actors Robert Emhardt and Larry Gates - neither of whom ever received enough recognition for their consistently fine work in the cinema.An excellent and thoroughly engrossing film on every level.

By Lee Pfeiffer

The New Jersey governor's race is already one of the dirtiest and most bizarre campaigns imaginable. Democratic incumbent Jon Corzine should be coasting to  re-election in a state that is largely liberal and largely Democratic. However, Corzine is fighting for his political life despite having virtually unlimited funds from his personal fortune to throw into his campaign. He has also had the benefit of several high profile campaign appearances by President Obama, who is extremely popular in this state. His main rival, Republican Chris Christie, a former US Attorney, can't take much comfort, either. Despite running against a very unpopular incumbent, the best he has been able to do is draw even in the polls . (The election is Tuesday). Both men have run increasingly vitriolic campaigns, with Christie accusing Corzine of capitalizing on his obesity by mocking him in campaign ads. Now Monty Python's Flying Circus has entered the governor's race...we're not kidding, either. Christie has appropriated clips from the famed TV series and used them to mock Corzine in campaign ads. Incredibly, he never sought or received permission to use the footage. Now the Pythons are boiling mad and threatening a lawsuit, saying that Christie must have been confused and was seeking the endorsement of Sarah Palin, not Michael Palin. For more click here

 

By Raymond Benson

Directed by Costa-Gavras, Z was a landmark thriller from 1969, a political film that pointed to the kinds of pictures Oliver Stone would make two decades later. It was the first film to be nominated for both Best Picture and Best Foreign Film the same year (it won the Oscar for the latter, as well as for its innovative, dynamic editing). The mostly French production was filmed in Algeria, doubling as Greece—which at the time would never have allowed the crew to film there.

Based on true events that occurred in Greece in the early 60s, the story concerns the government-backed assassination of a pacifist political candidate (played by Yves Montand) and the subsequent investigation (led by charismatic Jean-Louis Trintignant) that eventually brought down the chief of police, head of security, and other government officials. The location is never named in the film and it really doesn’t matter. Z is about the corruption of a military regime in any country, and the film was yet another call for peace, justice, and the end to wars. The movie struck a chord, was a box-office hit, and a critical darling. It didn’t hurt that it was a nail-biter—a truly suspenseful and riveting investigative-procedural drama—superbly directed and photographed on a remarkably low budget. 

The folks at Criterion do their usual excellent job with this release—the remastered transfer is especially clear and gorgeous, and the sound mix is perfect. Extras include an enlightening contemporary interview with Costa-Gavras about the background and making of the film, and vintage documentaries about the true crime and the movie’s production. Kudos all around.

Click here to order from Amazon

By Lee Pfeiffer

In a movie industry obsessed with producing CGI-packed epics and animated family films, there doesn't seem to be much enthusiasm for quality films about real people. Last year saw an outstanding slew of intelligent films like Revolutionary Road, The Reader and The Wrestler, but their primary audiences never extended much beyond the urban art cinema crowd.There's no way around the simple fact that the public would rather see a brainless Transformers movie than any tale that might speak to the human heart or condition. Nonetheless, credit must be given to studios that still take the plunge and finance distribution of intelligent, well-made films.Case in point: Fox Searchlight's Amelia, which celebrates the life of Amelia Earhart. The film provides yet another solid role for Hillary Swank, who continues to impress as one of the most exciting actresses on screen today. The diversity of the roles she takes on is testimony to her talents and an indicant as to why she has already been awarded two Oscars.

Dennis Hopper, the 73-year old star and director of the classic Easy Rider, has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, causing him to cancel appearances. His spokesman refused to say what stage the cancer is in, stating only that they are "hoping for the best". For more click here

By Lee Pfeiffer

When I read that Cinema Retro's old pal George Lazenby would be coming to New Jersey to attend the massive Chiller Theatre show, I couldn't resist inviting him out to toast the 40th anniversary of his classic Bond movie On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Accompanying me was George Koodray, president of the Metropolitan Society, New Jersey's top private cigar club and a dyed-in-the-wool admirer of OHMSS. Finding Lazenby proved to be a mission worthy of Bond himself: the jam-packed Hilton hotel where the event took place was so chaotic I felt I was trying to get the last chopper out of Saigon.We finally found George, who was frantically signing autographs for Bond fans. The show was supposed to last until 11:00 PM, but George cut out early to join us in a pub on the premises. He was in fine form and regaled us with many hilarious stories about his life and career. Most most remain understandably private but there were a few gems we can share.