The book "Lee Marvin: Point Blank" is a very worthy volume that sheds light on one of the cinema's most under-appreciated icons. How can an actor be an icon and still be under-appreciated? Because while Marvin's films have withstood the test of time, he is generally ignored when it comes to discussion of his personal life. Marvin was always a difficult man to pin down in terms of his emotions. He could be a cantankerous drunk or a charming raconteur. Cinema Retro's Steve Mori visited the set of Marvin's ill-fated film "The Klansman" in the mid-1970s with more than a little concern about attempting to get an interview with the acerbic super star. Instead, he found Marvin to be pleasant and chatty. (The interview appears in Cinema Retro issue #15). Author of "Lee Marvin: Point Blank", Dwayne Epstein, deals with the dual side of Marvin's personality, which was often self-destructive. He made his share of classics but also got mired down in the type of claptrap actors take on to make a quick buck. Nevertheless, he had the kind of screen presence to ensure that even in his lesser films, he commanded the attention of the viewer.
In 2013, film journalist Andrew Kemp ran an interview with Dwayne Epstein regarding how his book came to fruition. Click here to read. (Please ignore references to events that were going on at the time regarding book signings and screenings of Marvin films.)
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