Writing in The Hollywood Reporter, Richard Newby pays appropriate tribute to Werner Herzog's 1979 remake of Murnau's 1922 silent horror film classic "Nosferatu". Murnau's adaptation of Bram Stoker's "Dracula" featured a terrifying performance by mysterious actor Max Schreck, while Herzog's film employed equally eccentric actor Klaus Kinski, who also gave a superb performance. Click here to read.
(Click here to read review of Shout! Factory Blu-ray special edition)
In 1981, ITV screened a celebration of the premiere of For
Your Eyes Only from the Odeon Leicester Square. I vividly recall my exclamation
of surprise at spotting a familiar face in a shot of the crowded foyer –
“That’s Harry Saltzman!†Yet as the programme continued and no mention was made
of his presence I began to doubt myself. After all, he and his Bond movie
co-producer Albert “Cubby†Broccoli had fallen out some years earlier, so it
would be unlikely he’d be there; I must have been mistaken. It was some time
later that I learned it had indeed been Harry, invited by Cubby upon the
suggestion by one of the film’s stars, Chaim Topol, that he extend an olive
branch to his old partner. It would be fair to say that the working
relationship between the two men was a tempestuous one. Theirs was a
partnership born out of necessity: Harry had purchased the film rights to Ian
Fleming’s James Bond novels but couldn’t raise finance for them – “I’ve got a
gold mine but I can’t dig it upâ€, he’s said to have opined – and the
enterprising Cubby desperately wanted to get his hands on those rights.
“When Harry Met Cubbyâ€, the new book from film historian
Robert Sellers, tells the enthralling story of their business marriage, a chalk
and cheese alliance that birthed a cinematic series still thriving 57 years
later. Assembling anecdotes from a variety of sources, much of the text will be
familiar to diehards, but there’s sufficient new material – some of it drawn
from the author’s own interviews – to gift it freshness, and for a wider
readership the level of unrest that went on behind the scenes will be a
revelation.
The book opens with substantial chapters detailing each
man’s individual background – both endured a tough upbringing – and their
hard-earned rise within a dog-eat-dog industry. The fast-paced chapters that
follow examine the production of each of their films: the nine Bonds they made
together (1962’s Dr No through to 1974’s The Man with the Golden Gun) and their
single collaborative non-Bond (the Bob Hope romp Call Me Bwana). Also covered
are the solo projects. For Harry there were several, among them the Harry
Palmer trilogy and Battle of Britain, while for Cubby it was just one, Chitty
Chitty Bang Bang. Of particular interest to me was the chapter on the Val
Guest-directed oddity Toomorrow. It was one of Harry’s most significant
misfires, and all but unseen for 40 years, the troubled production bore dismal
results in almost every respect, yet I confess when I saw it I actually found
it quirkily entertaining.
The fissures in the cement began to appear surprisingly
early on, worsening as the two men dealt differently with the rollercoaster
success of Bond. While Cubby was content to keep a keen focus on the golden
goose – a focus which gave the 007 films longevity far beyond what many
believed would be a short sell-by date – Harry had a restless nature and an
insatiable urge to expand into other areas. It would ultimately be his undoing.
Cubby was a hugely admired figure, both within the film
industry at large and among his employees. On the whole he was diplomatic,
good-natured and approachable. In complete contrast, Harry was foul-tempered
and impulsive and displayed an alarming lack of good judgement; he thought the
title song for Goldfinger was awful, he nixed a chance to make a film starring
new pop sensation The Beatles, and further along the line he turned down the
opportunity to produce Woman in Black for the West End stage, believing it to
be a dud. These are but a few examples of his folly. Although Sellers’ book is
far kinder to Cubby than it is to Harry – probably deservedly so – the author
gratifyingly reveals the other side of the latter; a devoted, loving husband
and given to spontaneous acts of the most wonderful generosity.
Nevertheless, as one reads through the book it becomes increasingly clear why
one man was so loved and the other was not. Memories of Cubby are mostly
affectionate, those of Harry are largely disdainful. Actor Earl Cameron, who
appeared in Thunderball, summed it up succinctly. Of those occasions the
producers visited the set he remarked: “If they said, Cubby’s coming tomorrow,
it was – oh great. If they said, Harry’s coming tomorrow, it was – oh shit.
That was the attitude of the crew. They didn’t like him at all.â€
It’s a miracle really that the men with the golden touch
remained partners for as long as they did, and that their house of cards only
came tumbling down due to the disastrous financial corner into which Harry
finally painted himself. Following details of their acrimonious parting of ways
at the end of 1975, a final short chapter is devoted to the two men’s
post-partnership projects. For Cubby, that was the unbridled continued success
of James Bond. For Harry, between then and his passing in 1994, it was
tantamount to almost nothing. For Harry the grass was always greener on the
other side of the street and although his downfall was entirely of his own
making, as one reaches the end of Sellers’ indispensable book, one can’t help
but feel sad about the way it all ended for him. How different an experience
for everyone involved in those films it might have been had the relationship
between the two titans of film entertainment been more amicable, and their dealings
with those they relied upon more equitable. I was privileged to meet
Cubby once. We exchanged just a few words, but I’ll not forget how warmly he
shook my hand – me, a nobody. Although it’s probable Harry would have been less
gracious, I do so wish I’d met him too.
Complete with an eight-page insert of black and white
photos, “When Harry Met Cubby†is an essential read, particularly for fans of
007. I read it through in one virtually uninterrupted sitting; it’s something I
seldom ever do, but it’s so wholly engrossing I literally couldn’t put it down.
Without hesitation, I’d cite it as my favourite non-fiction read of 2019 thus
far.
Not coming to a theater near you: the original "Planet of the Apes".
BY LEE PFEIFFER
It's no secret to retro movie lovers that Disney has long denied theatrical screenings of most of their older films. The theory is that some classic gems will generate more interest (and revenue) if they are periodically reissued with great fanfare to commemorate a movie's anniversary. That mostly pertains to a handful of animated movies but doesn't explain why the studio's vast catalog of live-action films are routinely denied exhibition on the big screen. Now the situation appears to be exponentially worse with Disney's acquisition of Fox and its classic movie catalog. In an extensive piece on the web site Vulture, writer Matt Zoller Seitz presents a grim situation facing art house and revival cinemas: Disney is cherry-picking where and how some of the most beloved Fox classics of all time will be screened. The scattershot strategy defies easy explanation but the theory is that theaters that show first run movies will not be allowed to show retro Fox movies in the same venue. Disney has remained mum on the issue but theater owners are quite concerned because the interest in seeing older films on the big screen is quite extensive and such revivals are crucial to many smaller theater's survival. What is Disney's overall motive? It is theorized that the studio wants to maximize as many screens as possible in first-run theaters in order to minimize exhibition space for films of rival studios. There are exceptions. Theaters and film festivals that play exclusively older fare will apparently still be able to access the Fox catalog. However, many theaters can only continue to exist by playing a mixture of contemporary and classic fare. Disney now owns most of the major blockbuster film franchises (agent 007 remains a notable holdout) and last year the studio's films accounted for a staggering 40% of the North American boxoffice. Suppressing screenings of cinematic classics will only increase concerns that the house of Mickey Mouse is misusing its power and the unintended consequences might include threatening the survival of some theaters.
Fifty
years after his one remarkable turn as Bond in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, George Lazenby returns to the fertile ground of international
espionage in Passport to Oblivion, a
new audio thriller by the UK’s Spiteful Puppet Company, based on James Leasor‘s highly successful novel
of the same name.
Lazenby
plays Jason Love, a quiet country doctor with a VERY adventurous WWII
past.But when MI6 needs his help, Love
can’t refuse the call in this thriller that’s set in 1964. (David Niven played
Dr. Love on the big screen in the 1966 feature film Where the Spies Are.)
As
Lazenby says, “What’s interesting about this character is he’s a reluctant spy
rather than a Double-O-Agent. Oh, and he’s Australian. I reckon I can play
Australian rather well!â€
The all-star cast also includes Glynis Barber, Nickolas Grace, Michael
Brandon and Terence Stamp
– a lineup that even impressed the former 007, who said, “I’ve been surrounded by a pretty amazing cast, who it will
be a pleasure working with.â€
As
the first actor to take on one of cinema’s
most iconic roles after Sean Connery moved on, Passport to Oblivion marks another Lazenby first – “It will be
interesting to step into the world of audio and declare it another first for
me, making my debut in that discipline.“
And
you can pre-order the limited-edition 2-Disc set, due for release on 29November
2019, here:
Spiteful
Puppet has the option to the 9 other Jason Love novels, so there’s a very good
chance this spy story won’t be a one-off for George Lazenby.Or as the star puts it, “Maybe I’ll do more
than one this time?â€
Evans (right) with Robert Shaw on the set of "Black Sunday" in 1977.
BY LEE PFEIFFER
Robert Evans has passed away at age 89. The former actor-turned-studio head had a long, dramatic career that saw him appointed to run Paramount Pictures at the tender age of 36 when the studio was bleeding red ink. Under Evans' management, the studio rebounded, releasing such classics as "Chinatown", "Rosemary's Baby", "The Odd Couple", "True Grit" and, most notably, "The Godfather". Even Evan's non-blockbusters became cult classics. Among them: "Harold and Maude" and "The Italian Job". Other hits brought to the screen by Evans include "Marathon Man" and "Black Sunday". His tumultuous private life was the stuff of Hollywood lore including his seven marriages. (His marriage to Ali MacGraw ended in scandal when she dropped him in favor of Steve McQueen, who she was co-starring with in "The Getaway".) Evans' producing career started modestly when he bought the screen rights to the crime thriller "The Detective" by Roderick Thorp. He successfully brought it to the screen in an acclaimed 1968 film starring Frank Sinatra. Evans' autobiography, "The Kid Stays in the Picture" was made into a critically-acclaimed documentary. Not everyone was smitten by his charisma, however, and he gained his share of enemies. It was said that Blake Edwards' scathing Hollywood comedy "S.O.B." was a broadside at Evans in the persona of Robert Vaughn, who portrayed a macho studio head with a secret penchant for dressing in women's lingerie. The satirical portrayal stemmed from a feud between the two men that occurred when Evans forced Edwards to make major cuts to his 1970 big budget musical "Darling Lili" that bombed at the boxoffice. Edwards always blamed Evans for the film's failure. But Evans enjoyed wide respect for his professional accomplishments even among those who weren't fond of his sizable ego. For more about his life and career, click here.
Sylvester Stallone was stuck in direct-to-video hell at one time and regarded as a washed-up superstar. But the business-savvy Sly smelled profits in his old hit franchises and- Presto!- before you knew it, Rambo and Rocky were minting new profits from older fans and appreciative new generation movie buffs. With the Rambo franchise now coming to an end, Stallone is now going back to his less-than-stellar achievements to see if there's still gold in them thar hills, as well. He has told the Playlist web site that he wants to make a sequel to his 1989 action flick "Tango & Cash", which cast Sly and Kurt Russell as two trash-talking, bickering cops who are framed for murder. There is one fly in Sly's ointment however: Russell is less-than-enthused about the project even though there is still an audience for '80s-style, largely indistinguishable duo-cop flicks. Presumably, if Russell shows good taste and stays away, Stallone will be launching a reboot of "Over the Top", which can only be described as the most ambitious film about arm-wrestling ever brought to the big screen.
Twilight Time has released the 1959 Fox Western "Warlock" on Blu-ray as in a limited edition of 3,000 units. To call the film a superior Western might be a bit misleading, given the fact that so many great films of this genre were released in 1950s. "Warlock" isn't a classic but it tries hard to be (perhaps a bit too hard.) What can be said is that it is a consistently interesting film with a complex script detailing the dilemmas of some very complex characters. The movie opens in the titular town, a speck on the map in the desert landscape that the official marshal for the area only rarely makes an appearance, thus forcing the townspeople to hire their own lawmen despite the fact that they lack legal status. When the movie opens, we find the town being routinely terrorized by a group of sadistic and wild cowboys led by Abe McQuown (Tom Drake). To show they are impervious to the law, they run the new marshal out of town in a particularly cruel and humiliating manner. (As with many films of this type, the townsmen are cowardly milquetoasts and even the deputy refuses to aid the marshal.) The town council decides to pay ten times the previous marshal's salary to hire Clay Blaisedell (Henry Fonda), a notorious and fearless gunman who has a reputation for restoring law and order to troubled towns. Blaisedell arrives with his constant companion, fellow gunman Tom Morgan (Anthony Quinn) and lays down the terms of his employment. In addition to his salary, Blaisedell demands complete autonomy over his methods for ridding Warlock of McQuown and his band of thugs. Additionally, he gets permission to open a gambling and prostitution sideline in the local saloon that he and Morgan will control. Out of desperation, the town council agrees.
The story focuses on a third major character in this scenario: Johnny Gannon (Richard Widmark), a disillusioned member of McQuown's gang who is becoming incensed at the senseless cruelty they practice. He stays with the gang only to keep an eye on his 19 year-old brother, Billy (Frank Gorshin), who is prone acting foolishly and impulsively. As Blaisedell and Morgan take draconian steps to confront McQuown and his men, the results become immediately apparent. However, the townspeople become leery of Blaisedell's dictatorial powers and hire Johnny Gannon to be the new marshal. Gannon has left McQuown's gang and is courageously promising to confront his former friends and ensure they leave the territory. This sets in motion competition with Blaisedell, who Gannon informs can no longer act as an unofficial arm of the law. Adding to this tension are a number of other factors that make "Warlock" play out at times like a soap opera. Blaisedell becomes engaged to local good girl Jessie Marlowe (Dolores Michaels), who is insistent that he reform his ways and adopt a respectful profession. This angers Morgan, who resents her interference. Meanwhile, Morgan is haunted the arrival in town of his ex-flame, the appropriately named prostitute Lily Dollar (Dorothy Malone), who is carrying a long-time grudge and threatens to undermine Morgan's reputation by revealing some devastating secrets about him.
There's a lot going on in "Warlock", both the town and the film, and at times the intelligent screenplay by Robert Alan Aurthur (based on the novel by Oakley Hall) seems over-stuffed with dramatic relationships and situations. At its heart, the film is about divided loyalties. Blaisedell wants to honor his promise to marry Jessie but he resents hurting Morgan in the process. Johnny Gannon is part of a gang he hesitates to leave because he feels loyal to his brother Billy and wants to act as his protector. The townspeople are grateful to Blaisedell for helping to restore peace to Warlock but they feel obliged to hire Gannon as the new lawman. I don't usually analyze films from a Freudian viewpoint because sometimes a cigar is just a cigar but one would have to willfully blind to ignore the homoerotic elements in the relationship between Blaisedell and Morgan. They are more like a married couple than old buddies. Indeed, when Blaisedell announces his engagement to Jessie, Morgan reacts like a spurned lover and has a breakdown of sorts that leads to a dramatic incident of violence. As for Blaisdell, he seems rather passive about the coming wedding, acting very much like a man who feels marriage is a mandatory part of a straight man's life, so he'd better get hitched in order to reassure himself of his masculinity. It's also worth noting that both Blaisdell and Morgan pay a lot of attention to their wardrobes and dress like dandies, which would be in line with Hollywood's perception of homosexual men in the era in which the film was made. In any event, this not-so-subtle element of the plot adds a fascinating angle to the production. The performances are uniformly excellent under the direction of Edward Dmytryk, the former blacklisted filmmaker who revived his career by naming names- which might add yet another level of Freudian analysis to a plot that centers on guilt-ridden, emotionally conflicted protagonists.
The Twilight Time region-free Blu-ray does justice to the fine cinematography of Joseph MacDonald, which makes the most of the vistas that were meant for CinemaScope. Bonus extras are limited to the original trailer, isolated score track and brief newsreel bit featuring Fonda at a charity event. There are also the usual insightful liner notes by Julie Kirgo. "Warlock" gets a bit bogged down in its own excesses (the 121 minute running time begins to make the film sag toward the end), but it is intelligent, compelling and engaging throughout. Recommended.
They are known as quiet, somewhat introverted figures despite their legendary status in the film industry. But Robert De Niro and Al Pacino find themselves, perhaps a bit uncomfortably, back in the spotlight as they participate in a publicity tour for director Martin Scorsese's highly anticipated crime epic "The Irishman", which opens in select theaters November 1 before streaming on Netflix, which financed the $160 million production. The film marks the third occasion in which the two stars appeared on screen together. The first occasion was Michael Mann's superior crime thriller "Heat". All but forgotten was the lambasted buddy cop movie "Righteous Kill". With both stars- and Scorsese- earning some of the best reviews of their careers for "The Irishman", the New York Times had writer Dave Itzkoff sit down with them while in London for a publicity jaunt. What follows was an interesting and often amusing interview.
On
second thought, don’t rewind this tape. Destroy it! Don’t let anyone in your
family watch it!
The
phenomenon known as “J-Horror,†or Japanese Horror, had been brewing for
decades (Kwaidan, anyone?), but it was Hideo Nakata’s Ringu (“Ringâ€)
in 1998 that jumpstarted the movement. Motion pictures of the ilk are usually
derived from ghost stories, Japanese folklore, and revenge tales, mixed with a
modern horror-film sensibility, a dash of gruesomeness, and often a creepy
dripping-wet ghost-girl (a yūrei)with long
black hair covering her face coming to get you in your dreams or out of, say, a
television set, in your waking hours.
Ringu
spawned
a franchise in and of itself, with eight films in total, two television series,
six manga adaptations, five international film remakes, and two video games.
It’s
only fair to acknowledge author Koji Suzuki’s 1991 novel and its subsequent
sequels to form the initial trilogy, and then three later books in the
universe. There was also an earlier made for television feature, Ring:
Kanzenban, in 1995 that did little to advance the property. Only after the
massive success of the first theatrically released feature did the thing take
off. The original Ringu and its first sequel, Rasen, mostly follow
the books, whereas the rest of the movies went in another direction.
Most
people in the West probably know the franchise from Gore Verbinski’s Hollywood
remake, The Ring, starring Naomi Watts(2002, and it’s a good one).
Nevertheless, the Japanese originals are worth investigating, especially for
viewers who are horror film buffs. Arrow Video has released a Blu-ray box set
of the first four pictures in the series to satisfy this audience, and the
product is a delight.
Disk
One: Ringu, directed by Hideo Nakata. It’s the story of a videotape that
kills people who watch it. As soon as someone views the tape, the phone rings. A
voice remarks, “Seven days.†Then, seven days later, the ghost of a young
woman, Sadako Yamamura, who was thrown by her own father into a well to die thirty
years earlier, appears and kills the viewer. There’s a way out, though… but
that won’t be revealed here.
While
the use of a VHS videotape as the object of menace is today dated and quaint,
the ideas behind the story are still potent. This is an unsettling little
movie. It of course didn’t have the kind of budget that the American remake
had, but that could be why the picture is so effective. Nakata’s direction is
pitch-perfect, with no cheap jump-scares or gratuitous gore. Ringu works
by way of the suspense and sense of surreal macabre that it generates.
Arrow
presents the feature in a brand new 4K restoration from the original camera
negative (approved by DP Junichiro Hayashi), and the 1080p high definition looks
marvelous. The soundtrack is a lossless Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and
PCM 2.0, with optional English subtitles. It’s accompanied by a new audio
commentary by film historian David Kalat.
The
supplements are plentiful—“The Ringu Legacy†is a series of interviews from
critics and filmmakers on the Ringu series; “A Vicious Circle†is all
about the career of director Nakata; “Circumnavigating Ringu†is an interesting
video essay by author and critic Alexandra Heller-Nicholas on the evolution of
the series; a stand-alone clip of Sadako’s video; and theatrical trailers. A
reversible sleeve with commissioned artwork and the theatrical poster adorns
the jewel case.
Disk
Two: Ringu 2, directed by Hideo Nakata,and Rasen,
directed by George Iida. The first sequel to Ringu was Rasen (“Spiralâ€),
a true adaptation of Suzuki’s second book in the series. Oddly, it was released
in theaters simultaneously with Ringu in order to push the films into
franchise mode. While Rasen is a fine film, it bombed, while Ringu became
an international hit. Rasen was relegated to forgotten status and was
for some time suppressed as the sequel to Ringu. Its story continues
with the investigation into the history of the videotape and Sadako’s tragic
life, and the picture features some of the same actors from Ringu. It’s
not bad, but it’s true that it doesn’t have the impact of the first movie.
To
rebound, the studio immediately commissioned Nakata and much of the team from Ringu
to quickly make a “proper†sequel, which was called Ringu 2 and
released in 1999. Like Rasen, it begins at the end of Ringu, but
then explores new mythology behind the story. There are characters and actors
held over, but new ones are introduced as well. Ringu 2 is quite good
(better than Rasen, to be sure), but attempting to top Ringu is a
tall order. Nevertheless, the eerie factor is up to 11, and there is some
striking imagery throughout.
In
Michael Cimino’s “Year of the Dragon†(1985), now available in a handsome
Blu-ray edition from the Warner Archive Collection, gang war threatens to erupt
in New York’s Chinatown when the city’s elderly Triad kingpin is spectacularly
murdered by a young Chinese thug.Police
Captain Stanley White (Mickey Rourke) is brought in to crack down before more
blood is spilled, as long as he doesn’t crack down too hard.As far as the NYPD and the neighborhood
elders are concerned, things are fine the way they are in Chinatown under the
Triad.All that’s needed is to bring the
suddenly upstart youth gangs under control.But Stanley knows that the only way to really clean up Chinatown is to
wipe out the underlying corruption of the Triad itself.To that end, he plunges into his assignment
with a zeal that even Dirty Harry Callahan might find excessive.Stanley figures out that that the kingpin’s
murder wasn’t a spontaneous act by a hopped-up teenager, but the opening move
in a long game by Joey Tai (John Lone), the dead man’s urbane son-in-law, to
seize control of the Triad’s billion-dollar drug trafficking business.Stanley harasses Joey, wiretaps his
headquarters using a Catholic convent down the street as home base, inserts a
rookie Chinese-American police officer undercover into the kitchen staff of
Joey’s trendy restaurant, and pushes back when the department tries to move him
off the case.Recognizing the power of
the media while sneering at journalists as “vampires,†he cynically enlists an
ambitious young female TV reporter to further his strategy.Stanley gives Tracy (Ariane) a scoop every
time he digs up more evidence on Joey, she gives him the lead on the six
o’clock news hour.When their business
relationship becomes sexual as well, the situation strains Stanley’s already
fragile marriage with his neglected wife Connie (Caroline Kava).
Michael
Cimino’s moviemaking career had more ups and downs than this year’s Dow Jones,
plummeting from the high of “The Deer Hunter†in 1978 to the critical and
commercial fiasco of “Heaven’s Gate†in 1980.While “Year of the Dragon†didn’t represent a total rebound from the
latter debacle, it put Cimino behind the camera again in the first of three
respectably budgeted movies for the Dino De Laurentiis company.The partnership continued with “The Sicilianâ€
(1987) and “The Desperate Hours†(1990), even though “Year of the Dragon,â€
based on a novel by Robert Daley, underperformed at the U.S. box office.It made only $18 million in ticket sales
against its $24 million cost, and received a nomination for a Golden Raspberry
Award as Worst Movie of the Year.Strictly
speaking on the picture’s dramatic merit, this less than respectful reception
is understandable.The script by Cimino
and Oliver Stone overlooks or blithely dismisses some key points of basic
logic.The racist, sexist, and
insubordinate White is known to hate Asians, and he’s already rubbed the brass
the wrong way in his career. “Nobody likes you, Stanley,†his colleague Lou
Bukowski (Ray Barry) tells him, as if the NYPD assesses job performance by the
criteria of a high school popularity contest.So why is this loose cannon unleashed on a politically and racially
sensitive murder case?Some of the
confusion suggests that Cimino may have written or filmed expository scenes
that never made it into the final product, as when suddenly, late in the film,
we learn that Lou isn’t just another of Stanley’s NYPD colleagues.He, Stanley, and Connie grew up together as
friends in the same Polish-American neighborhood.He doesn’t resent Stanley just because he’s a
by-the-book bureaucrat and Stanley is a rebellious maverick.He resents that Stanley turned his back on
the old crowd when he changed his Polish name to “White,†and that he makes
Connie miserable.
British kids had some cool collectibles that fans never got in the States: hardcover adventure books based on their favorite TV series and movies. These hardback "annuals" were all the rage in the 1950s and 1960s. The books featured original stories and artwork and some, such as The Man From U.N.C.L.E. , reproduced the Gold Key comic books that were sold in America. More elaborate annuals such as those based on the James Bond films offered full color photos as well. Illustrated here: two vintage adventure books based on Rawhide starring Eric Fleming and a young up-and-comer named Clint Eastwood.
The Warner Archive has released "Go Naked in the World", a 1961 screen adaptation of a novel by Tom T. Chamales that apparently caused a bit of a sensation back in day with its forthright and adult look a highly-charged sexual relationship. The film, directed by Ranald MacDougall, opens with Nick Stratton (Anthony Franciosa) returning home on leave from the U.S. Army. We know things are somewhat tense with his family because he doesn't immediately tell them he is back, preferring to do some partying first. When his father Pete (Ernest Borgnine) discovers this, the tension builds immediately. Pete is a well-known construction magnate whose projects dot the city. Nick is in rebellion against his overbearing father, who feels that his son must follow him into the construction business. Pete loves his family, which consists of his long-suffering wife Mary (Nancy R. Pollack) and their two children, Nick and his teenage sister Yvonne (Luana Patten) but he alienates them with his heavy-handed demands that everyone march to his tune. He relegates Mary and Yvonne to the roles of helpless females and obnoxiously dictates his daughter's dating habits to the point of humiliating her. Mary, his wife of 30 years, has no say in any important matters. However, Nick is more rebellious and constantly stands up to his father, leading to explosive confrontations. Things only worsen when Nick falls head over heels for the vivacious Guilletta (Gina Lollobrigida), an independent party girl with a knock-out figure who can only be described in the vernacular of the era as a "bombshell". Nick has no trouble luring Guilletta into bed but he can't understand why she wants to leave it as a one-night stand. Nick is more than smitten- he's in love but Guilletta continues to inexplicably try to keep him at arm's length even though it's clear she loves him. Turns out that Nick is rather naive in his understanding of her lifestyle. He soon learns that she is a notorious hooker. Worse, his own womanizing father is among her clients! Nick still can't leave her- but his relationship brings the feud with his father to an even more alarming level. Caught in the middle is Guillette, a woman who is ashamed of her lifestyle but not sufficiently ashamed enough to quit it. She acts as an unwitting catalyst for the destruction of Nick's family's relationships that extends to Mary and Yvonne finally confronting Pete about his dictatorial ways. Wracked by guilt, Guillietta attempts to leave Nick again and again, as she suspects their love affair can only end tragically. Still, she is drawn to him with the same passion he has for her and their relationship continues even as it leads them to mutual disaster.
"Go Naked in the World" is extremely steamy in its treatment of sex when one considers it was released in an era in which such activities could only be hinted at. Nick and Guillette clearly love sex and the film doesn't paint them judgmentally as "bad people" for engaging in this behavior, which was fairly progressive for the time. The film is essentially a soap opera but a very engrossing one. Franciosa gives a powerful performance as a young man torn between his love for his father and the fact that he resents his attempts to dominate his life. Lollobrigida is terrific. She was often written off as another Italian sex symbol but I have never seen a film in which she didn't give a highly impressive performance. Her abilities range from light comedy to tragic dramas such as this. Borgnine, another great reliable force in old Hollywood, dominates every scene he is in and convincingly plays Franciosa's father even though he was only ten years old than him. The script has some melodramatic aspects but remains consistently interesting thanks to an intelligent, believable screenplay and fine direction. The impressive supporting cast includes Will Kuluva and Philip Ober. High recommended.
The DVD contains the original theatrical trailer and is region free.
CLICK HERE TO ORDER FROM THE CINEMA RETRO MOVIE STORE
Once upon a time, there was what is now considered to be
a Golden Age of film criticism. Serving in that capacity was a well-regarded
career and the standards were generally high. In the pre-internet age, when
newspapers and magazines were in their heyday, readers voraciously followed the
most influential film critics, whose endorsements of a film could elevate its
popularity. Conversely, of course, a negative review might spell death at the
boxoffice. Some of the more prominent critics were regarded as snooty and too
upper crust to connect with the average reader. The ascension of critics Roger
Ebert and Gene Siskel through their highly influential “At the Moviesâ€
syndicated TV series changed all of that. They were film scholars, to be sure,
but they reviewed movies in a populist manner, often defending films that most
critics chose to ignore or denounce. With the advent of the internet, today
anyone can proclaim themselves to be a film critic. You just need a blog and-
Presto!- you are a film critic. Of course, today’s definition of the profession
encompasses the good, the bad and the ugly. Simply having an enthusiasm for
movies doesn’t make one prolific in analyzing them.
One of the best of the “old world†film critics was
British writer Philip French, who began writing film reviews in the early 1950s
and went on to be a long-time contributor to The Times and The Observer. He
passed away in 2015, still practicing his profession. French’s family has
compiled a book of some of his most relevant and important reviews and
published them under the title of “Notes from the Dream House: Selected Film
Reviews 1963-2013â€.The book, published
by Carcanet Press, sets the right tone beginning with the cover, an illustration by
Charles Addams of the "Uncle Fester" character laughing at a movie that has everyone else in
the audience sobbing. Like most of the major critics who came of age when
French did, he displays an encyclopedic knowledge of the films and talents he
passes judgment on. He also falls into
the same trap as many of his peers by assuming the reader is well-versed in
sometimes obscure names and film titles. However, he never comes across as
pretentious and his prose is often wistful and amusing. It is interesting to
read his observations about films that became famous or infamous and French
also revisits certain movies for re-evaluation many years after their initial
release. We find he championed obscure titles such as “Two Land Blacktop†and
dared to defend such boxoffice disasters as Michael Cimino’s “Heaven’s Gate†and Hugh Hudson’s “Revolultionâ€
(good for him!). He appreciates
Attenborough’s “A Bridge Too Far†while most critics were immune to its many
qualities. He devotes a very long review to extolling the merits of the 1999
Bond adventure “The World is Not Enoughâ€. He also doesn’t have any sacred cows:
despite being an admirer of Kubrick, he rightly points out that “The Shiningâ€
is “a polished, low-key horror picture of a rather conventional kind… we never
became involved either intellectually or viscerally with the characters…Our
pants flutter occasionally, but the film comes nowhere near scaring them off
us.†In a 1982 re-evaluation of Leone’s “Once Upon a Time in the Westâ€, he
makes a mea culpa and admits that,
upon seeing the film in its initial release in 1969, he did not recognize its
greatness. He decried Robert Downey Jr.’s interpretation of Sherlock Holmes as
a contemporary action hero and was an early admirer of John Boorman’s “Point
Blankâ€, which some critics simply denounced because of its violent content.
Breezing through the book is a delight. You can randomly
drop in anywhere and read the reviews that appeal to you. But it should be
noted that French’s observations are worth reading even if they pertain to film
titles that don’t particularly interest you. His wry wit and poignant analysis
make this book a “must†for retro movie lovers.
Although
Buster Keaton had starred in two feature films (and directed one of them), it
wasn’t until the release of Our Hospitality in late 1923 that he
established himself as a major force of cinema to rival the likes of Chaplin.
Of course, he had already starred in and directed numerous shorts, all of which
served to build his reputation—but it is this beautifully-rendered silent
classic that is considered the auteur’s first masterpiece.
The
story takes place in the early 1800s and draws upon a rural family feud like the
Hatfields and McCoys—in this case the McKays and Canfields. When patriarch John
McKay is killed by James Canfield (and vice versa), Mrs. McKay flees with
little baby Willie McKay (played by Buster’s real-life infant son, Buster
Keaton Jr.). Twenty years later, Willie inherits the old family estate in the
south and returns to claim it, only vaguely aware of the feud that has existed
for decades. On the way he meets Virginia (played by Keaton’s wife at the time,
Natalie Talmadge), who happens to be a Canfield. Upon arrival at home, Willie
continues to court Virginia, but her brothers won’t have it. The rest of the
picture is a cats-and-mouse game of Willie avoiding being killed and at the
same time wooing the woman he wants to marry.
There
are many striking aspects about the picture. Keaton’s paid great attention to
detail in the design and location shooting. Apparently, he took great pains to
create realistic locomotives and tracks that depicted early train development
in America (although he played with time period accuracy for the sake of more
interesting visuals). The final act contains some spectacular and hair-raising
stunt work by the star, including an incident of falling into rapids and almost
drowning on camera. Mostly, though, the story is well-constructed, the
characters have more depth than in the other silent comedies of the day, and,
in the end, Our Hospitality is one of Keaton’s most satisfying movies.
Interestingly,
it’s the only Keaton film to feature three generations of Keatons—Buster
himself, his previously-mentioned son, and his father, Joe Keaton, as a train
engineer.
Kino
Classics presents a beautiful grey and sepia-toned 1920x1080p restoration with
a 2.0 stereo soundtrack and a score composed and conducted by Robert Israel. A
fascinating audio commentary by film historians Farran Smith Nehme and Imogen
Sara Smith accompanies the feature. Supplements include a rare 1947 short, Un
duel à mort (A Duel to the Death) starring Keaton; The
Iron Mule, a short from 1925 that Keaton produced (uncredited) and features
some of his locomotive creations; a featurette on the background of Our
Hospitality with Serge Bromberg; and an excellent featurette on the scoring
of the film, narrated by Robert Israel. The booklet contains an essay by
Jeffrey Vance.
Our
Hospitality
is yet another superb release from Kino Classics, a highlight in the fabulous
filmography of the inimitable Buster Keaton.
The
Thin Man,
the film released in 1934 and based on Dashiell Hammett’s 1933 novel, was so massively
popular that it spawned a series of five more pictures, a radio series, a television
series, a remake, a stage play, and a stage musical. It’s arguably the best
of the “Thins†in that it was fresh, original, and featured a unique, comic,
almost screwball approach to the main characters of Nick and Nora Charles.
Granted, screwball comedies are, by definition, stories about mismatched
couples, whereas Nick and Nora are so perfectly suitable for each other that
they can finish each other’s lines, take turns playing straight man while the
other quips, and can compete together in the consumption of alcohol (and not a
scene goes by without drinks in the hands of our protagonists).
One
couldn’t ask for better casting. William Powell and Myrna Loy embodied their
roles so perfectly that they were forever identified with them, despite having separately
made dozens of other types of pictures. Their witty banter, their palpable
affection for each other, their intelligence, and their evident chemistry made
the film and its sequels successes.
The
picture has a terrific supporting cast as well. Maureen O’Sullivan is the
harried daughter of the titular character (no, “the Thin Man†is not Nick
Charles, although public perception has always seemed to mistakenly connect the
series title to Powell’s role), and she is suitably emotional and fraught.
Minna Gombell, as her mother, from the get-go is hilariously guilty of something.
Porter Hall, a longtime character actor, is amiable and perfect as the Thin
Man’s attorney, and Nat Pendleton as the police lieutenant in charge of the
case is the tough/dumb guy personified. Even Cesar Romero shows up as one of
the suspects.
The
case in question is a missing persons mystery in which a renowned scientist
(Dr. Wynant, who is tall and thin) hasn’t returned from an alleged extended
business trip, but then his secretary (and, for a time, it is implied, his
mistress while he was married to his ex) is murdered—and then a witness to the
murder is killed. Like many crime stories of the era, the details can be
complicated, but the filmmaking briskly sails over them such that the audience
doesn’t have time to think about it or question what is happening. Hence, there
are holes in the plot—but who cares? It’s too much fun. Best to get a couple of
martinis—or six—and enjoy them as Nick and Nora put together the clues and
finally solve the case at a classic dinner party sequence at which all the
suspects have gathered.
Oh,
and don’t forget that scene stealer fox terrier, Asta, who accompanies Nick and
Nora wherever they go, even in restaurants that don’t allow dogs.
The
Warner Archive’s high definition transfer is a vast improvement over Warner’s
previous DVD release—it merits the upgrade. Supplements include the season two
premiere of the 1957-59 television series that starred Peter Lawford as Nick
and Phyllis Kirk as Nora (yes, this thing was on the air for two seasons!), and
it’s… okay… but it’s worth a look for curiosity’s sake. Additional extras are the
1936 Lux Radio Theater audio broadcast starring Powell and Loy, and the
theatrical trailer.
The
Thin Man received
Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Actor (Powell), Best Director (W. S.
Van Dyke), and Writing/Adaptation (by the husband and wife team of Frances
Goodrich and Albert Hackett), but it didn’t take home the gold in any category.
Nevertheless, the new Blu-ray release of the motion picture is indeed a winner.
CLICK HERE TO ORDER FROM THE CINEMA RETRO MOVIE STORE
Gregory
Peck is an Army intelligence officer stationed in West Berlin during the Cold
War in “Night People,†available on Blu-ray by Kino Lorber. Lt. Colonel Steve
Van Dyke (Peck) is investigating the kidnapping of an American soldier stationed
in West Berlin and taken by Soviet agents to East Germany. It’s unknown at
first why the soldier was taken, but his wealthy industrialist father soon
arrives in an attempt to get his son back with money if necessary. His
philosophy is everyone has a price, but Van Dyke knows better and has no time
for outside interference. Broderick Crawford plays the father, Charles
Leatherby, who uses his connections in Washington to meet with the American
government bureaucrats in West Berlin. Van Dyke dresses down the father in short
order, but builds a relationship with Leatherby in order to keep him on a short
leash and use him in the correct way.
Van
Dyke is also finalizing a plan for a Russian to defect to the West with his
family and thinks the kidnapping may be connected, but it turns out to be far
more complex. Van Dyke has a German informant, “Hoffy†Hoffmeier (Anita Bjork),
with an addiction to absinthe and their relationship may be more than
professional. Van Dyke is assisted by his military aid, Sergeant Eddie
McColloch (Buddy Ebsen), and his German secretary, Kathy Gerhardt (Marianne
Koch), always suspicious and jealous of Hoffy. The Cold War was a complex
puzzle, especially in Berlin, a divided city in a divided country, often with
divided and complex allegiances. It turns out the kidnappers want an elderly
married couple who helped the allies during WWII. They’re wanted by East Germans
seeking revenge against the couple for their betrayal of Nazi Germany.
Written
and directed by Nunnally Johnson, the complex plot requires close attention.
The story unfolds mostly at night and has a neo noir feel to it. Its spy vs.
spy with double agents and triple agents and repeat viewing is rewarded with
greater clarity. There are nuances I missed the first time around and if there
is a flaw in this movie, it’s that the plot is almost too complex. After a follow-up
viewing, things made more sense and that’s one of the many joys of home video –
rewind and repeat. I’m not sure how audiences reacted to this movie when
released in theaters and I wonder how often it was broadcast on television. I’d
never seen the movie until this Blu-ray was released and I enjoyed the complex
nature of the plot. It requires the viewer to think through the plot as if building
a puzzle, anticipating the patterns as each minute is pieced together. This
isn’t a thriller dependent on action, fights and car chases. It requires the
viewer to think.
The
cast features familiar character actors like Max Showalter as a local American
bureaucrat, Walter Abel as an Army surgeon always begging a smoke, Peter van
Eyck as a local West German bureaucrat and John Horsley as a British Army
liaison. Buddy Ebsen is terrific as Sergeant McColloch and steals nearly every
scene. The kidnapped soldier is played by Ted Avery and his role is almost a
footnote as the main thrust of the story is the spy game as it unfolds over several
nights. Much of the movie takes place in a few key locations including Van
Dyke’s office, a local nightclub and an Army hospital. Much of the plot unfolds
over telephone calls with a vital story twist made after an interrogation and
an innocent conversation between Van Dyke and the British liaison. I’m not
going to reveal it here, but it unfolds quickly as all the pieces are fitted
together.
The
Blu-ray looks and sounds terrific with a neo-noir feel to the color production.
Filmed in CinemaScope and released in 1954, the film clocks in at 93 minutes. An
unobtrusive score by Cyril J. Mockridge works well to help set the mood
throughout the film. Extras on the disc include trailers for this and several
other Peck titles released on Blu-ray by Kino Lorber. There’s also a nine -minute
interview with Peck’s children discussing their father and this movie. I highly
recommend “Night People†for fans of Peck and those who enjoy a complex Cold
War thriller driven by great characters and a complex plot.
Two men drive across the blazing Nevada desert and stop
at the bridge leading to the town of Chuckawalla. Eddie Bendix (John Hodiak)
remarks to his companion Johnny Ryan (Wendell Corey) that the bridge hasn’t
been repaired since they were last here. We learn that there was some kind of accident
that took place a while ago and Eddie was involved. Driving up behind them,
honking the horn on her Chrysler wood-trimmed Town and Country convertible,
comes 19-year-old Paula Haller (24-year-old Lizabeth Scott), freshly kicked out
of yet another school, on her way to stay with her mother, Fritzi (Mary Astor).
The chance meeting sets off sparks between the two, much to the dismay of
Eddie’s friend Johnny. Uh-oh, what’s up
with that?
Paula drives into town and stops at the Purple Sage
Saloon, which her mother owns, along with the police chief, the mayor, and most
of the town. On the way Paula runs into Deputy Sheriff Tom Hanson (Burt
Lancaster), who has been carrying a torch for her since she left for school.
While they’re talking out in the street in front of the saloon, Eddie and Johnny
roll into town, and we see the start of a romantic triangle between Paula, Tom,
and Eddie, or is it a rectangle, since Johnny seems pretty angry with Eddie
over the attention he’s paying Paula.
Turns out Fritzi is not in the Purple Sage, so Paula
drives out to her rather large home out on the desert, where we discover her
relationship with mom is a bit strange as well. At first Fritzi seems like a
1940s version of a helicopter mom, but as the story goes on there’s something
obsessive about the way she wants to run Paula’s life. In one scene a
thunderstorm awakens Paula, and Fritzi pops in and offers to sleep with her
like she did when she was little. Paula says thanks but no thanks. Uh-oh, what’s up with that?
As the story progresses, we learn that Eddie is a gambler
and has come to stay at a ranch near town before setting up a gambling
operation in Las Vegas. We learn his wife was killed in the accident at the
bridge when her car plunged into the river. Johnny takes care of Eddie but is a
little over-protective, which is starting to get on Eddie’s nerves, especially
since Paula’s arrival on the scene. At one point Johnny threatens to kill Paula
if she doesn’t leave Eddie alone. So we have two characters, Eddie, and Paula,
both in the clutches of people who want to control them. Even Tom, the deputy,
is guilty of wanting to control Paula, when he warns her to stay away from
Eddie. He knows he’s no good. He tells Paula that she’d better be careful, because
she looks a lot like Eddie’s late
wife. Paula runs from both her mother and Tom and just naturally has to fall in
love with the bad guy.
“Desert Fury†is based on a novel by Ramona Stewart, and
was adapted for the screen by Robert Rossen and an uncredited A.I. Bezzerides.
The screenplay shows a lot of Bezzerides touches. The screenwriter of “They
Drive by Nightâ€, “Thieves Highway,†and “Kiss Me Deadly†specialized in stories
about flawed characters who cannot overcome their defects and are driven to
their fate by them. In this case both Paula and Eddie seem to be weak
characters who both need and, at the same time, are repelled by those who want
to dominate them. When they try to escape this web of entanglement it merely
sets off a disaster.
This is the kind of movie that should be listed in the
dictionary as the definition of “potboiler.†It’s got more pots boiling than a kitchen
in a Chinese restaurant. There are even more sordid twists, as we learn more
about Fritzi’s background, and her relationship years ago with Eddie, as well
as the truth about what happened to Eddie’s wife.
“Desert Fury†has been called the “gayest film noir ever
made.†Stewart’s source novel reportedly is much more open about Johnny and
Eddie’s relationship, which is strongly implied in the movie, but never
explicitly stated. Audiences were not ready to see gay relationships on the
screen in 1947.
John
Carpenter’s Halloween was supposed to
be a one-off… a small, disposable horror movie that would give some young
filmmakers a break and its backers a nice hit of cash should it succeed.But a one-off it was not.Instead it became an American classic, which
until a few years ago, was the most successful indie movie of all time.It’s a story that cried out for a book – and
now there is one: Halloween: The Changing Shape Of An Iconic Series by
Ernie Magnotta.
This
deeply researched, 378 page oversize paperback illustrates Magnotta’s
enthusiasm for the films and the genre on every page.He goes through the franchise, film by film,
examining the plots, the key sequences, the cinematography, the music and, of
course, the characters and the actors who portray them. Even the changing face of Michael’s iconic
mask is examined and discussed. Like all fans, Magnotta has strong opinions and
isn’t afraid to share them.For example,
he picks apart the rather confusing ending of Halloween 6, which this writer saw in the theaters and couldn’t
quite get, either. He also looks at the
various plot holes and inconsistencies that crop up over the long course of the
series, which have caused die-hard Halloween
fans no small amount of agida over the years. That said, the book is not a
hatchet job by any means.It praises the
great work done by directors, actors and cinematographers as well as the many inventive
scares – crucial elements that helped make this one of horror’s most successful
and beloved franchises.
The
book contains over 200 color photos, as well as a number of posters and rare
lobby cards. Magnotta also thoughtfully includes film reviews of each title,
giving the reader a taste of how each movie was received during its initial
release.With the, er, monster success of Blumhouse’s 2018 Halloween reboot, this franchise is far
from dead – and Ernie Magnotta’s book is the perfect guide.
One
might not expect James Cagney to become the Phantom of the Opera or the Hunchback
of Notre Dame, but he did, and it’s… convincing enough. Cagney, of course, is
playing the great Lon Chaney, i.e., Lon Chaney Sr., the silent film star
who created the iconic make-up imagery for those two characters that is still
emblazoned in our collective consciousness.
Man
of a Thousand Faces,
released in 1957, is a good biopic about Chaney, and it benefits greatly from
Cagney’s presence. The picture begins with Chaney’s early work in vaudeville,
where he meets his wife Cleva (Dorothy Malone). That relationship will prove to
be a turbulent and tragic one. Much of the biopic focuses on the melodrama that
existed in the couple’s relationship, and only later does Chaney, as an
afterthought, fall into the motion picture business. Then we see his phenomenal
rise to fame and success with a series of ingenious make-up transformations
that caused Americans to tell the old joke: “Look a bug!†“Careful, don’t step
on it! It might be Lon Chaney!â€
Suffice
it to say that Cagney’s star power elevates the picture. It’s a role he took on
late in his career, and he throws a great deal of energy and intelligence into
it. The conversions into the various monsters and unusual beings that Chaney
played were done mostly with masks instead of the original meticulously applied
make-up (which was often painful to wear), but enough of the actor shines
through to present a dynamic performance.
Dorothy
Malone as the long-suffering wife, and mother of Lon Chaney Jr. (who started
out as Creighton Chaney), is also winning, and Jane Greer as second wife Hazel embodies
a very different persona from what we know of her in the excellent film noir, Out
of the Past. Cagney’s sister Jeanne plays Lon’s sister, Carrie, and an
assortment of familiar Hollywood faces fill out other roles—Jim Backus, Jack
Albertson, and even Robert Evans as Irving Thalberg (!).
Arrow
Academy has been doing excellent high definition releases and have
easily established themselves as a serious competitor to the likes of The
Criterion Collection and Kino Lorber. The feature is a new 1080p restoration from
the original negative with an uncompressed Mono 1.0 PCM audio soundtrack. There
are optional English subtitles and an audio commentary by the always reliable
Tim Lucas. Supplements include a featurette, “The Man Behind a Thousand Faces,â€
with critic Kim Newman; an image gallery; and the original trailer. The package
has one of Arrow’s signature reversible sleeves with new artwork by Graham
Humphreys backed with the original theatrical poster image. The slick
illustrated booklet contains an essay by Vic Pratt.
All
in all, Arrow has produced a classy presentation, a worthy tribute to both
James Cagney and the inimitable Lon Chaney.
DIRECTOR JOHN STEVENSON (""KUNG FU PANDA", "SHERLOCK GNOMES") PAYS TRIBUTE TO A SPECIAL EFFECTS GENIUS
Stop motion animation is still the most magical of special
effects techniques to me, because instinctively you know that real light is
falling on a real object that is seemingly moving of its own volition. Computer
Generated Imagery may be able to create more complex and fluid motion, but we
instinctively know that what we are looking at does not exist in our world.
There is still an arcane power in watching something you know you can touch
move on its own. So films featuring stop motion animation were my great passion
as a child.
Stop motion animation was the Rolls Royce of special effects
techniques in the 1960s and early 1970s. If you were a young fantasy addict a new
Ray Harryhausen film at the local ABC cinema was the equivalent of a new MCU
film dropping today. Because Ray Harryhausen lived in London he sometimes
appeared on British television with his models ( programmes such as “Screen
Test†with Michael Rodd in 1970) where he would explain the principals of stop
motion animation, which gave me a basic understanding of the technique at a
young age. Stop motion animation could also be found in children’s television
shows like “The Pogles†and “The Magic Roundaboutâ€, commercials and even on
“The Old Grey Whistle Test†where clips from Ladislas Starevitch’s films would
sometimes accompany music tracks (courtesy of Phillip Jenkinson).It was a golden age if you were a fan of the
technique, and Ray Harryhausen became my idol, representing everything that was
magical about the movies for me. But I had yet to discover Karel Zeman.
I first encountered Karel Zeman’s work on a British
children’s T.V show about movie special effects that showed extracts from a
15-minute Czech film called “The Magic World Of Karel Zeman†made in 1962. At
the time I had no idea what I was looking at. The only part I remember clearly
was a scene that showed some children climbing on the back of a dead
Stegosaurus, then the camera tracked around to reveal that the Stegosaurus was
a painting on a sheet of board close to the camera while the children stood on
a wooden frame a long way in the distance. This was supposedly how they shot
the scene from “Journey To The Beginning Of Time†(Many years later when I
finally got to see the film I was amazed to discover that the film employed a life
size prop, not a painting. I wondered if Karel Zeman was playing a joke by
deliberately misleading the audience?) As a child I was fascinated by this
short clip of film and wanted to know more about the movie and the person who
made it, but Karel Zeman was elusive and it was difficult to find any
information on him in the pre-internet 1960’s. It would be another thirty years
before I was able to see his film.
Karel
Zeman was Czech and began his film career in advertising and first worked in
animation making an advertisement for soap. In 1943 he accepted a job offer at
Zlin animation studio and in 1945 became director of the stop motion animation
production group and made his first short film “A Christmas Dream†(“Vanocni
Senâ€) which combined animated puppets and live action. Zeman then created a
series of puppet shorts featuring a character called Mr. Prokouk, which were
very popular. In 1948 he made the beautiful short film “Inspirationâ€(“Inspiraceâ€)
using animated glass figures, and two years later directed the half hour film
“King Lavra†(“Kra Lavraâ€) which went on to win a National Award. Karel Zeman’s
first feature film “The Treasure Of Bird Island†(“Poklad Ptaciho Ostrovaâ€) was
completed in 1952 and used innovative techniques to evoke Persian art. Then in
1955 he made the first of his six feature films to use his unique combination
of live action and animation techniques that would secure his place in movie
history, the remarkable “Cesta Do Pravekuâ€, or “Journey To the Beginning Of
Timeâ€.
JTTBOT
tells the story of four children who venture back in time to discover the origins
of life on Earth. On the way they encounter creatures from the Quaternary, the
Tertiary, the Mezazoic, and Paleozoic eras. Uniquely and charmingly, no time is
spent on a logical explanation for their trip. There are no fantastical devices
here-no time machines, no boring into the center of the Earth, no discovery of
lost plateaus or uncharted, mist shrouded islands. The boys want to go, so they
go. They take a small boat and enter a mysterious cave tunnel and emerge in
prehistory travelling further back in time as they follow the river to its
source.
Apart
from Karel Zeman’s most obvious accomplishments in creating myriad special
effects sequences, his skill as a director is evident in his handling of the
child actors, most of whom were not professionals. He elicits natural, unforced
performances from his cast with none of the sentimentality or grating archness
found in many American and British films featuring child actors from the same
period. Zeman’s use of the camera is also very effective with many tracking
shots taken on location or on studio sets closely following the children before
an encounter with a prehistoric creature. These shots with the camera following
just behind the children’s shoulders or tracking back in front of their faces
puts the audience directly inside their experience and makes the build up to
the reveal of the various creatures much more powerful. Compare these
pre-effects sequences with similar scenes in American dinosaur films from the
same period such as “Unknown Island†(1948) or “The Lost Continent†(1951) to
see that Zeman’s direction is much more effective. Perhaps his least
appreciated talent is as a writer. Apart from a few places where the film
becomes too studiedly educational, most of the dialogue between the children
flows naturally and believably. His abilities as a scriptwriter would become
more apparent in his later works.
But
the main reason anybody sees a film like this is to see the recreation of
prehistoric life and it is here that Karel Zeman differentiates himself from
Willis O’Brien and Ray Harryhausen. These movie giants concentrated on one
technique, stop motion animation combined with live action via miniature rear
projection or travelling mattes, to create their illusions. They occasionally used
giant props (King Kong’s hand or the Pteranodon’s feet from “1,000,000 Years
B.C.â€) to interact with the human actors, but all the creatures were primarily
brought to life by stop motion animation (sometimes augmented by a mechanical
head for close up’s like the King Kong bust, or the Ceratosaurs from “The
Animal Worldâ€).
Karel
Zeman is different from every other movie magician by fearlessly utilizing
every FX and animation technique available to him at the time and often switching
technique multiple times within a single scene. Examples are the mammoth, which
is sometimes a stop motion creation and sometimes a mechanical puppet shot in
camera on location with the children. The Phorusrhacos is a stop motion puppet,
a hand puppet for close ups, and a paper cut-out for the running shots. The Brontosaurus
is a combination of a mechanical head atop a painted flat body for the shots on
land, and a hand puppet for the shots in water. The Uintatherium is combination
of stop motion and close up’s using a mechanical head. Zeman is also fearless
about using completely different techniques not commonly used in visual effects
films, such as creating a herd of bounding antelope, giraffes and a Smilodon
purely through paper cut out animation. An Edmontosaurus (called a Trachodon in
the film) and an amphibian (possibly an Eryops) are brought to life as hand
puppets. This willingness to use any technique to create the creatures means
that the menagerie in “Journey To The Beginning Of Time†is much larger than in
Willis O’Brien’s “King Kong†(9 stop motion creatures, King Kong, Brontosaurus,
Stegosaurus, two legged lizard, Tyrannosaurus (probably), Elasmosaurus,
Pteranodon, prehistoric vulture (possibly Merriam’s Teratorn), various birds)
or Ray Harryhausen’s “1,000,000 Years B.C. (13 creatures including a photographically
enlarged iguana, tarantula, and grasshopper, Allosaurus, Archelon,
Brontosaurus, Ceratosaurus, Pteranodon and its two chicks, Rhamphorhynchus,
Triceratops, and a live warthog). In “Journey To The Beginning Of Time†we see
30 creatures (Mammuthus primigenius, Coelodonta, Deinotherium, Honanotherium,
Smilodon, Moropus, Uintatherium, Phorusrhacos, Helladotherium, Pteranodons,
Styracosaurus, Stegosaurus, Brontosaurus, Edmontosaurus, Ceratosaurus,
Meganeura, Eryops, Trilobite, plus a giant boa constrictor, a swimming
amphibian, a sea snake, flamingoes, antelopes, giraffes, crocodiles, a leopard,
vultures, turtles, various animated birds and a large, real carp). Zeman also
outdoes Harryhausen and O’Brien by having multiples of the same animal in shot
instead of the one representative of each species that show up for their one
sequence in “King Kongâ€, “Son Of Kongâ€, “I,000,000 Years B.C.†or “The Valley
Of Gwangiâ€, usually to menace the heroes or get into a fight.JTTBOT has a flock of flamingoes, a flock of
Pteranodons, herds of antelope, gazelle and giraffe, a congregation of
crocodiles, two grazing Helladotherium and two battling Coelodonta. These brief
scenes of herds of wildlife eating or galloping add immeasurably to the believability of
Zeman’s prehistoric world and make it seem like life continues once the camera
has moved on, rather than the line of solitary creatures waiting for their turn
to be menacing in the O’Brien or Harryhausen films.
There’s a long-standing Hollywood tradition of blending filmdom’s
most bankable but seemingly disparate genres – horror and comedy – but a
successful marriage of the two is a tricky business at best.The gold standard films of these hybrid would
be, generationally, Abbott & Costello
Meet Frankenstein (1948), Young
Frankenstein (1974) or, I suppose, Ghostbusters
(1984) should one choose to go “modern-contemporary.â€Parodies of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr.
Jekyll and Mr. Hyde would serve as a virtual cottage industry of horror-comedy fusion,
these pastiches encompassing the silent era, animated shorts, features, and
even pornographic films.Having already
challenged the Frankenstein monster, Abbott and Costello would eventually take
on other classic movie monsters, including Boris Karloff’s Mr. Hyde in an
entertaining 1953 Universal Studios production.I like that one a lot.
Charles B. Griffith’s Dr.
Heckyl & Mr. Hype (Cannon Group, 1980) is one of the odder
entries.It’s difficult to exactly pinpoint
this production’s various misfires, but Dr.
Heckyl & Mr. Hype ultimately displays more madness than madcap charm.This brand new release on Blu-ray by Scorpion
Releasing promotes the film as nothing less than a “Long Sought after Cult
Classic,†and I guess it might be… but only if screened before an audience of
undemanding and sleepy stoners attending a midnight movie. It’s a shame really as
there’s a cadre of proven talent both behind and in front of the cameras.Director Charles B. Griffith cut his teeth in
the movie business contributing playfully winking screenplays to low budget
exploitation films for industry maverick Roger Corman.Some of the quickly tossed-off monochrome films
he helped construct – most notably Bucket
of Blood (1959) and Little Shoppe of
Horrors (1960) – would go on to achieve acclaim as true pop culture
classics.
It’s of interest that simultaneous to the 1960 release of
Corman and Griffith’s Little Shoppe of
Horrors to the U.S. drive-in circuit, a little know twenty-two year old
British actor named Oliver Reed would appear, un-credited, in the Hammer
Studios horror film The Two Faces of Dr.
Jekyll (Terence Fisher, 1960).That
Griffith and Reed work together some twenty-years on Dr. Heckyl & Mr. Hype would suggest – on some cosmic level, I
suppose - a neat closing of the circle.But it’s sadly more akin to the tightening of a noose.
Griffith gets sole credit for the film’s screenplay –
although a sub-title acknowledges his “Apologies to Robert Louis Stevenson,â€
the author of the classic 1886 novella “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll &
Mr. Hyde.â€Griffith’s script, for all
its faults, does offer an interesting twist on the classic tale… even if that
twist is only a variation of Jerry Lewis’s The
Nutty Professor (1963).Oliver
Reed’s Dr. Henry Heckyl is, unlike the prosperous physician of Stevenson’s
creation, an eccentric podiatrist, one of three doctors (“Heckyl, Hinkle and
Hooâ€) operating out of San Texaco’s quirky Robert A. Coogan Memorial Clinic.
What’s different here is Dr. Heckyl, as he himself admits
forthrightly, possesses a “Face that Spoils a Sunny Day.â€Though nattily dressed, he is dreadful in
appearance.His skin is of a green-gray
pallor and spotted with skin lesions, festering sores and ulcerations. His nose
is bulbous and serrated.His teeth are
brown, razor-sharp and crooked, and a bird’s nest of a fright wig sits upon his
hideous noggin.One of his eyes is
completely red, the other completely green.He walks stoop-shouldered and slumbering through his sunny suburban neighborhood,
frightening – or, at the very least - making everyone around him uncomfortable in
his approach.Some look away from him in
sympathy, some in obvious distaste.
The Papermill Playhouse in Millburn, New Jersey, has scored another potential monster hit with its presentation of "Chasing Rainbows: The Road to Oz", which presents the life of Judy Garland from her early days as a child hoofer and singer through her starring role as Dorothy in MGM's "The Wizard of Oz" at age 16. With a star-making performance by Ruby Rakos, the production hits all the right notes in terms of feel-good family entertainment, as evidenced by the enthusiastic ovation matinee presentation we attended. The show incorporates plenty of classic songs along with some bright new numbers by David Libby, with lyrics by Tina Marie Casemento. It's directed and choreographed at a brisk pace and considerable skill by Denis Jones. This year marks the 50th anniversary of Judy Garland's untimely death. Sadly, as with other legendary celebrities who died tragically before their time, the achievements of Garland's work on stage and in cinema inevitably become compromised by the clouded aspects of her personal life. The new, acclaimed big screen biography dwells on these aspects of her life and career. "Chasing Rainbows", however, deftly avoids this pitfall by concentrating only on her early days as a rising star for MGM. Thus, a more upbeat experience for the audience is ensured, which is probably why Liza Minnelli has enthusiastically endorsed the production.
The story begins with young Judy already in show business as part of family act, performing with her mother and father and her two sisters. The sisters ultimately formed a trio known as The Gumm Sisters (Garland's birth name was Frances Ethel Gumm.) The family struggles financially but her perpetually upbeat parents are determined to find success for the family in show business, thus they head off to Hollywood. Things look grim until Garland lands a contract at MGM, then firmly under the dictatorial control of Louis B. Mayer. She goes through the usual ritual of the era that contract players were subjected to as they are trained to sing, act and dance. Garland, however, is routinely denied promising roles because she is deemed to be unattractive and pudgy. She befriends Mickey Rooney, who reaches mega star status first and becomes one of MGM's most bankable assets. The engrossing book by Marc Acito plays a bit loose with the facts, implying that prior to "The Wizard of Oz" , Garland was struggling at the studio. While it's true her talents were not being capitalized on properly, in fact, she had landed a starring role opposite Rooney the previous year in "Love Finds Andy Hardy". The story follows Garland's frustrations with attempting to land the role of Dorothy in "Oz", but Mayer is intent on casting Shirley Temple. Mayer was convinced that she lacked sex appeal and was largely content to use her for vocal assignments. We watch as the starry-eyed Judy intermingles with her idol Clark Gable (Sean Thompson) and other Hollywood dignitaries, which helps dispel some of the downbeat aspects of her grueling schedule. We all know how events eventually transpired with Garland succeeding in landing her most beloved role. However, if you are expecting to see Dorothy and her companions skipping and singing down the Yellow Brick Road, be aware that the show ends shortly after Garland is finally cast as Dorothy. (Amusingly, she meets her would-be co-star Buddy Ebsen on the set, as he was originally cast as the Tin Man before a reaction to the makeup forced him to bow out and be replaced by Jack Haley.) "Oz" fanatics might be a bit let down, especially since the ad campaign depicts Garland skipping down a road but there is so much else to admire in the production, any hints of of disappointment are likely to be quickly overcome.
The
Annihilators is a
Spring 1985-lensed action film with lots of action and zero excitement. Coming
on the heels of Ted Kotcheff’s masterful 1982 Vietnam-themed film version of
David Morrell’s 1972 novel, First Blood, which itself spawned several
lifeless sequels including the latest and critically reviled Rambo: Last
Blood a mere 37 years after the superior original. (One cannot help but
think of the Rocky XXXVIII poster seen in 1982’s Airplane II: The
Sequel, and even that film was inferior to its own original). The
admittedly low-budget and bargain-basement Annihilators uses a familiar
theme to string together several long-winded and ultimately soporific action set
pieces that consist primarily of master shots with very little intercutting and
close-ups, but not before we get a credit sequence which sets the appearance of
onscreen names to the sound of machine gun fire. Clever! The 1980s were a time
of teen sex comedies, Freddy Krueger nightmares, and action films. The superior
examples of the latter, Mad Max 2/The Road Warrior (1981), Raiders of
the Lost Ark (1981), and Escape From New York (1981) all paved the
way for the less-than-stellar Invasion U.S.A. (1985) and The Delta
Force (1986).
The
Annihilators concerns
townsfolk and proprietors who find themselves at the mercy of gangs and
hoodlums, specifically The Scorpions, The Turks, and The Rollers. These gangs compete
with each other by coercing the store owners into paying them protection money.
If they’re late or light in the envelope, discipline is doled out with a knife
or a bat. A wheelchair-bound Vietnam veteran, already done an injustice by
returning to a society that has no use for him following fighting in an
unwinnable and unpopular war, is killed when coming to another’s rescue. The
leader of The Rollers is Roy Boy Jagger (Paul Koslo) and I must say that I love
that name. It reminds me of Ernest T. Baxter from “The Andy Griffith Showâ€,
however Mr. Koslo infuses the former with exponentially more schoolyard bully menace
than Howard Morris ever did with the latter in the town of Mayberry. Jagger instigates
a rape and kills a female victim in an egregious scene that was initially
censored by international film boards and should have remained that way.
The
brotherhood that the vets have is a tight and lifelong bond because they have
seen things that the average American cannot fathom. We know this because the
film begins with an intro that takes place in the early 1970s that shamelessly
uses stock footage shot during the Vietnam War interspersed with obvious staged
scenes with actors. If you’re a member of the sleaze-film cognoscenti think
of Antonio Margheriti’s Cannibal Apocalypse (1980) and you know exactly
what I mean. Even the artificial explosions are unimpressive. The effort to
infuse this sequence with camaraderie is admirable though ultimately lacking
and is at times silly, especially when the rugged and late actor Christopher
Stone, in a follow-up role to his work in The Howling (1981) and Cujo
(1983), appears here as Bill, the assigned platoon leader who fires off rounds
of ammo while sporting a very obvious 1985 hairstyle. Flash forward to that
very year and it’s Bill who is called to town along with his confederates, two
of whom are Garrett Floyd (Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs) and Ray Track (Gerrit Graham),
to avenge their fallen brother following his funeral. They form factions and
teach the laypeople how to fight. At the center of all of this is Lieutenant Hawkins (Jim Antonio) who
has been brought in to keep the gangs in check. Naturally, it’s a losing
battle, especially since the gunfire that erupts in the streets between the
townsfolk and the thugs go on for minutes at a time with the cops riding in
miraculously at the last minute. The unspoken rule of the police department
seems to be to let these people fight it out in the streets and deal with it
all later and take the credit. The whole affair looks more like an extended episode
of The A-Team than a feature film. Even the truant kids look less like delinquents
and more like a group that was told to run around the corner and act bad while knocking
over some trash cans.
Actor Robert Forster has passed away from brain cancer at age 78. Forster enjoyed a long career that included many major feature films as well appearances on popular television shows. He made his feature film debut in director John Huston's 1967 pyscho-sexual drama "Reflections in a Golden Eye". In the film, Forster played a hunky U.S. Army private with a penchant for taking nude nighttime horseback rides, a scenario that obsesses a secretly gay officer played by Marlon Brando. He would soon land a plum supporting role opposite Gregory Peck in the 1969 western thriller "The Stalking Moon". That same year, Forster had a rare leading role in director Haskell Wexler's controversial and acclaimed counter-culture drama "Medium Cool" that chronicled the riots at the `1968 Democratic convention in Chicago. Stardom didn't follow, however, and Forster soon found himself laboring in supporting roles in mostly forgettable films. He would later admit that by the mid-1990s his career was virtually over. That's when Quentin Tarantino, a long-time admirer of his work, cast him in his 1997 film "Jackie Brown". The role of Max Cherry would earn Forster a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination and revitalize his career. From that point on, Forster worked consistently in films and television including key roles in David Lynch's reboot of "Twin Peaks" and "Breaking Bad". His latest project, the feature film "El Camino: Breaking Bad", has just been released. For more on his life and career, click here.
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.
The 1960s spawned a number of thrillers that were blatantly intended to emulate the style and content of Alfred Hitchcock's films. The best of the lot was Stanley Donen's "Charade" (1963) which can be described as the best Hitchcock movie that Hitchcock didn't direct. There were others of varying degrees of quality, all of which boasted one-word titles in the manner of many Hitchcock classics. Among them: "Arabaesque", "Masquerade" and "Mirage". Most, but not all, were breezy, lighthearted adventures that pitted a glamorous couple against exotic bad guys in equally exotic locations. Fitting snugly into this sub-genre was "Blindfold", a 1966 romp that paired Rock Hudson and Claudia Cardinale. The movie begins in Manhattan and focuses on Hudson as Dr. Bartholomew Snow, a revered psychiatrist to the rich who is also one of the city's most eligible bachelors, probably because he looks a lot like Rock Hudson. Snow has a comfortable life running a successful practice. His sole employee is his devoted secretary Smitty (an amusing Anne Seymour), an older woman who speaks to him more like a son than an employer. Smitty keeps a file on Snow's failed romantic relationships and constantly needles him about being a serial proposer. However, he always gets cold feet before he walks down the aisle and early in the film, we see him call off yet another engagement with a frustrated (but unseen) lover. One afternoon while enjoying a horseback ride in Central Park, Snow is approached by one General Prat (Jack Warden), who is affiliated with a top secret U.S. intelligence agency. He explains to Snow that one of his former patients, an esteemed government scientist named Arthur Vincenti (Alejandro Rey) has become the target of a crime syndicate that is looking to kidnap him and deliver him to a foreign power (presumably the Soviets) so that he can be forced to divulge important information. Pratt explains that Vincenti is under guard at a secret location that can't be divulged. He also tells Snow that Vincenti is in an emotionally fragile state and is babbling incoherently. He hopes that by seeing Snow once again, he will allow the doctor to treat him. Snow reluctantly agrees to help only to find that he can't be told where Vicenti is being held. To get there, he is taken on a plane to a remote area, then blindfolded and driven to the hideaway. Snow makes the trip on numerous occasions but finds that Vincenti is not responsive to his treatments.
Back in Manhattan, Snow is accosted by a beautiful, irate young woman, Vicky (Cardinale), who is Vicenti's sister. She believes that her brother has been kidnapped and that Snow is partly to blame. You can pretty much take it from there, as these types of films go. The two squabble and yell at each other and then become romantically involved. Before long, they learn that both Arthur and the General have been kidnapped. In order to save them, Snow must use his memory and sense perception to try to recreate the journey to the lost hideaway he had visited many times. This is only one of the more far-fetched elements of the script and it isn't very convincingly brought off. However, "Blindfold" is a lot of fun thanks to the charisma of Hudson and Cardinale, who have real chemistry together. Director Philip Dunne keeps the pace brisk but goes off course with a fight set inside a Central Park boat house that is played with enough slapstick to mirror an episode of "Batman". Still, the film gets better as it proceeds and the finale, which finds Hudson and Cardinale trying to penetrate a dangerous swamp to thwart the villains, is very well done. Dunne, who co-wrote the screenplay with W.H. Menger based on Lucille Fletcher's novel, blends action and comedy rather successfully and the film is aided by a fine turn by Guy Stockwell as a villain with a stutter. There are also funny supporting turns by Brad Dexter and Vito Scotti. Jack Warden, as usual, is in top form as the cigar-chomping general.
"Blindfold" doesn't approach "Charade" in terms of style or wit but it's never dull and one can do worse than to spend 102 minutes in the company of Rock Hudson and Claudia Cardinale. The film has been released by Kino Lorber on Blu-ray. The transfer looks terrific but the only extras are the original trailer and trailers for other thrillers available from the company.
Cinema Retro has received the following press release:
Prop
Store
– one of the world’s leading film and TV memorabilia companies has today announced
it is to hold its fourth cinema poster live auction this November, with the James
Bond poster collection on offer expected to fetch in excess of
£250,000.
The auction is to be held at Prop Store’s UK headquarters in Rickmansworth.
Over 460
rare and sought-after James Bond posters and memorabilia will be sold during Prop Store’s Cinema PosterLive
Auction on Tuesday 5th November
2019.
Items will be available to
view by appointment at Prop Store in the run up to the auction from Monday 7th
October. The auction will be live-streamed online for fans to track the bidding
on auction day.
Top
items to be sold at Prop Store’s Cinema Poster auction (with estimated sale
prices) include:
1.Dr. No
Quad Poster (1962) £8,000
- £10,000 ($10k-12.5k)
2.Goldfinger
US Subway Poster (1964) £6,000 - £8,000 ($7.5k-10k)
3.Thunderball
US Door Panels (1965) £25,000-30,000($31.5-37.5k)
4.Casino
Royale US Door Panels (1967) £5,000-8,000
($6k-10k)
5.Thunderball
UK Quad Advance Poster (1965) £10,000-12,000 ($12.5k-15k)
Stephen Lane, Prop Store CEO,
commented on the upcoming auction: “Prop Store’s cinema poster auctions go from
strength-to-strength and we are delighted now to be able to offer the
Carter-Jones James Bond Poster Collection. The auction of this world-renowned
collection represents the largest ever offering of James Bond posters in the
auction market. This is a fantastic opportunity for all serious Bond collectorsâ€
Mike Bloomfield, Prop Store’s
poster expert said: “This
auction includes some posters which have either never been seen before in the
auction market or appear only once every 10-15 years. There is a staggering
choice of Bond posters from around the world and at prices to suit all pockets.
We expect global interest in this unique auctionâ€.
Director Joe Dante's "Trailers from Hell" web site presents a daily dose of tributes to cult and classic movies. Here, John Landis goes ape over the joys of Ed Wood's schlock classic "The Bride and the Beast".
It was perhaps inevitable that the
well-respected Austrian label Cinepolit would make the leap into distributing
Euro Cult movies, such is their love for all things exploitative and the fast-paced
‘70s scene. And true to their reputation of high quality records and CDs, Cineploit
have cut no corners in producing their first four highly impressive Blu-ray media
book releases.
La
Polizia Ha Le Mani Legate (aka Killer Cop, 1975)
(CP01) is certainly a fine way to launch Cineploit’s new catalogue of film
releases. It’s a movie that comes from the very heart of the Italian
poliziottesco genre. As Director, Luciano Ercoli had also made several giallo
movies, and produced some Spaghetti Westerns. La Polizia Ha Le Mani Legate
draws largely on the real life Piazza Fontana bombing which happened in Milan (where
the film was shot) in 1969. As to be expected, there is plenty of over-acting
from the Italian cast (Claudo Cassinelli, Franco Fabrizi), whilst Arthur
Kennedy tries to maintain a calmer exterior. The action scenes are good, but it
is also clear (especially in the bomb sequence) that the budget was largely
restricted. The English audio track does throw up some funny translations and
there’s plenty of those Seventies, slappy sound effects when the fists begin to
fly! Naturally, whatever audio track you select (there is also an Italian and
German track) there is always composer Stelvio Cipriani’s great score which
helps it along its 97 minutes. The picture and audio quality are very good, yet,
it still maintains that unique grindhouse ‘70s look: clean and sharp, with
muted urban colours – just as it should be.
In fact, Stelvio Cipriani is featured heavily
among the disc’s bonus features. For starters, we are treated to a 51 minute
interview with the composer (Italian audio with a choice of subtitles).
Cineploit have rather teasingly added ‘Part 1’ to the title of this interview,
so hopefully there will be more to come. There is also a 13 minute interview with
actress Valeria D'Obici (Falena) who also offers some interesting insights and
there is a poster and photo gallery. However, perhaps best of all, Cineploit
have also included composer Cipriani’s full soundtrack in a completely separate
chapter. For me, this concept works far better than an isolated (and sometimes
disjointed) track. Here you get a separate menu with basically the entire 10
tracks from the soundtrack album. The music is clean and delivered in clear 2
channel stereo with the option to select individual tracks or a ‘play all’
option. What a great way to include a soundtrack album as a bonus feature.
Of course, this is just the disc contents.
Aside from this, the overall packaging is superb. Cineploit have never skimped
on their commitment to quality. Their Blu-ray book covers are beautifully
produced using their regular addition of UV spotting (a stand out, high gloss
section). The book case contains an average of 26 pages; packed with
information (this particular edition is all German text), posters, stills and Italian
fotobusta reproductions. If that is not enough, Cineploit have also included a
double sided (2 different designs) fold out poster measuring approx. 11â€x15†and
on gloss paper.
Overall, it’s a great package and one hell of
a way of launching your Blu-ray catalogue.
Non
Contate Su Di Noi (Don't count on us, 1978) (CP02)
marks the worldwide premiere of an unseen and lost film. Set in 1970s Rome, a young musician meets by
chance a beautiful girl in the middle of heroin withdrawal. He falls in love
and tries to help her, discovering a shocking underworld of drugs, junkies and
pushers. Sergio Nutis’s drug drama from the late Seventies is a shattering but
also prosaic contemporary document of the drug scene in Rome. Predominately
placed in the intellectual student scene, heroine dominates their daily routine.
The film was shot using amateurs, most of who were connected to and heavily
involved with the drug scene. The result is a completely authentic experience.
The film was shot on original locations and provides a raw historical and
social document of the circumstances at that particular time. Never before
available on home video, this drugsploitation film is one of the first attempts
to portray the heroin scene of the 1970s, pathing the way for movies such as Christiane
F (1981), El Pico (1982) and Amore Tossico (1983). The film also features a memorable
folk rock score by Maurizio Rota (leader of the band Alberomotore) and features
songs by some of the most interesting names from the Italian indie music scene
of the 1970s, including Alan Sorrenti and Canzoniere del Lazio.
Sadly, the movie’s destiny was rather short-lived.
After a short run in a handful of Rome’s cinemas, and initial screenings at two
festivals in Italy and Switzerland, the planned distribution company fell into
bankruptcy and as a result, the film faded in obscurity. Thankfully, the movie’s
brand-new 2K restoration by Cineteca Nazionale has made this underground
classic available for all to enjoy.
The film is presented in its original Italian
Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono audio with the option of German and English subtitles.
The disc also contains an interview with producer & actor Manfredi Marzano
(11 min), an interview with friend of Sergio Nuti, Marco Tullio Giordano (7 min)
and a deleted (censored) scene which basically saw actress Francesca Ferrari
dropping to her knees during the shower sequence. There is also a photo gallery
included. Cineploit’s overall packaging is again very impressive. The Blu-ray hardcover
media book with partial UV Spot contains 24 pages including an essay (in German
and English) by Udo Rotenberg (host of Deep Red Radio) and promotional material
and stills from the movie. Sadly, there is no poster reproduction included with
this release, which is probably due to the film’s very limited distribution.
As best as I can determine, Curse III: Blood Sacrifice was never screened theatrically, at
least not in the U.S. or England.It
seems to have been unceremoniously trafficked directly to home video in
1990.The owners of the film chose to best
capitalize on their investment by gamely resorting to placing full page
advertisements in home-video industry trade publications, an attempt to get VHS
retailers and rental stores to add the movie to their inventories.They boldly claimed in their promotional that
the film was a genuine “Horror/Thriller in the tradition of The Serpent and the Rainbow,†a
reference to Wes Craven’s and Universal Studio’s more celebrated voodoo film of
1988.And while Curse III bore no thematic – or even tangential - relationship to
the earlier “Curse†films (The Curse
(1987) and Curse II: The Bite (1989),
the ad boasted to retailers they had sold over “60,000†copies of this
semi-franchise’s first two films… so why not give this newest film – one featuring
the great Christopher Lee (described in their broadside as the “Master of
Suspense and Horrorâ€) - a fair shot?
Scorpion Releasing’s new Blu Ray of Curse III: Blood Sacrifice is, technically, not the film’s first
digital release.The film first appeared
on laser disc in 1990, courtesy of RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video, and this
was soon followed by a more consumer-friendly VHS release originally retailing
for $59.95.It disappeared from shelves
soon thereafter, though it was infrequently broadcast in the US under the
film’s original title Panga and released
in the Beta format in the UK under the amended title of Witchcraft.The film would thereafter
languish in semi-obscurity until 2015 when MGM re-issued the film on a blandly
packaged DVD as part of the studio’s Limited Edition Series.
Curse
III
would not only serve as the vehicle marking Barton’s directorial debut, but
also his first as co-screenwriter (having worked alongside South African
scenarist John Hunt).Their screenplay
was based on a story supplied by the Johannesburg-based actor and occasional
writer Richard Haddon Haines.If the
script’s storyline and characterizations are a bit thin, the film still manages
to move along at a pace brisk enough to satisfy the more forgiving horror film
devotees.
Carroll as the glamorous Dominique Deveraux in "Dynasty".
BY LEE PFEIFFER
Actress Diahann Carroll has passed away at age 84 from breast cancer. Carroll was the consummate performer, making her mark on stage, in recordings and In television and feature films. The Bronx native had a modest start in life before winning a television talent contest that ultimately led her to being cast in director Otto Preminger's film "Carmen Jones" in 1954. The mercurial Preminger was pleased with her work and cast her again in his 1959 big screen production of "Porgy and Bess", though Carroll's singing voice was dubbed in the film, an ironic decision considering she was known for her ability to impress audiences with her crooning. Carroll caught the attention of legendary composer Richard Rodgers, who wrote the Broadway production "No Strings" for her. The 1962 production saw Carroll winning a Tony award.
Carroll with Marc Copage in the landmark 1968 sitcom "Julia".
Carroll's most notable career achievement occurred when she was cast in the title role of the NBC sitcom "Julia" in 1968. She portrayed a widowed mother of a young son who was working as a nurse to a lovable but grumpy doctor played by Lloyd Nolan. The show aired during one of the most turbulent eras of the 20th century when racial tensions were high in America. Bill Cosby had broken the glass ceiling for black leading men with his Emmy-winning role in "I Spy" but Carroll's character was also a breakthrough, representing the first time television had depicted an African-American woman in a leading role as a sophisticated adult. She was smart, witty, hard-working and had plenty of sex appeal. The show was criticized for being too meek in regard to dealing with the racial issues of the day but there is no doubt that "Julia"'s status as a hit sitcom (it ran three seasons) went a long way to changing perceptions in white America about the characterization of black women. Carroll was nominated for an Emmy for the role and also won a Golden Globe. She periodically appeared in feature films including "Paris Blues", Preminger's "Hurry Sundown", "The Split" and the romantic comedy "Claudine", for which she received an Oscar nomination. She lobbied for and got a key role in the weekly prime time series "Dynasty" in the 1980s, fulfilling her dream of playing a glamorous "bad girl". For more on her life and career, click here for NY Times obituary.
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.
Sunday, 29 September saw the BFI in London celebrating "Bond Day", the annual worldwide homage to agent 007. This year marks the 50th anniversary of "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" as well as the 40th anniversary of "Moonraker" and the 20th for "The World is Not Enough". I'd been with Cinema Retro's cover guy for our latest issue, actor John Richardson, and we’d been looking at shots from when he’d auditioned for the role of
Bond in "OHMSS" back in 1969. As John himself said “I wasn’t right for the role.
I wasn’t the right build and the guy who did do it was far more suited to the
role than meâ€. That “other fella†that John was referring to was George Lazenby
who attended a post-screening Q&A of "OHMSS" with David Walliams. This event
was worth the ticket price alone as it resulted in what the BFI called “The bluest
interview†on its stage ever. The reason it was unforgettable were the stories
that George shared from the filming of his first and only appearance as 007
(bar "Return of The Man from U.N.C.L.E." and a couple of ads and guest spots in which he played a thinly-veiled 007-like character). Probably
the most memorable was when George told of his first day on set when the crew
had taped a German Sausage to his inside leg under his kilt in order to get a
reaction from the girl who put her hand there up there in the film to write her
room number on his inner thigh. George and the crew were expecting screams of
fright but actress Angela Scoular was merely nonplussed and just asked “Aren’t
you wearing underwear� I think this says more for her long-time boyfriend
Lesley Phillips than anything else!
George also discussed his time with Bruce
Lee, as it was George who Bruce was dining with on the night he died. In a
scene very similar to the one in Quentin Tarantino’s recent "Once Upon a Time In
Hollywood", George regaled us with stories of his time with Bruce. He said the
reason they became friends is that Bruce, just like in the Tarantino film, was always surrounded
by groups of people and was discussing how long it would take to dispatch those standing
around him at the time. He went round each person, from actors to stunt men to
bodyguards with answers like “10 seconds, 30 seconds, one minute†until he got
to George. He looked at Lazenby and said “I’m not sure how long it would take
me to get you down, George. How long do you think� George said he just looked
at Bruce and said “As long as it takes you to catch meâ€.From that moment he and Bruce were friends. This
memorable screening was followed by "Moonraker", which was just as well-received.
The Q&A after this screening (which was a rare big screen showcase for
Derek Meddings amazing special effects) included Martine Beswick, Carole Ashby, composer
David Arnold, David Walliams and director John Glen. Again, some of the stories
were quite ear-opening yet just as informative (and as blue!) as George’s had
been. Humor has always been an important component of Bond, and I’m hoping there will be some of it on display in Daniel Craig’s last outing "No
Time to Die" which wrapped that day too, making September 29th, 2019 a Bond-tastic one
for all fans of Agent 007.
(Photos copyright Mark Mawston. All rights reserved.)
Cinema Retro has been apprised of the forthcoming release
of the new film Spirits in the Forest, a documentary that follows six of the
most dedicated fans of the electronic band Depeche Mode, which was formed in
Basildon, Essex, England in 1980. Ranked at number 98 by VH1 in December 2016
on their list of 100 Greatest Artists of All Time, Depeche Mode has
played to millions of fans the world over, with hits ranging from “Just Can’t
Get Enough†(1981) to “People Are People†(1984) to “Suffer Well†(2005) to
“Precious†(2005) to their latest album Spirit in (2017).
Please read the press release below from Trafalgar
Releasing, the company that released the Rush theatrical extravaganza Cinema
Strangiato in August.
London, UK, September 26: Depeche Mode, along with
Trafalgar Releasing, Sony Music Entertainment and BBH Entertainment, today have
launched the official film trailer for Depeche Mode: SPIRITS in the
Forest, with cinema tickets for the worldwide November 21 release now
available at spiritsintheforest.com.
The brand new feature-length film, directed by award-winning filmmaker and
long-time artistic collaborator Anton Corbijn, Depeche Mode: SPIRITS in
the Forest, delves deeply into the emotional stories of six
special Depeche Mode fans from across the globe, giving audiences a
unique look into music’s incredible power to connect and empower people. Along
with these key fan stories, the film integrates performance footage from the
two final shows of the band’s 2017/2018 Global Spirit Tour, which saw them play
to over 3 million fans at 115 performance dates around the world.
SPIRITS in the Forest will be screened in more than 2,400 cinemas
around the world on November 21. Tickets are on-sale from today at
spiritsintheforest.com, where fans can find the most up-to-date information
regarding participating theaters and sign up for event alerts.
It was the era of The Graduate and Midnight
Cowboy. Family films were being replaced by more subversive, sophisticated
movies. This did not mean audiences had entirely lost interest in wholesome
entertainment. Nor did the stars themselves, especially those from past
decades. One of them was Lucille Ball.
Although television took up much of her
career, she appeared in four motion pictures during the 1960s. Perhaps the most
successful of them was Yours, Mine and
Ours, released in April of 1968. The project had been in development for
several years. It was originally titled The
Beardsley Story and then His, Hers
and Theirs. The script was based on the book “Who Gets the Drumstick?†by
Helen Eileen Beardsley, who chronicled her own real life experiences. Desilu had always
been slated to produce the movie, since it was Ball's company.
When casting choices were being made,
Lucille wanted her children to be in the film. They auditioned, each making a
screen test. Unfortunately, the director, Melville Shavelson, did not think
neither Lucie or Desi Jt. was right. They would get their chance to act
alongside their mother in her next series, Here's
Lucy.
With Ball as Helen North Beardsley, it
was decided that Henry Honda would play opposite her. This marked the second
time they worked together. In 1942, Lucille and Henry starred in The Big Street. With the major stars in place, it was
time to focus on the supporting roles. Van Johnson would play Darrell, Frank’s
navy buddy. Tim Matheson was cast as Mike, the eldest son of Fonda’s character.
Louise, another child of Frank’s, was portrayed by Morgan Brittany.
As Helen and Frank, the chemistry
between Ball and Fonda sparkled. Because of their previous working
relationship, Lucille and Henry were comfortable around each other. Even when
not filming, they openly displayed affection. Jane Fonda always said her father
loved Lucy.
The plot starts out simply. Helen and
Frank are widowed. Both lonely and dealing with the challenges of raising large
families, they are set up by Darrell. Although they really like each other, the
couple wonders if the difficulty of reading eighteen kids is too much. Their
feelings for one another prevail, and they eventually marry. Before long, the
Beardsleys find themselves expecting their first child together. At the same
time, they are trying to unite the feuding, bitter children.
Production didn’t always run smoothly.
Lucille, who was used to assuming executive duties, took control of the set,
sometimes to the consternation of director Melville Shavelson. Then, there was
the uncertainty of the star herself. There were times when Lucille questioned
her ability to transform herself into Helen. One particular scene was
especially difficult for her. It involved her going to Frank's house to meet
his children for the first time. Still mourning the loss of their mother, the
kids feel as though Helen is attempting to replace her. As a way of showing
their disdain for Helen, the kids pour excessive amounts of alcohol into her
drink. Helen becomes so intoxicated that she breaks into fits of laughter and
then tears. Lucy did not think she could convincingly act so hysterically but in the end,
came through with flying colors. Imagine one of the world's greatest stars experiencing
doubts about switching back and forth between emotions.
One would have thought the scenes
centering around Helen's pregnancy would have caused her anxiety. They must
have meant something to Lucille, for she had longed to have more children.
Several years earlier, when she was in the process of making recordings for her
unfinished memoir, she mentioned her disappointment at no longer being able
to have a baby. At fifty-seven, she looked younger than her age suggested.
Regardless of Lucille's reproductive inability, she cradled the infant in the
final minutes of the movie just like he had been one of her own.
If there were any tensions on the set,
neither Henry nor Lucille allowed them to interfere with their performances.
They sought advice from each other. She found relaxation in needlework. During
his time away from the studio, Henry painted.
I first saw Yours, Mine and Ours in 1996. It had a profound impact on me. That
was my introduction to the later work of Lucille Ball. Coincidentally, it was
the first movie I ever watched that I would go on to consider a classic. A
remake was filmed in 2004. It pales in contrast to the original. No one can
play Helen and Frank the way Lucille and Henry did. That is why the 1968
version of Yours, Mine and Ours still
remains- in the opinion of this writer- one of the funniest, most heartwarming
movies ever made.
(Barbara Irvin has been featured in
numerous publications, including The
Beverly Hills Courier and Classic
Images. This is her second article for Cinema
Retro.)
(For Cinema Retro's previously published review of the Blu-ray release, click here)
Francis Ford Coppola was used to bucking the studio honchos in terms of fighting to bring his vision of a film to the big screen. There were epic battles behind the scenes on "The Godfather" but his experiences on the ill-fated production of "The Cotton Club" in 1984 broke down his will to resist. The movie, which was set in the legendary Harlem nightclub in the heyday of great artists such as Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong, went far over-budget. There were constantly legal squabbles, shady characters that would have been at home in the film itself, a real-life murder and racist pressure from the studio to cut out footage of the African-American stars, Gregory and Maurice Hines, the famous brothers who gained reach fame with their tandem dance numbers. By the time the film opened, the knives were out for it. The movie became an expensive bomb and Coppola always felt a sense of guilt that he had compromised his own production and the contributions of the Hines brothers. He financed a complete re-edit of the film, adding back key scenes and musical production numbers so that the movie finally resembles the film he originally envisioned. It will premiere at the New York Film Festival on October 5 under the title "The Cotton Club Encore". Word-of-mouth is excellent and Coppola, who likes to amend some of his key films from an artistic standpoint, may finally see the acclaim for the production that he once envisioned. Click here to read more in Vanity Fair.