Columnists
Entries from December 2023
"KUBRICK:
AN ODYSSEY”
By
Robert P. Kolker and Nathan Abrams
(UK: Faber & Faber; ISBN: 978-0571370368; January
2024)
(US:
Pegasus Books; ISBN: 978-1639366248; February 2024)
“ANATOMY
OF AN ARTIST”
By
Raymond Benson
Several
biographies of filmmaker Stanley Kubrick have been published, as well as numerous
books on the director’s filmography, works on specific movies, and pieces of ephemeral
studies. It is said that more has been written about Stanley Kubrick than any
other important cinema artist except for Alfred Hitchcock.
Now
comes the hefty, superb tome by Robert P. Kolker and Nathan Abrams, Kubrick:
An Odyssey. As someone who has been a Kubrick aficionado since the late
1960s, having read nearly all the existing titles about him, been to his estate
in England, visited his archives at London’s University of Arts, and currently know
members of his family, I can confidently say that Kubrick: An Odyssey is
the most outstanding biographical work on this enigmatic and challenging
filmmaker to date.
Previous
biographies, while admirable, suffered from the lack of enough material, due to
inaccessibility, about Kubrick’s personal life. Granted, Stanley Kubrick was an
extremely private individual and he guarded his privacy as if it were a fortress.
Most of the books out there are simply examinations and analyses of Kubrick’s
films (and many are excellent). The closest we got to an intimately personal
look at Stanley Kubrick was the 2012 memoir by his trusted driver and
assistant, Emilio D’Alessandro (co-written with Filippo Ulivieri), Stanley
Kubrick and Me.
The
new book by Kolker and Abrams changes that. With access to Kubrick’s archives
and to family members, the authors have penetrated the mountains of
correspondence and the treasure troves of boxes that Kubrick left behind after
his sudden passing in March 1999, four-and-a-half months before the premiere of
his final feature, Eyes Wide Shut.
It’s
a big book, one that covers every aspect of Kubrick’s life from childhood to death.
Thankfully, it is not written in an academic style; Kubrick: An Odyssey is
immensely readable, it moves through the years with surprising details that
many fans have never seen before. Want to know more about Kubrick’s first two
marriages or who he dated in-between them? You can find out here! Additionally,
the authors do not fawn over their subject; they are not afraid to uncover the
warts, such as his curious battles with co-screenwriters over ownership. And
yet, overall, Stanley Kubrick comes off as a human being who was devoted to his
family, his home, and above all else, his work. This biography is an anatomy of
an artist who insisted on carving a career path according to his own rules,
convention be damned.
Devotees
of the filmmaker will learn more about Kubrick’s unrealized projects throughout
the years. Many of these we knew about, but we perhaps didn’t have insight into
how he might have made such possible films as Burning Secret, based on a
Stefan Zweig novel about a rich baron who seduces a woman at a hotel spa by
befriending her twelve-year-old son. Its themes of jealousy, illicit affairs,
and confidences might have been an early take on what much later became Eyes
Wide Shut. Kubrick had always had an interest in the subject of marital
jealousy and had wanted to create something on that topic as far back as the
1950s.
Another
tantalizing tidbit, first mentioned by biographer John Baxter, is that in 1960,
Kubrick may have been speaking to executives at MCA about adapting for
television a detective series, Dr. Brilliant, created by none other than
Ian Fleming!
The
usual tropes of Kubrick’s perfectionism and obstinate penchant for multiple
takes on movie sets are discussed, and many are put to rest as myths. The
authors cannily peel back the façade that the press and PR have painted of
Kubrick. Underneath is a man of extraordinary intellect who deeply cared about
his art. He took great pains—and lengthy amounts of time—to first choose and
then come to grips with a project in order to develop the passion he required
to invest the energy into seeing them through to fruition. Coupled with this
fervor for cinema is Kubrick’s family man persona—once he had settled into his successful
third marriage, he was surrounded by women (his wife and three daughters) and
an abundance of dogs and cats (he was an animal lover, and that says a lot
about Stanley Kubrick’s personality).
For
the films themselves, there is plenty here about the morsels that generated
Kubrick’s cult of followers—Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey,
A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon, The Shining, Full
Metal Jacket, and all the others are discussed in depth.
For
anyone interested in cinema history, exceptional filmmaking, and a director who
rightly earned the label of auteur, Kubrick: An Odyssey is an
exceptional, thorough biography of one of the most renowned and controversial
names in motion pictures.
Click here to pre-order from Amazon USA Click here to pre-order from Amazon UK
By Ernie Magnotta
Due to the financial success of the highly
enjoyable 1985 martial arts/actioner American
Ninja, a sequel was quickly put into production which would feature the
return of stars Michael Dudikoff and Steve James as well as director Sam
Firstenberg.
Written by James Booth and Gary Conway (from
a story by Conway), American Ninja 2: The
Confrontation finds our heroes—US Army Rangers Sergeant Joe Armstrong
(Dudikoff) and Sergeant Curtis Jackson (James)—travelling to the Caribbean in
order to search for a group of Marines that have gone missing. Once there, they
find that an evil drug lord known as the Lion (Gary Conway) has been
brainwashing and genetically enhancing soldiers, transforming them into
superhuman Ninja killers. Are the Ninjitsu skills of Armstrong and Jackson
enough to stop the Lion from turning the missing Marines into deadly Super
Ninjas?
Filmed in South Africa and released by Cannon
Films on May 1, 1987, American Ninja 2:
The Confrontation, while not as solid or as successful as its predecessor,
is still a very fun, 80s adventure. It’s no surprise that veteran action
director Firstenberg expertly handles the film’s many exciting action sequences,
and the cast, led by the talented Dudikoff and James, is a joy to watch. The
film clocks in at a brief 90 minutes and features familiar faces such as
Conway, Jeff Weston and karate champion Mike Stone; not to mention legendary
actor/stuntman Kane Hodder (Jason from the Friday
the 13th franchise) in a brief role as a thug. If, like me,
you’re a fan of super fun 80s action flicks, Dudikoff, James, or all three, you’ll
find plenty to enjoy here.
American Ninja 2: The
Confrontation has
been released on a region one Blu-ray by Kino Lorber and is presented in its
original 1.85:1 aspect ratio. As with the KLedition of the 1985 film, the
sequel looks and sounds fantastic. The special features include two informative
audio commentaries: one by director Firstenberg (moderated by filmmaker/editor
Elijah Drenner) and another by Firstenberg and Stunt Coordinator BJ Davis.
There is also the featurette: An American
Ninja in Cape Town: The Making of American Ninja 2 as well as the original theatrical
trailer. The Blu-ray also comes with an eye-catching slipcover.
Click here to order from Amazon
By Todd Garbarini
If Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey
(1968), Joseph Sargent’s Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970), Sir Ridley
Scott’s Blade Runner (1982), Simon Wincer’s D.A.R.Y.L. (1985),
and the television show Small Wonder (1985 – 1989) are all about
anything that we can be absolutely sure of, they are about prescience and the
coming of “Artificial Intelligence.” Following Stanford University professor John
McCarthy’s 1955 Dartmouth workshop and his introduction of the term “Artificial
Intelligence,” or “AI” as it is generally referred to now, AI means many things
to many different people today. When these outings reached audiences, they were
merely regarded as science fiction, though today there is an argument to be
made that they should be reappraised as science fact. AI was not a term used
when those films were released and has only come into universal parlance with
the release of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in November 2022. One wonders how Alan Turing,
Marvin Minsky, Allen Newell, and Herbert A. Simon, the four men all regarded as
the “founding fathers” of Artificial Intelligence in the early 1950s, would
have regarded these stories and if they were in line with their notions of AI.
Richard Colla’s The Questor Tapes is a
made-for-TV movie that was largely ignored by audiences despite its interesting
premise of a scientist named Emil Vaslovik (Lew Ayres) and his desire to build
a superhuman android named Questor, expertly portrayed by veteran actor Robert
Foxworth. Filmed in 1973 and intended to be the pilot for a projected NBC
series, Questor was the brainchild of Gene Roddenberry, a television
screenwriter and producer who is best known for both being confused with author
Ray Bradbury as well as being the creator of the initially unsuccessful but
later wildly popular sci-fi television series Star Trek. Broadcast on
Wednesday, January 23, 1974, Questor begins with a team of scientific
and electronic experts who, following the disappearance of Vaslovik, attempt to
bring his vision to fruition despite being unable to decode the programming
tape while also accidentally erasing most of the tape’s contents – a nod to the
Watergate scandal of the time?
Geoffrey Darrow (John Vernon) is the new head
of the project, and he butts heads with Vaslovik’s assistant, Jerry Robinson
(Mike Farrell), who interrupts the data transfer and insists that the
programming should be done with the partially erased tapes. When the android
fails to respond, the “experts” leave the facility, dejected. While alone,
Questor, bald and naked, whirrs to life and, in a positively ridiculous
sequence, begins to transform itself from an “it” to a “him” (wait until you
see how it adds hair to its chrome dome), managing to dress itself in clothing
that perfectly fits. Questor sets off on a journey to search for Vaslovik and
hopes to understand his purpose while attempting to fill in the blank spots due
to the erased portions of his memory tapes. To do this, he enlists the help of a
reluctant Robinson. Questor begins by talking the way that a robot would be
perceived to speak, but through his travels with Robinson he begins to sound
more and more human. There is a humorous sequence after the duo make their way
to London and need to obtain more money. Questor solves this issue by using programmed
intelligence to gain the upper hand in a casino sequence that would be later
used by Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman in Barry Levinson’s Rain Man
(1988) and by Jessica Alba in the “Cash Rules Everything Around Me” episode
from October 2000 of the James Cameron-created series Dark Angel.
They make their way to a wealthy Lady Helena
Trimble (Dana Wynter) who worked with Vaslovik and he gleans more info from her
as to his creator’s whereabouts, though he is shot in a park by a soldier and is
summarily returned to the laboratory. Following his repair, Questor sets off to
Mount Ararat, allegedly the location of Noah’s Ark, and locates Vaslovik in a
cave thanks to some nifty matte work by the late great Oscar-winning artist
Albert Whitlock. Vaslovik, as it turns out, is also an android – shades of Blade
Runner? Who can forget the revelatory stuttering of Felix Flankin at the
end of Jules Bass’s 1967 outing Mad Monster Party? I will leave it up to
you, the reader, to have a look at the film to explain the rather involved denouement
but suffice it to say Mr. Roddenberry had a knack for creating projects that
initially went nowhere, then revisiting them and turning them into hits. While Questor
was initially conceived of as a series, with the movie intended as the series
pilot, creative differences between Mr. Roddenberry and NBC forced it to be nixed
and promoted as a one-off movie-of-the-week (known in the industry as an MOW)
which, I feel, explains the film’s abrupt ending. Many of the ideas touched
upon, including the notion of automatons and androids, made their way into the
highly successful Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987 – 1994).
Questor explores themes common to other films
of a similar ilk: What gives us our identity and what constitutes humanity? How
do we, as humans, quench our thirst for knowledge and curiosity? Both Mr. Foxworth
and Mr. Farrell possess good chemistry and it would have been nice to see where
the series went.
The laboratory portions of the film were shot
at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. While the technology of
1973 was considered to be “state-of-the-art” and then destined to become
“soon-to-be-obsolete” as all technology inevitably does (at least according to
Moore’s Law), it’s a kick to see how the experts reach their conclusions as to
how Questor will react to the environment. The special effects are, as you can
well imagine, dated, however the ideas are just as thought-provoking and
visionary and never more topical than when viewed now in an era when robots are
poised to man 18-wheelers, serve customers at fast food joints, and perform
minimum wage tasks deemed repetitive and boring.
Kino Lorber has released the film on Blu-ray,
and it looks great. There is an informative and spirited commentary track by
film historian and screenwriter Gary Gerani. Extraordinarily
knowledgeable and enjoyable to listen to, I will seek out other films that he
speaks on. His commentary encompasses brief but thorough bios of the leading
performers and makes comments on much of the onscreen action, how the sequences
were accomplished, while also delving into matters of the plot and how they
relate to the here-and-now. A first-rate commentary that easily lends itself to
repeated playback.
Rounding out the extras are trailers for the
film, as well as for Fear No Evil (1969), Scream, Pretty Peggy
(1973), Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979), The Groundstar
Conspiracy (1972), The Black Marble (1980), and Fuzz (1972).
Click here to order from Amazon.
“POWELL’S
BIG BANG”
By
Raymond Benson
The
British production, The Edge of the World, was acclaimed director
Michael Powell’s first important feature film. Released in 1937, it was
well-received in the U.K. and it also made something of a splash in the USA
among the more discerning critics and audiences who appreciated non-Hollywood
fare.
Powell
had been working in cinema in various capacities since the silent days as a
still photographer, scriptwriter, and director of short films. Through most of
the 1930s, he helmed over twenty pictures that had diverse levels of success, but
it wasn’t until 1936-37 that he had the chance to make a truly personal film. This
was the “big bang” breakthrough in his movie career.
The
Edge of the World is
based on a newspaper article Powell had read that documented how a remote
island, St. Kilda in the Scottish Outer Hebrides, was losing its population due
to the land’s inability to support the people, and because younger generations were
fleeing to Scotland and England for better opportunities. Powell wrote an
original script involving two families on such an island and how dramatic circumstances
change their lives.
Unable
to film on St. Kilda, Powell chose the northern island of Foula in the Shetland
Islands group. It was suitably similar in both the landscape and the people’s geo-political
issues. With a handful of known actors and by casting many characters from the
locals, Powell and cinematographers Monty Berman, Skeets Kelly, Ernest Palmer,
and Powell himself, captured (even in black and white) the beauty and awesome
grandeur of the cliffs-dominated island.
Two
dominant families on the fictional island of Hirta, the Mansons and the Grays, are
united by an upcoming marriage between Andrew Gray (Niall MacGinnis) and Ruth
Manson (Belle Chrystall). Ruth’s brother, Robbie (Eric Berry) is Andrew’s best
friend. Conflict arises when Robbie announces that he’s leaving the island to
go “see the world” because there’s nothing left on Hirta for him. Losing
someone like Robbie hurts the economy because there aren’t that many strapping
young men to do the fishing and crofting. Andrew attempts to convince Robbie to
stay, but Robbie will have none of it. Andrew’s father (Finlay Currie) is
somewhat sympathetic to Robbie and believes that the islanders’ way of life is
indeed diminishing and that they should all evacuate for the good of their
children’s children. Robbie’s father (John Laurie) disagrees and is determined
to stay, despite his son’s wishes. Andrew and Robbie challenge each other to an
age-old tradition of racing up one of the cliffs to determine if Robbie should
stay or not. The results of the contest are tragic… and this deeply affects the
futures of the two families and the rest of the story.
Michael
Powell appears at the beginning of the film as a yachtsman escorting Andrew
Gray back to the island for reminiscing (the rest of the movie is a flashback).
Short
and tight (at 75 minutes), The Edge of the World is a slice of life to
which few of us today can relate, but it is a well-made, touching depiction of
the story that Powell wanted to tell. Perhaps more important than the movie
itself is the fact that the picture’s reception enabled Powell to go on to
bigger and better projects, such as Thief of Bagdad (1940) and the
eventual brilliant partnership with co-director Emeric Pressburger.
In
fact, the making of The Edge of the World meant so much to Powell that
he returned to Foula in 1978 with a camera crew and some of the surviving
actors to make a short documentary, Return to the Edge of the World.
This half hour program is in full color and is a warm reunion between the
filmmakers and the people who still reside on the island.
Milestone
Film and Video presents a beautifully restored high definition of the feature
film (distributed by Kino Lorber) with an audio commentary by Powell’s widow,
Oscar-winning editor Thelma Schoonmaker, film historian Ian Christie, and
Oscar-winning actor Daniel Day-Lewis reading from Powell’s book on the making
of the film (200,000 Feet on Foula).
Supplements
include alternate scenes; the original trailer; the documentary Return to
the Edge of the World; Powell’s short 1941 film, An Airman’s Letter to
His Mother; and Powell’s home movies shot on Foula, narrated by
Schoonmaker.
The
Edge of the World is
recommended for fans of Michael Powell, Scotland history, and early British
cinema.
Click here to order from Amazon
By Ernie Magnotta
The late, great Rutger Hauer was an amazingly
talented actor. Named the Best Dutch Actor of the Century by the Dutch public,
the Saturn Award nominated thespian had an extremely entertaining career where
he memorably played both heroes and villains in classic films such as Nighthawks, The Hitcher, Blade Runner,
Ladyhawke, Wanted: Dead or Alive, and Buffy
the Vampire Slayer. Just to name a few. Recently, Hauer’s wonderful turn as
Nick Parker in 1990’s action-packed film Blind
Fury was released to Blu-ray.
Written by Charles Robert Carner and directed
by Phillip Noyce, Blind Fury deals
with Nick Parker (Hauer), a soldier who was blinded in Vietnam, but developed
his remaining senses and, through intense training, becoming an expert with a
samurai sword before returning to the States. When Parker’s best friend and
fellow soldier, Frank Deveraux (Terry O’Quinn), is kidnapped by ruthless
criminals, Parker decides to take Frank’s young son, Billy, (Brandon Call) to
Nevada in order to find and rescue his dad. However, the deadly thugs want
Billy so that they can use him to convince Frank to make their illegal drugs.
With the help of Frank’s girlfriend, Annie (Lisa Blount), Nick does everything
he can to protect young Billy from the homicidal hoods and save Frank before
it’s too late.
Filmed around the Midwestern United States
and released by Tri-Star Pictures in March of 1990, Blind Fury, which was produced by Daniel Grodnick and actor/director
Tim Matheson, is a highly enjoyable action adventure/martial arts film with
well-drawn characters and just the right amount of comic relief and heart.
Based on the Japanese character Zatoichi—a blind swordsman who was created by
Kan Shimozawa in 1948 and appeared in 26 films—Blind Fury is basically a loving remake of the seventeenth Zatoichi
film Zatoichi Challenged (1967).
Clocking in at a brief 86 minutes, Blind Fury moves along pretty quickly
and not only features excellent direction by Phillip Noyce, but also a
well-known, veteran cast who do a terrific job. Naturally, Rutger Hauer is
excellent in the role of Nick Parker. Trained by blind judo champion and
Paralympic silver medal winner Lynn Manning, Hauer has said that playing a
blind swordsman was one of the most difficult jobs he’s ever had to do.
Besides the super talented Call, O’Quinn and
Blount, the exciting film also features wonderful performances from Noble
Willingham, Nick Cassavetes, former pro boxer Randall “Tex” Cobb, comedian Rick
Overton, the immortal Sho Kosugi, the lovely Meg Foster, former professional
wrestler Tiger Chung Lee and former pro football player Jay Pennison.
Blind Fury has been released on
a region one, two and three Blu-ray, and is presented in its original 1.85:1
aspect ratio. The entertaining film looks excellent and sounds just as great.
Special features include a very informative audio commentary by screenwriter
Charles Robert Carner (moderated by filmmaker Douglas Hosdale) as well as the original theatrical
trailer. The Blu-ray also comes with a slipcover which contains some
fun-looking artwork of Nick Parker in action. If you’re a fan of old school
action/martial arts cinema; Rutger Hauer; samurai films or all of the above,
then definitely check this one out.
Click here to order from Amazon
By Ernie Magnotta
The 1980s were chock full of amazing action
franchises and action stars. The stars were legendary: Charles Bronson, Clint
Eastwood, Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chuck Norris, Mel Gibson,
Danny Glover, etc. The franchises were just as legendary: Death Wish, Dirty Harry, Rambo, Terminator, Missing in Action, Lethal Weapon, etc. Not to mention the
beloved James Bond series which produced five blockbuster movies throughout the
80s, three starring Roger Moore and two starring Timothy Dalton. Then, there
were the great one-shot action films of which there are way too many to list
here. Of course, martial arts/action; especially those featuring ninjas, were
just as popular with cinemagoers. Yes, it was an exciting decade.
In 1985, Cannon Films, led by immortal
producers Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus, decided to start a new action movie/martial
arts franchise titled American Ninja.
Cannon, who were responsible for the popular
Missing in Action and Death Wish
series of films as well as several well-loved ninja movies which starred the
fantastic Sho Kosugi and partly started the ninja craze, wanted Chuck Norris to
play the lead role of Private Joe Armstrong. However, Norris declined. Cannon
then went on a worldwide search and, after auditioning over 400 candidates, they
chose up and coming actor Michael Dudikoff. The well-made movie would go on to
spawn four sequels, two of which (parts 2 and 4) would see Dudikoff return as
the silent, but deadly Armstrong. Thanks to our friends at Kino Lorber, the
original film has now been released on Blu-ray.
Written by Paul De Mielche (from a story by
Gideon Amir and Avi Kleinberger) and directed by action veteran Sam
Firstenberg, American Ninja tells the
story of Joe Armstrong (Dudikoff), a US Army private who uses his Ninjitsu
skills when a supply convoy is ambushed by rebels led by a Black Ninja Warrior
(Tadashi Yamashita). Now marked for revenge by the Black Star Ninjas, Joe, with
the help of his friend, Corporal Curtis Jackson (played by the late, great
Steve James), must do everything in his power to rescue the kidnapped Patricia
Hickock (Judie Aronson)—daughter of Joe’s commanding officer—and take down the
Black Star Ninjas for good.
Made for one million dollars, American Ninja (aka American Warrior and American
Fighter) is a solid and entertaining 80s action film with an engrossing
enough story, a terrific cast, and exciting action sequences which are more
than competently handled by director Firstenberg (who already had some Ninja
experience directing the Sho Kosugi martial arts/action classics Return of the Ninja and Ninja III: The Domination for Cannon).
The fun, 95-minute movie also features John Fujioka, Don Stewart and Richard
Norton.
Trained by 10th degree black belt
and martial arts champion Mike Stone, American
Ninja instantly made Michael Dudikoff an action movie star. Over the next
two decades, Dudikoff would appear in a plethora of action films. He would also
reunite with Steve James two more times in American
Ninja 2: The Confrontation and Avenging
Force; both directed by Firstenberg. James, who I believe would have become
a major action star if not for his untimely death, went on to reprise his role
as Curtis Jackson a third time in American
Ninja 3: Blood Hunt.
American Ninja has been released on
a region one Blu-ray. It is presented in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio and
the film looks and sounds incredible. The special features include an
informative audio commentary by director Sam Firstenberg (moderated by
filmmaker/editor Elijah Drenner) as well as a second commentary with
Firstenberg and Stunt Coordinator Steven Lambert. We are also treated to Rumble in the Jungle: The Making of
American Ninja, the original theatrical trailer and TV spot, and a very
cool-looking slipcover. This is pure 80s goodness. Don’t miss it.
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“THE
EDGE OF THE WORLD”
By
Raymond Benson
One
of the more under-seen and underrated films from 1985 is John Boorman’s
impressive The Emerald Forest, which gave us an ecological message long
before that was much in the public consciousness.
Of
a more cinematic significance, this picture is a grand adventure full of action
and spectacle, much like Boorman’s Deliverance (1972) or Excalibur (1981)
before it. The production values also indicate that this was no easy feat of a
movie to make.
The
Emerald Forest was
shot in and near São Paolo, Brazil, right smack by the Amazon
River and in the rain forest. Native extras populated much of the movie, which
possibly for the first time provided to audiences of a mainstream motion
picture depictions of how indigenous tribes in the jungle live. The result is
fascinating, and the National Geographic lesson is enhanced by an
exciting tale of kidnapping, exploration, survival, and human trafficking!
Powers
Boothe is Bill, a high-ranking engineer with a corporation that is building a large
hydro-electric dam on the edge of the rain forest. He’s moved his family of a
wife and two young children—a boy and a girl—to the city. One day while
overseeing the work of clearing the area of trees, Bill and his family have a
picnic at the edge of the jungle. Little does he know that the “Invisible
People,” a tribe that has not had contact with civilization, has dared to get
close to what they refer to as “the edge of the world.” When Tommy wanders off,
he is kidnapped by the tribe. Bill thus embarks on a long process to search for
his son, but to no avail.
Ten
years later, Tommy (Charley Boorman) has assimilated into the tribe and become
one of the Invisible People. His “father” of the tribe (Rui Polanah) loves him
like a son, and Tommy loves him back, although he has dreams of “Daddy.” Now
Tommy is ready to take a mate, and he chooses young and beautiful Kachiri (Dira
Paes). Meanwhile Bill and a photographer embark deep into the jungle to look
for Tommy again. They encounter the hostile “Fierce People,” who force Bill to
become prey in a hunt through the jungle. Tommy ends up saving Bill, and the
real father and son reunite. Tommy, however, refuses to accompany Bill back to
his first home. And then the human traffickers enter the story. To say more
would spoil the tale!
There
is a lot of “Tarzan movie” aspects to this picture, but without the
unintentional racism. There is also a lot of nudity of all the indigenous
people on display, which received some criticism when the picture was released
(Dira Paes was only fifteen years old). However, this was not exploitation.
Boorman and his team took great pains to be accurate and truthful in the
depiction of the tribes’ customs and ways. Yes, the Fierce People are portrayed
as the villains and the Invisible People are ultimately shown to be good at
heart (even though they kidnapped a young white boy). There is indeed some idealism
and moral ambiguity going on in The Emerald Forest, especially when it
comes to the film’s climactic raid on a human trafficking center in the jungle.
Finally, there is the message that indigenous people are being wiped out by the
actions of white people who are cutting down rain forests.
Powers
Boothe does an admirable job here, but it is Charley Boorman (son of the
director) who steals the movie. He was around eighteen when the picture was
made, and he manages to speak the indigenous language, perform jungle stunts,
and carry on with his native costars as if he were one of them. Boorman’s
direction is notable, too, given the locale and the cast with whom he had to
work. Philippe Rousselot’s cinematography is also quite commendable.
Kino
Studio Classics’ new Blu-ray release is a welcome one, and its 1920x1080p
presentation is colorful and rich. There is an audio commentary by filmmaker
Edgar Pablos and film historian Nathaniel Thompson that sheds light on the
production. Supplements include the theatrical trailer and other Kino trailers. There is also reversible sleeve artwork.
The
Emerald Forest is
for fans of director John Boorman and of jungle exploration adventures.
Recommended.
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“THE
BUSTER KEATON COLLECTION, VOLUME 5”
(Three
Ages: 1923; Directed by Buster Keaton and Eddie Cline)
(Our
Hospitality: 1923; Directed by Buster Keaton and John G. Blystone)
(Cohen
Film Collection)
“KEATON
CLASSICS DOUBLE FEATURE”
By
Raymond Benson
The
availability of Buster Keaton on Blu-ray can be a head-scratcher. Kino Lorber
seems to have the monopoly on Keaton’s features and shorts, but the puzzlement
comes with more than one release of certain titles in Kino’s catalog of disks for
sale. Add to this befuddlement is the Cohen Media Group and their Cohen Film
Collection’s ownership of Keaton’s library. Cohen has also released Keaton
Blu-ray disks—and they’re distributed by Kino Lorber! (And still others
are released by Eureka Entertainment, licensed by Cohen!) Which editions are we
supposed to get?
A
new Cohen Film Collection release, available from Kino Lorber, is The Buster
Keaton Collection, Volume 5, which includes a double bill of the master
filmmaker’s 1923 features—Three Ages and Our Hospitality. (Also
available from Cohen Film Collection are Volumes 1 – 4, which likewise
contain double bills of Keaton’s features from the 1920s.)
Here
on the Cinema Retro site, I reviewed the Kino Lorber release of Our
Hospitality in 2019. Apparently the Kino versions are different
restorations from the Cohen’s restorations. The latter are performed by Cineteca
di Bologna as part of Cohen’s “Keaton Project.” Long ago, Cohen Media Group
acquired the rights from the Keaton estate, even though other companies have
had access to them. I won’t even attempt to sort out the rights issues here. Just
know that the Kino Our Hospitality disk had bonus features, whereas the
Cohen Film Collection double bill discussed here does not contain any
supplements aside from Cohen’s own trailer of Our Hospitality release
and other Cohen releases.
That
said, the Cohen restorations by the Keaton Project are likely the best to come
about. They look marvelous. Bonus features? Who needs supplements when the
feature films are the best quality available?
Three
Ages was
Buster Keaton’s first feature film (not counting The Saphead, 1920, in
which he only starred). Co-directed with Eddie Cline, Keaton presents the
“story of love,” i.e., courtship, in three different time periods—the stone
age, the Roman age, and modern times (the 1920s, of course). The same cast
portrays the same character types in each story, and the film narrative jumps
back and forth between these time periods throughout the run of the picture. Keaton
stars as the “lesser” man when compared to his more attractive, manly, and
wealthier rival played by Wallace Beery. The woman who is the object of both
men’s affection is played by Margaret Leahy (the actress made only one film,
and this is it). Beery’s character is a bully, and Keaton must overcome the
man’s physical strength and social standing with cunning and trickery. There is
certainly amusement and clever bits here, but Three Ages could be called
baby steps for Keaton as a feature filmmaker when compared to later works. Three
Ages was perhaps the Keaton film most in need for preservation, as there
are many instances—a few seconds here and there—in which visual elements are
deteriorated. The restoration folks have done the best they could, and this is
probably the finest you will ever see Three Ages. The lively score for
this release is composed and conducted by Rodney Sauer.
Of
more importance and interest is Our Hospitality, considered one of
Keaton’s greatest works, and it was only his second feature (it is co-directed
by John G. Blystone). 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.
The
Cohen presentation here is gorgeous and near perfect. Carl Davis supplied the
wonderful musical score that accompanies it.
For
Buster Keaton fans, you can’t go wrong with this double bill release (nor with
the Cohen Film Collection’s other four volumes). Highly recommended.
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“WHAT
HAPPENS NEXT?”
By
Raymond Benson
The
celebrated filmmaker Elia Kazan’s last picture, The Last Tycoon, was
adapted from celebrated writer F. Scott Fitzgerald’s last novel (published
unfinished in 1941). Released in 1976, the film features a stellar cast,
Oscar-nominated Art Direction, and a respectful, intelligent screenplay by
playwright Harold Pinter.
And
yet, The Last Tycoon is a noble and interesting failure. That is not to
say it’s not worth seeing. There is a lot to admire in the movie, especially
for audiences interested in Hollywood history.
Robert
De Niro plays Monroe Stahr, the production chief and creative head of one of
the biggest studios in 1930s Hollywood. Anyone who knows anything about this
era of Tinsel Town will realize instantly that the character of Monroe is
inspired by Irving Thalberg, the genius producer who held the same jobs at MGM
during its golden age. He’s young, handsome, smart, and has some health
problems… but he has a way dealing with talent and executives.
Robert
Mitchum is the head of the studio, Pat Brady, perhaps something of the Louis B.
Mayer of the story. His daughter, Cecilia (the radiant Theresa Russell in her
first film) would like nothing more than to be with Monroe, but the
moody and melancholic Monroe, a widower, has his eyes and heart set on the
enigmatic Kathleen (Ingrid Boulting in her first film), a woman of beauty and
mystery who is not part of the Hollywood scene.
Throw
in a supporting cast—the likes of Tony Curtis, Jack Nicholson, Jeanne Moreau,
Ray Milland, Donald Pleasence, Dana Andrews, Peter Strauss, Jeff Corey, John
Carradine, and even a young Anjelica Huston in a small role—and you’ve got
classic Hollywood on the screen.
So
what’s the problem? Pinter’s script does a splendid job of emphasizing the
themes of the novel and Kazan manages to present a gorgeous-looking canvas of
star power and fine acting… but the movie ends up being, well, flat. There’s
something missing.
Guess
what… the missing element is the source material. Fitzgerald’s unfinished novel
is about dreams and ambitions left “unfinished.” Monroe’s “lonely at the top”
persona is because his life and work is unfulfilled, just like the house he’s
building on the beach—it’s unfinished. It’s not even clear that he wants to
finish it.
The
main love story thrust of the movie—that of Monroe pursuing Kathleen—is
ultimately unsatisfying, even if what does occur is what naturally
should. Once again, the issue is that we are left with threads that are vague,
uncertain, and unsettled.
In
a wonderful bit in which a famous novelist played by Donald Pleasence is having
difficulty adapting his style of excessive dialogue to the movies, Monroe
improvises a scene without characters speaking by describing what a character
“sees,” and in turn, what the audience sees. When Monroe stops without
completing the scene, Pleasence asks, “What happens next?” And Monroe has made
his point that the pictures are a visual medium.
What
happens next? Exactly.
Unfinished.
There
is an intriguing subplot tease involving the possible formation of a writers
union (in which one of those “commie” organizers from New York, played by
Nicholson, attempts to come to terms with Monroe), but this, too, is never
resolved. The sequence is doubly ironic in that Kazan himself was embroiled in
the HUAC Red Scare witch hunts in Hollywood in the 1950s, and there was a large
faction in that town who had knives out for the director in later years for his
cooperation with the government.
It
was an honorable attempt to bring Fitzgerald’s The Last Tycoon to the
screen, though. Revisiting the picture after nearly fifty years, seeing these
actors again when they were young and vibrant, and delving into the myths and ambiguities
of the Golden Age of Hollywood is still very much worth the time.
Kino
Classics’ Blu-ray release features a handsome 1920x1080 restoration that shows
off Victor J. Kemper’s cinematography and the lush production design by Gene
Callahan, Jack T. Collis, and Jerry Wunderlich. There is an audio commentary by
film historian Joseph McBride, who shines light on the darkness of this strange
piece of cinema. Trailers of other Kino Lorber titles round out the
supplements.
The
Last Tycoon is
for fans of classic Hollywood, Robert De Niro, Elia Kazan, Harold Pinter, and
any of the other actors featured in this unusual presentation.
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