Americana With Bite

By Raymond Benson

Robert Altman enjoyed a successful and critically-acclaimed run as a director in the 1970s, and for my money, Nashville is the pinnacle, the quintessential Altman Film. Along with M*A*S*H, and later works like A Wedding and Short Cuts, Nashville is a large ensemble picture with numerous characters coincidentally crisscrossing throughout the story, creating a style and structure that Altman made his own (it’s a safe bet that he was assuredly influenced by Jean Renoir’s 1939 classic, The Rules of the Game, which also displays a canvas of quirky characters interacting at a gathering). The “plot,” as it were, concerns the preparation and execution of a political campaign benefit concert—and the camera follows twenty-four eccentric souls around as it happens.

The citizens of Nashville, Tennessee, where the picture was shot on location, were very upset by Altman’s film. They felt it made fun of them and the country music industry. On the contrary, Nashville is not really about the country music business—that only serves as the conduit for Altman’s real message. This is a movie about America, from not only a pop culture point-of-view, but definitely a political one. Nashville, the city, becomes a metaphor for the country, and the music is the paint with which the world is colored.

Originally released in 1975, Nashville is satire at its best. Altman-esque black humor oozes through every scene, and each one feels spontaneous and improvised (most of them were!). The picture is a smorgasbord of sights and sounds—all fascinating and compelling. Thematically, there are examinations of relationships, greed, exploitation, fame, ambition, and disappointment... as well as a sudden and surprising final statement on violence. With its depiction of the assassination of a pop singer, in hindsight Nashville eerily forecasts the murder of John Lennon, which occurred five years later.

As usual, Altman employs many from his so-called “stock company” of actors—Lily Tomlin, Keith Carradine, Henry Gibson, Michael Murphy, Shelley Duvall, Geraldine Chaplin—as well as folks like Ronee Blakely, Jeff Goldblum, Karen Black, Keenan Wynn, and Ned Beatty. Carradine, Tomlin, and Blakely are standouts, but for me it’s Gibson who steals the picture. His characterization of a rhinestone country singer is spot-on and often hilarious. Nashville deservedly earned Best Picture, Best Director, and two Best Supporting Actress Oscar nominations, and yet it won only Best Song—Keith Carradine’s “I’m Easy” (many of the actors wrote their own songs they performed in the movie).

Criterion’s new 2k digital film restoration looks wonderful on Blu-ray, of course, and the 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack elevates to sublimity Altman’s utilization of overlapping dialogue. You really can decipher everything that’s said! The new documentary on the making of the film, which features interviews with Carradine, Blakley, Tomlin, Murphy, Allan Nicholls, writer Joan Tewkesbury, and A.D. Alan Rudolph, is informative but perhaps a little rambling after fifty minutes. It was interesting to hear how Carradine was unhappy with his performance during the shoot and “felt uncomfortable”—it was after he saw the completed film that he realized it was his unhappy character that had upset him; Tom was a guy who didn’t like himself, and the actor felt it internally without understanding it at the time. There are three archival interviews with Altman, who is always articulate and entertaining. Also included is some behind-the-scenes footage and a demo of Carradine performing his songs from the film. Critic Molly Haskell provides the essay in the thick booklet.

Nashville is a feast for the eyes and ears. More of an experience than a narrative film, it is one for the history books.

CLICK HERE TO ORDER FROM AMAZON

Actress Eleanor Parker has died at age 91. She was best known for playing the Baroness who was engaged to Captain Von Trapp (Christopher Plummer) in the classic 1965 film version of The Sound of Music. Upon hearing of her death, Plummer released this statement:  "Eleanor Parker was and is one of the most beautiful ladies I have ever known, both as a person and as a beauty. I hardly believe the sad news for I was sure she was enchanted and would live forever." Parker had been nominated for three Academy Awards but it was her role as the Baroness for which she is best-remembered, as the rich woman who loses the love of Captain Von Trapp to Maria (Julie Andrews). Parker's other key films include Of Human Bondage, The Man With the Golden Arm, The Naked Jungle, Caged and Detective Story. For more on her life and career, click here. 

Cinema Retro has received the following announcement:

UK-based filmmakers are using Kickstarter to raise the small budget needed to make a brand new episode of classic TV detective show Columbo, in tribute to the late Peter Falk.

Depending on the amount of money they raise, the film may or may not get the rights to use the name Columbo from Universal, but at the very least they want to make a show in that 1970s American TV-style that fans of the genre will enjoy.

They have various levels of funding options available with some great rewards, and are appealing to the public to get behind the project. What could be a better Christmas gift for the Columbo fan in your life than a piece of branded memorabilia, a signed script or even a name in the credits?

For more information and the opportunity to become a backer of the project go to their Kickstarter by clicking here

(Please note: this notice is posted for informational purposes only. The Kickstarter campaign does not involve Cinema Retro in any way, although our columnist Adrian Smith is one of the production team that is trying to get the project off the ground.) 

Cinema Retro has released the following press release. (Please note: this American release of The Big Gundown is entirely different from the European special edition released by Explosive Media that we reported on recently).

LOS ANGELES - Grindhouse Releasing is proud to present the first-ever U.S. home video release of the greatest Spaghetti Western you’ve never seen: Sergio Sollima’s widescreen epic THE BIG GUNDOWN! 

Starring the legendary Lee Van Cleef as a relentless bounty hunter on the trail of Cuchillo (Eurofilm superstar Tomas Milian), a savage Mexican outlaw accused of the rape and murder of a twelve-year-old girl, this release contains fifteen additional minutes of gunslinging action never before seen in America.

THE BIG GUNDOWN is one of the most highly acclaimed and long sought-after films in the spaghetti western genre, hailed by critics for its stunning cinematography, the amazing performances of Lee Van Cleef (following his iconic role in THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY) and Tomas Milian, the classic Ennio Morricone music (recently used by Quentin Tarantino in INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS), and the riveting direction of Sergio Sollima.

The 4-disc deluxe Blu-ray/DVD edition of THE BIG GUNDOWN, including a bonus Blu-ray of the uncensored director’s cut and a bonus CD of Ennio Morricone’s classic soundtrack, arrives in stores December 10, 2013.

Click here to order THE BIG GUNDOWN now on Amazon.com

Watch the trailer on the Grindhouse Releasing YouTube channel:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ_CN7ECekQ

Special features are as follows:

- Spectacular new 2K digital restoration of the uncensored English-language version NEWLY EXPANDED WITH THREE ADDITIONAL SCENES!

- BONUS Blu-ray disc – LA RESA DEI CONTI - the complete, 110-minute director’s cut presented in Italian with optional English subtitles and special musical subtitles.

(This unrated, extended edition contains material different than the R-rated version.)

- BONUS CD – THE BIG GUNDOWN original soundtrack by Ennio Morricone

- Exclusive, in-depth interviews with director Sergio Sollima, actor Tomas Milian and screenwriter Sergio Donati

- Audio commentary by Western film experts C. Courtney Joyner and Henry C. Parke

- 24-page booklet featuring liner notes by C. Courtney Joyner and Euro-music expert Gergely Hubai

- Extensive still galleries, trailers, and TV spots… AND OTHER SURPRISES!

“The best non Sergio Leone spaghetti western…boasting stylish widescreen photography and a great Ennio Morricone score.” – Leonard Maltin

“Hardly a man is left alive in this bloody, gutsy and fantastically suspenseful action thriller…plus blood, filth and every variety of violence.” – Reed Porter, The LA Citizen News

“Unfolds in hard, unrelenting style. THE BIG GUNDOWN explodes with violence and sadism. “ – Manuel Herbtsman, Film and TV Daily

“This is one of the best non-Leone westerns. The ‘hunt in the cane field’ is among the greatest ten minutes ever put on film.” – Thomas Weisser

For updates on our home video releases and theatrical screenings, visit www.GrindhouseReleasing.com.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Grindhouse-Releasing/125392227536411

Twitter: www.twitter.com/grindhousefilm

By Lee Pfeiffer 

It's no secret that the Loew's Jersey City Theatre is a favorite of Cinema Retro readers in the New York/New Jersey area. The magazine periodically provides film scholars to introduce classic movie screenings there. Located only minutes from mid-town Manhattan, the landmark theater that opened in 1929 has seen its share of hard times and almost faced the wrecking ball before activists saved it in the 1980s. Since then, a private ad-hoc group called Friends of the Loew's has been managing the theater and overseeing a painstaking restoration of the palace back to its former glory by using mostly volunteer help. The theater now screens classic movies monthly and also offers concerts and stage productions. Now the  new Mayor of Jersey City, Steven Fulop, weighs in on his views about the potential for the place to become the hub for the revival of Journal Square, the famed center of the city that has been in decline since the 1970s. The area is on the verge of seeing a boom and the Mayor feels the Loew's can be a major, world class venue. Those who have nurtured the Loew's, however, are nervous that the politicos will move in and undo progress that has been brought about by the current management team. The Mayor assures the Friends of the Loew's that "we are not throwing them out" and says that sizable investments from private industry will be pouring into the theater to finalize its full restoration. Click here for more 

David McCallum with event host Bruce Crawford. (Photo: Steve Gray)

By Jon Heitland

On any list of the best films based on World War II, The Great Escape, directed by John Sturges and based on the novel by Paul Brickhill, will always rank near the top. The compelling story of a group of British and American prisoners of war and how they outwitted their Nazi captors observes its 50^th anniversary this year, and actor David McCallum, who plays Ashley-Pitt in the film, travelled to Omaha, Nebraska on November 9, 2013, to help celebrate the classic film. Proceeds went to the Nebraska Kidney Foundation, which was why McCallum took time from his busy television schedule to make an appearance. The evening event centered around a showing of the film at the large, concert-style theater at the prestigious Joslyn Museum, to an enthusiastic, full house crowd of 1000.

The Great Escape 50 year retrospective was another in a long running series of film tributes organized by Omaha film historian and documentary producer Bruce Crawford, who, since 1992, has produced similar events for other classic films, with major sponsorship from Jerry and Patti Gress. Crawford is a lifelong lover of cinema, and his retrospectives include appearances by the film’s stars or director to share their recollections with an appreciative audience. Crawford has also produced two radio documentaries on classic film composers, including Bernard Herrmann (Citizen Kane, Psycho, Taxi Driver, The Day The Earth Stood Still, Vertigo, North By Northwest, etc.) and Miklos Rozsa (El Cid, Quo-Vadis, Julius Caesar, King of Kings, and Ben-Hur).

His past film retrospectives have included a tribute to special effects legend, Ray Harryhausen, with screenings of Mysterious Island, and Jason and the Argonauts in 1992; a 35th anniversary screening of Ben-Hur with director William Wyler's family as special guests in 1993; and The Longest Day, with director Ken Annakin and the family of producer Darryl F. Zanuck in 1994. In subsequent years he honored Alfred Hitchcock with a showing of Psycho, with Janet Leigh and her daughter Kelly as honored guests; Gone With The Wind with Ann Rutherford; and Mr. Smith Goes To Washington, with Frank Capra, Jr.

For The Great Escape event, local World War II re-enactors appeared in uniform along with a local modeling club’s display of vintage model planes from the era, along with a model of a prisoner of war camp. Attendees particularly enjoyed a motorcycle identical to that ridden by Steve McQueen in the film when he tries to jump a barbed wire fence to elude German soldiers. A United States Postal Service commemorative envelope for the 50^th anniversary of The Great Escape was also unveiled, featuring scenes from the film involving both McCallum and Steve McQueen.

Commemorative envelop by the artist Nicolosi.

In introducing the film, McCallum recalled how he got the acting “bug” at a young age: “My life as an actor started when I was about 10 years old. I did a scene from King John, from Shakespeare, as a very small prince in the tower, and there this jailer with a red hot poker is about to put out his eye, and he pleaded for his life. I did this in a very small theater in a church, and at the end I got a standing ovation. The scene got a standing ovation, but I assumed it was for me. At that moment I realized I had come home, I had found the place where I was going to be for the rest of my life.”

Memorabilia display (Photo: Jon Heitland)

McCallum, a native Scot, was the son of professional classical musicians, his father David, Sr., first violinist for the London Philharmonic, his mother Dorothy a cellist. Young David took up the oboe at age eight, and attended the Royal Academy of Music for a time, but he left school at age 15 to attend the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art for two years to become an actor. He then went into repertory theater, but that was interrupted when he was conscripted into the National Service. McCallum recalled “I became second in command of C company, Third Battalion of the Gold Coast Regiment of the Royal West African Frontier Force.” McCallum noted with pride this unit distinguished itself earlier in World War II because of the enemy lines of communication it captured, adding “I mention this because the wonderful thing about being in the British army is you learn how to put the uniform on, how to march, how to salute, and that all came in very useful later on, on several occasions, The Great Escape being one of them.”

(Photo: Steve Gray)

After leaving the army, McCallum did a lot of television in Great Britain, with an occasional movie role in such films as The Long, The Short And The Tall, with Laurence Harvey; Billy Budd, directed by Peter Ustinov; and Freud with Montgomery Clift, directed by John Huston. It was while filming Freud that McCallum met director John Sturges, who would remember him later when casting The Great Escape. Sturges had directed Bad Day At Black Rock, in 1955, one of McCallum’s favorite films. Sturges had also directed the iconic western The Magnificent Seven, in 1960, which starred Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson and James Coburn, three of the stars he would feature in The Great Escape, along with Robert Vaughn, McCallum’s future co-star on The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

Upon being cast as Ashley-Pitt in The Great Escape, McCallum remembered “When I arrived on set, John Sturges, the director, gave me a letter, and in the letter it said ‘Let us know what you want, do you need a babysitter, where would you like to live, would you like a car, would you like a driver?’ Which was welcoming in a way which I never thought possible.” McCallum noted he had not done a major Hollywood type movie before, and he appreciated the respect and care with which the cast was treated.

On the set of The Great Escape, McCallum stated the cast all got along well, although they formed small social groups for their off time: “We had a wonderful time together. The Germans went off with the Germans, and the British went off with the British, and I went off with Donald Pleasance., who was a good friend of mine.” McCallum soon also became friends with James Garner, as most of Donald Pleasence’s scenes were with Garner. The three men remained friends from then on. McCallum did not see much of Steve McQueen, who played one of his most remembered roles in the form of Hilts, the cocky American flier whose motorcycle escape has become a classic sequence, because for many of the ensemble scenes, McQueen’s character was in the “cooler”.

McCallum also enjoyed the fact his wife, actress Jill Ireland, and son Paul were with him during the filming, and they would sight see on his days off in Starnberg, Germany. His mother also visited the set, and McCallum drove her around Austria. Another member of the Great Escape cast, Charles Bronson, also became lifelong friends with David McCallum, their friendship even surviving McCallum’s divorce from Ireland and her later marriage to Bronson. McCallum has been happily married to his wife Kathy Carpenter since the 1960s.

Although most attendees were interested in re-experiencing the inspiring film, many were there to meet McCallum, popular today for his role of Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard on televisions’s N.C.I.S., as well as a substantial contingent who fondly remembered him as Illya Kuryakin, the enigmatic Russian spy on The Man From U.N.C.L.E. from 1964 to 1968. McCallum as Illya created a sensation at the time, resulting in mob scenes and rock star-like status for McCallum.

The experience of being a “sex symbol”, especially for teen age girls, caught McCallum by surprise at the time. His character was originally intended to be a a sidekick to Robert Vaughn’s Napoleon Solo, but quickly became a co-star that helped make the series a hit in the 1960s and a lasting icon in popular culture. Many of those teen age girls, now in their 50s and 60s, stood in line after the film to meet McCallum and get an autograph, which the 80 year old actor graciously supplied to about 300 attendees anxious to meet him, finishing just before midnight. He also enjoyed seeing a large display of Man From U.N.C.L.E. memorabilia featuring his image at the event supplied by this writer, a fan from Iowa and author of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Book: The Behind The Scenes Story of a Television Classic.

McCallum and Cinema Retro's Jon Heitland in front of a display of Man From U.N.C.L.E. memorabilia. (Photo: Mike Beacom)

Today McCallum, besides appearing on N.C.I.S., also does voice over work on video games, which he describes as a wonderful opportunity to over act. He commutes regularly from Los Angeles back to New York City to see his family. He looks forward to raising a glass of wine to another 50^th anniversary next year, the golden anniversary of the premiere of The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

In concluding his remarks on The Great Escape to the appreciative audience, McCallum emotionally recalled that the cast first saw the film when it premiered in London at the Odeon Leicester Square Cinema (the scene of many later James Bond premieres): “The balcony seats had been reserved for the cast. I sat down in my seat, not knowing what to expect. And for the very first time, as the curtain parted, and the music of Elmer Bernstein came up, I watched that film. And I will never, ever, forget that moment.”

PHOTOS:

Steve Gray http://stevegray.zenfolio.com/p322117469 srgray@cox.net

Michael Beacom

Jon Heitland

by Todd Garbarini

Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver (1976) is one of the greatest American films ever made. It is also one of the most disturbing, and it is astonishing to look back and see that a major studio (Columbia Pictures) released it as is. Although nominated for Best Picture, Best Actor (Robert DeNiro), Best Supporting Actress (Jodie Foster), and Best Original Score (Bernard Herrmann, who also was nominated in the same year for his impressive score to Brian DePalma’s Obsession, albeit posthumously) by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, it won none. The top honor instead went to John Avildsen’s Rocky, the story of a streetwise debt collector in Philadelphia who gets the chance to become a boxing world superstar. Mr. Alvidsen also walked away with the statue for Best Director, and the fact that Mr. Scorsese was not even nominated in this category has long been considered to be one of the most, if not the most, egregious Oscar snub(s) in the Academy’s history, something the organization appears to have attempted to smooth over with what is generally considered to be his consolation prize - his Oscar for The Departed (2006), a good film but not in the same league as his greatest work (he lost out on directing Oscars for Raging Bull (1980), The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), Goodfellas (1990), and The Aviator (2004). )

Robert De Niro gives one of his greatest screen performances as Travis Bickle, a lonely cabdriver who deliberately works long hours because he cannot sleep. He befriends Iris (Jodie Foster), a 12-year-old prostitute whose pimp Sport (Harvey Keitel) raffles off a menu of shocking sex acts (even by today’s barely-there standards) not heard outside of a porno film or a sound bite by Toronto Mayor Rob Ford that she and Travis can engage in for a price. Instead of taking up the offer, Travis uses his time with Iris to try and convince her to leave the profession that she is a part of. When she refuses, he arms himself to the teeth and kills her pimp, her John, and the lowlife who stands in the hall and collects the money in what was at that point in American cinema one of the most shocking and bloody sequences ever filmed. Today, you could probably show it on network television with few cuts, if any.

What makes Taxi Driver so memorable is the way that it captures New York City in the summer of 1975 when it was filmed. The city was a terribly depressing and dangerous place to be at that time, and cinematographer Michael Chapman manages to capture the Big Apple in a way that few cameramen have - Owen Roizman’s work on The French Connection (1971) and The Taking of Pelham 123 (1974) being two obvious exceptions. In the midst of all of this, photographer Steve Schapiro took innumerable publicity shots on the set of the film and captured the cast in their moments during camera set-ups, prior to and after shooting, and while taking a break. The images are a fascinating look at the ideas that both Martin Scorsese and screenwriter Paul Schrader had about the city and the central character, the aforementioned Bickle, and how they wanted to get those ideas across to the audience. The city itself is also a character in Taxi Driver and this fact comes out quite strikingly in Mr. Schapiro’s on-set photographs which are now available for aficionados of this great film in the form of a new book by Taschen, the glorious publisher of such mammoth tomes on cinema greats like Kubrick, Fellini, Truffaut, Bergman, and others.

Simply titled Taxi Driver, this stunning, oversized book is a collection of beautiful photographs taken by Mr. Shapiro that depict much of the action of the film and candid, behind-the-scenes shots. It begins with a foreward by director Scorsese, written in 2010 while he was shooting Hugo (2011) in London, and it follows with an introduction which is a reprinting of Richard Thompson’s interview with Mr. Schrader from the March/April 1976 issue of cinema cognoscenti magazine fave Film Comment; Paul Garner’s “It’s Dilemma, It’s Delimit, It’s De Niro” essay from New York magazine from May 16, 1977; Norma McLain Stoop’s essay “In the Middle of the Street in the Middle of the Night” from After Dark, May 1976; Judy Klemesrud’s essay “Jodie Foster’s Rise From Disney to Depravity” from the New York Times on March 7, 1976; Lawrence Grobel’s Playboy Interview with Robert De Niro from Playboy in January 1989; Richard Goldstein and Mark Jacobson’s interview “Martin Scorsese Tells All: Blood and Guts Turn Me On!” from The Village Voice, April 5, 1976; and Mr. Schrader’s interview with Mr. Scorsese from January 29, 1982, published in Cahiers du Cinema, during the editing of the eerily prescient The King of Comedy, its relation to Taxi Driver as a companion piece included for obvious reasons. The rest of the text is German and French translations of the aforementioned essays.

The most unsettling images are not of the film’s bloodshed at the end, though they are quite graphic and colorful and which friend Father Francis Principe told the director was a little too much “Good Friday” and not enough “Easter Sunday” when he viewed it at a private screening in 1976, but of the slow dancing sequence between Sport and Iris, depicted in the this book. Here is a twelve year-old girl being told by a man who uses her nascent sexuality for his own method of making money, that she’s his woman. It’s really quite revolting, and probably goes on today with all the multiple cases of sex trafficking in the world. Taxi Driver doubles as a cautionary tale, its religious themes also present.

When Taxi Driver was released to theaters in 1976, the ending was so bloody that in order to avoid receiving an X rating from the MPAA, the director was faced with cutting down the scenes, something he did not want to do. He opted instead to de-saturate, or lessen the amount of color, in the sequence so it would not look as graphic. This action was incorporated into the film artistically to represent what the murder scene might have looked like in the tabloids. On the film’s 35^th anniversary in 2011, the film was released on Blu-ray. Since times have changed, there was an effort afoot to re-saturate the film and make it look the way that it was intended to look prior to the color reduction process. Unfortunately, that color negative could not be located, and there is talk that it might not have survived. Mr. Shapiro’s photographs of this brutally violent sequence, replicated in this book, might be all that visually remains of this controversial sequence.

Taxi Driver is a stunning achievement from Tashen, and I personally want to thank Mr. Schapiro for having taken such amazing photographs of this incredible film. A must for any serious fan of American cinema.

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE BOOK DISCOUNTED FROM AMAZON.COM.

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE FILM, TAXI DRIVER, MASTERED IN 4K BLU-RAY DISCOUNTED FROM AMAZON.COM.

On December 10 The Alamo Drafthouse Ritz Theatre in Austin Texas will present a rare archival 35mm screening of the 1973 version of Tales From the Crypt starring Peter Cushing and Joan Collins. Click here for details  

By Lee Pfeiffer

It's conventional wisdom that 1939 is regarded as the greatest year ever for classic movies. (I respectfully argue that 1969 was even more impressive, but I digress). So many great films were released in this one calendar year: Gone With the Wind, The Wizard of Oz, Goodbye Mr. Chips, Stagecoach, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Gunga Din and too many others to list. Lost amid this wealth of cinematic treasures is the often-overlooked John Ford classic Drums Along the Mohawk, a movie that certainly ranks among the legendary director's best work, yet it curiously remains among his least-discussed major achievements. The movie has just been released as a Blu-ray special edition by Twilight Time. The film stars Claudette Colbert and Henry Fonda as  Lana and Gil Martin, colonial era newlyweds who leave the safety of a big city (Albany, New York) to settle in the upper Hudson Valley, then a no-man's land of hardship and danger for the farmers and settlers who tried to claw out a life there. Their marriage and move to a farm Gil has purchased happens to coincide with the outbreak of the American Revolution. Suddenly, this non-political couple who only want to prosper on their own land find themselves enmeshed in the crisis of the times. Like most farmers, their desire to opt out of the conflict between colonists and British forces turns out to be wishful thinking. The Brits have allied themselves with local Indian tribes who terrorize the settlers through constant raids, forcing them to take refuge in a local fort while they suffer the indignity of watching their farms burn. The fort only provides temporary protection. Short of ammo and provisions, the defenders realize they have precious little time to form a strategy for survival. In the film's most compelling sequence, Gil volunteers to make a seemingly suicidal run through the forest to reach reinforcements at another fort. He is doggedly pursued by three Indian braves who are hot on his heels. Ford milks considerable suspense from the sequence which foreshadows Cornel Wilde's brilliant 1966 movie The Naked Prey. As with any Ford production, however, this one spends considerable time on character development, homespun comedy and American traditions. The battle sequences are impressive but its the actors who make the most of the spotlight with both Colbert and Fonda (in his first of several collaborations with Ford) perfectly cast. There are also Ford stock company regulars like Ward Bond and John Carradine but it is Edna May Oliver who steals the show in an Oscar-nominated performance as a feisty pioneer widow whose forceful nature terrorizes the Indian warriors more than they can intimidate her. 

Drums Along the Mohawk was Ford's first color film. It was shot in Technicolor but apparently Fox tossed out the original film elements in the 1970s. This restored version is obviously not as gorgeous as the original theatrical presentations but the film nevertheless looks terrific. Twilight Time has released the movie as a limited edition (3,000 unit) Blu-ray that features some interesting bonus extras. Top of the list is Nick Redman's 2007 feature length documentary Becoming John Ford that traces the mercurial director's long history at Fox and his collaborative productions with studio boss Darryl F. Zanuck. The two would create some great films but ultimately a feud over My Darling Clementine would lead to Ford leaving the studio in 1946. Redman, co-founder of Twilight Time, does a superb job of providing notable talking heads (including Peter Fonda) who provide insightful details on Ford's life and career. Redman also appears on an equally informative commentary track with film historian Julie Kirgo who provides the informative write-ups for the Twilight Time collector's booklets that accompany each release. It's nice to finally hear her speaking directly to viewers and the commentary track is highly entertaining. There is also an original trailer. The only complaint is that the artwork on the sleeve is a bit bland given the star power in the movie. 

In all, another big winner from Twilight Time.

Click here to order from Screen Archives.  

Cinema Retro enters its tenth year of publishing with issue #28 which is now at the printers. It will be mailed to all UK/European subscribers before Christmas. Subscribers throughout the rest of the world will get their issues in January.

We launch our landmark anniversary with one of our best issues ever. Here are the highlights:

• Sheldon Hall presents major coverage of the 50th anniversary of the British war movie classic Zulu starring Stanley Baker, Michael Caine and Jack Hawkins...complete with rarely seen images. 
• Dave Worrall takes you behind the scenes for the filming of the James Bond blockbuster Goldfinger at Pinewood Studios and presents some rare behind-the-scenes production shots as well as a "now-and-then" guide to specific studio locations from the film.
• Ray Morton provides an exclusive interview with famed cinematographer Richard H. Kline, whose credits include Soylent Green, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Camelot, Body Heat, The Mechanic and the 1976 remake of King Kong. 



• Brian Hannan looks at the dramatic behind-the-scenes story of BUtterfield 8, the film Elizabeth Taylor fought against doing...only to win her first Oscar.
• Howard Hughes continues his history of Oakmont Productions with a look at the low-budget WWII flick The Thousand Plane Raid starring Christopher George.
• Raymond Benson provides his choices for the best movies of 1987.



• Tim Greaves looks at the strange life and career of Hammer Films starlet Victoria Vetri (When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth)
• Dean Brierly concludes his "Crime Wave" series with a look at the greatest- and most underrated- American gangster films.





• Lee Pfeiffer revisits the cult apocalyptic thriller Panic in the Year Zero directed by and starring Ray Milland. 
• A look at the history of comic book movie tie-in issues
• Harvey Chartrand provides the fascinating story behind Mary Rose, the film Alfred Hitchcock never got to make. 
• Darren Allison reviews the latest soundtrack releases
• Plus all the news about new DVD, Blu-ray and film book releases.

By subscribing to Cinema Retro, you will receive this issue plus issues #29 and 30, delivered to your door.  

By Todd Garbarini

Amber Heard was nineteen when she played the title character in Jonathan Levine's slasher film All the Boys Love Mandy Lane; she can at least get away with playing a seventeen year-old. Mandy Lane, which debuts this month on Blu-ray, is better known for its reputation of having been shelved for seven years following its debut at the 2006 Toronto Film Festival for reasons best served by another article. Up to this point, Ms. Heard was already a veteran of four films and several television appearances; this is her first real starring role, as the film rests on her shoulders. She gives quite a remarkably natural performance and having seen her work since this 2005-lensed outing, I would attribute her onscreen “nervousness” as the object of affection by testosterone-driven wolves in her midst to her skill as a serious dramatic actress than to an inability to relax and just “be”.

Mandy Lane represents the epitome of the adolescent female sexual ideal, The Perfect High School Girl - the girl all the boys vie for; the girl all the girls want to be or want to destroy. The tone is set in the film’s opening shot as the camera focuses on Mandy Lane’s breasts, revealing the dumbfounded stares of the average-looking boys and girls in the hallway, and conveys their longing cinematically without being exploitative. She is friends with Emmett (Michael Welch), a nerdish boy whose desire for Mandy is as strong as all the other guys, but he tries to hide it. He just knows that she is out of his league. In some ways, the film seems like it plays like a modern day “horny teenager” flick, but that would be a cursory dismissal. While the 1980s will probably be remembered as the birth of the horny teenager horror film, which started in 1978 when Michael Myers bludgeoned his sister to death after “the sex act” in John Carpenter’s Halloween (1978), the films of the 2000s will no doubt be looked upon as the remake era, or most certainly the “influenced by” era. Sean Cunningham made Friday the 13^th a superstitious day to be reckoned with, and premarital sex was forever labeled as a crime punishable by death by deranged killers.  Still, young men with sex on their minds did all they could to get the girls of their dreams into bed.  He Knows You’re Alone (1980), My Bloody Valentine (1981), The Burning (1981), The Boogens (1981), Halloween II (1981), and countless other stalk-and-slash films repeated this formula with much less panache and cinematic style than Mr. Carpenter did in his watershed film, even prompting a send-up of horror films in the form of Student Bodies (1981), a comedy that ridiculed death as the inevitable outcome to teenage sex.

When Wes Craven's Scream (1996) reignited interest in horror in 1996 and proved that it was once again viable box office, so has there been resurgence in the teenage sex and death flick.  Unlike the gawky and under-confident teenagers of a quarter century ago who had to borrow their parents’ oversized cars to get some action, today's teens are muscular and sexy model types who seem to have stepped off of the pages of GQ and Playboy magazines.  Most of them appear to have money and their own set of wheels.  In Mandy Lane, director Jonathan Levine manages to take a very overdone and tired horror subgenre and make it different and interesting.  The obnoxious jock Dylan (Adam Powell) and his posse of over-stimulated friends, all expertly portrayed by Whitney Able (Chloe), Luke Grimes (Jake), Melissa Price (Marlin), Edwin Hodge (Bird), and Aaron Himelstein (Red), invite Mandy Lane to a party at his house.  Mandy agrees, and elects to bring her awkward friend Emmet along, much to Dylan's chagrin.  Once there, Dylan puts the moves on Mandy who nervously brushes off his advances.  This disgusts Emmet who tricks Dylan into a maneuver designed to impress Mandy but that effectively takes Dylan out of the game completely.   Nine months after Dylan's untimely demise, Red rounds up Chloe, Jake, Marlin, and Bird for a weekend at his father's mansion in Bastrop, TX. The locales should look familiar to Tobe Hooper fans.

A caretaker in the form of a much older Garth (Anson Mount) who lives in a shed in the back is there to oversee the teens and protect them, complete with a firearm at his side.  Mandy, whose parents died when she was young and is now being raised by her aunt, is invited and decides to go along.  Once there, the guys all descend upon The Perfect Blonde, making no bones about how much they want to jump hers.  Jake is especially aggressive and looks a bit like Robert Pattinson from the Twilight films.  Mandy is made the most uncomfortable by him, which makes one ponder why she would agree to spend the weekend with a group of people who all want the one thing from her that she is not willing to surrender.  That question is answered near the end in an interesting twist. 

Things begin to go wrong rather quickly and it does not take the high schoolers long to learn that there is a murderer in their midst.  Director Levine reveals the killer’s identity early on and yet despite that, the film remains interesting enough for the audience to want to see it through to the end.  He directs the film with a restrained hand, which is refreshing when most films like this tend to hit the audience over the head with quick cuts, loud music and sound effects in a desperate effort to be suspenseful.  The middle of the film drags a bit but not by too much, and perhaps Mandy Lane would benefit by some tighter editing. 

The females in the film are snotty and bitchy but not in an overly hateful fashion.  Unlike the shallow vamps in the Black Christmas remake in 2006 and many others of its ilk, Chloe and Marlin, just like the guys who are all pining after Mandy, are all real people.  Credit must go to the performers in this film.  They all talk and sound like real teenagers who are looking to find their place in the world, and are concerned with how others perceive them and are the types to surrender to peer pressure.  The script by Jacob Forman is, no pun intended, a cut above standard fare, providing archetypes that are familiar yet different.

The film also possesses a good use of existing music - try to watch the racetrack scene set to the Go-Go’s “Our Lips Are Sealed” without smirking at the subtle irony. The score by Mark Schultz is also very good.

The Anchor Bay Blu-ray, which provides a terrific visual and aural transfer, has a feature-length commentary with director Levine and judging from his comments it was recorded this year. Mr. Levine provides an interesting, engaging and very funny commentary seen from the standpoint of a director who made his first film some eight years ago (he has since directed three films since Mandy Lane). At times he complains that he wishes he had done a certain shot differently, but that is inevitable through the benefit of time and hindsight. The standard DVD also contains this commentary.

All in all, All the Boys Love Mandy Lane is an above-average slasher film.

NOTE: If you have a region-free DVD or Blu-ray player, the French DVD and Blu-ray releases of the film both have a 28-minute interview with Ms. Heard, shot circa 2006, wherein she talks about the film. A 14-minute interview with the director can also be found on this edition. However, there is no running commentary on these versions, which also possess English-language soundtracks.

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE ANCHOR BAY BLU-RAY FROM AMAZON 

By Todd Garbarini

William Friedkin's The Exorcist (1973), based upon the novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty, is one of the greatest and most powerful American motion pictures ever made. With an impressive cast that includes Ellen Burstyn, Max Von Sydow, Jason Miller, Lee J. Cobb, Jack MacGowran and newcomer Linda Blair, The Exorcist had its origins in a 1949 case involving the purported demonic possession of a young Evangelical Lutheran boy in Cottage City, MD who is still alive to this day, is retired from NASA, and claims to have no memory of the events that he experienced. Mr. Blatty, who read about the events at the time, thought about the story for years until he wrote the book circa 1969, some 20 years later, in the house of his ex-wife in Encino, CA.

Coming on the heels of my all-time favorite film, 1971’s Oscar-winning The French Connection, Mr. Friedkin never thought of The Exorcist as a horror film but rather as the serious exploration of the nature of faith and desperately wanted to direct the film. While watching The Exorcist, what is most striking about it is its unique ability to present the material as something that seemingly could absolutely happen. The idea of demonic possession has arguably never been so deftly handled and depicted as it is in this film. Other attempts by filmmakers to create convincing film explorations of the subject, mostly in the wake of this enormously successful venture, have largely been ineffective. With the release of the film on Blu-ray in 2010, the film was given a much-needed high definition upgrade and you can read Lee Pfeiffer’s review of that Blu-ray here. The new 40^th anniversary release is identical to the 2010 release in that all the material from discs one and two of the 2010 Blu-ray appears to be ported over on to one disc for the new release. A second Blu-ray includes a new documentary called Beyond Comprehension: William Peter Blatty’s The Exorcist (27:49) wherein Mr. Blatty revisits the Encino, CA house that he wrote the book in for the first time in over 40 years (now it a guest house that belongs to actress Angela Lansbury - do you think she knows that?). Mr. Blatty discusses his two aborted attempts to write the novel and that he was originally a comedy writer(!). Father Karras (the Jason Miller character in the film) is Mr. Blatty’s alter-ego, and like Karras, Blatty’s mother lived in a nursing home and passed away there. Perhaps the saddest revelation is the fact that he lost a son six years ago at the age of 19 due to heart inflammation.

The second documentary on the second Blu-ray is an interview with Father Eugene Gallagher (19:47) who was part of the Philodemic Debating Team and had a professional relationship with Mr. Blatty and discusses his experiences while Mr. Blatty was writing the novel.

Also included with this 40^th anniversary package is a small hardcover excerpt of the excellent autobiography by William Friedkin called The Friedkin Connection and it contains his passages about the making of The Exorcist which is truly a fascinating read.

If you already have the original Blu-ray from 2010, there is probably little reason to upgrade; get yourself The Friedkin Connection if you have not already.

For Exorcist completists.

CLICK HERE TO ORDER BLU-RAY FROM AMAZON

CLICK HERE TO ORDER "THE FRIEDKIN CONNECTION" BOOK FROM AMAZON

The feud between John Sturges and McQueen was tragic...he had made McQueen a star in Magnificent Seven and The Great Escape. However, McQueen's long-delayed plans to bring a racing movie to the screen culminated in the ill-conceived Le Mans. The two old friends feuded over the film's concept. After Sturges quit the project, "B" movie director Lee H. Katzen took over. The film was one of the few outright bombs of McQueen's career, consisting mostly of footage of speeding cars and virtually no plot. (Thanks to Cinema Retro contributing writer Steve Saragossi for sharing this rare photo). 

Monday, December 2 - Los Angeles, CA - The Cinefamily has released the lineup to their 2013 FANTASTIC ELASTIC 24-HOUR HOLIDAY TELETHON--a marathon fundraiser with 24 straight hours of special events featuring guests, interviews, live music and  comedy.  The event will be  held December 14th-15th, from 1pm to 1pm at the Silent Movie Theatre in Los Angeles’ West Hollywood, and the first lineup announcement includes appearances, Q&A's, and surprise events to be announced featuring cultural icons luminaries, including Anjelica Huston, Bruce Dern, Mike Judge, Tim Heidecker, Eric Wareheim, Father John Misty, and Bushwick Bill.  

According to Cinefamily’s Executive Director Hadrian Belove, “We didn’t think the CInefamily should have  the usual kind of fundraiser, cause we’re not the usual kind of cinematheque. The 24 hour Telethon allows us to echo the wide range of  programming for which Cinefamily has become known, and include the many parts of Los Angeles we love. It’s about bringing all of our family together, you could say, under one big tent.  Fundraising should be fun, not a pain in the ass.”

The Cinefamily’s 2013 Telethon goal is to raise $500,000 to cover operating costs, new equipment purchases, and additional annual expenses.  Its approach to fundraising is unique and representative of The Cinefamily’s core values; it is a celebration of creativity, quality, and contagious enthusiasm. And: it’s an awesome party. Breakfast and beverages will be served 24 hours in the theatre’s Spanish patio, with DJs and live bands playing throughout the day.  

Los Angeles luminaries, comedians, directors, puppeteers, musicians, animators, curators, and all manner of sundry geniuses are banding together to help Cinefamily reach 2013's fundraising goal

IndieWire dubbed previous Telethons - "The greatest celebration of cinema EVER!!!"

Last year’s 2012 event was kicked off by Robert Downey Jr, who opened a time capsule left for him at the theater in 1984, and was followed by performances by Nick Offerman, Neil Hamburger, Dan Harmon and others; and events such as Jason Schwartzman eating dinner on stage during a live Q&A, director Phil Lord presenting Lego fan films, and a talk show featuring Eric Wareheim, Guy Maddin, Udo Kier, Tearist, and John Hawkes.  2012 fundraiser guests included Benicio Del Toro, Spike Jonze, Michael Cera, Stephin Merritt, and Elliott Gould.

Cinefamily’s 3^rd Annual 24 hour Variety Show Fundraiser

Confirmed Lineup (with more to come, subject to change)

1pm - 4pm

• ROGER EBERT Tribute with STEVE JAMES, with discussion and short clips from upcoming Ebert doc LIFE ITSELF
• ANJELICA HUSTON discussing her new memoir, A Story Lately Told

5pm - 9pm

• Influential instrumental rock band EARTH will play live music to 70's masterpiece HERZOG’S FATA MORGANA - rare one night event!!

9pm – 1am

• MIKE JUDGE’S found footage collection, The Judgemental Sampler
• Surprise performances from TIM HEIDECKER & ERIC WAREHEIM
• A Cappellaqatsi - a barbershop quartet reenacts the score from KOYAANASQATSI
• Special event - New Years in July

1am – 4am ‘The Night Owl’

• Musician/DJ GASLAMP KILLER performs to underground cult animator BRUCE BICKFORD'S stop motion film CAS'L'
• GREG PROOPS
• FATHER JOHN MISTY
• BUSDRIVER

5am – 11am ‘Good Morning Cinefamily’

• SOURCE FAMILY Xmas - Special Event
• CLAIRE EVANS from YACHT shows rare videos from the recently unearthed vault of Omni Magazine
• Lunch Q&A WIth BRUCE DERN - Cinefamily will bestow it's first annual Lifetime Achievement Award to Dern
• Programmers from SF's science museum THE EXPLORATORIUM screen films and lead an experimental workshop for KIDS

11am – 1pm 'Close'

• Lunch Q&A WIth BRUCE DERN - Cinefamily will bestow it's first annual Lifetime Achievement Award to Dern

· The Cinefamily is a member-supported 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Our mission: to foster a spirit of community and a sense of discovery, while reinvigorating the movie-going experience.

· About Cinefamily: With a daily line-up that is “ breathtaking in its scope and ambition” (Peter Martin, Cinematical), Cinefamily is transforming the landscape of first-run arthouse and repertory cinema through distinct programming, unusual events, and vital cultural collaborations. According to L.A. Weekly, "the sheer ambition is hard to overstate…[their appearance] is a climate-altering event for Los Angeles moviegoers.” As one of Los Angeles’ premiere nonprofit cinematheques, Cinefamily fosters exceptional, weird and wonderful experiences that are unforgettable precisely because they are shared and felt with others. Cinefamily’s programs have included unprecedented full retrospectives of beloved and obscure directors and original festivals, including Animation Breakdown and Everything Is Terrible's Everything Is Festival, "a massive celebration of the most gonzo-filmed entertainment possible" (Huffington Post). The theater regularly hosts residencies (Doug Benson's Movie Interruption, Heavy Hitter Midnites, Friday Night Frights, The Academy's' The Silent Treatment) and groundbreaking first-runs of independent films, including Dogtooth, which launched to tremendous buzz and a Best Foreign Film Oscar nomination. Notable events include the L.A. premiere of Cave of Forgotten Dreams, done as a pop-up 3-D screening inside the Natural History Museum with speaker Werner Herzog and a 5000 person after-party. The theater has also hosted live cast and crew reunion events (Space Ghost, Party Down, The Adventures of Pete and Pete) and musical performances by artists including Stephin Merritt, No Age, and Tenacious D, as well as regular screenings featuring live scores to silent classics and modern marvels.

·

· "Simply put, Cinefamily is one of our town's, and possibly the planet's, most important film collectives."

· - Alysia Grey Painter, NBC Los Angeles

·

· “Simply breathtaking in its scope and ambition” 

· – Peter Martin, Cinematical.com

(This book was recently reviewed by Lee Pfeiffer. Here is columnist Adrian Smith's take on this volume.)

Crab Monsters, Teenage Cavemen and Candy Stripe Nurses - Roger Corman: King of the B Movie

by Chris Nashawaty Introduction by John Landis

ISBN: 1-4197-0669-1

Hardback

272 pages

As part of the Gothic season at the British Film Institute recently, Roger Corman sat and signed autographs for well over an hour as the line of fans and admirers snaked its way around the building. At least 50% of those fans were clutching copies of this new coffee-table book, a visual delight from Chris Nashawaty, writer for Entertainment Weekly.

Several books have been published on the Corman phenomenon, most notably his own autobiography How I Made a Hundred Movies in Hollywood and Never Lost a Dime. Since that was published in 1990 he has made at least a hundred more. Until he gets around to updating that volume, which given his continuing workload in film production seems unlikely, we are lucky that so many other writers and filmmakers are constantly willing dive into his career.

Whilst not as revealing or personal as Bevery Gray's excellent Roger Corman: An Unauthorised Life, Nashawaty's book is a real joy. He has selected over 150 images, many of which are previously unpublished. Artwork, photos and movie stills are presented in full colour alongside an oral history of the life and career of Roger Corman, from his childhood right up to the present day. Corman's contribution to the movie business is immense, and, as covered in the book, his honorary Academy Award in 2009 was well deserved. Those lined up to congratulate him on that night included Jonathan Demme, Ron Howard, Jack Nicholson and Peter Bogdanovich. The list of those filmmakers who have graduated from the "Corman School" is almost endless, and the fact that he is still making films today means that yet another generation are learning from the master.

As evidenced by a photograph of him on the Hawaiian set of Piranhaconda (2012), Corman is very much a hands-on producer. He has an almost preternatural sense of what is going to become the next big thing in the business; providing teenage movies for the drive-ins in the 1950s, using VHS before the major studios in the late 1970s or bringing monster mash-up movies to the Syfy channel (as well as Piranhaconda, Corman has been responsible for Sharktopus (2010), Dinocroc vs. Supergator (2010) and Dinoshark (2010), the latter as both producer and star).

As well as dozens of new interviews, the book also critically examines some of the key titles from Corman's back-catalogue, either as director or producer. Attack of the Crab Monsters (1957), The Little Shop of Horrors (1960), The Intruder (1962), The Big Doll House (1971), Boxcar Bertha (1972, an early film from Martin Scorsese) and even The Slumber Party Massacre (1982) are all touched on, amongst many more. One can use Nashawaty's selections as a list for beginners keen to gain an understanding of Corman as a filmmaker.

With Christmas just around the corner, this book is well worth considering sending to the movie lover in your life. It makes the perfect introduction to Roger Corman and his work, and contains new stories and anecdotes as well as a few that will be familiar to aficionados. And as he is showing no sign of slowing down, the Corman story is not over yet.

Click here to order from Amazon 

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At a recent auction of classic movie memorabilia conducted by Bonhams and Turner Classic Movies in New York City, an original Maltese Falcon sold for $4,085,000. There were two falcons built for John Huston's classic 1941 movie but this one can be verified as actually having been in the film. It was purchased by an anonymous collector. The piece is thought to be the third highest valued movie collectible in history having sold for slightly less than the original Batmobile and James Bond's original Aston Martin DB5. Click here for more  

Here's a couple of rare shots from the London premiere of What's New Pussycat? in 1965 showing Ursula Andress with Christopher Lee and Woody Allen. 

Swiss label Explosive Media (www.explosive-media.com) has  just released two classic Italian spaghetti westerns on Blu-ray from brand new HD transfers: Giulio Petroni's Death Rides a Horse (1967), starring Lee Van Cleef, John Phillip Law, and Mario Brega and Gianfranco Parolini's Sabata (1969), starring Lee Van Cleef, William Berger and Ignazio Spalla. Both films have their world-wide premiere on the Blu-ray format.

These new releases have newly-produced special features, bonus DVDs and illustrated booklets. Both are available for purchase in Switzerland and Germany via Amazon and have English tracks. Explosive Media released the brilliant Blu-ray version of Lee Van Cleef's The Big Gundown last year, so fans already know the calibre of content and quality presented by this Swiss company.

Death Rides a Horse

Fifteen years after four bandits massacred his family, a young man (John Phillip Law) seeks revenge. Several of the men responsible now hold positions of power in the new West, but one of the bandits (Lee van Cleef) is due to be released from prison. Having been framed by the others all those years ago, he is ready to exact bloody reprisals, and so forms an unholy alliance with the vengeance-seeking man whose family he helped destroy. Original Italian title: Da uomo a uomo.

Sabata

Gunslinger Sabata (Lee van Cleef) is not a popular figure in the town of Daugherty. When he discovers that the town's kingpins are behind a bank heist, he becomes a marked man, unable to trust even his own friends. Sabata is soon headed for a final shoot-out from which there can be but one survivor. Original Italian title: Ehi amico... c'è Sabata, hai chiuso!

· Both films available for the first time on Blu-ray

· Special bonus documentaries on the making of the films

· Lee Van Cleef trailer gallery on both editions

· Photo galleries

· 24 page collectors booklets

· Original trailer for both films

For more information visit: www.explosive-media.com

George Lazenby, Laurene Landon and Douglas Dunning in "Hunter".

Douglas Dunning, Cinema Epoch’s Director of Acquisitions, has just announced that the company has obtained the rights to release four films from XPosse Productions for worldwide distribution on DVD and on all digital platforms. Scary Tales is among the titles scheduled for release. Here is a brief trailer for the film.

Mr. Dunning is currently also appearing opposite actor George Lazenby, who is best known for playing James Bond in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969), in the recently completed film Hunter, which was directed by Gregory Hatanaka, who is also the president of Cinema Epoch. Mr. Lazenby plays General Bullmont in the film. Also starring is actress Laurene Landon who has starred in the Peter Falk film All the Marbles (1981), I, the Jury (1982), Hundra (1983) and Yellow Hair and the Fortress of Gold (1984).

Mr. Dunning can also be seen in Jason Rutherford’s upcoming film Shhhh. You can view the trailer here and click on the homepage here. 

‘Operation Naomi’ was the first signing event organized by the Swiss James Bond Club for its members. 52 guests met The Spy Who Loved Me star Caroline Munro, who arrived in member Gernot Wolf’s white Lotus Esprit - of course! Caroline spent the day signing autographs and posed for photographs, before everyone enjoyed a sumptuous 3 course steak dinner at the amazing Runway Restaurant where the event took place - including a Jet Ranger helicopter similar to the one in the film flying in especially for the day. At the end of the day club president Markus Hartmann asked Caroline to be the club’s honorary Patron, to which she readily agreed.

Photo © Gavin Bailey

Lewis Collins, the popular British actor who played men of action, has died at from cancer at age 67. Although his fame was largely relegated to his native England, he maintained a loyal fan following primarily attributed to his role in the long-running UK TV series The Professionals which is still being presented in re-runs on ITV4. Collins also had roles in other popular British TV series including Z Cars, The New Avengers and The Cuckoo Waltz. He also starred in producer Euan Lloyd's 1982 feature film Who Dares Wins about a daring SAS operation. The film, released in the United States as The Final Option, was a personal favorite of President Ronald Reagan, who requested a private screening at the White House. Collins was touted by many as a suitable candidate for playing James Bond. In fact, Collins screen tested for the role of 007 but failed to convince legendary producer Cubby Broccoli that he was the man for the job. For more click here

Actress Carole Landis demonstrates the appropriate dress for entertaining Thanksgiving dinner guests!

(For more great vintage movie photos check out Facebook under The Old Movie Guy's Page)  

Tony Musante, the popular character actor who was a fixture in Italian films and TV series, has died in a New York hospital at age 77. Musante, who brought intensity to all of his roles, was driven more by artistic satisfaction than a desire to make the big money. He made a splash with U.S. audiences in 1967 playing a thug who terrorizes passengers on a New York City subway train in the film The Incident. He won acclaim for his role as a gay man who is wrongly convicted and executed for murder in the 1968 Frank Sinatra film The Detective. He also had a co-starring role with George C. Scott in the 1971 crime film The Last Run and starred in director Dario Argento's 1970 cult classic The Bird With the Crystal Plumage. In 1973 he reluctantly starred in the TV series Toma about a maverick cop. Despite the show's ratings success, Musante left the series after one seasons. It was then re-developed as Baretta, which became a major hit for Robert Blake, who took over the lead role. In recent years  Musante continued to act periodically and had a recurring role in the TV series Oz in 1997. For more click here

Both season 1 and season 2  episodes of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. are now available for streaming through the Warner Archives instant viewing program. Best, you can take advantage of a free trial. Click here for more.  

By Lee Pfeiffer

Sony has reissued its 2002 special edition of producer William Castle's horror exploitation film Homicidal a burn-to-order DVD through the Warner Archive, although there is no mention of the extra bonus feature on the packaging or publicity for the film. (Sony seems determined not to capitalize on special features that are especially marketable to collectors.) Castle, of course, was the proud master of exploitation films and relished his reputation as the King of Schlock. He excelled in making low-budget, "quickie" films that often capitalized on major hit movies of the day. Castle seemed to fancy himself as a low-rent version of Alfred Hitchcock, who was also not shy about promoting his own image in connection with marketing his films and TV series. Castle's films were not meant to be taken seriously by critics but he did have high standards for the genre in which he worked and it's rare to find any of his movies that don't at least merit classification as guilty pleasures. Others, such as Homicidal, actually turned out to be effective chillers in their own right. The movie was Castle's answer to the phenomenal success of Hitchcock's 1960 classic Psycho. Indeed, there are camera angles, musical cues and plot scenarios that practically border on plagiarism of the original film. The story opens on a fascinating note as we watch a statuesque young blonde (Jean Arless) check into a hotel in Ventura, California. She's a strange one from frame one- barely engaging in conversation with anyone else. She suddenly makes the hunky bellboy a bizarre proposition: she will pay him $2,000 cash if he agrees to marry her and then almost immediately have the union annulled. She does not give a reason for this weird offer, but in an age where a hotel room rented for $5 a night, the $2,000 offer is more than he can refuse. En route to the justice of the peace, the young woman, whose name is Emily, says little and doesn't even engage in niceties. She seems intent on having a specific justice of the peace (crotchety old James Westerfield in a marvelous role) perform the ceremony. As with all Castle productions, to describe much more would spoil some key scenes. Suffice it to say that the short-lived marriage results in murder that is so shocking and gory that it is amazing it was not watered down by skittish studio executives. 

What can be said is that Emily is a Swedish immigrant who was brought to America by an equally strange young man named Warren, who resides in an opulent home. Helga's main duty is to care for an elderly woman named Helga (Eugenie Leontovich), another Swede who had been Warren's nursemaid as a child. Helga has suffered a stroke and is confined to a wheelchair, unable to talk or communicate in any meaningful way. Around Warren, Emily plays the doting caregiver, but privately, she delights in tormenting the long-suffering woman, even to the point of making death threats. One of the few outsiders to be allowed into this environment is Miriam Webster (Patricia Breslin), Warren's half-sister. The two have a very close relationship but things are fairly frosty between Miriam and Emily, who seems jealous of the close bond between brother and sister. Emily is also jealous of Miriam's relationship with a local pharmacist, Karl Anderson (Glenn Corbett) and begins to find ways to thwart their social outings. After a time, Miriam and Karl begin to suspect that Emily might well be a notorious murderer the police are searching for. This sets in motion many of the standard actions screen heroines must always engage in. These include not staying in a safe environment and being lured to precisely the location where she knows she will be placed in life-threatening danger. When Emily is about to enter the house of horrors, Castle employs one of his trademark gimmicks by freezing the action and putting a clock on screen that gives squeemish audience members 45 seconds to flee to the lobby where they can redeem a coupon to get their money back. To prevent having to actually provide many refunds, Castle has a caveat to the agreement: all such patrons must stand in full view in a "Coward's Corner" he had provided for theater lobbies!  Once Miriam does enter the house, the film is genuinely creepy and leads to an ending so shocking I never saw it coming and I doubt most viewers will, either. 

You approach Homicidal with the justifiable expectation that it will be filled with laughs, a la Castle's great camp success House on Haunted Hill. However, it proves to be a highly effective thriller with an a rather astonishing performance by Jean Arless as the insane Emily. One minute she's all charm, the next she's running around bug-eyed trying to murder people with knives and poison. There are times she brings to mind Faye Dunaway as Joan Crawford, but in the aggregate it's a mesmerizing screen debut. Bizarrely, "Jean Arless" was a fake name used by actress Joan Marshall because she feared being typecast in horror films. Sadly, she never went far in her career under either name and died relatively young in 1992 at 61 years of age. She gets solid support from Glenn Corbett (who also died young in 1993 at age 59) and Patricia Breslin, who manages to avoid making the requisite role of damsel in distress unintentionally funny. 

The Sony DVD has a top quality transfer and the bonus items are quite interesting. There is a short featurette that presents various horror film authorities extolling the virtues of Castle's work. There is also some wonderfully campy newsreel footage of the world premiere in Youngstown, Ohio that features the omnipresent Castle badgering patrons to tell everyone how great the film is. (One woman says with a straight face that it's better than Psycho.) The cigar-chomping Castle, who comes across as a delightful man, also features in the introductory segment to Homicidal, in an obvious attempt to emulate Hitchcock's penchant for self-promotion.  The special edition also features a short TV spot in which the narrator clearly imitates the voice of old Hitch. 

Homicidal is a highly entertaining film that demonstrates you don't need big stars or a big budget to make an effective thriller. Highly recommended. 

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By Lee Pfeiffer 

The magnificent Oscar-winning best picture of the year for 1968, Oliver!, has been released as a Blu-ray special limited edition (3,000 units) by Twilight Time. This adaptation of the smash stage hit was a dream project for director Lewis Gilbert but, much to his dismay, the director's seat was given to Sir Carol Reed. How Gilbert's version of the film would have differed will never be known but suffice it to say, it's hard to imagine he could have improved on Reed's vision. There had been numerous previous screen versions of Dickens' classic novel Oliver Twist, with the most notable being David Lean's 1948 movie with a star-making turn by Alec Guinness as Fagin. The 1963 stage musical by Lionel Bart was a sensation and it stood to reason that the screen rights were quickly scooped up. The film went against the tide when considering other major musicals of the period. By the late 1960s, the youth revolution had taken international cinema by storm. Suddenly, big budget, old-fashioned musicals were deemed out-dated. Paint Your Wagon, Sweet Charity, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Hello, Dolly! and On a Clear Day You Can See Forever all either under-performed or outright bombed. Yet, Oliver! was a major hit with both critics and audience. Perhaps the anti-Establishment tone of Dickins' timeless tale had a wider appeal than those other films. Clearly, the story is a scathing indictment of the British class system that had consigned the poorest citizens to lives of toil and struggle. The novel's impact on social mores can be equated with that of Uncle Tom's Cabin in America. Yet, for all the darkness inherent in the story line, Oliver! is primarily a joyous screen extravaganza in which good inevitably triumphs over evil. The most famous orphan in all of literature is perfectly brought to life by Mark Lester, who has a natural grace in front of the camera and a shy demeanor that suits his interpretation of Oliver very well. (although his songs were dubbed by professional singers.) Surprisingly, the film was a major hit despite the lack of "name" actors. Only Oliver Reed (nephew of Carol Reed) had star power and his performance as the menacing Bill Sikes is truly frightening to behold. However, it is Ron Moody's Fagin that steals the show. It's a wonderful performance with Moody masterfully manipulating all those around him as London's most charismatic con man. Other stand-outs are Shani Wallis as Sikes' ill-fated lover Nancy, Jack Wild as the Artful Dodger and Harry Seacomb as Mr. Bumble. There are elaborate sets masterfully designed by John Box and show-stopping musical numbers like "Food, Glorious Food", "Consider Yourself", "As Long As He Needs Me" and ""Who Will Buy?". 

Twilight Time's special edition Blu-ray is a wonderful experience. The transfer is excellent and the special features have broad appeal. There are recent interviews with cast members including Ron Moody and Mark Lester as well as a vintage featurette (that shows its age) depicting how the filming was done. There is also an isolated track score, sing-alongs and dance-alongs and a theatrical teaser trailer for the roadshow release that curiously doesn't have any moving images, just still photos. The film remains as entertaining today as it did during its initial release. This special edition makes perfect holiday viewing for the entire family.

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Barbara Feldon and Cinema Retro's Lee Pfeiffer at the Episcopal Actors Guild in New York City.

On November 21, Cinema Retro hosted an Evening With Barbara Feldon at the historic Episcopal Actors Guild in New York City. The event benefited indigent people in the arts. Ms. Feldon was interviewed by Cinema Retro Editor-in-Chief Lee Pfeiffer, who asked her about her career prior to her Emmy-nominated performance in "Get Smart". She revealed that she had come to New York as a young woman from her native Pittsburgh with the desire to enter show business. Good looking and statuesque, Feldon was soon hired for a three month stint as a chorus girl at the famed Copacabana. She said it was the most thrilling time of her life, to be young and in New York with unlimited possibilities before her. Shortly thereafter, she became one of the top fashion models of the era, which- in turn- led her to be the face of Revlon in print and on TV ads. Those ads helped elevate her status and brought her to the attention of Hollywood producers. She played some bit roles in TV series before the producers of "Get Smart" (created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry) approached her for the role of Agent "99" opposite Don Adams. She initially turned down the offer, as she already had a lucrative career in modeling. She had also been offered a plum role in Sidney Lumet's film "The Group". She credits her agent at the time for convincing her to accept the part of "99" on the basis that Candice Bergen had the prime role in the Lumet film because she played a lesbian, which was a sensational notion at the time. He cautioned Feldon that she would just be lumped in with the other talented actresses who were to appear in the film and that Bergen would get all the attention. She accepted his advice and reluctantly flew to Hollywood, leaving behind her beloved New York. She immediately knew she made the right decision. The friendly bond between cast and crew on "Get Smart" was addictive and she said the show was a pleasure from day one. She credited Buck Henry for setting the tone of the early episodes, as Mel Brooks had already departed to work on his first feature film, "The Producers". After viewing a screening of the "Satan Place" episode with Cinema Retro's own Joe Sirola as the villain, Feldon remarked at how well the writing held up. Amusingly, she said she still feels self-conscious about how she towered over the much-shorter Don Adams and was reminded of how she attempted to minimize the height difference by slumping a bit in their scenes together or finding an excuse to sit down. Feldon said that when the show's ratings fell in the fourth season and the show moved from NBC to CBS for the fifth and final season, the idea of marrying "99" and Maxwell Smart was done simply as a gimmick, as was the introduction of their twin children who she laughingly said "disappeared rather quickly". Feldon also discussed the fact that the character of "99" was one of the first independent female characters on television. Pfeiffer mentioned that there were precious few such role models aside from Emma Peel and Cathy Gale of "The Avengers" and April Dancer of "The Girl From U.N.C.L.E". Feldon agreed, saying that she was happy that "99" was given more to do than simply being "the skirt" but said that, even then, it was clear that her character was often there to comfort or console the male hero, Maxwell Smart. She said, however, that given this was before the Women's Lib movement, it was rather progressive for the medium of television. 

Feldon signs a commemorative shoe phone for contributing Cinema Retro photographer Tom Stroud.

Feldon said that, despite working with Adams for years, she knew very little about his personal life. It was only when they reunited for the TV movie "Get Smart Again!" in 1989 that they truly bonded and became close friends until Adams' death in 2005. Asked about why she didn't appear in the rather anemic "Get Smart" 1980 feature film, "The Nude Bomb", she said bluntly that she simply hadn't been asked. She said she was philosophical about the snub, saying that they were obviously looking for younger women to play against Adams. Pfeiffer asked Feldon to reflect on the contributions of Edward Platt, whose spot-on performance as "The Chief" is often overlooked in evaluations of the show. She said he played an integral part in the show's success and was a truly lovely man who was also a trained professional opera singer. She also discussed her post-"Smart" career when she wrote and performed a one woman show because she thought her acting skills might be getting stale and wanted a challenge that would "terrify" her. She also spoke about her lucrative career as one of New York's top voice-over talents. Speaking of feature films, she said that, at the time, being a TV star had made it difficult to transfer into theatrical films, although she loved working with Dick Van Dyke on the 1968 Disney film "Fitzwilly" and was especially pleased to star with Bruce Dern in the acclaimed 1975 comedy "Smile". She also spoke about how, after a failed marriage and relationships, she came to the conclusion that people don't need committed relationships in order to find happiness. She said her book, "Living Alone & Loving It: A Guide to Relishing the Solo Life", extols the virtues of living an independent life. She said living alone doesn't mean you are living a lonely life. She said her life is filled with wonderful people and great times, but she has chosen not to engage in a monogamous relationship. 

"...and loving it!" Barbara expresses her appreciation to "Get Smart" scholar Nate Sears for flying in from Utah for the event.

Cinema Retro reader Tony Latino with Barbara Feldon.

Prior to the event, Barbara Feldon was interviewed for ABC News Radio by film critic Bill Diehl.

Following the interview, Ms. Feldon graciously answered questions, signed autographs and posed for seemingly endless photos with fans. She said she was genuinely touched by the fact that so many people still take an interest in her work. In all, a fun and informative evening with the ultimate New York "independent woman"- who still cites her three month stint as a chorus girl as the most fulfilling time of her career.  

(Click here to find out how to join the Episcopal Actors Guild, which is non-sectarian. Dues are only $35 annually and you will get invitations to many exclusive entertainment-related performances and events. Proceeds go to aid charitable causes relating to the arts.)

(Click here to order Barbara Feldon's book "Living Alone & Loving It" from Amazon)  

The "Trailers From Hell" web site presents the original trailer for the 1972 Western Chato's Land starring Charles Bronson. John Landis provides an amusing commentary for the trailer, reflecting on his experiences working on the film and enduring the "Mad Dog and Englishman" himself, director Michael Winner. Click here to watch 

By Lee Pfeiffer 

Sony has issued its 2001 special edition of director Fred Zinnemann's From Here to Eternity as a Blu-ray release. The passage of time has done nothing to diminish the movie's status as one of the great Hollywood productions. The story, based on James Jones' sensational 1951 bestseller that took the world by storm, centers on on a disparate group of people associated with the U.S. Army base in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1941. Private Prewitt (Montgomery Clift) is a quiet loner who was once regimental boxing champ but has gone into self-imposed retirement after accidentally blinding an opponent in the ring. He transfers into a new unit to escape harassment from his fellow soldiers, who are pressuring him to get back in the ring. He finds his new commanding officer, Captain Holmes (Philip Ober)  is even worse and he is soon subjected to an orchestrated campaign of punishment and social isolation as part of the "treatment" to get him to relent and agree to box in this year's championship fight. The only friend he has is Maggio (Frank Sinatra), the company wise-guy who is always in trouble for his impulsive nature and habit of insulting his superiors. Also in the company is Sgt. Warden (Burt Lancaster), a by-the-book career soldier who does all the heavy lifting for Holmes, a man he personally detests. The story follows the complex love lives of Prewitt and Warden, who come to form an unlikely bond. Warden knows that Prewitt's independent nature will result in sheer misery for him, but he admires his pluck. Prewitt correctly assesses that Warden is the only decent superior he has met on the army staff; someone who will give him a fair break whenever he can. Both Prewitt and Warden find solace in love affairs with two very different women. Prewitt begins dating Lorene (Donna Reed), a local "dance hall" girl, which was the parlance of the era to describe a prostitute. Warden is involved in a far more dangerous affair: he is bedding Karen Holmes (Deborah Kerr), the sexually frustrated wife of Captain Holmes and who is reputed by soldiers to be a nymphomaniac.  The brilliant screenplay by Daniel Taradash seamlessly interweaves the events that affect each of these mesmerizing characters. (Ernest Borgnine is sensational in a star-making role as a sadistic sergeant of the stockade.) The viewer, of course, realizes what these individuals cannot: that their lives are about to be dramatically changed by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, a sequence that Zinnemann pulls off brilliantly by incorporating real battle footage. Ultimately, the film is not a "feel good" experience as some very bad things happen to some very admirable people. Yet, it is completely compelling on every level and the cast performs superbly. (The film won 8 Oscars).

The Blu-ray is an excellent transfer, making the stunning B&W cinematography look more impressive than ever. The extras are a mixed bag, however. "The Making of From Here to Eternity" is an absurdly short featurette that ends just when it begins to engage the viewer. It does, however, feature some fascinating color home movies that Zinnemann took on the set. More informative is a feature that allows you to watch the movie while a picture-in-picture presents various film historians who discuss every aspect of the movie in detail. This is complimented by an audio commentary by Zinnemann's son Tom and veteran screenwriter Alvin Sargent, who worked on Eternity. The set also features excerpts from a late-in-life interview with Zinnemann in which he provides some interesting insights about his battles with legendary Columbia mogul Harry Cohn, the tyrannical head of the studio. What emerges from all this analysis is that, while Eternity was a huge bestseller, it was considered "unfilmable". The book was laced with sex and profanity and also ripped the lid off the squeaky clean image that Hollywood generally used to present the U.S. Army. Yet, Zinnemann pulled off the feat admirably, suggesting all sorts of vice despite the film industry's archaic production code that watered down certain elements of the story. The Army conceded to allow filming on their facilities but demanded that the script reflect the fact that the corrupt Captain Holmes is brought to justice by Army authorities. The sex, particularly the now famous surf "make out" session between Lancaster and Kerr, is possibly more erotic because of the power of suggestion. 

The Blu-ray set retains the kooky DVD artwork on the sleeve, which seems to imply Lancaster and Kerr are so intent on getting it on that they are ignoring being strafed by Japanese Zeros! (For the record, the love scene takes place before the Pearl Harbor attack). Surprisingly, there is no theatrical trailer included although Sony has provided some really nice mini-lobby card reproductions, though this is not mentioned on the packaging. In all, this is a most welcome release on Blu-ray-- but there is still room for an even more in-depth special edition of this classic motion picture.  

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By Lee Pfeiffer 

"Casting By" is an extraordinary new documentary by filmmaker Tom Donahue who spent years accumulating interviews and archival materials for this look at the contributions of casting directors to the motion picture business. Most people are well aware of the important roles that composers, costume designers, editors and production designers play in the creation of movies-- but if you say "casting directors", the average person's eyes glaze over. Sounds boring, doesn't it? Donahue's film sets the record straight, pointing out that casting directors are often responsible for bringing to life some of the film industry's most memorable characters. So important is their contributions that Donohue found enthusiasm among esteemed filmmakers and actors to participate in his documentary even among those individuals who are not prone to generally giving interviews. In the film Woody Allen, Clint Eastwood, Robert De Niro, Martin Scorsese, John Travolta, David V. Picker, Robert Redford, Al Pacino, Norman Jewison, Norman Lear, Peter Bogdanovich, Robert Duvall and Robert Redford, to name just a few, all extol the virtues of casting directors. Woody Allen readily admits that he hates the process of casting because he can't bring himself to choose one actor over another...and that his instincts are often wrong. He credits his long-time casting director, Juliet Taylor, with force-feeding certain actors like Meryl Streep into Allen's films when he didn't see the wisdom of casting them. The film's genesis was as a tribute to Marion Dougherty, a woman whose name won't ring bells with most movie fans, but who was a legend in the industry. It was Dougherty who elevated the status of casting directors when she first went into the profession in 1949. Her keen eye and insightful instincts quickly made her the "go to" person for top directors and studio executives. Dougherty soon became indispensable and set up an office in New York City where she often nurtured talent such as "up and comers" Christopher Walken and Al Pacino. Soon, she had a virtual monopoly on high profile casting assignments for films. She acted as mentor for young women who would go on to become successful casting directors and inspired another legendary person in the profession, Lynn Stalmaster. It was Dougherty who fought to get Jon Voight the role of Joe Buck in Midnight Cowboy after it had been decided that the role should go to Michael Sarrazin. She gave many other future superstars their first major break when she was casting director for the hit TV show The Naked City in the early 1960s. These actors have never forgotten what they owed her. Dougherty is seen throughout the documentary through interviews Tom Donahue conducted with her in 2007. She passed away in 2011, not having seen the completed film- but her sassy nature and independent outlook on the role of women in the film industry come through loud and clear despite her advanced age.

The film is peppered with relevant film clips throughout and countless other prominent talking heads. The movie has set off a bit of a firestorm in the film industry because of its outright advocacy for the position that casting directors should receive recognition from the Academy at Oscar time. (It is the only single-card credit in the film industry to not have an Oscar category.) Clearly, the filmmakers seen here support such a move but there are some exceptions. Oscar winning director Taylor Hackford, who is President of the Directors Guild of America, vehemently argues against Academy recognition for casting directors because they are not really "directing" anything and that the final casting decisions always rest with the director themselves. Others argue that this in an invalid justification for his position because, in the end, every aspect of a movie needs the director's approval...so why give Oscars for editing, cinematography, costumes, etc? The film points out that casting directors are recognized by the Emmys so there is precedence for this idea. Yet, as far back as 1991, esteemed actors and directors pleaded with the Academy to at least grant a special Oscar to Marion Dougherty, but their efforts failed. As for Ms. Dougherty, she was elevated to VP levels at major studios only to be fired for the crime of having aged in a business in which seniority is frowned up. Other veteran casting directors lament the present state of the industry, saying that too many roles are awarded to flash-in-the-pan celebrities who are ill-suited to play the parts. There are exceptions, of course, and most of them can be found in acclaimed TV series where casting directors are proving to make all the difference when it comes to finding the right actor for the right role. 

Casting By is a very unique look at the aspects of the film industry that are not widely discussed and it blows the lid off the dirty little battles that have been going on in terms of trying suppress a key branch of the business from receiving appropriate recognition. No matter where you stand on the subject, you'll be fascinated by this look at film history. The movie is superbly edited by Tom Donahue's wife Jill Schweitzer, who had the unenviable task of culling through 250 interviews with prominent people (only about 50 ended up in the final cut.) The movie is justifiably being touted for a nomination for Best Documentary. It deserves the honor- but one hopes that the criticisms of the very Academy that would make that decision won't render yet another shameless snub, this time because director Donahue has dared to go after some sacred cows. 

(Casting By is currently in limited theatrical release. It will appear on DVD next year.)  For the film's official web site click here

By Lee Pfeiffer

Perhaps more relevant today than ever, the Visual Entertainment Inc. DVD label has released "Arthur C. Clarke: The Complete Collection",  a 52 episode boxed set containing 22 hours of programming. Why is this set more relevant today than ever? Because in his prime, Clarke and his fellow prominent scientists and intellectuals were held in great esteem by the general public. Today, however, vast segments of the world's populations are intent on downgrading the importance of science in place of fanatical religious dogma. Fortunately, for the majority of people of faith, science does not exist in a mutually exclusive universe. Nevertheless, there is an undeniable trend in some quarters to pretend that established fact does not exist, especially if it offers some inconvenient contrasts to what these people want to believe. This anti-science slant is not restricted to fringe religious groups. Our popular culture reflects widespread belief in things that once would have been considered highly speculative by most mainstream audiences. Thus, we have shows in which a dumb housewife is paid a fortune to pretend she is a medium from Long Island and others that have self-proclaimed "ghost hunters" trying to convince the average person that their home is haunted. Arthur C. Clarke, the esteemed scientist and author of 2001: A Space Odyssey, tried to elevate discussion of the mysteries of life by keeping an open mind while also providing a skeptic's viewpoint. Now as a skeptic myself, I must admit I am often viewed as the skunk at the garden party when it comes to attempting to bring logic into conversations with people whose minds are made up that aliens are routinely abducting innocent earthlings or that religious miracles are occurring every day. Many people are as committed to their comfortable beliefs as they are to political ideologies and they don't want to allow any viewpoint into their lives that might cause them to rethink such positions. Clarke wanted people to constantly challenge their own belief systems. From 1980 through 1995, he hosted period series of TV programs designed to explore the great mysteries of science and nature. The new DVD set is as enlightening today as it was when these shows were originally telecast on British television. 

The set is broken down into three different programs. Here is the description from the official press release:

"Hosted by acclaimed sci-fi author Sir Arthur C. Clarke (2001: A Space Odyssey), Arthur C. Clarke: The Complete Collection investigates the inexplicable, abnormal and mind-boggling wonders of the world. Included in the set are three popular, documentary series originally aired on Britain’s ITV network.  Mysterious World (1980), narrated by author, actor and newscaster Gordon Honeycomb (Then She Was Gone, The Medusa Touch), looks at unexplained phenomena from Stonehenge to the Loch Ness Monster. Narrated by English journalist Anna Ford, World of Strange Powers (1985) investigates goose bump-raising paranormal activity from haunted houses to magical spirits. Mysterious Universe (1995), narrated by British TV personality Carol Vorderman, examines mystical secrets from the ancient world. In each episode, Clarke tackles the daunting task of finding a reasonable explanation for some of the most bizarre phenomena ever known to mankind from such “mysteries of the first kind” as solar eclipses to the more inexplicable, including messages from beyond the grave, the stigmata, lost planets, UFOs and zombies … Making Arthur C. Clarke: The Complete Collection a must-have for every science-fiction fan!"

Clarke bookends every episode with an introduction and an epilogue, though he occasionally appears in the program itself to offers opinions and insights, treating people on both sides of an issue with dignity and respect. Each segment is fascinating and educational, ranging from topics that include the great achievements of the ancient world to seemingly inexplicable phenomenon. Clarke presents compelling arguments on all sides regarding the matters at hand but clearly relishes exposing some theories such as faith healing as the fraudulent practices they are. (One must admit, however, that the footage of these "miracle workers" performing is quite convincing on a certain level - until they are ultimately unveiled as charlatans preying on the most vulnerable members of society.) Clarke's presentation of other phenomenon such as the Abominable Snowman features thought-provoking insights from serious explorers who were convinced that there could be some actual unknown beast in the Himilayas. Clark acknowledges that, based on his study of the evidence, it might be possible the creature exists, but he dismisses as virtually impossible that a real-life Yeti could be tramping through even the most remote regions of the United States. Similarly, like any good scientist, he doesn't reject outright the possibility that supernatural phenomenon does occur- but doesn't shy away from the one answer that never satisfies any "true believer" in that he simply acknowledges he does not know the answer. Human beings need answers and if science and nature doesn't provide them, they simply convince themselves that something is true. If we don't know the answer of how the universe was created...well, then, Presto! A superior being made it! If something goes "bump" in the night in your home then...Yikes! You're house must be haunted! Scientists take a more measured approach by suppressing as much as possible their own beliefs so as to prevent coming to any forgone conclusions. Clarke represented that mindset. Just because someone else can't provide a viable answer doesn't mean your beliefs have to be true.

The set is addictive in terms of viewing. The subject matters are so vast and wide-ranging that if one topic doesn't appeal to you, another will. Each 30 minute episode is tightly edited and features fascinating film footage from around the world. Some segments may reinforce your beliefs (or lack thereof) while others may leave you questioning long-held opinions on these subjects, but there is enough here, for example, in the examination of religion to please both believers and skeptics because of the fascinating angles Clarke uses to explore the topic. The series represents a time when such topics could be treated in an objective manner with the end result being that the viewers would reach their own conclusions. Sadly, such respect for the audience's intelligence has all been eradicated in the era of shows like The Long Island Medium. Highly recommended.

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Paul Mantee, a popular fixture on TV shows and feature films, passed away on November 7. Mantee had appeared on many TV series over the years and had recurring roles on the 1980s hits Hunter and Cagney and Lacy. He first began appearing in the medium in the late 1959s and eventually guest starred on major programs such as The F.B.I, Mannix, Dragnet, Ben Casey, Dr. Kildare, Batman, The Time Tunnel, Bonanza, Kojak and Seinfeld. Mantee also appeared in small roles in many feature films. In 1964 he had a rare starring role in Robinson Crusoe on Mars, a fairly low-budget sci-fi film that became a major cult hit thanks to its intelligent script, direction and performances. He also had the lead role in the 1968 James Bond spoof A Man Called Dagger. For more click here

Cinema Retro has received the following press release:

For the first time on DVD a feature length documentary, Return to Scatterbrook: Memories of Worzel,  celebrating the cult 70’s/80’s television series, Worzel Gummidge.

Featuring key interviews with members of the cast and crew; rare archive footage of Jon Pertwee; visits to the locations, and with many previously unseen continuity shots; behind the scenes photographs, and production designs – this film opens up the storybook behind British TV’s most lovable scarecrow.

Worzel Gummidge is highly regarded today as a piece of classic television, making this documentary a special journey down memory lane for anyone who remembers this delightful, magical series.

Featuring: Jon Pertwee, Geoffrey Bayldon, Lorraine Chase, Jeremy Austin & Mike Berry

Directed By Derek Pykett

DVD Extras: An Evening With Jon Pertwee (1996) & Worzel Gallery

Running Time: 104 minutes

Money raised from the sale of this DVD goes to:

Alzheimer’s Society (in loving memory of Cecelia & Michael Ripper) & All Dogs Matter

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“City Lights”

“Frances Ha”

(The Criterion Collection, November 2013)

SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW

By Raymond Benson

Among the wondrous Blu-ray products released this month by The Criterion Collection, that Cadillac of labels, are a masterpiece from 1931 and an absolute gem from 2013—Charles Chaplin’s City Lights, and Noah Baumbach’s Frances Ha. Both packages come with Blu-ray and DVD discs, which apparently will be the norm for Criterion releases from now on.

First up—City Lights, arguably Chaplin’s best and most enduring feature film. Made at a time when sound had already taken over Hollywood, Chaplin insisted on shooting another silent picture. Everyone thought he was mad. The moguls believed that even after only four years of sound movies, audiences would not care to step backwards into the silent era ever again. Chaplin proved them wrong. City Lights, even without spoken dialogue (but with a gorgeous Chaplin score and sound effects) is sophisticated and intelligent, hilarious and touching, and remarkably clever. Often regarded as one of the best films ever made, Chaplin’s masterwork is the story of a tramp (duh) and his love for a blind flower-girl, who mistakenly thinks Charlie is a rich man. As our hero attempts to perpetuate this misconception, the results are side-splitting funny—until Chaplin’s trademark pathos takes over and “there isn’t a dry eye in the house.” It is said that Albert Einstein had tears rolling down his cheeks at the premiere.

Boy, oh, boy, does the film look good on Blu-ray. The new digital restoration from a 4K film transfer is crisp, sharp, and blemish-free. Like Criterion’s earlier release this year, Safety Last!, City Lights looks as if it were made last week. There’s a new audio commentary by Chaplin biographer Jeffrey Vance, as well as a host of extras. Many of these are repeated from the MK2 Warner Brothers release from around ten years ago, such as the documentary Chaplin Today: City Lights, archival footage from the production of the film, rehearsals, and clips of the director with boxing stars at Chaplin Studios in 1918. A new feature, Chaplin Studios: Creative Freedom by Design, explores how Chaplin built his famous studio with a mind toward expressing his unique ways of working. The usual outstanding booklet contains an essay by critic Gary Giddins and a 1966 interview with Chaplin himself.

In short, if you’ve never seen City Lights or have any doubt that Charles Chaplin was the greatest film artist in the industry’s first fifty years, then by all means pick up this set.

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Second—Director Noah Baumbach’s delightful Frances Ha originally premiered at film festivals in 2012, but was released theatrically in 2013, making it a contender for this year’s Academy Awards. I sincerely hope it’s not overlooked. Baumbach is known for making quirky films (see The Squid and the Whale, for example), and Frances Ha is no different. However, unlike Baumbach’s earlier mixtures of dark humor and tragedy, the new picture is definitely a comedy. At its heart is Greta Gerwig’s performance as Frances, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Baumbach. Frances is a well-meaning, life-is-mostly-wonderful type of young woman who strives to be a choreographer but can’t seem to get the opportunity to strut her stuff. Throughout the picture, she is a woman without a home, crashing at various friends’ apartments in New York City, always promising herself that she’ll “get her own place soon,” hopefully with her best friend Sophie (played by Sting’s daughter Mickey Sumner), with whom Frances shared a place at the story’s beginning. While the film is full of laughs and smiles, there is an under-current of loneliness that doesn’t really hit you until after the movie is over—despite the genuine happy ending.

Shot digitally in color and then converted into glorious black and white, New York hasn’t looked so good since Woody Allen’s Manhattan. Baumbach’s storytelling expertise is all in the characters and how the film is edited, and in many ways, the picture resembles something Francois Truffaut might have done in the early 60s. In fact, Baumbach utilizes famous French New Wave movie music (by Georges Delerue and others) for much of the score. If ever there was an homage to that important and creative movement in cinema history, Frances Ha is it.

Extras include an interesting dialogue between Baumbach and director Peter Bogdanovich; one gets the impression that the elder statesman might be something of a mentor to the younger filmmaker. Also of note is the dialogue between Greta Gerwig and filmmaker/actress Sarah Polley. A further conversation about the look of the picture between Baumbach, DOP Sam Levy, and Pascal Dangin, who did the film’s color mastering, is enlightening. The booklet contains a perceptive essay by playwright Annie Baker.

If you missed Frances Ha in the theaters last spring, now’s your chance to catch up. It truly is a jewel.

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Robert Sellers' book The Battle for Bond presents an in-depth examination of the complicated rights issues relating to the 007 films.

MGM and Danjaq have finally ended decades of litigation relating to rights held by producer Kevin McClory to the James Bond franchise. McClory had certain film rights relating to the novel Thunderball which Ian Fleming had based on an ill-fated collaboration between himself, McClory and writer Jack Whittingham in the 1950s when the trio tried unsuccessfully to bring 007 to the big screen. In order to thwart a rival film production of novel from being made, Bond producers Cubby Broccoli and Harry Saltzman hired McClory as producer of the 1965 blockbuster screen version of Thunderball. However, McClory always claimed that his rights allowed him to make other Bond films and even TV series. In 1983, a big screen remake of Thunderball titled Never Say Never Again proved to the only one of these projects to succeed. MGM and Danjaq consistently brought law suits designed to slow down or stop McClory from exploiting the rights he claimed he held. In a lawsuit that took place in the year 2000, the court rejected most of McClory's claims and, in essence, gave the full rights to the Bond character to MGM and Danjaq. Still, issues remained with McClory's estate after the producer passed away in 2006. The latest agreements bring an amicable close to any remaining litigation. Click here for more. 

By Lee Pfeiffer 

"Sex only dirty if you're doing it right", Woody Allen once said. The cast members of Our, Girls certainly do it right so this stroll down Mammary Lane from the Impulse Pictures DVD label can certainly be classified as a "dirty movie", to put in the parlance of days gone by. Ordinarily, old grind house porn doesn't merit critical attention but Impulse is a serious label that takes pains to preserve some the more notable titles of this genre from the 1970s and 1980s. I suppose there is some sociological merit to them, but the bottom line is: are they still erotic? In the case of Oui, Girls the answer is "yes" and "no". Much certainly depends upon individual viewer's tastes in erotica. More so than any "legit" movie, if you don't find the leading actors attractive, chances are you'll find the entire enterprise more taxing than stimulating. The film was directed (so to speak) by F.J. Lincoln, whose main claim to fame in this era is that he had one of the starring roles in Wes Craven's original Last House on the Left. The liner notes on the DVD box indicate this film was highly regarded in adult film circles back in the day. "Highest rating...an erotic masterpiece", exclaimed High Society magazine. 'lest you think this is on the level of Last Tango in Paris, think again. What apparently separated Lincoln's films from the rest of the grind house pack is that they at least had some modest production values. In an era where most porn films were confined to "one reelers" shot in somebody's bedroom (or kitchen, or garage), Lincoln attempted to shoehorn something akin to a plot into the action- and he also shot on location so that his productions had some scenery and atmosphere. Even back in 1982, however, it's hard to imagine that this modest enterprise would have elicited great praise from within the adult film community, especially when a decade before, Gerard Domiano's The Devil in Miss Jones set the high water mark for acting, story and production values. Lincoln's great achievement here was gathering numerous "superstars" of the porn genre in this one film....sort of like The Towering Inferno, only these superstars don't wear pants. 

The film opens with a young couple, Barbara (Anna Ventura) and Nick (Paul Thomas, who bears a striking resemblance to Donald Sutherland in Invasion of the Body Snatchers) discussing a mystery. Nick, an insurance investigator, suspects that a man named Buck Thomas (Michael Morrison) may have murdered his wife. Nick gets Barbara to agree to accompany him to the Circle S singles ranch, which, in fact, is a place for swingers. Seems that ol' Buck holds court there with his latest flame, the sexually insatiable Cora (Lisa De Leeuw).  The story then veers to another couple, Laura (Tiffany Clark) and Frank (Michael Bruce) who are curious about spicing up their love lives by experimenting with swinging.  They arrange a meeting with an exotic, strange woman named Francine (Sharon Kane) who invites them to the Circle S to indulge in their fantasies. Once the couples arrive at the ranch, director Lincoln throws the entire murder mystery plot out the window (it's abruptly resolved in a single sentence, then not revisited again). Instead, things get hot and heavy with guys eyeing girls, girls eyeing guys and, of course, girls eyeing girls. The sex scenes are legitimately erotic and Lincoln doesn't go too much beyond the pure vanilla stage in that nothing overly perverted goes on, as long as you're comfortable with a dozen people rolling around together on the living room floor. 

There are some interesting observations to make about the film. For one, while the women range from ordinary looking to downright exotic and the men look like they just stepped got off work at the local factory. In this pre-Botox and silicone era, most of the performers looked like people you might actually meet in real life. Thus, the guys are hairy and the girls are even hairier. The real fun comes when various cast members attempt to act. Here, the guys have the advantage with most of the male actors delivering dialogue in a manner that doesn't elicit unintentional laughter. Their physical appearance is something else, however, as they are cursed by having to wear the fashions of the era (short-shorts and polyester were all the rage). The women fare better in the fashion department because plunging necklines and garter belts do the trick in any era. The most amusement comes from the performance of Anna Ventura as Barbara when she gets to scold boyfriend Nick. She plays the part like she's Liz Taylor's Martha in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and induces some gut busting unintentional laughter in the process. There is also a funny sequence in which Nick is seduced by Cora. Barbara walks in and catches them in the act but Paul has an excuse: as an insurance investigator he had to use her bottom to get to the bottom of the case. (Male insurance investigators may want to make note of this excuse in case they find themselves in a similar dilemma.) The film's grand finale features an all-out orgy, though Lincoln is rather subdued in not taking this scene as far as we might have expected. 

The opening credits on the DVD transfer look like they were run over by a garbage truck but, in a way, it adds to the ambiance of the grind house flick. Fortunately, the print quality improves dramatically after that. There are no bonus features on the disc. Oui, Girls is a nostalgic throwback to an era when even porn seemed a little less calculated and manufactured by rote. I'm still trying to figure out the relevance of the title since there isn't even an allusion to the French anywhere on screen. If you pine away for those days watching porn in dingy theaters, you'll enjoy this DVD. To enhance the experience, make sure you're wearing your trench coat while viewing it.

Click here to order from Amazon. 

At a recent symposium in St. Louis, Jesuits joined with members of the public for a symposium dedicated to discussing the actual incident that inspired William Peter Blatty's best-selling book The Exorcist, which in turn, was adapted into the classic 1973 horror film by director William Friedkin. The incident involved a 13 year old boy who was allegedly possessed by demonic spirits. The Catholic church, which had pretty much down played exorcisms in the modern age, gave rare permission for Father William Bowdren to perform the ritual. The identity of the boy remains secret even today and Father Bowdren, who died in 1983, never discussed specifics of the case other than to say "it was the real thing."  Nevertheless, there is disagreement even among contemporary priests about the validity of the claim. Some say it's very probable that whatever physical manifestations Father Bowdren witnessed afflicting the boy could have been attributed to other causes. If faith is a belief in something that cannot be proven through traditional means, how one views the incident depends on one's religious convictions. If someone believes in God and an afterlife, it stands to reason that it isn't much of a stretch to believe in the existence of evil spirits. Conversely, skeptics and those who look to science as opposed to faith would look to natural causes for such occurrences. Whatever your views are, the incident certainly inspired one hell of a creepy horror story.- Lee Pfeiffer For more click here

(Issue #19 of Cinema Retro features an exclusive interview with William Peter Blatty. Click below to order)

ALTERNATIVE MOVIE POSTERS (Schiffer Publishing, Hardcover, 208 pages)  by Matthew Chojnacki

Review by Lee Pfeiffer 

In his introduction, author Chojnacki states the obvious: the once classic art of movie poster design went into a deep decline in the 1990s. (He claims we are now in a Renaissance period but you wouldn’t know it from most of the movie posters we see.) Chojnacki took it upon himself to seek out and curate avante garde movie posters created by a widespread range of contemporary artists. Some were created for film festivals and other projects whilst others were specifically designed for this impressive, handsome coffee table book with top production values.

Each piece of art identifies its creator and is given a dedicated page of its own. The posters feature quirky and often ingenious designs that reflect the most memorable aspects of classic and cult cinema often in the most subtle of ways. Titles range from classic Bond movies to contemporary horror- and in virtually every case, the posters put to shame the mostly God-awful designs seen on posters today, which tend to be bland, scanned in photos of actor's heads or indistinguishable posters relating to super heroes. This outstanding book makes a perfect gift for the movie lover in your life and reassures us that there are still talented people creating movie posters today (they are just not being employed by studios). 

Click here to order from Amazon. 

Announcement: Christopher Frayling is speaking at the Leeds Film Festival on 20th November.

Click here for more information and to order tickets. 

Terry Gilliam with Cinema Retro columnist Adrian Smith at a 2009 BFI tribute to Gilliam in London.

Cinema Retro has received the following press release:

Filmmaker Terry Gilliam is fronting a Kickstarter campaign to restore Walerian Borowczyk's classic 1968 film Goto, l'île d'amour (Goto, Island of Love).

Speaking about the Polish artist and filmmaker’s work Gilliam says: “They activate a part of my brain that very few other things do…I haven't seen any of these films in probably thirty or forty years, but they all have stuck with me. He needs to be restored and the world needs to be reminded.”

Trailer featuring Gilliam: vimeo.com/user18756682/gilliam-on-boro

Until now the majority of Borowczyk's early films have been unavailable. However, earlier this year writer, documentary filmmaker and producer of the box set, Daniel Bird secured the permission of his widow Ligia Borowczyk to restore nine short films and two feature films including Le théâtre de Monsieur & Madame Kabal (The Theatre of Mr and Mrs Kabal, 1967) and Blanche (1971) which will be released by Arrow films in Spring 2014.

Producer Daniel Bird says: ”For fifteen years I have been trying to find a way to restore Borowczyk's early films. Obviously, I am thrilled to be working with Arrow Films on this box-set."

The restorations were completed at Deluxe laboratories, London, under the supervision of leading film restorer, James White. This will be the first time that many of these films will be available in any home video format in any territory.

Born in Poland in 1923, where he studied painting and sculpture before establishing himself as a poster artist during the late 1950s, Borowczyk emigrated to France in 1959 where he lived and worked for the rest of his life. With films such as Renaissance (1963) and Rosalie (1966), Borowczyk played a major part in getting animated film recognised as a serious art form.

According to Amos Vogel, author of Film as a Subversive Art, Borowczyk's harrowing 1964 animation Les jeux des anges (Angels' Games) is simply “a masterpiece of modern art.”

In The New Biographical Dictionary of Film, David Thomson describes Borowczyk as “one of the major artists of modern cinema, arguably the finest talent that East Europe has provided.”

In addition, Arrow Films has collaborated with Argos Films, Paris, to release two other Borowczyk films, Contes immoraux (Immoral Tales, 1974) and La Bête (The Beast, 1975) in newly restored high definition transfers, as well as five more short films. These acquisitions will form the basis of Arrow’s Walerian Borowczyk Blu-ray and DVD box set, which is to be released as part of the Arrow Academy series in Spring 2014.

The co-producer of the box set is Michael Brooke in conjunction with Ligia Borowczyk and the filmmaker's  regular assistant and producer, Dominique Segretin.

By Adrian Smith

Note: This review pertains to the Region 2 (PAL) format UK release.

This Cinema Retro writer would love to be able to explain to you in detail what just what The Final Programme is about, but I have absolutely no idea. The plot revolves around Jerry Cornelius (Jon Finch), a swaggering millionaire scientist who seems to think he is the second coming in this futuristic, possibly post-WWIII Britain. His father, also a scientist, died when he was on the brink of some kind of amazing discovery, and it is up to Cornelius to find out what it was. Along the way he meets a variety of bizarre characters who drift in and out of the plot with nothing particular to contribute. Amongst these are many familiar faces from film and TV, such as George Coulouris, Sterling Hayden, Patrick Magee and Graham Crowden, the latter seemingly channelling Quentin Crisp. The film has flashes of visual inspiration spread throughout its running time, including colourful filters and multiple layers, but these alone do not make up for a story that makes no sense whatsoever. At one point Cornelius finds himself in a nightclub which is built like a giant pinball machine, complete with scantily-clad go-go dancers in giant hamster balls. It's colourful and exciting, and you can almost imagine this film taking place in the same Britain as A Clockwork Orange (1971).

Robert Fuest is probably best known for directing the Vincent Price camp comedy-horror classics The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971) and Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972), films with plenty of visual style to compensate for the slightly flimsy plots, themselves a derivation from the much-imitated Agatha Christie story And Then There Were None (also known as Ten Little Indians). The film is based on a much-respected science fiction novel by prolific author Michael Moorcock. He has not been particularly complimentary about the film in the past, and neither have ardent fans of the book, who have complained that too much was removed from the story. This may help explain why the film makes no sense, with Jerry moving from unusual experience to unusual experience for no reason. It is a movie that is less than the sum of its parts, which is a pity as individual parts are intriguing and entertaining, and suggest that there could have been something very special here. Instead it is like trying to watch a film through the fog of a room full of stoners. Originally an X certificate in the UK, the film is now rated 15 for the occasional swearing, drug-taking and nudity, all very much of its time.

This is a film which has been greatly anticipated on UK DVD, and it is a pity that Network did not take the opportunity to create materials that may help the audience to put the film in some sort of context. Sadly both Robert Fuest and Jon Finch died last year, too late to have their final reflections on the film recorded. Michael Moorcock is still around but would not necessarily want to contribute, but some kind of short documentary or commentary track from a historian would definitely help if you are new to the film. As it is you get a couple of trailers and the choice to watch the opening titles in Italian. Not exactly mind-blowing extras, which are precisely what this DVD release needs.

Martine Beswick (One Million Years B.C., Slave Girls and Dr Jekyll & Sister Hyde), Caroline Munro (Captain Kronos and Dracula A.D.72), Kate O'Mara (Horror of Frankenstein and The Vampire Lovers) and Maddie Smith (Vampire Lovers and Frankenstein and the and Monster from Hell). (Photo: copyright Mark Mawston, all rights reserved.)

Saturday 9th November 2013

Report by Adrian Smith

On Saturday in the shadow of Westminster Abbey, amidst the power-hungry elite of Whitehall and Downing Street, gathered an even more sinister and corrupting influence. Darth Vader rubbed shoulders with evil twins, corrupted children, vampires, zombies and even Jack the Ripper. Overseeing this evil conclave were directors whose films were so depraved that sometimes sick bags were supplied to the audience.

Horror film buffs were of course overjoyed at the fantastic selection of stars at this Hammer and Horror Film event. Representing the Bond girls were Caroline Munro, Caron Gardner, Martine Beswick and Madeline Smith. They were alongside horror queens Barbara Shelley, Kate O'Mara, Judy Matheson, Janina Faye and Emily Booth. Barbara Shelley sat with some of the alien children from her classic British sci-fi Village of the Damned, Teri and Lesley Scoble and Martin Stephens (also star of The Innocents). David Warner (Tron), Dave Prowse (Star Wars) and John Carson (Plague of the Zombies) were all very friendly and accommodating of the multitude of demanding fans, and writer-directors Michael Armstong (Mark of the Devil), Norman J. Warren (Satan's Slave) and Brian Clemens (The Avengers) were also there discussing their work and meeting old friends.

Kate O'Mara, Dave Prowse (Horror of Frankenstein) and Madeline Smith. (Photo: copyright Mark Mawston. All rights reserved.)

The focus of the day was the recent restoration of Hammer's Twins of Evil. To celebrate the director John Hough met up with Damien Thomas, who played Count Karnstein, Judy Matheson, burnt at the stake by Peter Cushing, and good twin Mary Collinson, who had travelled to the event from Milan. Sir Christopher Frayling, one of the UK’s leading authorities on vampire fiction, lead the onstage discussion. He provided a fascinating history of the Karnstein story from its origins in the work of Sheridan Le Fanu to Hammer’s lesbian vampire trilogy. They all clearly enjoyed the reunion, and Hough did his best to convince the audience that the Collinson girls' voices were not dubbed, despite what all the film history books say. Mary explained that they both received elocution lessons, as neither of them were trained actors. Twins of Evil was to be their last film, released when they were only nineteen, and they returned to modelling.

Other guests were also interviewed throughout the day. Brian Clemens, Caroline Munro and John Carson got together to discuss the magnificent Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter, agreed by one and all to be the last good film Hammer made in the 1970s. Norman J. Warren described the difficulties of making Satan's Slave with money raised by your producer re-mortgaging his house. They had such small funds that star Michael Gough had to supply his own wardrobe and sleep on a friend's sofa for three weeks, all for the grand sum of £300.

David Warner was especially mischievous during his interview, reacting with horror every time a clip was shown from his extensive back-catalogue (including Tom Jones, The Omen, Time After Time and Star Trek). He had the room in gales of laughter and explained that as an actor without any ambition he is very happy to have never been a star, something that many in the room disagreed with.

Cinema Retro columnist Adrian Smith with Mary Collinson (Twins of Evil). (Photo: copyright Mark Mawston. All rights reserved).

What makes one of these conventions so enjoyable is that alongside the guests are dozens of stalls weighed down with rare DVDs, obscure film posters, original James Bond toys, vinyl, novelisations; virtually every kind of film memorabilia and ephemera that you can think of (and many you can't) from all over the world. From Thai Evil Dead posters to original Hammer Quads it was a collectors dream, even though you may also need to re-mortgage your home yourself in order to pay for everything you want. Cinema Retro came home laden with press books, lobby cards, old magazines, books and rare Spanish 1960s superhero movies, and could easily have gone around the hall several more times.

They hold the London Film Memorabilia Convention several times a year in Westminster, and often feature special guests. You can find out what is coming up on their website at http://www.londonfilmmemorabiliaconvention.co.uk.

(For Cinema Retro's review of the U.S. special Blu-ray edition of Twins of Evil, click here) 

Was James Bond not the only orphan drafted into MI6 by "M"?

Bloomeberg writer Stephen L. Carter left his first screening of the James Bond blockbuster Skyfall last year haunted by the suspicion that there are cryptic clues in the screenplay that most viewers would not ponder. He did his homework and discovered that the villain Silva, who wages an obsessive campaign of humiliation and vengeance against "M" for allowing him to rot in a Hong Kong prison, has a hidden anagram in the message he leaves on her hacked computer: THINK ON YOUR SINS. Carter reveals the anagram is YOUR SON ISN'T IN HK. Sound far-fetched? Click here to read Carter's rather persuasive argument that Silva is actually "M"'s adopted son who, in his eyes, was betrayed when she put the needs of MI6 above his own safety. This plot point would explain a lot of the emotional resonance in the relationship between "M" and Silva, which seems to hint at much more than is revealed on screen. 

Thomas Hauerslev, founder of www.in70mm.com, which presents the latest news about epic films of bygone eras.

There was an extremely rare 70mm screening of the Russian Oscar-winning film War and Peace held in Amsterdam on November 9. Thomas Hauerslev, founder of the brilliant web site www.in70mm.com- along with fellow attendees of the event- provides an in-depth look at how the day unfolded for those of us not fortunate enough to have been there. The article discusses the challenges of even getting the brittle, deteriorating film through a projector- and how audience members had to be prepared to endure an experience that lasted from noon to 7:00 PM. The 1966 film, directed by Sergy Bondarchuk, was seen as the Soviet Union's answer to Hollywood epics. The film is estimated to be the most expensive movie ever made ($700 million in today's currency, if accounting for inflation.) It was financed by the Soviet government and was said to have over 12,000 extras, many of which were "drafted" for the production from the Soviet army. As the report on in70mm.com points out, the original cut of the film ran over 7 hours. The Amsterdam printed was an abbreviated version that "only" ran 5 hours and 37 minutes. Click here to read

Lesleh Donaldson with Cinema Retro columnist Todd Garbarini.

By Todd Garbarini 

Richard Ciupka’s unfairly maligned 1983 horror film Curtains was screened recently as part of the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s Scary Movies 7 exhibition that also included screenings of Lucky McKee’s new film All Cheerleaders Die, Michele Soavi’s highly regarded Cemetery Man (1994), Eli Roth’s new film The Green Inferno, John D. Hancock’s ultra creepy Let’s Scare Jessica to Death (1971), the New York premiere of Clive Barker’s 1990 film Nightbreed - the Cabal Cut, and Peter Carter’s brilliant Rituals (1977), better known as The Creeper, which stars Hal Holbrook and Lawrence Dane in a film that is clearly influenced by John Boorman’s Deliverance (1971) but easily stands on its own as a strong piece of independent filmmaking.

Appearing in person at the Curtains screening was actress Lesleh Donaldson who played Christie Burns, the ice skater in the film. Ms. Donaldson, who made her film debut as Michael Douglas’ teenage daughter in Steven H. Stern’s 1979 film Running, introduced the film and spoke at length following the screening with a question-and-answer session. Also at the screening were longtime Curtains aficionados Bryan Norton (he teaches filmmaking at the New York Film Academy and is the director of Penny Dreadful with Betsy Palmer and Jack Attack with Helen Rogers), actor Joe Zaso, film directors Bart Mastronardi, Alan Rowe Kelly, Howard Simon, and yours truly representing Cinema Retro.

Lesleh Donaldson

Exhibited from a rare 35mm print, Curtains is one of the most under-appreciated thrillers of the early 1980s. The Canadian production went before the cameras in November of 1980 and was beset by a multitude of problems which stretched over several years and included but were not limited to: creative differences between director Ciupka and the film’s producer, the late Peter R. Simpson, who directed much of the film; a last-minute change in casting of one of the supporting characters; and issues of money for the budget. This tale of director Jonathan Stryker (played by the late John Vernon) and his desire to bring the story of a woman, Audra, to the screen also features veteran actress Samantha Eggar as actress Samantha Sherwood having herself committed to a sanitarium to study mentally disturbed individuals only to find that Stryker, for reasons never explained, has secretly decided to leave her there and recast the film by auditioning other actresses at his house. Once she gets out, all hell breaks loose…

“Richard and Peter did not get along and they both had their own views of what this movie was going to be about,” Ms. Donaldson said after the screening. “Richard (Ciupka) was a cinematographer who had a very artistic view of what the film should look like. On the other hand, Peter Simpson, having done Prom Night prior to this, knew what worked. He just wanted your typical slasher movie. So, they were constantly battling and eventually Richard just left the project. They cast Celine Lomez in the Linda Thorson role (of Brooke Parsons) originally. I am not sure what happened, if she got another role or whatever, but she left.” When asked if she still has her fake head that appears in a toilet during a gruesome discovery, she admits that it was an artificial makeshift toilet and they used her real head for the scene. “The dinner scene and the bedroom scenes were all done by Richard,” Ms. Donaldson continued. “The ice skating rink scene and the chase through the prop house, that was all Peter. The other actresses and myself, we all got along fine. There were no fights of any sort. I liked all of the women, they were all really great. I didn't get to know Samantha Eggar very much but to be honest I think she kept herself away from everybody because that’s what the character called for. I became really good friends with Lynne Griffin (who played Patti O’Connor and also starred in Bob Clark’s Black Christmas) and she was very excited that they were screening the movie tonight. She couldn’t be here, unfortunately, but she really wanted to. Anne Ditchburn was also a very good friend as well. I did actually practice a skating routine and she helped me. I didn’t actually get to do my routine because I had practiced skating in an arena. When it came time to shoot my ice-skating scene in the movie, I literally took one glide out on to the icy pond and hit a bump. I fell face-first on to the ice. Looking at it on the big screen I can see the cut on my chin. Of course, I did it right behind Peter and Gerry Arbeid (production manager)! Gerry turned to Peter and said, ‘Didn’t we pay for her training?’ So, they had to use a double for my ice skating.”

Ms. Donaldson was nominated for a Genie Award for her performance in the 1980 horror film Funeral Home but lost out to Margot Kidder in Donald Shebib’s Heartaches (1981). Her other horror film outings include Happy Birthday to Me (1981) and Deadly Eyes (1982).

Released on VHS in 1983 and on DVD in 2007, Curtains is currently undergoing a long overdue digital film restoration from an interpositive under the auspices of Don May, Jr.’s company Synapse Films with a Blu-ray scheduled for release in 2014.

Audra herself couldn’t have done it better!

By Lee Pfeiffer 

Italy may have suffered immeasurably during WWII but in the post-war era the Italian cinema entered a renaissance period with world-acclaimed directors making the country the epicenter of the European new wave films. The Italian cinema was still in vigorous condition in the 1960s and the nation's most glamorous actors and actresses became international stars. In the wake of Fellini's La Dolce Vita and 8 1/2, even mainstream American audiences that were generally immune to the charms of foreign films became smitten by the Italian touch. One of the most unheralded Italian imports from this era ironically boasted one of the most impressive casts. Made in Italy was released in America in 1967 with an all-star cast that included Virna Lisi, Sylva Koscina, Anna Magnani, Alberto Sordi and Nino Manfredi. The movie, which has been released as one of Sony's burn-to-order DVD titles, is a madcap look at a disparate number of Italians who are all experiencing something chaotic during the course of a single day. The movie, directed and co-written by Nanni Loy (The Four Days of Naples), runs at a fairly manic clip and certainly contains some moments of inspired comedy. However, the screenplay is woefully under-written with some of the vignettes (which are all unrelated) ending abruptly on an unsatisfactory note. Not helping matters is the penchant for dubbing films during this era, an absurd practice that was designed to increase boxoffice dollars but resulted in plenty of voices that didn't seem to match the actors on screen. This film is no exception, with only a few instances in which the dubbing can be deemed satisfactory. In most cases, it's poor and woefully distracting. The dozens of vignettes have varying running times and are primarily designed to look at how every day life in Italy impacts its citizens from all walks of life. Loy gets a bit Felliniesque by making some social commentary along the way. In one sequence, a group of bored, super wealthy socialites decide to "slum it" by eating in a crowded restaurant that is popular with the working class. The snobs arrogantly laugh at how they are immersed with those of lower social status in much the same way as visitors to a zoo might be amused by the antics of some exotic animals. In the most poignant sequence, a middle-aged out of work man desperately seeks employment and goes off on a job interview for a position of laborer. The hopes and enthusiasm of his wife at the prospect of his finding a job is genuinely touching even though the episode ends on a downbeat note.  The only consistent characters seen throughout are a group of bawdy Italians who are aboard a flight to Sweden where they apparently have been engaged to do some unspecified work. The scenes of these obnoxious men clowning on the plane are routinely unfunny and the payoff is even weaker when they arrive in Sweden only to find it a gray, humorless place. The funniest segment involves Alberto Sordi as a philanderer who is caught in the act with his mistress by his wife- only to slickly present a defense of his actions that is designed to make him appear to be the victim of his wife's uncaring behavior. Another funny segment involves Anna Magnani trying to simply walk her family to a local ice cream parlor only to have to endanger everyone's lives by trying to cross the lanes of non-stop traffic that resembles a racetrack. The premise is very funny but, again, the script ends on a bizarre note, as though the writers couldn't envision a satisfying conclusion. The film's main attributes are the superbly photographed scenes of various exotic Italian cities and other locations, all set to a jaunty and delightful musical score. 

Made in Italy is a mixed bag. There is inspired humor in small does along with some poignant social commentary, but all too often the segments are as leaden as a mountainous plate of lasagna.

The DVD transfer is excellent but there are no bonus extras.  

CLICK HERE TO ORDER FROM AMAZON 

Although Natalie Wood was regarded as a "serious" actress, having made the rare successful transition from child star, the custom of the day was for studio actors and actresses to pose for an endless amount of "cheesecake" photos. Wood was no exception as this rare photo for the promotion of "Gypsy" (1962) reveals. 

"An Evening With Barbara Feldon" was first presented at the Players Club in 2011. On November 21, Cinema Retro will host the event at the Episcopal Actor's Guild.

Cinema Retro Editor in Chief Lee Pfeiffer will host "An Evening with Barbara Feldon" at the historic Episcopal Actor's Guild in New York City on the evening of Thursday, November 21. Guild members, along with members of the public, are invited to purchase tickets. (Prices are $10 for Guild members; $15 for non-members). All proceeds go those in need who are in the performing arts. Ms. Feldon will discuss her career as a model in the 1960s and, of course, her great success co-starring with Don Adams and Edward Platt in the long-running Get Smart TV series. An episode of the show will also be screened.  The Guild is located at Guild Hall, 1 E 29th Street, NY, NY

A wine and cheese reception will follow.

(Seating at Guild Hall is very limited. Tickets are on a first come, first serve basis).  

For reservations, call Matt at 212-685-2927 or E mail: matt@actorsguild.org For more info click here