By Lee Pfeiffer 

Warner Home Video has released a Blu-ray special edition of William Wyler's 1946 classic. If Wyler's greatest hit was his 1959 remake of Ben-Hur, it can be said that The Best Years of Our Lives is perhaps his most emotionally engaging film. (At the time of its release it became the second highest grossing film of all time, behind Gone With the Wind.) The movie was nominated for nine Oscars, winning eight. The film relates the story of several U.S. servicemen and the challenges they face in re-entering society in the immediate aftermath of WWII. Al (Fredric March) easily resumes his career as a successful businessman. Fred (Dana Andrews) comes from the other side of the tracks and finds his homecoming a lot bumpier, both financially (he can't find a decent job) and emotionally (he has to deal with a greedy floozy of a wife played by Virginia Mayo.) Most challenging of all is the plight of Homer (Harold Russell) a U.S. Navy vet who lost both of his hands in combat and who must cope by his expert use of hooks as faux "hands". The screenplay expertly intertwines the stories of these friends with diverse backgrounds and personalities and their situations spoke to a generation of servicemen who found their readjustment to society to be anything but smooth. The film features remarkable performances by the above actors with Oscar winner Russell (a real-life amputee who had never appeared in a film before) stealing the show. The poignant sequence in which Al's wife (Myrna Loy) has a sudden recognition that her husband has returned home is probably waiting for her in the hallway of their apartment is one of the most emotional scenes ever filmed. The Blu-ray is a recycling of a previous DVD special edition but it isn't quite special enough for a film of this importance. The extras are relegated to interviews with Teresa Wright, who played Loy and March's teenage daughter in the film, and Virginia Mayo who discusses how her role as a "bad girl" defied her squeaky clean image. There is also a trailer. Still, this Blu-ray release is most welcome. Click here to order.  

By Lee Pfeiffer

The DoubleHeaded Eagle: Hitler's Rise to Power 1918-1933,a 1973 documentary by German filmmaker Lutz Becker, is not really a documentary in the traditional sense. There is no narration or point of view expressed, nor is there any original footage. Rather, the film consists entirely of rare historical German newsreel footage that loosely documents the descent into chaos that Germany experienced in the wake of its defeat in WWI. You would have to know a lot about the history of the period because the documentary makes no attempt to present a comprehensive look at how Adolf Hitler assumed power in one of the most civilized nation's on earth. (Contrary to what many people think, he did not seize the government by force.) What is rather fascinating is that Becker opts to present speeches by Hitler and his paladins in uncut format with English sub-titles. Presumably Becker doesn't need to editorialize about the content of those speeches as the effect should be self-evident to any rational viewer. The film begins with Hitler's first national address to the German people after having assumed the powers of a dictator (he would convince the reichstag to voluntarily give up most of its powers and become a body of rubber-stamping bureaucrats.) We see Hitler amid the pomp and splendor of the rallies he so favored. Grim-faced, he assumes the podium following an introduction by his loyal Minister of Propaganda Josef Goebbels who sets the tone with chilling warnings to the Jews that they are in danger of "pushing us too far" and hinting at the plans the National Socialists intended to initiate in terms of ethnic cleansing. It's frightening to see all of this taking place even in retrospect. Hitler begins his speech slowly and deliberately, but-as was his habit- would gradually assume an an almost fanatical fervor in his pronouncements. The camera pans across the packed auditorium and finds thousands of ordinary people shouting their approval of the new Fuhrer. The film then jumps back in time to newsreel footage from 1918 and Germany's struggle in the post-WWI era. However it also covers the fact that during the 1920s Berlin was thriving as a destination for the international jet set. We see clips of Marlene Dietrich in The Blue Angel, privileged people dressed to the nines and on the town and even Buster Keaton on a tourist visit. Yet, the stock market crash of 1929 threw all of Germany into the depths of the Depression. From such desperate times often arise dictatorial leaders.

Becker does not address a major cause for Hitler's rise to power, namely the outrageously expensive sanctions and financial burdens placed on Germany by Britain and France as war reparations. These were do draconian that the German people were left in a hopeless state of affairs. Hitler and his Nationalist Socialist party were deemed to be the cure. A master speaker, strong and assured, Hitler found the people all too willing to give up civil rights in return for financial security. Hitler delivered in spades, rebuilding the economy through government-funded jobs that saw the country's infrastructure rebuilt. He also reignited national pride and built a vast army in violation of the Treaty of Versailles. (By the time the British and French decided to do more than send angry protests, the damage had been done and Hitler preside over superior armed forces.) Soon Hitler's bizarre and sick theories about racial inferiority and superiority would have enormous consequences but most of these had not been initiated during the period of time the film covers. Again, Becker is therefore somewhat restricted because he is confined by presenting what is contained in the newsreels. They are fascinating and show Hitler from the perspective of his early rise to power. As the film ends in 1933 with Hitler's appointment as Chancellor by the aging Von Hindenberg, there is no coverage of the WWII period. There is no doubt, however, that with his appointment, Hitler was the real leader of the nation. 

Becker's film is primarily of interest to hardcore history buffs. Viewers who are ill-informed about this period of history will be confused, bored or both. One would have hoped that the documentary would have provided at least a modicum of historical perspective but it is devoid of it, save for the final haunting images of Nazis burning books over the superimposed warning by the 19th century German poet Heinrich Heine, "Where they have burned books, they will burn people", a sad prophecy that was to become all-too-true.

(This review is based on a screening of the film on Netflix, where it is currently available for viewing. It is also available on DVD. Click here to order from Amazon)  

By Lee Pfeiffer 

Twilight Time has released the acclaimed Sexy Beast as a limited edition (3,000 units) Blu-ray edition. The film is regarded by many as a modern day classic of the British crime genre and while it may not equal the impact of Brit gangster flicks from bygone eras like Get Carter and The Long Good Friday, the movie stands head and shoulders above most of the dumbed-down, similarly-themed movies of more recent years. Ray Winstone stars as Gary 'Gal' Dove, a one time heist artist who is now comfortably retired in a remote Spanish villa living the good life from his ill-gotten gains. He and his wife (Amanda Redman) are enjoying their middle-aged years partying hearty with another married couple (Cavan Kendall, Julianne White) with whom they enjoy an almost inseparable relationship. Into every life a little rain must fall, however, and in their case it comes in the form of a human hurricane named Don Logan. As played by Ben Kingsley in one of his most revered performances, Logan is a terrifying figure even before we see him. When the couples learn that Logan is en route to see them, the sheer terror on their faces tell us all we need to know about this crime kingpin. When Logan does arrive, he is arrogant, irrational, sex-crazed and unpredictable-- friendly one moment and threatening the next. He orders 'Gal' to return to London to help orchestrate one more heist. When 'Gal' objects, Logan becomes completely unhinged and wreaks havoc on the close-knit group of friends. As played by Kingsley, Logan is easily one of the more memorable villains in recent screen history, a totally psychotic character whose unpredictable nature and vile mannerisms make him mesmerizing to watch. Kingsley so dominates the film that it's easy to overlook the brilliant performances of the other cast members, which includes Ian McShane as another London mobster who is part of the caper. Winstone is particularly impressive here and his scenes with Kingsley tingle with real tension.

Director Jonathan Glazer made a promising directorial debut with this film. The fact that he hasn't had any other major successes is somewhat frustrating because the man shows a flair for a unique visual style. The cinematography threatens to become a bit too pretentiously artsy at times but there is no doubt that the film contains many haunting scenes. Likewise, although the story relies on dialogue rather than violence, Glazer's penchant for fast-cutting and jumping back and forth in time can be a bit distracting. Nevertheless, this is a bold reinvention of a time-worn genre and Sexy Beast is well worth a look.

Bonus extras include a commentary track by Ben Kingsley and producer Jeremy Thomas, a short production featurette, a trailer and and isolated score track.

Click here to order from Screen Archives.  

The Library of Congress continues its tradition of adding 25 films a year to the National Film Registry. In addition to being preserved by the Library, the status ensures that the films cannot be edited for television viewing. This year's list is typically eclectic, with titles released in the silent era through 2012. Among the more iconic titles on the list are Pulp Fiction, Mary Poppins, The Quiet Man and The Magnificent Seven. For the entire list click here

Warner Brothers has released another magnificently packaged packaged  “Blu-ray Ultimate Edition” boxed set. ‘The James Dean Ultimate Collector’s Edition” features the Blu-ray debuts of the legendary actor’s three motion picture classics: Rebel Without a Cause, East of Eden and Giant. The set is jam-packed with bonus extras including three feature length documentaries, an all-new featurette titled Dennis Hopper: Memories From the Warner Lot, five vintage documentaries and other programs relating to the making of East of Eden and Rebel Without a Cause. If that isn’t enough, there are also audio commentaries, premiere footage, trailers, vintage TV shows and a wealth of collectibles including a commemorative book, poster reproductions, rare studio production memos and a selection of wonderful 8x10 photos.

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By Howard Hughes

(The following review pertains to the UK release of the film on Region B format)  

Simple Acts of Annihilation

Dario Argento is the most famous Italian horror director to be associated with the ‘giallo’ style murder mystery films that emerged from Italy during the 1970s and early 1980s. The films were notable for their point-of-view camerawork, their unsettling atmospherics and nerve-jangling, claustrophobic scenes of terror. Argento is one of those directors you either love or hate, and his work has often been accused of being a case of style over content. His detractors cite his implausible plots, illogical loopholes, deafening soundtracks, overacting casts and over reliance on stylistic flourishes that float his slim narratives. His films are just too contrived and stylised, too gimmicky, to succeed. By contrast, Argento’s fans love his implausible plots, illogical loopholes, deafening soundtracks, overacting casts and an over reliance on stylistic flourishes. Argento’s colour cinematography is exquisite, with visual effects achieved via ingenious angles, complicated set-ups, wire-guided cameras, vivid lighting, garish colour schemes and seemingly impossible cinematic arabesques, to present moments of extreme shock and overtly choreographed violence, often unflinchingly in close-up.

Argento virtually invented ‘gialli’ with his impressive directorial debut. The murder mystery ‘The Bird With the Crystal Plumage’ (1970) benefited from Vittorio Storaro’s widescreen images in Cromoscope, Ennio Morricone’s spine-tingling score and a collection of good performances – Tony Musante and Suzy Kendall as the amateur sleuths, Eva Renzi as the gallery murder victim, Mario Adorf as a anchorite painter and Enrico Maria Salerno as the police investigator. Argento continued in a similar vein with ‘The Cat ‘o Nine Tails’ (1971) and ‘Four Flies on Grey Velvet’ (1971) – the three films became known as his ‘Animal Trilogy’ and all were scored by Morricone. Argento’s 1970s psychological thrillers reached their zenith with ‘Deep Red’ (1975), which had David Hemmings’ jazz pianist puzzling his way through a twisted whodunit. Argento then explored the supernatural with the first of his ‘Three Mothers’ trilogy, ‘Suspiria’, released in 1977. This gory cataclysm of witchery and murder remains his biggest success and finest achievement, a tour de gore. Argento has only grasped at this magnificent malfeasance occasionally since, which has left his fans expectant and frustrated in equal measure.

‘Tenebrae’ (1982) is one of Argento’s better post-‘Suspiria’ films and certainly holds its own within the ‘giallo’ canon. Written and directed by Argento, it begins with New York horror fiction writer Peter Neal (Anthony Franciosa) arriving in Rome on a promotional tour for his new bestseller, a novel called ‘Tenebrae’ (which is Latin for ‘shadows’ or ‘darkness’). Pretty soon Neal finds himself embroiled in a murder investigation. Captain Germani (Giuliano Gemma) is seeking the killer of serial shoplifter Elsa Manni (Ania Pieroni), who was murdered with a cutthroat razor and is found with pages from Neal’s novel stuffed in her mouth – a modus operandi deployed in the novel itself. Asks bemused Neal of the inspector: ‘If someone is killed with a Smith & Wesson revolver, do you go and interview the president of Smith & Wesson?’ The killings continue. Tilde (Mirella D’Angelo), a journalist who is critical of Neal’s ‘sexist bullshit’ horror stories, and her on-off lover Marion (Mirella Banti) are slain in their apartment block with a razor, again in imitation of Neal’s horror fiction. Tilde’s criticism of Neal’s books parallels the charges occasionally levelled at Argento himself, as beautiful victims die beautiful deaths in the name of Argento’s artful darkness. The prime suspect in the ‘Tenebrae’ case is Cristiano Berti (John Steiner) a daytime TV book reviewer for Channel One, who is also Neal’s superfan. When an axe is planted firmly in Cristiano’s skull, he drops off the ‘wanted’ list. John Saxon played Neal’s literary agent Bulmer, Daria Nicolodi (from ‘Deep Red’) was Neal’s PA Anne, film director Enzo G. Castellari’s brother Enio Girolami appeared briefly as a store detective and Veronica Lario was Neal’s estranged, slightly unbalanced wife Jane McKarrow. Captain Germani tells Neal that he guessed the killer’s identity in the novel by page 30, but he’s not so quick on the real case. In the end, with the police stumped, Neal himself turns detective – as did Musante and Hemmings – to track down the ‘Peter Neal Tribute Act’ who is leaving a trail of corpses littering Rome.

Neal’s book is modestly described by an advert in a Rome bookstore as ‘Il giallo dell’anno, forse del deccennio’ – ‘The giallo of the year, perhaps the decade’ – and the film isn’t bad either. ‘Tenebrae’ gives Argento’s fans exactly what they want. With its gratuitous bloodletting and stylised choreography of murder, this is over-the-top, comic-book Argento, a partial return to ‘realism’ after the phantasms of ‘Suspiria’ and ‘Inferno’. The production’s backroom staff was of an excellent calibre. Horror directors Lamberto Bava and Mario Soavi were the film’s assistant directors, and the murders, involving razor, knife and axe, were staged imaginatively by Giovanni Corridor. ‘Tenebrae’ was photographed by Luciano Tovoli in Technicolor and 1.85:1 screen ratio (rather than Argento’s earlier preferred format of 2.25:1 widescreen). Some of the cinematography – pills resting on a glass tabletop, or water rinsing blood from an open razor blade – is starling in its clarity. In a terrifying sequence, a woman Maria (Lara Wendel) is chased through a park by a guard dog and inadvertently bumbles into the killer’s basement lair. Before Tilde and Marion are murdered, Argento’s camera glides up the outside of their apartment building, peeping through windows, then sweeps up over the slate roof and swoops down to the block’s stair landing, in an intricate camera take that seems inspired by Sergio Leone’s gliding Chapman crane shot at Flagstone City railway station in ‘Once Upon a Time in the West’ (1968), a film Argento worked on with Leone during the treatment stage. Another victim is stabbed in broad daylight in a busy municipal square and ultra-weird flashbacks from the killer’s traumatic past depict the murder of a woman (played by transsexual ‘Eva Robins’/Roberto Coatti) who is wearing a white dress and bright red high heels. The film’s pulsating synthesizer fugues – the pumping adrenalin of the killer or the fearful, fleeing victims – were provided by Claudio Simonetti, Massimo Morante and Fabio Pignatelli, who as members of the band Goblin had such success with the soundtracks for ‘Deep Red’ and ‘Suspiria’. The film’s murders are graphically staged with zeal – the movie ran into trouble on its first release, being prosecuted as a ‘Video Nasty’ in the UK and appearing in the US in truncated form as ‘Unsane’, shorn of 10 minutes. The killings are very gory – seemingly even more so in this pristine blu-ray edition – and the house of horrors bloodbath that climaxes the film offers plenty of the red stuff and some good shocks.

Arrow Film’s new steelbook edition of ‘Tenebrae’ is the most comprehensive and impressive edition yet released. There are various prints of the film out there on DVD. One has the onscreen title as TENEBRAE and the credits and the ‘Tenebrae’ page extracts in English. Arrow’s print (running time: 1:40:53) has the onscreen title TENEBRE and the credits and pages in Italian text. I’ve never been mad about ‘Tenebrae’, but this Blu-ray release has made me re-evaluate the film as one of Argento’s superior gialli – certainly in visual terms. The colours are bold and tremendous, the cinematography in moments as delicious as anything in ‘Suspiria’ or ‘Inferno’. Those red heels have never looked so, erm, red. The feature itself is blu-ray Region B and DVD Region 2, and as well as the English language dub it is available to play with Italian audio and English subtitles. It was shot in English and Franciosa, Saxon, Steiner and Gemma voiced themselves in the English version. A wealth of extras include a collectors’ booklet with writing from Alan Jones and Peter Strickland, and an interview with cinematographer Luciano Tovoli. Copious disk extras include two audio commentaries (one by Alan Jones and Kim Newman, another by Thomas Rostock), interviews with co-star Daria Nicolodi, composer Claudio Simonetti, and author Maitland McDonagh (‘Broken Mirrors/Broken Minds: The Dark Dreams of Dario Argento’). There’s also 16 minutes of Simonetti’s band Goblin performing tracks from ‘Tenebrae’ and ‘Phenomena’ in person at a gig at Glasgow Arches. All in, this is a definitive release of what is a strong contender for Argento’s finest 1980s movie.

The steelbook edition of ‘Tenebrae’ is available now from Arrow Films.

Click here to order: http://www.arrowfilms.co.uk/tenebrae-steelbook/

Howard Hughes is the author of ‘Cinema Italiano: The Complete Guide from Classics to Cult’. 

By Todd Garbarini

Mary Poppins (1964) was a first for me in two ways: one of the earliest movies I can remember seeing in a theater (I was five years old when it was reissued in 1973 and the Rialto Cinema in Westfield, New Jersey, the theater where I saw it, is actually one of the few remaining theaters from that era that is still in business) and one of the first movies I saw played back on a VCR (in 1980). I could hardly believe my eyes at age 5 and wondered just how in the world Mary Poppins (she is never, ever to be called just “Mary”), the chimney sweeper, and her two young charges managed to make their way into the sidewalk paintings with all of the colorful characters. 40 years later, I could pretty much figure it out for myself having seen many behind-the-scenes documentaries. And yet even though the man behind the curtain has been exposed, it still does not detract from the sheer magic that is this now 50-year-old film, and certainly one of the longest Disney outings at two hours and nineteen minutes. The songs are pure magic and there is not a dull one in the entire film, another rarity.

Julie Andrews is positively radiant as the titular heroine who comes to save the day when Jane and Michael Banks (Karen Dotrice and Matthew Garber respectively, of course), the young children of the too-busy-for-children parents George Banks (David Tomlinson) and Winifred Banks (Glynis Johns), want a new nanny after they drive off their last one (Elsa Lanchester) in a fit of aggravation. Their ripped-up-by-their-father classified ad makes its way to Mary Poppins who appears to be just what the children ordered. She takes them on several adventures, the most colorful of which involves the aforementioned jaunt into the colorful sidewalk chalk drawings. Animation and live action match in this sequence to produce some truly remarkable sequences. The music is infectious and you cannot help but find yourself humming along with the characters.

Alas, all good things must come to an end, and the long and short of it is that Mary Poppins, who successfully brings the children together with their parents, must leave after a job well-done. While it becomes apparent that the children now no longer need Mary Poppins, Mary Poppins indeed has needed the children…and it shows as she flies off.

The film is a great showcase for the considerable talents of Julie Andrews who was 28 when she made the film and also won an Oscar for Best Actress. Dick Van Dyke is a complete joy, bouncing around with reckless abandon. Karen Dotrice and the late Matthew Garber are very good as the children.

The sesquipedalian jawbreaker Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious is perhaps the film’s most well-known song simply because of its ability to challenge even the most seasoned logophile. A Spoonful of Sugar and the Oscar-winning Chim Chim Cher-ee are additional delights.

Pamela Lyndon Travers, the author of the original Mary Poppins stories upon which this film is based, reportedly gave Walt Disney a hard time as he attempted to buy the book rights from her – he spent over roughly 20 years courting her. This story has come to light and is featured in the new Disney film, Saving Mr. Banks, and it is receiving a lot of publicity as it stars Tom Hanks as Walt Disney and Emma Thompson as Mary Poppins’ creator.

Mary Poppins has been released on DVD for its 40^th and its 45^th anniversaries. The new release features a combination DVD/Blu-ray/Digital Copy and ports over all the previous extras (which are considerable, though they are only presented in standard definition) and adds two new ones in high definition: a 14-minute piece called Becoming Mr. Sherman which features Richard Sherman, one of the writers of the film’s music, speaking with actor Jason Schwartzman (who actually portrays Richard Sherman in the aforementioned Saving Mr. Banks)talking about the making of the film. The other extra is a Karaoke supplement.

The film looks gorgeous and sounds terrific on Blu-ray and is a must for Disney aficionados.

CLICK HERE TO ORDER FROM AMAZON

The forthcoming Criterion Blu-ray/DVD special edition of Stanley Kramer's 1963 comedy classic It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World won't be released until January 21 but you can pre-order it now on Amazon and save $10. The set will contain a combined five discs, making this Criterion's most ambitious release to date. 

Here is breakdown of what you can expect from the press release:

Stanley Kramer followed his Oscar-winning Judgment at Nuremberg with this sobering investigation of American greed. Ah, who are we kidding? It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, about a group of strangers fighting tooth and nail over buried treasure, is the most grandly harebrained movie ever made, a pileup of slapstick and borscht-belt-y one-liners performed by a nonpareil cast, including Milton Berle, Sid Caesar, Ethel Merman, Mickey Rooney, Spencer Tracy, Jonathan Winters, and a boatload of other playing-to-the-rafters comedy legends. For sheer scale of silliness, Kramer's wildly uncharacteristic film is unlike any other, an exhilarating epic of tomfoolery. DUAL-FORMAT BLU-RAY AND DVD SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES New, restored 4K digital film transfer of the general release version of the film, with 5.1 surround Master Audio soundtrack on the Blu-ray New high-definition digital transfer of a 202-minute extended version of the film, reconstructed and restored by Robert A. Harris using visual and audio material from the longer original road-show version-including some scenes that have been returned to the film here for the first time-with 5.1 surround Master Audio soundtrack on the Blu-ray New audio commentary featuring It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World aficionados Mark Evanier, Michael Schlesinger, and Paul Scrabo New documentary on the film's visual and sound effects, featuring rare behind-the-scenes footage of the crew at work and interviews with visual-effects specialist Craig Barron and sound designer Ben Talk show from 1974 hosted by director Stanley Kramer and featuring Mad World actors Sid Caesar, Buddy Hackett, and Jonathan Winters Press interview from 1963 featuring Kramer and members of the film's cast Interviews recorded for the 2000 AFI program 100 Years . . . 100 Laughs, featuring comedians and actors discussing the influence of the film Two-part 1963 episode of the CBC television program Telescope that follows the film's press junket and premiere The Last 70mm Film Festival, a program from 2012 featuring cast and crew members from Mad World at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, hosted by Billy Crystal Selection of humorist and voice-over artist Stan Freberg's original TV and radio advertisements for the film, with a new introduction by Freberg Original and rerelease trailers, and rerelease radio spots Two Blu-rays and three DVDs, with all content available in both formats PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by film critic Lou Lumenick

CLICK HERE TO PRE-ORDER FROM AMAZON

We've plugged this release before, but if you are really stuck for a last minute holiday gift, forget those plans to get the guy in your life one of those neckties that lights up and says "Let me kiss you in the dark, baby!" Instead, go for the Dark Knight Ultimate Collector's Edition, which was recently released by Warner Home Video. It's one of those hernia-inducing boxed sets that is packed with goodies including:

• Blu-ray editions  and Ultra Violet access to all three Batman flicks directed by Christopher Nolan: Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises
• A special bonus disc that includes "the complete IMAX sequences from The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises" that allows you to view these scenes in their original aspect ratios; a fascinating conversation between Christopher Nolan and veteran director Richard Donner about the challenges of revitalizing the Batman legend, a new documentary titled The Fire Rises: The Creation and Impact of the Dark Knight Trilogy.
• Nobody does boxed set collectibles better than Warners and this set is no exception. You get a souvenir program of images from the films, a set of separately packaged villain art prints, a letter from Christopher Nolan and even some toy replicas of three vehicles.

Each boxed set is individually numbered and the release is limited to 141,500 units. Grab it while you can. To the Bat poles!

Click here to order from Amazon and save $25 

By Lee Pfeiffer 

Maverick actor and filmmaker Tom Laughlin has died at the age of 82 after a long illness. Laughlin was just another hunky actor in small roles in films like South Pacific and Tea and Sympathy. However, in 1967 he successfully rode the wave of popularity attached to biker flicks by writing, directing and starring in The Born Losers. (He used the named T.C Frank for his non-acting credits). The film starred Laughlin as a half-Native American named Billy Jack who takes on seemingly insurmountable odds to help oppressed people. The film was a hit and Laughlin revived the character in 1971 in the film Billy Jack. However, he was angry with Warner Brothers' lukewarm marketing of the film. He engaged in a high profile battle to win back distribution rights and finally prevailed in court. In 1974 Laughlin took the bold step of investing millions of dollars in re-marketing a movie that had not been a major success. This time, however, he used an innovative distribution method called "four walling" which centered on renting a wide number of theaters across the country and keeping all of the boxoffice revenues. Laughlin's plan worked so well that it permanently changed distribution patterns of major films which had once been centered on the premise of rolling out releases in slow, methodical manner. Suddenly "wide" releases became the norm and the strategy helped make Jaws the top boxoffice attraction of all time. Laughlin repeated his success with The Trial of Billy Jack in 1974. Critics scoffed at the script's ham-handed embracing of left wing political causes but the public responded especially in the immediate aftermath of the Watergate crisis that saw President Richard Nixon resigning from office shortly before the film was released. Laughlin found that the third time was not the charm, however, and his third film in the series, Billy Jack Goes to Washington (a remake of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington) barely saw release in 1977. A high profile Western, The Master Gunfighter, released in 1975, was also deemed a boxoffice disappointment.  

Laughlin's obsession with political activism alienated him from many in the Hollywood community. Unlike John Wayne and Jane Fonda, who successfully weathered criticisms of their high profile political pronouncements, Laughlin seemed to irk the people in power. Laughlin never ceased in expressing his distrust for whoever was irunning the show in Washington. At various times he was seen as a radicial leftist but at other times he seemed to extol beliefs of the right wing fringe movement. In short, he annoyed both sides. By having taken on the studio system, he was deemed toxic by the big money people in the industry. Working with his wife and co-star Delores, he tried repeatedly to get other film projects off the ground without success. He made three quixotic attempts to run for President as a Republican but was ignored by the party establishment. Nevertheless, in death, Laughlin is finally getting the credit he was often denied in life for reinvigorating the motion picture distribution business. For more click here  . For comments from Laughlin's daughter click here

Joan Fontaine, who won the Best Actress Oscar for Alfred Hitchcock's 1941 classic Suspicion, has died in her California home at age 96. Fontaine began her film career playing attractive but nondescript characters until Hitchcock cast her as the female lead in his 1940 film version of the bestseller Rebecca opposite Laurence Olivier. The film earned her an Oscar nomination and elevated her to one of Hollywood's most in-demand actresses. In 1943 she received a third and final Oscar nomination for The Constant Nymph. Fontaine also won rave notices in the film version of the Gothic novel Jane Eyre, starring opposite Orson Welles. In both films she played an innocent woman whose husband is harboring a shocking secret that is unveiled within the walls of a stately but foreboding country manor. Fontaine's other major films include Ivanhoe, The Emperor Waltz, Kiss the Blood Off My Hands, This Above All, The Women, Gunga Din, Casanova's Big Night, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and Tender is the Night. She retired from feature films in the 1960s after being offended by being asked to play Elvis Presley's mother. However, Fontaine did continue to appear in TV shows for another twenty years. These included Ryan's Hope, Hotel and The Love Boat. Fontaine was the sister of fellow Oscar winner Olivia De Havilland but the two sisters engaged in an on-going feud that extended back to their childhood years. For more click here 

O'TOOLE

Acclaimed actor Peter O'Toole, star of stage and classic cinema, has passed away in a London hospital after a long illness. He was 81 years old. O'Toole shot to international prominence when director David Lean cast the largely unknown actor in the title role of his 1962 masterpiece Lawrence of Arabia. O'Toole proved he was not to be a "one hit wonder", earning 8 Oscar nominations throughout his career, though he was frustrated at not winning the award in a competitive category. In 2003 he accepted the Academy's consolation honor: a lifetime achievement Oscar. O'Toole, Irish at birth, benefited from the explosive emergence of young method actors in the British film industry of the 1960s. His drinking exploits with friends like Richard Burton and Richard Harris were the stuff of legend and were chronicled in Robert Sellers' best selling book Hellraisers. O'Toole's career was not comprised of all hits. He went through dry spells as early as 1965 with the failure of his big budget adventure film Lord Jim and the flop 1969 musical version of Goodbye, Mr. Chips followed by another ill-advised venture into the musical format with the 1972 film of Man of La Mancha. . Yet, he would always surprise critics and audiences with an unexpectedly inspired performance in films that were often somewhat mundane. Among his most memorable cinematic achivements: Becket, My Favorite Year, The Lion in Winter, The Stunt Man, How to Steal a Million and What's New Pussycat?  Fiercely private and disdainful of publicity and interviews, O'Toole generally proved to be quite charming when he would let his guard down. Although he said he had retired from the film industry, he was coaxed out of retirement for a historical film that is awaiting release.- Lee Pfeiffer For more click here

If you love director Richard Brooks' slam-bang 1966 Western The Professionals as much as we do, you should click here to gaze at some great international posters from the film that starred Burt Lancaster, Lee Marvin, Robert Ryan, Claudia Cardinale (at her hottest!), Jack Palance, Woody Strode and Ralph Bellamy. It's part of Steve Thompson's blog celebrating his favorite year: 1966, and what baby boomer could argue with him? 

Personal letters written to his friend and colleague Dennis Hamilton of the Sunday Times reveal a great deal about the nature of their relationship. In some letters, Fleming expresses his gratitude to Hamilton and at other times chastises him for using insulting verbiage and even wasting his time tending to his garden, an activity Fleming apparently disdained. The James Bond author's letters also reveal that he was once struggling to get through a business meeting without realizing that he was undergoing a major heart attack. The letters are being put up for auction. For more click here

By Ernie Magnotta

Over the years, Friday the 13^th has been called many things. Upon its release in May of 1980, critics who reviewed the low budget, independent wonder called it everything from a blatant Halloween clone (which director Sean Cunningham never denied it was) to an overly violent dead teenager movie made with no apparent talent or intelligence.

Gene Siskel was so outraged by the film that he called Cunningham “one of the most despicable creatures ever to infest the movie business.” Siskel even went so far as to publish the home address of actress Betsy Palmer (who gives a magnificent performance in the film) and he encouraged fans to write to her and express their disappointment in her taking a role in such a ghastly film.

Why did this creepy little horror film strike such a negative chord in critics all over the country? To answer that question, we must go back to 1978. The Alfred Hitchcock/Italian giallo-inspired Halloween was released that year and was not only loved by the movie-going public, but the near perfect film was universally praised by critics including Roger Ebert, who rightfully called it “A film so terrifying that I would compare it to Psycho.”

Critics and audiences alike were in awe of the way director John Carpenter masterfully built suspense and the amazing film became an instant classic as well as a box office phenomenon.

Fast forward to 1980; Director Sean Cunningham decides to make a horror film and very wisely comes up with the idea to combine two of the most current and successful scary movies: Halloween and George A. Romero’s classic 1979 zombie epic, Dawn of the Dead.

Cunningham would use Halloween’s structure (he would also borrow from Mario Bava’s groundbreaking 1971 giallo film, A Bay of Blood aka Twitch of the Death Nerve) while adding Dawn’s amazingly graphic and realistic gore effects. He would even engage the talents of the man responsible for Dawn’s innovative gore, special FX maestro Tom Savini.

This is primarily what outraged critics of the time. In their eyes, Cunningham could not match Carpenter in masterfully building terror and suspense (and there is much truth to that), so, instead, the filmmaker would rely solely on realistic and bloody effects in order to scare his target audience. The film was also accused of equating sex/drugs/alcohol with death as well as being both misogynistic and illogical.

Now, I’ll be the first to say that when it comes to the art of filmmaking, Friday the 13^th cannot hold a candle to Halloween, but I refuse to agree with anyone who calls Friday worthless, misogynistic and illogical junk whose only talent can be found in its gore content.

Yes, the blood flows and Savini’s effects are still as astonishing now as they were 33 years ago, but the entertaining film works for many other reasons which I’ll list right now.

First of all, just like Halloween, the film has a documentary-like feel to it. Cunningham simply shows us a likeable group of teenage counselors (one of whom is a young Kevin Bacon) who are hard at work fixing up Camp Crystal Lake a few weeks before the noisy children are due to arrive. The characters have no Hollywood-esque dramatic motivations or conflicts. They are just a very normal, happy and realistic group going about their daily business. As viewers, we almost feel as if we’re eavesdropping on their lives.

This technique is greatly aided by the more than competent writing of Victor Miller who wisely avoids stereotypes such as “the jock” or “the bitch” and creates a pleasant group of normal and realistic kids. The wonderfully natural acting of the kids themselves also helps. We like this group and when the killer’s POV shots interrupt these normal, quiet scenes, it really has an impact.

Next up is Sean Cunningham’s directorial style. (For those who have said this film is little more than a gore-fest, listen up.) Cunningham uses tried and true techniques such as showing us early on the horror that the killer is capable of, then showing us exactly where the killer is and, finally, having his likeable characters enter the killer’s space one at a time. Naturally, this technique produces a fair amount of tension, suspense and scares.

I won’t reveal the killer’s identity, but I will say that it’s not our hockey masked pal, Jason. (Jason’s reign of terror begins in part 2 and he doesn’t don his iconic mask until part 3.) However, once you know who the killer is and learn the motivation behind the murders, you will be petrified by the killer’s terrifying personality. Not only that, but upon repeat viewings of the quieter, early scenes, knowledge of the killer’s personality creates even more eerie, goose bump-like scares.

Cunningham also creates a nice moody atmosphere by having half of the film take place during a nighttime thunderstorm. Combine that with the quiet, isolated camp location and a moving POV camera which suggests a creepy, violent and vengeful presence always lurking nearby and you have not only a very scary little film, but a real feeling of almost inescapable doom.

I can’t go on about the film’s scare factor without mentioning the frightening musical score by the great Harry Manfredini. His instantly recognizable “ki ki ki, ma ma ma” has become a part of horror music history and now stands tall alongside other immortal horror themes such as Bernard Hermann’s magnificent score for Psycho, John Williams’ often imitated, but never duplicated score for Jaws and John Carpenter’s iconic and terrifying Halloween theme.

Last, but certainly not least, is the final scare of the film. Without giving away too much, I have to say that it is one of the most shocking and unexpected scares in horror movie history and second only to the brilliant ending of Brian De Palma’s Carrie (1976). It’s a magnificently crafted scene that can be credited to Sean Cunningham’s solid direction, Victor Miller’s imaginative writing, Adrienne King’s subtle and naturalistic acting, Tom Savini’s magnificent makeup work and Harry Manfredini’s frightening music all working as one to give audiences the fright of their lives.

Australian release poster.

And that’s just the final scene. All those elements work together throughout the entire film and help to create a fun, scary rollercoaster ride. The gore effects work more as a punctuation mark at the end of a sentence. It usually caps off a tense and frightening scene. It is not the only technique at work here. As a matter of fact, take the very minimal amount of gore out of the film and you still have an extremely eerie, claustrophobic and terrifying film.

As far as being misogynistic, equating sex/alcohol/drugs with death and being illogical goes, critics couldn’t have been more off base.

Let’s start with misogyny. First of all, there is an equal amount of male and female deaths, and Kevin Bacon’s death is probably the best and most graphic death scene in the film. Second of all, and don’t read this if you haven’t seen the film, the killer is female. So, if the filmmakers hated women, the killer would’ve been a man. Saying that this film hates women is ridiculous.

Next up is the idea that the kids were punished by death for engaging in sex, drinking and smoking pot. Well, if that were the case, then why does the final girl survive? Midway through the film she indulges in both beer and marijuana. It is also revealed that she was in a relationship with the head of the camp and, although it isn’t shown that they had sex, the dialogue strongly suggests it. Much like Halloween (the female survivor of that film also smokes pot and clearly wants to be in a relationship with a boy), this idea of sex/drugs/alcohol being punishable by violent death is not a part of Friday the 13^th, but would be misinterpreted by future slasher filmmakers thereby beginning that slasher “rule.”

Lastly is the ridiculous idea that all of the characters in this film do completely illogical things before getting killed. This never happens. First of all, the characters are silently killed off one by one in a Ten Little Indians manner. The remaining characters have no idea that there is a killer among them, so it makes sense that they would go about their business as if everything is normal. Also, once the last two characters sense that something is wrong, they both do completely logical things. Unfortunately, they are thwarted by the intelligent killer who is always one step ahead of them.

For example, when they can’t find anyone, they try to call for help, but, unbeknownst to them, the line has been cut. (They believe that it’s just out of order due to the storm.) Next, they find a bloody axe in one of the cabins and immediately decide to leave, but their car has been sabotaged. Their last idea is to just hike the ten miles to civilization and get help, but it’s pitch black outside and a thunderstorm is raging.

With the exception of the heroine knocking out the killer a few times and then either not continuing to pummel her or throwing the weapon aside, the characters all act logically/intelligently in every situation, but still get killed which is one of the reasons why the film is so scary.

So, is it a masterful piece of cinema like Halloween or Psycho? Certainly not. However, it’s far from worthless junk and it totally works without the effects which, by the way, take up less than sixty seconds of the film’s 95 minute running time. At the time, those amazing gore effects were the only things that were new in this type of film, so that’s what critics mainly became fixated on. Unfortunately, they missed much of the wonderful craftsmanship that went into the rest of the film.

Friday the 13^th may be a dead teenager movie, but it’s one of the best of its type. While not in the same league as its predecessors, it’s a much better film than it’s been given credit for. It’s also an important film in that, along with Halloween, it created a very successful subgenre/formula of the horror film and, due to being released by Paramount Pictures and becoming a huge financial success, it gave up and coming filmmakers a chance to break into the Hollywood system by producing their own low budget slasher films which utilized the same structure and similar techniques.

To date, the film has spawned ten sequels, one remake, countless imitations and the character of Jason has become an icon of fright. Entire books have been written about the series and at least one book was wholly devoted to the groundbreaking first film. There have also been Friday the 13^th comic books, novelizations, video games, action figures and conventions. Not bad for a little movie that has been wrongfully dismissed as an illogical, misogynistic, incompetent spectacle of gore.

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(In issue #27 of Cinema Retro, writer John Exshaw presents a remarkable, previously unpublished interview with iconic British actor Peter Cushing. The following companion piece was not included for reasons of space but we are very proud to run this as a web site exclusive.)

John Exshaw reports:

Prior to interviewing Peter Cushing, in May, 1993, I arranged to speak to Christopher Lee at the Carlton Towers Hotel in Knightsbridge, where he kindly shared the following thoughts on Cushing as actor, colleague, and friend.

“I didn’t meet him until we did the first Hammer movie. I’d seen him. Of course the thing which I’d seen which impressed me most, understandably, was 1984, which was remarkable. He was wonderful in that. . . . Live TV! [shudders]

Total dedication; and this is the answer to why Peter Cushing is an actor. Total dedication. Total! The most professional actor I have ever worked with. And I’m not going to say underrated, because he isn’t underrated. He’s highly regarded all over the world as a brilliant actor, and deservedly so. The record shows that. . . . Also, one thing that we do share, I think, more than anything, which is more important than anything else – I think we share the same dedication, I think we share professionalism, I think we share the same feelings about doing the best we can – one thing we certainly share is the same sense of humour, which, of course, the general public is totally unaware of. If they knew what we got up to on the set in every film we’ve made . . . the imitations that I used to do, the dances that he used to do. . . . Oh, we used to dance together in the rushes, yes; me made up as the Frankenstein creature, a sort of, a sort of, what do you call it – buck-and-wing dance, you know. And in years and years and years he and I have shared this idolatrous love of the Warner Brothers’ cartoons, you see, and Sylvester, and Tweety Pie, and Yosemite Sam. And I’ve always imitated them, you see, and he does the same. And we used to do that on a set; people used to think we’d gone out of our minds, and we’d make each other laugh. Sometimes it’s so important – in a way, it’s absolutely essential – but we’re both of us ice-cold when it comes to doing it, even if we’ve been laughing a few moments before. Again, that’s a thing we also share, total concentration.

And what can I say about Peter Cushing that I haven’t said before? I mean, consummate actor, brilliant technician, and a marvellous human being. I’ve always said, you know – I’m sure you’re aware of this – that he should have been a priest. . . . Because there is a great love for his fellow man. There’s an almost superhuman loving kindness in Peter, and it’s always been there. I’ve never heard him say anything harsh about anyone. He’s also a deeply religious man. Those are the two things we don’t have in common. I’m afraid I do say what I think. I’m not tactless but I am a more direct person than he is. I don’t have his tolerance. I don’t have his gentleness. I don’t have his faith; I wish I did. . . .

He is not an easy person to get to know, believe you me. There’s a lot about Peter that I don’t know. . . . But of course, as you know, Helen died in the 1970s and that is his only desire left in life. And it’s genuine. He has stayed alive because he’s a man who would never take his own life because that would be a great sin, and he has stayed alive through some pretty terrible experiences, you know. He’s had cancer, and problems with his legs, his hips, breathing, and all sorts of medical problems – but the spirit is unquenchable and the speed of thinking and the mind haven’t changed at all. I mean, it’s another cliché – the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. The same thing with Vincent [Price]; mind like a rapier, both of them. Only the physical disabilities of getting old. . . .

But he’s certainly one of a kind, and of course this business of staying alive, simply existing, which is how he looks at his life – existence. He’s only waiting for that moment; only waiting for it. And he’s been waiting now for twenty-three years. It must be terrible to be so admired and so loved and so respected but to impose, I feel, on yourself, deliberately, a sort of monastic seclusion which he seems to prefer. He seems to; I mean, you wouldn’t think it if you saw him with a group of people but I think he prefers to be alone. I don’t think the house is full of people. I don’t think there’s many very, very close, intimate friends – but nor have I, and nor have many people. Acquaintances, yes; admirers, yes – scores of thousands all over the world, people who feel they know him, people who feel that he’s a friend – all that. That’s on a professional basis; I think on a personal basis, I get the impression that he’s a person who keeps his life and his relationship with his wife very much to himself. It’s locked up in a cupboard of which he has the key. He doesn’t open that cupboard and release anything unless he chooses to. But I don’t either. 

To order issue #27 of Cinema Retro with John Exshaw's exclusive interview with Peter Cushing click button below 

BY LEE PFEIFFER

The Warner Archive has reissued Paramount's DVD release of Goodbye, Columbus as a burn-to-order DVD title. The film caused a bit of a sensation in 1969 with its rather graphic- if comical- examination of a young couple's attempts to have a fulfilling sex life and the obstacles they encounter along the way. Based on Philip Roth's best-selling novella, the movie was released at an opportune time when such coming-of-age stories were able to speak to a new, rebellious generation. It was a sizable hit with critics and the public.  Yet, the film never comes close to matching the impact of The Graduate, the movie it almost desperately tries to emulate. Richard Benjamin plays Neil Klugman, a young Jewish man living with his over-bearing aunt and uncle in a lower middle-class section of the Bronx. Invited to a swanky country club as a guest of a wealthy cousin, he lays eyes on Brenda Patimkin (Ali MacGraw), a stunningly beautiful college student who is home from Vassar on summer vacation. The two meet cute and before long Neil finds himself awkwardly introduced to Brenda's upper-crust family who reside in a lavish Westchester home, complete with live-in maid. Although Brenda is also Jewish, her parents disapprove of Neil from the outset. He is an ex-army veteran who seems to have no ambitions and is content with his job as a desk clerk in the local library. Brenda's father Ben (Jack Klugman in a fine performance) is a self-made man who can't understand Neil's lack of desire to make his own fortune. Even worse, Brenda's mother (Nan Martin) is a sneering snob who makes it obvious that Neil's social status will never allow her to accept him. Despite these challenges, Brenda and Neil use surreptitious means to make love wherever and whenever they can, including a daring gambit in which he sneaks into her bedroom while staying at the family house as a guest. Ultimately, as the date draws nearer for Brenda to return to school in Boston, the couple begins to worry if their love can survive being separated. The situation becomes rather grim when Neil discovers that Brenda has not been using any birth control methods, which puts a dent in his libido until he convinces her to get a diaphragm. This type of scenario in a film can be found in family comedies today, but back in '69 it was fairly ground-breaking stuff. The rather downbeat and realistic ending was also in contrast to most love stories of the period (even The Graduate ended on a high note.) 

The film represented the big screen debuts of Richard Benjamin and Ali MacGraw (though Benjamin had been a familiar face on television for years and had starred in his own short-lived sit-com, He and She with real life wife Paula Prentiss.) Both give fine performances with Benjamin's every day guy appeal in full swing along with his ability for deadpan comedy. The problem is that both actors were far too old for the roles the character they portray. Benjamin was 30 years old at the time and MacGraw was 29-- and they look it. Thus, the film takes on a sense of absurdity to see the couple trying to sneak into the woods so they can make out. Benjamin in particular always looked older than his age and at times it appears as though he is starring in a May/December romance instead of a story about two-love struck kids of college age. Director Larry Peerce handles the proceedings adequately, if not exceptionally. He doesn't strive for big belly laughs but does overdo the Jewish ethnic types, especially in the film's climactic wedding sequence. Most of these characters are out of Central Casting, though there are some genuinely funny moments. Michael Meyers is memorably amusing as Ron, Brenda's affable older brother. He's a college jock with a brain the size of a pea- and despite being a lady's man, seems to have a penchant for touching Neil whenever possible. (Despite getting great reviews, Meyers apparently never acted again.) Arnold Schulman's  Oscar-nominated screenplay takes the anti-Establishment aspects of the story to an extreme. Virtually every character other than Brenda and Neil are depicted in a grotesque or absurd manner in a rather pretensious bid to appeal to the youth market. The exception is Klugman's character who is given a beautifully written sequence in which he tells Brenda just how much his family means to him. 

Another aspect of the movie that makes it look like a lite version of The Graduate is the use of a contemporary group to provide a hip musical score. However, while Simon and Garfunkel's masterful songs for The Graduate spoke to a generation, the soundtrack songs for Goodbye, Columbus are provided by The Association, the epitome of a white bread band from the 60s who specialized in memorable, but emotionally vacant tunes. This is borne out by the fact that none of the tracks the group sings in the film, including the title song, are the slightest bit memorable. 

The Warner Archive DVD is the same transfer as the previous Paramount release, including the rather sloppy photo montage on the sleeve which seems to emulate the feel of My Big Fat Greek Wedding. The film's original poster was far more haunting. The picture quality is fine but there are no bonus extras. 

Goodbye, Columbus doesn't resonate today as it once did to audiences in 1969..but it can be recommended as an interesting comment on a generation struggling to come to terms with the lightning-fast pace of the societal changes during that era. 

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Murder and Narcissism

 By Raymond Benson

Available this month from the Criterion Collection is Elio Petri’s 1970 international hit, Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion, which won the Oscar that year for Best Foreign Language Film. It stars Gian Maria Volonté, whom most Americans will recognize as the heavy in two spaghetti westerns, A Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars More, but this time clean-shaven and wearing a tailored suit. He is sharp, handsome, and volatile—the perfect personality to portray a high-ranking detective in Italy’s (then) corrupt police force.

Highly politicized, Investigation uses sly dark humor to make its point—that corruption has become so bad that an official can commit murder but can still be above the law. Here, Volonté, who enjoys rather kinky sex with his mistress, decides to kill her to prove he can get away with it under the very noses of his fellow officers. In short, he is a mad, over-the-top narcissist whose fantasy is to be coerced into confessing his “innocence.” It is a sly crime thriller with a nudge-nudge, wink-wink jab in the ribs.

The world in the year 1970 was very different than it is now. Revolution was everywhere, and it was hip to question authority and rebel against conformity and complacency. Investigation is one of the many pictures from that era to attack the “establishment”—and manage to be entertaining at the same time. The jury is out on whether today’s audiences will find relevancy in the picture, but as I tell my students in Film History, “always judge a film within the context of when it was released.”

Highlights of the movie are definitely Volonté’s performance, as well as the iconic Ennio Morricone score. In a recent interview included as an extra on the disk, Morricone explains that his approach to the music was to use unusual, “grotesque” instrumentation. The recurring, playfully sardonic main theme perfectly captures the film’s mischievous stance.

The new 4k digital film restoration is sharp and crystal clear, and the colors punch out in that singular 70s fashion. An abundance of extras include an archival interview with director Petri, a 90-minute documentary on Petri’s career, an excellent 60-minute documentary about actor Volonté, the interview with Morricone, and a booklet featuring an essay by film scholar Evan Calder Williams and excerpts from a book by co-screenwriter Ugo Pirro.

Recommended for aficionados of Italian art house cinema, Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion is a cult relic of the early 70s that begs for closer examination.

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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.

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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.”

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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(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.

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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

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 

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.

Click here to order from Screen Archives.  

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.  

CLICK HERE TO ORDER FROM AMAZON 

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

CLICK HERE TO ORDER FROM AMAZON UK

“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.

CLICK HERE TO ORDER FROM AMAZON

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.

CLICK HERE TO ORDER FROM AMAZON 

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.

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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). 

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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.