By Adrian Smith

Continuing the inevitable rollout of classic (and not so classic) movies to the latest home video format, Fox Studios have released Conan the Barbarian as a region-free Blu-ray in the UK, just in time to help stir up interest in the forthcoming remake in September (although that film is being distributed by rival studios Lionsgate).

It is hard to imagine now, given Schwarzenegger's legendary status in the film industry, that in 1982 he was a relatively unknown actor. As a former Mr Olympia he had achieved some level of fame through the body-building documentary Pumping Iron in 1977, where he infamously smoked marijuana. Several years before that, his first film role had seen him take the lead, under the name Arnold Strong, in Hercules in New York (1969). One of the funniest bad movies of all time, it did little for his career at the time, and until Conan the Barbarian, other film and TV roles mainly consisted of bit parts, playing heavies and body builders.

It was his starring role in Pumping Iron that brought Schwarzenegger to the attention of Hollywood, and a property was sought out that would suit his particular screen presence, ideally a role that needed an imposing physique and little in the way of dialogue. The Conan Marvel comic book series, based on the fantasy novels by Robert E. Howard, with its highly stylish depictions of this towering, muscle-bound hero, provided the inspiration and a script was developed. That process took four years, and included a major rewrite by Oliver Stone.

The story, evidently based on Viking culture and mythology, depicts the evils committed by a snake cult lead by the messianic Thulsa Doom (James Earl Jones). He makes the mistake of killing everyone in young Conan's village, including his parents. Conan and the other children are put into a life of back-breaking slavery. Young Conan grows up to be the hugely over-developed Arnold Schwarzenegger. His muscles do not go unnoticed, as he's soon put to work as a gladiator, stabbing, gouging and pummelling those brave or unlucky enough to be put into the ring with him. Eventually he manages to secure his freedom, and goes on a quest to find the cult that killed his parents. Along the way he has sex with a witch, makes friends with foxy warrior Valeria (former dancer Sandahl Bergman, who performed all her own stunts) and thief Subotai, and learns that Thulsa Doom has taken the King's daughter. With the King financing his quest, he sets off into the desert (Almeria, Spain, a location seen in hundreds of films, but perhaps best known for The Good, The Bad and The Ugly) to confront Doom and his bloodthirsty minions.

By Adrian Smith

On the 28th May 2011 Vanessa Redgrave CBE and Franco Nero were both awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Letters from Brunel University in recognition of their outstanding services to the arts. The event was held at the Italian Cultural Institute in London and was attended by friends, family, fans and colleagues, including the controversial Italian director Ruggero Deodato, with whom Nero has worked several times.

Redgrave was once called "the greatest actress of our time" by Tennessee Williams, and has been nominated and won many awards for both her film and theatre work since she began her career in the 1950s, where she co-starred with her father Sir Michael Redgrave in the play A Touch of the Sun.

The Italian Franco Nero is probably best known for one of his first films, the vastly entertaining and influential Spaghetti Western Django in 1966. He has appeared in over 150 films and is also involved in numerous charitable and humanitarian projects. Quentin Tarantino cites Nero as a big influence, and has recently announced that his next film will be a western, titled Django Unchained. Nero was unable to confirm or deny rumours that he has been cast in this film.

Redgrave and Nero were married in 2006, despite first meeting on the set of Camelot in 1967. They were together for a short while then, and have one son Carlo, but it took almost forty years for them to finally get back together. This story was played out recently in the film Letters to Juliet, in which they played a couple reunited after many years. They were both clearly touched to be awarded in this way by the university and gave moving words of thanks. The ceremony was followed by an onstage interview, in which they discussed the beginnings of their relationship whilst making Camelot in London. According to Nero Vanessa Redgrave asked him to give a friend a lift to the airport. Whilst they were there, she then suggested they jump on the next plane anywhere. Several hours later they found themselves driving a hired car around the streets of San Francisco! The evening was rounded off with a packed rare screening of the Italian film A Quiet Place in the Country from 1969, in which they both starred.

Franco Nero was also given a Lifetime Achievement Award from Cine Excess, the International cult film conference which was being held by Brunel University during that weekend. He also attended the launch of a new book published by FAB Press, Any Gun Can Play: The Essential Guide to Euro Westerns, for which he has written the foreword. The book is available now, and Cinema Retro will review this shortly, but on first appearances this looks like an essential purchase.

Click here to order from Amazon

Click here to order from Amazon UK

By Adrian Smith

The BFI Flipside range have brought some interesting and occasionally downright bizarre lost British films to a wider public audience since it's inception in 2009. Private Road is a followup, and in some sense a spiritual sequel, to a previous Flipside relase, Bronco Bullfrog. That film was Platts-Mills' debut as a feature director, and was notable for its performances from non-professional actors. Private Road follows some of the themes first explored in that film, and the naturalistic story-tellingl also comes through, although Private Road is clearly more tightly constructed and directed.

The story follows Bruce Robinson (best known for writing and directing Withnail and I) as a “gifted” young writer who seems to enjoy the boho lifestyle of a London in the last thralls of the Swinging Sixties. We're told he's brilliant, although he very rarely touches his typewriter. He gets together with a young secretary played by Susan Penhaligon. They fall in love and start a life together, but his old life can't quite let him go. Private Road tackles the problems of growing up, of responsibility, of the divide between generations. The drug-fueled hippy of the decade may have some of the answers, but not all of them.

The film seems both dated and totally fresh at the same time. It feels like a late 1960s piece, with its references to Vietnam and Maoist revolution. Bruce Robinson is a dead ringer for Pink Floyd's Syd Barrett and the soundtrack consists mainly of Nick Drake-style whimsical acoustic guitar numbers. Yet the film deals very frankly with issues such as heroin, abortion and relationships. Susan Penhaligon is a revelation in this film. Her character is sometimes naïve, sometimes outspoken and adult. Her performance feels truthful, in part because of the improvised feel of the dialogue.

Private Road is a terrific film which sheds further light on Barney Platts-Mills, a director whose work is all but forgotten. The BFI have put together another great package. Alongside the film itself are two short films. One is a moving documentary by Platts-Mills on a school for children with special needs. The second is The Last Chapter, a short film starring Susan Penhaligon alongside that stalwart British character actor, Denholm Elliott, based on a story by the novelist John Fowles. He plays a successful author of badly-written but popular thrillers (he appears to be a spoof of Ian Fleming), who is interrupted in his work by a young schoolgirl who claims to want an interview for her school magazine. Initially reluctant, Elliott eventually agrees, but things take an interesting and uneasy turn when her motivations begin to seem suspect. Does she want to seduce him or ruin him? It's a great little film and a superb extra to be included here.

The BFI Flipside range are available in a dual-format package, meaning you can have it on DVD and if you upgrade to Blu-ray later, you'll already have one to put in your new machine. This is a great idea and should help encourage people to try it out. The extras are the same on both discs.

Click here to order from Amazon UK (This is a Region 2 disc)

Epics, Spectacles and Blockbusters: A Hollywood History by Sheldon Hall and Steve Neale

Published by Wayne State University Press, Detroit, 2010

376 pages

Review by Adrian Smith

It is often assumed in popular film history that the craze amongst movie studios for the Hollywood blockbuster began with the success of Jaws in 1975, and was cemented by George Lucas with Star Wars in 1977. Hall and Neale, in this fascinating new book, demonstrate that the blockbuster has actually been around since the days of silent movies. And it is not just the epic spectacle of huge sets and casts of thousands that set these out as blockbusters, but also the way studios handled their directors and stars, production budgets, marketing and release patterns. Some films would become roadshow pictures, meaning they would have an extended run (sometimes for over a year) in a limited number of cinemas before being rolled out across the country. It was treated like a theatrical production, where people booked seats in advance. During the 1960s, inspired in part by the successes of independent companies like AIP with their mass drive-in products, studios began to adopt a showcase strategy, where the film would show in some key cities and first-run theatres whilst simultaneously opening on a regional-saturation basis. The book explains in great detail both the highs and lows that studios and producers went through. They have uncovered a lot of financial information which makes this book an excellent resource for anyone conducting their own research into Hollywood history. It also provides some perceptive insight into the cinema-going habits of filmgoers fifty years ago. Before Alfred Hitchcock insisted that latecomers not be allowed in to screenings of Psycho (1960), it was common practice for movie theatres to not have specific show times. People would just turn up, and if the movie was halfway through, they would just remain in their seats and wait for the film to start again. When All About Eve (1950) was released scheduled performances were attempted, but the idea was abandoned after four days because of poor business and the reluctance of exhibitors to adopt it. It took another ten years before the idea really took hold with Psycho, and thanks to the success of that film (over $9 million domestic rental, more than ten times its production cost), it became more commonplace.

Epics, Spectacle and Blockbusters is primarily an academic book, with rather a plain cover and only a limited number of black and white illustrations, but it does contain a great deal of absorbing information and detail which is simply unavailable elsewhere. It should be compulsory reading for all heads of Hollywood studios today, in the hope that they may learn to avoid making some of the mistakes of their predecessors.

CLICK HERE TO ORDER FROM AMAZON

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By Adrian Smith

With only a short time to go until Christmas, some of you may still be looking for ideas for the perfect gift. Well look no further. Here is a small list of suggested goodies from our own Christmas list, and any of these will bring a smile to the face of your classic movie lover when they find them under the tree.

Psycho: 50^th Anniversary Edition

Blu ray

Universal Pictures

It is difficult to believe that this film is now fifty years old. Seen here in a pristine transfer, it seems just as fresh, original and shocking as it must have been to those first cinema audiences in 1960. Much has been written about Psycho, not least within the pages of this magazine, so there is no need for me to sing its praises here. This is one of the best Blu-ray releases of 2010 and should be in every home. Alongside the film itself you can enjoy a huge amount of extra features, many of which are exclusive to this release and include a feature-length documentary, archive material, a full commentary and 20 page booklet.

CLICK HERE TO ORDER DISCOUNTED FROM AMAZON

Billy Wilder's Some Like It Hot Commemorative Book with DVD

Alison Castle, Dan Auiler

Taschen

Hardcover + DVD, 36 x 22.5 cm (14.2 x 8.9 in.), 384 pages

Some Like It Hot is one of the greatest comedy films ever made, and this book serves as a celebration and tribute to the stars and Billy Wilder himself. You'll find the original first draft of the script with annotations and photos, as well as in-depth interviews and archival material. There are some excellent candid photos and the truth of Marilyn Monroe's problems on and off set are laid bare. The book even comes with a DVD of the movie, so you can imagine that you bought the film and got the best DVD extra ever.

CLICK HERE TO ORDER DISCOUNTED FROM AMAZON

By Adrian Smith

Odeon Entertainment are continuing their quest to bring a mixture of sought after and totally obscure titles to DVD with generous extras here in the UK.

Goodbye Gemini (1970) stars Martin Potter and Judy Geeson as twins in a complicated and suspiciously incestuous relationship. They are 20 years old but they roam and play in their large Chelsea townhouse like children, and what begins as childish pranks escalate into something seriously disturbed. At that time Potter was fresh from his success in Fellini’s Satyricon (1969) whilst Geeson had made a big impression as a promiscuous schoolgirl in To Sir With Love (1967), and in Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush (1968), espousing free love whilst skinny-dipping in a lake. Goodbye Gemini was directed by Alan Gibson shortly before he made two Dracula films for Hammer. With his name attached, along with a supporting cast including former Frankenstein’s monster Freddie Jones one might expect the film to be a horror, but it’s not as easy to pigeonhole as that. The film could more accurately be described as a psychological thriller, set in the tail-end of the 1960s where post-Altamont and Charles Manson, the hippy dream has well and truly gone sour. It’s a fascinating and terrifying film that crosses sexual boundaries and pushes relationships over the edge. When we spoke to Martin Potter he remembered the film well: “As an actor I was trained to tell truth. In Goodbye Gemini there was this awful scene where I was about to gas myself, having done something truly awful. There was Hammer horror, where as an audience you didn’t expect Christopher Lee or anyone else to explain what they were doing. It was just a genre of film. But I do recall with Goodbye Gemini trying, probably incredibly naively, to explain what this person was doing. I took it all terribly seriously. I was trying to make it real for me. Whereas the director was doing the film to pay off his mortgage!”

Goodbye Gemini is based on the 1964 novel Ask Agamemnon and features a great period soundtrack by first time composer Christopher Gunning, who would go on to score dozens of TV series and films, including the recent Oscar-winning La Vie En Rose (2007). There would appear to be very little commercial appeal in this story of a brother and sister who love and kill together, but thankfully this was a time of risk-taking and experimentation in the British industry. They were even able to bring Sir Michael Redgrave on board in a significant role as a politician who spends his evenings attending the wrong kind of parties.

The Thirties: An Intimate History by Juliet Gardiner

Published by Harper Press 2010

Hardcover 944 pages

Review by Adrian Smith

On 31^st December 1929 over 1000 children, unaccompanied by adults, packed into The Glen Cinema in Paisley, Scotland to watch a short Tom Mix western, some cartoons and The Crowd, an epic silent movie directed by King Vidor. Shortly after the programme started, and the natural rowdiness and noise began to die down, some of the children noticed smoke coming from the projection booth. The scream of “Fire!” caused major panic, and as the auditorium filled with both smoke and carbon monoxide there was a rush to the exits. Unfortunately the main exit had been firmly locked by the owners to prevent children from letting their friends in without paying. When the rescue operation was finally over 71 children were dead and many more ill or injured. This was the worst kind of tragedy to befall a small community, and it happened in a cinema.

This incredible story is used by Gardiner to open her fascinating new book on the social history of Britain as it went from prosperity to recession and into an inescapable World War. Although this book falls somewhat outside the main focus of Cinema Retro, it contains an insightful chapter on the development of film exhibition throughout the decade, and the growth of the “Picture Palaces” or “Dreamlands” across the country. She quotes some unbelievable statistics that would make any studio executive today weep with envy: in 1934 903 million cinema tickets were sold in Britain, and this had risen to over 990 million by 1939. This was an average of almost 20 million every single week. Compare that to the UK box office figures for 2009 - a mere 173.5 million. By 1938 there were nearly 5000 cinemas with some towns having over 100 each. There are some wonderful descriptions which put our modern multiplexes to shame. She notes the Astoria in Brixton which was built like an indoor fantasy of trailing vines, antique statues and a ceiling which changed like the sky from dawn to dusk, to starry night. As if that wasn’t enough they scented the auditorium with Yardley’s Lavender perfume. Others were designed to look like Egyptian pyramids, Baronial halls or mermaid’s palaces. To top it off, when the audience took their seats they were first entertained by a man in a white suit rising from the well of the cinema playing popular tunes on a translucent, flashing, multi-coloured electric organ.

(Photo copyright Adrian Smith. All rights reserved)

Ray Harryhausen: Myths and Legends

By Adrian Smith

On the 29^th June one of the world’s most legendary filmmakers celebrated his 90^th birthday. To coincide with this, the London Film Museum is hosting a brand new exhibition devoted to the great man himself. Cinema Retro was fortunate enough to attend the event and join in the birthday celebrations, alongside such notable guests as John Landis, Terry Gilliam, Peter Jackson and special effects guru Rick Baker.

Rick Baker and John Landis get uncomfortably close to a sword-wielding skeleton. (Photo copyright Adrian Smith. All rights reserved.)

Gilliam was very clear at to why he was in attendance. “I’ve been a fan, like most people, especially my generation I think, because we grew up with his monsters, his creatures, his Greek mythology even. What I love about him is his handiwork. It’s not digital, with teams of people doing it. It’s Ray giving life to these things. That’s why I think this stuff works. It’s a performance. There’s something about that kind of handiwork that I just find extraordinary. It’s not real, and it seems to trigger off all sorts of childhood fantasies. You see something that’s clearly not real, but totally believable at the same time. We know that stuff is clay and rubber and stuff, and suddenly it’s given life. It’s magic!” So with all that said, will Gilliam be using stop motion in his next project, the much-anticipated The Man Who Killed Don Quixote? “No, I’m using computers! I need things done quickly and cheaply!”

After Ray had cut the ribbon in front of a wall of cameras we went into the exhibition itself. The first thing you see is a recreation of King Kong atop the Empire State Building. Although Ray Harryhausen is the main focus of this exhibition, he was keen to ensure that it presented a history of the animation art form as well. After all he has recently co-written a hugely informative book on the subject, A Century of Model Animation. Ray happily posed for photos, alongside his wife Diana and daughter Vanessa. At one point a spontaneous singalong of Happy Birthday broke out.

By Adrian Smith

Over the last thirty years Taschen have consistently produced some of the most lavish and eye-catching photography books ever published. This latest book, Los Angeles: Portrait of a City by Jim Heimann and Kevin Starr,  covers the history of L.A in photos, from the first known picture taken in 1862 through to the present day. Whilst those first few chapters of photos and maps are interesting, particularly to historians, for movie fans the real gold comes later on. There are photos reproduced here from a variety of collections, from personal archives to news media. There are even pictures taken by the actors themselves, such as this one that Dennis Hopper took in his car in 1961. 

L.A. from the vantage point of Dennis Hopper's lens.

In the book you can see Edward G. Robinson in reflective mood as he sits surrounded by memorabilia in his office, or a bikini-clad Jayne Mansfield reclining in a pool with dozens of floating toy replicas. We can even be present at the first Academy Award ceremony in 1929. Some photos depict film making in its early silent days. It’s incredible to see the elaborate indoor/ outdoor sets built to ensure they captured as much light as possible, and it demonstrates that even then, like modern-day movie sets, there are always plenty of people standing around with no evident job role. There are also on set photos from some Busby Berkeley musicals, demonstrating the amazing set design and vast camera cranes needed to capture the choreographed action. 

Cinema Retro London correspondent Adrian Smith with Hammer actress Vera Day.

By Adrian Smith

If you’re in London during the next two weeks, be sure to check out this fabulous new festival and exhibition based on Hammer’s legendary horror films.The event was launched on the 27^th October at the Idea Generation gallery in Shoreditch, to which Cinema Retro was invited. We were told it was a private view of this exhibition of previously unseen photos and artwork, along with more well known stills and publicity photos. However, it was the most public “private view” we have ever seen. This could have been down to a resurgence in the popularity of Hammer, tied in with new film production, or it could have been the endless bottles of free cider.

Several Hammer-related guests were in attendance, including Paul Cole, John Hough, Lois Dane, Madeline Smith, Vera Day and Valerie Leon. The latter were also there to help promote the new book Hammer Glamour by Marcus Hearn. Hearn has co-curated the exhibition, which is well worth a look. Also in attendance was the CEO of the new Hammer, Simon Oakes.

Sadly, by the time Cinema Retro found the venue, hidden down some of the scariest back streets in East London, most of these guests had moved on to a secret party somewhere, but we did manage to catch up with the still glamorous Vera Day. She is best known for her starring roles in Quatermass II and some of the Hammer comedies. It was also fun to chat with Paul Cole, who enjoyed telling us about his appearance in Carry on Teacher, before moving into television production.

Although the name Norman J. Warren may not be familiar to some of you, in the UK, amongst cult horror aficionados, his name is synonymous with horror and exploitation. Mostly working in the 1970s, he produced such dubious classics as Satan’s Slave and the Stephanie Beacham-starring Inseminoid.

Moscovitch Music are a new independent British music label working to release some great lost film music, and have produced a lavish CD, and limited edition vinyl LP, featuring the soundtracks to two of Warren’s best loved movies; Terror (1978) and Prey (1977).

The composer was the classically-trained composer Ivor Slaney, who at the time was best known for creating orchestral music. He worked with Warren on both films to create an unusual, experimental sound using mostly electronic instruments. They also mixed sound effects into the music track on Terror, creating an odd, slightly discomforting experience. This means that some tracks on the CD contain screams, wind effects, moaning, and even dialogue. Along with the helpful track names, such as Carol Runs for Her Life, Blood is Leaking From the Upstairs Room and Orgasmic Stripper, you can really follow the plot even if you have never seen the film.

Prey, notorious for its explicit lesbian sex scenes and cannibalism, is a somewhat neglected film, and so this soundtrack release is very welcome. The music helps recreate the claustrophobic atmosphere of the film, which essentially revolves around three people; two lesbians and the alien invader. What begins as a possible love triangle soon escalates to something altogether more sinister.

This is a highly recommended release, both for the curious and those fans of 1970s British horror. I am also reliably informed that Moscovitch are next planning a release of film score music from the prolific jazz musician and composer John Scott, which is eagerly anticipated. You can find the CD and vinyl edition on www.moviegrooves.com, click here for the specific page to order from.

Cinema Retro London correspondent Adrian Smith gives us an advance view of the new Tarantino film.

By Adrian Smith

Back in 1995, I thought Quentin Tarantino could do no wrong. After the quadruple whammy of Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, True Romance and Natural Born Killers, it seemed as though he was just about the coolest man on the planet. He even polished the Crimson Tide script, causing Denzel Washington to wax lyrical about the Silver Surfer.

However, I managed to miss Jackie Brown and had no interest at all in the Kill Bills. Earlier this year I finally tried Death Proof, but gave up after half an hour out of sheer boredom. Perhaps I’d outgrown Tarantino. His constant recycling of older, better movies and juvenile glee in violence just weren’t for me any more.

Or so I thought.

This evening I attended a preview of Inglourious Basterds, as part of the Empire Movie-Con II, held at the BFI in London. No doubt many of you are aware that there also exists an Italian war film from 1978 of the same name. QT has stated that he only used the title and basic idea (essentially a re-working of The Dirty Dozen), and the script was all original. The plot follows the exploits of a group of American Jewish soldiers in Nazi-occupied France. As you are no doubt expecting, in true QT style there is a lot of talk. A LOT of talk. The opening scene is a conversation between two people which lasts twenty minutes. There is a barroom scene featuring Nazi drinking games which easily lasts half an hour. QT certainly likes his characters to chat. It was this propensity which I felt killed Death Proof before it even got going. Here however these scenes work brilliantly. This has to be down to the fantastic performances, most notably from Brad Pitt as Lieutenant Aldo “the Apache” Raine, and Christoph Waltz as his nemesis, the Colonel Hans Landa, known as “The Jew Hunter”. Waltz in particular is a mesmerising actor. He manages to turn what could have been a cardboard movie villain into a complex, nuanced, basically human character, and also provides much of the film’s humour. Did I mention it’s a comedy? There are scenes of action and violence, but there is also a lot of comedy in this film. This is essentially an irreverent take on the WWII film, and it is easy to see why it will upset many people. It is another example of Hollywood re-writing history to show that the American’s won the war. However I would argue not to take it so seriously. The film begins with the caption “Once upon a time…”, and if you treat it as a fairy tale, albeit a gruesome, often sadistic one, with more twists and turns than a roller coaster, you will find yourself going with it.

Inglourious Basterds has certainly restored my faith in Tarantino as a filmmaker. His personal video introduction this evening reminded me that he is still quite twitchy and irritating, but he does deserve for this film to be a success. In his version of events it is cinema itself that triumphs over evil, and the closing line of the film is “I think this could be my masterpiece.” He could be right.

In 1964 the BBC, as part of their regular “Wednesday Play” series, produced a 90- minute drama based on the assassination attempt on Hitler in 1944. John Carson played Col. Claus Schenk Count von Stauffenberg, now best known for being played by Tom Cruise in Valkyrie. I’ve not seen that, so I can’t compare them, although I imagine there are a vast number of differences. As a TV play, as opposed to a filmed drama, this is quite stagey, with a limited number of studio sets, and some filmed inserts. There is also an awful lot of talking. However, it is still an excellent production, which benefitted not only from some outstanding performances, but also a talented director in the German Rudolph Cartier. He was incredibly experienced in British television, having shot a number of well known shows including the original live The Quatermass Experiment a decade earlier.

The July Plot is being screened at the BFI in two weeks as part of its “Missing, Believed Wiped” segment. I was fortunate enough to be at a screening two weeks ago as part of a John Carson tribute at the Cine Lumiere in London. John himself was in attendance, and it was exciting to think that nobody, including him, had seen it for over 40 years.

Rather surprisingly, during the opening credits we follow von Stauffenberg and his briefcase containing the bomb through the various levels of security until he places it besides Hitler. We follow the action immediately afterwards, as his co-conspirators wait for confirmation of Hitler’s death and begin to roll out their plans for the takeover of the military and the police. It is tense stuff, despite the fact that we know Hitler was no more than scratched, due to someone else in the room moving the bomb behind a table leg. It is so frustrating to think that this really happened. If this was a Hollywood movie the plot would have worked and the war would have been over. The play rather poignantly reminds the audience of how many more people died in that final year of the war after von Stauffenberg and his comrades are caught and executed. It’s a sobering thought, and leaves you feeling some of the frustration they no doubt felt when they realised it was all over.

Cinema Retro London correspondent Adrian Smith with John Carson, star of The July Plot

You can book tickets to see The July Plot for yourself at the BFI Southbank in London on the 22nd August  by clicking here. It’s highly recommended, and it can only be hoped that following its rediscovery and restoration the BBC will make this important piece of work available on DVD.

That's Cinema Retro London correspondent Adrian Smith (center) with the crazy lads who comprise The League of Gentlemen.

Ten years ago a show appeared on British TV that was so strange, so grotesque, so dark, yet so utterly hilarious that it quickly developed a cult following and a number of popular catchphrases. It ran to three series and eventually a feature film. This was the League of Gentlemen, a weird combination of sketch show and sitcom which clearly took inspiration from old horror movies, detective dramas, sexploitation comedies, to name but a few. I took the opportunity to pin down the gents in order to unravel just what their influences were. The conversation immediately turns to Take an Easy Ride, described by Mark as almost being a snuff film. This leads to my first question:

Have seventies snuff films been an influence on you?

M- Just that one!

Is it available commercially?

J- No, its illegal. You risk prosecution! (Although a quick search later uncovers copies available on Ebay and YouTube)

M- It purports to be an information film. It’s really a rape exploitation film. It starts like ‘Charley Says’ then it just gets ridiculous! It’s horrible.

J- You realise you are getting old when you talk about these things. I was doing some work with We Are Klang (UK comedy outfit) and they started talking about ‘Two girls, 1 cup’ and I genuinely hadn’t heard of it! Imagine that!

Neither have I! A couple of years ago most of you did a commentary for Blood on Satan’s Claw. How did they know you were fans?

J- I think we’d mentioned it in one of our commentaries.

R- We tried to get the claw in a toybox for Daisy Haggard (in their new TV show Psychoville). Her Dad Piers Haggard directed the film.

M- Someone sent me a copy of The Frozen Dead. It only worked once, it was such a bad copy. You know that one with the frozen Nazis? It virtually doesn’t exist. It was a huge thing. In the horror film books of the seventies there were these huge colour plates from this film no one ever saw. It was terrible.

J- Someone gave me on video a copy of It!, which was also in those books.

M- With the golem??

J- Yes.

That’s just come out on DVD now with The Shuttered Room. I don’t know if you’ve seen that, but it’s terrible. It’s got Oliver Reed in it.

M- I always think of Beast in the Cellar.

It’s a similar thing except it’s in an attic.

R- Dame Aileen Atkins told me she was in an Exorcist rip-off I said “I Don’t Want to be Born?” She said “You’ve seen it’? “ Of course I have!” Joan Collins raped by a dwarf? Brilliant! She couldn’t believe I’d seen it.

Dame Aileen Atkins. That’s how she got the part in Cranford.

S- That’s how she got a Dame-hood.

I love that film, especially where the baby pushes the nanny into the lake.

M- It’s a horrible thing, that creature.

R- You had the devil’s child in Crooked House (recent portmanteau horror film screened on UK TV over Christmas, written by and starring Mark Gatiss) didn’t you?

M- Yes, The Devil’s Hand.

You often included references in your shows to old films, such as the episode Royston Vasey and the Monster from Hell (a reference to Hammer horror Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell). Was it to see if people would notice, or to make each other laugh?

M- We just needed to think of a title.

S- Do you remember? We actually watched that Frankenstein film, and from that we thought we should do something with torches. So we said ‘let’s burn the shop down’. So that storyline came from the film directly.

M- It’s a good title though isn’t it?

Oh it’s brilliant. It shouldn’t work but it does! You’ve also worked with people like Freddie Jones (in the Christmas Special) who of course once played Frankenstein’s monster.

J- We remembered him more from Children of the Stones.

S- And Elephant Man.

M- We’ve always had that kind of affinity with those films, and getting to work with various people over the years is sort of like repaying a debt.

J- David Warner for example. On the film (The League of Gentlemen’s Apocalypse), I couldn’t believe every day there was David Warner from every film I loved growing up.

M- One of the strange lessons of that is that he has no affinity with fantasy. You would think that as a viewer he must love those films. But he just did those films because that’s what people asked him to do. He’s become a complete genre hero.

There was such a dearth of filmmaking in the seventies that a lot of actors had to do whatever they could to get by.

J- Except the films were better then!

M- I was talking to someone the other day, who said that one day he’s going to corner George Baker and talk about a scene in a grim sexploitation film where he goes through his collection of vibrators. A long way from Wexford! It’s like when you see people like John Pertwee turning up in Val Guest rude sex comedies.

A- Like Au Pair Girls.

M- Yes.

J- Those semi-porn films always had amazing casts.

Speaking of which I noticed you’ve got Christopher Biggins in Psychoville?

R- We do, yes.

One of my favourite films of his was Eskimo Nell.

S- I’ve not seen that one.

J- That’s one of those mucky films.

It’s a classic! It’s a really clever film. It’s not just about sex, honest! It’s about a guy trying to make a film, and it ends up being a porn film by mistake.

S- Sounds good.

A- Christopher Biggins is in it, he’s brilliant!

M- Was he cast in Psychoville because of I:Claudius?

J- Porridge? Or chiefly Watch This Space?

R- We tried to fill it with references to Watch This Space!

When is Psychoville going to be on?

R- No idea.

S- We don’t know. It’s still being edited.

You’re pleased with it?

S- Yeah!

R- We’re just coming to the end of editing episode 5 which is looking very good.

Do you think people will see it as a sequel to The League of Gentlemen?

S- I think it’s inevitable. We had a marketing meeting today. They wanted to say ‘From the team who brought you The League of Gentlemen and we said ‘well not quite’.

Half! But aren’t people always going to put you all together?

S- We’re very proud of it!

M- We owe everything to it. It would be churlish not to.

M- Inevitably people are going to want to have a peg to hang us on.

Presumably you took you name from the film ‘The League of Gentlemen’?

M- Yes!

A favourite or just a good name?

M- I think I’d seen it quite recently and it was just a good name.

J- It is a great film. Very seedy.

Can I ask you about Sherlock? (It has recently been announced that Mark Gatiss is currently working on a new series of Sherlock Holmes TV dramas for the BBC.)

M- Yes.

Is this going to be in competition with Guy Ritchie?

M- It’s a coincidence. It always happens. There are always three Robin Hood films coming out at the same time. The character is still here because he’s been the most filmed character in all of fiction. There’ll be several more by next year! There’s no fight involved. Unless Harry Hill does it! This Holmes will be in the style of the 1940s Sherlock films where he fights the Nazis. We’ve tried to bring Holmes into the present day.

R – Does that mean he just Googles everything?!

By Adrian Smith

Sitting in the plush Screen 1 at the new BFI Southbank (formerly the National Film Theatre) in London on Monday evening, I was in retro heaven. Not only were we going to hear from Sir Roger Moore discussing his often overlooked TV career, but we were being treated with an episode each of The Saint and The Persuaders. Whilst waiting for the lights to go down they played such TV themes as The Prisoner, The Avengers and The Champions, and I couldn’t have wiped the child-like grin off my face if my life depended on it.

First up was “The Miracle Tea Party”, an episode of The Saint directed by Moore himself, featuring such cold-war staples as Soviet spies, nuclear submarine bases and ingenious assassinations. Oh, and Nanette Newman. It featured many locations including Waterloo station, which I had just come through on the way to the event, making the story seem even more real and exciting. Moore handled both roles well in what was, as he later revealed, his directorial debut. He went on to direct several more and also acted as co-producer towards the end of the shows’ run.

Next we were treated with “The Time and the Place”, a The Persuaders episode Moore also directed. Not only featuring himself and Tony Curtis it also had a main role for Ian Hendry as Lord Croxley, plotting to overthrow the government from within the walls of The Constitution Club, the most exclusive in London. I am sure I don’t need to tell you the outcome, but suffice to say Moore and Curtis are heroic when they find themselves caught up in the dangerous scheme. And there are girls. There is also a great scene where Curtis pretends to be an Inspector from Scotland Yard and reprises his cod-English accent from Some Like It Hot.

It was an enjoyable experience to see these shows up on a big screen with an appreciative audience. Before Sir Roger himself made an appearance we were also shown a short clip from Ivanhoe, the popular TV series that helped cement Moore’s TV reputation in the late 1950s. Moore himself was incredibly self-deprecating when he came on stage, describing the series as little more than a lot of horse-riding and bad acting. Having only seen that clip as an example of Ivanhoe I’m inclined to agree! However it proved to be very popular in America and enabled him to get starring roles in such shows as The Alaskans and Maverick.

Sir Roger was joined on stage by Cinema Retro’s own Gareth Owen and they spent almost two hours discussing his television career and answering questions from the audience. Owen did a great job of deflecting such inane questions as “Who would win in a fight – The Saint or James Bond?” Sir Roger clearly has an excellent memory, although I imagine his recent visits down memory lane whilst writing his autobiography have probably helped. There were several people in the audience who have worked with him during his career, and he occasionally turned to them to hear their opinions and ask questions. Amongst the guests were the actresses Vera Day and Sylvia Syms, producer Johhny Goodman and film director John Hough.

Sir Roger also told some hilarious stories about his experiences and demonstrated his talents as an impressionist, with spot-on portrayals of both Noel Coward and Lew Grade, amongst others. He discussed the highs and lows of both his television and stage career, and did occasionally touch on Bond, naming his favourite leading lady as Maude Adams, and Grace Jones as his least favourite! If Sir Roger ever decides to retire, which seems unlikely, he could find a second career as an after-dinner speaker and raconteur.

Finally I was honoured to be invited to meet him once the event was over and was able to present him with an early birthday present (Sir Roger turned 81 the following day): an original copy of Picturegoer from 1955 featuring an interview with a new up and coming star making a film in Paris for MGM. Who was this fresh-faced young British actor? Well according to the interviewer there were indications he could become a star. And fifty three years later, he’s one of the biggest.

Happy Birthday Sir Roger Moore, and thanks for a wonderfully entertaining career!

Cinema Retro London correspondent Adrian Smith brings us the inside story of the recent reunion of Captain Kronos cast members.

Brian Clemens, Horst Janon, Caroline Munro, Lois Dane and John Cater . (Photo copyright Matt Gemmell)

The last eighteen months has seen an impressive array of Hammer-related film events here in the UK, most organised by filmmaker and cult-film champion Don Fearney. Saturday, 29 March saw perhaps the most intriguing and popular event so far occur at the Cine Lumiere in London.

Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter is a long forgotten film which was virtually ignored at the time of its release, even by Hammer themselves. However it has developed a strong following since becoming available on home video and DVD, and many see it as one of the strongest entries in the latter end of the Hammer canon, falling between weaker efforts such as Twins of Evil and The Satanic Rites of Dracula.

The film was created and directed by Brian Clemens, best known for his work on TVs The Avengers, and he had also recently scripted Dr Jekyll and Sister Hyde for Hammer. He has sadly never been asked to direct a film since which is in no way a reflection of his abilities!

Horst Janson and John Cater (Photo copyright Matt Gemmell)

For the reunion Don Fearney managed to gather the surviving principle actors, including a rare visit from the star Horst Janson, who is kept very busy on German television. Fans were delighted to meet Janson along with Brian Clemens, Caroline Munro, John Cater, William Hobbs, Lois Dane and Lisa Collings. The queues for autographs lasted well over two hours and circled the lobby of the Cine Lumiere. The film was screened to rapturous applause, along with Vampire Circus, another favourite with fans, and Fearney’s new documentary on the Hammer vampire films.

After the event, Cinema Retro was lucky enough to catch up with Janson, who is still incredibly handsome after all these years! How did he feel about being at the event?

Lois Dane and Horst Janson (Photo copyright Matt Gemmell)

“Well I haven’t seen the film for a long time. It was great to see the film again on a big screen. It is great especially to see Brian Clemens again, because he is not the youngest any more! I enjoyed it very much to see all these people again and to remember the work. We had great fun you know!”

Having been a very busy actor for many years now, Janson was unaware of how popular the film had become. “It was never released in Germany, so the only thing I saw was when I was dubbing it into German (for the DVD release). I had no idea how popular it was over here in Britain. We can only follow these things on the internet. I know how many people are on my page and mention Captain Kronos!”

A major new book about the history of Hammer films has just been published. One of Cinema Retro's London correspondents, Adrian Smith, was at the star-studded London book launch and brings you the inside story.

On the 27^th October 2007 a crowd of Hammer film fans gathered at the Cine Lumiere in South Kensington, a stone’s throw from The Natural History Museum and the V&A. The occasion was the launch of The Hammer Story by film historians Marcus Hearn and Alan Barnes, and to celebrate a number of Hammer alumni were gathered to meet fans and sign autographs, along with the screening of three films rarely shown and not available commercially: A Case for P.C. 49 (1951), The Two Faces of Doctor Jekyll (1960) and Never take Sweets From a Stranger (1960).

Hammer documentary maker Don Fearney (left) talks with legendary screenwriter Jimmy Sangster. (Photo copyright Adrian Smith)

Amongst the guests was Jimmy Sangster, who not only directed and produced some films but also wrote several of those considered classics, including The Curse of Frankenstein, The Mummy and Dracula (aka Horror of Dracula). The latter film is currently being screened theatrically all around the UK following a restoration by the British Film Institute. Sangster has been kept busy with interviews for the last couple of weeks with the likes of Jonathon Ross and The Today Programme, but still found time to talk to Cinema Retro:

“I’m amazed (about the re-release of Dracula)! It’s a film we made fifty years ago. When we were making it it was just another movie. I’m very pleased! I don’t think Hammer are still going though are they? I haven’t seen the new film (Beyond the Rave). Why didn’t they ask me to write it? They should give me a call!”

Also attending was Janina Faye, who was especially pleased that Never take Sweets From a Stranger was being screened. Faye starred in this controversial child abuse drama when she was only ten, having already taken smaller roles with Hammer in Dracula and The Two Faces of Doctor Jekyll. Its depiction of a small town protecting a known paedophile was too shocking for audiences at the time, and it was given an X certificate, despite having support from various national agencies such as The National council of Women, who said “it should be seen by all parents”. It did not do well commercially, and was banned in several countries, including France and Ireland. When asked about the film, Faye enthused,

“It was such a huge change from what Hammer used to do. They had tremendous problems from the BBFC whilst shooting the film. In the courtroom scene we had to change the dialogue because they weren’t allowed to say rape. To keep the drama within the cast the director (documentary maker Cyril Frankel) didn’t tell us what was going on, or what happened to any of us. I wasn’t allowed to see the film, and didn’t see it until they showed it at the Barbican (in 2004). I think it’s still an incredible film. It’s so powerful.”

Lovely Janine Faye adds some glamor to the event. (Photo copyright Adrian Smith)

Cinema Retro agrees wholeheartedly, and wishes the film were available on DVD. DD Home Entertainment have announced an R2 release in late 2007, but this is currently looking unlikely due to financial difficulties. We remain hopeful!

Former James Bond girls and Hammer stars Caroline Munro and Martine Beswicke reunited at Bray Studios

If you couldn't be at Bray Studios' historic Hammer Horror reunion last weekend, Cinema Retro's man on the scene Adrian Smith gives you the low-down:

On August 4, over 150 fans and many Hammer stars and personnel gathered at Bray Studios on the banks of the River Thames to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of the release of The Curse of Frankenstein. Amongst the guests were writer-director Jimmy Sangster, director John Hough, Margaret Robinson, the widow of art director Bernard Robinson, and actors Virginia Wetherell, Madeline Smith, Ingrid Pitt, Janina Faye, Vera Day, Caroline Munro, Martine Beswicke, Carol Marsh, Yvonne Monlaur, Valerie Leon, Douglas Wilmer, Damien Thomas, John Cater and Edward de Souza. It was the first time for many of the fans in attendance that they had been able to visit Bray, the spiritual home of Hammer films. Between 1951 and 1966 Hammer shot around eighty films there before relocating to MGM-Elstree Studios in Borehamwood. Amongst these are many of those considered to be THE Hammer classics, including Dracula (US title Horror of Dracula), The Mummy, The Curse of the Werewolf, The Quatermass Experiment, Hound of the Baskervilles and of course, The Curse of Frankenstein.