Cinema Retro
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Celebrating Films of the 1960s & 1970senhttp://www.cinemaretro.com/templates/default/img/s9y_banner_small.pngRSS: Cinema Retro - Celebrating Films of the 1960s & 1970s
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10021"TRAILERS FROM HELL" PRESENTS CHARLES BRONSON IN "DEATH WISH"
http://www.cinemaretro.com/index.php?/archives/12584-TRAILERS-FROM-HELL-PRESENTS-CHARLES-BRONSON-IN-DEATH-WISH.html
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/g6Yo8ltiU5c?si=1JO4mzL3Ts_bjHgT" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe>
<p> </p>
<p>From Joe Dante's "Trailers from Hell":</p>
<p> <span style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.05); color: #131313; font-family: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Although Charles Bronson had been making movies for nearly 25 years and was quite popular in Europe, this international smash hit made him a superstar for the rest of his career. Michael Winner's provocative saga of a grieving father's vigilante vengeance became a Nixon-era touchstone that engendered four increasingly exploitative sequels over the next two decades. Hard to imagine what originally slated director Sidney Lumet would have made of this with Jack Lemmon in the lead.</span></p>
<p><span class="yt-core-attributed-string--link-inherit-color" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.05); font-family: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space-collapse: preserve; color: #131313;">
As always, you can find more commentaries, more reviews, more podcasts, and more deep-dives into the films you don't know you love yet over on the Trailers From Hell mothership:
</span><span class="yt-core-attributed-string--link-inherit-color" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.05); font-family: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space-collapse: preserve; color: #065fd4;"><a class="yt-core-attributed-string__link yt-core-attributed-string__link--display-type yt-core-attributed-string__link--call-to-action-color" tabindex="0" href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa19IZzUydDlRTVhmeGc0OGJMaExzX0ZwRTZNUXxBQ3Jtc0ttVC1neTJReWR1V3UzUnU0dkNnQ0tsR05Oc2xCTnF4N3VNUm9YdlZzb0ViRW1TcVVJOXVtUnowbm5rS0U5M2dqYjkzRnRlM3FEX3dfMjlRQk5rWnJUYXQwMkl0cDFteWVoNEZFbEtCbHBZVTBNNEtNcw&q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.trailersfromhell.com%2F&v=g6Yo8ltiU5c" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" force-new-state="true" style="text-decoration-line: none; display: inline;">http://www.trailersfromhell.com</a></span></p>
<p> </p>
Cinema Retronospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
Out of the Past, 2024-03-18T13:37:00Zhttp://www.cinemaretro.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=125840http://www.cinemaretro.com/rss.php?version=1.0&type=comments&cid=12584"ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST" 4K SPECIAL EDITION COMING FROM PARAMOUNT
http://www.cinemaretro.com/index.php?/archives/12569-ONCE-UPON-A-TIME-IN-THE-WEST-4K-SPECIAL-EDITION-COMING-FROM-PARAMOUNT.html
<p><!-- s9ymdb:12494 --><img class="serendipity_image_center" width="500" height="324" src="http://www.cinemaretro.com/uploads/OnceUponATimeInTheWest500.png" /> </p>
<p>Cinema Retro has received the following press release:</p>
<p class="xmsonormal" style="margin: 0in; background: white;"><a name="x__Hlk114644911"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: #242424; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Director Sergio Leone’s
monumental Western classic <strong><em>ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST </em></strong>celebrates
its 55<sup>th</sup> anniversary this year and to mark the occasion
Paramount Home Entertainment will release the fully restored film for the first
time on 4K Ultra HD<sup>™</sup> May 14, 2024, as the latest addition to
the studio’s Paramount Presents line.</span></a></p>
<p> </p>
<p class="xmsonormal" style="margin: 0in; background: white;"><span style="color: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: #242424; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: #242424;"><o:p /></span></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="margin: 0in; background: white;"><span style="color: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: #242424; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">One
of the most iconic and influential movies ever made, <strong><em>ONCE UPON A
TIME IN THE WEST</em></strong> has been restored from the original <span style="color: inherit;"></span><span class="xxnormaltextrun"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #1d1c1d; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">35mm Techniscope camera negative</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: #242424; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"> by Paramount’s archive team, L'Immagine Ritrovata and The
Film Foundation. <span style="color: inherit;"></span><span class="xxnormaltextrun"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #1d1c1d; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">This
restoration honors the 2007 Film Foundation photochemical restoration overseen
by </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: #242424; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">legendary director Martin
Scorsese<span style="color: inherit;"></span><span class="xxnormaltextrun"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #1d1c1d; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"> by matching its build and color palette.</span></span><span style="color: inherit;"></span><span class="xxeop"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #1d1c1d; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: #242424; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"> The
result is the definitive home release of the film, which features the
165-minute extended cut restored to its glory. </span></span></p>
<p><!-- s9ymdb:12495 --><img class="serendipity_image_center" width="500" height="750" src="http://www.cinemaretro.com/uploads/OUATITW_Still_KS_06_500.jpg" /> </p>
<p> </p>
<p class="xmsonormal" style="margin: 0in; background: white;"><span style="color: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: #242424; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: #242424;"><o:p /></span></p>
<p class="xmsonormal" style="margin: 0in; background: white;"><span style="color: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: #242424; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">A
must-own for every cinephile’s collection, <strong><em>ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE
WEST</em></strong> will be presented in a Limited-Edition two-disc 4K Ultra
HD/Blu-ray<sup>™</sup> set that includes both new and legacy bonus
content, as well as access to a Digital copy of the film.  The film is
presented in Dolby Vision<sup>™*</sup> and HDR-10, along with English 5.1
DTS-HD Master Audio and English Restored Mono Dolby Digital for an exceptional
home viewing experience.</span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: #242424;"><o:p /></span></p>
<p class="xmsonormal" style="margin: 0in; background: white;"><span style="color: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: #242424; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: #242424;"><o:p /></span></p>
<p class="xmsonormal" style="margin: 0in; background: white;"><span style="color: inherit;"><a name="x__Hlk158642598"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: #242424; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Bonus content presented on the Blu-ray Disc<sup>™</sup> is
detailed below:</span></a></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: #242424;"><o:p /></span></p>
<p class="xmsonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in; background: white;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; color: #242424;"><span style="color: inherit;">·<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"><span style="color: inherit;">Commentary
by the Hosts of the Spaghetti Western Podcast –<em>NEW!</em></span></span></strong></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: #242424;"><o:p /></span></p>
<p class="xmsonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in; background: white;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; color: #242424;"><span style="color: inherit;">·<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"><span style="color: inherit;">A
Look Back with Leonard Maltin—<em>NEW!</em></span></span></strong></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: #242424;"><o:p /></span></p>
<p class="xmsonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in; background: white;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; color: #242424;"><span style="color: inherit;">·<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"><span style="color: inherit;">Commentary
with contributions from directors John Carpenter, John Milius & Alex Cox,
film historians Sir Christopher Frayling & Dr. Sheldon Hall, and cast and
crew </span></span></strong></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: #242424;"><o:p /></span></p>
<p class="xmsonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in; background: white;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; color: #242424;"><span style="color: inherit;">·<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span class="xnormaltextrun"><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"><span style="color: inherit;">An Opera of Violence
                                           </span></span></strong></span></span><span class="xtabchar"><span style="color: inherit;"><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: #242424; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"> </span></strong></span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: #242424;"><o:p /></span></p>
<p class="xmsonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in; background: white;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; color: #242424;"><span style="color: inherit;">·<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span class="xnormaltextrun"><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"><span style="color: inherit;">The Wages of
Sin        </span></span></strong></span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: #242424;"><o:p /></span></p>
<p class="xmsonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in; background: white;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; color: #242424;"><span style="color: inherit;">·<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span class="xnormaltextrun"><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"><span style="color: inherit;">Something To Do With Death</span></span></strong></span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: #242424;"><o:p /></span></p>
<p class="xmsonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in; background: white;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; color: #242424;"><span style="color: inherit;">·<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span class="xnormaltextrun"><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"><span style="color: inherit;">Railroad: <a name="x__Hlk158642542">Revolutionising </a>the West</span></span></strong><span style="color: inherit;"></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><o:p /></span></span></p>
<p class="xmsonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in; background: white;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; color: #242424;"><span style="color: inherit;">·<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span class="xnormaltextrun"><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"><span style="color: inherit;">Locations Then & Now (Gallery) </span></span></strong></span></span><span class="xeop"><span style="color: inherit;"><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: #242424; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"> </span></strong></span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: #242424;"><o:p /></span></p>
<p class="xmsonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in; background: white;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; color: #242424;"><span style="color: inherit;">·<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span class="xnormaltextrun"><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"><span style="color: inherit;">Production Gallery </span></span></strong></span></span><span class="xeop"><span style="color: inherit;"><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: #242424; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"> </span></strong></span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: #242424;"><o:p /></span></p>
<p class="xmsonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in; background: white;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; color: #242424;"><span style="color: inherit;">·<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span class="xnormaltextrun"><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"><span style="color: inherit;">Theatrical Trailer   </span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<p> </p>
<p class="xmsonormal" style="margin: 0in; background: white;"><span style="color: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: #242424; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: #242424;"><o:p /></span></p>
<p class="xmsonormal" style="margin: 0in; background: white;"><span style="color: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: #242424; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Widely
considered to be one of the greatest Westerns—and one of the greatest
films—ever made, <strong><em>ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST </em></strong>was
selected for preservation by the Library of Congress in the U.S. National Film
Registry in 2009.  The film stars Claudia Cardinale, Henry Fonda, Jason
Robards, and Charles Bronson.</span></span></p>
<p> </p>
<p class="xmsonormal" style="margin: 0in; background: white;"><span style="color: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: #242424; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: #242424;"><o:p /></span></p>
<p class="xmsonormal" style="margin: 0in; background: white;"><span style="color: inherit;"><u><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: #242424; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Synopsis</span></u></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: #242424;"><o:p /></span></p>
<p class="xmsonormal" style="margin: 0in; background: white;"><span style="color: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: #242424; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Set
in the dying days of the Old West, a struggle to control water in a dusty
desert town embroils three hard-bitten gunmen in an epic clash of greed, honor,
and revenge.   </span></span></p>
<p> </p>
<p class="xmsonormal" style="margin: 0in; background: white;"><span style="color: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: #242424; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: #242424;"><o:p /></span></p>
<p class="xmsonormal" style="margin: 0in; background: white;"><span style="color: inherit;"><strong><em><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: #242424; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST</span></em></strong></span><span style="color: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: #242424; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"> will also be available on
4K Ultra HD Digital on May 14.</span></span></p>
<p><strong>This is a limited edition. <a href="https://amzn.to/3uKBE5R">Click here</a> to pre-order now from Amazon.</strong> </p>
<p><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span> </p>
Cinema Retronospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
Blu-ray/DVD/Streaming Reviews & News, 2024-03-17T14:30:00Zhttp://www.cinemaretro.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=125690http://www.cinemaretro.com/rss.php?version=1.0&type=comments&cid=12569OUT OF THE PAST: "RIOT ON THE SUNSET STRIP" (1967)
http://www.cinemaretro.com/index.php?/archives/12585-OUT-OF-THE-PAST-RIOT-ON-THE-SUNSET-STRIP-1967.html
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yrj5ccG8sNw?si=eMnvx0K1CffMFB-A" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Cinema Retro columnist Brian Hannan takes a sentimental journey back to 1967 to review "B" movie producer Sam Katzman's teenage exploitation film, "Riot on the Sunset Strip".  Never shy about using hyperbole, Katzman's trailer for the film immodestly calls it "The most shocking film of our generation!" <a href="https://themagnificent60s.com/2024/02/19/riot-on-sunset-strip-1967/">Click here</a> to read on Brian's addictive blog The Magnificent 60s.  </p>
Cinema Retronospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
Film Reviews & Essays, 2024-03-16T12:36:00Zhttp://www.cinemaretro.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=125850http://www.cinemaretro.com/rss.php?version=1.0&type=comments&cid=12585REVIEW: STANLEY KUBRICK'S "FEAR AND DESIRE" (1953); KINO LORBER 4K & BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION
http://www.cinemaretro.com/index.php?/archives/12586-REVIEW-STANLEY-KUBRICKS-FEAR-AND-DESIRE-1953;-KINO-LORBER-4K-BLU-RAY-SPECIAL-EDITION.html
<p><!-- s9ymdb:12507 --><img class="serendipity_image_center" width="500" height="765" src="http://www.cinemaretro.com/uploads/FEARDESIRE.jpg" /> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“WE
HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE BUT OUR FUTURES”<o:p /></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">By
Raymond Benson<o:p /></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A
genius has to start somewhere. <o:p /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A
very young Stanley Kubrick made his first feature film, <em>Fear and Desire </em>(called
<em>The Shape of Fear </em>during production and until it found a distributor)<em>,
</em>at the age of twenty-two. It was very much a DIY production. In many ways
it is the epitome of early independent filmmaking, the kind in which a fellow
with a camera goes out to make a movie and <em>then </em>worries about finding a
studio to release it. The picture was financed by family and friends, written
by a school pal (future Broadway playwright Howard Sackler), and cast with
young, struggling New York actors who were willing to work for peanuts. Kubrick
produced and directed the movie, but he also photographed and edited it
himself, too. It took a year-and-a-half to finish, and then he went about
marketing it himself. <o:p /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The
astonishing thing about all this is that Kubrick was operating on <em>chutzpah</em>.
While he had already made two documentary shorts, he was simply “winging it”
when it came to making a feature length fiction narrative film. What he had on
his side was his cinematographic capabilities. He knew cameras, lighting, and
composition like the back of his hand, for he had spent four years after high
school working as the youngest staff photographer for <em>Look </em>magazine in
New York creating narrative “photo essays,” almost the equivalent of
storyboards. Editing a movie, directing actors, and telling a good story was
another matter… and something he would eventually learn how to do.
Unfortunately, while <em>Fear and Desire </em>looks gorgeous and is indeed a
lesson in photographic composition and lighting, it fails on all the other
aspects of movie making.<o:p /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kubrick
himself disowned <em>Fear and Desire </em>not long after its release in 1953. In
fact, he attempted to acquire all existing prints, including the negative, and
burn them. Luckily for film historians and Kubrick aficionados, he was
unsuccessful. The copyright in the movie was owned by Kubrick’s uncle, Martin Perveler,
a fairly wealthy pharmacy owner in California who put up most of the money and
received Associate Producer credit. The feature had disappeared for decades and
was sometimes available on poor quality bootleg VHS tapes and DVDs. It was only
since Kubrick’s death in 1999 that today’s copyright owners and the Library of
Congress made the movie available. In the USA, Kino Lorber distributed
excellent quality DVD and Blu-ray editions several years ago. Now, Kino has
released new 4K UHD and Blu-ray versions of the film, including the original
70-minute premiere cut that hasn’t been seen since 1953. (After its premiere,
Kubrick cut about nine minutes for the theatrical release, limited as that was.
It was this 62-minute cut that has been the more familiar one to film buffs.)<o:p /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Another
remarkable aspect about <em>Fear and Desire </em>is how ambitious it was.
Kubrick’s later, more mature works are often extremely existential in theme and
tone—they are big budget art films that challenge audiences to actually think
about what they’ve seen. Kubrick is big on ambiguity, symbolism, and metaphor
in all of his later, more well-known features. Right out of the gate, Kubrick
embarked to make an extremely non-commercial art film that deals with the
meaning of existence and the futility of war. While he would later succeed with
this kind of art house contemplative head scratcher, <em>Fear and Desire </em>unfortunately
comes off amateurish, pretentious, and painfully like a student film. <o:p /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That
said, one who knows Kubrick’s work can see glimpses of the genius underneath
this early effort. What he was attempting is quite “Kubrickian,” and there are
moments and images that are indeed striking.</span></p>
<p><!-- s9ymdb:12508 --><img class="serendipity_image_center" width="500" height="377" src="http://www.cinemaretro.com/uploads/fear-and-desire_085052bb.jpg" /> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The
story is thus… A four-man platoon are fighting an unnamed war in an unnamed
country. They are lost in a forest behind enemy lines. The goal is to get back
to their side. When enemy combatants are spotted in a structure, the men decide
to strike one for the team and kill off the opposition. Weirdly, the enemy
general and his sidekick look just like the platoon’s lieutenant and private
(they’re played by the same actors). <em>Whoa</em>, profound! And, in typical
Kubrickian fashion, one man, another private (played by young Paul Mazursky,
who would go on to be a director of note himself) goes mad, nearly rapes a
civilian (Virginia Leith), and runs off like a banshee from hell. Will the
others make it back to “civilization?” Maybe. Maybe not. As the lieutenant
says, “We have nothing to lose but our futures.” <o:p /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The
same could be applied to Stanley Kubrick’s first endeavor.<o:p /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Besides
Mazursky and Leith, the other actors are Frank Silvera as the sergeant (if
anyone is the protagonist here, it’s him), Kenneth Harp as the lieutenant, and Steve
Coit as the first private. Silvera would go on to play the villain in Kubrick’s
next, also independently made, feature, <em>Killer’s Kiss </em>(1955). Kubrick’s
first wife, Toba, has a cameo as a fisherwoman (she and Kubrick had been high
school sweethearts). Toba also worked on the crew, but the stress of making a
first film with Stanley Kubrick destroyed their already unstable marriage. <o:p /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kubrick
had flown the cast and tiny crew from New York to California in the spring of
1951 and shot the film in the San Gabriel mountains. It then took him over a
year to raise the money to do all the post-production (mostly post-sync sound).
He submitted the 70-minute cut to the Venice Film Festival in August 1952,
where an unofficial premiere took place (he wasn’t present). Only in late 1952
did Kubrick meet the international film distributor Joseph Burstyn, perhaps the
important figure of art house cinema in America at that time. Burstyn agreed
to release the movie, and it had its official premiere in March 1953. It
received mostly negative reviews, which prompted the director to delete nine
minutes to tighten the feature. There were, however, a handful of very positive
notices from the likes of critics such as James Agee and Mark Van Doren, both
of whom recognized that there was undeniable talent buried within this strange,
unsettling movie. <o:p /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kino
Lorber’s new 2-disk release of the 4K restoration comes with a UHD disk and a
Blu-ray disk of both the 70-minute and 62-minute cuts. The longer cut is
accompanied by an audio commentary by film historian Eddy Von Mueller. The
shorter cut has an audio commentary by film historian/screenwriter Gary Gerani.
Von Mueller’s commentary is quite informative about the tortured history of the
film; however he makes several odd mistakes (he says the fisherwoman is
Kubrick’s sister, not wife; he says the star of <em>Barry Lyndon </em>is
“Patrick” O’Neal; and <em>2001: a Space Odyssey </em>is from 1966, not 1968).
Gerani’s commentary covers much of the same ground with a different
perspective. Sadly, neither pinpoints the bits that were actually cut from the
longer version of the film. It’s up to us to figure it out (this reviewer finds
that some scenes in the first half of the movie were merely shortened… there
are no full scenes missing in the theatrical cut). <o:p /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The
real treasure trove in this release is that for the first time, in the USA,
that is, we get Kubrick’s early short documentaries in high definition. <em>Day
of the Fight </em>(1951) and <em>Flying Padre </em>(1951) were only available as
bootlegs in bad quality. Only <em>The Seafarers </em>(1953) had been released on
home video prior. Now we have all of Kubrick’s early work on one gorgeous
release.<o:p /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kino’s
new <em>Fear and Desire </em>package is a must-have for Stanley Kubrick fans,
because looking past the feature’s shortcomings will reveal what would come
from the master filmmaker. It’s a fascinating step back into the <em>auteur</em>’s
young mind.</span></p>
<p><strong><a href="https://amzn.to/4cetKma">Click here</a> to order from Amazon</strong> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
Cinema Retronospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
Raymond Benson (see also Criterion Corner), 2024-03-15T13:42:00Zhttp://www.cinemaretro.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=125860http://www.cinemaretro.com/rss.php?version=1.0&type=comments&cid=12586REVIEW: “THAT MAN BOLT” (1973) STARRING FRED WILLIAMSON, BYRON WEBSTER AND MIKO MAYAMA; KINO LORBER BLU-RAY
http://www.cinemaretro.com/index.php?/archives/12583-REVIEW-THAT-MAN-BOLT-1973-STARRING-FRED-WILLIAMSON,-BYRON-WEBSTER-AND-MIKO-MAYAMA;-KINO-LORBER-BLU-RAY.html
<p><!-- s9ymdb:12506 --><img class="serendipity_image_center" width="500" height="801" src="http://www.cinemaretro.com/uploads/thatmanboltphoto.jpg" /> </p>
<p><strong>By Ernie Magnotta</strong> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’ve always loved action cinema. It’s one of
my all-time favorite genres. When I was a teenager in the mid-1980s, I saw a
VHS copy of the action film <em>Bucktown</em>
and I’ve been a huge fan of its star, Fred “The Hammer” Williamson, ever since.<o:p /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A former pro football defensive back for
(amongst others) the Kansas City Chiefs (1965-1967), Williamson, who holds
black belts in Taekwondo, Kenp? and Shotokan karate, later moved on to acting.
Some of his first appearances was guest starring on TV shows such as <em>Star Trek</em> and <em>Ironside</em>. He quickly graduated to features, appearing in Robert
Altman’s <em>M*A*S*H</em> and Otto Preminger’s
<em>Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon</em>.<o:p /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In 1970, Williamson starred in the
appropriately titled action movie <em>Hammer </em>(the
nickname was given to him during his football days). The film was a success and
it began his long and entertaining career as an action movie superstar. Standing
at 6ft. 3 inches tall and rarely seen without a prop cigar in his hand, Williamson
would go on to appear in a plethora of action classics (many of which were
distributed by major Hollywood studios) such as <em>Black Caesar, Take a Hard Ride, Black Eye, Three the Hard Way,</em> <em>Mean Johnny Barrows </em>(which he also
produced), and 1978’s <em>Inglorious Bastards</em>.<o:p /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In 1976, the Hammer created his own company,
Po’ Boy Productions, which would not only see him star in, but also direct, a
ton of action films the likes of <em>Death
Journey, No Way Back, Mr. Mean, Foxtrap, </em>and <em>The Kill Reflex</em>. Williamson is also a veteran of Italian
exploitation cinema. He has appeared in the cult classics <em>The New Barbarians, The New Gladiators, </em>and <em>Black Cobra 1-4</em>. Just to name a few. In later years, he would act
in films such as <em>From Dusk till Dawn</em>
(for cinema titans Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino) and <em>Original Gangstas </em>(directed by the
legendary Larry Cohen and co-produced by Williamson) and he shows no signs of
slowing down.<o:p /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Recently, the Hammer’s somewhat forgotten,
1973, action-packed, James Bond-like film<em>
That Man Bolt</em> was released on Blu-ray. <o:p /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Solidly directed by David Lowell Rich and Henry
Levin from an entertaining screenplay by Ranald MacDougall and Charles Eric
Johnson, <em>That Man Bolt </em>tells the tale
of courier and martial arts expert Jefferson Bolt who is hired to transport a
million dollars from Hong Kong to Mexico City. However, Bolt soon realizes that
he’s been set up and now he’s dead set on paying back everyone who double-crossed
him.<em> </em><o:p /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Produced by Universal Pictures and released
in December of 1973, <em>That Man Bolt</em>,
aka<em> Operation Hong Kong</em>, is an
exciting adventure flick (sort of a 007/martial arts combo) which not only
contains well-crafted action sequences, but also some memorable characters
played wonderfully by its talented cast.<o:p /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Leading the way, of course, is the always
charismatic Fred Williamson who convincingly plays the intelligent and capable
Jefferson Bolt. There are also appearances by familiar faces such as Byron
Webster, Miko Mayama, Teresa Graves, John Orchard, Jack Ging and Paul Mantee;
not to mention martial arts champions Mike Stone, Emil Farkas, David Chow and Kenji
Kazama. <em>Enter the Dragon</em> fans will
recognize Geoffrey Weeks who appears in a brief role, as well as the voice of
the great Keye Luke (who not only dubbed Shih Kien in <em>Enter</em>, but also performs the same duty here).<o:p /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The fun film which was shot in L.A., Las
Vegas, Macau and Hong Kong, also features some terrific cinematography by Emmy
Award winner Gerald Finnerman, and a cool, Lalo Schifrin/John Barry-like musical
score by composer Charles Bernstein. <o:p /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"><em><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That Man Bolt </span></em><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">has been released on
Blu-ray by Kino Lorber. The region one disc presents the movie in its original
1.85:1 aspect ratio. The 2K transfer looks gorgeous. The disc not only contains
the original theatrical trailer, but also<em>
That Man Hammer</em>, a short, but entertaining interview with Fred Williamson.
Overall, this is a highly enjoyable, early 70s action-adventure that definitely
deserves to be re-discovered. It’s also a very nice addition to your Fred
Williamson collection. And if you’re just beginning to get into the Hammer’s
filmography, <em>That Man Bolt</em> is a great
place to start.</span></p>
<p><strong>Click here to order from Amazon</strong> </p>
Cinema Retronospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
Ernie Magnotta, 2024-03-14T13:08:00Zhttp://www.cinemaretro.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=125830http://www.cinemaretro.com/rss.php?version=1.0&type=comments&cid=12583REVIEW: "TO DIE FOR" (1995) STARRING NICOLE KIDMAN; CRITERION 4K & BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION
http://www.cinemaretro.com/index.php?/archives/12582-REVIEW-TO-DIE-FOR-1995-STARRING-NICOLE-KIDMAN;-CRITERION-4K-BLU-RAY-SPECIAL-EDITION.html
<p><!-- s9ymdb:12504 --><img class="serendipity_image_center" width="500" height="621" src="http://www.cinemaretro.com/uploads/TODIEFOR.jpg" /> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“YOU
AREN’T REALLY ANYBODY IN AMERICA IF YOU’RE NOT ON TV”<o:p /></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">By
Raymond Benson<o:p /></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While
Nicole Kidman had been working in films since the late 1980s and starred in two
big movies with future husband Tom Cruise in the early 1990s, for this reviewer
it was 1995’s <em>To Die For </em>that proved to the world that Kidman could hold
her own and carry a movie alone. Even with an impressive body of work that
would continue to today, <em>To Die For </em>can easily be listed as one of the
actor’s best works. <o:p /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To
Die For </span></em><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">is
based on a 1992 novel by Joyce Maynard, which, in turn, was a fictionalized
improvisation on the true-crime murder-for-hire case of Pamela Smart. The
murder of Smart’s husband by teenagers who were, as it turned out, hired by
Smart herself, was sensational TV fodder in 1990-1991. The keywords of
“sensational” and “TV” become the thematic concepts of Buck Henry’s adaptation
of the novel that turns the tabloid tale into an acerbic dark comedy about the
lust for fame and the means by which some people might employ to get it.<o:p /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Gus
Van Sant directs the film with a bravura collage of styles that molds the story
into something of a mockumentary. Actors address the camera as if they are in a
television reality program (something that was just beginning to take off in
those years). Videotape footage mixes with film stock, emphasizing the fine
line between Suzanne Stone’s reality and fantasy life on television.<o:p /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Stone
(Kidman) is a drop-dead gorgeous young woman with big ambitions. She wants fame
and fortune by being a television personality, and once she sets out to
accomplish that goal, her little hometown in New Hampshire will never be the
same. First she seduces and marries Larry (Matt Dillon), the son of Italian
parents who may or may not have connections to the mob. Larry is in a
successful restaurant business, so he has enough money to keep Suzanne in
style. Next, she finagles her way into the local cable TV news station, run by Ed
(Wayne Knight). When she begins a personal video project at the local high school,
she attracts the attention of three juvenile delinquents—Lydia (Alison
Folland), who isn’t a bad person but is sadly trapped in a “white trash” world,
Russell (a young Casey Affleck), the true bad-news of the trio, and Jimmy (a
young Joaquin Phoenix), who is short on brains but long on libido. Suzanne, who
feels resistance from Larry regarding her dreams to leave town and head to Los
Angeles where she’s convinced she can make it big, decides to seduce poor Jimmy
and get him and his friends to bump off Larry. To reveal more, which indeed
differs from the true case of Pamela Smart, would spoil the “fun.”<o:p /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yes,
“fun” it is. This is a comedy, folks. Sure, it’s a pretty dark one, but the
team of Van Sant and Henry make sure that this sordid little fable is told with
tongue-in-cheek. It’s also somewhat of a cautionary tale, warning us that what
we see on television isn’t always the truth. Those beautiful people on the
screen who anchor the news, interview celebrities, or present the weather are
not gods and goddesses. It’s one thing to work toward a career in television
with determination… it’s another thing altogether to think of that career as a
Xanadu in which everyone is rich and famous.</span></p>
<p><!-- s9ymdb:12505 --><img class="serendipity_image_center" width="550" height="309" src="http://www.cinemaretro.com/uploads/todieforscreenshot.jpg" /> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Nicole
Kidman is superb in <em>To Die For</em>. She’s funny, sexy, and at times very
scary. Kidman plays this madwoman to the hilt and she’s the backbone of the
movie. Apparently the role was first offered to Meg Ryan, who turned it down.
Kidman, however, takes it and delivers an exhilarating star turn. Phoenix, in
one of his early appearances, also makes an impression. At the time, who knew
that he would one day be a multiple Oscar contender and ultimate winner? The
same is true of Affleck. Other notable actors in the movie include Illeana
Douglas as Larry’s sister, Dan Hedaya as Larry’s father, and Kurtwood Smith and
Holland Taylor as Suzanne’s parents. The film also sports a few interesting
cameos: Joyce Maynard, the novel’s author, appears as Suzanne’s lawyer; Buck
Henry is a high school teacher; George Segal is a lecherous network executive;
and David Cronenberg (!) is a hitman. <o:p /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The
Criterion Collection’s 2-disk package presents the film in a new 4K digital
restoration, approved by Van Sant and director of photography Eric Alan Edwards.
It comes with a 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack (and it makes Danny
Elfman’s lively score sound really <em>good</em>!). The first disk is the picture
in 4K UHD with Dolby Vision HDR. The second disk is a Blu-ray and the special
features. Disappointingly, there isn’t much in the way of supplements. An audio
commentary featuring Van Sant, Edwards, and editor Curtiss Clayton is good
enough. The only other extras are some deleted scenes (some of which
tantalizingly depict how the film might have had alternate endings) and the
theatrical trailer. An essay by film critic Jessica Kiang accompanies the
booklet. <o:p /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To
Die For </span></em><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">is
for fans of Nicole Kidman, Joachin Phoenix, and the caustic mind of Buck Henry.</span></p>
<p><strong><a href="https://amzn.to/3PkwDrB">Click here </a>to order from Amazon</strong> </p>
Cinema Retronospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
Criterion Corner-DVD/Blu-ray Reviews, 2024-03-13T13:05:00Zhttp://www.cinemaretro.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=125820http://www.cinemaretro.com/rss.php?version=1.0&type=comments&cid=12582OUT OF THE PAST: UNUSUAL DRIVE-IN DOUBLE FEATURES
http://www.cinemaretro.com/index.php?/archives/12538-OUT-OF-THE-PAST-UNUSUAL-DRIVE-IN-DOUBLE-FEATURES.html
<p><!-- s9ymdb:12467 --><img class="serendipity_image_center" width="496" height="660" src="http://www.cinemaretro.com/uploads/Screenshot2024-01-24at16-23-13HisNameIsStudd.png" /> </p>
<p>Here's a gem from the web site <a href="https://studdblog.blogspot.com/2013_10_01_archive.html">studdblog.blogspot</a>, which specializes in reproducing old newspaper ads of local American theaters from decades past. This one comes from the Sky Vue Drive-i<a href="https://www.skyvudrivein.com/">n</a>, though we aren't sure where it was located. This particular double-feature combines two Sean Connery films- the latest (at the time in 1971) James Bond blockbuster "Diamonds are Forever" paired with Connery's ill-fated but impressive historical Arctic adventure "The Red Tent". According to the ad, Connery's co-star in the latter film was the legendary "Claudia Capdinale"! (As publishers, we sympathize with anyone who has to deal with typos!) Most impressive was the ticket price: two major films for $1.25. That was a bargain even in 1971!</p>
Cinema Retronospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
James Bond 007 News, 2024-03-12T14:29:00Zhttp://www.cinemaretro.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=125380http://www.cinemaretro.com/rss.php?version=1.0&type=comments&cid=12538WATCH "ALL STAR PARTY FOR FRANK SINATRA"
http://www.cinemaretro.com/index.php?/archives/12581-WATCH-ALL-STAR-PARTY-FOR-FRANK-SINATRA.html
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<p> </p>
<p>Here's a wonderful blast from the past: the 1983 TV telecast of "All Star Party for Frank Sinatra". </p>
Cinema Retronospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
Out of the Past, 2024-03-12T13:25:00Zhttp://www.cinemaretro.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=125810http://www.cinemaretro.com/rss.php?version=1.0&type=comments&cid=12581REVIEW: "THE 96TH ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS"
http://www.cinemaretro.com/index.php?/archives/12579-REVIEW-THE-96TH-ANNUAL-ACADEMY-AWARDS.html
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PWnh2FjYdpo?si=v6Op0wnpeT0hXyq_" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe>
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<p><strong>By Lee Pfeiffer</strong> </p>
<p>The late, legendary New York City sports columnist Jimmy Cannon was known to quip, "Nobody asked me, but..." and then provide his thoughts about whatever was on his mind. In that spirit, nobody asked me but I'll weigh in on the 96th Annual Academy Awards broadcast from last evening. Reviewing the Oscar ceremonies is like shooting fish in a barrel in that there are always aspects of a production of this size that will inevitably be justly criticized. However, no matter how in vogue it is to bash the Oscars, regular readers of Cinema Retro know that I've tried to maintain objectivity. Here are my random observations:</p>
<p> </p>
<ul>
<li>Host Jimmy Kimmel did a decent job, as he had in the past. The Academy long ago abandoned ensuring that the host of the ceremonies has a background in the film industry. That went out the window when long-time host Bob Hope was replaced by Johnny Carson, whose brilliant timing resulted in higher ratings. Carson had the gig for quite some time and a variety of hosts followed, with Billy Crystal being the most popular. Kimmel is probably not well known in certain areas of the globe but his late night chat show is very popular in the U.S. That makes for both good and bad news. The good is that Kimmel is quick-witted and can improvise cleverly. The bad news is that he keeps shoehorning comedy bits into the broadcast that would be suitable for his TV show but still seem out of place on the Oscar presentations. There were mercifully fewer of these transgressions this year and the same can be said with the atrocious "spontaneous" banter between presenters, which was kept to a minimum.  </li>
<li>I confess that I never watch the red carpet pre-show simply because of the vacuous banter ("<em>Who </em>are you wearing tonight?") but in general, outrageous attention-getting outfits were not on display. The ladies all looked very glamorous and most of the male stars were nattily attired in traditional black tuxes, although a number of them chose to wear open collar shirts and no ties. I guess that was to show non-conformity but some of them looked like the guys I used to see in the late 1970s queueing outside of Studio 54. (Full disclosure: I'm not a slave to fashion myself and as I write this, I am sporting a T shirt with an image of Shemp Howard imprinted on it.)</li>
<li>The event had its share of big names in attendance but for many years it has been noted that some of the diminishing ranks of living legends rarely attend the ceremonies unless they are nominated. Yes, we had Steven Spielberg there to present the Best Director award and Arnold Schwarzenegger was reunited with his "twin", Danny DeVito, for some amusing moments. Al Pacino attended to announce the Best Picture award but he did so in a cursory and confusing manner that undercut the impact of his appearance. There were no signs of the likes of Meryl Streep, Anthony Hopkins, Tom Hanks, Barbra Streisand, Harrison Ford or Denzel Washington. Robert De Niro and Jodie Foster were in attendance, as was Martin Scorsese, as they were all up for awards, though none won. It was astutely pointed out that De Niro and Foster had been in the auditorium before on the same night back in 1977 when they were both nominated for  Scorsese's "Taxi Driver". Regarding Scorsese's "Killers of the Flower Moon", his acclaimed film was shut out of any wins, the momentum having switched to "Oppenheimer". Similarly, last year's most popular movie, "Barbie", only won for Best Song. I must admit that while I thought the film's concept and execution were clever, I was not swept up by enthusiasm for the film. But then again, I doubt that men in the late late sixties were the demographic target for the marketing campaign. </li>
<li>It was an innovative idea to have previous winners introduce the nominated actors in their respective categories. Another nice touch was the homage paid to union members who work behind the scenes on film productions. We also learned that there were finally be Oscar recognition for casting directors, though the process might be a challenge in terms of deciding who exactly was the responsible party for casting certain actors, given that producers and studio executives have a say in the process. There was also a good video segment that paid tribute to the importance of stunt people throughout movie history. Acceptance speeches were fine, and the pace was brisk. The show had started earlier this year and, amazingly, ended up finishing on time. </li>
</ul><br />
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<ul>
<li>The  "In Memoriam" segment was the worst ever. This ritual and the controversies about it had inspired a major Washington Post article that ran a couple of days before the ceremonies. I gave up trying to figure out all the notable people were not mentioned and the staging was awful. The cameras concentrated on the elaborate settings and musicians, with photos of the dearly departed shown on a screen in the background. Most of the images  were pretty pretty small even on today's giant-sized TVs and people who were not instantly recognizable had their credits line too tiny to read. Why can't the Academy get this right? TCM certainly does with its annual in memoriam video. They ought to just buy the rights to that.</li>
<li>The songs were all pleasant enough, but none of them particularly memorable. </li>
<li>A highlight of Oscar ceremonies used to be the presentation of honorary Oscars to legendary figures in the industry. The Academy decided with was all too superfluous and years ago relegated the honorees to brief film clips from a separate ceremony. This year, even that cursory effort was no longer included. Instead, we were told to scan a code on the TV screen in order to watch these honorees receive their Oscars. What a wasted opportunity. Mel Brooks was among those honored and the mind reels at how wonderful it would have been to see him receive the award on live TV. As a public service, we are presenting his speech below. </li>
</ul><br />
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<ul>
<li>Politics were present, as usual, but kept somewhat restrained. There were references to the Israel/Gaza crisis and a moving and heartfelt speech by Ukrainian director Mstyslav Chernov in which he pleaded that peace might finally come to his beleaguered country. It earned a standing ovation, but unfortunately these people can't move the aid package through Congress. At the end of the show, Jimmy Kimmel read a social media posting by Donald Trump in which he eviscerated the host's performance on the show. Kimmel's reply may have been witty but if he really wanted to one-up the former president, he wouldn't have mentioned him at all. It would be nice if politics didn't play a part in these ceremonies, but that hasn't been the case in decades and with political tensions higher than they have been in the U.S. since the late 1960s, it's doubtful the Oscars will ever again be a telecast that brings people together in a common love of movies. </li>
<li>It was nice to see a Godzilla movie get Oscar recognition and I thought I could hear the cheering in Tokyo in my living room.</li>
</ul>In my opinion, this was one of the better Oscar telecasts of recent years, even without Will Smith on hand to provide some spontaneous action. 
<ul> </ul>
<p> </p>
Cinema Retronospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
Events, 2024-03-11T17:31:29Zhttp://www.cinemaretro.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=125790http://www.cinemaretro.com/rss.php?version=1.0&type=comments&cid=12579THE "SORCERER" BLOG
http://www.cinemaretro.com/index.php?/archives/12536-THE-SORCERER-BLOG.html
<p><!-- s9ymdb:5749 --><img class="serendipity_image_center" width="338" height="512" src="http://www.cinemaretro.com/uploads/sorcerer.jpg" /> </p>
<p><a href="https://sorcerer1977.wordpress.com/page/2/">Here's a blog </a>devoted entirely to director William Friedkin's 1977 masterpiece "Sorcerer". The film bombed with critics and the public when first released but has acquired an enthusiastic following over the decades. Friedkin told Cinema Retro that it was his favorite among all of his films. (See issue #29 for an exclusive interview with Friedkin about the film.) The web site showcases a really cool "Sorcerer" T shirt. </p>
Cinema Retronospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
Out of the Past, 2024-03-11T14:23:00Zhttp://www.cinemaretro.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=125360http://www.cinemaretro.com/rss.php?version=1.0&type=comments&cid=12536TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES ANNOUNCES NEW LIMITED SERIES, "TWO FOR ONE".
http://www.cinemaretro.com/index.php?/archives/12576-TURNER-CLASSIC-MOVIES-ANNOUNCES-NEW-LIMITED-SERIES,-TWO-FOR-ONE..html
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/s2-XGS2YVXk?si=PWDziv5vTuSwq3Hb" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe>
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<p style="margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px; color: #222222; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: inherit;"><span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #000000;"><font face="verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif">TCM – Thursday, March 7, 2024 - Turner Classic Movies (TCM) today announced a new limited series, <em>Two for One</em><strong>, </strong>that will feature 12 nights of double features curated by some of the most celebrated filmmakers in Hollywood beginning April 6. TCM Primetime Host Ben Mankiewicz will be joined by each director, including Steven Spielberg, Patty Jenkins, and Spike Lee, to introduce the two films they chose. They will offer commentary on the double feature’s cultural significance, its influence on other films, behind-the-scenes stories, and their own personal reflections.<br aria-hidden="true" /> <br aria-hidden="true" />“This was such an eclectic group of filmmakers to sit down with, which was invigorating, from Martin Scorsese talking about a Robert Mitchum western, to Spike Lee discussing Elia Kazan, to Olivia Wilde’s breakdown of Rosalind Russell in <em>Auntie Mame</em>,” said Ben Mankiewicz. “In these double features, these 12 directors lead us on an insider’s journey through cinematic history.” <br aria-hidden="true" /><br aria-hidden="true" />Two for One which airs every Saturday night, premieres April 6 at 8PM (ET).<br aria-hidden="true" /><br aria-hidden="true" /><em>Two Films. One Filmmaker. Countless Perspectives.</em><br aria-hidden="true" />Below is the complete film schedule: </font></span></span></p>
<ul style="color: #222222; font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;">
<li><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: inherit;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #000000;"><font face="verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Saturday, April 6 | Martin Scorsese - <em>Blood on the Moon</em> (1948)<em> & One Touch of Venus</em> (1948)</font></span></span></li>
<li><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: inherit;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #000000;"><font face="verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Saturday, April 13 | Olivia Wilde - <em>Auntie Mame</em> (1958) & <em>Grey Gardens</em> (1976)</font></span></span></li>
<li><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: inherit;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #000000;"><font face="verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Saturday, April 20 | Paul Thomas Anderson - <em>The Bad News Bears </em>(1976) & <em>Bugsy Malone (1976)</em></font></span></span></li>
<li><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: inherit;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #000000;"><font face="verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Saturday, April 27 | Rian Johnson - <em>Trouble in Paradise </em>(1932) & <em>Jewel Robbery</em> (1932)</font></span></span></li>
<li><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: inherit;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #000000;"><font face="verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Saturday, May 4 | Spike Lee - <em>A Face in the Crowd</em> (1957) & <em>Ace in the Hole</em> (1951)</font></span></span></li>
<li><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: inherit;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #000000;"><font face="verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Saturday, May 11 | Patty Jenkins - <em>The Fisher King </em>(1991) & <em>Synecdoche, New </em>York (2008) </font></span></span></li>
<li><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: inherit;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #000000;"><font face="verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Saturday, May 18 | Steven Spielberg - <em>Jailhouse Rock</em> (1957) & <em>Forty Guns</em> (1957)</font></span></span></li>
<li><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: inherit;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #000000;"><font face="verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Saturday, June 1 | Ethan Hawke - <em>The Gunfighter</em> (1950) & <em>Gun Crazy</em> (1950)</font></span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="color: #222222; font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;">
<li><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: inherit;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #000000;"><font face="verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Saturday, June 8 | David Byrne - <em>A Matter of Life and Death</em> (1946) & <em>Wings of </em>Desire (1987) </font></span></span></li>
<li><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: inherit;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #000000;"><font face="verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Saturday, June 15 | Gina Prince-Blythewood - <em>Central Station</em> (1998) & <em>Fruitvale Station</em> (2013)</font></span></span></li>
<li><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: inherit;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #000000;"><font face="verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Saturday, June 2 | Todd Haynes - <em>The Go-Between </em>(1971) &<em> Sunday Bloody Sunday</em> (1971) </font></span></span></li>
<li><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: inherit;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #000000;"><font face="verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Saturday, June 29 | Nicole Holofcener - <em>Coming Home</em> (1978) & <em>The Last Detail</em> (1973)</font></span></span></li>
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Cinema Retronospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
TV NEWS, 2024-03-10T14:28:00Zhttp://www.cinemaretro.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=125760http://www.cinemaretro.com/rss.php?version=1.0&type=comments&cid=12576STREAMING REVIEW: "COTTON COMES TO HARLEM" (1970) STARRING GODFREY CAMBRIDGE AND RAYMOND ST. JACQUES (SCREENPIX)
http://www.cinemaretro.com/index.php?/archives/12503-STREAMING-REVIEW-COTTON-COMES-TO-HARLEM-1970-STARRING-GODFREY-CAMBRIDGE-AND-RAYMOND-ST.-JACQUES-SCREENPIX.html
<p> </p>
<p><!-- s9ymdb:12440 --><img class="serendipity_image_center" width="500" height="780" src="http://www.cinemaretro.com/uploads/Screenshot2024-01-01at23-03-28CottonComestoHarlem1970.png" /> </p>
<p><strong>By Lee Pfeiffer</strong> <br /></p>
<p>The first African-American to direct a major film for a Hollywood
studio was Gordon Parks, whose feature film debut "The Learning Tree"
was released in 1969. Parks may have shattered the glass ceiling but
there wasn't a tidal wave of opportunities that immediately opened for
other minority filmmakers, in part because there were so few with any
formal training in the art. One beneficiary of Parks' achievement was
Ossie Davis, who was internationally respected as a well-rounded artist.
He was a triple threat: actor, director and writer but his directing
skills had been relegated to the stage. In 1970 Davis co-wrote the
screenplay for and directed "Cotton Comes to Harlem", a major production
for United Artists. The film was based on a novel by African-American
writer Chester Himes and proved to be pivotal in ushering in what became
known as the Blaxploitation genre. In reality, it's debatable whether
"Cotton" really is a Blaxploitation film. While most of the major roles
are played by Black actors, the term "Blaxploitation" has largely come
to symbolize the kinds of goofy, low-budget films that are fondly
remembered as guilty pleasures. However, "Cotton"- like Gordon Parks's
"Shaft" films which would follow-  boasts first class production values
and top talent both in front of and behind the cameras. Regardless, the
movie had sufficient impact at the boxoffice to inspire a seemingly
endless barrage of Black-oriented American films that were all the rage
from the early to mid-1970s. The Blaxploitation fever burned briefly but
shone brightly and opened many doors for minority actors. </p>
<p>The film was shot when New York City was in the midst of a
precipitous decline in terms of quality of life. Crime was soaring, the
infrastructure was aging and the city itself would be on the verge of
bankruptcy  a few years later. Harlem was among the hardest hit areas in
terms of the economy. The once dazzling jewel of a neighborhood had
boasted popular nightclubs, theaters and restaurants that attracted
affluent white patrons. By the mid-to-late 1960s, however, that had
changed radically. Street crimes, organized gangs and the drug culture
spread rapidly, making Harlem a very dangerous place to be. It was
foreboding enough if you were Black but it was considered a "Forbidden
Zone" for most white people, who spent their money elsewhere, thus
exacerbating the decline of the neighborhoods. "Cotton Comes to Harlem"
serves as an interesting time capsule of what life was like in the area,
having been shot during this period of decline. Director Davis was
considered royalty in Harlem. Despite his success in show business, he
and his equally acclaimed wife, actress Ruby Dee, never "went
Hollywood". They stayed in the community and worked hard to improve the
environment. Thus, Davis was perfectly suited to capture the action on
the streets in a manner that played authentically on screen. Similarly,
he had a real feel for the local population. As with any major urban
area, Harlem undoubtedly had its share of amusing eccentrics and Davis
populates the movie with plenty of such characters. </p>
<p> </p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZYjkAkJNBNM?si=Tb1zvmAHuC9KVOfe" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe>
<p>The film opens with a major rally held by Rev. Deke O'Malley (Calvin
Lockhart), a local guy who made good and who is idolized by the
population of Harlem. O'Malley is a smooth-talking, charismatic con man
in the mode of the notorious Reverend Ike who uses religion as a facade
to rip off gullible followers. This time, O'Malley has launched a "Back
to Africa" campaign for which he is soliciting funds. It's based on the
absurd premise that he will be able to finance disgruntled Harlem
residents back to the land of their ancestry. The hard-working,
semi-impoverished locals end up donating $87,000 in cash but the rally
is interrupted by a daring daytime robbery. An armored car filled with
masked men armed with heavy weaponry descend upon the goings-on, loot
the cashbox and take off. They are pursued by two street-wise local
cops, "Grave Digger" Jones (Godfrey Cambridge)  and his partner "Coffin"
Ed Johnson (Raymond St. Jacques). Davis provides an exciting and
colorful car chase through the streets of Harlem, as the cops fail to
snag the robbers. They also discover that O'Malley has gone missing,
leading them to believe that he orchestrated the heist himself so he
could keep the proceeds raised at the rally. The plot becomes rather
convoluted, as Jones and Johnson learn that a bale of cotton has arrived
in Harlem and its somehow connected to the crime. They assume that the
stolen money has been stashed in said cotton bale, which quickly changes
hands among the most unsavory characters in the community. Getting in
on the action is a white mob boss and his goons who are also trying to
recover the cotton bale. The cotton itself is resented in Harlem because
of its historical links to slavery and by the end of the film, the bale
ends up in a stage show at the famed Apollo Theater where it is used as
a prop in a bizarre production that involves historical observations
about the black experience intermingled with a striptease act! Through
it all, Jones and Johnson doggedly chase any number of people through
the streets, engage in shoot-outs and car chases and come in and out of
contact with Rev. O'Malley, who professes his innocence about being
involved in the robbery. The Rev isn't so innocent when it comes to
other unscrupulous activities such as chronically cheating on his
long-suffering girlfriend Iris (Judy Pace) and manipulating other women
in a variety of ways. </p>
<p> </p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DOjquPJk2dw?si=XpwMK_oxVvXFVvbl" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe>
<p>The most delightful aspect of the film is the showcasing of some very
diverse talents of the era. Godfrey Cambridge (who made it big as a
stand-up comic) and Raymond St. Jacques enjoy considerable on-screen
chemistry even if the script deprives them of the kind of witty dialogue
that would have enhanced their scenes together. They make wisecracks
all the time and harass some less-than-savory characters but the
screenplay never truly capitalizes on Cambridge's comedic potential. The
film's most impressive performance comes from Calvin Lockhart, who
perfectly captures the traits of phony, larger-than-life "preachers".
He's all flashy good looks, gaudy outfits and narcissistic behavior.
Lockhart seems to be having a ball playing this character and the screen
ignites every time he appears. There are some nice turns by other good
character actors including pre-"Sanford and Son" Redd Foxx, who figures
in the film's amusing "sting-in-the-tail" ending, John Anderson as the
exasperated white captain of a Harlem police station that is constantly
on the verge of being besieged by local activists, Lou Jacobi as a junk
dealer, Cleavon Little as a local eccentric, J.D. Canon as a mob hit man
and Dick Sabol as a goofy white cop who suffers humiliation from
virtually everyone (which is sort of a payback for the decades in which
Black characters were routinely used as comic foils).  The film has a
surprisingly contemporary feel about it, save for a few garish fashions
from the 1970s. It's also rather nostalgic to hear genuine soul music
peppered through the soundtrack in this pre-rap era. Happily, life has
not imitated art in the years since the film was released. Harlem has
been undergoing the kind of Renaissance that would have seemed
unimaginable in 1970. The old glory has come back strong and the center
of the neighorhood, 125th Street, is vibrant and thriving once again.
These societal perspectives make watching "Cotton Comes to Harlem"
enjoyable on an entirely different level than simply an amusing crime
comedy.</p>
<p>The film is currently streaming on Screenpix, available for subscription through Amazon Prime. </p>
<p><strong><a href="https://amzn.to/47slH1C">Click here</a> to order DVD from Amazon</strong> <br /></p>
Cinema Retronospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
Blu-ray/DVD/Streaming Reviews & News, 2024-03-09T15:26:00Zhttp://www.cinemaretro.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=125030http://www.cinemaretro.com/rss.php?version=1.0&type=comments&cid=12503JOHN WAYNE IN "MCQ" (1974)
http://www.cinemaretro.com/index.php?/archives/12557-JOHN-WAYNE-IN-MCQ-1974.html
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Zpqcy4f0AFE?si=3zsWhX-CUEyZ4OJm" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe>
<p> </p>
<p>If the 1960s was the era of spy movie mania, the 1970s was an era of "rogue cop" movies. Seemingly everyone was in on the act and that included John Wayne, who teamed with director John Sturges for the first and only time for "McQ". The Duke played a Seattle detective who is combating corruption in the police department. The film boasted a good script and a fine supporting cast. Here's a highlight from the film. (Lee Pfeiffer)</p>
<p><a href="https://amzn.to/42Ji9Hd">Click here</a> to order the Blu-ray from Amazon. 
</p>
Cinema Retronospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
Out of the Past, 2024-03-08T14:29:00Zhttp://www.cinemaretro.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=125570http://www.cinemaretro.com/rss.php?version=1.0&type=comments&cid=12557CINEMA RETRO UK OFFICE ANNOUNCEMENT
http://www.cinemaretro.com/index.php?/archives/12575-CINEMA-RETRO-UK-OFFICE-ANNOUNCEMENT.html
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<p><span style="font-size: 12.6667px;">The U.K. office of Cinema Retro will be closed due to travel until March 16. Please continue to order as you normally would through the web site. All orders will be sent out when we reopen.</span> </p>
Cinema Retronospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
Magazine News, 2024-03-07T23:52:36Zhttp://www.cinemaretro.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=125750http://www.cinemaretro.com/rss.php?version=1.0&type=comments&cid=12575MEMORIES OF LEE VAN CLEEF
http://www.cinemaretro.com/index.php?/archives/12531-MEMORIES-OF-LEE-VAN-CLEEF.html
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PDOQl0Q_Slc?si=ghIH4tG6IqLSXqgn" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe>
<p> </p>
<p>Retro movie historian Mike Malloy presents some vintage interviews in which Henry Silva and Fred Willilamson share their memories of working with Lee Van Cleef.<br /> </p>
Cinema Retronospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
Out of the Past, 2024-03-07T15:07:00Zhttp://www.cinemaretro.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=125310http://www.cinemaretro.com/rss.php?version=1.0&type=comments&cid=12531