Writer/Director
Nicholas Wrathall turned an introduction to Vidal by his nephew into a rare filmmaking
opportunity. The result is Gore
Vidal: The United States of Amnesia, a new, in-depth look at the writer’s
long and singular life.
“It
took seven years to make,†Wrathall told CinemaRetro, “five years of
interviewing him and I benefitted from the time frame because I got to know
him.â€
The
author wrote a number of historical novels including Burr, Lincoln and 1876 along with screenplays, essays and
teleplays; but was best known for speaking out, totally unconcerned about the
feathers he ruffled along the way. In
addition to Wrathall’s interviews, the film makes use of decades of Vidal’s
televised appearances – arguing about sexuality in the 1950s, arguing against the Vietnam War and social inequality in the 1960s, stirring the intellectual pot whenever
possible. Archive footage shows Vidal’s
incredible reach – he was friends with JFK, Paul Newman, Eleanor Roosevelt and numerous
other boldfaced names. Viewers also see
a remarkable progression - from a young, vigorous Vidal, thoroughly enjoying
sparring against arch conservative William F. Buckley, to a more mature provocateur
railing against Ronald Reagan and finally an increasingly frail elder statesman
horrified by American imperialism and the Iraq war. Through it all, Vidal maintained his wry sense
of humor noting that “We are the United States of Amnesia, we learn nothing
because we remember nothing.â€
Filmed
in NY, LA, Washington as well as Italy and Cuba, the film offers a definitive
look at one of the last “intellectual celebrities†of our time. “He was courageous, and provocative, that’s
why Carson and Cavett loved having him on their shows.†Wrathall adds.
Along
with his razor sharp opinions, Vidal was also known for throwing lavish
parties, attracting movie stars, artists and politicians. Ground Zero for these coveted events was his
beloved villa, Rondinaia in Ravello, Italy. In fact, one of the film’s emotional highlights is Vidal’s final visit,
packing up books and memories and staring out at the incredible view one last
time. Actor Tim Robbins reminisces about
bringing his family for a stay with Gore and his partner, Howard Austen - only
to be joined by two other dinner guests, Sting and Bruce Springsteen and their
spouses. There was nobody Vidal didn’t
seem to know.!
Another
notable talking head was author Christopher Hitchens – in one of his last on
camera interviews. He and Vidal had a
complicated relationship – at one point Hitchens was his literary heir apparent
only to be cast out when he spoke out in favor of the Iraq War, something Vidal
found unforgivable.
The
documentary ends with a final off camera question – “What is your legacy?â€
Although Vidal dismisses it with a sneer, the documentary’s director thinks
that along with being a “writer, essayist and novelist… he was a brave,
outspoken person who lived at the center of our culture.â€
Gore
Vidal: The United States of Amnesia opens in Los Angeles on June 6th. It is currently playing at the IFC Center in New York.
(For Don L. Stradley's review of the film click here)
Cinema Retro has received the following press release relating to our columnist Howard Hughes' new book:
I.B.TAURIS
PRESS RELEASE
OUTER
LIMITS
THE FILMGOERS’ GUIDE TO THE GREAT SCIENCE-FICTION FILMS
Howard
Hughes
Published in Paperback
30 May 2014
£14.99 | 9781780761664
The
up-to-date detailed companion to the best sci-fi movies of all time
Science Fiction is probably the most popular box office
genre in movie history and has given filmgoers some of their most memorable
cinematic experiences. Outer Limits
takes its readers on a tour of the sci-fi cinema universe in all its
fantastical, celestial glory.
The milestone films of sci-fi cinema from Metropolis to
Avatar are discussed in this Filmgoers’ Guide for anyone who enjoys a cinema
that has pleased and amazed filmgoers since the dawn of cinema. Illustrated
with fine examples of sci-fi film poster-art, Outer Limits goes deep into the most interesting and popular movies
across sci-fi cinema’s many forms, with core chapters used as launch pads to
discuss lesser-known influential movies and follow-on sequels. Howard Hughes
tells the stories from pre-production to box office returns of The War of the Worlds, Independence Day,
Tarantula, Godzilla, The Time Machine, The Thing, Invasion of the Body
Snatchers, Forbidden Planet, Barbarella, Galaxy Quest, Minority Report, Planet
of the Apes, Mad Max 2, Back to the Future, Alien, Terminator 2: Judgement Day,
The Man Who Fell to Earth, The Matrix, Star Trek, Apollo 13, Blade Runner
and many more.
ABOUT
THE AUTHOR
Film writer and historian Howard Hughes is the author
of Aim for the Heart: The Films of Clint Eastwood
(I.B. Tauris) and of the Filmgoers’ Guide
series, When Eagles Dared, Crime Wave,
Once Upon a Time in the Italian West and Stagecoach to Tombstone (all from
I.B. Tauris). He is contributor to ‘The James Bond Archives’, the official
fiftieth anniversary celebration of 007, and writes regularly for film magazine
Cinema Retro.
PRAISE
FOR HOWARD HUGHES’ BOOKS
‘expertly dissected...a fascinating read.’ - The Times
‘offers much to inform and plenty to enjoy...Highly
recommended.’ - Kamera
Hughes is ‘rigorous...engulfing us with history and
myriad detail.’ - Empire
‘Entertaining, illuminating and packed with
information’ - Sight and Sound
‘Hughes is a fan and his enthusiasm, as well as his
research, shines through.’ - Tribune
‘a goldmine of such film trivia, wide-ranging and often
delightful...Hughes is a thorough researcher and knows his stuff’ - The Australian
Unemployed and disgruntled Ronnie (Robert Buchanan)
hatches a plan to steal ninety sinks as
a means to solving his financial hardship. Recruiting his closest friends,
against the grey backdrop of Glasgow, eight teenagers plan to pull off the
cinematic caper that would define 1979.
Alongside the 60th Anniversary release of Akira
Kurosawa's seminal action masterpiece Seven Samurai, the month of April would
find the BFI with one eye fixed on Japan, and the other on home soil.
With their Flipside label the BFI proudly champions
the rediscovery of British cult films, and the latest film to find itself
inducted into this illustrious catalogue is Bill Forsyth's 1980 caper comedy
That Sinking Feeling.
It is hard to think of two more distinct films finding
themselves on the release slate alongside one another. In spite of being worlds
apart, they share a single similarity, and to the astute eye it is a
singularity that multiplies. That Sinking Feeling and Seven Samurai together
are perhaps a testament to the fact that films, like people, are individuals
but also live within a cinematic or narrative society.
As unmistakably Japanese as is Seven Samurai –
although it would be the seed of inspiration for John Sturges’ The Magnificent
Seven -- Forsyth's Glaswegian crime caper has British cinematic blood coursing
through its veins. It is indelibly a cult British classic,, regardless of whether
or not you’d describe it in that typically English way as your “cup of tea.â€
The role That Sinking Feeling plays in the story of
both British and international independent cinema should not be overlooked. Highlighted
in an entry of Kermode Uncut that can be found amongst the extras, Forsyth
discusses how he constructed the film’s budget and how he gathered
non-financial resources that made his debut feature anything but a sinking endeavour.
It positions Forsyth as one of cinema's ingenious independent filmmakers, and
his story allows us to compare the landscape of independent cinema and the
working filmmaker from then to now.
With its shade of social realism through the disenchanted youth, Forsyth and
his cast of characters turn hardship into comedic gold, or at least they
attempt to do so through a caper that more than thirty years on may strike one
as pointless, and even perhaps, as amusing as the film itself. That being said,
with the recent scurrying around for scrap metal and copper that has helped
regional news programmes fill their schedule, That Sinking Feeling may not have
sunk as deeply into the past as one might imagine.
From the outset Forsyth imbues the film with playfulness - the film's title
sinking off-screen to the suggestion of Glasgow as a fictitious place. Add to
that the wry smile that frequents Ronnie’s (Robert Buchanan's) lips and it is
almost as if the film is trying not to laugh along with itself; an infectious
humour that would similarly plague Seinfeld cast members years later.
The fictitious place known as Glasgow is one that
may just intertwine itself with an inner knowing truth that Glasgow is real,
and the grey urban landscape of Forsyth’s debut feature is a reflection that
possesses a certain proportion of truth.
Constructed with a seeming focus on individual moments - the opening monologue,
the science-fiction comedy element and the encounter with a pretentious art
dealer amongst others, That Sinking Feeling is made up of comedy segments that
undermine the fluidity of a narrative gliding towards its destination. Whilst
it does successfully tell the story of a caper, and the forming of a gang, it
decidedly feels as if it is a film of moments that should be appreciated as
such.
Although it is rough around the edges, and it habitually surrenders to the
moment, it should be regarded as both criticism and praise. These faults afford
That Sinking Feeling a vitality that so often can be found in first films where
directors succumb to the moment, a creative energy or instinct. After all, film
is constructed of moments, and the creation of these moments that permits a
film to exude charm and energy is reason enough for celebration.
With a comprehensive set of extras of first-hand accounts, the BFI have pulled
Forsyth's debut out of the shadows cast by Forsyth’s better known and often
more celebrated Gregory's Girl and Local
Hero. That Sinking Feeling may be a
title of introspective truth regarding its own fate.
Whilst the dark confines of the cinema may be the
traditional spiritual experience of the cineaste, to fine connoisseurs of home
entertainment such as the BFI, they are equally a beguiling means towards discovery or rediscovery. If the
truth be told, they possess a greater capacity to take us beyond the film, and
with the restored original Glaswegian audio track and a spate of extras, for
those either not born in 1979 or for those too young to see That Sinking
Feeling on its initial theatrical release, the BFI Flipside release is a
beguiling means of discovery, and for all others re-discovery with it restored
to Forsyth’s original vision.
"The
Next Alfred Hitchcock" was how director Brian De Palma was being
celebrated by some back in 1973. It was largely in praise of his latest film,
the thriller ‘Sisters’. There is little doubt that ‘Sisters’ is not only homage
to Hitchcock’s Psycho, but also a huge nod towards Hitchcock’s entire body of
work. As the saying goes - ‘You only borrow from the best’ and of course, it
was no secret that De Palma was a huge admirer of Hitchcock’s work.
‘Sisters’
was inspired by a Life Magazine article read by De Palma, about the Russian
Siamese twins Masha and Dasha. The film begins with a model named Danielle
(played by Margot Kidder), who appears on the local TV game show, Peeping Toms (the film’s first example
of its voyeuristic theme). Danielle goes out to dinner with the winning
contestant, Phillip Wood. Her strange ex-husband Emile (De Palma regular William
Finley) follows Danielle to the restaurant and finally creates a scene. Phillip
takes Danielle back to her home in Staten Island. Emile keeps watch outside
their apartment, as Danielle and Phillip spend the night together.
The
next morning, Phillip is brutally killed (with a large Psycho style knife and
in graphic detail) after overhearing Danielle speak to her sister, Dominique.
The murder is seen by reporter Grace Collier (Jennifer Salt), from her own
apartment (not unlike Hitchcock’s ‘Rear Window’). The police are not entirely convinced
by Grace’s homicide story and they are not enamoured by her personally, perhaps
because she had recently wrote a damming story on police procedures. In true
Hitchcock style, Grace takes it upon herself to investigate and is drawn into a
bizarre story of Siamese siblings, a mysterious mental institute, and identifying
the truth behind Dominique and Danielle. It is established that Danielle never recovered
from the death of her twin Dominique. Furthermore, Dominique remains alive in
the mind of Danielle – a form of guilt lodged deep within her soul - and the
result of having been the twin to survive a surgical separation. Danielle’s sexual
experience with men (such as Philip or Emile) becomes the catalyst that awakens
Dominique and the murderous side of Danielle's damaged mind.
De
Palma’s film is a fascinating watch, the observations alluding to Hitchcock’s
body of work almost border on blatant, but it is spirited, and because of that,
we simply suck it in and revel in it - rather than being repelled by it. Even
the ‘Janet Leigh’ element – (the killing off of a likeable lead character so
early in the film), is carried out in ‘Sisters’ smoothly and capably. De
Palma’s own trademark feature – the use of the split screen process is also
deployed well. In particular, the murder of Phillip as witnessed by Grace uses
the process to super effect. Whilst one half of the screen illustrates
Phillip’s perspective looking from the apartment window across to Grace, the
other half focuses on Grace’s window and her POV, looking to Phillip’s window
and his eventual demise – all of which is excellent stuff. Fans of Hitchcock
may also like to know composer Bernard Herrmann provides one of his truly great
70s scores for ‘Sisters’ – and cements the homage to perfection.
Arrow
has produced a delicious looking (1080p) High Definition digital master with
fine detail and just the right amount of grain. De Palma chose to shoot on 35mm
opposed to 16mm, regardless of budget restraints, which proved to be the right
choice as the difference clearly shows. De Palma was aware that blowing up a
16mm print to 35mm would have made a noticeable difference, instead he used
16mm in emphasise certain scenes, and he chose wisely. Viewing Arrow’s Blu-Ray
allows us to view the film cleanly whilst never letting us forget we are
watching a 70s movie, and as a result – a perfect balance is achieved. Adding
to the overall retro experience, the original mono audio is also retained,
leaving no room for unnecessary tinkering and tweaking and removing us from the
familiar comfort ‘zone’.
Arrow
has also provided a nice collection of extras that include an excellent
documentary ‘What the Devil Hath Joined Together: Brian De Palma’s Sisters’ – A
visual essay by author Justin Humphreys. There is also a generous collection of
all new interviews with co-writer Louisa Rose, actress Jennifer Salt, editor
Paul Hirsch and unit manager Jeffrey Hayes. The De Palma Digest – A
film-by-film guide to the director’s career by critic Mike Sutton is a very
nice 30 minute retrospective guide to De Palma’s work, and proves somewhat
insightful – especially on his later films which to some degree had slipped
under the radar… There is also an archival audio interview with De Palma friend
and ‘Sisters’ co-star William Finley (Emile). The original theatrical trailer
and gallery of ‘Sisters’ promotional material from around the world, round off
the disc very nicely in deed. Whilst a check disc was provided for the purpose
of this review, Arrow’s retail version contains a reversible sleeve featuring
original and newly commissioned artwork by Graham Humphreys and a Illustrated
collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by author Kier-La Janisse
(House of Psychotic Women) as well as Brian De Palma’s original 1973 Village
Voice essay on working with composer Bernard Herrmann and a contemporary
interview with De Palma on making ‘Sisters’, and the 1966 Life magazine article
that inspired the film.
‘Sisters’
(released on April 28th 2014) is a super addition to the Arrow catalogue and a
wonderful opportunity to enjoy De Palma’s first real taste of mainstream cinema
in the finest possible quality.
CLICK HERE TO ORDER FROM AMAZON UK (THIS IS A REGION 2 PAL FORMAT RELEASE)
Author and Cinema Retro columnist Raymond Benson has collaborated with bestselling author Jeffery Deaver on "Ice Cold: Tales of Mystery and Intrigue From the Cold War", a new book that presents a topic both men know well: espionage. In addition to stories by Benson and Deaver, there are contributions from many other talented writers who specialize in thrillers. The book is winning rave advance reviews (click here). Both Deaver and Benson have won acclaim for writing original James Bond novels.
Benson and Deaver, along with other noted authors, will be in New York City for a book launch event at the famed Mysterious Bookshop on April 29 at 6:00 PM. The store is located at 58 Warren Street in Tribeca.
Cinema Retro Editor-in-Chief Lee Pfeiffer, who will be at the event, said, "We're very excited by Raymond's new project. He's been with Cinema Retro since our first issue ten years ago and his regular column in which he discusses the "Ten Best Films" of a specific year has become an integral part of our magazine. Additionally, his insightful, on-line DVD reviews have helped www.cinemaretro.com enjoy significant growth in readership over the years. Like all of his other admirers, I'm looking forward to delving into "Ice Cold" and I encourage all of our readers in the New York City area to attend the event, which should make for a fun-filled evening."
"Ice Cold" is available in many different formats from Amazon. Click below to order paperback and Kindle editions.
NOTE: This review pertains to the Region 2 UK release.
By Mark Mawston
There
are some films that stick with you- films that made a real impact but were
impossible to track down after that one fleeting TV screening in pre-DVD and
streaming days. Could they be as good as you remember or were they obscure for
a reason? This was my worry when I was given my review disc of Brian De Palma’sPhantom of The Paradise,a film I’d been wanting to revisit
for years.
I
remember watching this in my room after college one late Monday night and
thinking it was the epitome of the term “cult movieâ€. I simply loved it.
I was fully aware of the huge followingThe
Rocky Horror Picture Showhad
and was shocked that this film wasn’t as famous. For years I’d asked anyone who
mentioned Richard O’Brien’s cult classic if they felt the same aboutPhantom of The Paradiseand most of the time I was met
with “Phantom Of The What?†I thought I was in a minority who loved this film
but on watching Arrow’s superb transfer of the film and its stunning extras, I
see that the film has a healthy following amongst the great and the good of
movie cultdom, including Edgar Wright, Quentin Tarantino and especially
Guillermo del Toro.
Phantom
of The Paradiseis
now available from the Arrow Video label. The feature-packed disc is released
as both a Limited Edition Steel Book and deluxe Blu-ray featuring original and
newly commissioned artwork by The Red Dress. This exciting Blu-ray release also
includes an exclusive collector’s booklet featuring new writing about the film
by festival programmer Michael Blyth and an exploration of the film’s troubled
marketing history by Ari Kahan, curator of SwanArchives.org, illustrated with
original stills and promotional material.
NOTE: THIS REVIEW PERTAINS TO THE UK REGION 2 BLU-RAY RELEASE
By Darren Allison
Based
on the short story by Ernest Hemingway, Don Siegel’s movie was a remake of the 1946
Robert Siodmak film of the same name. Originally, the film was to be one of the
first to be made for American TV; however NBC deemed the film too violent for
TV and subsequently the film was shown in theatres. The move to theatres may
have been considered as a blessing in disguise, as the film enjoyed some rather
good reviews in America. In Europe however, it proved even more successful, in
fact, in the UK, The Killers went on to receive a 1966 BAFTA for Lee Marvin in
the Best Foreign Actor category. So it is with a great deal of excitement that
we welcome Arrow’s new Blu Ray release of this cult classic and consider how it
holds up some 50 years on.
Charlie
Strom (Lee Marvin) is a cold blooded and experienced hit man. Along with his
young partner Lee (Clu Gulager), we join them as they enter a suburban school
for the blind. Suited smartly and wearing dark glasses, it soon becomes apparent
that the nature of their visit is far from pleasant. After violently attacking
the (blind) receptionist, Charlie and Lee proceed to search the corridors of
the school in search of their prey Johnny North (John Cassavetes). North, a onetime
big shot race driver, is now teaching car engineering at the school. Whilst
North is alerted that two men are in the school and closing in on him, he makes
no attempt to flee from the scene. After Charlie and Lee crash the classroom
and get confirmation of their target, North stands there, unflinching in his
fate – and openly receives the killers’ bullets.
Following
on from the opening ‘hit’, Charlie and Lee are on a train, Charlie is somewhat troubled
by North’s final actions, he’s never seen a man just stand there and take it.
Figuring there may have been more to this than a simple hit, they decide to
investigate deeper. They detour to Miami and track down North’s racing partner Earl
Sylvester (Claude Akins) who spills the story of North’s involvement with the
stunning Sheila Farr (Angie Dickinson). From here on, the back story of a mail
heist is slowly revealed involving Mickey Farmer (Norman Fell) and Jack
Browning (Ronald Reagan). Reagan appears here in his last film role before
taking up politics and eventually becoming governor of California in 1966.
Gathering up the information and setting the pieces of the jigsaw in place,
Charlie and Lee track down the individuals in order to find the missing loot
and retire on the proceeds. A path of deceit, revenge and double crosses soon
begins to emerge and eventually leads to a bloody climax.
Arrow’s
Blu Ray release of The Killers looks far better than I could have ever imagined.It is certainly a stylish presentation, apart
from a very rare blemish or dirt spec it is a very nice, clean print which also
benefits from a fine level of film grain. The Black detail is fairly consistent
throughout, whilst colours are vibrant (as one would expect for a title of this
period), resulting in a rich, realistic pallet with beautifully detailed flesh tones.
Unlike a lot of 60s films, The Killers offers little room to hide in terms of detail,
there are no soft focus shots when it comes to close ups of Angie Dickinson -
but it remains clear, with great depth and fine texture. Obvious composites
such as back projection on the train with Charlie and Lee can look a little fuzzier,
but hey, this is the 1960s and representative of everything that we’ve come to
love about the period. Sound is presented in clear, uncompressed 2.0 mono PCM
audio.
Because
the film was originally filmed in Academy Ratio (for TV) Arrow has had the good
sense to present both the 1.33:1 version and the theatrical matted 1.85:1
(16:9) version. I have to say, after watching both versions I was very impressed
by the matted version. I’m usually somewhat critical of this process, as of
course the 1.33:1 contains more picture information. But the framing here is
really very good indeed, and naturally this is down to director Siegel. With
Arrow including both versions on their disc, they have certainly eliminated
themselves from any negative criticism – ‘should have used this, shouldn’t have
used that…’ so top marks for making that decision.
Original American lobby card showing Ronald Reagan in his last screen appearance before entering politics.
Unfortunately,
the check disc I received for review purposes arrived in a generic clear case,
but the retail version comes with a reversible sleeve containing both the
wonderful original artwork (contained here) and a newly commissioned design by Nathanael
Marsh. Again, Arrow seems to have covered every eventuality in this department,
satisfying both the purists and those open to more modern concepts. Whilst
unable to give full details, there is also a booklet featuring new writing on
the film by Mike Sutton, extracts from Don Siegel’s autobiography and
contemporary reviews plus illustrations of original lobby cards, which I’m
sure, would have been a most enjoyable read. Overall, The Killers remains both
an important and incredibly powerful film that continues to flex a whole lot of
muscle. Lovers of 60s Cinema, Screen heroes, Don Siegel or simply great movies in
general, will certainly lap this one up. Miss it at your peril!
The
poster screamed: “Most criminals answer to the law. The world’s most savage
executioner must answer to Bronson.†Since the late 1960s, Charles Bronson’s
name on a marquee was a guarantee of unchained action. When The Evil That Men Do opened in 1984, fans
were hit with the expected violence─but this time they were also assaulted with
thick layers of sadism, sleaze and depravity. And they loved it.
Born in 1921, Charles
Bronson (originally Bunchinsky) was a dirt-poor Pennsylvania coal miner before
he was drafted and later used the GI Bill to study acting. After dozens of
small roles, he became a popular supporting player in hit films like The
Magnificent Seven (1960) and The Great Escape (1963)─then went
overseas to star in European pictures like Farewell, Friend (1967), Once
Upon a Time in the West (1967) and Rider on the Rain (1970).
Although ignored in the States─where they were shelved or
sparsely-released─Bronson’s foreign films were international blockbusters and
made him one of the biggest superstars in the world. With the vigilante-themed
American movie Death Wish (1974), Bronsonfinally became huge at
U.S. theaters and he followed it with worldwide hits including Breakout
(1975) and Breakheart Pass (1975). By the early 1980s, weak entries like
Love and Bullets (1979) and Borderline (1980) weren’t doing much
at North American box offices, but the Bronson name (with the right material)
could still secure financing.
Looking for suitable material was independent producer
Pancho Kohner─son of Paul Kohner, the successful Hollywood agent and the
longtime representative of Bronson. Pancho Kohner had already produced the
Bronson vehicles St. Ives (1976), The White Buffalo (1977), and Love
and Bullets. He recalls, “[Bronson] always liked to satisfy his audience.
He knew what his audience expected of him. He didn’t want to deviate too far.
He did a couple of films that were different, but mostly he knew what his
audience expected of him and that’s what he wanted to do.â€
“I
look for material that will entertain,†Bronson once said. “I’ve sustained
because I’m sympatico with the material I do and the other way around. An actor
shouldn’t just think of doing things he
might enjoy doing. I think first of the audience, not of myself, but of the
movie fans all around the world who want to be entertained.â€
Kohner’s search led to an action novel called
The Evil That Men Do. Published in November of 1978 by Times
Books, it dealt with a legendary assassin named Holland who
travels to Guatemala to take out Clement Moloch aka“The Doctorâ€â”€a
feared torturer described as “one of the most hideously depraved men in all the
darkest ranks of history…a man who stood in blood to the ankles.†Kirkus Reviews called the book “A
frightening, razor-slice thriller that holds the reader hostage until the last
shuddering climax.†Author R. Lance Hill’s previous novel, King of White Lady (1975) which was about a cocaine dealer, was
optioned several times by movie producers, but it stayed unfilmed. Bronson
initially passed on The Evil That Men Do, but in 1980 the screen rights were
purchased by a partnership consisting of Kohner, Bronson, Jill Ireland
(Bronson’s actress wife) and director J. Lee Thompson. Hill was commissioned to
turn his novel into a script.
J. Lee Thompson’s long directing career began
in the 1940s in England and his exceptional British films included the
suspenseful Tiger Bay (1959). Thompson relocated to Hollywood in 1960,
and the following year he helmed two action-suspense classics: Guns of
Navarone (which earned him an Oscar nomination) and Cape Fear. His
output included over a dozen more pictures before he first teamed with Bronson
and Kohner on St. Ives and The
White Buffalo.
While Kohner shopped the Evil That Men Do package, Bronson starred in Death Wish II for the Israeli filmmaking cousins Menahem
Golan and Yoram Globus, who had recently moved into the Hollywood movie market
by purchasing the distribution/production sleaze outfit the Cannon Group. In
1982 the Death Wish sequel went
to number-one at the U.S. box-office, was a huge international hit, revitalized
the Bronson name, and gave a major boost to Cannon’s image. Naturally, Golan
and Globus wanted a follow-up.
Kohner explains, “Golan wanted to do
Charlie’s next picture and [The Evil That Men Do was] the one that we were going to do next. We were going off to
Cannes to pre-sell foreign territories. I explained to Menahem that the rights
to the book and the cost of the screenplay was $200,000. Menahem said, ‘Well,
as a producer, that’s your contribution.’ I said, ‘Well, that’s very nice, but
I put up a third, Charlie put up a third, and J. Lee Thompson put up a third.
We must certainly reimburse them, if not me.’ He said, ‘Oh, I can’t do that.’
Menahem and I liked each other, but he didn’t want to back down. It became a
matter of principle. We were leaving the next day for Cannes. [Golan] said,
‘I’ll tell you what. We’ll go to Cannes anyway and we’ll pre-sell the next
Bronson picture. When we come back in two weeks, we’ll find another story and
we will not make The Evil That Men Do. That’s how we came to do 10 to
Midnight [1983]. It wasn’t
until later that we made The Evil That Men Do.â€
(This book was recently reviewed by Lee Pfeiffer. Here is columnist Adrian Smith's take on this volume.)
Crab
Monsters, Teenage Cavemen and Candy Stripe Nurses - Roger Corman: King of the B
Movie
by
Chris Nashawaty Introduction by John Landis
ISBN: 1-4197-0669-1
Hardback
272
pages
As
part of the Gothic season at the British Film Institute recently, Roger Corman
sat and signed autographs for well over an hour as the line of fans and
admirers snaked its way around the building. At least 50% of those fans were
clutching copies of this new coffee-table book, a visual delight from Chris
Nashawaty, writer for Entertainment Weekly.
Several
books have been published on the Corman phenomenon, most notably his own
autobiography How I Made a Hundred Movies in Hollywood and Never Lost a
Dime. Since that was published in 1990 he has made at least a hundred more.
Until he gets around to updating that volume, which given his continuing
workload in film production seems unlikely, we are lucky that so many other
writers and filmmakers are constantly willing dive into his career.
Whilst
not as revealing or personal as Bevery Gray's excellent Roger Corman: An
Unauthorised Life, Nashawaty's book is a real joy. He has selected over 150
images, many of which are previously unpublished. Artwork, photos and movie
stills are presented in full colour alongside an oral history of the life and
career of Roger Corman, from his childhood right up to the present day.
Corman's contribution to the movie business is immense, and, as covered in the
book, his honorary Academy Award in 2009 was well deserved. Those lined up to
congratulate him on that night included Jonathan Demme, Ron Howard, Jack
Nicholson and Peter Bogdanovich. The list of those filmmakers who have
graduated from the "Corman School" is almost endless, and the fact
that he is still making films today means that yet another generation are
learning from the master.
As
evidenced by a photograph of him on the Hawaiian set of Piranhaconda
(2012), Corman is very much a hands-on producer. He has an almost preternatural
sense of what is going to become the next big thing in the business; providing
teenage movies for the drive-ins in the 1950s, using VHS before the major
studios in the late 1970s or bringing monster mash-up movies to the Syfy
channel (as well as Piranhaconda, Corman has been responsible for Sharktopus
(2010), Dinocroc vs. Supergator (2010) and Dinoshark (2010), the
latter as both producer and star).
As
well as dozens of new interviews, the book also critically examines some of the
key titles from Corman's back-catalogue, either as director or producer. Attack
of the Crab Monsters (1957), The Little Shop of Horrors (1960), The
Intruder (1962), The Big Doll House (1971), Boxcar Bertha
(1972, an early film from Martin Scorsese) and even The Slumber Party
Massacre (1982) are all touched on, amongst many more. One can use Nashawaty's
selections as a list for beginners keen to gain an understanding of Corman as a
filmmaker.
With
Christmas just around the corner, this book is well worth considering sending
to the movie lover in your life. It makes the perfect introduction to Roger
Corman and his work, and contains new stories and anecdotes as well as a few
that will be familiar to aficionados. And as he is showing no sign of slowing
down, the Corman story is not over yet.
Cinema Retro has received the following press release:
For
the first time on DVD a feature length documentary, Return to Scatterbrook: Memories of Worzel, celebrating the cult
70’s/80’s television series, Worzel
Gummidge.
Featuring key interviews with members of the
cast and crew; rare archive footage of Jon Pertwee; visits to the locations,
and with many previously unseen continuity shots; behind the scenes
photographs, and production designs – this film opens up the storybook behind
British TV’s most lovable scarecrow.
Worzel
Gummidge is highly regarded today as a piece of classic television, making
this documentary a special journey down memory lane for anyone who remembers
this delightful, magical series.
Featuring: Jon
Pertwee, Geoffrey Bayldon, Lorraine Chase, Jeremy Austin & Mike Berry
Directed By Derek
Pykett
DVD Extras: An Evening With Jon Pertwee (1996) & Worzel Gallery
Running Time: 104
minutes
Money
raised from the sale of this DVD goes to:
Alzheimer’s
Society (in loving memory of Cecelia & Michael Ripper) & All Dogs
Matter
The 1963 version of Cleopatra is deemed a terrible movie, mostly by people who have never seen or who only have vague memories of it.
Lee,
You do a fantastic job with your reviews in general, but occasionally you do one that resonates with me, and I like to send you a quick note on those occasions. Your review of The Adventurers is one of those times.
You ask: "How, after all, could a film by a major director and featuring a big all-star cast go so completely wrong? The answer is: it didn't. The Adventurers is not high art, but it doesn't deserve its place in the Razzie book of ten worst films of all time."
With that passage, you hit the nail on the head, in my opinion. I watched this movie a couple of years ago and concur with your review. No way this is one of the worst films of all time. It probably will not make any favorites lists, but it is worth the effort to view it once.
As always, keep up the good work.
Martin Sheffield
Retro Responds: Thanks for the kind words, Martin...I find that, all too often, epic box-office failures are often judged by their financial fate, not their artistic merits. I'm not making the argument that The Adventurers is some great work. However, calling it one of the worst movies of all time seems way over the top. I can well understand why our own contributing writer and editor Sheldon Hall wrote to me to say he felt the film was "a stinker". Fair enough, but even he isn't making the argument that the film ranks among the ten worst of all time, as apparently the Razzies are claiming. Of course, such judgments are purely subjective and there is no right or wrong answer. However, I find that many people knock big boxoffice disasters based on vague recollections or general critical consensus. Among the other prominent "victims" of this scenario: the Liz and Dick version of Cleopatra, Mutiny on the Bounty, The Alamo (which actually was a financial success but has been deemed a bomb), the Brando remake of Mutiny on the Bounty and of course the infamous Heaven's Gate, which people are finally and justifiably re-evaluating. Some unenlightened critics still cite On Her Majesty's Secret Service as a film that died at the boxoffice, thus resulting in George Lazenby being fired as 007. For the record, although the film grossed far less than the preceding Bonds, its grosses would still have been the envy of most producers- and Lazenby quit the role and was not fired. Again, saner heads have prevailed in more recent years and the film has finally been receiving the praise it has always deserved. Hopefully, some of the aforementioned movies I've cited will, too.
(Readers can send their opinions on any topic to: cinemaretro@hotmail.com Because of the large volume of mail we receive, we can't guarantee the letter will be published, but we do try to answer every E mail.)
Mike Bloomfield of moviepostermem.com is pleased to announce the launch of a new
website www.fiskenposter.com This website is dedicated to a single owner
collection of movie posters. We're showcasing posters in the collection &
trying to explain something about the artists behind the posters & the
market in general. Hopefully people will enjoy browsing & find it a useful
resource base. Of course, if you have any posters that you think would fit
into the collection. please contact me on info@fiskenposter.com
(For a special tribute article to the legendary British movie poster artist Tom Chantrell, see Cinema Retro issue #25)
Pasha Roberts is the director of the
new film Silver
Circle. He obtained his masters in financial
engineering, which he describes as “hedge fund math,†roughly ten years ago. His interest was in financial digitalization
and how to apply modern computer graphics to high finance. His thesis subject
consisted of applying a game-like graphics engine to doing equity trading in
finance so that a reasonably intelligent 13-year-old gamer could use it to learn
this type of trading. Upon doing this,
he realized that what was missing from financial communications was a way of
describing complicated concepts from a Ph.D level and bringing it down to a
Masters level, essentially reducing the complexity and making it accessible; he
did this by working with banks, corporations and think tanks.
Beginning around 2006, he began moving towards
more economic-type concepts, and felt that it was important to describe things
on more of an economic level rather than a financial level. When the housing and financial crash occurred
in 2008, he decided that Silver Circle
should really be about a crash and the intrigue around that crash.
Todd Garbarini: Your animation company,
Two Lanterns Media, produced a series entitled Save Sonny which concerns a young adult entering the workforce who
becomes perturbed to find that some of his paycheck is being deducted by a
mysterious entity known as FICA (laughs). Does Sonny personify the average young
American in your mind?
Pasha Roberts: At that point, we kind
of did that, yeah. That was kind of a South
Park-level of humor, there are some farts jokes in there as well. The goal at
the time was to take the subject and make it interesting and acceptable for
somebody who, when they get their first job, suddenly realizes that they don't
get all of their money. They want to know where it goes to, specifically FICA,
and why. That was a whole, completely
different other style and was not as serious as (our new film) Silver Circle, but kind of
tongue-in-cheek and somewhat educational.
TG: The series reminds me of Schoolhouse Rock which endeavored to educate children
on science, economics, history, etc. Do
you see yourself as an educator for social change and personal financial
responsibility through animation?
PR: Yeah, you could say it that way. We
were focusing on the story first and therefore tried to make it fun and
interesting without trying to be too pedantic about it. That's why Silver Circle isn't full of speeches, although it has one or two
that are kind of mixed in. We were interested in working with people who wanted
to make a movie with a backbone and a spine and ideas in it. The audience can
certainly enjoy it on an intellectual level in that regard, but otherwise they
can also enjoy themselves from the movie perspective as we do have some action
sequences and a car chase.
TG: Silver
Circle posits the financial collapse of the United States economic system
roughly six years from now. It is
animated in the style of a contemporary video game. Was this your decision from the get-go?
PR: We were actually looking at A Scanner Darkly, actually we did use Maya,
we didn't really use cel shading
for this but we did look a lot at that. We really wanted to make the characters
look less realistic and keep them from looking kind of spooky, and even so I
think we could have done more with that. It's kind of a crossover thing, you don't see
a lot of animated movies that are not comedies or fantasies, so people aren’t
used to seeing this type of animation with something serious.
TG: How long did the process of making the film take, from conception to
final product?
PR: Four years. We basically started
brainstorming about it the day after Lehman Brothers went down because it was
such a big dramatic moment, and I thought this could be a real interesting theme.
The screenwriting itself took about a year as there was a completely different
concept at first and it took a little while to burn through a couple of
screenwriters until we finally settled on Stephen (Schwartz). Then we spent three years on production. The overall
budget was roughly $2M. One of the really interesting things about the movie is
that the end credits contain the names of about ten core people who really
worked on it, compared to an army of animators.
TG: In the film, the Federal Reserve
has been tasked with stabilizing the economy, but all attempts have failed and
the Rebels illegally mint silver coins hoping to stabilize the financial health
of the country. How do you feel this
mirrors the current economic situation in the U.S. today?
PR: I think that we are currently heading in the direction that is depicted
in the film, although I don't think that it will be as bad. There were a couple of things that are in the
movie and were even in the script but hadn't happened yet but actually came
true as we progressed through making the movie. For example, there is a guy by the name of Bernard von Nothaus who is currently in prison for making money out of silver,
and that’s his crime. His sentencing
judge basically called him a domestic terrorist for trying to make money out of
silver. So, that was not going on. Then,
the Federal Reserve was actually talking about taking over neighborhoods and
basically calling them “land banks,†which is of course essential part of Silver Circle’s plot. So, there are
angles going on in that direction already and I do believe that marijuana is on
its way to being legalized, and this also occurs in the movie. I hope that the
movie obviously isn't prescient in terms of being completely true. We looked at a lot of the history of
Argentina and Zimbabwe and what happens when a currency begins to die and how
people behave as a result of that.
TG: What do you hope audiences will
take away from the film?
PR: First off, I hope that they enjoy
the story. Obviously, I want them to have a great time. I want it to be a fun,
good story for the audience. After that, I hope that people are not only
entertained, and but there are also a lot of embedded things in the movie for
the so-called armchair economists and conspiracy theorists. I really do hope
that it gets people to start to think about money and know that there is this
thing out there called the Federal Reserve that is very real and they are not murderous
bastards (laughs). I want the
audience to not take the concepts of money for granted. Most other countries
understand that and the changing of European currency and so on and so forth -
things abroad do not appear to be as well-established or as stable as things
appear to be here. So, hopefully the
audience will think about that. The angle that we're taking is that we really
can make an animated movie with a spine of ideas that people will actually
appreciate instead of just offering up a whitewashed movie.
(Photo copyright Graham Hill. All rights reserved.)
Famed producer Robert E. Relyea passed away recently. He was 82 years old. Relyea served as producer, assistant director and unit manager during a long career that included such films as Jailhouse Rock, The Day of the Dolphin, West Side Story, The Magnificent Seven, The Hallelujah Trail, The Great Escape, Never So Few and The Alamo. In 2008, he released his autobiography "Not So Quiet on the Set". Cinema Retro contributing writer Graham Hill visited Relyea at his home in connection with the book's release. Click here to read his report.
To
paraphrase Jonathan Rigby in his book English Gothic, horror is the one
genre that Britain can truly claim as its own. And whilst British horror cinema
is inextricably connected to gothic-tinged memories of Christopher Lee,
cobweb-strewn castles and buxom scream queens, M.J. Simpson points out in this
excellently researched tome that the face of British horror today offers far
more.
Simpson
appears to have taken on the Herculean task of watching every film that could
fit the broad definition of being British (not always easy to tell, with
funding and production often involving multiple countries), and being horror,
again something of a broad church. A lot of the films he describes, giving not
only plot synopses but reviews, production information and interview extracts,
sound utterly terrible. He seems to have sat through a staggering amount of punishingly
bad films so that we, the readers, don't have to. But along the way he has
stumbled across a significant number of excellent films, too, many of which
have escaped either critical or commercial attention.
Using
the term British Horror Revival, Simpson offers a complete breakdown of the
twelve years covered, digging up each film and presenting them in the order
they received any kind of release. It is fascinating to see just how difficult
some filmmakers have getting distribution, often producing a film in the UK but
finding it only coming out on DVD in Japan or Australia. Many films manage a
few festival screenings before disappearing into obscurity, so Simpson is to be
praised for finding them again. Of course, some of them sound so terrible that
it does not seem that much of a pity, but others sound like genuine lost gems.
If horror is your thing, this book will have you scouring the internet looking
for DVD or download copies.
Amongst
the filmmakers discussed are genuine talents like Jake West (Evil Aliens,
2006), Shane Meadows (Dead Man's Shoes, 2006), Neil Marshall (The
Descent, 2005) and Danny Boyle, whose brilliant and devastating 28 Days
Later (2002) did much to raise the profile of the British Horror Revival
around the world. Amongst the more obscure entries you can find Beyond the
Rave (2008), a cheap teen-themed vampire horror co-produced by the newly
revived Hammer Films, which Cinema Retro covered extensively (and even appeared
in briefly!) here: http://www.cinemaretro.com/index.php/archives/387-EXCLUSIVE-REPORT-FROM-THE-SET-OF-NEW-HAMMER-HORROR-FILM%21.html
This
is an extremely well-researched book, and M.J. Simpson's occasionally sarcastic
and exasperated tone is entertaining, even if it does give the impression that
he had regrets about this project once he had embarked on it. He has uncovered
some gems and revealed that there is a very active, mostly micro-budget British
film industry which gets frequently overshadowed by the Bonds, Harry Potters
and Richard Curtis rom-coms. It is a pity that aside from a few pages of colour
stills the majority of the imagery in the book is black and white. This is a
genre that is frequently soaked in the red stuff. The main gripe however has to
be the lack of an index or references. It is impossible to search for a
specific title unless you know the year it was released, and even then you have
to wade through the chapter concerned. The book could have served as a useful
reference guide, but instead it appears to have been designed to be read from cover
to cover. However, this is only a minor reservation. If you are interested in
the horror genre, or want to find out just how active dozens of British
filmmakers have are, this is a great read.
(Click here for on-line index of people mentioned in the book)
(Click here for on-line index of titles mentioned in the book)
The folks at Kindertrauma, a web site dedicated to everthing that scared baby boomers as children, has a good tribute to The Norliss Tapes, the 1970s TV movie starring Roy Thinnes and Angie Dickinson. It's sounds intriguing enough for us to order the DVD. To read the article click here.
To order the DVD from the Cinema Retro Amazon Movie Store, click here.
Here's a real gem from MGM showing the beauties of Italy as a guise for promoting their upcoming slate of films. You can see rare footage of Man From U.N.C.L.E. stars Robert Vaughn and David McCallum meeting up in Venice during the shooting of their separate feature films The Venetian Affair and Three Bites of the Apple. The promotional short even features footage of them together on a gondola. (Vaughn was supposed to make a cameo appearance inthe McCallum film, but it never came about.) Kudos to the Warner Archive for finally releasing The Venetian Affair (click here for our review) and we hope they get around to Three Bites of the Apple which is an amusing comedy featuring McCallum in especially fine form as a tour guide taking around a zany group of tourists. The great supporting cast includes Sylva Koscina, Tammy Grimes and Harvey Korman.
Cinema Retro has received the following press release from the producers of the outstanding indie Western The Scarlet Worm (click here for review):
December 17, 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
ORIGINAL 'DJANGO' ACTOR FRANCO NERO
ATTACHED TO NEW WESTERN
Contact: Mike Malloy,
cultmovies@hotmail.com
Eric Zaldivar and Mike Malloy, two
producers of the offbeat 2012 Western The Scarlet Worm, have received a
Letter of Interest from original Django star Franco Nero to topline a
gritty new Western project, tentatively titled Django Lives!Should the
sequel rights be secured, the feature would be the third “official†entry in
the saga that made Mr. Nero an international star.
Since the release of the original Django in 1966, over thirty films have
included the character’s iconic name in their titles, most recently Quentin
Tarantino’s Django Unchained, in
which Mr. Nero makes a cameo appearance.Until now, however, only the 1987 Western Django Strikes Again is considered to be an official sequel.
The story would have former gunslinger Django, in his twilight
years, ending up as a silent-movie consultant in 1915 Hollywood and meeting an
aspiring filmmaker with whom he reluctantly goes into business. When the
filmmaker gets killed by racketeers, the young man's gambling debts are
considered transferred to Django, who must now flee for safety to a small rural
community. But that town's sharply divided inhabitants have their own problems,
and Django becomes embroiled in a bloody conflict immediately upon arrival.
Looper star Noah Segan, an aficionado of
Spaghetti Westerns and friend of the production, has expressed interest in
co-starring as a younger character with mysterious intentions who befriends the
aging gunslinger.
Zaldivar and Malloy most recently
worked with Nero on the award-winning cinema documentary Eurocrime! The
Italian Cop and Gangster Films that Ruled the '70s, which kicked off its
festival run of eight countries at the Atlanta Film Festival in March of this
year.
“Everyone we met on the festival
circuit wanted to know first and foremost about what it was like to interview
Franco Nero,†said Malloy. “He still holds a mythical tough-guy intrigue for a
large audience. Nero is to European action cinema what Eastwood is to the
United States. And he's taken excellent care of himself.â€
Zaldivar adds: “I gave Franco a Blu-ray
of The Scarlet Worm and showed him what we were able to achieve on a
microbudget. And he loved the new story we’ve developed for his return to the
screen as the legendary Django. Plus, he knows that Malloy and I are two of the
biggest students of Italian action cinema working today.â€
The project aims for arthouse, VOD and
Blu-Ray releases, and the producers are hoping to lens the picture in Utah. Scarlet Worm cinematographer Michael A.
Martinez will return to that post for this film.
Mr. Nero, who rose to stardom in the
1960s with such films as Warner's Camelot, has remained a popular figure
in cinema and television, with recent roles in Letters to Juliet, Cars 2
and Law & Order SVU.
The Scarlet Worm was released in North America through Unearthed Films/MVD
and has pending releases in the U.K. via Trash House Cinema and in Germany via
filmArt.
We recently reviewed Ernest Borgnine's final film, The Man Who Shook the Hand of Vicente Fernandez. Here is a statement about the making of the film and director Elia Petridis' reflections on working with Borgnine in his last appearance on the silver screen.
Director’s Statement
The Man Who Shook The Hand Of Vicente Fernandez.I’ll never forget the moment the title
blossomed in my brain.Just after two in
the afternoon and I was driving through Toluca Lake, a neighborhood I wouldlater poke fun of in the screenplay.Pierre Gonneau had just told me a funny story.The actor in my graduate thesis film had
emerged from his valley home earlier leaning on a cane.I had asked him the cause.The funny anecdote he answered me with was,
all at once in its telling, a faint sketch of what the film would eventually
become; an unlikely hero, hailed as a star, because he had once long ago shaken
the hand of the legendary Vicente Fernandez.
The moment I had the title, I (almost) knew what it was, and where it
belonged in film history, who its compatriots were and what kind of an
experience it was going to be for the audience.I wanted to tip my hat, and stick my tongue out, to all those great
westerns that had peoples’ names in their titles.
I love films that know they are films.And they don’t make them like that anymore.I’m a modernist, self-reflexive filmmaker atheart.Heavily reliant on the grammar of
its celluloid predecessors, the film stands on the shoulders of giants, but it
is those giants, giants like Mr. Ernest Borgnine, that make the work
complete.The mandate had always been to
cast an old movie star of the west to heighten the irony of Rex’s failure and
create a space where the audience knew better than Rex himself, for they
remembered Borgnine’s iconic turns in the genre Rex loves so much, creating a
metaphysical relationship of melancholy between viewer and protagonist.
And what a dream come true, as a first timer, to work with a true
legend, one that even surpassed the man in the film’s title.Ernest never left the set.He wouldn’t be caught dead in his
trailer.At ninety-four he recounted to
us all that Jimmy Stewart had an ethic to always be on hand, near the camera, ready
to shoot.And if it was good enough for
Jimmy, it was good enough for Ernie.He
was always tireless, spirited, and devoted to every moment of the work.And we had the same style and approach to the
process.We just wanted to work.We didn’t want to covet or worship the act,
we just wanted to perform it, like balancing a checkbook or digging a
ditch.So it was ties worn on set every
day, just as if we were going to the office.And especially so because we were working with Hollywood royalty.That’s the way I like it, all else leads to
analysis paralysis.That’s a little secret
I love about the movie; it truly is, if nothing else, a living document of an
extremely charismatic ninety-four year old man caught on film.With Ernie in almost every scene, anyone whohas ever survived the rigors of a film shoot knows that just showing up at that
age is a feat unto itself, let alone turning in an incredible performance that
any thespian would envy.Ernie’s example
set the watermark of professionalism and a devotional tone for the entire shoot.
A film needs a brain, but it also needs a heart and a soul too.The greatest storytellers of all time refuse
to ascend beyond pulp.Kubrick,Spielberg, Chabon, King, and Radiohead all concern themselves with mass
entertainment.So I read Louis
Lamour.I wanted the whole thing to feel
like a dime store paperback.The story
turns were familiar enough, but the manner in which I wanted the film to sneak
up on you was fresh.I wondered if a
western, a genre known for anything but, could make you cry.I
wanted this genre that had very rarely
ascended up the ranks of high art, like a comic book or Harlequin novel,
togive the audience the turns they had paid to see but also grow the
narrative to
occupy a space in the their hearts intrinsically unique to our film.And if you didn’t get to the core of it, it
didn’t matter because the outer layers were enough on their own.
I wanted to re-mythologize the western.Where the genre had hereto concerned itself
with the white man taming America’s infant wilderness by way of taming the savages
and natives of the west, this film was about the modern wilderness taming the
white man.It represents the wild west
of the present, where the person formerly in control has a lot to learn from
the new, dominant cultures that surround him.
When I’m asked to describe the film I liken it to a mixed tape, a
“greatest hits†of the western genre.Yet, I don’t see the film as a postmodern collage, I see the work as
something “Neo-Classicalâ€, for the self-reflexive references are conveyed with
sincerity and idealism, not irony, cynicism, or nostalgia.The film never fuses western iconography with
anything else, and its endeavor remains true and pure to its own marrow andspirit, just like the cowboy at its heart.
The film is an examination and ultimate celebration of the
imagination; of Clem’s imagination, and Rex’s lack thereof.Their imaginations inform the way our
characters interact with their everyday world.The film indulges Rex’s western fantasy for him, he becomes transported
into a western of his imagination’s own making, but it makes no apologies for
using this device on its own, without permission from its central
character.And so the film itself has
its own brand of imagination.
The title is a tall order, for the film assumes greatness, sight
unseen!It proclaims to introduce the
world to a legend, and having an acting legend portray its central figure
didn’t hurt.Ultimately, it’s the cult
of Fernandez and his relation to it that gives Rex access to the courage that
lies within.But, like the entire
pursuit, its title encompasses the irony of a nondescript, mundane occurrence,
places us firmly in the realm of pulp from where it takes its cue, while also
speaking to the most universal, transcending truth of all.For one day, one way or another, we all will
shake the hand of Vicente Fernández.
In Memory of
Ernest Borgnine
On July 6th,
2012 the great
Ernest Borgnine embraced the film’s metaphor on a profound level. Those
he left behind had waited on pins and needles throughout the weekend,
coping
with the sudden turn his health had taken, not quite believing that the
legend
would leave. In the casting process it had become evident that Ernie
was
always working, and in my brief time spent with him I realized that it
was his
constant motion that kept him happy and virile to the very
end. Although, as artists, we were both aware of the element that
Ernie’s career and
public persona added to the metaphysical intent of the film, I was
convinced,
even considering his age, that ours would take at least fifth or sixth
place
behind the finish line of his work. The film’s final act and ending, as
it played out with Ernie's own bow, was an element of metaphysics I
never
thought would occur in terms of this being his last.
It just goes to show that there can
be something bigger at work, something more divine at play, than lights,
camera, and action; that there can exist magic and meaning in this world beyond
our imagination, comprehension, or articulation. Rex’s march to the afterlife
was the last scene we shot. I remember Ernie approaching me, strung out
and pacing because we were shooting slow motion and only had so much film, a
fact I don’t think, thankfully, that registered with him. He whispered in
my ear, “I’m going to remove the hat before I kiss her, you know, because Rex
is a gentleman.†This was a last minute addition to a scene we had
blocked many times with film feet in mind. But it’s the best moment of
that whole scene; it’s climax. That decision retains so much residue of
Ernie’s soul.
I
am so proud that Ernie’s final
performance was captured on glorious 35mm, celluloid, befitting of one
of the
medium's great giants. Oh, were I to have rued the day were his last
turn
distilled to ones and zeros. Ernie is a legend and the film bills
himthat way, sending him off to become so much greater than the sum of
his parts.
Half
an hour before
his father passed, Chris Borgnine called to tell me that Ernie was
beside him
and had insisted on reaching out to me to say how proud he was of his
final film and that it had been made with my crew and I. As a sensitive
individual constantly in tune with the grand narrative of my existence
and
choices, this moment changed my life forever. Knowing Ernie, having had
access to his heart and love, changed my life forever. This is
strong stuff; art, soul, creativity, passion, expression, ambition.
These
ingredients, have the power to reverberate throughout time and the
universe,
microcosmically and transcendentally. As much as one might think
they toil in obscurity, or that they’re giving too much of their marrow,
it’s
nothing compared to what may happen at the other end of the divide.
I have seen a place where life and
art have no distinction, and I have met the cowboy who purveys over this magic
prairie. He taught me about significance, gratitude, humility and grace;
the myth, the legend, the man who shook the hand of Vicente Fernandez.
Synapse Films continues to release interesting, quirky niche market films to the DVD market including the latest Schoolgirl Report edition, this one labeled #9 : "Mature Before Graduation". It is a 1975 German softcore sex film that actually has some resonance in the international cinema of that era, as this series proved to be sensationally popular with mainstream audiences. For the most part, couples could safely enjoy the naughty fun without the stigma of being seen entering a theater that specialized in showing hardcore films. This entry follows the tried and true adage of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" in that it presents the standard scenario for the series: a number of vignettes centering on nubile high school girls who, we are specifically and painstakingly told, are 18 years of age or older (probably to prevent any legal challenges.) The movie begins with a reckless game of "chicken" involving drunken teenagers in two cars. The inevitable accident leaves several of them at death's door, with some of the girls reflecting on their relationships with the boys involved in the crash, though this plot device seems to be dropped and reappear at random. One story follows a young girl who is determined to marry her boyfriend against the objections of her parents, who claim she is too young. Predictably, they are proven right. On the wedding night, she is less than impressed by her new husband's sudden drop in libido- and the fact that he now wears dorky pajamas. The story meanders to a conclusion, having existed in the first place only to show the sex scenes. (In one amusing sequence, an elderly widow who rents a hotel room to the honeymooners finds various schemes to walk in on them during the most delicate moments.) In a bizarre story, a young girl finds she can't enjoy sex because she is haunted by having been "flashed" by an exhibitionist who was sporting a giant, rubber phallus (a common occurrence that virtually all of us can relate to). Another segment centers on a scenario that many of us actually can relate to: a teenage girl whose parents are away on a trip invites her friends over for a party that soon gets out of hand- only to have her mom and dad return home early. The skit is played (or over-played) broadly for laughs. In another vignette that is fairly funny, two middle-aged parents go to extremes to show their daughter and her boyfriend that they are hip. However, they are at least ten years behind the times and sport the type of mod outfits that would embarrass Austin Powers. It's a cute segment with a few genuine laughs. The most poignant story centers on a teenage girl who is caught experimenting with lesbianism with her best friend. She is blackmailed by her unscrupulous stepfather into entering a sexual relationship with him with devastating consequences to all involved.
The Schoolgirl Report films are fairly low-end in terms of production values, with herky jerky camerawork in some scenes and humor that is relatively broad and unsophisticated. Yet, there is something nostalgic about this type of erotica. While the films clearly exploit the female participants, they were made in an era in which the actresses could at least appear in a natural state. This is unlike today's erotic films in which the women have to incur treatments of Botox, implants, collagen and more wax treatments than a floor at Wal-mart would be subjected to. There is a certain innocence about the series and they never degenerate into being truly vulgar. They may not be everyone's cup of tea but retro movie lovers may have a few naughty memories rekindled by watching them.
The Synapse Films release offers the uncut version of the movie in German language with English sub-titles. There are no extras on this edition.
All good things come to those who
wait. That being said the reason why
Blu-ray was invented is finally here. Steven
Spielberg's Jaws, arguably the first
and the greatest summer movie ever made, in addition to being one of the best
American films of all-time, has been given a complete digital 4K restoration
derived from the original camera negative. The results are magnificent. A far cry
from the MCA DiscoVision laser disc, the Capacitance Electronic Disc (CED) by
RCA, the VHS tape, the 20th anniversary letterboxed laser disc, or even the
past two previous DVD incarnations (which were admittedly pretty decent), the
new Blu-ray most closely approximates what it was like to see Jaws for the first time in movie
theaters in the summer of 1975. Best of
all, the Blu-ray cover retains artist Roger Kastel’s iconic poster art.
The plot of Jaws by now is so familiar that I do not feel it warrants a
summary. Jaws is a nearly perfect
film, held together by three fine lead performances by Roy Scheider, Richard
Dreyfuss, and Robert Shaw. At times humorous, playful, thrilling, terrifying,
and wildly adventurous, Jaws is one
of the best-edited motion pictures ever made. Verna Fields won a well-deserved
Oscar for fashioning a masterpiece out of all the raw footage brought to her by
Mr. Spielberg. Each subsequent viewing of Jaws
tends to reveal something new. The mafia angle which was prevalent in the novel
is somewhat alluded to in the one brief scene where Chief Brody (Roy Scheider)
is cautioned by Larry Vaughn (Murray Hamilton) to keep the beaches open, and
that the Island needs summer dollars. This
verbal strong-arming calls to mind Tony Soprano. This conversation speaks
volumes about corporations putting stockholders interests ahead of the safety
of their workers, a comparison that can be drawn to Ridley Scott's Alien (1979) if one cares to delve into it.
Watching the film again makes one
realize just how powerful the bond is between Mr. Spielberg and John Williams, the
composer on nearly all of Mr. Spielberg’s work for the past 40 years. Equally, Jaws
is possibly the first film to have terrific and memorable one-liners that have
made their way to the American lexicon. Chief Brody, the fish out of water from
New York City who is also deathly afraid of the ocean, in the end prevails
against all odds and could quite possibly take the credit for being the model
of all of those horror film heroes that were to follow in the footsteps of Jaws. (i.e either one man or one woman
is left standing after their comrades have been massacred.) The ending is also
a metaphor for the success of the film itself, wherein one issue after another
befell this production which lasted for nearly one year. Jaws is not only grand entertainment, but the film stands as an
example of how triumph in the face of adversity can be attributed to good old
fashioned brainpower and problem-solving.
While it is understandable to groan
about double and triple dipping when it comes to movies being reissued on home video
formats, the new Blu-ray of Jaws is a
must buy. With the exception of the beautiful
60-page booklet that accompanied the 2005 DVD (hold on to that!), the Blu-ray retains
all of the previous DVD extras:
-The Making of Jaws – Laurent Bouzereau’s excellent two-hour
documentary on the making of the film which originally appeared on the 1995
laserdisc box set
-Deleted
scenes and outtakes
-From the Set – a report from the set of the film
-Production
photos, storyboards, marketing Jaws
and the Jaws phenomenon
-Original
theatrical trailer
In addition to these extras, the
Blu-ray sports the inclusion of the long-desired documentary about the Jaws phenomenon entitled The Shark is Still Working: The Impact and
Legacy of Jaws directed by Erik Hollander and produced by Mr. Hollander,
James Galete, Jack Grove, and J. Michael Roddy. The film runs 101 minutes.
Jaws also includes an all-new 7.1 audio
soundtrack, in addition to Spanish and French audio. Subtitles are provided in English SDH, Spanish
and French.
A standard definition DVD is also
provided and it contains the restored film, in addition to a 50-minute version
of the aforementioned documentary by Laurent Bouzereau. The inclusion of this disc and the truncated
documentary is questionable given Jaws’s
release on DVD in 2000 and 2005. I would
have liked to have seen a double Blu-ray set with even more extras. If someone doesn’t have a Blu-ray player by
now, Jaws is the reason to get
one. This minor carping aside, I am
grateful to finally have one of my favorite films in this format.
Lastly, let’s all be thankful that the
shark didn't work most of the time!
CLICK HERETO ORDER THE JAWS BLU-RAY + DVD + ULTRAVIOLET INSTANT STREAM + DIGITAL COPY FROM
AMAZON.COM
CLICK
HERE
FOR MY REVIEW OF JAWS: MEMORIES FROM MARTHA’S VINEYARD AND INTERVIEWS WITH THE
BOOK’S AUTHORS.
With a tidal wave of DVD releases hitting the market every year, it may well be that you are unaware that some of your favorite films are available on home video. In Cinema Retro's never-ending quest to serve our loyal readers, we occasionally shine the spotlight on DVD releases that don't get much fanfare and are often overlooked. In this case, we focus on Play Dirty, a 1968 WWII film that boasts a sterling cast of great British actors: Michael Caine, the two Nigels (Davenport and Green in a rare pairing in the same film) and Harry Andrews. The movie was directed by Andre De Toth, another of those rather eccentric, larger-than-life characters sadly lacking in today's film industry. The plot finds Caine as a British officer supervising loading docks in WWII Africa. He's reluctantly sent on a top secret mission 400 miles behind enemy lines to blow up a fuel depot. Unbeknownst to Caine, his team is being used as sacrificial lambs to divert attention from the real commando team that is following in their footsteps. From minute one, the uppercrust Caine finds himself in charge of a motley crew that makes the Dirty Dozen look like a boy's choir. He locks horns with Nigel Davenport, a mercenary-like cynic who makes it clear he is the de facto leader of the team. After suffering embarrassing lapses in strategy, Caine has to prove his worth in order to re-establish respect for his command. Along the way there are other challenges, aside from the obviously suicidal nature of the mission. The pure hell of the desert has rarely been so convincingly captured in any film and the widescreen cinematography by Edward Scaife is a wonder to behold. You can practically feel the heat and the sand every throughout the film, and you are made aware of how difficult the shooting of this film must have been for the actors. (The movie was shot in Almeria, Spain where Sergio Leone filmed his Dollar film trilogy with Clint Eastwood).
The plot takes some surprising twists, with double-crosses, unexpected plot devices and the simmering tensions between Caine and Davenport that provide an unpredictable quality to the film that separates it from most WWII films. The movie's cynical outlook on war and the people who find themselves fighting them was largely a reflection with public weariness over the Vietnam conflict, which was then at its peak, along with the resulting protest movement. Performances are first-rate and the violence would have made Sam Peckinpah proud. This is not a film that stints on realism and the graphic nature of some scenes would have been impossible to bring to the screen only a year or two before Play Dirty was released. The real treat is watching the array of first-rate actors at their peak (even if Green and Andrews are relegated to extended cameo sequences). Ironically, Caine had appeared almost simultaneously in another major anti-war film that was reknowned for its violent content, Robert Aldrich's Too Late the Hero. Play Dirty was the fourth collaboration between Michael Caine and James Bond co-producer Harry Saltzman, with whom he made the three Harry Palmer big screen spy thrillers. It ranks as a top-notch adventure, but keep an ice cold brew handy when viewing it - the sun drenched landscapes will make you thirsty from the first frame.
MGM's DVD provides a superb looking picture, but the one frustrating drawback is that the disc has no extras whatsoever.
Joe Dante's Trailers From Hell web site presents the original theatrical trailer for MGM's bizarre sex comedy/murder mystery Pretty Maids All in Row. The 1971 film remains one of the most sexist and politically incorrect movies ever released by a major studio. Rock Hudson stars as a horny high school coach who has the pick of the litter in terms of gorgeous and willing schoolgirls. His amorous activities are compromised when someone starts killing off his bed mates. The film, directed by Roger Vadim, features a stellar cast including Angie Dickinson, Roddy McDowall, Telly Savalas and Keenan Wynn. On the Trailers From Hell site, director John Landis provides some amusing insights about the movie. Click here to view
Sean Connery in Zardoz: looking like a pitch man for adult incontinence products!
The pop culture web site Detour has a brief homage to director John Boorman's ill-fated 1973 sci-fi epic Zardoz (referred to by many as Zardoze) The bizarre futuristic tale involved immortality, slavery, sex-obsessed women and The Wizard of Oz. It's the kind of movie that should alarm you if it starts making sense to you. Nevertheless, we have affection for the film and are among those who consider "Boorman's Folly" to be an intriguing, thought-provoking gem. Where else can you see Sean Connery (who replaced Burt Reynolds in the leading role) strutting his stuff in what looks like a red Depends diaper, while Charlotte Rampling runs amok starkers. For more click here
Click here to order Zardoz from the Cinema Retro Amazon Movie Store- only $9.98!
InterVision is releasing the vintage Australian Ozploitation films of director John D. Lamond, whose modestly-budgeted works turned enormous profits with the angle of showing what was going on down under Down Under. Following their release of Lamond's first movie, Australia After Dark (click here for review), the company now presents his second effort, The ABC's of Love and Sex- Australia Style, in an uncut version. (The film had been censored in various countries to conform with censors.) Curiously, although the DVD sleeve refers to the titles as The ABC's..., the film itself is titled The ABC of Love and Sex. Like the previous movie, this 1978 feature uses the guise of being an educational film to explore sexual habits among Aussies, though one would assume there is nothing so unique about Australian sex practices that can't be found in any other country. Perhaps to minimize interference from censors, Lamond mingles humor with surprisingly graphic (if somewhat clinical) presentations of willing couples doin' the dirty deeds. The film starts rather bizarrely with clay animation figures informing us of what we're about to see. Lamond uses the old ploy of interviewing doctors and researchers to give the feature a semblance of intellectual credibility when, in fact, it is clearly designed to titillate. Lamond takes every letter of the alphabet and presents a vignette to illustrate a sexual practice, fetish or deviancy relating to each letter. The prejudices of the era are in full view, with homosexual men being dismissed as catty queens bitching behind each other's backs at a party. However, lesbians are depicted as beautiful, naked and sexually voracious. There are also plenty of tips about masturbation techniques, in case you need some advice in that area. (Remember, it's sex with someone you love...) The film presents food as a sexual aid in a sequence that is obviously inspired by the dining sequence in Tom Jones. Lamond doesn't shy away from some touchier topics such as rape, and was ahead of his time in presenting it as an undeniable act of violence that leaves a woman brutalized. (Though he can't resist pointing out that some women have rape fantasies.) Lamond does provide equal time in terms of showing both sexes in full frontal nudity mode and some of the scenes are surprisingly graphic, given the era in which the film was made. The film is more amusing than erotic and contains some catchy songs played against images of attractive models dancing. This benign approach seems like a clever way to disarm critics and ensure the movie wasn't regarded as outright pornography. The film is crude but fun and provides an interesting time capsule of how we viewed sex in the 70s.
The DVD contains an audio commentary track by Lamond and filmmaker Nick Hartley that is quite entertaining. However, the packaging promises a gallery of his film trailer that isn't on the DVD.
It's easy today to dismiss Love Story as some sort of guilty pleasure. Every year, Harvard students engage in a ritual screening of the film on campus, where it is mocked and derided by attendees on the basis that it's corny and overly-sentimental. (Click here for story) Certainly the film shows its age in some respects but younger viewers might want to dig a little deeper below the surface to appreciate that the film and its source novel played an important role in the kinds of freedoms they enjoy today. Erich Segal's razor-thin novel was a publishing sensation when it appeared in 1969. The tearjerker story centers on Oliver Barrett IV (Ryan O'Neal), a pampered jock whose wealthy father (Ray Milland) uses his money and legacy at the school as a benefactor to try to pave the way for his slacker son to get into Harvard Law. Oliver's life changes dramatically from a chance encounter with Jenny Cavalleri (Ali MacGraw), a tough-talking, independent Radcliffe student who delights in witty put-downs of Oliver's wealth and status. She's from a middle-class background and her father (John Marley) earns his living by running a neighborhood bakery. Romance blossoms: the ultimate example of opposites attracting each other. Before long, the two are making love in Oliver's dorm room and planning to marry. However, an awkward meeting with Oliver's parents makes it clear she will never be accepted- and the elder Barrett threatens to cut off Oliver's financial support should the marriage take place. Emboldened by the opportunity to stand on his own, Oliver rejects his father's threats in favor of working part time jobs to pay the rent and help support his new bride, who is actively trying to conceive a child. Oliver ultimately lands a job at a prestigious law firm but happiness is short-lived when it is discovered Jenny has a terminal illness.
The soap opera elements of Segal's script are not subtle but, under the direction of Arthur Hiller, the film remains consistently engrossing and even moving.Younger viewers who mock the film today don't realize that it spoke in very personal ways to the 60s generation. Life and social mores were changing at breakneck speed. While Easy Rider has retained its status as a hip representation of personal freedom, in reality most young people of the era didn't abandon their lives to take cross-country, drug-fueled motorcycle journeys. In reality, the signs of their rebellion were more subdued: dressing in jeans, questioning authority, adopting shaggy hair style and not feeling guilty over pursuing sexual satisfaction. These are the middle-class rebellious attitudes reflected in Love Story. Within days of their first date, Oliver and Jenny are happily shagging away with no regrets, much to the disdain of his roommate who finds himself virtually outcast from his own dorm room. For a generation weened on complacency, seeing this type of behavior on screen was liberating for millions of young people. Few thought it was corny back in 1970 and the film was a huge boxoffice hit internationally. It was also critically acclaimed, though many of those reviewers who might still be with us would probably like to bury their initial critiques. The film was nominated for seven Oscars including Best Picture.
There is a tinge of sadness in watching the young, vibrant MacGraw and O'Neal, as we are all too aware that their seemingly promising careers would be derailed due to their tumultuous personal lives and demons. On screen, they make for an engaging couple you come to care about, especially as they try to establish a life of their own. Granted, that generation didn't have to deal with the type of staggering debt today's students have to contend with, but the transgression from college into adult life is still rather terrifying for most young people. Watching the film today, one is inspired by the superb cinematography of Dick Kratina- and it would be impossible to imagine the movie without Francis Lai's achingly beautiful score, which probably deserves co-star billing. Director Hiller creatively utilizes the Boston and New York locations and benefited greatly from an abundance of snow, which adds immeasurably to the movie's atmosphere. The film's melodramatic conclusion may come abruptly (Jenny doesn't linger in a way that might endanger a commercial running time), but I'll be damned if I still don't find the final scenes genuinely touching. A special mention should also be made of the fine supporting performances by Milland and Marley.
Paramount's Blu-ray contains previously-released extras such as a 2001 interview with Arthur Hiller, who relates he turned down directing The Godfather to do the film. He also contributes an audio commentary and there is the original theatrical trailer, that conveys the mood of the film through the use of still photos.
Click here to view 2010 reunion between Ali MacGraw and Ryan O'Neal on Oprah Winfrey's show
Here are two golden oldie lobby cards from the superb 1964 British film Zulu starring Stanley Baker, Jack Hawkins, Ulla Jacobsson. (If you're a Cinema Retro regular, we won't insult you by discussing what the main plot of the film is about!).
Copies of legendary James Bond producer Albert R. Broccoli's 1998 autobiography "When the Snow Melts" command big dollars on the collector's circuit. Now the book is available on Amazon.UK as a kindle edition. Here is the description:
Originally published in hardback in 1998 with the title 'WHEN THE SNOW
MELTS', this updated edition from EON Productions features introductions
by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli as well as a selection of
rarely seen images. EON Productions will donate all of the income from
the sales of this eBook to Cancer Research UK, the world’s leading
charity dedicated to beating cancer through research. Cubby
Broccoli’s autobiography is a roller-coaster ride through the life of
one of Hollywood’s best-loved producers. He recounts extraordinary and
humorous stories of how he created a life in the movies, his unique
relationship with Howard Hughes and other friendships with Hollywood
greats such as Cary Grant, Robert Mitchum, Gregory Peck and Frank
Sinatra are also portrayed.
Cinema Retro enters its eighth great year with issue #22, now shipping worldwide. All subscribers will be receiving their copies shortly.
If you have not renewed your subscription, please do so today! We cannot hold copies in reserve for you, so don't miss out on a single great issue during 2012. Click here to subscribe instantly through our Ebay affiliate store or click here for other methods of subscribing.
Highlights of issue #22 include special features that celebrate the 60th anniversary of Cinerama:
Sir Christopher Frayling provides a major 10 page article on the making of MGM's Cinerama blockbuster How the West Was Won, featuring deleted scenes and a wealth of rarely seen photographs.
Howard Hughes pays tribute to Jack Cardiff's 1968 gut-busting adventure Dark of the Sun(aka The Mercenaries) starring Rod Taylor
Dave Worrall blows the lid off the 1969 Cinerama epic Krakatoa, East of Javaand takes us behind the scenes for the Cinerama family classic The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm.
Thomas Hauerslev takes us back to those wonderful Cinerama travelogues This is Cinerama, Seven Wonders of the Worldand traces the history of the format.
Lee Pfeiffer reviews a plethora of spy movies on DVD including The Man From U.N.C.L.E. feature films
Adrian Smith interviews actress Anneke Wills, star of the mod London cult classic The Pleasure Girls and pays tribute to Jane Asher in Jerzy Skolimowsky's Deep End
Raymond Benson looks at the best films of 1981
Gareth Owen revisits the filming of The Great Gatsby at Pinewood Studios
Plus the latest DVD, soundtrack and film book reviews
Cinema Retro has received the following press release from Eon Productions and Fox Home Entertainment:
LAS
VEGAS, NV (Jan.
10, 2012) – In celebration of James Bond’s monumental golden
anniversary, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios and Twentieth Century Fox Home
Entertainment today unveiled BOND 50, a collectible box-set featuring
all 22 James Bond films on Blu-ray Disc for the first time in one
complete offering. The longest running film franchise of all time, the Bond
50 collection marks the debut of nine James Bond films previously
unavailable in high definition Blu-ray. Fans around the world can pre-order now
with participating online retailers.
Acclaimed Bond directors John Glen (five Bond films including For Your Eyes
Only, Octopussy, A View to a Kill, The Living Daylights &
Licence To Kill), Martin Campbell (GoldenEye, Casino Royale)
and Michael Apted (The World Is Not Enough) with special guests Olga
Kurylenko (Quantum of Solace) and Caterina Murino (Casino Royale)
made the Blu-ray announcement today during a Directors’ Panel discussion in the
Panasonic Booth at the annual Consumer Electronics Show.
BOND 50 showcases fifty years of Bond neatly packaged into one cool,
sleek collectable box-set featuring all six iconic James Bond actors. Produced
using the highest possible picture quality and audio presentation, the
collection includes all 22 James Bond feature films from Dr. No to Quantum
of Solace and more than 130 hours of bonus features including some
new and exclusive content.
“With all 22 feature films available on Blu-ray in one collection for the first
time this is a great way for fans to catch up on 007’s epic journey before Skyfall
hits theaters next Fall,†said Michael Brown, Senior Vice President, MGM
Home Entertainment. “Now viewers can enjoy the intense action of the innovative
franchise in the most immersive home experience possible.â€
“We have a whole program of exciting activities planned for our 50th
anniversary year, beginning with today’s announcement, by Fox, of the release
of all 22 films on Blu-ray for the very first time,’’ added Michael G. Wilson
and Barbara Broccoli, with Eon Productions. “We are also delighted that Fox has
unveiled a specially designed anniversary poster which we hope the fans will
love as much as we do. Our website, 007.com will be regularly updated with all
the latest anniversary news and events.â€
CLICK HERE TO PRE-ORDER THE COLLECTION DISCOUNTED FROM AMAZON AND SAVE $100!
Steve McQueen: The Actor and His
Films by Andrew
Antonaides and Mike Siegel from Dalton Watson Fine Books is one of the finest,
most lavish movie books about a single actor that I have ever read. All of
iconic superstar Steve McQueen’s films are equally discussed from his classics
(The Blob, The Magnificent Seven, The
Great Escape, The Cincinnati Kid, The Sand Pebbles, Bullitt, The Thomas Crown
Affair, Papillon), to his lesser known earlier movies (Never Love a Stranger, The Great St. Louis Bank Robbery)An Enemy of the People, The Hunter),
to his misfires (The Honeymoon Machine,
Soldier in the Rain, Baby the Rain Must Fall), to his TV series (Wanted: Dead or Alive). Most coffee table-type movie books
that I have encountered are extravagantly- made, featuring glorious photographs,
but containing very little substance. However, Steve McQueen: The Actor and His Films
is not only handsomely produced, featuring over 1,000 rare B&W and color
photographs, but also contains an in-depth analysis of all of McQueen’s movies
listed chronologically. This does not mean McQueen’s life story is ignored. The
writers expertly weave in the actor’s journey into each chapter. Reading
about his childhood clarifies his actions and behavior as an adult, such
as his legendary insecurities and his determination not to bested by anyone
particularly a co-star. Each film is allocated one chapter
featuring a plot summary; a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the movie
(often with comments from cast or crew); the reaction of
critics and the audience to the final product; and an analysis of the movie
itself and McQueen’s performance. All of this is accompanied by rare photos and a plethora
of international color posters/lobby cards. Considering how much effort and
expense went into the making of this book, you might expect it to be nothing but a paean
to the actor no matter what the merits of a specific movie. Not here. I commend
the writers for taking an honest and balanced approach in commenting on
McQueen’s choices and his performances.
As a film historian myself, my
favorite part of the book is the backstory for each of the movies. The King of
Cool on screen was not so beloved by many of his co-stars or directors off-screen.
It is interesting to read about the tricks McQueen employed to upstage agitated
movie star Yul Brynner on the set of The Magnificent
Seven. Similarly, on Soldier in the Rain McQueen, somewhat immaturely, took out his frustrations on Jackie Gleason
and director Ralph Nelson when his choice to direct the movie, Blake Edwards, walked
just before filming began. The authors are correct to take him to task for his
behavior here and on other movie sets. They rightly point out he was miscast as
Soldier in the Rain’s loser G.I.,
delivering a performance that was “another oddity and one of the worst misfires
of his career.†Indeed, it's McQueen’s awkward
performance that drags co-star Jackie Gleason down. Sans McQueen on screen, Gleason is
wonderful as evidenced in his scenes with the sparkling Tuesday Weld as his
dumb blond blind date, who has some surprising insights to the world.
Each chapter of this book is
wonderful in its own way. The standout chapters for me are those pertaining to The Sand Pebbles and Papillon, one of my favorite movies of
all-time. The authors fairly give equal credit to the success of these films
both to McQueen and their directors/writers.
Thus, I was surprised that in their
analysis of The Cincinnati Kid, the authors give director Norman Jewison most
of the credit for its success and didn’t even mention screenwriter Terry
Southern who took Ring Lardner, Jr.’s original script and rewrote it even as
the movie was being shot. Some of the most iconic images from the film come
from the mind of that genius satirist.
The authors offer such knowledgeable
insight into McQueen’s less-successful films that I now have an urge to view. For instance, Nevada Smith,
the prequel to 1964’s hit The
Carpetbaggers. Critics dismissed this Henry Hathaway-directed western in
1966 and I believed the criticism of it being below-par. And since leading lady
Suzanne Pleshette is one of my least favorites from the Sixties, I really had
no desire to sit through it despite my admiration for McQueen. However, the
authors create a convincing case for giving it a try, from the beautiful vistas
that fill the wide-screen, to the expert way Hathaway juggles character
development and action, to Pleshette’s character being not the typical love
interest. Not to mention the fact that McQueen is shirtless throughout a lot of
the movie, though they concede that it is a stretch to believe the actor, who
was in his mid-thirties at the time, as a teenage half-Indian vowing
revenge on the varmints that tortured and killed his parents. However, they
conclude that McQueen triumphs over this and his performance “engages the
viewer emotionally.â€
I highly recommend Steve
McQueen: The Actor and His Films by Andrew Antonaides and Mike Siegel
to fans of the superstar and to Sixties/Seventies film enthusiasts. The authors
do a superlative job from their perceptive prose to the magnificent visuals
selected to accompany each chapter. A bit pricey you may say at $69 (cheaper on
Amazon.com), but this spectacularly produced book is more than worth it.
Retro's Dave Worrall with magazine contributor Madeline Smith, who starred with Ingrid Pitt in the Hammer horror hit The Vampire Lovers.
By Matthew Field
(Photos all copyright Mark Mawston)
On Wednesday 7th December Riverside Studios - a unique arts and media
centre on the banks of the Thames in Hammersmith, London played host to
special screening of the Hammer classic The Vampire Lovers.
Screened
to celebrate the launch of Dave Worrall and Lee Pfeiffer’s new coffee
table tome Cinema Sex Sirens – actress Madeline Smith was on hand to
introduce the screening. Based on La Fanu's short story Carmilla, The
Vampire Lovers was the first Hammer horror film of the 1970s and broke new
ground with its erotic lesbian themes. Addressing the audience Smith
amusingly recalled “I got a very worried phone call from the producer
who said he was concerned about my lack of bosom. He said 'We like you a
lot, but we don't think you are voluptuous enough'. I reassured him,
and then I scuttled off to Hornby and Clarke dairy round the corner and I
bought every yoghurt I could find and stuffed myself like you might
fatten cattle, and it worked!â€
Following the screening
Dave Worrall was joined by Madeline to autograph copies of the book, which has been listed as one of the best film books of the year by the Evening Standard of London.
Lavishly illustrated throughout the book is dedicated to Vampire Lovers
star Ingrid Pitt. In attendance was Ingrid Pitt’s widower Tony Rudlin.
(Please note: Cinema Retro's limited, signed and numbered editions of Cinema Sex Sirens are now sold out in the UK. Click here to order from Amazon UK and get an extensive look at the inside of the book.) A small number of copies are still available through our U.S. office for shipment with America. Click banner ad at top of page for details)
(For Madeline Smith's memories of making The Vampire Lovers, see her article in Cinema Retro issue #3,available in our back issues section)
Landis at Forbidden Planet, London (Photo copyright Mark Mawston. All rights reserved.)
By Mark Mawston
The Halloween season found famed director
(and Cinema Retro contributor) John Landis in London to launch his new, very
well received book, Monsters in the Movies. (Click here to visit the DK Publishing web site for a peek into the book's contents.)
The link above will take you to just some
of the wonders this book holds, along with a short introduction by John himself.
As a fan of most of the films featured within its pages as well as the films of
John Landis himself, it was a real honour to have a couple of my own photo’s
deemed worthy enough (in historical importance)to be included alongside the many
stunning images this book holds.
The que at London’s Forbidden Planet Store
for a signing session with John on the 1st of Nov stretched around
the block. The book has already sold out in its original run (another has
commenced)but those lucky enough to get into London should head straight to
Forbidden Planet as well as the famed Cinema Store on St. Martins Lane as both
stores hold a limited amount of signed copies.John has stressed the fact that this is a fun book, with conversations
rather than in depth interviews with many of his friends ranging from Ray
Harryhausen, Sir Christopher Lee and Joe Dante. What it is however, is a book
of definitive monster images, many of which have never been seen before and as
such it is a must for any fans of the genre. My personal favourite, along with
many of those whom have read it, is the inspired Monster Carry spread, featuring
gals held by ghouls from all the different decades of dread. It’s also worth
pointing out that this is a great looking tome in its own right. I highly
recommend this wonderful book but if you do venture into the Capitol to get a signed
copy, then “Stay On The Roads…..â€, as was advised in
Landis’ classic An American Werewolf in
London.
Cinema Sex Sirens by Cinema Retro publishers Dave Worrall and Lee Pfeiffer is now shipping in the UK and Europe. The limited editions signed by the authors are almost sold out in our UK office. If you pre-ordered the book, it's on it's way to you. As of right now, there are only 13 copies of the signed edition, available exclusively from Cinema Retro, left for sale in the UK.
Because the book's publication was delayed by a few weeks, we are now expecting pre-orders for the American market and the rest of the world to be shipped in November. Note: The regular American publication date for the book is March 2012- so by ordering the limited edition, you will receive the book months in advance of the general public! There are very few limited editions signed by the authors available from our American office also, so order today! Click on the banner at the top of this page for ordering details or click here.
Here is the official press release from Omnibus Press:
CINEMA SEX SIRENS
With an introduction by Sir Roger
Moore
By
Dave Worrall & Lee Pfeiffer
Published by Omnibus Press
November 2011
Hardback
‘I have
appeared alongside many of the ladies featured in this book. My only grumble is
that they are all far prettier than me.’Sir Roger Moore
Cinema Sex Sirensis an exuberant celebration
of the female stars of the Sixties and Seventies. It was the last great era of
the cinematic sex siren – a time when massive cultural changes produced an unprecedented
relaxation of censorship and yet old-fashioned Hollywood glamour still held
sway.
The Sixties and
Seventies was an era when actresses unashamedly embraced the tag ‘Sex Goddess’
or ‘Sex Siren’ and willing exploited their beauty and bodily charms to further
their careers. This highly desirable coffee table book focuses on the key
actresses of the period, ranging from cinematic legends to cult actresses.
The authors, Dave Worrall and Lee Pfeiffer, present a luminous collection of idealised women whilst
at the same time offering a fascinating insight into the movies’ depiction of
female sexuality. From international icons like Brigitte Bardot, Helen
Mirren, Sophia Loren, Natalie Wood, Ann-Margret, Raquel Welch
and Jane Fonda to less celebrated
sirens of British and European cinema, such as Susan George, Ingrid Pitt,
Sylva Koscina and Britt Ekland, Cinema Sex Sirens offers an unparalleled collection of stunning
glamour photos and a fascinating snapshot of sexuality in the Sixties and
Seventies.
The Cinema Sex Sirens era marked a new
spirit of frankness in society and the movie industry lost no time in following
suit, shaking off over 25 years of strict censorship and enforced
self-regulation. And the women who defined this new era of eroticism became
world-famous, defined a generation’s view of sexuality and still continue to
fascinate today.
Each chapter
focuses on one actress. featuring rare full colour photos, a biography and
commentary, supplemented by some superb international movie poster artwork and magazine
covers.
About
the authors:
Dave Worrall and Lee
Pfeiffer are the founders and publishers of the long-running Cinema Retro magazine (www.cinemaretro.com),
which proudly covers movies of the Sixties and Seventies. They have co-authored The Essential James
Bond, the best-selling 007 film book with sales in excess of 250,000
copies.
Dave Worrall also established the
highly successful company Solo Publishing in 1987, which has produced high profile
magazines and books pertaining to the James Bond phenomenon.
Lee
Pfeiffer
has authored books covering the careers of Clint Eastwood, Tom Hanks, Sean
Connery and Harrison Ford. He has also taught classes about cinema at New York
University, written and produced DVD documentaries and runs film location trips
through his company T.W.I.N.E. Tours.
Toward
the end of The Saint, Roger Moore was paired with an American playboy to
solve a mysterious crime in an exotic location. It was felt that this could
potentially spin off into another show, and so the end of The Saint became
an unofficial pilot for what was to become The Persuaders. The team-up
was so successful that Lew Grade, executive producer, sold the concept of the
new show in the US before he even had confirmation from Roger Moore that he
would do it. At the time Moore was planning to leave television behind
completely to work in films. Unable to say no to Grade, he postponed his plans,
whilst the producers began scouting for an actor suitable to play opposite him.
Originally they hoped for Rock Hudson, but it was felt he looked too much like
Roger Moore. Eventually Tony Curtis was courted and signed, and the adventure
began.
The Persuaders was shot in 1970
and only lasted for one series of 24 episodes,as Moore was then off for the
role he was born to play in Live and let Die. Originally titled The Friendly Persuaders, the story
revolved around two rival millionaires holidaying on the French Riviera, where
they meet a retired judge who for some reason thinks they can put their skills
in wine, women, wisecracks and fast cars to use as crime fighters. In some
ways, the show could have been more accurately titled The Persuaded. It was an unlikely assumption on the part of the
judge, yet somehow they rose to the challenge, and each week saw them in and
around a variety of European locations mainly helping attractive women in
distress. The Persuaders had a playful and comedic air, yet did not shy
away from occasional genuine danger and excitement. Shot on 35mm the show has
the feel of the Euro-crime and espionage thrillers that were so popular at that
time, ironically due to the influence of the James Bond films. The on-screen
relationship between the two leads was playfully antagonistic and appeared to
show the blossoming of a genuine friendship. The Persuaders represents a
different time and a different world, most probably one that never actually
existed outside of ITC's adventure series. What also makes the show really
stand out is the incredible roster of writers involved, including Brian Clemens
(The Avengers) and Terry Nation (Doctor Who), working alongside
such well-known film directors as Val Guest, Roy Ward Baker, Sidney Hayers,
Leslie Norman and Basil Dearden. Roger Moore himself also took on some
directing duties, just as he had in The Saint.
Although
previously available on DVD, the show has been meticulously restored in high
definition by Network DVD, one of the UK's finest exponents of both classic and
obscure television shows. Each episode looks brighter and clearer than it would
probably have looked on most television sets in 1970, and one can even see each
little detail on the suits that Roger Moore designed for himself. What will be
of even greater interest to fans and collectors is the extensive set of extras,
beginning with a 156 page book of viewing notes (unavailable for review, but is
written by Andrew Pixley who wrote the incredibly detailed book which
accompanied Network DVD's blu ray release of The Prisoner). Recently
discovered alternate title sequences, commentaries and unseen images can also
be found for most episodes. The hour-long documentary on the making of the
programme which was used on the previous DVD release is here as well, and is
fascinating. There is some very frank discussion on the relationship Tony
Curtis had with both Moore and the production team. Curtis is interviewed
extensively and was both unapologetic and frank about his shortcomings, including
the time he called Joan Collins a word we prefer not to print here at Cinema
Retro, and his arrest for marijuana possession when he first arrived in the UK.
He was clearly a difficult person to work with, which is totally at odds with
his character in the show itself.
RETRO-ACTIVE: THE BEST FROM THE CINEMA RETRO ARCHIVES
Frankie
Avalon (Todd Armstrong/ Jane), Dwayne Hickman (Craig Gamble/ Nora), Deborah
Walley (Linda Hughes), Yvonne Craig (Barbara Norris), Robert Q. Lewis (Donald
Pevney), Bobbi Shaw (Nita), Aron Kincaid (Freddie Carter), The Hondells
(Themselves) Steve Rogers (Gene), Patti Chandler (Janet), Mike Nader (Bobby),
Salli Sachse (Indian), John Boyer (Ski Boy), Mikki Jamison (Vicki), Mickey Dora
(Mickey), Bill Sampson (Arthur), Mary Hughes, Luree Holmes (Ski Girls), Sigi
Engl (Ski Instructor). Uncredited: Christopher Riordan, Ronnie Dayton, Jo
Collins, Paul Gleason, and Annette Funicello (Prof. Roberts). Guest
Stars: James Brown and the Famous Flames, and Lesley Gore.
I
thought I'd end my Top 5 Sixties Beach Party movies with a cold treat for these
hot summer days. A few films (i.e. Get Yourself a College Girl, Winter a-Go-Go,
Wild Wild Winter) switched the locale from the warm California seashore to the chilly
mountaintop ski slopes. The best of the crop for me was Ski Party (1965).
Frankie
Avalon and Dwayne Hickman play two average college guys, who are losers when it
comes to the ladies, so they masquerade as English lasses on a ski trip to
discover why their chicks Deborah Walley and Yvonne Craig dig suave ladies man
Aron Kincaid and what they really want in a guy. Complications ensue when
the pompous Kincaid falls in love with Hickman's female incarnation. Meanwhile,
when not romping around in drag, Avalon tries to make Walley jealous by
flirting with Swedish bombshell Bobbi Shaw. The first half of the picture
unfolds quite briskly with excellent musical numbers performed by Avalon, James
Brown, and Lesley Gore though the second half bogs down a bit with a ludicrous
ski jump contest and an overlong chase sequence, standard for these AIP musical
comedies.
Ski
Party stands out from the rest of the AIP beach-party movies not only because
of the change in locale but because of the superior production values.
Credit must go to producer Gene Corman and his crew. The film is
exquisitely filmed on location with some awesome ski shots. Alan Rafkin
also does a first-rate job of directing and keeps the action moving. He
brings some originality to the musical numbers as well. Having Frankie
Avalon, Deborah Walley, Dwayne Hickman, and Yvonne Craig sing "Painting
the Town" while on a sunlit sleigh ride helps elevate the song with the
beautiful shots of the foursome traveling through the snow-covered back
roads. “Lots Lots More" would just have been a standard song warbled
by Frankie Avalon with twistin’ beach babes dancing beside him if it were not
for Rafkin’s unusual camera angles capturing the curvy features of Walley,
Patti Chandler, Mikki Jamison, and Jo Collins.
The
musical performances by the guest stars are the standouts of any AIP beach
movie. Here it is no exception. Lesley Gore sings the catchy
"Sunshine, Lollipops, and Rainbows" on the bus ride to Sun Valley. Following the release of Ski Party, the
song became a hit and peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard charts. The
Hondells turn up on the beach and rock on "The Gasser" and the title
song. Finally, the appearance of James Brown and the Flames who come in
out of the snow to perform their Top 10 record "I Got You (I Feel
Good)" is truly one of the greatest musical moments in beach movie
history.
Frankie
Avalon and Dwayne Hickman are well paired as the wisecracking losers-in-love
Todd and Craig and are very believable and amusing as the peppery English
lasses, Jane and Nora. As the objects of their devotion, Deborah Walley
and Yvonne Craig are only okay but they look stunning in Technicolor making it
perfetly plausible to the audience why the boys would go to so much trouble to
win them over. Bobbi Shaw is engaging as a sexy Swede who decides she
prefers love, American style. It is nice to see AIP contract players
Patti Chandler and Salli Sachse given more to do here than in the Beach Party
movies. They along with Luree Holmes, Mikki Jamison, and Playboy Playmate
Jo Collins look very good in their bathing suits or tight-fitting ski
clothes. For beefcake watchers, there’s lean boyish-looking Mike Nader
and handsome, chiseled Steve Rogers. But it is the smarmy charm of Aron
Kincaid (pictured above surrounded by a bevy of beauties) as the pompous
Freddie who flips for a guy in drag who steals the movie. Usually clad in
dark sweaters and turtlenecks (which were a perfect contrast to his blonde hair
and fair features), Kincaid is striking looking and awes every girl on screen
and every girl in the audience (not to mention a boy or two).
Ski
Party is available on DVD and I heartily recommend it!
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.
The BFI's Flipside label continues on its mission to
expose the hidden history of British cinema, presenting a little seen film
which explores changing attitudes towards sex and gender equality in 1960s Britain
– Lunch Hour.
Shirley
Anne Field is best remembered for her flawless performances in Karel
Reisz’Saturday Night
and Sunday Morning and Tony
Richardson’s The Entertainer. But her
personal favourite from this era is this little known self-contained drama.Field gives a fiery performance as a young
designer on the brink of an affair with a married male executive (Robert
Stephens) at the company where she works. With a tightly-focused plot telling
the story of an illicit lunch-hour rendezvous in ‘real-time’, this is a stylish
and highly-charged story of subterfuge, simmering tensions and sexual conflict.
Lunch Hour was directed by
documentary filmmaker James Hill who later went on to helm Born Free. Previously
a radio play and a theatre production, it was adapted for the screen in 1962. Written by John
Mortimer - a British barrister who
later became a dramatist, screenwriter
and author – it’s been said that the script was semi-autobiographical. In the accompanying
booklet film historian Sue Harper points out “The sexual radicalism of Lunch Hour owes something to his
marriage [Mortimer] to his first wife Penelope. The couple had a tumultuous
relationship, and it’s possible to argue that John Mortimer’s guilt about his
many adulteries, provided a stimulus for Lunch
Hour.†The original lead in the stage play was Wendy Craig by whom Mortimer
had a son. According to Harper he then actively pursued Field during the
production, after having offered her agent generous percentages to appear in
the film.
The latest issue of Cinema Retro (#20) is now shipping to subscribers all around the world. As we publish in the UK, those subscribers always get their copies first. However, the latest issue just arrived from the other side of the pond and has now been shipped out to all other regions. Readers will have it in their hot little hands very soon.
Cover story on Candy starring Ewa Aulin as the sexy teen nymph in an all-star fiasco that involved Marlon Brando, Ringo Starr, James Coburn and Walter Matthau. Dean Brierly examines how such a sure-fire project turned into one of the worst movies ever made.
This issue's Film in Focus is Earthquake, the 1974 blockbuster starring Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner and many other familiar faces in one of the most successful films of the genre. Ross Warner reminds why the film remains a guilty pleasure and Thomas Hauerslav of the web site In70mm.com presents a fascinating look at the history of Sensurround, the Oscar-winning sound system that had more than its share of mishaps.
Nick Anez provides analysis of two Fox Westerns from the 1960s: The Comancheros starring John Wayne and Stuart Whitman and Rio Conchos starring Whitman and Richard Boone. Anez examines the startling similarities between the two films and debates if Conchos can truly be regarded as a remake of The Comancheros.
Lee Pfeiffer has a sit-down interview with jazz great Kyle Eastwood and discusses his scoring of films with his father, Clint Eastwood. Kyle also recalls starring with his dad in Honkytonk Man and making a cameo in The Outlaw Josey Wales.
Gary McMahon looks at memorable films that have coped with the restrictions of shooting key sequences in confined places, from the legendary fight aboard the Orient Express in the James Bond classic From Russia With Love to Hitchcock's Lifeboat and Huston's Key Largo.
Cinema Retro music critic Darren Allison provides an in-depth tribute to the recently departed legendary composer John Barry.
Matthew Field concludes his three-part interview with director Lewis Gilbert with discussions of Friends and Educating Rita.
Herbie J. Pilato examines the good, the bad and the ugly among major films based on legendary TV series.
Raymond Benson looks back on his top films of 1979 including Alien and Apocalypse Now.
Cinema Retro honors famed film critic and documentary maker Richard Schickel at a special event held at the Players club in New York City.
Gareth Owen pays tribute to Michael Powell's long-neglected classic Peeping Tom.
Coverage and photos from the new book MGM: Hollywood's Greatest Backlot
plus the usual extensive coverage of the latest movie books, DVDs and soundtracks
Don't delay- if you're not already a subscriber, click here for information about joining the ranks of our supporters from around the globe. Click here to subscribe directly through our Ebay affiliate.
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.
BFI
Flipside was launched in May 2009 with a mission to expose the hidden history of British cinema by releasing
restored prints on DVD and Blu-ray of British
films that have slipped through the cracks of time. Now on its 17th release the
label has released everything from exploitation documentaries about the seedy
sixties (London In The Raw) to
B-movies featuring Oliver Reed (The
Party's Over), Shirley Anne Field (Lunch
Hour), Klaus Kinski (The Pleasure
Girls) and Withnail & I
director Bruce Robinson (Private Road).
If it's weird, British and forgotten, then it's Flipside.
Developed from its popular monthly screening
slot at BFI Southbank, the Flipside titles are newly mastered to High
Definition from original film elements, and are presented with rare and
fascinating special features - including previously unavailable short films,
documentaries and archival interviews, many of which are preserved in the BFI
National Archive.Each title comes in
collectable numbered packaging and is accompanied by an extensive illustrated
booklet with insightful contributions from special guest writers, often
including the filmmakers themselves.
Over the coming months Cinema Retro will be
taking a look at each of these entries - embarking on an alternative journey
into the wonderful world of 60s and 70s British cinema. The latest release is Joanna
– the 1968 feature film debut of pop singer turned fashion photographer -
Michael Sarne.
This modish sixties drama tracks the story of
seventeen-year-old Joanna - a cool, stylish, and determined young woman who is
just beginning a new life as an art student in swinging London. Played with
gusto by Genevieve Waite, Joanna indulges
in the pleasures of casual sexual encounters, colourful daydreams, and an
impromptu trip to Morocco with the wise and debonair Lord Peter Sanderson
(wonderfully played by Donald Sutherland). But when Joanna falls in love with
Gordon, from Sierra Leone, her life begins to get complicated.
Director Michael Sarne is best remembered in
the UK for his No 1 single Come Outside
but history has forgotten his feature film debut which ended up competing for
the Palme d’Or in Cannes. Sarne pitched the film as the female Alfie and secured financing from Fox
after they released his short - a travelogue titled The Road To St Tropez - as a B picture to James Coburn’s spy
thriller In Like Flint. His companion
on the trip was Joanne Roncarelli - a carefree girl from Frome in Somerset,
England. In the accompanying DVD booklet Sarne reveals to Chris Campion how
Roncarelli became his inspiration for Joanna. “[Joanne] had been a waitress in
the Saint-Tropez. She was art student and she’d nick clothes from shops. You
don’t often lie in bed with a girl who will tell you about her affairs in this
completely personal sort of way. I thought it was fascinating because I don’t
usually get that sort of dialogue from girls. This girl had 57 different lovers
she was telling me about in the morning!â€
Sarne had wanted to cast his then girlfriend
Gabriella Licudi in the lead but was vetoed by producer Michael Laughlin. Sarne
subsequently cast the unknown 19 year old South African model Genevieve Waite who
he discovered on a Knightsbridge catwalk. “Genevieve had big, deep circles
under her eyes and obviously couldn’t act. All she had going for her was that
she had a figure like Twiggy.â€
Although the film may look dated today, Sarne
bottled the youthful free-spirit attitude and Carnaby Street style fashion
perfectly. It’s the ultimate swinging London film – it’s colourful and it makes
the city look fantastic. He also interweaves darker shades into the film with
pregnancies, abortions and beatings. Sarne was an avid Fellini fan and aimed to
make Joanna the London Dolce Vita – by creating surreal dream
sequences and bold set pieces to convey a world-within-a-world inhabited by the
characters.
Sarne told Bob Stranley in the Guardian
recently “For all Joanna’s faults, it
does reflect the dizziness and silliness of 60s London. And the happiness –
people really did dress up and show off. Some people like to look back and
think it was all Ken Loach and Mike Leigh, but we had fast cars, Brigitte
Bardot was in town, and we all had affairs in Rome and Paris. It didn’t just
happen to the Beatles.â€
This new BFI release comes with a plethora of
extras. As well as Sarne’s 1966 short which resulted in him making Joanna – The Road To Saint Tropez, the BFI have also included an unusual
short Death Maybe Your Santa Claus –
an experimental examination of an interracial relationship in 1960s London. The
disc also features an on-stage interview with Sarne at the BFI Southbank, and a
downloadable PDF of his novel based on the film.
Joanna
(Flipside 0016) RRP £19.99 Cat no: BFIB1062 / UK, US / 1968 / Cert 18 / colour
/ English language / 113 mins / original aspect ratio 2.35:1 / Region 2 // Disc
1: BD50 / 1080p / 24fps / PCM mono audio (48k/24bit) // Disc 2: DVD9 / PAL /
Dolby Digital mono audio (320 kbps)
Author and Cinema Retro contributor Howard Hughes has a new book on the market and it should be of special interest to anyone who loves retro Italian cinema. Here are the details:
CINEMA ITALIANO: THE COMPLETE GUIDE FROM CLASSICS TO CULT
Uncovering a treasure trove of Italian films from The Leopard to Puma Man
Italian filmmakers have created some of the most magical and
moving, violent and controversial films in world cinema. During its
twentieth-century heyday, Italy's film industry was second only to
Hollywood as a popular film factory, exporting cinematic dreams
worldwide. With international finance and multinational stars, Italian
filmmakers tackled myriad genres with equal gusto and in inimitable
style. Cinema Italiano is the first book to discuss comprehensively both
Italian 'popular' and 'arthouse' cinema of this golden age.
Appraising over 400 movies, Cinema Italiano
unearths the best of Italian cinema. Dario Argento's 'gialli' thrillers
and Sergio Leone's spaghetti westerns are explored alongside the best
films of Luchino Visconti, Federico Fellini, Pier Paolo Pasolini and
Michelangelo Antonioni. Chapters discuss the rise and fall of genres
such as mythological epics, gothic horrors, science-fiction, spy films,
WWII movies, costume adventures, zombie films, swashbucklers, political
cinema, spaghetti westerns and 'poliziotteschi' crime films. The book
also traces the directorial careers and key films of such luminaries as
Mario Bava, Sergio Corbucci, Francesco Rosi, Lucio Fulci, Duccio
Tessari, Enzo G. Castellari, Bernardo Bertolucci and Gillo Pontecorvo.
An essential guide for DVD and video collectors and aficionados alike,
it is illustrated throughout with rare stills and international posters
from this revered era in world cinema.
Films include: La dolce vita, Hercules Conquers Atlantis, The
Leopard, The Horrible Secret of Dr Hichcock, Contempt, The Gospel
According to St Matthew, Castle of Blood, Fists in the Pocket, Django,
Battle of Algiers, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Blowup, Diabolik, The
Bird with the Crystal Plumage, The Conformist, They Call Me Trinity,
Violent City, The Marseilles Connection, Illustrious Corpses, Suspiria,
The Big Silence, The Mask of Satan, Maciste in Hell, Blood and Black
Lace, Hercules Against the Moon Men, The Last Man on Earth, The Wild,
Wild Planet, Special Mission Lady Chaplin, Django Kill!, Fellini
Satyricon, Deep Red, Sons of Thunder, Tentacles, The Inglorious
Bastards, Zombie Flesh Eaters, Puma Man, 1990: Bronx Warriors,
8½, Once Upon a Time in the West, L'Avventura, Black Sabbath,
Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion, Amarcord, Two Women, Planet
of the Vampires, Death in Venice, Starcrash, Salvatore Giuliano,
Hercules Unchained, Kill, Baby...Kill!
Cinema Retro contributor and best-selling author Robert Sellers has another major book about to be released that will be of interest to all retro movie fans- right down to the groovy Flint-inspired cover. Here is the official press release for the book, which will be out in May (UK) and June (USA):
Alan Bates, Michael Caine, Sean Connery, Tom Courtenay, Albert Finney, Richard Harris, Peter O’Toole, Robert Shaw and Terence Stamp: They are the most formidable acting generation ever to tread the boards or stare into a camera, whose anti-establishment attitude changed the cultural landscape of Britain.
This was a new breed, many culled from the working class industrial towns of Britain, and nothing like them has been seen before or since. Their raw earthy brilliance brought realism to a whole range of groundbreaking theatre from John Osborne’s Look Back in Anger to Joan Littlewood and Harold Pinter and the creation of the National Theatre. And they ripped apart the staid, middle class British film industry with kitchen sink classics like Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, This Sporting Life, The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, A Kind of Loving and Billy Liar before turning their sights on international stardom: Connery with James Bond, O’Toole as Lawrence of Arabia, Finney with Tom Jones and Caine with Zulu.
Don’t Let the Bastards Grind You Down brings alive the trail-blazing period of theatre and film from 1956-1964 through the vibrant energy and exploits of this revolutionary generation of stars who bulldozed over austerity Britain and paved the way for the swinging 60s. What Peter Biskind’s ‘Easy Riders Raging Bulls’ did for American cinema writing so ‘Don’t Let the Bastards’ will do for the British cinema.
Interview subjects include: David McCallum, Rita Tushingham, Michael Anderson, Victor Spinetti, Susannah York, George Baker, Sidney J. Furie, Glyn Edwards, Derek Fowlds, Gary Raymond, Michael Cacoyannis, Robert Hardy, Cyril Frankel, David Storey, Edward Hardwicke, Gemma Jones, Monty Norman, Philip Saville, Walter Lassally and the widow of Richard Harris Elizabeth Harris.
After our recent plea to Universal to release the 1965 Charlton Heston-Richard Boone film The War Lord on DVD, several readers were kind enough to inform us that it is available in the UK through Amazon. Good news indeed. The film had been released very briefly on DVD by Universal in the States years ago but has not been available since. C'mon, Universal- give American fans of this fine film the opportunity to enjoy it once again.
British readers and Americans with multi-region DVD players can order the film through Amazon UK by clicking here
Metropolis is undoubtedly one of the greatest films of all-time and is a major influence on countless artists, filmmakers, musicians and fashion gurus.That’s quite an incredible achievement considering that when it premiered in Germany in 1927 the film became a major flop for the studio UFA.Being the most expensive film made at that time, it brought the studio to its knees; audiences and critics just weren’t ready for director Fritz Lang’s depiction of a socially inapt future world.But like many works of art that are ahead of their time but unappreciated during the age of their creation, Metropolis has stood the test of time and is better received today than it’s ever been.Moreover, it is acknowledged by recent generations as being an important and groundbreaking cinematic masterpiece.
The narrative takes place in the future, where downtrodden workers slave away in the bowls of the city whilst the higher caste of society enjoys the fruits of life above ground.The appearance of the transformed seductive robot Maria (Brigitte Helm), who was created by the inventor Rotwang (Rudolf Klein-Rogge), leads the workers to revolt against their master Joh Fredersen (Alfred Abel).
The film is an infusion of sex, religion, science, and mythology, incorporating moralistic values and providing a social commentary on workers and capitalism.Set within a dystopia future, it is man against machine; the repress against the repressor.Its message is just as relevant today as it was some 80 plus years ago. Visually it’s one of the greats, with spectacular set pieces and architecture of epic proportion.
Much of the interest in Metropolis comes from the fact that when it was first shown to German audiences it originally ran at 150 minutes.Shortly after its release a quarter of the film was cut by Paramount for the US release and UFA in Germany, much to the dismay of Lang.Various versions have appeared over the years including a colourised rendition from 1984 released with a contemporary rock soundtrack with tracks by Freddie Mercury and Pat Benatar – many fans proclaimed it outlandish and accused director Giorgio Moroder of producing an outrageous piece of work.The 25-minute footage that was removed shortly after its premiere had been thought lost or even destroyed. But in 2008, an incredible discovery was made.Several dusty reels, which contained the previously missing scenes, were located in a small museum in Buenos Aires, Argentina.The finding became one of the biggest events in cinema history.A team of experts painstakingly worked on reconstructing the film at the Friedrich-Wilhelm-Murnau-Stiftung in Germany.The outcome was marvellous and premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival in February 2010 and then in various locations all around the world.
The butchering of Metropolis in the 1920’s by the studios UFA and Paramount, left audiences perplexed by the storyline and the seemingly insignificant characters.So, not only has the previously thought lost footage been reinstated, but so too has the profundity of the plot and the importance of the secondary characters such as the sinister “The Slim One†played by Fritz Rasp, as well as revealing the true meaning behind the creation of the robot.
Eureka!Entertainment has released this definitive version of Lang’s masterpiece on DVD and Blu-ray, and is available in a slipcase or in a steelbook - a must for any serious film fan.
At long last, Metropolis can now be seen as Lang originally intended.
Special features:
·150-minute reconstructed and restored 2010 version (including 25 minutes of footage previously thought lost to the world)
·New 2010 symphony orchestra studio recording of the original Gottfried Huppertz score in 5.1
·Newly translated optional English subtitles as well as the original German intertitles
·Full-length audio commentary by David Kalat and Jonathan Rosenbaum
·Die Reise nach Metropolis (2010, 55 minutes) documentary about the film
·2010 re-release trailer
·56-page booklet featuring an archival article by Fritz Lang; a 1927 review by Luis Buñuel; articles by Jonathan Rosenbaum and Karen Naundorf; and restoration notes by Martin Koerber
Click here to order from Amazon UK on Region 2 PAL format
Cinema Retro has received the following press release from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
ACADEMY DEBUTS INTERACTIVE VIRTUAL OSCAR SIDEWALK DISPLAY IN NYC
Beverly Hills, CA—The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has launched an interactive Oscar-themed sidewalk display at 1333 Broadway in New York City. The expansive window display in midtown Manhattan features nine linked 46-inch LCD screens that literally envelop passers-by in a virtual “red carpet experience.†As people walk past the eight-foot high wall of LCD screens, specially designed sensors react to their motion, triggering a flurry of virtual flashing paparazzi cameras and spotlights. Completing their sidewalk “celebrity experience,†pedestrians will receive an on-screen invitation to tune in and watch the 83rd Academy Awards® presentation on ABC Sunday, February 27.
The virtual Oscar sidewalk display also features two unique digital photo stations, located on either side of the LCD wall, where people can pose for photos while “holding†a virtual Oscar statuette. Once they digitally “accept†their Oscar, a virtual keyboard appears on the touchscreen, utilizing the same capacitive technology as the iPad and iPhone, allowing them to e-mail their customized photo to either themselves or to friends and family, sharing their moment of stardom.
“Our theme for this year’s Academy Awards presentation is ‘You’re Invited,’ and we have tried to extend that idea across as many platforms as possible,†said Janet Weiss, director of marketing for the Academy. “We’re excited that this innovative, interactive experience gives our fans a fun new way to engage with and share in the Oscars®.â€
“Through this immersive display, everyone has the chance to connect with the Academy Awards and send the proof to their friends and family,†said Chris Beauchamp, CEO of Monster Media, responsible for the development and installation of the digital experience. “And who hasn’t dreamed of holding an Oscar? Well, now they can!â€
The display at 1333 Broadway is the first of two opportunities for movie lovers in New York to experience the Oscars firsthand. On Wednesday, February 23, the Academy will open its popular “Meet the Oscars†exhibition in Vanderbilt Hall at Grand Central Terminal. “Meet the Oscars – Grand Central†will be open daily through Oscar Sunday, February 27, and will afford the public the opportunity to hold a real Oscar statuette.
Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2010 will be presented on Sunday, February 27, 2011, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live on the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.
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.
British publisher Tomahawk Press has released abiography of screen legend Boris Karloff by Stephen Jacobs that has been endorsed by the Karloff estate. Here is the press release:
This is the new authorised and definitive biography. Boris Karloff - a name synonymous with horror. Drawing on detailed research, previously unpublished letters, and interviews with those who knew him this new biography dispels the often repeated myths associated with the star - many perpetuated by Karloff himself - and reveals a wealth of new information about the private and professional life of Boris Karloff. Although forever associated with his breakthrough role of 'the Monster' in Frankenstein (1931) Boris Karloff had a career that spanned almost 50 years and over 150 movies - from the era of the silent picture through to the days of the 'Swinging Sixties'. His roles in "Bride of Frankenstein", "The Mummy", "The Black Cat", and many others - most now considered classics of the genre - ensured his reputation as 'The King of Horror'. Born William Henry Pratt in Camberwell, South London in 1887 Karloff defied family expectations and rejected a life in Government service. Instead he emigrated to Canada were he finally found work as a professional actor. After years touring Western Canada and the United States he arrived in Hollywood and tried his hand at movie acting. But success did not come overnight and the actor worked in pictures for over a decade before being asked to test for the role of the Monster. As public tastes changed Karloff was willing to adapt to the times and embraced work on the theatre, radio and television. His experience of the movie studios treatment of his colleagues led Karloff to advocate actors' rights and he became instrumental in the creation of the Screen Actors Guild. Few actors ever achieved the iconic status Karloff has been awarded. This is the only book that tells the whole story!
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