BY ERNIE MAGNOTTA

Plan 9 from Outer Space. Bride of the Monster. Glen or Glenda. You know the movie titles. And you know the man responsible for them: the legendary Ed Wood, who has been severely ridiculed by some, but revered by many others. I’m certainly not going to say that his films are masterpieces, but I do like and respect them. I also think that they have their own point of view, are far from being bad and that they deserve to be remembered. That’s why I’m thrilled to be reviewing the Blu-ray release of the Ed Wood-scripted, juvenile delinquent classic The Violent Years.

Directed by William Morgan and originally titled Teenage Girl Gang, The Violent Years follows spoiled rich kid Paula Parkins and her all-girl gang as they run wild through their city vandalizing high schools, ripping off gas stations, sexually assaulting young men, and eventually murdering a few people. Can they keep up this reign of terror or will the authorities find a way to stop their rampage once and for all?

I wouldn’t say that The Violent Years is as good as the Ed Wood films I mentioned earlier (probably because Ed didn’t direct this one), but it’s certainly entertaining and definitely worth a look. However, the idea that, due to her loving parents working a bit more than they should, Paula would become completely unfeeling and go on a bunch of crime sprees which culminate in several cold-blooded murders is pretty far-fetched. But what we mainly have here is a wonderful combination of 1950s time capsule and plenty of unintentional hilarity. For example, we are treated to pajama-clad teenage guys who are clearly 35-year-old actors; not to mention priceless Ed Wood dialogue such as, while attempting to figure out where they went wrong with Paula, her mother saying to her husband, “We gave her a new dress instead of a caress.” We also have a court judge who gives a moralistic speech thath seems to never end. Still, even without the unintended humor, the movie keeps you somewhat interested, has a semi-engaging lead (1955 Playboy Playmate Jean Moorhead as Paula), a catchy musical score and, being that it clocks in at only 57 minutes, moves along pretty quickly.

The Violent Years has been released on Blu-ray by two of my favorite companies: Something Weird Video and AGFA (American Genre Film Archive). The disc is region free and the movie is presented in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The images are extremely clear making the film, which has been scanned in 4K from the original 35mm camera negative, look better than you’ve ever seen it before. The disc is also jammed with special features which makes this a terrific Blu-ray collection. Besides the original theatrical trailer, we have fifteen minutes of Gutter-Noir trailers. We are also treated to ten minutes of previously unseen footage from a juvenile delinquent flick which Ed never completed as well as a very humorous and informative audio commentary by legendary exploitation filmmaker Frank Henenlotter (Basket Case, Brain Damage, Frankenhooker) and Ed Wood biographer Rudolph Grey. And that’s not all. Not only does this Blu-ray come with a memorabilia scrapbook containing wonderful gems such as rare photos and the theatrical trailer’s shooting script, but it also comes with a 2^nd feature! It’s another Ed Wood (co-)scripted film from 1961 called Anatomy of a Psycho which was scanned in 2K from an original 35mm theatrical print and is presented in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio. Recommended.

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(Ernie Magnotta is the author of "Halloween: The Changing Shape of an Iconic Series"). Click here to order from Amazon.)

Quentin Tarantino's "The Hateful Eight" has come to Netflix in the format of a four-part mini-series with about 25 minutes of unseen footage added to the cut. Tarantino is enthused about the possibilities the format affords directors who do not want to be confined to the running time of a theatrical release. He is currently preparing a director's cut of "Django Unchained" that will run considerably longer than his original version. However, he says that not all of his films should be extended beyond their theatrical cut running times and cites the "Kill Bill" movies among them. For more, click here.

BY FRED BLOSSER 

I saw many, many Italian-made sword-and-toga movies as a kid in the early 1960s at the Kayton, my neighborhood movie house, where they usually played on mismatched double-bills with B-Westerns, British “Carry On” comedies, low-budget noir dramas, and fourth-run Elvis movies. Many of these Italian epics were simplistic and formulaic, as if the producers figured that people had come to see spectacle, sex, and sword-fights, and never mind anything else. Regardless, more ambitious productions occasionally surfaced with slightly more dramatic substance and marginally higher production values. One such entry was “The Colossus of Rhodes” (1961), Sergio Leone’s first acknowledged directorial credit preceding his breakthrough success with “A Fistful of Dollars” in 1964. The Warner Archive Collection has released the 1961 movie on Blu-ray with audio commentary by Sir Christopher Frayling, Leone’s biographer and longtime critical champion.

The script co-written by Leone has plenty of plot -- almost too much, when one development begins to get in the way of another. As the film opens, an aristocratic Athenian war hero, Dario (Rory Calhoun), comes to Rhodes to kick back on vacation and ogle the ladies. Meanwhile, rebellion is brewing against tyrannical King Serses, who secretly schemes with Phoenicia to use Rhodes as a base for piratical raids against their mutual rival, Greece. As part of the deal, Phoenicia has agreed to provide Serses with a huge contingent of slaves to complete the 300-foot Colossus of Rhodes that straddles the harbor. The king needs the free labor to finish the construction after losing many of his initial workers -- starved and beaten political prisoners -- in a mass escape. The imposing statue of Apollo symbolically honors “the strength and power of our King Serses,” says the unctuous prime minister, Thar, but the two men also plan to use it to pour burning oil and molten lead on unsuspecting Greek warships when the enemy attacks in reprisal for Serses’ piracy. In the meantime, Thar schemes to depose Serses and make himself ruler. With the connivance of the Russian – oops, Phoenician – ambassador, the “slaves” imported to work on the Colossus are actually foreign mercenaries in disguise, sneaked in to support Thar’s coup. Got that? I haven’t even mentioned that Carete, the elderly, idealistic engineer who designed the monument, is unaware that the king is reconfiguring it as a war machine. Mirte, the sister of one of the freedom fighters opposing Serses and Thar, hopes to sway Dario over to the side of the rebels, while Thar’s mistress Diala (Lea Massari), who also happens to be Carete’s niece, welcomes the Athenian’s romantic advances for her own purposes. The royalists suspect Dario of being a rebel sympathizer. The insurrectionists eye him as a spy for Serses as he cozies up to Diala.

Cineasts today will recognize several familiar faces in the cast, including the wistfully beautiful Lea Massari from “L’avventura” and “Murmurs of the Heart,” and several actors who would later become Spaghetti Western regulars, including Roberto Camardiel (Serses), Antonio Casas (the Phoenician ambassador), and Nello Pazzafini (uncredited as a soldier in one fleeting scene). Back in 1961 on a Saturday night at the Kayton, Rory Calhoun’s would have been the only familiar face on the screen. The movie’s vintage trailer added as a supplement to the Blu-ray identifies Calhoun as “the star of ‘The Texan’,” as if audiences might be slow to remember that they had seen Calhoun on TV as “The Texan” the night before. As Leone’s token American star, Calhoun is dark, good-looking, and up to the physical demands of the chase and swordplay scenes, but his character is more passive than the usual toga heroes played by Steve Reeves and Gordon Scott. Where Hercules and Goliath usually led the revolts against evil kings in their movies, Dario is swept up in a plot hatched by others. Frayling says that Leone modeled the character on Cary Grant’s urbane Roger Thornhill in “North by Northwest,” to tease the usual conventions of the genre. Just as Grant’s accidental spy was trapped on the giant Presidential heads of Mt. Rushmore, Dario scrambles around on the Colossus to evade pursuing enemies, in what appears to be an impressive matte effect. The 220 B.C. costuming requires Calhoun to wear a short skirt and white sandals that Frayling likens to “Go-Go socks.” In fairness to the actor, he doesn’t look much sillier than Brad Pitt or Colin Farrell in similar garb in the more recent epics “Troy” and “Alexander” (both from 2004). There’s plenty of wrestling and hand-to-hand fighting in the story, with choreography only a little phonier than the average WWE smackdown, but except for one prolonged scuffle, it’s mostly executed by the Italian actors and stunt men who play the rebels and not by Calhoun.

Cinema Retro has received the following press release from Park Circus:

Park Circus is delighted to announce that it will have two classic films feature in the line-up at Festival de Cannes 2019.

A stunning new 4K restoration of Moulin Rouge (1952) will screen as part of the Cannes Classics programme, with road movie classic Easy Rider (1969) also screening. Presented half a century ago on the Croisette, in Competition at the Festival de Cannes, the film won the Prize for a first work. Co-writer, co-producer and lead actor, Peter Fonda, will be in Cannes at the invitation of the Festival to celebrate this anniversary.

Set in the 19th century, Moulin Rouge is the story of the crippled artist, Toulouse-Lautrec (José Ferrer). He forgets his worries by drinking and mingling at the Moulin Rouge nightclub in Paris, where he sits and sketches the scenes he sees. Lonely and convinced his crippled state means he will be alone forever, he is delighted to meet Marie (Colette Marchand), a young girl in need of help. The two become lovers, but he soon learns she is being unfaithful. Crushed, he throws her out and attempts to carry on with his life.

The film scooped a host of awards, including two Academy Awards® in 1953 for Best Picture and Best Costume Design.

Moulin Rouge has been restored by The Film Foundation in collaboration with Park Circus, Romulus Films and Metro Goldwyn Mayer with additional funding provided by the Franco-American Cultural Fund, a unique partnership between the Directors Guild of America (DGA), the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), Société des Auteurs, Compositeurs et Editeurs de Musique (SACEM), and the Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW).

Restored from the 35mm Original Nitrate 3-Strip Technicolor Negative. 4K scanning, color grading, digital image restoration and film recording by Cineric, Inc. Colorist Daniel DeVincent. Audio restoration by Chace Audio. Film processing and printing by FotoKem. Restoration Consultant Grover Crisp.

Presented in proud partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment, Easy Rider is a landmark road film which chronicles the search for freedom by two motorcycle-riding drifters (Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper, who also directs) who meet up with an alcoholic lawyer (Jack Nicholson) in a southern jail. The lawyer gets them out and then joins them on their liberating journey. This unconventional classic, nominated for an Academy Award® (1969) for Best Original Screenplay, is a compelling mixture of drugs, sex and armchair politics, which continues to touch a chord with fans everywhere.

Easy Rider directed by Dennis Hopper (1969, 95 minutes, USA). Restored in 4K by Sony Pictures Entertainment in collaboration with Cineteca di Bologna. Restored from the 35mm Original Picture Negative and 35mm Black and White Separation Masters. 4K scanning and digital image restoration by Immagine Ritrovata. Audio restoration from the 35mm Original 3-track Magnetic Master by Chace Audio and Deluxe Audio. Color grading, picture conform, additional image restoration and DCP by Roundabout Entertainment. Colorist Sheri Eisenberg. Restoration supervised by Grover Crisp.

Reflecting on the line-up, new Park Circus CEO Mark Hirzberger-Taylor commented:

*Park Circus is once again honoured to be a part of the Cannes Classics line-up. Together with our studio partners we are privileged to present two seminal classics to the 72nd Cannes Film Festival. We also look forward to meeting our many exhibition and distribution partners, with whom we are delighted to partner to bring so many wonderful films back to the big screen worldwide*

BY DOUG OSWALD

James Garner is an American Army intelligence officer who is one of the men behind the planning of D-Day when he’s kidnapped by the Germans in neutral Portugal just days prior to the invasion of Normandy in “36 Hours,” released on Blu-ray as part of the Warner Archive Collection. Major Jefferson Pike (Garner) is sent on a routine intelligence gathering mission to Lisbon, but it turns out to be a ruse by the Germans to kidnap Pike in order to get him to reveal the invasion plans. They drug him and transport him to Germany where Pike wakes up six years later in a U.S. Army hospital suffering from amnesia. It’s 15 May 1950 and the war has been over for several years, but Pike can’t remember anything after his night in Lisbon.

In reality, it’s still a few days before D-Day and the Germans have created an elaborate deception in order to convince Pike he’s receiving treatment at a military hospital in American occupied Germany. The Allied invasion was victorious and the war is over. Pike’s doctor, Major Walter Gerber (Rod Taylor), is in reality a German psychiatrist who developed the elaborate plan in order to gather the invasion plan date and location for Nazi Germany. A base camp filled with fake Americans and German nationals are roaming the grounds to set Pike at ease and disorient him at the same time, but also to convince him he is indeed located at an American military hospital in Germany. The Germans have gone to elaborate steps to make the trap work by dying the edges of his hair gray and putting drops in his eyes to trick him into believing he needs prescription glasses in order for Pike to accept he has aged six years. There are fake newspapers in his room, pictures of his parents, American books and a fake radio station plays American “oldies” from the 1930s and early 40s. He also learns he’s married to Anna Hedler (Eva Marie Saint), his nurse for all these years and a Jewish concentration camp survivor. Gerber has 36 hours to complete his plan, but he is under extreme pressure from Gestapo agent Werner Peters (Otto Shack) to use torture in order to retrieve the information in Pike’s head.

The movie plays like an episode of the television series “Mission: Impossible” which started production two years later in 1966. The switch here is the bad guys perform a sting operation on the good guy. Things begin to unravel after Pike discovers an important detail the Germans overlooked in the charade. Character actor John Banner, a familiar face from television’s “Hogan’s Heroes,” appears as a local German border patrol agent who plays a key role in the finale.

I remember my first viewing of this WWII mystery classic on television in the late 1970s, before cable, satellite dish and home video. I love how the movie creates tension with knowledge of history ever on our mind and knowing this is a mystery rather than science fiction for we know the Nazi mission will fail. Or will it? Maybe Pike will reveal the D-Day invasion plans. Or maybe he will reveal too much and the German’s will not believe his statements. Either way, the viewer is like a fly on the wall - a voyeur of sorts following the action in secret as everything sorts itself out. There’s tension because we care about the protagonists and want them to succeed.. The film is directed by George Seaton, who also wrote the screenplay based on a story by Carl K. Hittleman and Luis H. Vance. Unknown to the production team, the plot for “36 Hours” was similar the short story “Beware the Dog” by Roald Dahl. As a result the production had to pay Dahl to avoid a lawsuit. As previously stated, the movie itself can be seen, in hindsight, as an influence on the style of “Mission: Impossible” with elaborate deceptions, disguises and triple crosses.

Garner is terrific as always. He had the ability to play likeable Jim Garner with his everyman masculinity while giving a believable and sympathetic portrayal to each unique character. Rod Taylor is equally likeable, even when playing a Nazi doctor. It’s hard not to root for him just a little despite the fact that his plan, incredible as it is, is so ingenious. Eva Marie Saint is an actress who appeared in a variety of movie roles through the 50s and 60s and an Academy Award winner as Best Actress for “On the Waterfront.” She’s always believable and understated with her natural acting style if not a little too glamorous in the role of a Nazi concentration camp survivor in this movie. She would team with Garner again in the 1966 classic racing movie “Grand Prix.” Otto Shack is terrific as the obligatory Nazi Gestapo agent ready to use torture to get the D-Day information. The supporting cast and sets work well enough to make the viewer believe that Pike would be convinced he was behind enemy lines.

Released in 26 November 1964 by Metro-Goldwyn-Meyer in the UK (27 January 1965 in the US), the movie features an outstanding score by Dimitri Tiomkin and terrific widescreen black and white photography by Philip H. Lathrop. The light, dark and shadows give the movie a dream-like feeling as we join Pike in his nightmarish vision and possible alternate version of history. Yosemeti National Forest in central California stands in nicely for the Bavarian forest on the Swiss border. The production company had to remove any evidence they were in the park or that they transformed the Wawona Hotel into the military hospital in order to secure permission to film on location in Yosemeti. Certainly this was a cost saving measure, as filming on location in Bavaria may have been a budget issue. The movie clocks in at tight 115 minutes. The only extra on the disc is the trailer. This is a great addition on Blu-ray for James Garner fans and anyone looking for a well told mystery.

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Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for TCM

Legendary British film historian and filmmaker Kevin Brownlow suspects that many silent movies believed to have been lost in time may reside in an archive in Cuba. Brownlow, who was honored at this year's Turner Classic Movies Film Festival, said that he has had conversations with people who credibly have stated that they have knowledge of Cuba's possession of long-missing silent films including the much-sought classic "The Devil's Pass Key". Brownlow also said that other missing gems might be stored under different titles in archives around the world. In 1965, Brownlow and Andrew Mollo wrote, produced and directed the micro-budget classic "It Happened Here", a chilling vision of what life in Britain would have been like under Nazi rule. For more, click here.

BY ERNIE MAGNOTTA

Between 1972 and 1985, six-time world karate champion Chuck Norris made a total of twelve films—ten of which he had the lead role—which established him as a martial arts movie hero. Along the way, some of these films, such as Missing in Action, helped to soften his karate hero image and strengthen his action hero one. For his next film, Norris would tackle a project which further helped to tone down his martial arts image and move him more into the realm of pure action movie star. That project was 1985’s Code of Silence.

Solidly directed by Andrew Davis (1993’s The Fugitive), Code of Silence deals with Eddie Cusack, a Chicago detective who becomes an outcast from the force when he refuses to remain silent about one of his fellow officers, the alcoholic Cragie, who, among other things, is responsible for shooting an innocent teenage boy and planting a weapon on the corpse. Now, Cusack must act alone as he attempts to rescue Diana, a greedy mafia man’s innocent daughter, from ruthless drug gang leader Luis Comacho.

Code of Silence was originally written for Clint Eastwood in 1979. It was to be the fourth film in the iconic Dirty Harry series. When Clint passed on the project, the script languished until 1984 when Orion Pictures decided to make the movie with Chuck and Andrew Davis. San Francisco became Chicago and Harry Callahan became Eddie Cusack. Code of Silence is a pretty engaging action film/crime drama. Solid characterizations as well as a nice, dramatic subplot help to suck the audience in which makes the action hero heroics even more exciting to watch. Director Davis films several heart-pumping, adrenaline rush sequences such as Chuck pursuing a villain atop a fast-moving train; not to mention the very well-directed (and well-edited) opening sting operation. A Chicago native, Davis also shoots the film in such a way that he really gives his audience a feel of the city itself.

The movie is also greatly helped along by its incredible assortment of talented actors. Naturally, we have the always reliable Chuck Norris who very believably plays Eddie Cusack as a man dedicated to his job. It goes without saying that Chuck is totally convincing as a tough guy who can more than handle himself. As usual, his low key performance and soft voice (I don’t think he ever raises his voice in this film) nicely balances his flying fists and feet.

Next, we have the great Henry Silva (1960’s Oceans 11, 1962’s The Manchurian Candidate) who oozes evil as the no-nonsense, icy drug lord Luis Comacho. Film buffs will easily recognize talented actor (and talented casting director) Bert Remsen (McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Fuzz) who plays gruff Commander Kates. Next up is Molly Hagan (Some Kind of Wonderful, TV’s Herman’s Head) who shines as the tough, but vulnerable Diana. The late, great and Chicago born Dennis Farina (TV’s Crime Story, Midnight Run) was a Chicago cop before becoming a professional actor. Farina brings a lot of humor to his role of Detective Dorato which helps to balance out all the action and drama. Also, Mike Genovese (Harlem Knights, TV’s ER) is well cast as greedy mafia man Tony Luna; Nathan Davis (Dunston Checks In, Poltergeist III), who also happens to be the director’s father, does well as mafia head Felix Scalese; Ralph Foody (The Blues Brothers, Home Alone) is spot on as burnt out, alcoholic Detective Cragie; Joe Guzaldo (Chuck’s Hero and the Terror) is memorable as Chuck’s conflicted partner, and Ron Dean, who went on to appear in several films for director Davis such as Above the Law and The Fugitive, is wholly convincing as tough cop Detective Brennan. Joseph Kosala, who effectively portrays Lieutenant Kobas, was actually a retired sergeant of the Chicago Police Department and, while on the set, helped out immensely by acting as the film’s technical advisor. Kosala would go on to appear in five more films for Davis. Lastly, fans of Frasier will enjoy a humorous cameo by the late John Mahoney.

Code of Silence has been released on a Region 1 Blu-ray by Kino Lorber, It is presented in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio and the beautiful HD transfer boasts sharp, crystal clear images (I’ve never seen this film look this good) and terrific sound. The disc is also loaded with special features. We are treated to brand new interviews with co-screenwriter Michael Butler, actors Ron Dean and Molly Hagen, and composer David Michael Frank. There is also an informative and entertaining audio commentary by director Andrew Davis. Last, but not least, the disc not only contains the original theatrical trailer, but trailers for other Norris classics An Eye for an Eye (1981), Hero and the Terror (1988) and Delta Force 2 (1990) as well as the trailer for Andrew Davis’ 1989 thriller The Package. If you’re looking for a 1980s action film with more going for it than just exciting car chases and shootouts, I highly recommend Code of Silence.

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(Ernie Magnotta is the author of "Halloween: The Changing Shape of an Iconic Series"). Click here to order from Amazon.)

Peter Mayhew, who evolved from working as a hospital orderly to playing the iconic character of Chewbacca in the "Star Wars" films, has died in Texas at age 74 following spinal surgery. The 7- foot-3 Mayhew was described as a gentle giant and made his first appearance as the legendary Wookiee in the original "Star Wars" in 1977. He would repeat the role numerous times during the course of the franchise. For more click here.

BY LEE PFEIFFER

On April 28, director Francis Ford Coppola appeared at the Tribeca Film Festival to unveil "Apocalypse Now: Final Cut" which he feels is the definitive presentation of his landmark 1979 film. Coppola, looking trimmed down and very fit at age 80, was greeted by an enthusiastic sold-out audience at Manhattan's historic Beacon Theatre. The event inexplicably got off to a delayed start of almost 40 minutes as eager cinephiles began to grow restless. However, once Coppola took the stage to introduce the film, all was forgiven. He made a few brief remarks and indicated that he felt the original cut of the film was too short and his 2001 "Redux" version was too long. Then to the delight of the audience, he introduced an actor who had appeared in numerous Coppola films- Robert Duvall, who earned an Oscar nomination for his performance as the self-described "goofy fuck", Lt. Colonel Kilgore. Duvall only spoke briefly, joking that he is grateful he is still around to see the 40th anniversary screening of the film. He then got a cheer from the audience when he shouted in parting, "Charlie don't surf!", a key Kilgore line from the film.

(Photo copyright Tony Latino. All rights reserved.) 

When the film began, it became apparent that the sound system would greatly enhance the magnificent visuals. When explosions occurred, seats vibrated in the manner not seen since the days of Sensurround. There was a slight problem with the sound mixing for this presentation. In at least some parts of the theater, the background sounds often overwhelmed the dialogue, making it muffled and sometimes unintelligible. It appears that it was eventually corrected as the second half of the film did not demonstrate this issue. The sound mix was indeed impressive during the famous helicopter attack set to Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries".  The visual components were truly stunning with the viewer gaining even more appreciation for the ingenious achievement of cinematographer Vittorio Storaro.

How does "Final Cut" compare with previous editions? The following observations assume the reader has at least a general knowledge of the film. I first saw the movie in its opening engagement at the Ziegfeld Theatre in Manhattan. The presentation contained no opening or closing credits. Instead, attendees received an illustrated program listing the names of cast and crew. However, unions complained that participants were being denied proper credit in the film itself. Additionally, theater owners worried that when the movie was to go into general release, audiences would be perplexed by having the film end "cold" without any end credits. Thus, for the film's subsequent engagements, Coppola used fiery footage at the end of the film, representing the destruction of Kurtz's compound over which credits were unfurled. In 2001, Coppola reissued the film in the "Redux" version, adding significant scenes that had been deleted from the original cut. "Final Cut" leaves intact most of these scenes:

• Extended footage of Kilgore's mad quest to initiate surfing amidst a raging battle and Willard's prank of stealing Kilgore's beloved surfboard. He also keeps in a later scene in which the voice of Kilgore can be heard from a helicopter demanding the return of the board, as the men hide below in their boat, obscured by the jungle.
  
• The extended French plantation sequence in which Willard and his team come upon heavily-armed members of a proud French family who are determined to retain control of their beloved mansion and plantation. The soldiers are welcomed in to stay the night and Willard allows himself to be seduced by a glamorous widow who smokes cigars in an elegant manner.
  

(L to R: John Singleton, Cuba Gooding Jr., Ice Cube and Morris Chesnut 

on the set of "Boyz N in the Hood".)

BY LEE PFEIFFER

Filmmaker John Singleton has died from the effects of a stroke at age 51. His death was not unexpected, as doctors had been unable to revive him and his family made the difficult decision to remove him from life support. Singleton was an inspiration for African-American filmmakers, building on successes by Gordon Parks and Spike Lee. His 1990 film "Boyz N in the Hood" was a personal reflection on growing up black in L.A. The film was a major hit and was highly acclaimed. He became the first African-American to be nominated for a Best Director Oscar, and the youngest person ever nominated in that category. He was also nominated for his screenplay. Singleton was only 24 years old and had recently graduated from USC film school. He built on the momentum with "Poetic Justice", "Higher Learning", "Rosewood" and other acclaimed films. He also produced the hit movie "Hustle & Flow" and in recent years had turned his attention to producing and directing television series. Singleton's death at a relatively young age was caused by a lifelong battle with hypertension and high blood pressure. For more, click here.

Here is the original U.S. radio spot promoting Alfred Hitchcock's 50th motion picture, the Cold War spy thriller "Torn Curtain" (1966) starring Paul Newman and Julie Andrews.

BY FRED BLOSSER

Mill Creek Entertainment has released a double-bill of “Fort Yuma Gold” (1966) and “Damned Hot Day of Fire” (1968) in a Blu-ray + Digital edition. Mill Creek notes that the films are two of Quentin Tarantino’s favorite Spaghetti Westerns -- a shrewd strategy to attract fans who may be interested in sampling the same, often hard-to-find genre movies that Tarantino devoured in his formative years. Both pictures are above-average Italian Westerns.

In “Fort Yuma Gold,” directed by veteran Italian filmmaker Giorgio Ferroni as “Calvin J. Padget,” outlaw chief Nelson Riggs schemes with renegade Confederate Major Sanders to steal a million dollars in gold from Fort Yuma, a Union outpost, in the last days of the Civil War. While Sanders orders his troops to make a diversionary, suicidal attack on the fort, he and Riggs will sneak into the post through an abandoned mine and grab the loot. When a Union commander some days’ ride away learns about the plot, he dispatches two of his soldiers, Captain Lefevre and Sergeant Pitt, to warn the fort, guided by Lt. Gary Hammond, a Confederate prisoner of war. As a native Westerner, Hammond knows the safest route to Fort Yuma. The two Northerners don’t. Secretly, Hammond hopes to elude the two Yankees en route, locate Sanders‘ detachment, and avert disaster by warning his friend Lt. Brian, one of Sanders’ adjutants, about the Major’s treachery.

The movie’s traditional plot is reminiscent of Hollywood’s Civil War Westerns like “Escape from Fort Bravo” and “Alvarez Kelly,” reflecting the strategy generally used by Italian studios in the early days of the Spaghettis to make their films look as much like American productions as possible. The actors billed as “Montgomery Wood” (Hammond), “Red Carter” (Sgt. Pitt), and “Benny Reeves” (Juke, Riggs‘ henchman) were actually Italians Giuliano Gemma, Nello Pazzafini, and Benito Stefanelli. Gemma also used the “Montgomery Wood” alias in three other Italian Westerns, and his resemblance to American leading man and future best-selling novelist Tom Tryon may have helped further the impression that “Fort Yuma Gold” was an import from America. The deception probably worked as long as ticket-buyers failed to recognize Ferroni, Gemma, Pazzafini, Stefanelli, Dan Vadis (Riggs), Jacques Sernas (Sanders), and Antonio Molino Rojo (Brian) as homegrown veterans of the Italian sword-and-toga epics of the late 1950s and early 1960s. When the popularity of the toga spectacles waned with the rise of the Italian Westerns, many writers, directors, and actors transitioned easily from one genre to the next. The hammy, WWE-style melees between gladiators and centurions in the Hercules and Samson movies became the saloon brawls of the Spaghettis, with athletic actors like Gemma, Pazzafini, and Stefanelli doing their own stunts. By 1966, in turn, public tastes in the Italian Westerns had begun to favor the cynical, down-and-dirty violence of Sergio Leone’s massively successful Spaghettis over the American model. In Italy, “Fort Yuma Gold” opened as “Per pochi dollari ancora” or “For a Few Extra Dollars.” The moviemakers were clearly hoping to ride the recent smash success of “For a Few Dollars More,” even if Ferroni/Padget’s style bears little likeness to Leone’s. If you don’t expect a polished American picture on one hand or a nihilistic Leone clone on the other, you might enjoy “Fort Yuma Gold” on its own terms as a mostly fast-paced, sincere B-Western.

“DEADPAN ALLEY”

By Raymond Benson

The maverick independent filmmaker Jim Jarmusch burst into art-house public consciousness in 1984 with his strikingly original slice-of-life comedy, Stranger Than Paradise, and we hadn’t really seen anything like it before. I remember going to see it at the little cinema across from Lincoln Center in New York City. As the guy interviewed in front of the theater in the supplemental documentary on this Criterion Collection doozy says, the queue of people to get inside was indeed full of “hipsters.” It was the picture to see if you were in tune to the downtown arts scene, avant-garde theatre/music/film/literature, and far-from-Hollywood-mainstream moviemaking.

For me, it was my favorite film of the year. Audience members who dug it found subtle humor in the three main characters’ seemingly aimless existences and motivations to live their lives in a spontaneous, who cares? fashion. Those viewers who had wandered in not knowing what to expect may have left the theater scratching their heads.

The story, such as it is, concerns Willie (musician-turned-actor John Lurie), a bachelor in Manhattan, who gets a visit from his Hungarian cousin Eva (Eszter Balint). The two hang out with Willie’s friend Eddie (Richard Edson), and they sometimes get along, sometimes not. Eventually, Eva goes to Cleveland, and a year later the two guys go to visit her. Cleveland is Nowheresville, so they decide to go back to New York—but on the spur of the moment change their minds and travel to Florida with Eva. There are some shenanigans with gambling, horse races, dumb drug dealers, and mistaken identity, after which the three characters go their separate ways—but not intentionally. To say more would give away the oddball sequence of events that is really the whole point of the picture.

Shot in a seriously deadpan, almost drab style, the comedy comes from the sheer dullness of the characters and their everyday lives. The black and white cinematography by future director Tom DiCillo captures an equally dreary and wintery New York, Cleveland, and Florida that emphasizes the dingy worlds in which these misfits inhabit. Overlay this with Lurie’s own unique unconventional chamber-music score and a blistering “theme song” of “I Put a Spell on You” by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, and you have an exercise in supreme existential irony.

Criterion has upgraded their original DVD to Blu-ray with a high-definition digital restoration, supervised and approved by Jarmusch. It looks great, and its graininess is perfect for the presentation’s thematic ideas. The movie comes with an uncompressed monaural soundtrack and an audio commentary from 1996 featuring Jarmusch and Richard Edson.

Supplements include Jarmusch’s first full-length feature film from 1980, Permanent Vacation, also in a high-definition digital restoration. It’s even wackier and more poker-faced than Stranger, about a young loner (played by Chris Parker), who wanders around New York in a similarly purposeless fashion as the characters in Stranger. Not as effective as the main feature on the disk, Vacation is a trial run “student film” that shows promise.

There’s also an interesting 1984 German television documentary about Jarmusch’s first two films, with interviews with the casts and crews of both. A short, silent behind-the-scenes documentary made by Jarmusch’s brother Tom during the making of Stranger reminds me of someone’s old Super 8 home movies that hold interest for everyone who is in them but not for the guests who are made to sit through them.

The thick accompanying booklet is jam-packed with illustrated material—Jarmusch’s 1984 “Some Notes on Stranger Than Paradise,” critics Geoff Andrew and J. Hoberman on the picture, and author/critic Luc Sante on Permanent Vacation.

Stranger Than Paradise is a timely artifact from the mid-80s, when independent filmmaking was booming and making waves. It’s a trail-blazer and an A+ experience for deadpan hipsters.

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ABC TV will air a live tribute to the classic 1970s sitcoms "All in the Family" and the spin-off series "The Jeffersons" on May 22. Both shows were the creations of legendary producer Norman Lear. The telecast will be star-studded with Woody Harrelson and Marisa Tomei taking on the roles of Archie and Edith Bunker and Jamie Foxx and Wanda Sykes portraying George and Louise Jefferson. Both sitcoms became sensational hits and ushered in a new era of realism on American television. Issues of racism and sexism were discussed openly. Gay characters were the subjects of story lines. Social issues that resonated with the American public were portrayed in a humorous but poignant manner. Although both Archie Bunker and George Jefferson could be close-minded blowhards, they were both hard-working honorable men in many ways. Click here for more.

EDITORIAL:

Disney will be launching its high profile streaming service that will mandate viewers subscribe directly if they want to see films under the company's banner. These extend from the Star Wars franchise to the traditional Walt Disney classics. However, the 1946 animated film Song of the South will not be among them. Ever since the emergence of home video, movie buffs have pressured the company to release the film, which won a Best Song Oscar for "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah". The problem is that the depiction of African-American character Uncle Remus, played by James Baskett, is considered to be racially insensitive by contemporary standards. However, Disney has been accused of hypocrisy in the past because the movie had been available in certain countries on home video. If it is racist in the United States why isn't it racist anywhere? To be sure, the film would certainly seem offensive to modern audiences that have not been acquainted with how black characters were portrayed in Hollywood in days of old. We've all seen cringe-inducing scenes even in films that are considered to be classics. They are difficult to watch for enlightened viewers of any race. However, there is a solution to this: important films with racially sensitive materials could be presented with an introduction explaining the controversial aspects and placing them in the context of the era in which they were made. If Disney doesn't want to  stream the movie on its new service, it should at least be available on home video. Suppressing art, even when offensive, is never a good idea and the film is a masterpiece of animation blended with live action. Although Song of the South is the only film that Disney has banned from exhibition or video release in America, the company did digitally alter re-issues of Fantasia to eliminate black cherubs that it was felt would be viewed as offensive. Disney has also announced it will make some minor edits to the animated version of Dumbo prior to making it available for streaming because of racial concerns.

Disney could turn its dilemma into a win/win by placating classic movie lovers and placing the film in context by addressing the disturbing elements head on and admitting what is obvious: like most studios, it has used prejudicial stereotypes at some points in its history. The studio has traditionally made films that catered to children but that doesn't mean it should treat all viewers as though they are children.

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David Picker and his wife Sandy at a book party for release of his memoirs in Beverly Hills, 2013. (Photo copyright Cinema Retro, all rights reserved.)

BY LEE PFEIFFER

David V. Picker, whose tenure at major film studios and as an independent producer, made him a legend in the film industry, has died from colon cancer in New York at age 87. The Picker family lived and breathed movies and in the 1950s they ran United Artists under the leadership of Arthur Krim. Under Krim and the Pickers, UA entered a "Golden Age" of achievements. David, who was named head of production at an early age, showed an uncanny ability to attract top talent and produce films that were popular and critical successes. He was ultimately named President and COO of the company. During his tenure, UA brought to the screen films that were diverse in content including "West Side Story", "The Magnificent Seven", "The Great Escape", "In the Heat of the Night", "Judgment at Nuremberg", "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" and many others. He also thought outside the box by green-lighting "Midnight Cowboy", making it the only "X-rated" movie to win a Best Picture Oscar. He also backed director Bernardo Bertolucci's controversial film "Last Tango in Paris" and developed a gradual distribution roll-out that used the movie's notoriety as a marketing took, making the film a sensation. When he heard about a director named Sergio Leone having great success with the European Western "A Fistful of Dollars", Picker ignored conventional wisdom and struck a deal to release the film in English-language markets. The Leone trilogy of films with Clint Eastwood made both men international celebrities and went on to become acclaimed as classics despite their modest production values. Picker also struck a long term production deal with Woody Allen, resulting in many highly acclaimed films.

Picker also saw early potential in the Beatles before they became household names internationally. He arranged a multiple picture deal and hired young director Richard Lester to helm "A Hard Day's Night". The film became a sensation. Perhaps his greatest success was arranging a deal with James Bond producers Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman to bring Ian Fleming's 007 novels to the big screen after Columbia passed on the opportunity. Picker foresaw the potential of a long-term franchise but later admitted no one could have foreseen it thriving after a half-century. It was Picker who arguably salvaged the Bond franchise after Sean Connery retired from the role after his fifth Bond film, "You Only Live Twice" in 1967. Unknown actor George Lazenby took over the role for "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" but he, too, quit, leaving the franchise in disarray. American actor John Gavin was signed for the role for "Diamonds are Forever" but Picker had second thoughts about his viability to play Bond. He arranged to meet Connery for a game of golf in Spain and convinced him to return for one more Bond movie, agreeing to the highest salary ever paid to an actor. The film's success proved there was still a major market for James Bond and allowed Connery's successor Roger Moore to thrive in the role of 007.

Picker left UA in the 1970s and became an independent producer. One of his great successes was Bob Fosse's 1974 film "Lenny". He also produced the acclaimed comedy "Smile" and the disaster thriller "Juggernaut". At various times he was wooed back to take top level positions at various studios including Paramount, Columbia and Lorimar. He oversaw some major successes as well as flops but his low-key personality didn't often mix well with the hyper-activity in the New Hollywood. Ultimately, he returned to independent producing and brought Steve Martin to the big screen with the enormous hit "The Jerk". Picker also served for a time as President of Hallmark Entertainment Productions.

Picker, who was a modest and reserved figure in an industry strewn with big egos, rarely gave interviews but he was a contributor to Cinema Retro, enlightening readers with behind the scenes stories pertaining to specific films. He told us that during his days at United Artists, he and his fellow production executives were conscious of the fact that the company had been founded by actors: Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford. Thus, it became the corporate philosophy to not interfere with a director or producer once a movie had been given the green light. The first time the UA brass often saw any of the film was when it was completed and screened. There were exceptions when a production was deemed to be in trouble and over-budget. Picker admitted he made a mistake when he greenlit director George Stevens' biblical epic "The Greatest Story Ever Told" largely on the basis that he had grown up idolizing the filmmaker. The movie proved to be a boxoffice disaster and the studio only recovered because of the success of "Help!" and "Thunderball". Picker had also given the go-ahead for the big budget adaptation of James Michener's "Hawaii". When the budget started hitting the stratosphere, Picker went to the location and personally cut out the last half of the script in an attempt to salvage what became a boxoffice disaster. He also had to inform director/star John Wayne that he had to trim considerable footage from the roadshow presentations of "The Alamo" when the film went into wide release in order to ensure profitability. Wayne complied without complaint but when the same situation arose with Stanley Kramer's "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World", it resulted in bad feelings between the two men. Picker always claimed that although the film is beloved by many, he couldn't stand to watch it because it brought back so many negative memories of feuding with Kramer.

Picker had been involved in politics throughout his adult life along with other prominent members of his family who promoted liberal candidates and causes. His uncle Arnold was  named in the first spot on President Nixon's notorious "secret" list of personal enemies. In a note below Arnold's name, Nixon indicated that the resources of the federal government should also be considered to be used  illegally against David Picker and United Artists as a corporation. Picker said that when the list became public in the midst of the Watergate scandal, he hung it on his wall with pride.

Picker was arguably the last major studio head from a Golden Age of Hollywood film production. His 2013 memoir "Musts, Maybes and Nevers" is an essential read for anyone who likes classic movies. Cinema Retro is grateful for his friendship and contributions to our magazine and we extend our sincere condolences to his wife Sandy and the entire Picker family.

BY LEE PFEIFFER

Just in case you thought the good folks at Vinegar Syndrome only release version of vintage porn flicks, it may come as news that they are also providing another valuable social service: remastering long-forgotten grind house "classics".  Case in point: "The Muthers", a 1976 gem that plays out like the ultimate Tarantino fantasy. It's a combination of several genres: Women in Prison ("W.I.P", for the initiated), chop socky, sexploitation and blaxploitation. It doesn't get any better than this if you were weaned on this glorious type of sleaze that played routinely on 42nd Street. Directed by cult "B" movie favorite Cirio Santiago, "The Muthers" is yet another low-budget flick from the era that was filmed in the Philippines. The movie opens with a memorable introduction to the titular characters. They are Kelly (Jeannie Bell) and her equally sexy sidekick Anggie (Rosanne Katon, Playboy's Miss September in 1978), who are female pirates with an all-male crew ("You go, girls!"). We see them aboard their high speed, armed vessel as they raid a tourist boat and grab the booty. (Since these are good pirates, no one gets hurt). We know the pirates go by the name of The Muthers because their vessel is adorned with a big sign that reads "The Muthers", in what must have been the first case of branding for high seas pirates. When they return to their Hole-in-the-Wall-like village, they are informed that Kelly's teenage sister has gone missing. They start trawling the waterfront bars and learn that she has been abducted by a human trafficking ring. Working with a government agent who wants to bring down the head of the ring, a notorious crime kingpin named Monteiro (Tony Carreon), Kelly and Anggie volunteer to be captured. They are brought to Monteiro's jungle prison camp, which is guarded by a virtual army of heavily-armed thugs. Here they find dozens of young women being kept in brutal conditions. They are forced to perform manual labor and are simultaneously being groomed for sale to a procurer of girls for international brothels. Kelly manages to get a fleeting glimpse of her sister before she learns the younger girl has made a desperate attempt to escape into the jungle- a strategy which goes tragically awry. 

While in the camp, Kelly and Anggie meet Marcie (Trina Parks), another beauty who is regarded as a long-time veteran prisoner who knows all the ropes. Marcie introduces them to Serena (Jayne Kennedy), who is the privileged mistress of Monteiro (who also sleeps with his male guards). Anggie resents Serena for selling out in return for her soft lifestyle at the camp and derisively refers to her as a "house nigger". But Marcie informs her that Serena often provides what human compassion she can towards the prisoners. Ultimately, Kelly, Angie and Marcie enlist Serena in an audacious plan for them all to escape. They do so but Monteiro and his goons are in hot pursuit. As the women hide in the jungle, they face death from the elements, starvation and dangerous critters. In the film's best scenario, Marcie is bitten in the chest by a deadly snake. As Serena sucks the blood out, Marcie gets the movie's best line of dialogue: "Just like every other snake I've met-- won't leave my tits alone!" Although Parks, Kennedy and Katon frustrate male viewers  keeping their clothes mostly intact, Bell delivers the goods with two (not one, but two!) gratuitous topless bathlng sequences. She also saunters around the tropical location clad in a long-sleeve turtleneck shirt, the absurdity of which is overshadowed by the fact that she is conspicuously bra-less. The film climaxes with double crosses, a big shootout between the "good" pirates and Monteiro's forces, with machine gun slinging chicks also going hand-to-hand with the villains. (Yes, everybody is kung-fu fighting.) At one point in the movie, Bell gets to swing vine-to-vine a la Tarzan. As low grade action films go, it doesn't get much lower or better than this- and it's all set to a typically funky '70s disco score. 

Jeannie Bell displays why the questionable choice of wearing a long-sleeve turtleneck in the tropics has its good points.

The Vinegar Syndrome release has undergone a 2k restoration from the original 35mm negative, making it yet another one of their titles that probably looks infinitely better today than it did upon its initial release. An appropriately cheesy trailer is also included that doesn't even credit the actresses, though perhaps they consider that to be a positive.

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BY JOHN M. WHALEN

Back in 1978, Burt Reynolds was still at the beginning of a cycle of six action comedies that he made with director Hal Needham—a cycle that started with “Smokey and the Bandit “(1977) and ended with “Cannonball Run II” (1984).  One of the best of these films was “Hooper”—a tribute to Hollywood’s unsung hero, the Hollywood stunt man. “Hooper” was a very personal film for both Reynolds and Needham who both started their movie careers as stunt doubles. Needham started doing stunt work in the early years of live TV in New York and is best remembered for his stunt driving in Steve McQueen’s “Bullitt” (1968). Reynolds also began in TV and parlayed his athletic ability along with his good looks to become one of tinseltown’s biggest stars. In a very real way, “Hooper” is even more personal film for Reynolds, because one of the characters in the film is based on a legendary, real-life stunt man/movie star, whom Reynolds knew personally and in fact idolized.

“Hooper” begins with opening credits superimposed over Sonny Hooper (Reynolds) putting on braces, ace bandages, and padding over a body bearing multiple scars. “March of the Toreadors” plays on the soundtrack as he dons a motorcycle outfit and strides out into the sunlight to perform a dangerous stunt, skidding a motorcycle under a moving truck. He’s working on a spy movie starring Adam West who appears in the film as himself. That stunt completed, next day he takes a high fall off a roof with a dog. “Make me look good,” West tells him. But it’s after that fall we discover Sonny’s got a bad back. He gets his friend Cully (James Best) to walk him to his trailer, where he gives him a shot of Xylocaine. “You know what I’d do if I ever met the guy who invented Xylocaine?” Sonny asks. “I’d get on my knees and kiss his ass.”

In the meantime, a new younger stuntman said to be the next Sonny Hooper, arrives on the scene. Ski (Jan Michael Vincent) meets Sonny during filming of a chariot race scene. Although he sees Ski as a threat, Sonny can’t help liking the young up-and-comer. For one thing, the kid is damn good at what he does. Maybe too good. As the story progresses, Sonny realizes the new generation of stunt players coming up are smarter and tougher, if not better than he and his contemporaries were. “They don’t take pills,” he tells Cully, “they don’t drink, they don’t take shots, and they carry little pocket calculators. We don’t watch out, they’re gonna blow us right out of the tub.”

The story follows a simple straight line, the old timer trying to keep up with the younger rival even if it costs him his life. His doctor tells Hooper that his vertebrae are torn almost beyond repair. One heavy impact or fall could paralyze him for life. Naturally the film leads to a climax that calls for Hooper and Ski to perform the greatest stunt ever filmed—one that involves jumping a rocket car 325 feet over a collapsed bridge.

In addition to the main plot line there is a subplot that in a way is even more interesting than the rest of the movie, once you know the inside story. Hooper has a sweetheart, a gal named Gwen, played, of course by Sally Field, Reynolds’ main squeeze at the time. Gwen has a father, Jocko Doyle (Brian Keith) who was once known as the greatest stunt man alive. It’s no coincidence that in real life Sally Field’s stepfather was none other than Jock Mahoney one of the greatest stuntmen who ever lived. Keith first appears on horseback wearing a fringed buckskin jack, the kind that was Mahoney’s trade mark when he played the Range Rider, a Gene-Autry produced TV series that aired in the 1950s. Mahoney, who was known in the trade and by his friends as “Jocko,” had been a stunt double for Charles Starrett in the Durango Kid features. He played Yancy Derringer on a CBS series and went on to play Tarzan in two features that were filmed in Asia. Unfortunately, he contracted dysentery and dengue fever while on location in Thailand and his general health took a heavy hit. During the filming of an episode of the Kung Fu TV series in the seventies Mahoney suffered a stroke and was confined to a wheel chair for some time.

I mention all this because near the end of Act Two of “Hooper,” Jocko Doyle also suffers a stroke, mirroring the same fate suffered by Mahoney. In Gene Freese’s biography, Jock Mahoney, The Life and Films of a Hollywood Stuntman, the author tells us that both Reynold and Needham were Jocko fans, and of course he was Sally Field’s stepdad. Freese says the part of Gwen’s father was “based on Jock Mahoney himself.” Both the star and the director wanted Mahoney to play the part, but the studio didn’t want him. Some fans, who knew the Mahoney/Doyle connection thought that perhaps he wasn’t physically able to play the part. But that wasn’t it. He was fit enough, Freese writes, but the studio wanted a bigger name. However, Mahoney was on hand during filming in an advisory capacity and provided some of the “Mahoneyisms” that the actors used in their dialog.

“Hooper” is one of those special movies that really deserved to be released on Blu-Ray. For one thing it’s the kind of movie that they don’t make any more, and probably never will again. As Hooper said, the boys with the calculators and computers have taken over. A lot of stunt work has been replaced by CGI. “Hooper “is light hearted and fun to watch because everyone in it seems to be enjoying themselves. Reynolds does his usual mugging and winking into the camera, and there was real chemistry between he and Field back then. But more importantly, “Hooper” pays homage to the men and women who made the stars look good, as Adam West said. And it shows the price these legendary people paid, in terms of broken bones, chronic pain, in some cases permanent injury and even death. Yet despite the odds of surviving a career like that intact, the film conveys a sense of good humor mixed with bravado that’s hard to find in movies these days. It’s no Range Rider, but it’s a damn good movie.

Warners Home Video released “Hooper” in 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The picture is excellent. The soundtrack contains the usual country western tunes, but is in mono with too much shrill high end and not enough bass. The only extra is a standard format trailer. This is another case where an iconic film significant at least of the time period in which it was released, is presented with no commentary or documentary features. I would really have enjoyed hearing Reynolds or Field talk about it.

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(John M. Whalen's latest book is "The Big Shutdown". Click here to view promotional trailer. Click here to order from Amazon.) 

In the 1950s through 1970s, episodes of hit television shows were often turned into feature films. Here's one exploiting "Bonanza" that was used for European markets but which was never released in the USA.

BY TODD GARBARINI

When I was asked to review a film from 1975 called Supercock, I immediately thought that it sounded like a film that may have starred the late adult film performer John Holmes who was known the world over for being extraordinarily, if not freakishly, well-endowed. An Internet Google search turned up Supercock – the film I was reviewing and another one that starred John Holmes, a film I only joked about even existing! The latter didn’t surprise me in the slightest and I breathed a sigh of relief that I wasn’t being asked to review that film.

Supercock is a comedic outing concerning the sport of cockfighting with a humorous script that makes as many sexual inuendoes as you can imagine, to the point of it being a one-note joke that occasionally draws guffaws, smiles, and even a few rolling eyes. It was usually double-billed with the Warren Oates/Monte Hellman vehicle Cockfighter (1974). Shot in the Philippines circa 1974, the film stars the late Ross Hagen as Seth Calhoun, a Western clothing-wearing hotshot from the United States boasting about his cock, Friendly (a rooster that performs in cockfights and has a reputation that precedes him). The dialog is insipid as evinced by the airport scene as Seth walks through Customs and, when asked if he has anything else to declare, he responds, “Just my cock,” drawing grins from female onlookers. This is where he meets a taxi driver who calls himself G.I. Joe (Tony Lorea) and they make an unlikely pairing as they attempt to take on the highly lucrative industry of cockfighting, with G.I. Joe taking 5% of the profits. A competitor, Seeno Nono (Subas Herrero), makes a failed attempt to ingratiate himself with Seth only to find that the latter isn’t for sale. Seth challenges Seeno Nono to a cockfight with Friendly against three of his best, well, cocks (you get the picture). You see, Seth’s cock excels at fighting since he has been trained in a technique called “affection training.”

In an effort to sway Seth, Seeno Nono unleashes one of his weapons, an attractive Asian (Nancy Kwan) who, in typical B-movie narrative style, is not only young but completely unattached (just like in real life!). Under his orders, she puts the moves on Seth and wouldn’tcha know it she begins to develop feelings for him. Her feelings of conflict don’t sit well with her boss who finally pulls out the big guns in the form of his henchman who make a mad dash to steal Friendly in a very funny and frenetic on-foot chase sequence that pits them against G.I. Joe and Seth. The finale consists of a showdown between Seth and Seeno Nono’s cocks (gosh, that sounds horrible…).

Supercock, like the 1979 horror film Tourist Trap, inexplicably received a PG rating but rest assured that this is not a film for children by any means. If the title draws a blank, it was also known as: Fowl Play, A Fistful of Feathers, and Superchicken. This is obviously a low-budget affair so you’re not going into this expecting the cinematic equivalent of Once Upon a Time in the West. There is no profanity or sex in the film although there is a significant amount of violence between the roosters that could easily upset youngsters should they possess the fortitude to get past the dubbed dialog and “cock” banter that permeates the first two thirds of the film.

If you can believe it, there is a novelization of the film. I can hear the words of Isaac Davis in Woody Allen’s Manhattan (1979) wherein he essentially describes the writing of novelizations of movies as another “contemporary American phenomenon that’s truly moronic.” Supercock appears to be no exception.

Directed by Gus Trikonis, the man responsible for The Swinging Barmaids (1975), The Student Body (1976), Moonshine County Express (1977), and The Evil (1978) among many other motion picture and television titles, Supercock is an acquired taste (sorry, another awful pun) and is now available in a limited edition Blu-ray. It has a very good transfer and while grainy it’s free of scratches, tears and reel-change cue marks. The extras include trailers for The Intruder (1975), The Dismembered (1962), The Satanist (1968), Trailer Trauma, Trailer Trauma 2, and Ninja Busters (1984). The highlight is a feature-length audio commentary with grade-B movie director Fred Olen Ray who talks a little bit about the film but speaks at length about low-budget filmmaking in addition to his experiences in the industry. A very informative and fun listen, worth the price of admission.

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BY LEE PFEIFFER

Marcello Mastroianni has a terrific role in the little-remembered 1968 comedy caper film "Diamonds for Breakfast" which doesn't appear to have enjoyed an American theatrical release. (In the U.K., it opened on as the bottom half of a double bill with a spaghetti western.) Mastroianni excelled at playing lovable rogues and here he is in his element as Grand Duke Nicholas Wladimirovitch, a descendant of the ill-fated Romanov family that was notoriously executed in the aftermath of the 1917 Russian Revolution. Nicky has the requisite swagger of someone descended from Russia's last czar but he has fallen on hard times. His charm, charisma and good looks ensure a bevy of willing women (especially in the new era of sexual liberation) but his finances are dwindling. While in London he discovers that the Soviet Union has agreed stage a museum display of the Romanov family jewels that were seized as property of the state after the czar was overthrown. Nicky decides that he must honor his family's legacy by stealing them back, although his motives seem to based less on principal than on securing his own financial situation. He concocts an audacious scheme to enlist a wacky artist, Bridget Rafferty (Rita Tushingham) and a team of gorgeous young women as his partners in crime. The first order of business is to convince Popov (Warren Mitchell), the high-strung Soviet representative who has duty of ensuring the safety of the jewels, to allow them to be utilized in a charitable event at a manor house (actually Blenheim Palace) where they will be modeled by Nicky's team of allies. Popov initially resists but ultimately is charmed by the pleas of the young women to relent. From there the film chronicles the elaborate enactment of the crime that involves too many elements and deceptions to analyze in detail. Suffice it to say that one of the most clever elements involves carrier pigeons to secure the heisted goods are brought to a designated location.

The film is directed at breakneck speed by Christopher Morahan and in that respect, it mirrors the type of production that had emerged in movies depicting the on-going "mod" crazy that was sweeping England in the late 1960s. Morahan is also not subtle in his handling of the humor, occasionally crossing over into slapstick with a Keystone Cops-inspired chase. The screenwriters also fall short. Although the actual caper scenes, which comprise the bulk of the film, are often clever, they are also somewhat ludicrous with the crooks relying on unpredictable instances of happenstance and good luck in order to achieve their goal. The man asset of the production is Mastroianni, who once again plays a handsome ladies man who also possesses all-to-human failings. He literally slips on a banana peel and makes other bumbling mistakes even though he's quite competent at finding gorgeous bed mates. Rita Tushingham is unfortunately relegated to a minor role once the other women become more prominent in the story. (Among them: Margaret Blye, Elaine Taylor and Francesca Tu.) Leonard Rossiter is amusing as a police inspector who is beguiled by the seductive models and Warren Mitchell is encouraged to chew the scenery as the angst-filled Soviet who knows his life probably depends upon getting back the stolen diamonds.  The whole affair ends up with an ironic ending, as many of these comedic caper films do.

"Diamonds for Breakfast" is a mildly amusing farce with some good production values and some wonderful memories of the mod era with those sexy fashions and models who have the code number "007" written on their thighs. Mastroianni and some lush scenery provide the primary reasons for giving it a chance. The Kino Lorber transfer looks very good indeed and there is a generous trailer gallery of other Mastroianni and Tushingham films, though surprisingly, "Diamonds for Breakfast"'s trailer is not included.

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BY LEE PFEIFFER

Burt Lancaster fans can rejoice that his 1974 thriller "The Midnight Man" finally gets a home video release in America with Kino Lorber's Blu-ray release. Even better news is that this is a special edition with an informative commentary track. Lancaster co-wrote and co-directed (both with Roland Kibbee) the murder mystery that plays out like a TV movie-of-the-week from the era. That isn't meant as a knock, given how good so many of the TV crime productions were in the 1970s. The film is based on David Anthony's novel "The Midnight Lady and the Mourning Man" and, refreshingly, it has an offbeat quality about it due to its location filming in and around Clemson University in South Carolina, which was very much a sleepier locale than it is today. Lancaster is cast as Jim Slade, a once respected Chicago police officer who flew off the handle and shot his wife's lover (though it isn't clear if he killed him.) He's spent a lot of time in stir and when we first see him, he is arriving in a small southern town by bus to pick up the pieces of his life. He's broke with few prospects except a job offered to him by his old friend and police colleague Quartz (Cameron Mitchell), who is now retired from the police force and heading a security company that looks after the local university. Slade will be working in the seemingly boring job of night watchman on the midnight shift at the school, where crime isn't a major problem. However, his timing is right in terms of alleviating boredom. No sooner does Slade start the job than a psychiatric counselor for troubled students informs him that his office had been broken into and the only thing missing were several audio tapes in which students confessed the most troubling aspects of their lives. The highly confidential tapes had not been listened to but it becomes clear that one student in particular, Natalie (Catherine Bach) is particularly troubled. Slade befriends her and discovers she's an emotional wreck about the missing tape but she won't tell him what was so sensitive about the recording. When Natalie ends up dead in her dorm room, the local police captain, Casey (Harris Yulin) takes over the case and immediately arrests a local Peeping Tom who had an interest in the victim. Slade, however, voices his skepticism and starts his own ad-hoc investigation. Along the way he ends up romancing his parole officer, Linda Thorpe (Susan Clark), who has a big city mentality when it comes to sexual permissiveness.

"The Midnight Man" is a complex thriller with plenty of requisite false leads and red herrings. It's leisurely-paced and that's a good thing in the current era of shoot 'em up crime movies and TV series. There are some exciting action scenes in the film but it's primarily about following clues, which Slade doggedly does despite being targeted for murder and not being able to trust anyone, including Captain Casey, with whom he is in constant conflict. Lancaster provides one of his most low-key performances. Some critics said he was sleepwalking through the part but this isn't so. He's an ex-con with a lot to lose so it's appropriate that he would maintain a quiet, polite demeanor. Lancaster never gave a bad performance in his career and he's particularly good here. The film has a marvelous supporting cast and directors Lancaster and Kibbee use them well. It's great to see Lancaster teamed again with the ever-underrated Susan Clark after the two starred in "Valdez is Coming" a few years before. Clark has an important role here and she's excellent. So, too, is Cameron Mitchell as the only true friend Slade seems to have in an increasingly hostile and dangerous town. It's also good to see Robert Quarry in small, non-horror film (he's very good.) Lancaster's son Bill also has a supporting role and acquits himself well. The finale unloads an abundance of complex explanations in a voice-over by Lancaster as the mystery is solved. Your mind might end up reeling but if you stop and think about it all, the clues were provided throughout the film.

The Kino Lorber release has a typically fine transfer and the audio commentary by film historians Howard S. Berger and Nathaniel Thompson is highly engaging and their subdued manner fits with the mood of the film itself. They genuinely like the movie and provide an abundance of interesting facts and insights. There is a also a trailer gallery for other Lancaster films available through Kino Lorber. Highly recommended.

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BY LEE PFEIFFER

For decades Bob Hope was one of Hollywood's most bankable stars. In the 1940s and 1950s, his films were regarded as sure-fire moneymakers. Studios loved Hope productions. They were generally filmed on modest budgets and returned major profits. By the late 1960s, Hope was still very much in-demand on American television. His TV specials for NBC always topped the ratings and Hope was a ubiquitous presence on TV chat shows. He even had a semi-permanent gig as the most beloved of all hosts for the annual Oscars broadcast. However, his status in the motion picture industry had diminished substantially. Hope's style of old-fashioned family films was becoming outdated in an era that saw new freedoms in on-screen sex and violence. When biker movies were depicting gang bangs and Bob and Carol were under the same sheets with Ted and Alice, Hope's sitcom-like comedies seemed as though they were from distant past. One of his more promising feature films was the 1969 production, "How to Commit Marriage", one of many sex-oriented comedies that were all the rage in the mid-to-late 1960s. (i.e. "The Secret Life of an American Wife", Divorce American Style", "A Guide for the Married Man", "The Tiger Makes Out", "How to Save a Marriage (and Ruin Your Life)", "Marriage on the Rocks".) In an attempt to remain relevant to modern audiences, this was the most adult-themed of Hope's big screen comedies.

Hope plays Frank Benson, a wealthy L.A. real estate agent who seems to have an idyllic life with his wife of many years, Elaine (Jane Wyman). However, their relationship is fracturing and the two spend most of their time together griping about the other and trading cruel insults. They agree to get a divorce and file the necessary paperwork. However, before they can be officially divorced, they receive a surprise visit from their teenage daughter Nancy (JoAnna Cameron), who returns from college with her new boyfriend David (Tim Matheson). He's a clean-cut type who is studying classical music and Nancy announces they intend to marry, largely because she has been so inspired by her parent's loving relationship. Frank and Elaine don't want Nancy to become disillusioned and decide to withhold the news about their pending divorce until after Nancy and David marry. However, there is a complication: David is the estranged son of Oliver Poe (Jackie Gleason), a rich promoter of rock 'n roll bands who resents Frank for selling him a Malibu mansion that was in a mudslide zone, thus resulting in Oliver losing his entire investment. He's an obnoxious boor and braggart with a sexy mistress (Tina Louise) and when he discovers the Bensons are secretly planning to divorce, he cruelly informs Nancy and David. Heartbroken and disillusioned, the young couple decides to eschew marriage and simply live together (still a shocking concept for a "nice" girl in 1969). Making matter worse, Oliver convinces the couple to quit college and join his latest band, The Comfortable Armchair, which is becoming all the rage. Distraught by the developments, Frank and Elaine begin to live in separate houses. Frank takes up with Lois Gray (Maureen Arthur), a voluptuous widow while Elaine begins dating Phil Fletcher (Leslie Nielsen), a suave rival of Frank's in the real estate trade. When both couples accidentally end up sitting beside each other at a Comfortable Armchair nightclub concert, they notice that Nancy is very obviously pregnant. They also discover that she and David have become disciples of a con-man posing as a guru named The Baba Ziba (Professor Irwin Corey). Oliver has bribed Baba Ziba to convince Nancy and David that it is in their spiritual interests to put their baby up for adoption. In reality, Oliver is motivated by his desire that the couple stay with the successful rock band and not become traditional parents.

Here's an ambitious article that seems specifically designed to set off plenty of on-line debating between movie fans: Vulture has analyzed and rated in order (subjectively, of course) every single Best Picture Oscar winner and has also provided a generous number of clips from the films. Some of their choices will undoubtedly make you irate while others might inspire you to reconsider the worth of some of the winners, for better or worse.

Click here to read.

BY LEE PFEIFFER

Stanley Donen, the legendary director of musicals and romantic comedies, has died at age 94. He started as a choreographer and dance director before being elevated to director status at MGM, where he brought to the screen some of cinema's greatest musicals. Among his achievements: "On the Town", "Royal Wedding", "Singin' in the Rain", "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers", "Kismet", "Funny Face" and "Damn Yankees". As the traditional musical genre started to decline, Donen concentrated on comedies such as "Once More with Feeling", "The Grass is Greener", "Two for the Road" and "Bedazzled". One of his biggest hits was the 1963 comedy thriller "Charade" starring Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn, which can be described as the best Hitchcock movie not directed by Hitchcock. A similarly-themed spy thriller, "Arabesque" starring Gregory Peck and Sophia Loren, was not as well received. Donen had other artistic misfires in the course of his career including the big budget 1975 comedy "Lucky Lady" and he also directed, produced and wrote the 1969 poignant comedy "Staircase" starring Richard Burton and Rex Harrison as an aging gay couple. The film was ahead of its time in its sympathetic portrayal of a homosexual relationship. Surprisingly, Donen was never nominated for a directing Oscar but the Academy awarded him a lifetime achievement honor in 1998. For more click here. 

Robert Vaughn and Paul Newman in the 1974 blockbuster "The Towering Inferno", nominated for Best Picture.

BY LEE PFEIFFER

Movie fans have complained for many years that the Academy is increasingly focusing on nominating art house movies at the expense of blockbusters in the Best Picture Oscar category. The Washington Post investigates whether this is myth or reality and comes down on the side of the latter, providing charts and inflation-adjusted calculations to show that more than ever the Best Picture winners are generally not among the most popular with the public. But should they be? The Oscars are not supposed to be a popularity contest, though someone should tell the Academy that, given their botched lead up for plans for this year's telecast. Should a film get the Best Picture Oscar simply because it is a huge boxoffice success? The Academy was aware of its members honoring smaller art house films and in 2009 made the controversial decision to expand the nominations for Best Picture from five to up to ten. Purists said this was just a disingenuous way to include populist fare without really having to actually vote for it. But Oscar may be getting a raw deal. In the past, the Academy gave Best Picture Oscars to such popular successes as "The Greatest Show on Earth" and "Around the World in 80 Days" and nominated such blockbusters as "Jaws", "E.T.", "Star Wars" and "The Towering Inferno" even when the Best Picture category was relegated to only five films. Click here to read the article and form your own opinion.

BY ADRIAN SMITH

The first question you are probably asking is “Do we need another book about Hammer films?” Speaking as someone whose Hammer shelf is already groaning with the weight of so many volumes on the company, the answer, as far as Hammer Complete is concerned, is “Absolutely.” This book, coming in at nearly 1000 pages, is a lifetime achievement for journalist Howard Maxford, and one that deserves immense praise. Unlike other books which might focus specifically on the horror films, or the posters, or the ups and downs of the company itself, here Maxford has attempted to provide a complete encyclopedia of everything and everyone connected to Hammer. From Temple Abady (who appeared in Never Look Back in 1952) and The Abominable Snowman (1957) to Murial Zillah (Danger List, 1957) and Marc Zuber (The Satanic Rites of Dracula, 1974), no Hammer stone has been left unturned or contributor ignored.

Unlike many books of this type which are little more than a collection of facts cribbed from Wikipedia and the Internet Movie Database, Maxford has conducted many interviews over the years with Hammer stars including Christopher Lee himself, which means there is plenty of new and insightful material here alongside his primary research and original reviews of the films themselves. The entry on Lee is spread over six pages, where his career is discussed at length including his well-known frustration with the decline in quality of the Dracula films; of Scars of Dracula (1970) he complained, “I was a pantomime villain. Everything was over the top, especially the giant bat whose electrically motored wings flapped with slow deliberation as if it were doing morning exercises.” Likewise, his frequent co-star Peter Cushing gets a similarly lengthy entry, as do many of the other key players such as regular character actor Michael Ripper, director Terence Fisher, producer James Carreras, writer-director Jimmy Sangster and script supervisor Renee Glynne, who first worked for the company in 1947 and was still present when they went to Hong Kong to make The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires and Shatter (both 1974).

Maxford is fair in his assessment of the films themselves, discussing at length those which have become legendary -  the triumvirate of The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) Dracula (1958) and The Mummy (1959) in particular - as well as being fair to those films often derided or ignored, including my personal favourite; Slave Girls (also known as Prehistoric Women, 1968), made primarily to reuse all those fur bikinis left over from One Million Years B.C. (1966).

It may have a high price tag, but Hammer Complete is a huge, well-researched reference book that no Hammer aficionado should be without.

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BY LEE PFEIFFER

The art of still photography has played an important role in the promotion of motion pictures since the inception of the medium. However, most photographers who capture the images on set labor in anonymity. It has only been in the last few decades that studios even identified the photographers of publicity photos by name on the press materials that are so widely distributed. As readers of Cinema Retro know, we have long promoted appreciation of the stills photographers and have showcased their work in our magazine. This is why we are quite excited by a new book, "Through Her Lens" (published by ACC Art Books) by Eva Sereny, who broke through a glass ceiling when she started capturing on set images in the 1960s in what was a male-dominated profession. Sereny had an exotic background: she was born of Hungarian parents in London, moved to Italy and took up photography before returning to London where, on a whim, she submitted some sample photos and ended up being hired by legendary publicist Gordon Arnell as a "Special Photographer" on the set of Mike Nichols' "Catch-22". In this capacity, Sereny differed from the unit stills photographer who was employed by the studio throughout the shoot. Instead, Sereny had independence and freedom to capture only those moments that intrigued her most. Her work revealed an astonishing intimacy whether it was photographing posed subjects or candid moments between takes. As Sereny's reputation grew, she gained greater access to interesting movie productions, though she still often had to contend with tempestuous stars. She initially annoyed Raquel Welch but years later the iconic star befriended her. On the set of "Last Tango in Paris", Marlon Brando forbade her from photographing him but ultimately relented and gave her complete artistic freedom to shoot him even when he was unawares.

Marlon Brando lights up director Bernardo Bertolucci on the set of "Last Tango in Paris".

Kate Capshaw, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and Harrison Ford on the set of "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade".

On "The Assassination of Trotsky", she had to tread carefully to photograph Elizabeth Taylor, who was visiting Richard Burton on the set. More pleasant was her experiences on the set of three Indiana Jones movies, including taking an iconic publicity photo of Harrison Ford and Sean Connery in "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade". There are craggy veterans such as John Huston and Richard Harris, hunky guys like Warren Beatty, Robert Redford and Michael Caine and elegant glamour symbols such as Audrey Hepburn, Barbara Bach and Jacqueline Bisset. (Bisset, along with Charlotte Rampling, provides a foreword for the book.)  The volume is divided into chapters each dedicated to a film or a personality with Sereny providing anecdotes about her experience on the production. Other stars such as Clint Eastwood and Paul Newman are photographed in their private lives but no less remarkably than Sereny would have done on a film set. The book's large size, hardback format and superb reproductions of so many remarkable photos make this a "must" for retro movie lovers.

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Last September, Time Life released the ultimate Robin Williams video set. Here is the official press release:

"You know that cartoon, that Tasmanian devil that comes out and just spins --

he was that, but eloquent and hilarious."

-- Billy Crystal

"He was like something waiting to happen...a very powerful anomaly."

-- Steve Martin

"Everybody else prepared, Robin was just a natural...

and he worked on every level." 

-- Jay Leno

LEGENDARY COMEDIAN.

OSCAR®-WINNING ACTOR.

THIS SEPTEMBER, JOIN TIME LIFE FOR THE

DEFINITIVE DVD COLLECTION CELEBRATING

THE COMEDY CAREER OF A BELOVED ICON

ROBIN WILLIAMS: COMIC GENIUS

Across 22 DVDs and 50+ Hours, the Electrifying Comic Lights Up the Room in This Ultimate, One-of-a-Kind Compendium Spanning 40 Years on TV, Including All Five HBO Stand-Up Specials Together for the Very First Time, Never-Before-Released Performances and Backstage Footage, Talk Show and Late Night Appearances, Rare Archival Clips, Brand New Interviews Featuring Billy Crystal, Steve Martin, Jay Leno, Martin Short, Pam Dawber, Lewis Black, and Zak Williams, a Collectible Memory Book Featuring Archival Photos, Robin's Tour Notes, and More!

AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY AT ROBINWILLIAMS.COM

FAIRFAX, VA (September 25, 2018) - Robin Williams was a generational talent, graced with comedic brilliance, rapid-fire improvisation, and a deep well of warmth and compassion that translated to every role he inhabited. From his breakout role in ABC's Mork & Mindy to his Academy Award®-winning performance in Good Will Hunting, the iconic actor displayed an inimitable artistry that made him beloved by millions. This September, join Time Life, in conjunction with the Trustees of the Robin Williams Trust, in celebrating the incomparable career of the singularly innovative actor with ROBIN WILLIAMS: COMIC GENIUS. 

Available exclusively at RobinWilliams.com beginning September 25th, this definitive collection of Williams' comedy highlights arrives as interest in his life and career increases in the wake of HBO's critically acclaimed documentary, Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind from Emmy® Award-winning director Marina Zenovich and Oscar-winning producer Alex Gibney, and Dave Itzkoff's biography Robin, a New York Times best-seller. Celebrating the actor's memorable 40-year career, from his uproarious turn as loveable alien Mork and his legendary HBO stand-up specials to his numerous appearances on late night, this handsome, 22-disc collection, housed in deluxe packaging includes: 

All five HBO stand-up specials together for the very first time, including Off the Wall (1978), An Evening with Robin Williams (1983), An Evening at the MET (1986), Live on Broadway (2002) and Weapons of Self Destruction (2009)

Never-before-released concert specials, including Robin's full MGM Grand Garden stand-up from 2007 and the Montreal stop on his last tour, a conversation on stage between Williams and comedian David Steinberg

Memorable talk show and late night TV appearances on The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Graham Norton Show, Saturday Night Live and more

Rare, never-before-seen clips including early stand-up, raw footage from HBO's promo shoots, a hilarious toast to Richard Pryor by Robin as Mrs. Doubtfire, and more

Brand new interviews with close friends and family including Billy Crystal, Steve Martin, Jay Leno, Eric Idle, David Steinberg, Lewis Black and Zak Williams

11 hilarious episodes of Mork & Mindy, including the two-part pilot!

James Lipton's Emmy® Award-nominated 90-minute interview with Robin on Inside the Actors Studio, plus deleted scenes

A comprehensive collection of Robin's USO shows around the world

Original and newly created bonus features including behind-the-scenes footage, local highlights from tour stops, promos and more. Featurettes include: The Early Years, San Francisco: Where It All Started, Comic Genius, and TV's Best Guest

Critically acclaimed 2018 HBO documentary, Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind from Emmy® Award-winning director Marina Zenovich and Oscar-winning producer Alex Gibney.

"Robin Williams: Uncensored", a collectible 24-page, full-color memory book featuring rare, archival photos from award-winning photographer Arthur Grace, reminiscences from friends and colleagues, Robin's personal tour notes and more. 

Uncensored, electric, intense and unfailingly hilarious, Williams made it his life's work to make people laugh--whether he was holding forth on culture, politics, the human body or drugs--with razor-sharp wit and insight. As his long-time friend Billy Crystal said, "In the 40 odd years he was in front of us, especially on television, he never let you down. He was always funny, he always did something new." And, in unforgettable ways, ROBIN WILLIAMS: COMIC GENIUS reveals and celebrates the wide range of his incredible talents like never before.

BY FRED BLOSSER

“The Adventures of Robin Hood,” which aired on CBS from 1955 to 1959, was an early example of a television series produced in the U.K. and imported by an American network into U.S. living rooms with great success -- a forerunner of numerous hit shows to follow from across the Atlantic, including “The Avengers,” “Secret Agent/ Danger Man”, too many “PBS Masterpiece Theater” favorites to list, and more recently “Downton Abbey.” It was also an early example, replicated as well by “Downton Abbey,” of a popular TV series leveraged into a big-screen theatrical movie. The year after “The Adventures of Robin Hood” ended its U.S. network run, its producer Sidney Cole and star Richard Greene created a feature-film version, “Sword of Sherwood Forest,” in partnership with Hammer Studios, for release here through Columbia Pictures. Although supporting roles were recast, Greene returned as Robin, and some principals from the series’ production crew were reunited as well. Director of Photography Ken Hodges returned, the screenplay was provided by Alan Hackney, who had scripted many of the episodes of the series, and the director was Terence Fisher, already a Hammer veteran, who had directed several series episodes. Media historians tend to characterize the TV and theatrical movie industries in the 1950s and early ‘60s as bitter rivals for viewership, but the two industries in fact often enjoyed a friendlier synergy of mutual convenience. In the case of “Sword of Sherwood Forest,” the popularity of the earlier series provided theaters with a built-in audience for the movie. In turn, the film reminded fans to watch for the syndicated reruns of the TV show, which continued to be broadcast on local stations well into the 1970s.

In the movie, which has been released on Blu-ray from Twilight Time in a limited edition of 3,000 units, a well-dressed, badly wounded man flees into Sherwood Forest, escaping from a posse led by the Sheriff of Nottingham (Peter Cushing). Through Maid Marian (Sarah Branch), the sheriff approaches Robin Hood with the offer of a pardon if he’ll turn over the wounded fugitive, but Robin refuses. He knows, even if Marian has yet to learn, although she quickly does, that the offer of clemency from his old enemy the sheriff “isn’t worth the breath he uses to make the promise.” The fugitive eventually dies from his wound, but not before passing along a brooch stamped with a mysterious emblem, and mentioning the name of a town, Bawtry. Leaving Little John (Nigel Green) to lead the Merry Men in his absence, Robin investigates with the help of Marian and Friar Tuck (Niall McGinnis). Gradually, they uncover a plot involving the charming but secretive Earl of Newark (Richard Pasco), his henchman the sheriff, an attempted land grab, a visit by the Archbishop of Canterbury, and plans to carry out a high-level assassination if the land grab fails.

BY LEE PFEIFFER

Kino Lober is releasing a number of value-priced Blu-ray double features with similarly-themed films. Among them is the combo of "Betsy's Wedding" and "Holy Matrimony". The first movie is a 1990 release starring and directed by Alan Alda, who had directed three previous feature films. Anyone who has been involved in planning a wedding knows that the old adage "The more the merrier!" rings hollow. In fact, the logistics of planning a wedding can become increasingly complicated and frustrating in direct correlation with the number of well-meaning people who decide to involve themselves. There's always the risk that the betrothed couple will be overwhelmed by logistics and that the wedding plans are catered to please everyone but them. Such is the case in "Betsy's Wedding". Alda is cast as Eddie Hopper, a successful real estate speculator who invests money in building homes that he hopes to sell for a quick profit. Lately, however, his instincts have been troublesome and his latest venture is proving to be a white elephant that is draining his savings. At the same time, his youngest daughter Betsy (Molly Ringwald) and her boyfriend Jake (Dylan Walsh) announce they intend to get married. Both are left-wing progressives who are also social activists who disdain blatant displays of wealth. They want a low-key civil ceremony with only a handful of guests. However, Eddie and his wife Lola (Madeline Kahn) argue that a much grander, traditional wedding is called for so as not to offend family members. Their resistance worn down, Betsy and Jake reluctant concede, which opens a Pandora's Box of bad luck for all involved. Eddie can't afford to put on the wedding he has lobbied for so he turns to his brother-in-law Oscar (Joe Pesci), a slimy business "tycoon" who, in reality, is also short of cash. Since he can't find the money to lend Eddie for the wedding, he introduces him to a local mob boss, Georgie (Burt Young), who puts up the funds but then integrates himself into Eddie's life and plans for the wedding. A parallel story line centers on Eddie and Lola's other daughter Connie (Ally Sheedy), a New York City police officer who is stuck in a perpetual mode of depression, shying away from people and bruised by the fact that her younger sister will marry before she does. She is elevated from the blues by Georgie's bodyguard Stevie Dee (Anthony Lapaglia), a slick mobster who sounds like Rocky Balboa on steroids but who curiously speaks to everyone with excessive politeness. Has is obsessed with Connie and slowly but surely succeeds in wooing her into coming out of her shell. As the wedding date nears, the pressure mounts on everyone. Eddie's business dealings with George almost get him assassinated in an attempted mob hit, Betsy and Jake are barely on speaking terms and on the wedding day and a torrential rain storm threatens to collapse the large tent structure the reception is being held in. Eddie receives solace from imaginary conversations with his dear, departed father (Joey Bishop). 

"Besty's Wedding" was not well-received by critics or audiences back in the day and proved to be the final feature film to date directed by Alan Alda. Yet, I found it to be consistently funny and Alda excels as both actor and director, milking maximum laughs from an inspired cast. The scene-stealer is Lapaglia, one of the few cast members to receive kudos from reviewers. His sensitive tough guy routine is both amusing and endearing. The film isn't hilarious at any point but it's never less than entertaining, as you might imagine any movie that teams Joe Pesci and Burt Young would be.

"Holy Matrimony" was unceremoniously dumped by Disney into a handful of theaters in 1994 before being relegated to home video. It's total theatrical gross in North America was about $700,000. As with "Betsy's Wedding", it was directed by a popular actor, in this case Leonard Nimoy. Ironically, just as "Betsy's Wedding" represented Alda's last direction (to date) of a feature film, so too did "Holy Matrimony" mark Nimoy's last directorial effort on the big screen. The premise is hardly original, centering on a protagonist who seeks shelter in a religious community to evade pursuers. This plot device dates back to the 1940s with John Wayne in "Angel and the Badman" and its unacknowledged 1984 remake "Witness". Here we find Patricia Arquette as Havana, a sultry young woman from the other side of the tracks who is fed up with being exploited by performing provocative routines at a carnival tent located in a fairgrounds. She is paid a miserly wage by the owner who she comes to resent. She and her equally impoverished boyfriend Peter (Tate Donovan) rob the owner and flee in their car, but not before being identified. With the police searching for them, they cross into Canada and take refuge in an Amish-like religious colony where Peter was raised before leaving for the outside world. They pretend to want to immerse themselves in the rustic lifestyle but Havana's coarse nature and foul mouth make the elders suspicious of their motives. Peter hides the cache of stolen loot but before he can divulge its location to Havana, he is killed in an automobile accident. The colony elders view this as a way to get rid of Havana by informing her that customs dictate that she must marry Peter's brother, in this case twelve year-old Ezekiel (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). However, Havana- who needs to stay until she can locate the stash of hidden money- agrees to the arrangement, much to the shock of all involved- especially young Ezekiel who is appalled at having to be married at such a young age. The film deftly handles the possible distasteful elements of this reverse "Lolita" situation by making it clear that both husband and wife sleep in separate rooms. The one funny sex gag involves Ezekiel trying to impress his friends that he is satisfying his new wife only to have the scenario backfire much to his embarrassment when it is revealed he is actually in the bedroom alone.

Much of what follows is predictable. As with all movie plots in which the male and female protagonists start off hating each other, there is no doubt that Havana and Ezekiel will grow to respect and like each other, with Havana acting more like a big sister than a wife. Once the money is located, Havana is told to accompany Ezekiel back to the States to return the loot to its rightful owner. What follows is a road trip in which the two share plenty of personal thoughts and have to avoid a corrupt FBI agent (John Schuck), who is hot on their trail, determined to steal the money for himself. The story climaxes back at the state fair where Havana originally worked. She's now determined to return the stolen money, all the while trying to evade the police and the FBI guy who are hot on her trail. Director Nimoy capably blends both sentiment and comedy during the course of the film, though the movie's main attributes are the performances by Arquette and especially young Gordon-Levitt who shows star power even at this early stage of his career. There is also a very fine performance by Armin-Mueller Stahl as the elder of the religious community. Refreshingly, the film doesn't mock or humiliate the members of the religious colony. Rather, it is "fish-out-of-water" Havana who bears the brunt of most of the humor. While "Holy Matrimony" is nothing very special, it does seem to have suffered an undeserved fate by being released to only a small number of theaters. It is certainly on par with most mid-range comedies but apparently Disney felt it had very little boxoffice appeal.

The Kino Lorber Blu-ray combo features very fine transfers of both films and includes their original trailers. Recommended.

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BY TODD GARBARINI

Film historian Douglas Dunning has informed Cinema Retro that Laemmle’s Playhouse 7 and Ahrya Fine Arts will be presenting the 50^th anniversary screening of Sam Peckinpah’s influential 1969 film The Wild Bunch and special guests are scheduled to appear at both locations. The film stars William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Ryan, Edmund O’Brien, Warren Oates, L.Q. Jones, Jaime Sanchez, Bo Hopkins, Strother Martin, Albert Decker, Emilio Fernandez, and Alfonso Arau and runs 145 minutes.

PLEASE NOTE:

Screening #1 is on February 26^th at the Playhouse 7 at 7:00 pm, and at press time W.K. Stratton, the author of a new book, The Wild Bunch: Sam Peckinpah, a Revolution in Hollywood, and the Making of a Legendary Film, will participate in a discussion after the screening. He will also sign copies of his book at the theater.

Screening #2 is at the Ahrya Fine Arts on March 2^nd at 7:30 pm. Mr. Stratton is also scheduled to be on hand. In addition, screenwriter Walon Green is scheduled to appear. He won an Academy Award in 1971 for directing the documentary, The Hellstrom Chronicle. He went on to write such films as Sorcerer and The Brinks Job for director William Friedkin and The Border for Tony Richardson.

Actor L.Q. Jones is on the list, too. He worked on several other Peckinpah movies, beginning with Ride the High Country, along with Major Dundee, The Ballad of Cable Hogue, and Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid. He co-starred in Hang ‘Em High, Hell Is For Heroes, and Martin Scorsese’s Casino.

Actor Bo Hopkins is also scheduled to appear. He co-starred in Peckinpah’s The Getaway and The Killer Elite, and he also appeared in such films as The Day of the Locust, American Graffiti, Midnight Express, and The Newton Boys.

From the press release:

The Wild Bunch

Part of our Anniversary Classics series. For details, visit: laemmle.com/ac.

THE WILD BUNCH (1969)

Laemmle Theatres and the Anniversary Classics Series celebrate the 50th anniversary of one of the iconic and groundbreaking movies of the '60s, Sam Peckinpah’s The Wild Bunch. This graphically violent and poetic film exploded the very concept of the traditional Western by focusing on a brutal group of outlaws trying to survive at the dawn of the 20th century. Featuring four Oscar-winning actors—William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Ben Johnson, and Edmond O’Brien—along with a startling supporting cast, the film clearly established Peckinpah as one of the top directors of the era.

The director’s classic 1962 Western Ride the High Country had demonstrated his talent, but he ran into conflicts with producers on subsequent projects in the '60s. The Wild Bunch marked his triumphant return to filmmaking. He wrote the Oscar-nominated screenplay with Walon Green, from a story by Green and Roy N. Sickner. It is set in 1913, on the eve of World War I and in the midst of the Mexican Revolution. A botched robbery in the opening sequence leads the outlaws to seek refuge in Mexico, where they continue to be pursued by a group of bounty hunters hired by the railroad company they have robbed. Robert Ryan, cast as a former friend of Holden’s character, leads the pursuers.

The supporting cast includes Warren Oates, L.Q. Jones, Jaime Sanchez, Bo Hopkins, Strother Martin, Albert Decker, Emilio Fernandez, and Alfonso Arau. Lucien Ballard provided the rich cinematography, and Jerry Fielding wrote the Oscar-nominated score. But perhaps the most crucial creative collaborator was editor Lou Lombardo, who worked closely with the director to perfect an innovative editing style that incorporated quick, almost subliminal cuts masterfully interspersed with slow motion shots.

The film’s violence was shocking to many viewers at the time, and some critics denounced the film. Others, however, saw the violence as reflecting the disruptions in American society, along with the chaos of the Vietnam War. Life magazine’s Richard Schickel called the film “one of the most important records of the mood of our times and one of the most important American films of the era.” The New York Times’ Vincent Canby hailed the film as “very beautiful and the first truly interesting American-made Westerns in years.” When cuts that had been made shortly after the film’s release were finally restored for a 1995 reissue, critics were even more ecstatic. Writing in The Baltimore Sun, Michael Sragow declared, “What Citizen Kane was to movie lovers in 1941, The Wild Bunch was to cineastes in 1969.” The film was added to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress in 1999.

The Playhouse 7 is at 673 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91101.l The phone number is (310) 478 – 3836.

The Ahrya Fine Arts Theatre is located at 8556 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90211. The phone number is (310) 478 – 3836.

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By Lee Pfeiffer

I have to admit that I hadn't a clue as to what Intruder in the Dust was about until I viewed the DVD released through the Warner Archive. The film is a powerful indictment of the horrors of racism, filmed by MGM during a period when the American Civil Rights Movement was just beginning to heat up. We have a tendency to accuse Hollywood studios of relegating African-American actors to being mere window dressing in films of this era, or worse, casting them as comic relief in often degrading ways. However, this 1949 achievement should be much higher on the radar of retro movie lovers. While most studio productions steered clear of the problem of racism in the American South during the period when segregation was still law, this excellent film addresses the issue head-on. There were some talented people who brought the story to the screen in 1949. Esteemed director Clarence Brown was behind the camera and the screenplay was written by the great Ben Maddow, based on a novel by William Faulkner.

The film was shot on location in Oxford, Mississippi and centers on the murder of a local white businessman who was shot in the back. The prime suspect is Lucas (Juano Hernandez), a middle-aged black farmer who has incurred the wrath of local bigots because he is proud and independent and fails to take on the subserviant persona of the "good Negro". Causing more resentment is the fact that Lucas owns his own farm, a prime piece of land that invokes jealousy from less successful local whites. Lucas maintains his calm demeanor even when he is jailed and is awaiting the inevitable murder at the hands of a mob. His one white friend comes to his aid: a teenager named Chick Mallison (Claude Jarman Jr.). Chick convinces his uncle, lawyer John Stevens (David Brian) to defend him. Stevens agrees because he doesn't want a murder committed, but even he believes Lucas is guilty. He tells the seemingly doomed man that he can't get a fair trial, that he doesn't believe he is innocent and that he should have shown proper deference to the bigots at all times. This attitude is what passed for enlightened thinking during this period. Ultimately, Stevens becomes convinced that his client is being framed and the plot turns to to who-dunnit as an oddball group of progressives fights against time to find the real murderer before Lucas is lynched or burned alive. The only whites in town who will assist Stevens and Chick are an elderly woman (Elizabeth Patterson) and the local sheriff (Will Geer), who has a condescending attitude towards blacks but is courageous enough to stand up to the worst elements of the population.

Finney with Audrey Hepburn in Stanley Donen's "Two for the Road".

BY LEE PFEIFFER

Albert Finney, who rose to fame and acclaim as one of Britain's generation of actors known as "Angry Young Men", has died at age 82. A chest infection was cited as cause of death. Finney was among an exciting new generation of British actors who burst upon the scene in the 1950s and 1960s, reaping critical praise for their realistic portrayals often of troubled men who were being constrained by socio-economic conditions that afflicted the lower income class in post-War Britain. His star-making role came in director Karl Reisz's "kitchen sink" classic, the 1960 film "Saturday Night and Sunday Morning" which reflected the frustrations of the working class. Finney called upon his real life experiences growing up in Northwest England under somewhat spartan living conditions.

As a newly-minted star, he screen tested for director David Lean for the title role of "Lawrence of Arabia" but Finney didn't want to sign a five picture deal with the film's producer Sam Speigel. Peter O'Toole took the role and became a major name in international cinema. Finney was somewhat opaque compared to other young actors that emerged in the UK in the 1960s. He wasn't the publicity seeker that Richard Burton was, nor was he the hard-drinking, towel snapping joker Richard Harris was. He was thought by some critics to have not achieved his full promise on stage or screen, despite having been nominated for five Oscars and thirteen BAFTAs. (He won two of the latter.) Finney was a remote figure in a publicity-hungry industry. He rarely gave interviews and was often cynical about the shallowness of fame. He refused to attend any of the ceremonies at which he was nominated. Perhaps his best-loved role was in "Tom Jones", the 1963 screen adaptation of Henry Fielding's bawdy comedic novel. Yet, Finney's work on the big screen was spotty. He didn't work very frequently and sometimes chose projects that were not especially successful at the boxoffice. His more prominent films include "Murder on the Orient Express", "Erin Brockovich", "Two for the Road", "The Victors", "Scrooge", "Wolfen", "Shoot the Moon", "Annie", "Traffic", "The Bourne Ultimatum" and "The Bourne Legacy". He was off screen for a number of years while he waged a successful battle against cancer. His final role was a memorable one: as Kincade, the grumpy old farmer and boyhood friend of James Bond in the 2012 blockbuster "Skyfall". For more click here.

In the Hollywood Reporter, David Weiner interviews director Philip Kaufman about his brilliant, 1978 re-imagined interpretation of Don Siegel's classic 1956 sci-fi film "Invasion of the Body Snatchers". Kaufman's version was every bit the equal to the original, although the films are substantially different. Kaufman reflects back on the making of the movie and its sad significance in today's society.  Click here to read.

BY MARK CERULLI

Ian Fleming’s rise from newspaper journalist to worldwide best-selling author was not all jet-setting glamor.  In the early 1960s, with the Bond literary series well underway, Fleming was involved in a grueling legal battle regarding his novel, Thunderball – which later became the record-breaking 1965 EON film. The strain of the trial may well have contributed to Fleming’s death the following year at the relatively young age of 56…



Now the daughter of the original screenwriter, Jack Whittingham, has compiled a unique chronology of the entire episode titled, appropriately enough, "The Thunderball Story".  Sylvan Mason, an accomplished writer and photographer in her own right, has produced a spiral-bound, limited edition booklet of the behind-the-scenes battle that played out in British courts in 1963 and gave producer Kevin McClory the right to remake the story, eventually resulting in 1983’s Never Say Never Again.



Ms. Mason’s book reproduces a number of key documents and photographs, including letters, a UK premiere ticket and headlines from newspapers of the day.  There is also a highly detailed timeline from 1959 to 2003, encompassing all facets of the Thunderball story. All in all, it is a fascinating look at one of the more obscure, but important aspects of the James Bond Phenomenon – and given its limited edition status, once they’re gone, they’re gone!

If you are a Bond collector, you can order a copy here:

https://www.luisabbouplanisi.com/shop/sylvanamazingbook

BY LEE PFEIFFER

In my review of Kino Lorber's Blu-ray release of the 1979 disaster film "Meteor",  I observed that the disaster movie genre had peaked with the release of Irwin Allen's "The Towering Inferno" in 1974. Yet, that didn't stop studios from beating a dead horse in an attempt to squeeze some more juice out of the tried-and-true formula of gathering an all-star cast, then figuring out ways to drown, bury or incinerate the characters portrayed on screen. One of the more obscure attempts to keep the disaster film cycle relevant was "Avalanche", a movie produced by Roger Corman and directed  and scripted by one of his proteges, Corey Allen, who would go on to establish a respectable career as a director of major television shows. When you approach a Corman production, you tend to give some special dispensation for certain cinematic sins that you wouldn't accord more mainstream productions. Corman, who happily embraces his legendary status as a man who made major profits from films with minor budgets, knew how to stretch the soup in the cinematic sense. Rarely armed with ample production funds, Corman cut corners whenever possible but still managed to retain a certain elegance to his productions. In 1978, he jumped on the fading disaster movie bandwagon with "Avalanche".  He hired Rock Hudson as the leading man because Hudson, at this point in his career, realized that he was no longer a hot commodity as a boxoffice draw in feature films (although he did successfully transition to a popular presence on television.) Corman also cast Mia Farrow and respected supporting actor Robert Forster for additional name recognition. He secured permission to film at a major ski resort in Durango, Colorado and out-sourced the special effects work to a company called Excelsior! 

The film follows the general formula of the disaster film genre in that the victims-to-be are gathered for a major social occasion, unaware that nature is working overtime to thwart their fun. Rock Hudson plays David Shelby, an arrogant developer who has invested his life savings to build a vacation paradise in the Rocky Mountains. He has disdain for local environmentalists who have warned him that his destruction of an an abundance of trees on his massive property has removed a natural barrier to the inevitable avalanches that will occur.  Shelby is preoccupied with his grand opening festivities and is simultaneously trying to woo back his ex-wife Caroline (Mia Farrow), who is attending as his guest. He's also busy trying to entertain his sassy, wise-cracking mother,  Florence (Jeanette Nolan), who is being shepherded around the resort by David's major domo Henry McDade (Steve Franken in a rare dramatic role.) Meanwhile, local environmental activist and nature photographer Nick Thorne (Robert Forster) becomes increasingly concerned about the massive buildup of snow on the mountain peaks that are directly in line with the resort. He attempts to alleviate some of the danger by strategically using a snow cannon to set off controlled mini avalanches. Intermingled with all of this are the expected subplots involving minor characters who are set up to be inevitable victims. Barry Primus is a TV sports announcer who is broadcasting from the grand opening and who must contend with the fact that his estranged wife Tina (Cathey Paine) is on premises and rubbing his nose in it by blatantly carrying on an affair with egotistical super star skier Bruce Scott (Rick Moses). Scott, in turn, is rubbing Tina's nose in it by blatantly sleeping with another woman, thus causing Tina to go ballistic and consider suicide. Meanwhile, David Shelby finds time to unwind by spending some quality time in a hot tub with with his naked secretary (thus allowing Roger Corman to slip in a bit of T&A). Although the story seems set up to have the disastrous avalanche occur during the opening night festivities, screenwriter Allen throws the audience a curve ball by avoiding that cliche and saving the action for the following afternoon when, amid a particularly vicious snow mobile race, a small plane piloted by one of Shelby's employees encounters bad weather and slams into a nearby mountain, thus triggering the avalanche. This is where the movie progresses beyond cliches and becomes unexpectedly enjoyable. All of the standard disaster movie shtick is present, as both lovable and loathsome characters meet predictable fates, but the film's limited production resources somehow work in its favor. We're well aware that we're watching a Corman production but somehow the inventiveness that is required to carry it all off is quite admirable. Certain plot points are introduced and inexplicably abandoned including an insinuation that Shelby has bribed local political officials to overlook his clear violation of environmental protection rules in order to build his resort. This was one of Rock Hudson's final films as an "above the title" leading man. He's grayer and a bit paunchier than we'd seen him during his heyday, but he still had star power to spare and made for a dashing leading man, whether its skinny dipping in the hot tub or personally leading rescue parties in acts of derring doo to extricate victims of the tragedy. The film's showpiece sequence is a climactic scene in which Shelby must rescue Caroline, who is dangling from wrecked bridge above a ravine.  It's well-directed and genuinely suspenseful. 

It' easy to pick apart a film like "Avalanche", as it squarely fits into the "guilty pleasure" category. However, the film does a lot with very little as opposed to other misfires in this genre that did very little with a lot (aka "The Swarm"). The Kino Lorber Blu-ray edition features the original trailer and a "making of" featurette in which Roger Corman extols the virtues of the film. He admits the effects were rather shoddy and recalls his outrage when he discovered the SFX company had added "red snow". Corman hit the roof and it was changed to a bluish substance that he admits still looks pretty phony.  Robert Forster recalls that the "snow" was actually little pieces of plastic that were strewn by the hundreds of thousands over the scenic landscape. He remembers his dismay at the realization that none of these bits were biodegradable and many must still be contaminating the landscape of the Durango ski resort where the movie was filmed. Corman makes the claim that the film was actually a major financial success. He says his budget was only $1.7 million and that a TV sale for $2 million netted him an immediate $300,000 profit. The tale sounds a bit fanciful because it seems hard to believe that even in 1978 you could make a movie like this with three relatively big names for only $1.7 million. (Other sources give unsubstantiated estimates of the budget at around $6 million, which seems more plausible.) "Avalanche" is not near the top of the heap of disaster movies but it certainly doesn't rank at the bottom of the pack, either. The Kino Lorber release has an impressive transfer and the inclusion of those bonus extras make this title highly recommended for fans of this genre. 

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This ad appeared in Boxoffice magazine in April 1968 extolling the longevity of Fox's three big roadshow presentations. For the unenlightened, "roadshow" films were big budget productions that played in grand movie palaces in select cities. It could often be many months before these films came to neighborhood theaters nationwide. What is remarkable about this ad is that it illustrates that even after such films went "wide" to hundreds of other theaters, people still paid top dollar to enjoy seeing them in the roadshow presentations. Consider that "The Sound of Music" opened in 1965 and "The Sand Pebbles" and "The Bible" both opened in 1966. Yet, years later, the roadshow venues were still showing these films. Today, even blockbuster movies aren't in theaters very long because so much of the profit comes from a quick turnaround onto video and streaming services. However, in those days when movie theaters provided the only forum in which to see favorite blockbusters, fans would patronize theaters to see them repeatedly. This afforded them the opportunity to see the movies in their original versions, as studios often cut considerable footage when releasing them to local theaters.

Click here to order Cinema Retro's Movie Classics edition devoted to Roadshow movies of the 1960s.

BY LEE PFEIFFER

Samuel Fuller's 1959 crime thriller "The Crimson Kimono" has been released as a Twilight Time limited edition (3,000 units) Blu-ray. The film finds Fuller in full "triple threat" mode as director, producer and screenwriter. It's also fits comfortably into Fuller's oeuvre in that it's an off-beat story with quirky, well-defined characters and relationships. Set in Los Angeles, the movie opens with the shocking cold-blooded murder of a popular stripper by an unseen assassin. As with the works of Hitchcock, Fuller dismisses the notion that there is safety in numbers, as the victim is killed while fleeing her pursuer through crowded streets. The killer gets away and the story introduces us to the detectives assigned to the case. They are Det. Sgt. Charlie Bancroft (Glenn Corbett) and his partner Det. Joe Kojaku (James Shigeta), two Korean War veterans who served together in combat and who are now chummy enough to share a fashionable bachelor pad. They discover that a local artist, Chris Downs (Victoria Shaw), had some interaction with the stripper and is aware of a suspicious man she associated with. When Chris's sketch of the suspect ends up on the front pages, she finds herself the target of a failed assassination attempt. Charlie and Joe suggest that she can be safely hidden away in their apartment. Naturally, sparks begin to fly considering the three principal characters are extremely attractive. Charlie finds himself falling hard for Chris, but she is unaware of his feelings. Meanwhile, she expresses her desires for Joe, who clearly wants to reciprocate but is hesitant to humiliate the love-struck Charlie. If all this sounds like a high school romance it must be said that under Fuller' assured direction, it is anything but. The scene in which Chris and Joe slowly and almost reluctantly admit to their mutual attraction is superbly written and enacted by Shaw and Shigeta and brims with sexual tension.

The murder mystery is clearly the MacGuffin here. It's mostly a catalyst to bring this love triangle to life. Fuller places most of the action in L.A.'s Little Tokyo community and the film concentrates on the character's interactions with the Japanese-American population. The most interesting character is Joe, who is Japanese-American. When we first see him he is confident, witty and charismatic, all traits that are shared by Charlie. The Butch and Sundance-like relationship goes into a nosedive after Joe confesses his love for Chris. Although clearly heartbroken, Charlie keeps his reaction restrained, only to have the guilt-ridden Joe accuse him of latent racism. He's wrong but can't be convinced otherwise. A lifetime of battling to be socially accepted in a predominantly white society has brought out his own paranoia and reverse racism. It all leads to a tension-packed conclusion that mingles the strained relationship between the three characters and a chase for the killer through an exotic parade celebrating Japanese culture that plays out in similar style to the Junkanoo sequence in "Thunderball".

There is much to commend about this film, which- like most Fuller productions- was shot on a modest budget in B&W with actual locations favored over studio sets. Perhaps Fuller didn't have the funds to rely heavily on sets and thus filmed on location. In any event, this tactic adds immeasurable grit and realism to his movies. Glenn Corbett is likable and fine in an understated performance, Victoria Shaw is excellent as the woman who innocently becomes the instrument that divides two good friends and James Shigeta, who along with Corbett made his screen debut with this film, shows the skills that would quickly elevate him to international stardom. Anna Lee is outstanding as "Mac", an aging artist with a gruff personality who swizzles hard liquor and smokes stogies while churning out comments like "A man is just a man, but a good cigar is a smoke!"

“EXPRESSIONISTIC RELICS”

By Raymond Benson

F. W. Murnau was one of the leading filmmakers of the German Expressionist movement of the 1920s, most well-known for the first adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula—Nosferatu, A Symphony of Horror (1922). He also spent a little time in Hollywood in the late silent era, responsible for one of Tinsel Town’s great silent pictures, Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927), which won the only Academy Award ever given for “Unique and Artistic Picture.”

German Expressionism is mostly defined by a stylized visual conceit that distorts reality for an emotional effect. Highly-contrasted light and shadow play large roles in the mode, as well as sharp, angular lines of design. The works of, say, Tim Burton, could be said to be influenced by the school of German Expressionism. Most of the films noir made in Hollywood in the 1940s and 50s also harked back to the movement.

Kino Video has released a double feature Blu-ray containing two lesser-known pictures made by Murnau in Germany—The Haunted Castle from 1921, which is more of a whodunnit melodrama than anything resembling the paranormal or supernatural, and The Finances of the Grand Duke from 1924, a light comedy with some espionage mixed in. The first concerns a revenge tale with some secret identities and guilt-ridden angst. The second contains a plot that might be too complicated for its own good, dealing with a likable dictator who wants to save a tiny country from its creditors.

Neither film is anything to write home about—they are both rather staid, slow, and, frankly, dull.

What is astonishing, though, is Kino Video’s miraculous restoration in 1920x1080p, which presents the movies in such a pristine and gorgeous transfer that it’s difficult to believe these pictures were made nearly a hundred years ago. Unfortunately, there are no supplements or audio commentaries on the disk.

Nevertheless, silent film and Murnau enthusiasts may very well find something here to savor. Studying old movies embodies a little bit of time travel. There are good lessons contained within that inform us of the manners, social sensibilities, and artistic trends of the day. So little of this period’s work survives, and Kino should be applauded for making it available.

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"I, POD". 

When Olive Films released its highly impressive new special Blu-ray edition of the original "Invasion of the Body Snatchers", the initial run sold out before we even got around to promoting it. Due to overwhelming demand, however, Olive has made the title available again. Here are the details from Olive Films:

“They’re already here! You’re next!” With these chilling words, Invasion of the Body Snatchers sounded a clarion call to the dangers of conformity, paranoia, and mass hysteria at the heart of 1950s American life. Considered one of the greatest science fiction films ever made, Invasion of the Body Snatchers stars Kevin McCarthy (Academy Award® nominee, Best Supporting Actor, Death of A Salesman – 1952) as Miles Bennell, a doctor in a small California town whose patients are becoming increasingly overwrought, accusing their loved ones of being emotionless imposters. They’re right! Plant-like aliens have invaded Earth, taking possession of humans as they sleep and replicating them in giant seed pods. Convinced that a catastrophic epidemic is imminent, Bennell, in a terrifying race for his life, must warn the world of this deadly invasion of the pod people before it’s too late.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers, directed by the accomplished Don Siegel (Dirty Harry, The Shootist) and co-starring Dana Wynter (Airport), Carolyn Jones (A Hole in the Head), Larry Gates (The Sand Pebbles) and King Donovan (The Enforcer), was photographed by Academy Award nominee Ellsworth Fredericks (Best Cinematography, Sayonara – 1958) with production design by Academy Award winner Ted Haworth (Best Art Direction, Sayonara – 1958).

• New High-Definition digital restoration
• Audio Commentary by film historian Richard Harland Smith
• Audio Commentary by actors Kevin McCarthy and Dana Wynter, and filmmaker Joe Dante
• "The Stranger in Your Lover's Eyes" – A two-part visual essay with actor and son of director Don Siegel, Kristoffer Tabori, reading from his father's book A Siegel Film
• "The Fear is Real" – Filmmakers Larry Cohen and Joe Dante on the film's cultural significance
• "I No Longer Belong: The Rise and Fall of Walter Wanger" – Film scholar and author Matthew Bernstein discusses the life and career of the film's producer
• "Sleep No More: Invasion of the Body Snatchers Revisited" –  Never-before-seen appreciation of the film featuring actors Kevin McCarthy and Dana Wynter, along with comments from film directors and fans, John Landis, Mick Garris, and Stuart Gordon
• "The Fear and the Fiction: The Body Snatchers Phenomenon" – Never-before-seen interviews with Kevin McCarthy and Dana Wynter, along with film directors John Landis, Mick Garris and Stuart Gordon, discussing the making of the film, its place in history, and its meaning
• 1985 archival interview with Kevin McCarthy hosted by Tom Hatten
• “Return to Santa Mira" – An exploration of the film's locations
• "What's In a Name?" – On the film's title
• Gallery of rare documents detailing aspects of the film's production including the never-produced opening narration to have been read by Orson Welles
• Essay by author and film programmer Kier-La Janisse
• Original theatrical trailer

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BY LEE PFEIFFER

Years before Michael Cimino released his Socialist-themed Western Heaven's Gate, director Stanely Kramer took a less heavy-handed approach with his 1973 film Oklahoma Crude, which has been released on Blu-ray by Twilight Time. Unlike Cimino's dark and message-laden epic, however, Kramer made the political aspects of his film secondary to the lighthearted tone of the story. Faye Dunaway, seen here in the least glamorous role of her career, plays Lena Doyle, a bitter, man-hating independent woman who is determined to make a success of her wildcat oil drilling venture on the plains of Oklahoma during the early 1900s. Beset by the frustration of consistently having her rig dig up dirt instead of oil, she also has to contend with a bigger threat: a major oil company is determined to seize her land by hook or by crook. When she turns down the offer of a buyout from their cut throat representative (Jack Palance), the oil company moves a virtual army on to Lena's land with the intention of taking her rig by force. Although a crack shot, Lena concedes she can use help and reluctantly hires a down-and-out drifter, 'Mase' Mason (George C. Scott) to help her keep her the assailants at bay. The two have an abrasive relationship, with Lena never smiling or showing an interest in anything other than drawing oil from her rig. They are also assisted by Lena's father Cleon Doyle (John Mills), a charismatic Englishman who is trying to win Lena's love and respect after having deserted her many years ago. Lena can barely stand the sight of him, but faced with the thugs are her doorstep, she has to accept his help.The story mostly takes place on the hillside where Lena's cabin is situated. 'Mase' proves to be a courageous and innovative ally, acquiring U.S. Army hand grenades and using them with devastating effect against the heavily armed gangs from the oil company who try repeatedly to take Lena's hilltop rig and cabin by force.

Oklahoma Crude was a late career project for Kramer (he would only make two more films). Dismissed at the time as a routine Western comedy, the film comes across as a sheer delight when viewing it today. The thin story line isn't the main attraction. Rather, it's the combined talents of four Oscar winners- Scott, Dunaway, Mills and Palance- that add so much zest to what could have otherwise have been a routine experience. They are all delightful to watch, with Scott at his best and Mills in a scene-stealing, wonderful performance as a flawed but charming tenderfoot who summons incredible courage when it is needed most. Kramer hired the best of the best for his crew including cinematographer Robert Surtees, who makes every other frame look like an Andrew Wyeth painting. There is also a fine musical score by Henry Mancini which perfectly fits the "never a dull moment" mood of the movie. 

The film is a sheer delight from beginning to its finale, which features a refreshing plot twist.

The Twilight Time Blu-ray release boasts the expected excellent transfer, an informative collector's booklet with liner notes by Julie Kirgo, an isolated score track and a commentary track by this writer and fellow film historian Paul Scrabo. This release is limited to 3,000 units.

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(Note: this interview with conducted to coincide with the 40th anniversary of Close Encounters of the Third Kind in 2017.)

By Michael Coate

Ray Morton is the author of “Close Encounters of the Third Kind: The Making of Steven Spielberg’s Classic Film” (Applause Theatre & Cinema Books, 2007). He is a screenwriter, script consultant, and senior writer and columnist for Script magazine. His other books include “King Kong: The History of a Movie Icon from Fay Wray to Peter Jackson” (Applause Theatre & Cinema Books, 2005), “Amadeus: Music on Film” (Limelight, 2011), “A Hard Day’s Night: Music on Film” (Limelight, 2011), “A Quick Guide to Screenwriting” (Limelight, 2013), “A Quick Guide to Television Writing” (Limelight, 2013), and “A Quick Guide to Film Directing” (Limelight, 2014).

Cinema Retro: How would you like “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” to be remembered on its 40th anniversary?

Ray Morton: As a wonderful, entertaining movie.

As the first true Steven Spielberg movie. “Jaws” is a magnificent film, but in a way an atypical film for Spielberg in terms of genre and subject matter. “Close Encounters” is the first of Spielberg’s movies to contain many of the elements that would become closely associated with him in the years that followed: an uplifting sci-fi/fantasy narrative infused with a tremendous sense of wonder; a focus on children; an exploration of life in the American suburbs; broken families; a fascination with World War II; a highly sophisticated use of visual and special effects; the use of a powerful John Williams score to create a powerful emotional response; cinematography that emphasizes backlighting; and Spielberg’s trademarked “push in” close-ups onto the awed faces of his characters. “Jaws” made Spielberg hot, “CE3K” made him a brand name.

As one of the two films that transformed science fiction and fantasy from vaguely disreputable “B” genres into “A” movie material in the eyes of both the public and the film industry. The other was, of course, “Star Wars.”

As the masterwork of Douglas Trumbull, Richard Yuricich, and their great team of visual effects magicians at Future General.

As one of the most intense and honest depictions ever filmed of obsession and of the rewards and costs of pursuing a dream.

As one of the most authentic, non-idealized, and non-stereotypical depictions of American suburban life ever shown on screen.

Cinema Retro: Can you recall your reaction to the first time you saw “Close Encounters”?

Morton: I can absolutely recall the first time I saw “Close Encounters”—it was the most significant movie-going experience of my life. I saw it in December 1977 at the Ridgeway Theater in Stamford, Connecticut—on a school night with my sisters Kathy and Nancy.I loved the movie as a movie—it was intriguing, thrilling, frightening, funny, awe-inspiring, thought-provoking, and ultimately extremely moving. But the effect “Close Encounters” had on me went well beyond the simple enjoyment of a very good film. By the time “CE3K” opened, I had already been a film fan for a few years, but “Close Encounters” is the movie that awakened me to the true power of cinema. Until that night, if you had asked the very young me what the most important ingredients in a movie were, I would have said dialogue and performance. Those things are certainly present in “CE3K,” but they are secondary. The storytelling in “Close Encounters”—especially in its final thirty minutes—is accomplished primarily through the manipulation of the core elements of cinema: imagery, sound effects, and music. Watching the film for the first time, I found myself having a profound emotional response to Spielberg’s masterful orchestration of light and sound—I was filled with feelings of awe, wonder, and joy so intense they were almost spiritual. When the movie ended, I just sat staring at the screen, enraptured and unable to move as I processed the overwhelming intensity of what I had just experienced. I sat there so long that my sisters finally lost patience with me. “Wake up!” my sister Nancy snapped. “The movie’s over!” That brought me back to the world, but I still hadn’t come back to Earth.I realized then and there the powerful effect that movies could have on an audience — that in the right hands they could transcend mere storytelling and impact viewers on a much deeper and more profound level. Driving home that night (in a heavy fog that filtered the headlights of oncoming cars in ways that mimicked much of the imagery in the movie we had just seen), I knew I wanted to do something more than just watch movies—that I wanted to make a life in the cinema as well.

Cinema Retro: Is there any significance to “Close Encounters”?

Morton: Well, it’s one of the best sci-fi movies ever made, both creatively and from a production stand-point. And, as I mentioned earlier, it’s one of the films that made sci-fi into a respectable genre.

Beyond those two points, however, it was the first major sci-fi film to depict first contact as a potentially positive experience—that a meeting between mankind and beings from another world could be a joyous, peaceful, uplifting event—something that could be good for us—rather than an occasion of invasion and horror. In the years following “CE3K” and especially “E.T.” that became a commonplace idea, but in 1977 it was pretty revolutionary.

Cinema Retro: Which edition of “Close Encounters” do you like best?

Morton: I prefer the 1977 theatrical cut, in part because it’s the first version of the movie I saw and the one that made such a strong impression on me. But I also prefer it because it’s the most subtle version of the film. As an example, in the scene in which Roy has his initial close encounter at the railroad crossing, as he drives off in pursuit of the UFO, the 1977 version cuts to a long shot of Roy’s truck driving across the landscape and in the sky above you see a little point of light moving along. Is it a UFO? Or is it just an airplane or a satellite? We’re not 100% sure and that adds some mystery and intrigue to the picture—was what we just saw happen real or did Roy perhaps imagine it? We’re not sure and neither is Roy until the three UFOs come flying around the corner in the Crescendo Summit scene a few minutes later. In the Special Edition and the 1997 Director’s Edition, that shot is replaced by the shadow of an impossibly large UFO zooming across the landscape—all of the ambiguity is gone and the point is hit right on the head that what we saw was real and that UFOs are real before they are revealed to us at Crescendo Summit. It takes a little bit of the magic out of it for me.

As technically wonderful as it is, I feel the Cotapoxi scene has similar problems. The jeeps leaping over the sand dunes in 1-2-3 formation and the helicopters zooming low across the desert feel like they belong in a slightly broader, slightly less real film than the theatrical cut is. One of the things I like so much about “CE3K” is that the fantastic events occur in a very real setting—Roy’s world and Jillian’s world all feel very authentic and real to me—but when people are zooming around like they are in an action movie, some of that reality gets lost for me. And, as cool as seeing the ship in the desert is, the scene is really just a repeat of the opening sequence in which the airplanes are discovered, so it’s a bit repetitious. I do like some of the family strife material that was put back in for the Special Edition and the Director’s Edition and some of the editing in the second act is tighter and less raggedy. But I still prefer the 1977 version. Following that I would choose the 1997 cut and then the Special Edition. (I think going inside the Mothership was always a mistake.)

Cinema Retro: Where do you think “Close Encounters” ranks among Steven Spielberg’s body of work?

Morton: Near the top, along with “Jaws,” “E.T.,” “Raiders,” “Schindler’s List,” and “Empire of the Sun.” It has always struck me as being one of his most personal movies.

BY TODD GARBARINI

The 1970’s were a time of much spookiness and speculation in this country. Unidentified Flying Objects (UFO’s), a publicity-shy Plesiosaur called Nessie steaking out the Scottish Highlands, Sasquatch “sightings”, ghosts, satanic cults, witchcraft, and the threat of nuclear catastrophe highlighted the newspapers when Vietnam, Richard Nixon and Watergate weren’t. Between 1977 and 1982, Leonard Nimoy’s narration provided the basis for nearly 150 speculative and generally outright creepy episodes of In Search Of…Similarly-themed television specials were even categorized by TV Guide as “speculation” in their genre listings. I even recall a scenario in 1979 that was reported in a local newspaper concerning the discovery of ribcages and bowls of blood at a nearby campground. Yikes!

May 1970 saw the release of Hal Lindsey and Carole C. Carlson’s book The Late Great Planet Earth, a grimly-titled caveat in eschatological terms detailing the end of the world and destruction to humankind as we know it (it was followed up in 1972 with Satan Is Alive and Well on Planet Earth and in 1982 with The 1980s: Countdown to Armageddon). The genesis of this line of thinking has its roots in the Holy Bible, specifically the Book of Revelation which is the final book of the New Testament. What better way to get the word out than in a major motion picture? The book was optioned for a film in 1976 by Pacific International Enterprises, known as PIE for short, which was both a film production and distribution company founded two years earlier by Arthur R. Debs (it folded in 2001) for the purpose of releasing “family films”. How they came to the subject of Armageddon is anyone’s guess. Between 1976 and 1978, interviews were conducted with renowned thinkers, scientists and religious folks to get their views and interpretations of the Bible and the promise of pestilence.

The film sports the same title as the book and was released in a good number of neighborhood theatres on Wednesday, January 17, 1979. It opens with a sequence involving a group of men chasing a Gandalf wannabe up a mountain (in reality, Vaszquez Rocks in California where Captain James T. Kirk fought the Gorn in the Star Trek episode “Arena” in 1966) and pushing him to his death. These are actors, of course, and they look like they might have tried out to be the apostles in Martin Scorsese’s first attempt to bring The Last Temptation of Christ to the screen via Paramount Pictures on a minimal budget. Orson Welles appears with a skull meant to represent the fallen man from thousands of years earlier and sets the film’s tone by explaining how the ancient Hebrews believed that a prophet was God’s Man and spoke the Words of God, foretelling, many centuries before, of events to come. The prophet was killed because he wasn’t accurate one hundred percent of the time and therefore was deemed a fraud.

The film talks of the Anti-Christ entering the world of politics – shades of Omen III: The Final Conflict (1983)? There are many predictions made using stock footage to enunciate impending doom. However interesting or frightening the claims, the orator’s guessing of the timeline is vague at best. Something that was correctly predicted at the time of the film’s shooting was the estimate of the world population 40 years hence to be roughly 8 billion people. It is closer to 7.5 billion, but not a bad estimate.

Earthquakes, world famine, floods, killer bees (I recall this threat in 1979 and wondered how they came about. The film provides the not-so-surprising explanation) were the stuff of disaster movies in the 1970s. I’m not sure if Planet Earth is a statement of veracity or pure bollocks, but it’s an interesting examination of prophesies, nonetheless.

The film has been recently released on Blu-ray by Kino Lorber/Scorpion and the transfer is exceptional. There are two bonus features. The first is a making-of featurette that runs fourteen minutes and is comprised of interviews with nearly ten people behind-the-scenes. Roger Riddell is the film’s producer who discusses how the movie came into being. Alan Belkin, President of American Cinema, a division of American Communications Industries, shares his memories of the film. The rough cut was two hours; the film’s running time is 86 minutes. Composer Dana Kaproff provides an exceptional score that is one of the film’s strongpoints (it deserves a soundtrack album release) and he explains his role as a composer. Tom Doddington, head of Sound and Production, explains how Orson Welles was a consummate professional, going so far as to record his voiceover at his house. Thomas Nicely, one of the actors running in the opening sequence, also weighs in. Lynn McCallon and Anne Goursaud were editors on the film. Jean Higgins, Head of Production for American Cinema, and David Miller, Head of Distribution, discuss the film’s marketing.

Bonus features consist of a selection of trailers: theatrical trailer and TV spot for The Late Great Planet Earth (1979); Go Tell the Spartans (1978) theatrical trailer, Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen TV spot; The Apple (1980) theatrical trailer; and The Salamander (1981) theatrical trailer.

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Michele Legrand, the French composer who won three Academy Awards, has died at age 86. Legrand originally hit the big time as a crooner and pianist with his 1954 album "I Love Paris" which went on to be an international sensation, selling more than 8 million copies. Other hit albums followed and he began to score feature films. With more than 200 films to his credit, Legrand's style of scoring films would is considered "old school" today, employing lush, romantic melodies that have included some of the most memorable film scores of all time. He first gained international attention in film scoring with the 1964 French production "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg", a romance in which literally every word of dialogue was sung. The film earned him three Oscar nominations and the best known song from the film, "I Will Wait for You" became a major hit that was covered by many artists. He would also create the score for the related 1967 film "The Young Girls of Rochefort".

The following year, Legrand won an Oscar for Best Song for "The Windmills of Your Mind", a puzzling but hypnotic piece with lyrics by Alan and Marilyn that perfectly fit the stylish crime caper "The Thomas Crown Affair".  Noel Harrison sung the piece in the film but it was covered by many artists and Dusty Springfield had a Top 40 version of it. Other Oscars followed for his haunting score for "Summer of '42" and "Yentl". For more about his life and career click here.

BY TODD GARBARINI

If you’re one of the many moviegoers who are unfamiliar with the Jacques Lacerte thriller Love Me Deadly, you’re not alone. A product of early 1970s low-budget motion picture production, this film is the sole title directed by Mr. Lacerte who passed away in 1988. Lensed in 1971 and released in San Francisco right around the same time as Gerard Damiano’s wildly popular and controversial couples-flick Deep Throat in June 1972 just before the Watergate burglary, the film played in roughly ten markets, including rained-out drive-ins, before it nearly disappeared from view. However, there are subsequent movie posters for the film that have the audacity to mention William Friedkin’s The Exorcist (1973) and give the impression that spiritual possession is somehow to blame for the unsavory goings-on. It’s not.

Love Me Deadly was originally titled Kiss Me Deadly, however Mickey Spillane had the rights to that title, hence the name change. What is billed as a story of demonic diabolical deeds is rather a heartbreakingly tragic tale of a young woman who cannot seem to connect with men…who are alive. The film never really seems to get a grip on how it wants to play out the subject matter at hand but you get the feeling that the director is attempting to pass the film off as some sort of dissertation on necrophilia which, in my humble opinion, is one of the most incomprehensible, disgusting, and desperate of all sexual proclivities and one that I can only hope is relegated to the cinema. I interpreted the film from a much different perspective, so each viewer might see something differently due to the film’s inability to construct a single tone.

The opening credits play over images of a happy young girl, Lindsay Finch, playing with her father who dotes on her, pushes her on a swing, and comforts her when she falls. As an adult, Lindsay (Mary Charlotte Wilcox) is a looker who tries her best to make friends with attractive men. She leads on Wade Farrow (the late Christopher Stone of 1981’s The Howling and 1983’s Cujo, sans his trademark ‘stache) only to rebuff him when he makes sexual advances. Like Harold and his pal Maude, Lindsay looks through the newspapers and attends afternoon wakes of complete strangers although her reasons for doing so are far more disturbing: she attempts amorous contact with the recently deceased. While about town, she hones in on men who bear a resemblance to her father whom we can safely assume has passed. Meanwhile Fred (Timothy Scott), a funeral director of Morningside Mortuary (the name anticipates 1979’s Phantasm), catches her and persuades her to join him after hours in necrophilic activities with similarly afflicted gonzos who don black mass-like capes in a ritual prior to becoming intimate with corpses, the victims of Fred’s nocturnal cruisings along the Sunset Strip in search of johns and prostitutes.

Lindsay takes a liking to Alex Martin (Lyle Waggoner) whom she sees as a father figure. They court and marry soon afterwards, although their bedroom habits suffer greatly as she’s unable to allow Alex to make love to her. He’s patient and even sleeps in another room yet becomes suspicious of his wife’s behavior when he follows her to the funeral parlor and sees her enter the premises. When he asks her about it later on, she denies going there at all. A brief conversation with the housekeeper who practically raised her leads Alex to the cemetery in the film’s most heartbreaking scene wherein Lindsay is dressed in pigtails, playing around her father’s grave like a child. Anyone who has seen enough horror films knows how the film will end so while it’s not a shocker, it’s actually tragically sad given how her father died and the guilt that Lindsay feels. This is the biggest issue that I have with the film. While the ads promise one thing, what you get is something much different. The biggest evidence of this is in the inclusion of elegiac songs sung by Kit Fuller that play over the kinderscene that opens the film and the romantic silliness between she and Alex. This is, a sequence that seems to have been borrowed from the overlong romantic interlude that plagues Clint Eastwood’s otherwise crackerjack Play Misty for Me (1971), with Roberta Flack crooning on that film’s soundtrack for nearly five minutes. The original movie poster even claims that Lindsay is 18, however she’s clearly in her early to mid-twenties.

"The Man from U.N.C.L.E." was not only a TV phenomenon in the 1960s but the mania also extended to the big screen. MGM produced eight feature-length movies derived from two-part episodes of the series. (Some included extra "bonus" footage that would deemed to be too sexual or violent for network broadcast.) These lazily-compiled efforts were astonishingly profitable, especially in England where some house records were set at theaters. (Only three of the feature films were released theatrically in the USA: "To Trap a Spy", "The Spy with My Face" and "One Spy Too Many". "One of Our Spies is Missing" was planned for American release but we've yet to substantiate that it actually was.) This trailer is suitably hokey, mod, cheesy and fun as we once again watch Robert Vaughn and David McCallum save the world from the threat of Thrush! 

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BY LEE PFEIFFER

"The Secret Partner" is yet another unheralded gem from the cinematic past that has been made available through the Warner Archive. It's a fairly low budget British film noir that nevertheless is completing engrossing and will have viewers guessing throughout. Stewart Granger is John Brent, a successful executive at a London shipping company who we find in great distress from early in the film. It seems Brent is being routinely blackmailed by his milquetoast dentist, Beldon (Norman Bird). We don't know what he has on Brent until much later in the story, a clever device used by screenwriters David Pursall and Jack Seddon that only increases the interest of the viewer. Brent understandably despises Beldon but is intimidated enough by him that he continues to pay astronomical sums of money to buy his silence. In the interim, Brent can't explain to his wife Nicole (Haya Haraeet) why their money is disappearing almost as fast as he can earn it. She logically suspects that he is seeing another woman and their marriage very publicly goes on the rocks when she moves out. Meanwhile, Beldon himself is subject to the terrors of blackmail when a masked man with a gun demands that he follows explicit instructions to administer a drug to Brent during his next dental visit. While under the influence of sleeping gas, Brent is injected with a truth serum that results in his telling Beldon the combination of his company's safe. Additionally, Beldon follows instructions to remove Brent's office keys and make a clay impression of them. The masked man promises Beldon a payoff of 15,000 pounds if he complies- and death if he doesn't. Beldon pulls off his end of the scheme and Brent appears to be none the wiser. Predictably, the office safe of Brent's employer is rob of 130,000 quid and he is the logical suspect. The case falls into the lap of Det. Superintendent Frank Hanbury (Bernard Lee), a veteran cop who is counting the days until his imminent retirement. He questions Brent but when Brent realizes he is about to be arrested for grand larceny, he flees. Hanbury relentlessly pursues him even as his investigation leads him to believe that Brent might have been set up as a fall guy. Hanbury repeatedly interviews Nicole and discovers that she is apparently having affairs with some of Brent's most trusted friends and co-workers. Meanwhile, Brent is trying to avoid the police while he conducts his own investigation, desperate to prove he is innocent.  

"The Secret Partner" is a prime example of the kind of efficient, low-profile films that used to be turned out regularly decades ago and this one is top notch throughout. It's impressively directed by the ever-capable Basil Dearden, who helmed other gems like "Woman of Straw" and "Khartoum". Granger, who should have been a much bigger star, is dashing and determined as a leading man and he plays well off of the great British character actor Bernard Lee. Lee's slow, unemotional approach to solving the case is a joy to watch, as he patiently absorbs the facts and tries not to jump to conclusions even as he smokes what must be a record number of cigarettes ever consumed by one actor in one film. The film is peppered with fine performances from an impressive supporting cast with Harareet especially enticing as Brent's sexy, estranged wife. Even the smallest roles are well-performed (keep an eye out for Paul Stassino, the ill-fated NATO pilot from "Thunderball" as a pimp!). There is also a funky if somewhat bombastic jazz score by Philip Green and some nice period photography around London. The real pay off is a surprise revelation near the end of the film that I doubt even the most astute viewer will see coming.

"The Secret Partner" is a thoroughly enjoyable film that represents the cliche "They don't make 'em like that any more!" 

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Natalie cools off even as she heats up the audience in Splendor in the Grass.

Kimberly Lindbergs of the Movie Morlocks site presents her "Four Reasons Why I Love Natalie Wood" through analyzing Love With the Proper Stranger, This Property is Condemned, Rebel Without a Cause and Splendor in the Grass. (What? No West Side Story or Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice???)  We concur that Natalie Wood's screen presence just seems to get better with time. Click here to find out why. 

By Todd Garbarini

Following the financial success of John Carpenter’s Halloween (1978) and Sean Cunningham’s Friday the 13^th (1980), movie studios were making slasher films in large quantities. They didn’t necessarily want to, they just knew that there were scores to be made at the box office. Producers and directors alike were trying to come up with the next big franchise to keep pumping out money makers for years to come. The success of Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) directly inspired The Toolbox Murders (1978). Likewise, Maniac (1980), released in New York City on Friday, January 30, 1981 (the same day as David Cronenberg’s Scanners), was the result of a brainstorming conversation between the film’s eventual director Bill Lustig and his friend Frank Pesce (who can be seen as the restaurant manager in James Toback’s 1978 film Fingers and as fugitive Carmine in Martin Brest’s 1988 comedy Midnight Run. His life story was also the subject of the 1991 comedy 29^th Street, directed by George Gallo who, incidentally, penned Midnight Run). The idea was to make a horror film that could be billed as “Jaws on land.” Jaws (1975), of course, changed the cinematic landscape and how movies are distributed and promoted using catchy tag lines, effective advertising campaigns, and rolling out a film in hundreds of movie theaters at once. It also provided the basis for obvious and cheap imitations and rip-offs. Maniac isn’t so obvious to the untrained eye.

Shot back-to-back in the fall and brutal winter of 1979 with much of the same crew from Friday the 13^th, Maniac stars the under-rated, under-utilized and, unfortunately, late Joe Spinell, an actor of considerable range who, despite his intimidating stance and demeanor, was actually a thoughtful and exceedingly nice personality on the set and behind-the-scenes, always eager to help fellow performers. Here he plays Frank Zito, a middle-aged man who lives alone in a New York City apartment amid toys and mannequins who double as his friends and personal company following a childhood ruined at the hands of an overbearing and physically abusive mother whom he lashes out against when he comes into physical contact with women. Following in the footsteps of the slasher films of the time, Maniac’s theme of an outcast with sexual hang-ups has provided more than enough fodder as a theme for disturbed young men who engage in ruthless killing sprees. Frank converses with the mannequins which are adorned with the real scalps and clothing of women who met their end at his hands, thus giving credence to the notion that serial killers keep trophies of their victims, a point spouted by Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs ten years later. Not all his victims are women, however. One night he follows a couple and shoots the man (Tom Savini!) point blank with a double-barreled shotgun before adding his girlfriend to his macabre collection. On another night he spots two nurses at a hospital (one of them is played by former porn actress Sharon Mitchell) and follows one of them into a subway bathroom in the film’s creepiest and most unsettling sequence.

A chance encounter with a photographer named Anna (Caroline Munro, who actually got her start as an actress after someone took her photograph and entered the winning image into a contest) leads him to her apartment. Anna doesn’t appear to be the slightest bit concerned that he obtained her name and address from her camera bag and invites him in! They soon begin a platonic friendship, but one of Anna’s model friends, Rita, catches Frank’s eye at one of her photo shoots and soon meets a terrible end. Anna is oblivious to this fact until she accompanies Frank to his mother’s grave with flowers and all hell breaks loose and heads towards an ending that is inspired until the final shot which is often relegated to the domain of slasher films, most notably Michele Soavi’s 1987 stylish giallo classic Stagefright.

Maniac developed a notorious reputation for its then-shocking violence, angering feminists from coast to coast. While it’s still fairly disturbing even by today’s standards, there is an argument to be made that AMC’s The Walking Dead is infinitely more savage. Shot on 16mm, the film holds up very well and has now been made available on Blu-ray in a three-disc set that includes a transfer mastered from a 4K restoration of the original camera negative.