Obscure One-Sheet

"All he can think of is her shape."

2012-02-09T07:53:00.009-06:00

Available on DVD since the beginning of the format, Vision Quest was one of a handful of titles that Warner Bros. issued in full-frame format only (there was later an Australian 16X9 DVD released under its alternate title Crazy For You). The Warner Archive has corrected this oversight by releasing a 16X9 VISION QUEST MOD DVD sourced from a newer master. They've also included the original theatrical trailer, which features the goofy, youthful, and lighthearted style of voiceover also utilized for other teen films of the era such as Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

Listening to the Vision Quest trailer a couple times, I believe the voice of the narrator belongs to Mark Metcalf, best known for his role as Lt. Douglas C. Neidermeyer in Animal House (which he reprised in the Twisted Sister video for "We're Not Gonna Take It" and in the John Landis-directed segment in Twilight Zone: The Movie) and less well known as one of the producers of, and actors in, Chilly Scenes of Winter aka Head Over Heels.

"Travis McGee is having a conference with one of his clients. Business as usual."

2012-02-01T10:11:00.017-06:00

Rod Taylor, he of the recently revived Dark of the Sun (by way of Bill Lustig, Quentin Tarantino, and the Warner Archive), starred a few years later as Travis McGee, the most famous creation of mystery scribe John D. MacDonald, in Robert Clouse's Darker Than Amber.

That brings me to the latest acquisition resulting from my movie poster addiction, which you can see below. I would have liked a more prominent image of star Rod Taylor rather than villain William Smith, but the garish colors and imagery make up for it. Interestingly, Smith's name is nowhere to be found in the billing block.

This Belgian poster features the customary bi-lingual title treatment and sources its main images from a few other posters and lobby cards for the film.

Now, if only CBS, by way of Paramount, could see to it to release this on DVD or Blu-ray. Unfortunately, it's influence on Soderbergh's Haywire is probably too oblique to have much impact.

On another positive note, there has been recent talk of another screen interpretation of John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee. The new adaptation, of the first McGee novel, The Deep Blue Good-by, has Leonardo DiCaprio attached as star and producer and Paul Greengrass as director. My first reaction to hearing that DiCaprio is slated to topline was far from an enthusiastic "Yow!" response, but I guess it's best to take a "wait and see" approach. That said, I know one thing...to borrow--and tweak--a line from the immortal Hank Kingsley: "One of Rod Taylor's balls is bigger than Leonardo DiCaprio."

I suppose if this thing ever gets made, CBS / Paramount would probably finally be inclined to release Darker Than Amber on a disc format, though.

11 Best Repertory Titles Seen for the First Time in '11

2011-12-30T10:46:00.002-06:00

Rupert Pupkin is at it again! He's been good enough to post my list of favorite repertory films seen for the first time in 2011. I extended the list from the customary 10 to 11 to honor the year that was 2011 and because narrowing it down was as difficult as ever.

TV Spot(s) Not on the DVD: Summer Lovers (1982, Randal Kleiser)

2011-10-07T16:03:00.001-05:00

These apparently aired on the then-nascent MTV in Summer '82. I can't think of other TV spots that utilized actors and incorporated new scenes as this one does. Can you? I do, of course, recall the many TV spots that interviewed moviegoers as they exited a film or waited on line for tickets.

"It's powerful stuff."

2011-09-12T23:12:00.006-05:00

You can't see The Outsider on DVD or VHS, but it has been streaming on Netflix Instant for awhile now. One of a number of not-on-DVD Paramount titles that have shown up on the service, I found it to be very effective and disturbing...it certainly deserves to be more widely known than it is. Craig Wasson stars as a disaffected Irish-American Vietnam veteran who takes his soldiering skills to Northern Ireland and the IRA, in order to fight for a cause he actually believes in. What he finds, not too surprisingly, is that even his very noble and pure intentions cannot protect him from the in-fighting, politicking, and corruption that are part and parcel of these situations. The film was written and directed by Tony Luraschi from Colin Leinster's novel The Heritage of Michael Flaherty. Based on the complex nature of the film and the skill with which it was made, it's surprising it was directed by a neophyte and equally surprising that it remains his only film. Sterling Hayden co-stars in a small, but important role as the grandfather, an ex-IRA man, who inspires his grandson's journey.

I find that Wasson gets a lot of unwarranted flack from fellow cinephiles--mostly for Body Double, I believe--but there's no denying that he picked a lot of challenging, left-of-center projects during his few peak years as a young supporting player and leading man, Go Tell the Spartans, Four Friends, and Carny among them, which is something he should be lauded for more than he is. That none of these films were successful in a financial sense is not attributable to the presence of Wasson, but to their inherently uncommercial nature, particularly in the changing, post-blockbuster climate of the late '70s and early '80s.

And, yes, it appears that the Paramount marketing department re-used the font from the previous year's The Warriors for The Outsider, or something close to it anyway.

Bringing Back the Cursive

2011-09-07T16:04:00.006-05:00

The advance word on Nicolas Winding Refn's Drive is already good enough that I am eagerly anticipating seeing the film. On a more geek obsessive level, I appreciate the use of a script font (in pink!) on the posters, a stylistic and perhaps symbolic choice that harks back to the '80s, when there was a prevalence of graffiti and script title fonts, frequently in neon colors, in movie marketing materials.

EDIT: I've added most of the suggestions from the comments section into the main gallery.

Two from '68

2011-08-29T14:34:00.002-05:00

I own the first insert and just saw the second one on an online auction. The colors, fonts, and illustration were too similar to my eyes to not call attention to them. Interestingly, Sweet November was a Warner release and Pretty Poison a Fox. I thought for sure they'd have been done by the same house designer. Anyone have any idea if these were designed by the same artist and, if so, who that is?

Trailer Not on the DVD: Night Shift (1982, Ron Howard)

2011-08-28T17:31:00.003-05:00

The guy who uploaded this trailer of Ron Howard's best film--well, it's this or Splash--apparently transferred it from his personal 16mm print; deep catalog 35mm prints from the studios are becoming so scarce, let alone 16mm ones, it's hard to believe they once struck 16mm trailers.

Soundtrack on the trailer features Burt Bacharach's eminently hummable "Night Shift" instrumental (the vocal version was performed by Quarterflash) and Al Jarreau's "Girls Know How."

Revisiting this one recently, I was reminded of what a treasure trove of gritty early '80s NYC footage we get here (it seems a few exteriors were filmed in L.A., however, and I think I spotted 'em all). Its New York street cred is bolstered by an appearance by the one and only, Joe Spinell, as, what else, a sleazy gentleman's club operator. During one of several Times Square drive-bys, we see a marquee boasting Sharky's Machine (putting at least some of the filming in very late '81 or early '82; Night Shift was released in Summer '82, while Sharky's was a Christmas '81 release).

Trailer Not on the DVD: Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986, John Hughes)

2011-08-28T17:05:00.003-05:00

A collection of music-filled trailers and a tv spot from a Paramount Picture that are also not available on the DVD or Blu-ray. I'm guessing the shorter trailer may be a teaser trailer and the longer one is the regular trailer. The real point of fascination here is a clip of one of the younger Bueller children, roles that were cut from the final film:

Trailer Not on the DVD: Saturday Night Fever (1977, John Badham)

2011-08-28T16:53:00.003-05:00

Paramount has been pretty bad about putting original theatrical trailers on their DVD and Blu-ray releases. I've heard that music in trailers also needs to be cleared for home video and this may be why so many vintage Paramount trailers remain absent from DVD. Still, I find it doubtful that all the other studios are clearing music rights for the original trailers on their disc. An interesting example of this sort of thing is the Last American Virgin DVD, which is missing Human League's "Love Action" (replaced by another go round of "Whip It") because the band refused to re-license it for the film. However, the DVD also contains the original theatrical trailer, which includes a portion of "Love Action." I'm guessing no one was paying too much attention to the content of the trailer.

This trailer, which probably came from an old VHS, runs fairly long and has a promo for the soundtrack album at the tail end.

Not So Obscure Trailer, but Still MIA on DVD: The Wild Life (1984, Art Linson) OR..."It's casual."

2011-08-27T14:07:00.012-05:00

Most likely a victim of short-sighted music licensing agreements, The Wild Life remains m.i.a. on DVD shelves nearly 15 years into the format's lifespan. "Even faster" than Fast Times at Ridgemont High, The Wild Life was written by Fast Times scribe Cameron Crowe and directed by Art Linson, who produced the earlier film. Something of a quasi-sequel to Fast Times, its primary protagonist is Bill Conrad (Fast Times alumnus Eric Stoltz), a recent Los Angeles-area high school grad whose main goal within the film's timeline is moving into and maintaining an apartment in a singles complex (managed, incidentally, by the late, great Robert Ridgely). Problems arise when Bill can't make rent on his own and must enlist a roommate (a wild Christopher Penn) to share the burden.

The film famously--or, in the minds of most critics in 1984, infamously--co-stars Christopher Penn as wrestling star, party animal, and all around goofball Tom Drake. At the time, most observers couldn't get past the fact that Penn's role was a rather transparent attempt to create another Jeff Spicoli, the character made legendary by older brother Sean in Fast Times. No, Drake is no Spicoli or Blutarsky, and his "It's casual" catchphrase did not enter the lexicon as "Hey bud, let's party" did, but Chris Penn brings a great energy to the part and gets laughs from me whenever I revisit the film.

With this film, veteran producer Linson makes one of only two trips behind the camera (earlier helming Where the Buffalo Roam) and I can't help but think that he came into to replace another director...Crowe, perhaps? Since the film is rarely mentioned by Crowe or any of the principals, which also include Lea Thompson, Ilan Mitchell-Smith, and Jenny Wright, production back-stories are scant. By no means a classic, The Wild Life, like its predecessor, does boast a fine acting ensemble (more great work from Fast Times casting director Don Phillips) with Hart Bochner, Rick Moranis, Randy Quaid, the aforementioned Ridgely, Sherilyn Fenn, Michael Bowen, Ben Stein, Jack Kehoe, Fear frontman and '80s stalwart Lee Ving, Predator Kevin Peter Hall, and Tony Montana "yes man" Angel Salazar ("Tony, open the door!!!") filling out the cast. They're thrust into many stock situations, culminating with the type of house party blowout that featured in so many teen comedies of the time. Much of what seemed very fresh just two years earlier with Fast Times, is decidedly less revelatory here, with an air of been there done that.

That's not to say there aren't some very original creations in Crowe's script with Mitchell-Smith's Vietnam-obsessed teen taking top prize in this category. In a plot development that would probably have current studio execs nervous, Mitchell-Smith and his sidekick (Brin Berliner) visit the decrepit pad of a Vietnam vet (Randy Quaid) more than likely suffering from PTSD. In what may be the film's most affecting and effective moment, Quaid tells the kid in no uncertain terms that he's lucky to have missed Vietnam and to appreciate the preservation of his average suburban existence. I have to believe that Mitchell-Smith's Jim Conrad is inspired by the late Chris Penn's own teenage years, a time in which he soaked up any and all Vietnam minutia he could while making a Vietnam-set Super 8 film (said film featured boyhood pals Charlie Sheen and Emilio Estevez in its cast). Sadly, the world lost the youngest Penn way too soon...based on the bulk of his performances and his youthful forays into filmmaking, it's clear he had a lot more to offer, more than he was usually given credit for anyway.

The soundtrack that is most likely keeping The Wild Life from DVD and Blu-ray includes an entirely original instrumental score by Eddie Van Halen (with music that foreshadows some future tunes such as "Right Now") and pop songs by Madonna, Buffalo Springfield, Billy Idol, Human League, Bananarama, Steppenwolf, Huey Lewis and the News, Peter Case, The Three O'Clock, Little Richard, and others. Earlier home video versions omitted some of these songs, as many MCA / Universal releases of the era were wont to do, and had a "Home Video Version" tag printed on the back cover. The original theatrical version has aired on Encore in recent years, however.

Chris Penn with then girlfriend Sherilyn Fenn in May '84.

It's no Fast Times and, in fact, it ain't faster, clocking in a full six minutes longer, but for those '80s nostalgists, like me, who prefer to see the decade through a non-Hughes prism, The Wild Life remains essential viewing...if you can get a hold of it.

"Watch the landlord get his."

2011-07-27T17:08:00.002-05:00

I may be the only person who thought of this:

When I saw this:

"The Rock and Roller Disco Movie of the Year!"

2011-07-27T17:01:00.000-05:00

Those scouring the rep calendars around the country may have noticed that a rather obscure title has been trending lately. Skatetown U.S.A. has, or has had, play dates at the Cinefamily in Los Angeles, Music Box in Chicago, and BAMCinematek in Brooklyn. A programmer friend tells me that the repertory department at Sony has been pushing the charms of Skatetown and the studio has gone so far as to create these as giveaways! It's apparently the real deal.

I'm told, however, that the Sony has not struck new prints. Featuring the film debut of Patrick Swayze, as well as noted thespian Scott Baio, and a wall-to-wall disco soundtrack, the film has never appeared on commercial home video, most likely due to music rights issues. Perhaps these theatrical play dates will lead down the road to some form of home video release...it's difficult to say, though, as repertory and home video are completely different departments and have inherently different obligations and obstacles to deal with.

"No reason. I just like doing things like that."

2011-06-28T13:58:00.000-05:00

I regularly pass this wall on my to the Fairway in Red Hook and figured I better capture it with my new iPhone before the whole thing gets a fresh coat of black paint. Good to know that long after the Rockstar Games "Warriors" ads have come down, Luther and the Wonder Wheel live on, along with Bruce Lee.

Japanese Herald Gallery: White Line Fever

2011-06-17T21:51:00.007-05:00

The back cover photo depicts Martin "Sensei Kreese" Kove and a pal beating up Jan-Michael Vincent. Incidentally, Kove is probably the only actor who could challenge James Caan for the title of Baddest Hollywood Jewish Cowboy. Well, except, of course, for Maxwell Henry Aronson aka "Broncho Billy".

Probably coincidental, but this image from the Speed one-sheet
is eerily reminiscent of Jan-Michael's Blue Mule.

Japanese Herald Gallery: Reckless

2011-06-17T21:43:00.003-05:00

Soundtrack Jukebox Vol. 2

2011-06-03T17:33:00.014-05:00

Once again inspired by my good friend Rupert Pupkin, here are some more tunes sourced from soundtrack LPs and / or used prominently in a particular film, this time mostly from the '80s. There are a few hits here, but most, again, fall under the "cult" label.

In no particular order (shuffling is encouraged):
1. "Same Old Scene" - Roxy Music, Times Square
2. "Prisoner" - Barbra Streisand, The Eyes of Laura Mars
3. "We Got the Beat" - The Go-Go's, Fast Times at Ridgemont High
4. "The Dream (Hold On To Your Dream)" - Irene Cara, D.C. Cab (Giorgio Moroder)
5. "Lorelei" - Nina Hagen, The Year of the Jellyfish
6. "This is Not America" - David Bowie, The Falcon and the Snowman (Pat Matheny / Lyle Mays)
7. "Superstar" - T-Connection, Bad Boys (1983)
8. "The Edge of Forever" - The Dream Academy, Ferris Bueller's Day Off
9. "Tenderness" - General Public, Weird Science
10. "Eyes of a Stranger" - Payola$, Valley Girl
11. "Angel's Song" - Deborah Harry, Rock & Rule
12. "Running Scared" - Fee Waybill, Running Scared (1986)
13. "The Last Unicorn" - America, The Last Unicorn (Jimmy Webb)
14. "Change" - John Waite, Vision Quest
15. "Street Life" - The Crusaders with Randy Crawford, Sharky's Machine
16. "Rosalinda's Eyes" - Billy Joel, Personal Best
17. "How Do I Let You Know" - Phoebe Cates, Private School
18. "The Wild Life" - Bananarama, The Wild Life
19. "Turn to the Sky" - The March Violets, Some Kind of Wonderful
20. "Revenge of the Nerds" - The Rubinoos, Revenge of the Nerds
21. "Holiday Road" - Lindsay Buckingham, Vacation
22. "Veteran of the Psychic Wars" - Blue Oyster Cult, Heavy Metal
23. "Theme from the Heartbreak Kid" - Bill Dean, The Heartbreak Kid
24. "Lady, Lady, Lady" - Joe "Bean" Esposito, Flashdance (Giorgio Moroder)
25. "It's a Long Road" - Dan Hill, First Blood (Jerry Goldsmith)
26. "All Time High" - Rita Coolidge, Octopussy (John Barry)
27. "Together in Electric Dreams" - Philip Oakey, Electric Dreams (Giorgio Moroder)
28. "Better Luck Next Time" - Oingo Boingo, The Last American Virgin
29. "Hang Up the Phone" - Annie Golden, Sixteen Candles
30. "Where Do I Go From Here" - Paul Williams, Thunderbolt & Lightfoot
31. "Looker" - Sue Saad, Looker (Barry DeVorzon)
32. "Your Love" - Lime, Summer Lovers
33. "The Ride" - Matches, The Karate Kid (1984)
34. "This Side of Forever" - Roberta Flack, Sudden Impact
35. "Brand New Day" - Danny Hutton, American Flyers
36. "All the Right Moves" - Jennifer Warnes & Chris Thompson, All the Right Moves
37. "Lover" - Roxy Music, Miami Vice II

Merv Bloch's Trailer Show

2011-06-03T15:17:00.006-05:00

NY-area cinephiles will want to make sure they're around for next weekend's opening of the Film Society of Lincoln Center's new Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center. FSLC is hosting a weekend full of free screenings and talks to usher in this new, very welcome era; tickets can be reserved online. One of the events, of particular interest to readers of this blog, is "Merv Bloch's Trailer Show." Bloch has long been a force in the marketing and advertising of films and the screening will feature a reel of his many legendary trailers, an example of which follows...

Not So Obscure Trailer AND Coming Soon to DVD: Dark of the Sun (1968, Jack Cardiff)

2011-06-03T14:57:00.010-05:00

There's no cover image up yet, but Jack Cardiff's surprisingly violent and intense 1968 action opus, aka The Mercenaries, starring Rod Taylor, Jim Brown, and Yvette Mimieux is coming to DVD via the Warner Archive! Just as it has two titles, the film has two distinct and quite gorgeous poster designs...I wonder which Warner will utilize for the MOD disc.

EDIT: Disc artwork added...

Soundtrack Jukebox Vol. 1

2011-05-31T18:27:00.021-05:00

Inspired by my compadre, Rupert, I've put together a mix of favorite songs written for, or strongly associated with, a particular film. In some cases, the song was released on a proper LP at or around the same time as the film it was used in. So as to retain some semblance of focus, I am not including score tracks...that is for another set of jukebox selections. These are mostly songs that were not in regular radio rotation and, if they were, they have not transitioned into "oldies" or "classic rock" playlists. I have many favorites that were and remain big hits, but am eschewing those here in favor of some "cult" favorites.

I have listed prominent composers where they had a role in writing the tune and the original composer / artists in the case of a cover version.

In no particular order (feel free to shuffle):

1. "Drifting and Dreaming" - Valerie Carter, White Line Fever
2. "I Am the Future" - Alice Cooper, Class of 1984 (Lalo Schifrin)
3. "But I Might Die Tonight" - Cat Stevens, Deep End
4. "The Good Times Are Comin'" - Mama Cass, Monte Walsh (John Barry)
5. "Cosmopolitan" - Joe Jackson, Mike's Murder
6. "Heavy Metal (Takin' a Ride)" - Don Felder, Heavy Metal
7. "Night Shift" - Quarterflash, Night Shift (Burt Bacharach)
8. "Number One" - Chaz Jankel, Real Genius
9. "Help Me Make It Through the Night" - Kris Kristofferson, Fat City
10. "In the City" - Joe Walsh, The Warriors
11. "Loco De Amor (Crazy For Love)" - David Byrne y Celia Cruz, Something Wild
12. "Phantom's Theme (Beauty and the Beast)" - Paul Williams, Phantom of the Paradise
13. "Goodbye Horses" - Q. Lazzarus, Married to the Mob / The Silence of the Lambs
14. "Why Is It So Hard?" - Talk Talk, Firstborn
15. "They Won't Get Me" - Roger Miller, Superman III (Giorgio Moroder)
16. "Johnny and Mary" - Tina Turner, Summer Lovers (Robert Palmer)
17. "This Day Belongs to Me" - Seals & Crofts, One on One (Charles Fox / Paul Williams)
18. "Gold" - Jimmy Helms, Gold (Elmer Bernstein)
19. "Thank God It's Friday" - Love and Kisses, Thank God It's Friday
20. "Deep Down" - Christy, Danger: Diabolik (Ennio Morricone)
21. "To Live and Die in L.A." - Wang Chung, To Live and Die in L.A.
22. "Love Kills" - Freddie Mercury, Metropolis (Giorgio Moroder)
23. "It's So Easy" - Willy DeVille, Cruising
24. "Thief of Hearts" - Melissa Manchester, Thief of Hearts (Giorgio Moroder)
25. "Tonight Is What It Means to Be Young" - Fire, Inc., Streets of Fire (Jim Steinman)
26. "Turn Out the Night" - Amy Holland, Scarface (Giorgio Moroder)
27. "Sex Crime (Nineteen Eighty-Four)" - Eurythmics, 1984
28. "Argomenti (The Burglars)" - Astrud Gilberto, The Burglars (Ennio Morricone)
29. "Surrender" - Cheap Trick, Over the Edge
30. "Bit By Bit" - Stephanie Mills, Fletch (Harold Faltermeyer)
31. "Blue Balloon (The Hourglass Song)" - Robby Benson, Jeremy (Joseph Brooks)
32. "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)" - David Bowie, Cat People (Giorgio Moroder)

Clancy Brown's finest moment?

2011-05-24T18:55:00.006-05:00

Perhaps. Well, not really. Wherever you rank it in the Brown oeuvre, I think you'll get a chuckle out of this video loop set to Little River Band's "Man on Your Mind," which peaked at #14 on the Billboard Hot 100 in '81. Often, during production, the music in a scene hasn't been set and the actors must dance or perform to a different song or nothing at all. I'm not sure if Clancy was actually groovin' to the tunes of Australia's greatest soft rock export, but I was convinced. In this case, Brown, sporting a ridiculous blow-dried blonde 'fro, gives his all and shows no fear of looking the fool...traits that are vital for any actor worth his salt. Never a household name, Brown is one of the better American character actors of the last 30 years. Often cast in villainous roles, as he did so well in Bad Boys, his debut, Brown has also proven adept in less nasty roles when given the opportunity, as in SpongeBob SquarePants and as Rawhide, Buckaroo's cowboy sidekick, in Buckaroo Banzai.

Not So Obscure TV Spot, But Still MIA on DVD: Night of the Juggler (1980, Robert Butler)

2011-05-24T16:54:00.020-05:00

It's a shame that Night of the Juggler, a taut thriller that revels in late '70s NYC grime, remains unavailable on DVD, and, in fact, has been out of circulation since long-defunct Media Home Entertainment released it on VHS in the mid-'80s. Based on a novel by William P. McGivern, the story is one of those that follows the tried and true method I call "All in one day (or night)." As another oft-mentioned "all-in-one-night" film of the era did, Night of the Juggler takes full advantage of sweltering, smelly, sleazy summertime New York to tell its story. New York City cop turned long-haul trucker James Brolin goes through all sorts of hell, including a maniacal Dan Hedaya, as he tries to rescue his daughter from a revenge-minded mama's boy with pedophilic impulses (Cliff Gorman).

Does this peep show also appear in Cruising? Seriously.

At first, director Butler, a fellow best known for The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes and a lot of episodic television, might seem the wrong man for the job. On closer inspection, however, much of that television was Westerns and cop dramas, experience that surely helped keep Juggler's fast-moving narrative humming along seamlessly. Perhaps more of a pleasant surprise is the fact that tv vet Butler does not shy away from the cruder aspects of the exploitation trade, specifically: violence, nudity, profanity, and a pervasive seediness in all aspects of the mise-en-scene.

Brolin, looking as if he went directly from the
Amityville Horror set to Night of the Juggler

Unfortunately, the crappy VHS-sourced bootlegs cannot do justice to the film's production design by Stuart Wurtzel (who would, most fittingly, also perform this duty for the same year's Times Square) and photography by veteran lenser Victor J. Kemper, a man who was no stranger to urban dramas (Dog Day Afternoon, The Eyes of Laura Mars, The Gambler, The Friends of Eddie Coyle, Shamus) and who also shot Cassavetes' Mikey and Nicky and Husbands. The music is by Artie Kane, who didn't rack up too many feature film credits; however, those few credits also include Looking for Mr. Goodbar and The Eyes of Laura Mars, which, when added to Juggler, comprise a dark disco-era New York troika. The supporting cast is a veritable who's who of East Coast character actors and theater vets and includes the aforementioned Gorman and Hedaya, as well as Richard S. Castellano, Marco St. John (Tightrope's psycho killer), Steve Inwood (a "go to" character guy for early '80s New York films), Barton Heyman, Sully Boyar, Mandy Patinkin, Tony Azito, Samm-Art Williams, Richard Gant, Julie Carmen, and porn star Sharon Mitchell (as a stripper, fancy that).

A New York street gang that doesn't wear make-up

Released theatrically by Columbia, Night of the Juggler was an early production for Arnold Kopelson; another 1980 Kopelson production, Foolin' Around, was also distributed theatrically by Columbia. As with Night of the Juggler, it was released on video by a separate distributor (Embassy, prior to that company's acquisition by Columbia). In short, it's not clear who controls Night of the Juggler now (Edit: I'm told that after the film's financer, General Cinema Corporation went belly-up, some assets, including the aforementioned films, went to a soap company who are seeking beaucoup $$ for Juggler). Perhaps an enterprising outfit such as Shout Factory!, Synapse, Severin, or Code Red, who seem to specialize in this sort of thing, can sort this out, i.e. pry it loose from the soap company, and license Night of the Juggler for DVD so that it can be properly seen by the wider audience it deserves.

This glorious, if brief, tv spot will remind anyone who grew up in the New York area of a time when WPIX Channel 11 was "New York's Movie Station." It's surprising that the film, which was released in 1980, didn't make its broadcast premiere until '86. Perhaps network television premiere is more accurate, as I would imagine the film must have aired on at least one of the pay cable channels after its theatrical run. In any event, a lot must have been lost in the translation from R-rated original cut to television-friendly version.

When Cult Films Appear Within Cult Films

2011-05-24T14:58:00.016-05:00

When a film scene plays out in front of a movie theater or in pre-Giuliani Times Square, I'm probably not the only cinephile who squints at the television set in order to read the marquee(s) or determine the one-sheet in the display. Of course, I really love it when the film within a film is a particular favorite of mine and /or a cult film.

Here are a couple of examples of "cult films within cult films," which I also happened to catch on 35mm within the last half year or so. Both examples hark back to a time when neighborhood theaters that played one film at a time were commonplace and the exterior and lobby were transformed into visual paeans to that film.

Darker Than Amber in Dusty and Sweets McGee:

The poster to the left of the ticket booth is different from the final one-sheet and resembles the key art in the British quad. The tagline reads, "If Travis McGee puts his life on the line, it's not going to be for free." Incidentally, we can also see a poster for what appears to be a stage production of Hair, just to the right of the man in brown leather.

British Quad (paired with Figures in a Landscape):

U.S. one-sheet:

Italian locandina:

The Warriors in American Gigolo

Most of the time, I'm sure the film advertising that appears within other films comes down to chance, but in the case of The Warriors and American Gigolo, the Warriors advertising prominently appears throughout the scene; my thought is that it's not a coincidence that The Warriors, and not The Wanderers, for example, is the film in the background given that both were produced and released by Paramount. To think I had the opportunity to ask Paul Schrader such an important question at a recent screening of Gigolo...and didn't do it.

Trailer Not on the DVD: Just One of the Guys (1985, Lisa Gottlieb)

2011-02-13T17:11:00.004-06:00

From the mid-'80s onward, when The Beastmaster wasn't on HBO ("Hey, Beastmaster's On!"), one could always count on an afternoon airing of Just One of the Guys, a textbook example of a the film that doesn't perform for very long at the box office, but ends up being seen by an entire generation via home video and pay cable. I get kick out of the film and the trailer attempting to get a little mileage out of the success of another Columbia Pictures property, The Karate Kid, and being a fan of Elvis Costello, I dig the reference to the musician in the same line of dialogue. The unmatted DVD does not include this trailer, which appears to have been placed on a VHS release of a comparable Columbia title at some point:

Trailer Not on the DVD: Private School (1983, Noel Black)

2011-02-13T17:00:00.005-06:00

It's interesting to see how this trailer attempts to position Michael Zorek's Bubba Beauregard as the next Bluto Blutarsky. Didn't quite work out for the success of the film or Zorek's career. The former actor is now better known for parading his young children around to get their pictures snapped with celebrities. It's certainly not the finest moment for Cates, Modine, or director Noel Black who, in what must have seemed like a previous lifetime, directed the superb small-town psychological thriller Pretty Poison. :

Trailer Not on the DVD: Star 80 (1983, Bob Fosse)

2011-02-13T16:48:00.004-06:00

Not only is this film not available on DVD in Region 1 in its O.A.R., but there is no trailer. There is / was a widescreen Australian disc, but it was also trailer-less. Whenever I see Eric Roberts on Celebrity Rehab I hope for a recovery and a late-career return to form that matches the intensity and talent the young Roberts displayed in King of the Gypsies, The Pope of Greenwich Village, Runaway Train, and, especially, Star 80. This is a tough film and performance to view and the vile nature of Roberts' character probably hurt his career as much as it helped it, but there's no denying it's great acting. Does the music at the beginning of this tv spot remind anyone else of Mike Oldfield's "Tubular Bells"? :

Trailer Not on the DVD: Racing With the Moon (1984, Richard Benjamin)

2011-02-13T16:41:00.003-06:00

Apologies for the dodgy sound:

Trailer Not on the DVD: Charley Varrick (1973, Don Siegel)

2011-02-13T13:39:00.003-06:00

I sure do love this trailer's emphasis on the film's secondary title: "The Last of the Independents." While the Region 1 (non-widescreen) DVD does not include a trailer, some foreign DVDs of this film do appear to contain a trailer, though I'm not sure if it's this particular one. I have a British DVD (widescreen), but it includes only production stills as an extra feature:

Trailer Not on the DVD: Against All Odds (1984, Taylor Hackford)

2011-02-13T13:23:00.004-06:00

This a different trailer from the one that appears on the DVD. It sounds like v.o. legend Don LaFontaine voicing it; the trailer on the DVD has a different v.o. artist and includes music from Blue Thunder on the soundtrack. :

Trailer Not on the DVD: Heavy Metal (1981, Gerald Potterton)

2011-02-13T12:53:00.005-06:00

This looks to be the original 1981 trailer updated with new onscreen text for the 1996 home video premiere. Frequent trailer v.o. artist Percy Rodrigues did uncredited work as the voice of the Loc-nar in the film, but I don't think this is him voicing the trailer. However, one of the participants in the DVD documentary on the film indicates that it is. Anyone know the definitive answer? :

Not So Obscure Trailer, but Still MIA on DVD: The Keep (1983, Michael Mann)

2011-02-12T22:52:00.004-06:00

This looks like it came straight from a film source rather than an old VHS. Listen for the great v.o. proclaiming 70mm and 6-track Dolby Stereo in selected theaters. :

Trailer Not on the DVD: North Dallas Forty (1979, Ted Kotcheff)

2011-02-12T22:40:00.003-06:00

Trailer Not on the DVD: Frantic (1988, Roman Polanski)

2011-02-12T22:24:00.004-06:00

...nor on the Blu-ray:

Chirashi Files: The Exterminator

2011-02-07T21:31:00.002-06:00

Chirashi Files: Christiane F.

2011-02-07T20:35:00.011-06:00

I used to have to have the riveting book upon which the film was based, but it was sadly lost in an apartment flood several years back. Unfortunately, the U.S. edition of the book is long out of print. The film has never been treated very well in this country, either. The VHS release from Media was dubbed into English and the only DVD released in Region 1 was Image's dubbed, non-anamorphic disc. The non-anamorphic British disc from Second Sight features the original German soundtrack with English subtitles, in addition to production notes and lobby cards; this is the version I own.

I have this LP, but no turntable to play it, or any of my hundreds of others records, at the moment. I like what I hear from these two clips, but then I'd have a soft spot for anything with a vaguely disco - Post-Punk beat and female German vocals laid over it. Both songs are reminiscent of some of my favorite Post-Punk acts: the Au Pairs, the Raincoats, Delta 5, Gang of Four, PiL, Kleenex / Liliput, the Slits, the Pop Group, Essential Logic, and others of that ilk.

Japanese Herald Gallery: The Mechanic

2011-01-28T16:10:00.009-06:00

For some reason it just seemed appropriate to post images from this particular movie program today:

Chirashi Files: Private School

2011-01-28T12:29:00.008-06:00

Surely not Pretty Poison director Noel Black's finest moment. Though let's give credit where it's due...if made today, you can bet that the infamous shower scene would have been filmed from the shoulders up and Betsy Russell would have rode that horse with a bra on...

Perhaps Orange Road creator Izumi Matsumoto saw this flyer when he conceived his popular '80s anime series, which used Cates as a visual inspiration.

Chirashi Files: 48 Hrs.

2011-01-28T12:24:00.004-06:00

The "men with guns" series continues...

Chirashi Files: The Dogs of War

2011-01-28T11:54:00.008-06:00

Legendary d.p. Jack Cardiff, who earlier directed the superb '60s mercenaries-in-Africa film Dark of the Sun (aka The Mercenaries), returned to shoot this not quite as good John Irvin-directed early '80s mercenaries-in-Africa film, based on a novel by Frederick Forsyth...

Chirashi Files: ...All the Marbles

2011-01-28T01:35:00.004-06:00

Exhibited here under its international title The California Dolls...

Japanese Herald Gallery: Thunderbolt and Lightfoot

2011-01-26T17:24:00.007-06:00

Chirashi Files: Fort Apache, The Bronx

2011-01-25T23:43:00.005-06:00

"I fire-bombed a bowling alley."

2011-01-20T13:36:00.016-06:00

Did you see the cover for Lionsgate's upcoming Bad Boys Blu-ray? They've recycled and photo-shopped the familiar key art image of star Sean Penn from the original U.S. theatrical campaign. Fine. They've added a new title design, an image of Esai Morales and his gang, and black and white head shots of some of the major cast...Reni Santoni, Ally Sheedy, Esai Morales, Clancy Brown, Robert Lee Rush (Tweety), and Dean Fortunato (Perretti). Robert and Dean who? Shouldn't Jim Moody (Mr. Gene Daniels) and Eric Gurry (Barry Horowitz), who both play much bigger and pivotal roles than Rush and Fortunato, be on the cover before those two?

The Blu-ray will be arriving the first of February and is slated to hold the same extra features as previous DVD editions from Anchor Bay and Lionsgate--trailer and commentary from director Rick Rosenthal. I'm guessing we won't have the nifty mini-poster insert of the Style B campaign that came with the original Anchor Bay DVD:

Bad Boys cellmate Gurry, as he appeared with Brent Spiner in the original Broadway run of Table Settings:

Penn on set with someone who might be producer Robert H. Solo. It's not director Rosenthal. Penn, Solo, and screenwriter Richard Di Lello would later collaborate on Colors. That film would be relocated from Chicago to L.A. and re-written by Michael Schiffer:

Penn in a scene with Ally Sheedy that does not appear in the final film:

Penn in a still I had not seen before from the courtroom scene:

Penn and Morales reunited years later at an event in San Francisco:

"Yes, Mr. Daniels."

"Who Is That Guy?!": Kenneth McMillan

2011-01-19T17:40:00.016-06:00

One of my all-time favorite character actors, Kenneth McMillan's is a face any fan of the cinema of the '70s and '80s will remember. Even though liver disease took him way too early, at age 56 (January 8th marked the 22nd anniversary of his passing), and his film career spanned less than 20 years, his film resume is chock full of fine projects: Serpico, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, Girlfriends, Carny, Bloodbrothers, Runaway Train, Chilly Scenes of Winter, Ragtime, Eyewitness, The Pope of Greenwich Village, True Confessions, Amadeus, and Reckless. TV roles included spots on Rhoda, Dark Shadows, Starsky & Hutch, The Rockford Files, Kojak, Magnum, P.I. and myriad telefilms and mini-series. This was a working actor. And, that's not even including his roles in the original Broadway runs of David Rabe, Joe Papp, and Mike Nichols' Streamers and David Mamet and Ulu Grobard's American Buffalo, alongside Robert Duvall and John Savage.

My earliest childhood memory of McMillan onscreen is of watching him countless times in the memorable "The Ledge" episode in Lewis Teague's Cat's Eye. This guy is just so damned pleased with himself after he captures his wife's lover (Robert Hays) and makes the pretty boy walk around the ledge of his Atlantic City high-rise. Who can forget McMillan cackling and howling while jumping up and down on his bed in a satin robe? I sure as hell can't!

As a kid, I'm pretty sure I had this action figure of his character from Dune:

So, obviously, as evidenced by Dune, Cat's Eye, Ragtime, and other roles, it was easy for filmmakers to use his physique and facial features for villainous parts or as cops, but my favorites remain those that utilized his working class, New York Irish persona: Bloodbrothers, as a paralyzed bar owner who shares a heartbreaking scene with co-star Paul Sorvino, Reckless, as Aidan Quinn's hard-boozing old man, Eyewitness, as Bill Hurt's paralyzed pop, and, most especially, Chilly Scenes of Winter, in which he plays Gloria Grahame's loving husband and stepfather to John Heard. Heard is hard on the guy, but eventually McMillan's old softie is able to crack Heard's exterior as symbolized by the young man's acceptance of his gift of Turtle Wax. I've missed McMillan's high-pitched, New York-accented voice on screen for the last couple decades, but I'm thankful the actor was so busy during his two decades of performing, leaving behind plenty that I still have not seen.

McMillan almost has as much screen time in this trailer for Blue Skies Again as star Robyn Barto and Obscure One-Sheet sure is thrilled about that:

After all of the Stephen King cinematic references, watch McMillan chew scenery at the expense of Robert Hays and the titular cat:

10 Favorite Rep Films Seen for the First Time in 2010

2011-01-19T15:23:00.003-06:00

My good buddy Rupe over at Rupert Pupkin Speaks has been kind enough to post my "10 Favorite Rep Films Seen for the First Time in 2010" list. Have a look...

Greetings from the South Bronx...circa 1980-81

2011-01-12T17:26:00.014-06:00

Just caught up with these two 1981 genre entries (one a straight-up police drama, the other a police-occult horror hybrid) via cheap DVDs from Amazon Marketplace. While neither was particularly well-received upon release, I see them as two more supremely valuable filmed documents of pre-gentrification, pre-Giuliani New York City, particularly the Bronx, which isn't seen as often in Hollywood films as some of the other boroughs. Aside from this, even though I know I shouldn't be at this point, I'm continuously fascinated by the way in which the studios can all pounce on the same idea at the same time; my favorite example of this is probably the "gang cycle" of 1979 and, here, on a smaller scale, we have the Bronx movies of '81, one made by Time-Life Films (distributed by Fox) and the other made by Orion (distributed by Warner). I would be curious to know of other mainstream Hollywood films, which made as much use of dilapidated Bronx buildings and neighborhoods as Wolfen and Fort Apache, The Bronx did, around the same time as these two pictures. Feel free to leave them in the comments section below.

Directed by Michael Wadleigh (Woodstock), Wolfen is stylishly filmed by Wadleigh, d.p. Gerry Fisher, and production designer Paul Sylbert, effectively using the same kind of p.o.v. thermography as Predator would several years later. Along with all of the great Bronx location work, which includes an abandoned church built and destroyed specifically for the film, Wolfen also has some beautiful footage of the Brooklyn Bridge, Battery Park, and some absolutely breathtaking shots from atop of the Manhattan Bridge. Albert Finney leads a great cast that includes Diane Venora, Edward James Olmos, Gregory Hines, Tom Noonan, and Dick O'Neill in a story about an ancient breed of wolves, with Native American connections, feasting on Bronx denizens that is perhaps a little leisurely and padded at just under two hours. That said, we're left with an air of mystery and ambiguity at the conclusion and have antagonists that are not entirely bad and, in fact, are admirable and sympathetic in many respects. Not having read the Whitley Strieber novel on which the film is based, I'm not sure how faithful the film is, or if my reading from the film is entirely correct. Nevertheless, I was mostly riveted throughout. If made today, Wolfen would probably somehow be even longer, but less nuanced and deliberate than the 1981 film in favor of more explicit f/x, horror, and gore.

I haven't yet read this scholarly piece on Wolfen and its representation of the Bronx, but it looks quite interesting.

It's funny that I watched this right before my brother introduced me to this site, which features some magnificent and audacious illegally-shot footage from atop the Williamsburg Bridge and inside abandoned subway stations and tunnels.

Fort Apache, The Bronx boasts what is, as far as I can tell, the last action role for Paul Newman. At 55, the actor's age is not surprisingly used as a major plot point in this story of a veteran New York cop toiling away in the city's most dangerous precinct. I would agree with the criticism of the time that said that the film's overall construction and narrative felt quotidien and tv-like, but, with hindsight, the film looks a lot better because of its sincere approach, stellar cast (Newman, Ed Asner, Ken Wahl, Danny Aiello, Pam Grier, Rachel Ticotin, Kathleen Beller, Miguel Pinero, Paul Gleason, Randy Jurgensen, Sully Boyar), and the fact that material like this is almost never seen in Hollywood films anymore; 30 years later, a property like Fort Apache, The Bronx is almost solely the realm of television. As with Wolfen, my attention was held throughout and I got quite a kick out of the teaming of veteran Newman and hotshot Wahl, once again making me wish we'd seen more of Wahl after Wiseguy.

This trailer features a great v.o. and on-screen logo announcing Orion's involvement with Wolfen as well as some remarkable footage of decrepit Bronx buildings being demolished:

The classic Vestron logo introduces this Fort Apache, The Bronx trailer that does not appear on the DVD:

Vintage television spot:

"Who Is That Guy?!": Burton Gilliam

2011-01-12T13:50:00.006-06:00

Possessing the type of face and persona that went out of fashion in Hollywood as the '70s turned into the '80s, Burton Gilliam's is a name that always piques my interest when I see it in the opening credits. Gilliam built up quite an impressive acting resume for someone who entered the business on a whim in his middle '30s. A character actor whose face I've recognized since I was young kid watching Blazing Saddles and Fletch, Gilliam's familiar mug and "shit-eatin' grin" were a mainstay of '70s-'80s big and small-screen fare, often in good ole boy variations with names like Buck, Jimmy Jack, Jammer, Tex, Smiley, Buford, Ringo, Deke, Delbart, Bud (on 2 occasions), and Virgil.

A champion Golden Gloves boxer while in the Coast Guard, Gilliam mulled turned pro before becoming a firefighter (for 14 years) like his father before him. Based in the Dallas area, it was a newspaper article about the local filming of Peter Bogdanovich's Paper Moon that prompted Gilliam to visit the casting office about extra work on the film. The neophyte performer apparently made quite an impression, as he received a speaking role as a desk clerk with the appropriately hillbillyish moniker of Floyd. Gilliam went onto to appear in a string of small, but memorable character parts in films like At Long Last Love, Farewell, My Lovely, Hearts of the West, Gator, Telefon, and my personal favorite, Thunderbolt & Lightfoot.

Typical of many of the freewheeling, often raunchy (i.e. very politically incorrect) films of that era, Gilliam's Thunderbolt & Lightfoot moment is refreshingly ribald and offbeat. He shows up in the latter part of the film for a single scene with co-lead Clint Eastwood in which he boasts of terrorizing the town's new Western Union security guard. With his best shit-eating grin, Gilliam (credited as "Welder") tells Eastwood--whose face registers something between amusement and disgust--how he once lured the shy, overweight guard (Cliff Emmich credited as "The Fat Man") out of his office.

"I got up to close to 'im, unzipped my pants, and took out my pecker. An, I put that dude right in his hand. He turned white and didn't know whether to hold it, drop it, or run off down the street with it. It was the funniest thing I ever saw in my life."

The supreme satisfaction with which Gilliam tells the story, coupled with Eastwood's reaction shots make this scene a hoot; the scene demonstrates why Gilliam was one of the more memorable character faces of an era very rich in screen characters. It's also the first and only time I've heard a man refer to his organ as "that dude."

Throughout his peak career years in the '70s and '80s, Gilliam made many a guest appearance; in the latter decade, television dominated, as rural-set films were on the wane and country and action television shows like The Dukes of Hazzard and The Fall Guy continued to flourish. Recent credits include a guest role on the Dallas-filmed television series The Good Guys as "Locksmith" and continued work as Dallas-area television pitchman dressed as--what else?--a cowboy. He also manages to keep busy refereeing boxing matches.

A priceless 1980 Carl's Jr. ad with Gilliam:

Burton Gilliam gets a day named after him:

I am Sam

2010-10-22T09:47:00.005-05:00

Mark Robson, known to some as "Sam Fuller," talks with his star Lee Marvin on the set of Avalanche Express.

He can now kill you a thousand different ways...

2010-10-22T09:24:00.005-05:00

I had no idea the original Mechanic one-sheet was so iconic that the remake producers would ape it so thoroughly for their teaser one-sheet. Man, Arthur Bishop sure has come up with more methods of killing since 1972...

Not the same font, but close.

2010-09-10T11:30:00.001-05:00

Joe Don takes direction

2010-08-27T11:33:00.004-05:00

"You packin' heat, Joe Don?"

The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Truck Driver

2010-08-27T09:48:00.008-05:00

A February 14, 1971 Los Angeles Times production report of Vernon Zimmerman's Deadhead Miles starring Alan Arkin, written by Terrence Malick, and produced by Tony Bill.

Following long haul trucker Arkin across the country, the film features an interesting array of old Hollywood hands including Ida Lupino, George Raft (who starred in classic trucker entry They Drive By Night), and Bruce Bennett. Other familiar faces in the cast are Paul Benedict, Charles Durning, Hector Elizondo, Loretta Swit, Richard Kiel, John Milius, Allan Garfield,Barnard Hughes, and Avery Schreiber.

Originally slated for a 1972 release by Paramount, the film was shelved save for several film festival appearances in the 1970s and '80s, where it was already proclaimed a "missing movie" by programmers and journalists. My copy comes from an A&E broadcast from the late '80s or early '90s.

From an L.A. Times report on the La Jolla Film Festival in 1980,
which included a rare screening of Deadhead Miles.

According to a 1985 L.A. Times article on the Filmex festival that year, of which Deadhead Miles was a part of, the film was deemed "unreleasable" by the studio upon its completion. Perhaps Paramount will license the film to Olive Films who have recently scheduled a wave of previously unseen, on DVD, Paramount titles, many from the late '60s-'70s.

EDIT: The film is now available via Netflix Streaming.

Dealin' in '81-'82

2010-08-13T13:06:00.011-05:00

1981 was a little kinder to Avco Embassy than '82, despite the presence of Vice Squad and Time Bandits.

This makes it readily apparent that the end was near for Filmways:

If they'd been able to hold on to some more of these, history might have been a little different:

Quite a banner year that Universal had for itself in '81-'82. Not all of these are classics, but there are only a few duds (The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas stands out in this regard) or completely forgotten films (Green Ice; Evil Under the Sun). Most of the non-classics are cult items today and / or boast notable directors.

I'd say Columbia went 3 for 5 in the Summer of '81:

"I've seen your smile in a thousand dreams."

2010-08-02T20:27:00.006-05:00

I sure do wish we'd seen more of "fem lead" Lois Chiles in the movies. Audiences might also remember her for a later turn as a hit and run driver haunted by her victim's corpse in Creepshow 2..."Thanks for the ride, lady!"

Back in the saddle!

2010-08-02T20:16:00.003-05:00

This announcement is interesting because it still credits original director Philip Kaufman, who was fired and replaced by Clint early in production. Also, Clint is clean-shaven here whereas he wears a beard throughout the finished film.

"He aims to please."

2010-07-29T14:52:00.009-05:00

Cliff MacMillan of Shout! Factory confirms that his company will be releasing the long-misunderstood Ralph Bakshi film Coonskin (aka Street Fight) to DVD (possibly Blu?) so we can finally say goodbye to those distasteful gray-market DVDs that crop up even on sites like Amazon. The DVD will have a reversible cover with the less controversial video title Street Fight on one side and the original Coonskin on the other. The onscreen title will be Coonskin, as it appeared on original prints.

I used to have the half-sheet version of this poster, but it was sadly ruined in an apartment flood. The artwork is reminiscent of the below key art and reminds me that I need to pick up the recent Warner Archive release:

"...who wrote songs and was shot."

2010-07-28T21:23:00.005-05:00

Joe Hill came up in the comments section of an article on Olive Films' upcoming Paramount-licensed DVDs at Dave Kehr's site. I remembered I had an ad for this on my hard drive and now I really want to see it. I like the use of red, white, and blue in this poster in light of Mr. Hill's Swedish roots and labor activism (which his critics would use to deem him "un-American") and subsequent execution for a murder that evidence suggests he had no part in.

Joan Baez sings "Joe Hill" at Woodstock:

Prince Redux

2010-07-27T21:39:00.005-05:00

When I watch shows like The Wire and The Shield, both of which I count as all-time favorites, I see Sidney Lumet, Jay Presson Allen, and Robert Daley's fingerprints all over them.

"River Deep - Mountain High"

2010-07-27T18:52:00.007-05:00

After seeing an amazing clip of Tina performing (with Ike) "River Deep - Mountain High" in the superb new Phil Spector doc, I must track down this Soul To Soul:How fantastic is it that Tina's "top" was deemed family-friendly enough to get the much sought-after G rating?:

Redford's Loose

2010-07-27T18:11:00.004-05:00

Just got done with the handsome Criterion Downhill Racer package, part of my Barnes & Noble "50% Off Criterion Sale" bounty (total price for Racer: $9.10 after tax). There's really no other time to buy Criterions except during these sales.

You'll be hard-pressed to find a big time Hollywood star portray a bigger jerk than Redford's Dave Chappellet of Racer. It's one of many fascinating aspects of this character study told with refreshingly little sentimentality and "rah-rah" heroics...in short, another gem from the late '60s - early '70s. It was an impressive and brave move on the part of Redford to play such a heel, coming off one of his biggest popular successes in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. In the meantime, he also managed to act in Tell Them Willie Boy is Here, completing a trio of 1969 films that earned him a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role. I dare say that the two lesser known films of Redford's '69 look better in hindsight than Butch and Sundance.

Anyway, I don't have any materials from Racer in my collection, but here are some choice promo stills from the release of the second Redford and Michael Ritchie collaboration, The Candidate:

Lock up your daughters, folks!

A faux McKay campaign office set up across the street from the Sutton Theatre where the film premiered. Read through the comments on the link above to learn about the sad fate of the Sutton, one of many historic New York theaters to be demolished in favor of a shiny glass condominium.

Toback (in beard)

2010-07-27T18:10:00.004-05:00

A prequel.

"The only adult she admires is Johnny Rotten."

2010-07-26T19:49:00.009-05:00

The Film Society of Lincoln Center has some pretty special screenings planned this summer and I'm particularly excited about the Dennis Hopper tribute coming up, which includes the rare double bill of American Dreamer, the doc on Hopper directed by L.M. Kit Carson & Lawrence Schiller, and Hopper's own Out of the Blue starring Hopper and the inimitable Linda Manz.

Perhaps the best part about these screenings will be the in-person appearances by Carson, Schiller, and Manz. Personally, I viewed The Wanderers and Out of the Blue many times in my teens and early 20s and am really looking forward to hearing Manz speak about her experiences making such exceptional films in so short a period of time. Her other major starring role in this period was, of course, Days of Heaven--quite an impressive troika for a career let alone three years. She's been out of the spotlight since making a mini-comeback in the late '90s with Gummo (not a favorite of mine) and The Game. Out of the Blue is easily her most fully-realized and most searing performance. It's a tough, angry, and dark film that's not for the faint of heart and Manz goes to all those very dark places as CeBe, a teenage girl whose tragic circumstances have built up more pain and rage inside her than any person should have to withstand.

Apparently, she made a few extra bucks during the filming of Gummo by selling her Elvis jacket from Out of the Blue to Chloe Sevigny. I wonder what happened to her even cooler Baldies jacket from The Wanderers:

I had this one-sheet on my college bedroom wall for a long time:

Years later, I was watching a documentary on the Minutemen and one of the interview subjects (Dave Markey) had the poster on his wall in the background.

Now Playing: September 3, 1982

2010-07-26T19:36:00.008-05:00

Can you imagine movies like Chan is Missing and Gregory's Girl enjoying their "4th Big Month" in August 2010?

I've posted from this set before, but I suppose based on some of the comments, I should offer a reprise:

"I could never hate you, Danny."

2010-07-26T19:15:00.009-05:00

When it premiered on network television on May 29 and 30 1984, Prince of the City was shown in 2 2-hour segments, including footage that was not part of the 1981 theatrical cut. I'd love to see this material, but, of course, it was not included on the rather thin "Special Edition" DVD from a few years back. Anyone seen a torrent of this television cut show up on one of those shadowy sites that shall go unnamed here--because I don't know the names of them?:

The above still mis-identifies Tony Page as Richard Foronjy.

"Hips or lips?"

2010-07-26T18:56:00.007-05:00

I would have preferred if the DVD had retained the original key art as displayed in this ad from the Directors' Fortnight catalog in '07:

"You're the new barn boss, O'Brien!"

2010-07-26T18:50:00.004-05:00

Ashby MIA

2010-07-14T10:35:00.005-05:00

This one is now controlled by Warner Bros. so an Archive release is a distinct possibility. Will it be released as Second Hand Hearts or under its original, infinitely more commercial title The Hamster of Happiness? Either way, I'm very curious to see this obscure piece from the last act of Ashby's career.

Producer James Guercio, often credited as James William Guercio, is the producer and director of the cult classic Electra Glide in Blue also starring Robert Blake. Guercio, of course, is most well known for his '70s-era record label and recording studio (Caribou) and being the original producer and manager of Chicago. He's now a large-scale developer and cattle rancher with interests in oil and gas exploration.

Now Playing: May 16, 1973

2010-07-14T10:02:00.002-05:00

"I don't have a red suit."

2010-07-14T09:46:00.006-05:00

Dog Days, indeed.

2010-07-09T18:58:00.007-05:00

As New York experiences a heatwave more intense than we've seen in awhile, what better time than now to pay homage to one of the most accurate depictions of what can happen in the city when it gets overheated...

The recently acclaimed documentary about Dog Day co-star John Cazale, I Knew It Was You has been picked up by Oscilloscope Laboratories who will release the DVD.

"You Shoulda Been There!"

2010-07-09T18:42:00.004-05:00

I've just heard that Floyd Mutrux will be in New York later this summer at the Walter Reade, in tandem with filmmaker / scholar Thom Andersen (Los Angeles Plays Itself), to discuss Mutrux's American Hot Wax and Dusty and Sweets McGee, both of which will be screened together. I can only imagine we New Yorkers will be treated to an enlightening discussion of Mutrux's portrayal of Los Angeles in Dusty and Sweets. American Hot Wax is a New York movie, Brooklyn to be exact, although the only location listed on the IMDb is the Wiltern on Wilshire Blvd. I'm guessing this stood in for the Brooklyn Paramount on Flatbush Ave. I would imagine that this will come up in during the Mutrux / Andersen discussion..."When Los Angeles Plays New York."

"But girl you've got me thinkin', while I'm drinkin' one more beer..."

2010-06-14T12:42:00.004-05:00

You have to love that each guy even has an animal buddy...a hawk for Lincoln and an orangutan for Philo...and each one is a trucker, of course.

Dig the alternate art on this insert:

Voor 99% koud gemaakt

2010-06-12T08:49:00.006-05:00

You can still get copies of Intrada's new, limited edition release of Henry Mancini's score to John Frankenheimer's 99 and 44/100% Dead, but they're almost gone. It's an oddball crime film not dissimilar in tone to Michael Ritchie's Prime Cut starring Richard Harris (seemingly made up to look just like his contemporary Michael Caine), Edmond O'Brien (already suffering the effects of Alzeimer's Disease in this, his last film), Bradford Dillman, Ann Turkel (soon to be Mrs. Richard Harris), and "Chuck Connors as Claw Zuckerman." Interestingly, some elements of the script by Robert Dillon were originally part of an early draft of Once Upon a Time in America that he worked on with Sergio Leone. Frankenheimer's film shows up now and then on Fox Movie Channel in 'scope, but remains unreleased on DVD.

This Belgian poster features the title in Dutch and French, something I don't recall seeing on another poster, but which makes perfect sense for a bi-lingual nation such as Belgium.

The key art that should have been used for the soundtrack CD, and which should be utilized for a DVD, should one ever materialize:

The comic-style posters are reminiscent of this bad boy:

EDIT: I just checked out Mr. Peel's site and see that he recently wrote a typically fine piece on 99 and 44/100% Dead!.

Going Native

2010-05-22T01:16:00.002-05:00

I will aspire to do as Mr. Kleiser and friends did, while I'm there. See you again in a couple weeks...

Things That Only a Lifelong Movie Obsessive Would Document With a Cell Phone Camera

2010-05-16T15:44:00.004-05:00

Forgive the lack of focus, if you can...haven't figured that out yet.

No Beast So Fierce

2010-05-15T12:16:00.006-05:00

Long one of my favorite films of the '70s ever since I saw the big clamshell box, with a picture of Dustin Hoffman's hairy mug, sitting on my video store shelf, Straight Time remains criminally under exposed. This was remedied somewhat by the DVD that was released a few years back, before Warner Bros. abandoned the idea of pressed catalog DVD releases. Based upon on criminal-turned-author Eddie Bunker's semi-autobiographical first novel, No Beast So Fierce, the property is one of the few that I think was actually better served by the film than the book.

Originally slated to direct and star in Straight Time, Hoffman eventually ceded directorial reins to old friend Ulu Grosbard (who directed Hoffman in Who Is Harry Kellerman and Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me?) after determining that the twin stresses of starring in and mounting a production were too much for him to handle on his own. Later, Hoffman sued production company First Artists and distributor Warner Bros. for illegally taking the right of final cut from him. As it stands, Straight Time is pretty damn riveting cinema and it seems that Hoffman has finally come around to this fact, as he participated in an audio commentary on the DVD and, several years earlier, appeared at a screening held by the phantom-like "Movie Club." At that time, Hoffman revealed that a famous scene involving a very public de-pantsing of co-star M. Emmet Walsh was based upon one of Hoffman's painful childhood memories.

I wonder if the below picture pre-dates star Dustin Hoffman's abandonment of directing duties on Straight Time. Great still regardless. Looks like bigger crowds showed up for the shooting of the film than to actually see the film.

I can't find any evidence of the still online, but, IIRC, in John Willis' Screen World from 1979 (each volume featured the previous year's films), there was an image of a fully dressed Max Dembo (Hoffman) laying on the sand with a bikini-clad Jenny Mercer (Theresa Russell). I imagine it's one of many Hoffman-shot scenes that did not end up in the final picture. If they still existed in some form, I would have loved to have seen these on the DVD.

Fleischer x 2

2010-05-14T10:08:00.005-05:00

Just watched two Richard Fleischer films this week, The Narrow Margin and The Don is Dead. The former is a model of efficiency, a taut, tough noir. The latter is an interesting, if somewhat by the numbers, mafia film made to capitalize on the success of The Godfather.

I love this promo artwork for The Last Run and would like to track the film down. It's never been released on home video, but has apparently appeared letterboxed on TCM. The script is by Alan Sharp who wrote 3 of the era's best scripts: The Hired Hand, Ulzana's Raid, and Night Moves before trying his hand at directing once with 1985's Little Treasure, remembered mostly for the ugly episode in which Burt Lancaster and co-star Margot Kidder got into a dust-up on set.

The Last Run has its own messy production history in that original director John Huston left the project in a huff after repeated fights with star Scott. Gun-for-hire Fleischer was quickly called upon to finish the deed. In the meantime, French star Tina Aumont also left the film after a row with Scott and was replaced with the actress who would become his third wife, Trish Van Devere. Also, in the film was Scott's second wife Colleen Dewhurst. Making lots of friends, this Scott...

Mandingo is finally easy to track down on home video after Legend Films licensed it from Paramount and released it on DVD a couple years back. I still haven't caught up with this one-time cause celebre, but where the film was mostly critically reviled upon release, the DVD release brought out some staunch defenders including Dave Kehr who called it "Fleischer's last great crime film."

"Let us Entertain you."

2010-05-12T00:13:00.005-05:00

I love the Columbia Pictures logo in all its permutations even the "Lady-less" mid-70s - early-'80s one pictured above. Interestingly, the Lady-less design didn't last long, in spite of the quote in the caption about the difficulties the marketing department apparently encountered with the lady.

Incidentally, the Philly soul band First Choice had a hit album on the R & B charts in 1976 entitled "So Let Us Entertain You." The album opened with the marvelous "First Choice Theme," with a chorus of "Let us entertain you," which hit #5 on the Disco Charts and #4 on the Dance Charts and which went through my head when I saw this clipping.

"Thanks, Ward."

2010-05-09T10:02:00.006-05:00

The gorgeous poster pictured above of 1931's Sob Sister can be had here for $1100 and that's on the lower end of the price scale...

Sometimes the cranky old-timers at Film Forum really get on my nerves with their loud shhssing of other moviegoers that tends to draw more attention than the initial chatter that prompted said outburst. That said, it's only at a theater like Film Forum, with its uber-knowledgeable constituency, that the biggest laugh in a comic film comes when an unbilled, very young Ward Bond, playing a cop, is referred to as "Ward" by the actor playing the police dispatcher. I guffawed like an idiot for a good 40 seconds after that line.

Apart from that, the film, Sob Sister, was a very enjoyable pre-Coder that straddles that interesting line between drama and comedy in the way that it seems only pre-Code films do. Stars Linda Watkins--where has she been all my life?--and James Dunn, an alcoholism casualty who won a late-career Academy Award, are a wonderful as dueling reporters, he, for a high-end rag, and she, the "sob sister" of the title, for a tabloid. She wants to get out of the racket and settle down with Dunn while he believes her to be an unrepentant sob sister who is only out to get a good story and who would quickly become bored with marriage.

One of my favorite parts of watching these early talkies is being introduced to the many fine and, often, gorgeous actresses who populated so many of them and then disappeared, for the most part, by the dawn of the '40s. Watkins was one who wasn't in too many films even in this "prime" period--she was a stage actress first. But, here she is delightful and shares one of those, "only in a pre-Code" moments with co-star Dunn, when they very matter-of-factly discuss their intimate time together the night before. Dunn accuses Watkins of sleeping with him only so should could get her hands on a diary, that Dunn has procured, which holds the key to a breaking front page story. In the past Dunn probably would have been right, but in this case Watkins gave herself to him out of love.

The print shown at Film Forum was advertised as a new 35mm print...sure would be nice if it became available on some home format, even a DVD-R program, if Fox ever develops its own Warner Archive-type enterprise.

One of the other films on the same bill was Columbia's Final Edition starring two of my favorites of the era, Pat O'Brien and Mae Clarke. Many in the audience were chattering after the show about the film's use of two drug references no one else seemed to remember in another pre-Code: "Heroin" and "coked-up." I heard one audience member theorize that things like this were more likely to fly at a lower-end studio such as Columbia than at an MGM.

"The fright begins..."

2010-05-09T09:56:00.003-05:00

Rupert, aka Brian, tells me that Joe Dante at one time worked for Film Bulletin, the magazine from which these clippings come. He's got a great interview he conducted with Dante from a few months back, which you can read in the latest issue of Paracinema.

Taking the reins...

2010-04-30T12:46:00.003-05:00

I hadn't heard of The Savage is Loose before coming across this still, but I was always intrigued by Hide in Plain Sight when I saw it on video store shelves years ago. Never did get around to it and it has not appeared on DVD yet. One of my long-gestating ideas for a film series was "Actors in the Director's Chair" or something like that, from the most well-known examples such as Laughton's The Night of the Hunter to less celebrated ones like the above two films. The "one and dones, " as I like to call them, meaning those who directed only 1 film, are of particular interest.

"...over 1,500,00 feet of film..."

2010-04-29T19:33:00.004-05:00

Just digging into my new Godfather Blu-ray box set, which I got from Amazon.uk for what amounted to about $30 total. About halfway thru Part II and it's been like watching these movies for the first time, it's been so long since I saw them. I'm appreciating them a lot more than I did the first time I saw them, at a much younger age, many moons ago. Boy, do I love Al Pacino when his legendary histrionics are in check as they have been up to the point that I'm at in the films. Well, there was that moment when he yells at Michael V. Gazzo, "In my HOUSE!," but of course that scene is all the more affecting because Al's been so composed up until that point, allowing older brother James Caan to take the role of family hothead.

My favorite moments were Brando's wordless reaction to son Pacino's words of re-assurance in his unprotected hospital room and, later, his pained look when informed of Pacino's participation in the pivotal double hit in the restaurant. Brought a lump to my throat both times. Did I mention that I respond much more to quiet (i.e. "real") performances rather than ACTING and speech-making?

"Si, my name is Enrico Gimondi."

2010-04-29T00:00:00.007-05:00

Man, that Peter Yates is tall! Looks like God talking down to Moses.

One of my favorite performances is Dennis Christopher's in Breaking Away, one of my favorite films. I love the whole cast in this film and am so happy to see Jackie Earle Haley's amazing resurgence, yet I wonder why Christopher never got another film role as good as Dave Stohler in Breaking Away, while the rest of his pals in the movie went on to prominent careers. What would have happened if Christopher hadn't followed up with this?:

I'm sure I'm not the only one who gets a chuckle out of the fact that Christopher who spends much of Breaking Away pretending to be Italian, much to the consternation of his old man ("numero uno King Papa" Paul Dooley), was born in Philadelphia as Dennis Carrelli. "Dave, try not to become Catholic on us."

"Mr. Tarantino, he's been well-received at your wonderful theater...perhaps there's a place for him in your movie universe?"

Lady Blockbuster!

2010-04-26T23:21:00.004-05:00

Film Score Monthly just announced their latest batch of releases, which includes a limited release of the complete soundtracks of Cleopatra Jones and Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold. The liner notes are available for free on their website. You still have to pay for the album. Star Tamara Dobson sadly passed away due to M.S. in 2006, but I'm sure she would appreciate the new FSM release.

Siegel's Loose!

2010-04-25T19:21:00.007-05:00

Drabble became The Black Windmill. It can be found on pressed DVD in the UK. The First Deadly Sin was filmed several years after this announcement by Filmways, with direction by Brian G. Hutton and Frank Sinatra in the lead role. I don't think Paradise Mountain was ever filmed. Telefon was the subject of an amusing anecdote I read about in a Siegel biography. Siegel wanted Bronson--sans mustache--for the starring role. Bronson resisted, saying, "No mustache. No Bronson." Bronson won.

"John will never eat shish kebab again."

2010-04-24T16:22:00.004-05:00

I thought of Happy Birthday to Me when I saw this artwork for 1979's Terror. It's certainly more eye-catching than the one-sheet design they ended up going with, which you can see below. I had never seen the hilarious--intentionally, I presume--copy that accompanied the famous Happy Birthday to Me key art until now and I'm left wondering what came first: the artwork or the copy? Either way, pure genius.

Oh, so that's how it's done, Part II

2010-04-23T17:33:00.001-05:00