BY MARK CERULLI

The trailer tells you everything you need to know about “The Belko Experiment”, writer James Gunn’s bloody trip to the dark side of the corporate workspace. You know there’s going to be a serious body count… you know there’s going to be some wicked humor… and you know that somewhere you’re going to see Michael Rooker. But HOW things unfold is what makes Belko such an entertaining ride. Think “Office Space” meets “Texas Chainsaw Massacre”…

Aptly directed by Greg McLean (“Wolf Creek”), “The Belko Experiment” chronicles a (final) day in the life of the staff of a rather bland American company set up on the outskirts of Bogota, Colombia. It’s a typical workday until an anonymous intercom voice tells them they have two hours to kill thirty of their co-workers or sixty of them will be “sacrificed”. The execs laugh it off as a prank - until the back of a staffer’s head explodes, thanks to an “anti-kidnapping” locator they’ve all had implanted. Soon Belko descends into “Lord of the Flies”, for real. Factions form, alliances are made and friendships are erased by the basic urge to survive. The movie is helped along by a terrific cast which blends relative newcomers with seasoned pros: John Gallagher, Jr. plays a workplace everyman trying to stop the carnage and protect his colleague/girlfriend (lovely Adria Arjona). Tony Goldwyn is outstanding as Belko’s COO who morphs from cool boss to killing machine so he can make it home to his wife and kids. He doesn’t want to kill his direct reports… he just has to. John C. McGinly is deliciously evil as a leering workplace creep who methodically tries to raise his “body count” using a meat cleaver. And yes, Michael Rooker is short but sweet as Belko’s stoic maintenance man trying to find a way out of the hermetically sealed building.

It’s a testament to writer/producer James Gunn’s growing power in Hollywood that this film is getting a wide theatrical release in today’s megabuck franchise landscape. “The Belko Experiment “feels like a 1990s action/horror film, which is a good thing: in the 1980s and 90s, small, entertaining genre films routinely got theatrical releases – great movies like “Surviving The Game”, “Trespass” and “Southern Comfort” all delivered the thrills audiences wanted without costing tens of millions to produce. Most of them actually made a profit, unlike today when almost every big budget release is a huge gamble - James Bond, Star Wars and Guardians franchises excepted! Today those small 1980s/90s movies would be relegated to streaming or other platforms if they found a distributor at all.

After the special “Employee Appreciation Day” screening Cinema Retro attended in Santa Monica, key cast and crewmembers talked about making the film. Fanboy favorite James Gunn said he wrote the script in a “two week fugue state” of 18-hour days. John C. McGinley commented that what drew him to the script was the fact that “the choices each character made determined their survival.” He drew a parallel to 9-11 as his brother worked in the Twin Towers and when an anonymous PA voice told his floor to stay put after the first plane hit, he and other colleagues knew enough to immediately take the stairs to safety. On a lighter note, Tony Goldwyn admitted that, as an actor, he wanted in after reading a script that featured exploding heads!

In person, Gunn is amiable and funny and managed to carve out a little time for fans, many of who showed up with bits of “Guardians of the Galaxy” memorabilia to be signed. Other cast members posed with attendees and all the actors seemed genuinely happy to see each other for the first time since their Bogota shoot. It made for a surprisingly happy ending after 90 minutes of onscreen carnage.

The Belko Experiment opens nationwide on March 17^th. Be prepared to never look at a tape dispenser the same way…

Cinema Retro Editor-in-Chief Lee Pfeiffer chatted with Robert Osborne, the popular host of TCM's movie broadcasts. Osborne, who is also the official Oscar historian, is well known for his informative introductions and epilogues for the films that TCM broadcasts. Director Sidney Lumet once said that even if he doesn't desire to see certain films, he always tries to tune in for Osborne's introductions. Osborne is as affable offscreen as he is on the air. Witty, knowledgable and conversant in all things Hollywood-related, he has many of the attributes he ascribes to the stars he grew up idolizing. In addition to being a columnist for the Hollywood Reporter, Osborne is by all accounts America's premiere film historian.

CR: You seem to have every movie lover's dream job: to get paid to watch and analyze classic movies. How did this come about and what led to your association with the Academy?

RO: When I was first starting out as an actor, I was under contract to Lucille Ball at Desilu Studios, which was owned by Lucy and Desi Arnaz. Lucy knew I had this passion for movie history which at that time was not a normal thing. Most people weren't interested in movie history. She said, "You know, you would have a happier life as a writer than as an actor. You should be writing about movies, because nobody is." She told me that she thought being an actor would never make me happy, but writing would. She knew I was a journalism major at the University of Washington. She told me that if I took up writing as a profession, the first thing I had to do was write a book because people would look at you differently if I did. She told me it didn't even have to be a good book, but that everyone is impressed with anyone who writes a book because most people lack the discipline to do it. I knew she was telling me this for my own good, not some other agenda, so I quit being an actor and became a writer.

The thing I decided to write about was the Academy Awards because you could always find a list of who won Oscars, but you could never find a list of who was nominated. It was even hard to get one from the Academy because that was a very small organization at the time. So I wrote this book and it hit a chord with people because you couldn't get a book about the Oscars anywhere else. The cult success of that book has followed me around ever since. Years later, when they decided they wanted a history done of the Academy, they asked me to write it. (The latest edition of the book is titled 75 Years of the Oscar: The Official History of the Academy Awards-Ed.)

By Lee Pfeiffer

As Richard Burton's star power began to decline in the early 1970s, he was chastised for appearing in too many inconsequential films and accused of simply taking any job that came along to help pay for his high-end life style. As with Marlon Brando, many of Burton's films that were initially despised by critics and ignored by the public have gained new appreciation in recent years. One such effort was Villain, a brutal British crime drama produced by Elliott Kastner, directed by the unheralded Michael Tucher and boasting script contributions than none other than character actor Al Lettieri, who made a career of playing gangsters. Clearly inspired by the reign of terror presided over by London's notorious Kray clan, the story finds Burton as Vic Dakin, an outwardly charismatic and charming man who also happens to be one of the city's most notorious crime lords. Vic is no white collar criminal. He still lives among the people he terrorizes and is a mainstay at the local pub. Vic dotes on his aging mother (Cathleen Nesbitt) and keeps his army of confederates in line through the threat of strict punishment for any violation of trust. Vic's ambitions get the better of him when he strays from neighborhood crime and plans an ambitious heist with a reluctant fellow crime lord. The plan goes horribly awry, leading Vic to fear that he will be sold out by his co-conspirator, who is severely wounded and in police custody. He becomes obsessed with gaining access to the man and silencing him before he can talk. Doggedly following his every move is a police inspector (well-played by Nigel Davenport), who engages in a game of psychological cat-and-mouse with Vic in his quest to bring the vicious criminal to justice.

Villain was denounced by British critics and movie fans at the time because of what was perceived as Burton's ill-fated attempt to master a Cockney accent. However, other aspects of his performance are admirable. Burton pretty much controls his penchant for scenery-chewing and offers a fairly restrained portrayal of a sadistic man who is nonetheless slow to reach his boiling point. Vic can be sensitive, funny and ingratiating..but when driven to anger, capable of administering much brutality himself. He also hides the fact that he is gay and his preferred sex partner is Wolfie (excellently played by Ian McShane), a good looking ladies man who one suspects is only bedding Vic out of fear of rejecting his overtures. (A sex scene between Burton and McShane was filmed but ended up on the cutting room floor.) The homosexual angle is only hinted at in the final cut of the film, but Burton had gone a bridge too far in this regard, at least as far as critics were concerned. Two years before, he had played a prissy gay man opposite Rex Harrison (as his lover) in Stanley Donen's Staircase, another fine film that was under-appreciated in its day. Burton's bold career moves would be praised today but met with scorn at the time. His face weather-beaten from years of personal excess, Burton was actually entering an interesting period of his career that saw him able to expand beyond playing hunky heart throbs. Villain affords him an interesting starring vehicle that is now being favorably compared to other classic British crime films such as Get Carter, a movie that was released the same year and also met with a mediocre response until a new generation discovered its merits. Perhaps the same will hold true for this film, which boasts an excellent supporting cast, fine direction and a literate, believable script.

The Warner Archive has released Villain as a burn-to-order DVD. Quality is fine, but sadly there are no extras.

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The Art of the B-Movie Poster!

Interview with Adam Newell

By Adrian Smith

The Art of the B-Movie Poster!

Adam Newell (ed.)

Gingko Press

€39.90

320 pages

Hardback

209 x 279mm

ISBN: 978-1-58423-622-1

Cinema Retro recently caught up with the editor of this fantastic new film poster book to talk movies and poster collections.

CR: Where did you find all these posters? Are they from several collections, are they yours, or are they sourced from online collections?

Adam Newell: There are just over 1,000 posters in the book, and boy, do I wish they were all mine! That would be an amazing collection to own. Alas, only a handful of them are mine, some are from my co-authors, and many are from online collections (with a special tip of the hat going to Mikhail Ilyin).

CR: Regarding the originals, how does one go about finding posters like these, and how do you store and protect them?

AN: Back in the day, hunting down vintage movie posters was a question of going to specialist shops down dusty back alleys, being on the (snail) mailing list of the right dealers, or attending movie ephemera fairs. I remember the first time I visited the US, in 1992, finding a shop down a back street in Hollywood, which was stuffed to the gills with amazing US one-sheets for movies going back decades. It was a real kid/candy store moment, and I spent hours in there looking at posters I'd never seen before, mostly for films I'd never heard of! (As a complete aside, I also remember that day earwigging a long conversation

between the shop owner and a customer who was agonising over whether to buy a piece of TV history the shop had for sale: an original Batgirl cowl, as worn by Yvonne Craig. The price tag was $3,000, and I think he ended up not buying it. I daren't think what that thing might be worth today...)

These days of course, the internet has changed all that. At any one time, tens of thousands of original movie posters are for sale online, along with countless repros, if it's just the art you want. Need a repro of the one-sheet for Devil's Express, starring the amazing Warhawk Tanzania in a pair of yellow dungarees? eBay will oblige. When I looked a few weeks back, there was even an original one-sheet from that movie, for a mere twenty bucks! I wish I'd bought it now. Specialist shops and dealers are still around of course, and are always worth checking with if you're after something in particular, and then there are auction houses for the really high-end stuff. If you have several million dollars to spare, you could build up a nice collection of original 1930s horror movie posters: in recent years there have been quite a few sales of 'the only known surviving copy' of particular posters, from the Karloff Frankenstein, for example.

As for storage and protection, it's the same as for any paper-based collectable: avoid damp, cigarette smoke, and too much direct sunlight. I always think the best way to store a poster collection is to have one of those floor-standing display/portfolios you can flip through, so they can at be at least partially 'on display' at all times. If you've got the wall space, then put as many up as you can! Decent clip frames will allow you to easily 'rotate' what you have on the wall at any one time. Otherwise, it's best if they can be stored flat or rolled, rather than folded, even if they came folded in the first place.

CR: What advice would you have for someone who wants to become a film poster collector?

AN: If you don't mind having a repro, then even those million dollar posters can be found inexpensively (though you should always beware of the quality: one of those semi-automated eBay sellers will happily sell you a full size repro of a poster, taken from a scan which is not nearly up to the task...). If you're looking to buy original posters, then whenever you can, simply buy what you like, not what you think you 'should' be buying as an investment or whatever. Certain genres, artists and series (James Bond, for example) will always attract a premium price, and are way out of reach for most collectors, but that

doesn't mean there aren't plenty of other posters to go around. Foreign language posters can be cheaper than their US/UK equivalent, and often have cooler art!

Cinema Retro has received the following announcement from the Ray and Diana Harryhausen Foundation: 

Do you have a collection of Harryhausen film posters? We’d like to speak with you…!

The Ray and Diana Harryhausen Foundation are excited to be working with esteemed writer Richard Holliss on a book detailing the poster art of Ray Harryhausen movies. We have been able to scour Ray’s vast poster archive, and have found numerous rare and fascinating pieces. However, we are now looking for the help of fans worldwide in order to make this the most comprehensive collection of Ray Harryhausen posters ever assembled! Artwork varied greatly across the world, and we just know that there are more hidden gems out there.

If you think you have any unusual or rare posters, or just want to share pictures of your collection with us, please get in touch by emailing posters@rayharryhausen.org.uk, with a snapshot of the poster in question if possible.

If it’s one which we are missing from our collection, we will arrange to have it scanned. Once the book goes to print, your name will be printed along with the poster in question, and you will be sent a free copy of this fantastic publication!

Click here for more info and to listen to podcast segment about the project. 

Meryl Streep

Dev Patel

Thandi Newton

Naomi Harris

Amy Adams

Ron Howard and daughter Bryce Dallas

Mel Brooks mugs for Mark Mawston

Penelope Cruz

The annual British Academy of Film and Television Arts has presented its awards for the year 2016. For a full list of nominees and winners click here.  Cinema Retro's London photographer Mark Mawston was there to cover all the action on the red carpet. Here is a selection of some of his photos. (All photographs copyright Mark Mawston. All rights reserved.)

BY LEE PFEIFFER

If you're a retro movie lover make sure that "Florence Foster Jenkins" goes to the top of your must-see list. The acclaimed comedy is an old-fashioned film in the best sense of the term. In it Meryl Streep gives another truly inspired performances. In fact it's getting downright boring extolling her virtues as perhaps the finest screen actress we have today. Streep has a field day giving a tour-de-force performance as the titular character, a real-life New York eccentric who apparently had built a cult following that has lasted for decades. Set in the year 1944, we find Florence Foster Jenkins living a very comfortable life in her lush Manhattan apartment. She is catered to by her younger husband, St. Clair Bayfield (Hugh Grant), who acts as protector and mother hen over his emotionally and physically fragile wife. Florence suffers from a variety of serious health issues that has resulted in her marriage to St. Clair remaining chaste (he even resides in his own apartment.) Although Florence is his meal ticket to a life that allows him many luxuries, including dalliances with other women, St. Clair clearly adores his wife and oversees every aspect of her daily existence. This includes her obsession with opera music. Florence had a lifelong passion for it and dedicated her life to pursuing an operatic singing career. There was only one problem: she was the worst singer imaginable. Despite her passionate embrace of opera, Florence's renditions of these works inevitably resulted in her bellowing out barely recognizable, high-pitched assaults on the eardrums of anyone who had the misfortune of being within hearing range. However, Florence had one major ally in her quest: her bank account. A very wealthy woman, she was also a philanthropist who donated huge sums of money to the arts and New York's private clubs that pertained to the arts. Consequently, she was beloved by the relatively small number of people in this social circle who politely attended her "concerts" and enthusiastically applauded her efforts. Encouraged by the but insincere enthusiasm of her friends, Florence began to believe she was a truly great opera singer. All was well as long as her performances took place exclusively in front of such tolerant audiences where St. Clair could control every aspect of the show and pull enough strings to ensure she would always get a rousing reception. 

The film begins with Florence's quest to hire a suitable pianist to help her with her daily auditions (such was her influence that some of the great names in music would tutor her privately). Florence settles on hiring Cosme McMoon (yes, that was his name), a nebbishy, shy young man (played by Simon Helberg)  whose abilities as a virtuoso are unrecognized. Desperate for money, he cannot refuse St. Clair's generous salary offers (i.e bribes) to pretend that Florence is a great talent. He agrees and manages to ingratiate himself to her and grow fond and protective of her as well. Things go smoothly, though we do see that Florence is bravely struggling with a deteriorating medical condition. Alas, a major crisis emerges when Florence announces that she has rented Carnegie Hall and intends to give a concert there- and to invite on a gratis basis servicemen who are in New York on leave. St. Claire immediately recognizes the dilemma: up until now no critic has been able to review Florence's performances because they were all held at private venues. He knows all too well what awaits her when the press attends the performance at Carnegie Hall. The final section of the film shows her disastrous performance and St. Clair and Cosme's efforts to convince her that it was a triumph. However, they can only pull this off if they ensure that Florence does not have access to the reviews- and she determined to see them. This results in a frantic situation that approaches that of a farce in which extraordinary efforts are made to keep the bad news from the lovable lady. 

"Florence Foster Jenkins" is a true gem of a movie, the kind they supposedly don't make any more. Everyone is dressed to the nines, sips champagne and engages in Noel Coward-like witty banter. Streep, Oscar-nominated for her role, is superb as ditzy would-be diva, accentuating her eccentricities but never allowing her to look unsympathetic. Hugh Grant channels Roger Moore's mannerisms so explicitly that one suspects his performance is an homage to the actor. In any event, this is the best work he's ever done and he should have been nominated for an Oscar for his role as the charismatic, charming rogue. It's hard to steal scenes from these two pros but Simon Helberg (of TV's "Big Bang Theory") manages to do so. He's a joy to watch and, like Grant, seems to have been cheated out of a possible Oscar nomination. Kudos, too, for the outstanding production design Alan MacDonald and the fine work of composer Alexandre Desplat.

The Paramount Blu-ray?DVD/digital format special edition features a wealth of interesting extras including interview with Meryl Streep about her life and career and featurettes dedicated to the production design, music, script process, etc. There is also a marvelous interview with Gino Francescino, who has been the curator of Carnegie Hall's historical memorabilia since 1986, much of which is shown (including rarities relating to the real-life Jenkins concert, which sold out but was never filmed or recorded). There is also a selection deleted scenes. 

All told, this is a "must-have" release for movie lovers who want to take a sentimental journey back to the golden age of moviemaking.

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RETRO-ACTIVE: THE BEST FROM THE CINEMA RETRO ARCHIVES

By Lee Pfeiffer 

Criterion has released a deluxe Blu-ray edition of director Peter Brook's 1963 screen adaptation of William Golding's landmark novel Lord of the Flies. As virtually anyone familiar with literature of the latter half of the twentieth century probably knows, the story involves a group of British schoolboys who are among the refugees deported from England out the outbreak of what is, presumably, a third world war. Their plane is shot down over the ocean but it crashes off shore from a remote island. All of the adults die but the boys miraculously survive and make their way to dry land. Realizing their survival is in their own hands, the boys (the age of whom ranges from pre-pubescent to early teens) set about the task of building shelters. They quickly master the essentials of staying alive and learn to start fires and to hunt and fish with reasonably effective hand-made tools. Inevitably, the fragments of a society begin to coalesce but there is stark contrast in philosophies. Jack (Tom Chapin) is an assertive, take-charge older boy who quickly learns he can use his aggressive personality traits to rise to a leadership position. Jack proves his worth by quickly going native and relishing the opportunity to play king. His skills are essential when it comes to providing food for the group. On the opposite end of the spectrum is Ralph (James Aubrey), a sensitive and thoughtful boy who rivals Jack as leader of the group based on his intellectual superiority. When the rivalry becomes heated, Jack and his numerically superior group of followers resort to violent methods to suppress Ralph and his friend Piggy (Hugh Edwards), a pudgy and harmless boy who must indulge many degrading insults and taunts. The resulting battle of wills leads to numerous tragedies and a conclusion that finds Ralph alone and being hunted down by his former schoolmates, who intend to kill him. 

It's clear that Golding intended to use this scenario as a microcosm for society in general. He initially regarded himself as an optimist regarding human nature but that changed during his service in WWII, when he witnessed behavior that he thought was so horrendous that he became convinced that evil is far more prevalent in the world than he had suspected. That cynicism is carried over into the film, which is such a literate version of the novel that no one is credited as a screenwriter. Director Brook would assemble his cast of young boys (none of whom had any acting experience) and read passages and dialogue from the novel prior to filming each scene. The technique worked remarkably well. Brook's shoestring budget of $300,000 was cut in half after his ill-fated, short-term alliance with famed producer Sam Spiegel, who began to make significant changes to the production in the hopes of making it more commercial. When he insisted on adding a group of young girls to the mix, Brook ended their partnership but had to pay Spiegel half of his meager budget to cover expenses he had never even authorized. Left with only $150,000 in the coffers, Brook (who is primarily known as an acclaimed director of avant-garde theatrical productions) managed to get everyone to the island of Vieques off the coast of Puerto Rico, where most of the footage was shot. Brook could not afford a seasoned cinematographer so gambled on hiring a local still photographer, Tom Hollyman, whose work on the film is simply remarkable (though he would never make another motion picture). Hollyman's footage was supplemented by footage taken by Gerald Feil, who was given a hand-held camera and told to shoot anything he found interesting. The result is a superb compilation of both men's accomplishments. The movie was shot in B&W for budgetary reasons but it also worked beneficially in terms of the impact of this stark, bleak tale. Raymond Leppard's brilliant score combines British schoolboy songs with ominous jungle themes.  It must be pointed out that, despite the impressive performances of the young cast members, only one- James Aubrey- decided to gravitate into acting as a profession. The real hero, however, is Brook himself, whose exercise in the ultimate "guerrilla movie making" still stands the test of time as a powerful and fascinating film. 

Criterion's special Blu-ray release does justice to the movie on every level beginning with a superb transfer that emphasizes the glorious cinematography. The extras in the set are:

• Audio commentary track featuring Peter Brook, producer Lewis Allen, cinematographers Tom Hollyman and Gerald Feil
• Audio of William Golding reading excerpts from the book, accompanied by scenes from the film
• Deleted scene with optional commentary track
• Insightful interview with Brook from 2008 (in which he pointedly says he never made a commercial movie because he refused to compromise with the studios in terms of his artistic vision)
•  Wonderful home movies taken by the young cast members.
• 1980 British TV interview with William Golding (one of the few he ever gave)
• A new interview with cinematographer Gerald Feil
• The original trailer
• Feil's 1975 short film documenting Peter Brook rehearsing cast members in Brooklyn for one of his off-beat productions. For those of us who do not "tread the boards" for a living, the rehearsals seem bizarre and resemble an exercise class more than an acting rehearsal. Some of it is unintentionally funny: the kind of pretentious scenario that is often spoofed by Woody Allen, with actors chanting and seeming to run about without rhyme or reason. Yet, who are we to argue? Brook's reputation as a major theatrical director remains firmly intact.
• A collector's booklet featuring essays by Peter Brook and film critic Geoffrey Macnab 

 In summary, the Criterion release of Lord of the Flies is essential viewing for classic movie lovers. 

Click here to order from Amazon.  

Cinema Retro columnist Tom Lisanti co-authored (with Louis Paul) the book "Femme Fatales: Women in Espionage Films and Television, 1962-1973" for McFarland publishers. The book has just been issued in a softcover edition, revised and updated. Here is Tom Lisanti's story behind the creation of the book. 

It was a long time coming, fifteen years in fact, but McFarland and Company finally released a soft cover edition of the very popular and well-received Film Fatales: Women in Espionage Film & Television, 1962-1973 by Louis Paul and myself. The book profiles 107 dazzling women (Ursula Andress, Raquel Welch, Dahlia Lavi, Carol Lynley, Elke Sommer, and Sharon Tate, among them) who worked in the swinging sixties spy genre on the big and small screens. Some include interviews with these sexy spy gals. This new edition contains some profile revisions and updates and a few new photos.

The idea for this book was all Louis Paul’s. We worked together at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts and became friends. Louis is an expert on European spy movies, giallos, thrillers, etc. from the sixties and seventies. He had a side video business and produced a fanzine called Blood Times. I had been interviewing sixties actresses for magazine articles and culled them for a book that was called Fantasy Femmes of Sixties Cinema. While I was finishing it up, Louis suggested we do a book on sixties spy girls. There were books on just the Bond Girls but we thought we'd go beyond that to also include actresses from the Matt Helm, Derek Flint, and Euro spy movies. And we also decided to include actresses who worked in TV spy shows like The Man from U.N.C.L.E., I Spy, The Avengers, It Takes a Thief , etc. At the last minute I pulled quotes from some of my interviewees on their spy films/TV shows destined for my first book and saved for Film Fatales.

Robert Vaughn and Donna Michelle in the Man From U.N.C.L.E. feature film "One Spy Too Many" (1966).

We felt that the book would reach a nice size audience because spy films have remained so popular due to James Bond. It is 2017 and they still are making Bond movies. It seems never ending and moviegoers just love the escapism. The affection for the 1960s Bond movies extends to the copycat films (Matt Helm, Derek Flint, Harry Palmer, Diabolik, etc.) and TV shows of the day. They all employed handsome debonair leading men, adventure, romance, diabolical villains, picturesque scenery, and some of the most beautiful actresses from Hollywood and Europe. The spy girls in particular remained popular because this genre gave them different type characters to play. A number of the actresses are exceptional and in some cases their characters are more memorable than the hero. In the book the roles are broken down into four distinct types: the helpful spy/secret agent/operative; the innocent caught up in the chicanery; the bad girl-turned-good; and the unrepentant villainess/femme fatale/assassin. This is why fans love their spy girls because of the varied facets found in this genre.

By Lee Pfeiffer 

The Warner Archive continues to delve into little-remembered crime movies with the release of F.B.I.: Code 98, yet another in the seemingly endless attempts of J. Edgar Hoover to use popular entertainment as a vehicle to promote himself and his bureau as incorruptible pillars of American society. (As usual, Hoover ensures he is personally thanked in the credits, mentioned in the script, depicted in photos on office walls and appears in footage at the end of the movie.) Still, this is a tense little thriller that engages the viewer from minute one with its timely depiction of a task force trying to prevent acts of home-grown American terrorism. The plot centers on a group of business executives who are flying to a government conference. Their company provides crucial materials and engineering for the U.S space program. A nondescript employee of their company concocts a clever scheme whereby he manages to switch out a piece of luggage being loaded onto the executive's corporate jet. Inside is a time bomb. Only a quirk of fate allows it to be discovered and dismantled in time. The F.B.I. is brought in under the direction of field director Robert Cannon (stiff-jawed Jack Kelly). He works with the intended victims to sort out who might have had a grudge against them and this inevitably leads to delving into some sensitive areas of their personal lives- including illicit affairs between married people. The film is tense and engrossing throughout, thanks to expert direction by Leslie Martinson. The capable supporting cast includes Ray Danton (whose baritone voice always seems overly dramatic for any role he played), the always-watchable Andrew Duggan, Philip Carey, William Reynolds, Jack Cassidy (in pure heterosexual mode) and Vaughn Taylor as the mousey, unlikely would-be terrorist. To compensate for the low budget, there are some unintentionally amusing gimmicks to provide some sweep to the locations. An F.B.I. office in Vegas looks directly out onto the casinos on the strip; a Washington D.C. office is in direct line with the Capitol Building; a Florida office has a view of a space launching pad. Still, Martinson's use of real locations throughout most of the film adds to the dramatic intensity. The film takes pains to present every F.B.I. man as scrupulously honest and dedicated. The worst they are guilty of is flirting with secretaries. 

F.B.I.: Code 98 is well worth a look. It's tightly scripted, well-directed and doesn't have a single wasted frame. 

There are no bonus extras on the DVD.  

CLICK HERE TO ORDER FROM THE CINEMA RETRO MOVIE STORE

For author William Peter Blatty's interview in Cinema Retro, see issue #19 in our back issues section.

BY LEE PFEIFFER

With the recent passing of "Exorcist" author William Peter Blatty, the Washington Post takes a photographic journey back to the origins of the story that inspired Blatty to write the book. In 1949 the Catholic church issued a rare consent order to allow an exorcism to be performed on a young boy who priests feared had been possessed by a demon. Doctors and psychiatrists have long speculated that the cause of the boy's affliction was rooted in natural medical explanations but the priests reported that they witnessed events that could not have been caused by any earthly phenomenon. The priests involved remained made few public comments after the exorcism, though there are some sketchy diary entries that shed a bit of light on the proceedings. The boy who was the center of the case is still alive and is now 78 years old but has never commented publicly on his ordeal or his memories of it, if any. Unless and until he does, there will always be debate about what actually occurred in an ordinary house occupied by an ordinary family who would inspire one of the most extraordinary novels and films of the 20th century. Click here to view. 

BY LEE PFEIFFER

The Universal Vault series has released the 1970 film "Sometimes a Great Notion" on DVD. Based on the novel by Ken Kesey, the film starred- and was directed by- Paul Newman. His skills as both actor and filmmaker are amply displayed in this engrossing, off-beat drama that never found its intended audience during its theatrical release, despite a heavyweight cast. The film is basically a domestic drama, though set amid the staggering beauty of the Oregon wilderness. The Stamper family runs one of the biggest logging operations around. The family's crusty patriarch, Henry (Henry Fonda), attributes the family's success to the fact that they lead a hard scrabble lifestyle and do much of the grueling work themselves rather than simply farming it out to paid employees. Henry ensures that he keeps the keys to his kingdom close to his vest: the only positions of power are held by him and his two sons, Hank (Paul Newman) and Joe Ben (Richard Jaeckel). Henry espouses his philosophy of life, which is that there isn't much purpose to existence other than hard work, eatin', drinkin' and screwin' (though perhaps not necessarily in that order). When we first meet the Stamper clan they are embroiled in a dispute with a union that represents loggers. The union has called for a strike and it appears that the workers have been dormant for quite some time. The Stampers refuse to accede to union demands that they stop their logging operations in order to show solidarity with the workers. Henry will have no part of it. He and his sons  insult union representatives that come to reason with them and, in fact, physically terrorize one of them. Henry and his sons have no  use for unions and adhere to the pioneer lifestyle in that every man has to fend for himself. A byproduct of this philosophy is that the Stampers are riding high as the only operating logging operation in the area. Consequently, the family gets all the business that the striking workers would ordinarily enjoy. However, the Stamper's luck is about to run out. Union members secretly begin to sabotage their operation and on one especially painful day, the family endures several tragedies of Shakespearean proportions. 

Although top-billed and coming off the success of "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid", Newman doesn't hog the spotlight. As director, he's quite generous in ensuring that his co-stars get ample quality scenes. The film evokes a very believable atmosphere in terms of exploring the type of no-nonsense, working-class people who populate rural areas. At first glance the Stampers are a content clan but there are cracks in the facade. Hank's wife Viv (Lee Remick) is fed up with the misogynistic lifestyle she is trapped in. Among the Stampers, the women folk are meant to be seen but not heard. She was bored as a teenager growing up in a one-horse town until young Hank drove through on his motorcycle and literally swept her off her feet. Her dreams of an exciting life were quickly dashed and she now finds herself cooking and cleaning for a  family of men who barely acknowledge her presence. Even romantic overtures to Hank go unrewarded and Viv is fed up with his inability- or unwillingness- to challenge his father's Draconian ways of managing the family and the business. Hank's younger brother Joe Ben is a happy-go-lucky, humorous fellow whose own wife Jan (Linda Lawson) shares his Born Again Christian beliefs and is quite content raising their kids and living a traditional lifestyle for women in this place and era. Dramatic tensions rise when Henry's estranged son Leeland (Michael Sarrazin) (Hank and Joe Ben's step brother) arrives out of the blue after being away for years. He's a troubled drifter with no particular goal or purpose in life. Henry welcomes him back but advises him that if he wants to stay, he'll have to learn how to work as a lumberman. There is also tension between Leeland and Hank because Hank once slept with Leeland's mother (!) 

As director, Newman excels at capitalizing on Richard Moore's magnificent cinematography and making the lumber business seem quite interesting. The scenes of tumbling timber are thrilling and suspenseful and makes the viewer aware of just how dangerous this profession is, with the possibility of injury and death always only seconds away.  In the film's most harrowing and best-remembered scene, Joe Ben is trapped under a log in a rapidly-rising river as Hank desperately tries to rescue him. Jaeckel is terrific here in a role that earned him a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination. The scene is difficult to watch but Jaeckel and Newman have never been better. (At the time of the film's release, critic Rex Reed complained that some of Jaeckel's best work in the film never made it into the final cut.) Screenwriter John Gay deftly sidesteps some anticipated cliches and every time you think you know where the story is going, it ends up in another direction. There is irony in Newman directing and starring in a film in which the protagonists are right wing and anti-union, as Newman himself was a career union man whose left wing activism earned him a place on President Nixon's notorious "Enemies List". (Newman claimed it was one of the great honors of his life.)  There are some weaknesses: we never get any background on the merits of the case made by the striking loggers so we have no frame of reference as to whether we should sympathize with them or the Stampers. Also, some of the supporting roles are underwritten, especially Lee Remick's. Aside from one good scene in which she divulges her frustrations to Sarrazin, there's not much for her to do. The movie builds to its tragic climax although Newman does make sure there is a triumphant moment in the last scene, even if its represented in a rather gruesome fashion. It's a pity that Newman chose to direct only a few films. He was as impressive behind the camera as he was in front of it. The film also benefits from a fine score by Henry Mancini and the opening song, "All His Children" (sung by Charley Pride) was nominated for an Oscar. When the film failed to click at the boxoffice it was re-marketed under the title "Never Give an Inch"- although that strategy failed to work. Hopefully it will finally find a more receptive audience on home video. 

The DVD transfer is superb but once again, Universal provides a bare bones release with nary a single bonus extra. 

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If you enjoy the golden age of Blaxploitation films you'll be happy to learn about Brown Sugar, the new streaming service that describes itself "Like Netflix- only blacker!". The service, which costs $3.99 a month, features a gold mine of cult classics of the genre ranging from the Shaft films to action flicks starring icons Pam Grier, Jim Brown and Fred Williamson. The network says that many of the films in their catalog are not easily available on home video.  Click here for more info. 

HBO is producing "Francis & the Godfather", a behind the scenes recounting of the making of the 1972 crime classic. As most retro movie lovers know, although "The Godfather" is now considered to be one of the greatest films ever made, it had a rocky production history. Paramount just wanted a quickie crime flick for fast playoff and balked at director Francis Ford Coppola's insistence on costly production values. The studio also wanted to fire Al Pacino and forbade Coppola from hiring Marlon Brando for the title role on the basis that Brando's decade-long string of failures made him boxoffice poison. Coppola, through shrewd instincts and an occasional bit of good luck, sidestepped these potential minefields and delivered a masterpiece that spawned two sequels and became part of international pop culture. No casting or director has been announced. For more click here. 

BY LEE PFEIFFER

The Warner Archive has released a Blu-ray edition of director Vincente Minnelli's classic 1950 comedy "Father of the Bride". The movie's delights haven't faded a bit with the passing of the years and its premise is as timely as ever- namely, that planning a wedding is a major pain in the butt for everyone involved. In this case Spencer Tracy is the long-suffering dad, Stanley T. Banks, who lives an uppercrust lifestyle complete with live-in maid. Still, he isn't so wealthy that he can spend with wild abandon. When his teenage daughter Kay (Elizabeth Taylor) announces she is engaged to heartthrob Buckley Dunstan (Don Taylor), everyone's lives are turned topsy-turvy. Predictably, Stanley feels Buckley isn't quite worthy of having his daughter as his wife, a common prejudice experienced by about 90% of fathers worldwide who find themselves in the same situation. However, his wife Ellie (Joan Bennett) is enthusiastic about the wedding and goes all-out in assisting her starry-eyed daughter in ensuring that the big day is all she dreams it will be. Before long Stanley finds his leisure time is a thing of the past as a rapidly escalating number of chores (and expenses) relating to the wedding begin to snowball. The witty, Oscar-nominated screenplay, based on the novel by Edward Streeter, allows Stanley to narrate his own tale of woe, wallowing in self-pity all along the way and portraying himself as the ultimate victim: he's pressed to spend a king's ransom on the wedding even while his own opinions are consistently dismissed by those around him. Tracy, also Oscar-nominated, plays the part to the hilt with a slow-burn temper occasionally rising to the level of a full-blown tantrum. Before long the old adage is proven out that if a family can survive planning the wedding then the union may actually succeed. Liz Taylor radiates almost surrealistic beauty as the bride-to-be and the supporting cast is top notch with old pros Billie Burke and Leo G. Carroll joining in the fun. The only weak link is Don Taylor as the groom. The character is so ridiculously polite and wimpy that it defies belief that Stanley would view him as a threat to his daughter in any way. Under the direction of Vincente Minnelli, "Father of the Bride" remains an extremely funny film that doesn't strive for belly laughs but, rather, concentrates on a consistent string of low-key, highly amusing situations that will ring true to all viewers. The film's popularity resulted in a successful sequel, "Father's Little Dividend" and also inspired a very good remake (and sequel) starring Steve Martin in the 1990s. 

The Blu-ray edition looks great and  includes the original trailer and vintage newsreel footage of Elizabeth Taylor's real-life wedding as well as a visit to the set by President Harry S. Truman. 

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BY LEE PFEIFFER

William Peter Blatty, the novelist and screenwriter whose book "The Exorcist" became a literary phenomenon and a movie sensation, died Thursday at age 89. Blatty's success prior to the publication of the book in 1971 was  largely based on comedic novels and screenplays. His greatest claim to fame in his early career was as screenwriter of the Pink Panther comedy "A Shot in the Dark". Blatty was studying at Georgetown University when he heard about a 1949 incident in which the Catholic church issued a rare approval for the exorcism of a young boy who was allegedly possessed by a demon. The story so intrigued Blatty that many years later it formed the basis of "The Exorcist", though he changed the victim to a young girl. The book was an overnight success and director William Friedkin's 1973 film version became one of the highest grossing films of all time. Blatty and Friedkin disagreed about the final cut of the film but did decide to release an alternate version in 2000 that contained scenes deleted from the original cut. Blatty directed and wrote the 1990 sequel "Exorcist III", feeling he could convey story elements that were not included in the first film or its disastrous 1977 sequel. However, "Exorcist III" opened to middling boxoffice and critical disinterest. Over the years Blatty complained that, despite the financial success "The Exorcist" franchise had afforded him, he was frustrated that he could no longer return to writing comedy, which was his first love. He said that studios and publishers always expected him to produce a horror blockbuster. For more click here. 

(For an exclusive interview with William Peter Blatty, see Cinema Retro issue #19)  

BY JOHN M. WHALEN

“The Second Time Around” is a 1960 comedy-western starring the late, great Debbie Reynolds as a city widow with two children who decides to follow her and her late husband’s dream of living out West. A friend of her deceased husband tells her to come with the kids out to Arizona Territory where she can work in his general store. She goes out alone at first only to find that by the time she gets there the friend who owned the store has been killed. The sheriff (Ken Scott) seems more interested in picking Debbie up literally at the train station and carrying her off to the saloon than catching the killer. He tells her that the store owner was killed by a man with a tattoo of a dagger on his arm. Dum de dum dum. Remember that.

Debbie tries to find work in town but ends up working out on Thelma Ritter’s ranch. You remember Thelm-a she was in dozens of films back in the fifties/sixties playing the role of the good friend/landlady/confidante who always befriends the female lead. We also meet Steve Forrest as a slick gambler; Andy Griffith, as the bashful 35 year old son of a lady ranch owner (he’s more like Gomer than Andy in this one); and Juliet Prowse as Steve Forrest’s girlfriend.

It’s a nice cast and director Vincent Sherman does a pretty good job keeping the lightweight story based on a Richard Emery Roberts novel moving. (Screenplay is credited to Oscar Saul and Cecil Dan Hansen—a pseudonym for Clair Huffaker). There are two main conflicts in the plot. The first is a romantic triangle between Debbie, Andy, and Steve. Sharpster Steve keeps getting the best of poor Andy all through the story, but Andy keeps plugging along. At one point Steve salts a river with gold nuggets and gets Debbie to go out there with him and prospect for gold. His main intention is to get her to fall in the water so she’ll have to take all her clothes off to dry. Forced to spend the night wrapped in a blanket, Debbie sort of melts to Steve’s charm but of course not all the way. It’s 1961, after all.

Nevertheless, an irate Andy rides out there in the morning and socks Steve on the jaw, and when Debbie finds out that Steve salted the river she slaps both of them in the face and walks off in a huff. Of course you know what happens next. Steve socks Andy and he falls in the river. It’s that kind of comedy, folks.

The second conflict is between Debbie and crooked sheriff Ken Scott. She starts a recall petition to force him to run for re-election. She’s convinced he knows more than he’s saying about her dead husband’s dead friend. Scott calls in reinforcements to help him stop her, one of whom turns out to be a guy with a tattoo of a dagger on his arm. Dum-de-dum-dum. And somehow it is very satisfying to see that this particular baddie is played by none other than the great Timothy Carey. Carey was an actor whose weird looks and hulking size made him a villain extraordinaire in such films as “One Eyed Jacks,” “Revolt in the Big House,” “The Killing,” and dozens more. He’s just as scary in this film. In cahoots with the sheriff he and two other no goods rob a bank and steal the $200 Debbie just borrowed.

Fighting mad (that was basically Debbie’s thing, wasn’t it?) she gets people to sign the recall petition and runs for sheriff herself. Guess what? This inexperienced, tenderfoot female, who had never fired a gun before, and could barely lift feed sacks into a wagon when she first got there, wins the election. You just couldn’t keep Debbie down back in the sixties.

As ridiculous as it sounds this is actually an entertaining 99 minutes. It’s almost a time capsule of movies from that era—the kind of movie housewives and mothers would go with their kids to watch at a summer afternoon matinee. You could learn more about what the Sixties were really like from watching this movie than you could watching 20 episodes of “Mad Men.”

It’s a 20^th Century Fox Cinemascope presentation, and the sound was recorded using Fox’s then state-of-the-art stereophonic sound system. I don’t know the technical aspects of how they recorded movie sound back then, but in some ways it was a much better system than the current, digital high def soundtracks in vogue today. It almost seems like they only used right, left and center microphones to pick up all the sound. Hence the soundstage on my Bose Cinemate II Home Theater was incredibly lifelike—much like watching a play on stage. You could actually hear the dialog. Even more vibrant, without being intrusive, was Gerald Fried’s music score.

Incidentally the movie gets its title from the song that Bing Crosby sung in Fox’s “High Time” which was released the same year. Henry Mancini did the scoring for “High Time” but the producers wanted a tune for Bing to croon and hired Sammy Cahn and James Van Heusen to write it. Nobody sings it this time around—it just swells up suddenly for the first time in the middle of the movie during a love scene between Debbie and Steve. I guess Fox wanted its money’s worth from the song.

This DVD from 20^th’s burn on demand Cinema Archive division has good picture quality along with superb sound, but no special bonus features. But that’s okay, seeing Tim Carey in a comedy was bonus enough.

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John M. Whalen is the author of "Hunting Monsters is My Business: The Mordecai Slate Stories" . Click here to order the book from Amazon)

Cinema Retro has received the following press release from Lionsgate:

Relive the imaginative and compelling cult classic, The Man Who Fell to Earth, when the Limited Collector’s Edition arrives on Blu-ray Combo Pack (plus Digital HD) January 24 from Lionsgate. International icon David Bowie stars in his unforgettable debut role as an alien who has ventured to Earth on a mission to save his planet from a catastrophic drought. In honor of David Bowie’s legacy, the limited collector’s edition Blu-ray Combo Pack includes never-before-seen interviews, brand new artwork, a 72-page bound book, press booklet, four art cards and a mini poster. Hailed as “the most intellectually provocative genre film of the 1970s” by Time Out, the remastered The Man Who Fell to Earth Limited Collector’s Edition Blu-ray Combo Pack will be available for the suggested retail price of $34.99.

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS 

Thomas Jerome Newton (David Bowie) is a humanoid alien who comes to Earth from a distant planet on a mission to take water back to his home planet.

BLU-RAY/DVD/DIGITAL HD SPECIAL FEATURES

·       David Bowie Interview – French TV 1977

·       New Interview with Costume Designer May Routh Featuring Original Costume Sketches

·       New Interview with Stills Photographer David James Featuring Behind-the-Scenes Stills

·       New Interview with fan Sam Taylor-Johnson

·       New Interview with Producer Michael Deeley

·       New “The Lost Soundtracks” Featurette, Featuring Interviews with Paul Buckmaster and Author Chris Campion

·       Interview with Candy Clark

·       Interview with Writer Paul Mayersberg

·       Interview with Cinematographer Tony Richmond

·       Interview with Director Nicolas Roeg

CAST

David Bowie               Basquiat, Labyrinth, The Hunger

Buck Henry                The Graduate, Catch-22

Candy Clark               American Graffiti, Zodiac

Rip Torn                     Men in Black, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story

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Cinema Retro has received the following press release:

ROCKPORT, Mass. — Dec. 12, 2016 — For Immediate Release — The Film Detective announces its classic movie app, streaming on Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV. An established leader in film restoration and distribution, with thousands of hours of classic film and television restored from original elements, The Film Detective offers viewers the chance to forgo DVDs or a cable subscription, while still enjoying great entertainment. For a preview, visit thefilmdetective.tv

The app launches with dozens of iconic titles, including rare silent films, westerns, film noir, musicals and comedies. In addition to such golden age Hollywood fare as Kansas City Confidential (1952), The Film Detective has uncovered and restored such kitschy titles as Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (1940), The Vampire Bat (1933) and 20 episodes of The New Howdy Doody Show (1976-77). The app refreshes content monthly for timely programming around themes, holidays and anniversaries.

The Film Detective also creates original, supplemental content, with legendary broadcast veteran Dana Hersey (longtime star of Boston’s WSBK-TV’s groundbreaking series, The Movie Loft), offering behind-the-scenes information and fun-facts about the movies. The Film Detective’s original content starts with The Outlaw: The Movie That Couldn’t Be Stopped, a mini-documentary highlighting the film’s controversial journey to success.

In addition, the app offers licensed content such as the recently discovered, HD-restored, lost Ed Wood TV pilot Final Curtain (1957); the Oscar-winning documentary The Man Who Skied Down Everest (1975); and such beloved family classics as Sounder (1972). The Film Detective has also licensed the Independent International Pictures library which includes over 200 classic exploitation films, including the Al Adamson collection (Satan's Sadists, 1969).

“Our team is excited to bring vintage cinema to life in the digital age through The Film Detective app. It gives consumers a library of content without purchasing DVDs, Blu-rays or subscribing to cable. Viewers can now enjoy old favorites and long-lost gems on demand. This is truly cutting the cord,” commented Phil Hopkins, Founder of The Film Detective.

The Film Detective uses Zype, the video distribution service for OTT, to manage and publish their premium content and foster relationships with classic movie and TV fans. “A premium subscription service is the natural progression for The Film Detective,” said Zype’s CEO, Ed Laczynski. “Zype is thrilled to help The Film Detective bring content to streaming media devices and to help cord-cutters re-discover the classic film and television content they grew up with.”

Enjoy a free trial period with subscriptions starting as low as $3.99 per month or $34.99 annually. Three films will stream free each month. iOS distribution will be available in 2017.

About The Film Detective:

Founder Philip Elliott Hopkins – who has been a fixture in the entertainment industry since 1999 – has channeled his life-long passion for collecting classic films into The Film Detective, a leading purveyor of restoration and distribution of broadcast-quality, digitally-remastered programming, including feature films, television, foreign imports, documentaries, special interest and audio. Since launching in 2014, the Massachusetts-based company has distributed its extensive library of 3000+ hours on DVD, Blu-ray and through such leading digital and television broadcast platforms as Turner Classic Movies, American Movie Classics, NBC, Bounce TV, Hulu, Amazon, EPIX HD, MeTV, PBS and more. In 2016, the Film Detective launched its OTT classic movies channel streaming on Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV. Visit us online at www.TheFilmDetective.com

Cinema Retro has received the following press release from the University Press of Mississippi:

Winnie Lightner (1899–1971) was the first great female comedian of the talkies. Blessed with a superb singing voice and a gift for making wisecracks and rubber faces, she rose to stardom in vaudeville and on Broadway. Then, at the dawn of the sound era, she became the first person in motion picture history to have her spoken words censored.

In "Winnie Lightner: Tomboy of the Talkies" (University Press of Mississippi, Hollywood Legends Series), David L. Lightner documents how Winnie’s hilarious performance in the 1929 musical comedy Gold Diggers of Broadway made her an overnight sensation. She went on to star in seven other Warner Bros. features. In the best of them, she was the comic epitome of a strident feminist, dominating men and gleefully spurning conventional gender norms and moral values, which earned her the nickname of tomboy of the talkies.

When the Great Depression rendered moviegoers hostile toward feminism, Warner Bros. crafted a new image of Lightner as glamorous and sexy and assigned her contradictory roles in which she was empowered in the workplace but submissive to her male partner at home. Because the new image did not score at the box office, Lightner’s stardom ended. In four final movies, she played supporting roles as the loudmouthed roommate and best friend of actress Loretta Young, Joan Crawford, and Mona Barrie.

Following her retirement in 1934, Lightner faded into obscurity. Many of her films were mutilated or even lost entirely. David Lightner has beautifully captured Winnie's early years in vaudeville, her elevation to revues, and her capturing of the very essence of talking pictures just as they dawned.

Tomboy of the Talkies is the first and only biography of Winnie Lightner and finally gives HER the recognition she deserves as a notable figure in film history, in women’s history, and in the history of show business. This book is an evocative and fascinating read that will speak to fans of vintage film.

DAVID L. LIGHTNER is professor emeritus of history at the University of Alberta. He is the author of Slavery and the Commerce Power: How the Struggle against the Interstate Slave Trade Led to the Civil War; Asylum, Prison, and Poorhouse: The Writings and Reform Work of Dorothea Dix in Illinois; and Labor on the Illinois Central Railroad, 1852-1900: The Evolution of an Industrial Environment. He became interested in Winnie Lightner because of their shared surname but is not related to her.

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ISSUE #37 (JANUARY 2017)

Steven J. Rubin's 40th anniversary tribute to "Rocky"; extensive coverage ON the making of this landmark film with exclusive comments from key members of the cast and crew. 

Christopher Weedman celebrates the career of British actress Anne Heywood with insights from the lady herself.

Diane Rodgers' homage to the Monkees' only feature film, "Head"- with a screenplay by Jack Nicholson!

Martin Gainsford diagnoses the problems of bringing Doc Savage to the big screen in the ill-fated 1970s production.

Nick Anez extols the virtues of Sidney Lumet's brilliant but little-scene "The Offence" with a powerhouse performance by Sean Connery.

Tim Greaves examines the creepy-but-neglected chiller "The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane" starring young Jodie Foster.

Did Sergio Leone "ghost direct" the cult Italian Western "My Name is Nobody"? Chris Button examines the case for and against this theory.

Raymond Benson works overtime, providing us with his Ten Best Films of 1956 as well as his favorite movie trilogies of all time.

Gareth Owen looks back at the founding of Pinewood Studios

Lee Pfeiffer rocks on with the Dave Clark Five in their feature film "Catch Us If You Can" (AKA "Having a Wild Weekend"),which marked John Boorman's directorial debut. 

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ISSUE #39 (September, 2017)

Highlights of this issue will appeal greatly to 007 fans:

50TH anniversary of the James Bond classic You Only Live Twice with exclusive interviews, rare photos & memorabilia and movie poster art. 

Remembering Sir Roger Moore

Susan George's career- second and final part of our coverage

Vivan Pickles recalls filming Play Dirty with Michael Caine

The kinky, controversial thriller Night Hair Child (aka What the Peeper Saw)

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By Lee Pfeiffer

"Jorgensen went abroad and came back a broad!" The joke is indicative of the type of humor, sarcasm and outright condemnation that greeted the world's most legendary individual to have undergone a gender transformation. Jorgensen's name has largely been lost to obscurity in recent years but if you grew up in the 1950s and 1960s, she was a household name. She was born a male, George Jorgensen, in 1926 and had a fairly normal childhood- except for the fact that from a very early age George was haunted by the feeling that he should have been born female. We're not talking about homosexual behavior or tendencies, rather, a deep-seated belief that only becoming an actual female through a surgical procedure could bring him happiness. Jorgensen got his wish when he underwent the procedure in Denmark and returned home as a "she". Predictably the media went into a frenzy and Jorgensen decided that if she couldn't live in obscurity, she would capitalize on her new-found fame. She wrote a best-selling autobiography and transformed her experiences into a campy night club routine before passing away from cancer in 1989.

Jorgensen's book became the basis for The Christine Jorgensen Story, a sincere low-budget film made in 1970 and released by United Artists, which curiously kept its logo confined to the very last roll of the credits as though there was something shameful about a major studio releasing the movie. Jorgensen herself acted as technical adviser on the movie which makes it all the more puzzling as to why there are so many apparent embellishments and lapses from the truth. For one, Jorgensen was not the first person to undergo sex change surgery, as the film implies, although she was certainly the most prominent. The movie also tosses in quite a few plot devices and characters that appear to be wholly created for purposes of artistic license. The movie's melodramatic aspects have become grist for the mill in terms of its reputation as a camp classic. Indeed, there are plenty of unintentional laughs and some over-the-top moments by leading man John Hansen, a blonde haired pretty boy whose career went precisely nowhere after his bold decision to play the title role. Hollywood's glass ceiling on actors affiliated with gay behavior was firmly in place at the time.

Wishing all our readers worldwide a healthy and happy 2017! 

BY BILL DUELLY

We’ve seen them at sci-fi or collectibles conventions shows; some more so in England than the US. They man tables with stacks of photos, offering autographs or pictures for a fee.  In many cases their faces aren’t familiar, as their characters wore heavy makeup or masks in their appearance in the original “Star Wars” film. Still, even as you approach them face-to-face some of these people still don’t ring a bell. Maybe it’s because their scenes were deleted or they were an extra amongst many. Others, you discover are a familiar masked character and you are happy to chat for a few moments with them, as that movie, and its two sequels (I am only referring to the original trilogy starring Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher), had such a lasting impact on your childhood.

“Elstree 1976” is a recent documentary that follows ten such actors who, during the summer of 1976, played various roles while filming at Elstree Studios in Borehamwood, England and on location in Tunisia. This cast is comprised of: David Prowse (Darth Vader), Paul Blake (Greedo), John Chapman (X Wing Pilot- Red 12- Drifter), Anthony Forrest (Fixer & Sandtrooper), Laurie Goode(Stormtrooper & Cantina Creature), Garrick Hagon (Biggs Darklighter) , Angus MacInnes (X-Wing Pilot), Derek Lyons (Medal Bearer- Throne Room ), Pam Rose (Leesub Sirlin- Cantina Character) and Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett) (Note: Bulloch appears late in this movie, as he joined the “Star Wars” cast during “The Empire Strikes Back” a few years later.)

The first 40 minutes or so of this piece seem rather sluggish and confusing, as we are introduced to this large group and listen to fairly detailed life histories. Once we start to get into the discussion of the actual filming itself, the pace picks up considerably and it becomes a much more interesting experience. We find out that this was basically just another job to many of these people who had just showed up during general casting calls. England was a busy place for film production in the 70s and 80s and there was a very relaxed, informal atmosphere at the studios and amongst the performers. Prowse was cast due to his large physical frame (he was a body builder) and Jeremy Bulloch went on the advice of his half-brother, co-producer Robert Watts. The production anecdotes are very interesting and through it all no one had any clue that what they were involved with would be such a phenomenon that continues to this day and probably will well into the future.

The after-stories are often the most interesting; many of the cast members just continued with day work in the movies or went back to other interests. Angus MacInnes continued acting and ended up with Harrison Ford again in 1984’s “Witness” as one of the crooked cops (it would have been nice if this reunion of sorts was expanded upon); David Prowse began personal appearance tours around release of “The Empire Strikes Back” and over time found himself on the wrong side of Lucasfilm. Prowse alleges that whenever he would publicly inquire about unpaid royalties from “Return of the Jedi”, Lucasfilm would tell him that the movie had yet to turn a profit. Because of his public criticisms, Prowse is now banned from ‘official’ “Star Wars” events, such as Disney “Star Wars” weekends and the yearly celebrations.

When the film addresses the subject of fan conventions, the actors discuss the caste system … those who receive on screen credit and those who are ‘extras’. The extras generally are viewed as opportunists. How far this feeling extends into the fan base is another story that we really don’t get the answer to.

Although “Elstree 1976”, which was directed by Jon Spira, has many merits that will please “Star Wars” fans, I was disappointed that there wasn’t more emphasis on behind-the-scenes photos and footage of the actual shoot, not recreated scenes with the interviewees. It’s probable that rights issues prevented this from occurring. Smatterings of clips from “Star Wars” are shown but they are all too brief. Additional visual materials would have considerably enhanced this documentary. Also, with a title like “Elstree 1976”, I would have appreciated more detail about the legendary studio itself and some discussions of famous films that were shot there and how the studio has impacted the area of Borehamwood, especially in the wake of other UK-based studios that are no longer around. There is also a missed opportunity in that the documentary makers did not capitalize on the fact that Elstree has a prop/mechanics shop that still houses artifacts from the original film such as matte paintings, prop light sabers, original droid blueprints, etc. A visit to this facility would have greatly enhanced the viewing experience.

The video release from FilmRise reviewed for this article is a special edition Blu-ray.  One of the special features does have a few of these actors returning to the empty Stage 7 where the Millennium Falcon was built for the hanger scenes. Lacking any compelling visuals, the tour around an empty set rings somewhat hollow. Other special features include some comments from the cast that were cut out from the final version of the documentary, a trailer and a director’s commentary.

It should be noted that this is a grassroots production funded by a Kickstarter campaign, so viewers should keep in mind that the director had limited resources. As such, it’s an ambitious undertaking that, despite the film’s shortcomings, provides an interesting look at aspects of the “Star Wars” franchise that have never been explored from this particular angle.

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Time Life has released the retro TV comedy series "Hee Haw" as a 14-DVD boxed set. Here is the official press release:

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Pickin’ and grinnin’, singin’ and spinnin’ tall tales and corny jokes, the citizens of Kornfield Kounty landed on television in 1969 with the arrival of HEE HAW as a summer replacement series for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. With a cast of down-to-earth characters including Minnie Pearl, Grandpa Jones and Archie Campbell, knee-slapping comedic zingers, and jaw-dropping musical performances, the comedy-variety show, co-hosted by Buck Owens and Roy Clark, captivated the country. In 1971, after two successful years, CBS dropped the show in an effort to “de-countrify” the network’s programming; however, it was quickly picked up and aired for the next 21 years, making HEE HAW the longest-running weekly syndicated original series in television history.

In a new-to-retail set, HEE HAW: THE COLLECTOR’S EDITION offers 14 HEE-larious discs featuring some of the best sketches and brightest stars from the series’ impressive 23-year history, rarely seen since their original broadcasts. Across 21 vintage hours, viewers can sit back and be entertained by korny klassics such as “PFFT! You Were Gone,” “Gordie’s General Store,” “Board Fence,” “Cornfield” and “Moonshiners” -- as well as the all-time favorites “Rindercella” and “Trigonometry.” And because HEE HAW was a favorite stop for country music’s biggest stars and legends, THE COLLECTOR’S EDITION also features hundreds of classic performances from Hall of Famers at the peaks of their careers including Tammy Wynette ("Stand By Your Man"), George Jones ("White Lightnin"), Merle Haggard (“Okie From Muskogee"), Waylon Jennings ("Me and Bobby McGee"), Johnny Cash ("I Walk the Line”), Jerry Lee Lewis ("Whole Lot of Shakin' Goin' On"), Tanya Tucker ("Delta Dawn"), and Loretta Lynn & Conway Twitty ("Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man") and too many others to name.

Though the last “new” episode aired in 1992, this 14-disc collector’s edition perfectly captures the reasons why HEE HAW was one of the longest-running and best loved television variety shows of all time!

BONUS FEATURES

New interviews with show regulars including Roy Clark, Lulu Roman, George Lindsey, Charlie McCoy and Jim and John Hager

Additional bonus programming includes all-time favorite comedy from the early years in “Hee Haw Laffs,” featuring “Board Fence,” “Doctor Spot,” “Old Philosopher,” “Haystack,” “Schoolhouse” and other knee-slappers 

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Cinema Retro has received the following press release:

(London, UK, December 12th 2016) MI6 Confidential, the full-colour magazine celebrating the world of James Bond 007, returns with its thirty-eighth issue.

Bond girls are forever, but in the last two decades the 007 producers have shaken up the ‘Bond girl’ archetype significantly. Strong, independent and critical of Bond’s actions and motives are now the norm. But even this change hasn’t stopped Bond women from being devastatingly beautiful and the subject of much admiration. This issue is dedicated to finding out what it takes to be a Bond girl, with features on Bond’s comic book companions, the surprising origins of the Bond girl label, and the role of Bond women in the 21st century.

Featured in this issue:

· The Name’s Bond... - Samantha Bond’s stint as the iconic secretary

· Bond Girls Stripped - A glimpse of Fleming’s characters in comic strip form

· Bond Girl Etymology - Where did the widely-recognised phrase originate?

· Quick Fire Bond - Lightning Q&A with some of Bond’s brushes through the decades

· The Double X Factor - The feminine power of the 21st century Bond woman

· Gaming Girls - A catalogue of digital delights that have crossed paths with 007

· Driving Him Crazy - A cut scene from The Living Daylights revisited

· The Bond Connection - The glamorous women and the spy films of the 1960s

Issue #38 is now shipping around the world. To order online, visit www.mi6confidential.com

Hugh Maddocks Editor

Email: editor@mi6confidential.com

Find us on Facebook: http://f.mi6confidential.com Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/mi6confidential

A new book release just grabbed our attention that in many ways has both everything and nothing to do with cinema. The book is titled, The World’s Hardest Music Trivia: Rock n Roll History, Fun Facts and Behind the Scenes Stories About the Groups and Songs You Thought You Knew (Nautilus) but at 388 well-researched pages there is nothing trivial about it. The book is a fun read that not only covers rock 'n roll but also delves a bit into the realm of films, as well as providing interesting facts about eras gone by. Perhaps somewhat ironically its author, John Grantham, spent over 30 years in Hollywood in and around the movie industry as an actor, stuntman and voice over artist. Cinema Retro's Lee Pfeiffer caught up with him for a Q&A about his book which has a title longer than some nation's entire constitutions. 

CR – It should be noted that this isn’t just a book listing questions & answers about music. It’s an homage to the generations that lived and loved the music.

JG – Thanks for recognizing that. There are plenty of books that simply ask a question and then provide you with the answer. I wanted to set a tone for the music and provide a background for the songs and groups mentioned in the book.

CR – You started your sections that dealt with musical decades with an overview of what was happening culturally, politically and financially during that period of time.

JG –It was important to me that the reader experiences the questions in the context that each generation provided. Music, perhaps more than cinema, has always held a mirror up to society. The 1960s for example provided folk music, anti-war music, tune in – drop out music amidst the background of a divisive war in Vietnam that was fracturing America. There was “Black Power”, Women’s Lib, the Eco movement and lest we forget, the introduction of terrorist actions. For someone reading the book that wasn’t alive then or was too young to remember, it’s helpful to set the scene if you will.

CR – You also included a lot of movie quotes instead of lyrics. Why is that?

JG – I feel like music provides the soundtrack of our lives. I tried to include quotes from movies that highlighted the significance of music. Movies like High Fidelity and School of Rock are obvious choices. My favorite scene is from Barry Levinson’s 1982 classic, Diner where Daniel Sterns’ character Shrevie argues with his wife Beth, “The first time I met you? Modell’s sister’s high school graduation party, right? 1955. And ‘Ain’t That A Shame’ was playing when I walked into the door! It’s important”.

CR – You were a Hollywood actor and stuntman. Why then a book about music and not, say, well the obvious, movies?

JG - (Laughs) Thank you for dignifying my career. I had more than my share of stinkers. If my career had started a decade earlier much of my finer work would have gone straight to the drive-in.

CR – Such as?

JG – Let’s see… Baja, Deadly Breed, Death House… Of course there was also Double Dragon and Master’s of the Universe… If Double Dragon had done anything at the box office you could have an action figure of my character, Torpedo, on your shelf!

CR – What would you say was your favorite role or movie?

JG – Hmmm. Harvey Keitel shoots me in the final scene of Get Shorty. I played Hari Krishna #1. I doubled Peter Deluise in the TV show seaQuest DSV. There was a lot of fire and explosions on that, plus a gnarly stunt where I had to crash through a plate glass window.

CR – Sounds like fun.

JG – Some days were better than others. The movie that was the most gratifying to be associated with was an independent film I doubt many of your readers ever saw called Miss Firecracker…

CR - …With Holly Hunter and Tim Robbins…

JG – That’s right. It also starred Scott Glenn, Alfrie Woodard, Mary Steenburgen and the late Trey Wilson. I was the stunt coordinator for that. Scott Glenn came up to me after the fight scene at the fairground and said it was the most realistic fight he’d ever seen. It wasn’t of course, but it was kind of him to say.

CR – Your love of rock and pop is obvious from the book but what movies inspired your career choice?

JG – All of them. I’d put moving pictures right next to the printing press in terms of how it has shaped and moved society. You can’t understate its influence. The optimistic messages of Frank Capra’s films and the documentaries of Leni Riefenstahl, are from the same era. The 70s gave us gritty, street level dramas like The French Connection and Shaft . The latter of which featured, perhaps, the best opening theme song in history.

John Grantham: Hollywood stuntman and author.

CR –Back to the music then…

JG – Oh right…My formative years were spent in Naples, Florida. My best friend’s parents owned the only record store in town. That was our “Diner” if you will; the place we would hang out and talk about girls and sports and movies to the backdrop of great music. It never occurred to me that all that time spent pouring over album covers and liner notes would someday form the foundation of a book.

CR – With the success of “The World’s Hardest Music Trivia…” can we expect to see The World’s Hardest Movie Trivia on the shelves soon?

JG – You’d have to ask my publisher. I’d love to do it. I am a student of Hollywood. I couldn’t tell you who my Congressman is but I can tell you that Susan Hart played the ghost in The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini”, which I saw in 1966 at the Yazoo Theater in Yazoo City, Mississippi. I was too young to know what was causing that tingling sensation in my body as I watched the movie but I knew I wanted to experience it again; and often.

CR – Maybe we should leave it at that.

JG – Probably for the best Lee. Thanks for the shout out. Rock on.

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BY DAVE WORRALL

The world-famous Pinewood Studios celebrates 80 years in the film business this year and Penguin Books have published a luxurious large-format 376-page hardback book to commemorate the fact. Loaded with interesting stories - from the studio's beginnings to the latest 'Star Wars' offering under the Disney banner - it's certainly an interesting ride along the way. All of your favourites are here: the 'Carry On', James Bond, Superman and Batman series, as well as photos galore - many I'd not seen before (although a few captions are incorrect) - make for an easy read without getting too bogged down with statistics. Nice to see industry insiders being interviewed, and there are numerous quotes from the likes of Sir Roger Moore, Barbara Broccoli, Sir Ridley Scott, Martin Campbell, Michael G. Wilson and Michael Grade, to name but a few. Interestingly, now that Pinewood owns the 'other' famous British studio at Shepperton, this gets coverage, too.

Author Bob McCabe mentions first visiting the studio in 1977 (aged 10) and seeing the American cars scattered on the backlot following the filming of 'Superman'. Well, I was there too, Bob - although a tad older! For those of you, like me, who have been fortunate to visit this wonderful 'film factory', then it is worthy of a place in your library. For those of you who will probably never pass through its portals, then it's an even a bigger treat. Oh, and Cinema Retro gets a credit in the 'sources of research' section! 'Pinewood: The Story of an Iconic Studio' has a cover price of £40.00., but is currently available from Amazon UK for the bargain price of £26.00. Now that's what I call a great Christmas present.

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BY LEE PFEIFFER

Released as part of "The Hollywood Collection", an independent label, "Roger Moore: A Matter of Class"  is a very  illuminating 1995 show that originally aired on the American cable network A&E. Running less than an hour, the show nevertheless packs considerable content into its abbreviated running time.It also benefits greatly from the participants including Sir Roger himself (though years before he earned his knighthood.) Moore provides some very funny and occasionally very moving anecdotes about growing up in WWII London where he was a rather chubby, sickly child who often bore the brunt of other kid's bullying. As a defense mechanism he adopted a philosophy of making self-deprecating jokes on the theory that no one enjoys making fun of someone who makes fun of himself. It's been a tactic that has served him well to this day. Moore also discusses his middle-class upbringing, his overly-protective parents and the trauma of existing as a child in a city that was being bombed virtually every night. Moore was also subject to the mass deportation of British children from the cities to temporary foster homes in the British countryside when the war with Germany was gearing up to full-throttle stage. In the post-war years he did a brief stint in the army before using his skills as a cartoonist to get a job in the film industry. With his almost surrealistic good looks it didn't take long for him to catch the eye of producers and Moore found his real niche in front of the cameras. Moore led a charmed life almost from the day he decided to become an actor. Things just fell into place. Even setbacks such as a short-term contract with MGM that saw him cast in forgettable films ended up luring him back to England where he enjoyed enormous success in the long-running series "The Saint". A decade later his TV series with Tony Curtis "The Persuaders" proved to be a big hit in Europe but a flop in America, leading to the show's cancellation. Here again, Moore benefited from a seemingly negative development. When the show was taken off the air, Moore was a free agent and available to accept the role of James Bond. The rest, as they say, is history.

With Tony Curtis in "The Persuaders".

Aside from providing ample film clips from Moore's films the program also shows him touring hard-hit parts of the world in his role as Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF. For Moore this has been more than window dressing. He has worked tirelessly to raise funds for programs to help children in poverty and doubtless would like that to be the legacy he is most remembered for. The show boasts interesting insights from many of Moore's friends, family members and colleagues including his son Christian, Bond producer Michael G. Wilson, David Niven Jr, director Lewis Gilbert, Tony Curtis, Gregory Peck, actresses Maud Adams and Carroll Baker and, most poignantly, Michael Caine, who compares Moore's early years with his own hard scrabble life in East London and provides interesting insights into his friend's  psyche. Although the show's technical aspects betray its age (primitive graphics and titles), its a slick and polished production. The DVD includes an extensive photo gallery of Moore's life and career though the images lack any accompanying captions, which might leave those not familiar with the nuances of his films rather frustrated. There is also a photo gallery of the show's producers in the company with many other notable people in show business and some promos for other titles in the "Hollywood Collection".

"Roger Moore: A Matter of Class" very much reflects the man himself: it's easy-going, often very funny and always engaging.

(This DVD is region-free and will play on any international system).  

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Cinema Retro has received the following announcement from Bondstars.com in the UK:

"In 2003, the renowned American artist Jeff Marshall (known for his James Bond work) was commissioned to create a lithograph  for Daleon Enterprises (officially sanctioned by Hammer themselves) featuring several famous Hammer actresses - Ingrid Pitt, Caroline Munro, Valerie Leon and Martine Beswicke.

· The first 100 of these limited edition lithographs were signed and numbered by Jeff himself and have never been available to buy....until now.

· We have 006 - 100 for sale, unfortunately we cannot accommodate requests for specific numbers.

· The lithograph measures 20" x 30" and is printed on museum quality acid-free paper.

· The lithograph will be shipped rolled in a sturdy poster tube."

CLICK HERE TO ORDER

Cinema Retro hosted Fritz Weaver at a screening of "Fail Safe" at the Players club in New York City. Here Editor-in-Chief Lee Pfeiffer (L) and contributor Paul Scrabo present Weaver with marketing materials for "To Trap a Spy", the feature film made from an extended version of the "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." TV show pilot, "The Vulcan Affair". Weaver discussed how surprised he was at the level of interest there was in the fact that he was the first U.N.C.L.E. villain. (Photo: GeorgeAnn Muller).

BY LEE PFEIFFER

Fritz Weaver, who won acclaim for his work in film, TV and on the Broadway stage, has passed away at age 90. Weaver was primarily a character actor but sometimes top-lined in stage productions.He played Sherlock Holmes in the 1960s Broadway musical production of "Baker Street". He won a Tony in 1970 for his performance in "Child's Play". Weaver also earned strong reviews over the years for his performances in Shakespeare classics. He made his big screen debut in 1964 in the Cold War thriller "Fail Safe", giving an intense and memorable performance as a U.S. general who cracks under pressure when the U.S. accidentally launches a nuclear strike on the Soviet Union. When this writer interviewed him at a screening of the film some years ago, Weaver said he still found the movie difficult to watch because of its chilling implications. Weaver's big screen appearances also include "Black Sunday" (1977), "Marathon Man", "The Maltese Bippy", "Creepshow" and "Demon Seed". He continued working in film up to this year. His TV appearances include an Emmy nominated performance in the 1978 mini-series "Holocaust" and two classic episodes of "The Twilight Zone". From a pop culture standpoint, he is also remembered as the very first villain in "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." TV series, having appeared in the pilot episode, "The Vulcan Affair" in 1964 opposite series star Robert Vaughn, who coincidentally also passed away two weeks ago. For more, click here. 

Cinema Retro has received the following press release:

Mad Max fans will have something to put atop their holiday gift lists with the Mad Max High Octane Collection, debuting December 6 from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE). All four films from visionary director George Miller’s blockbuster sci-fi franchise -- Mad Max (1979); Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981); Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985); and MadMax: Fury Road (2015), now with Tom Hardy as Max Rockatansky -- are together in one collection.

The Mad Max High Octane Collection is available to own in both Blu-ray ($79.99 SRP) and DVD ($54.97 SRP) versions. Both collections include the four films and five hours of bonus content, including the visually stunning Mad Max: Fury Road “Black & Chrome” Edition. The Blu-ray collection will also include a 4K-Ultra HD version and a UV Digital Copy of Mad Max: Fury Road.

The Mad Max: Fury Road “Black & Chrome Edition” will also be available on Blu-ray 
($29.98 SRP) in a two film collection including the theatrical version of the film and a special introduction by George Miller describing his vision.

High Octane Collection Special Features and Additions:

 NEW! *Fury Road “Black & Chrome” Edition â€“ Witness the surreal black and white version of mastermind George Miller’s Fury Road.

 NEW! *George Miller Introduction to the Mad Max Fury Road: Black and Chrome Edition â€“ Special introductory piece by George Miller describing his vision.

NEW! Road War â€“ In 1982, the world was blindsided by George Miller’s masterpiece of apocalyptic destruction: The Road Warrior.  For the first time ever George Miller, Terry Hayes and star Mel Gibson tell the story of the car-crushing production that redefined action cinema forever.  

Madness of Max â€“ The previously released Mad Max (1979) documentary is a feature-length documentary on the making of arguably the most influential movie of the past thirty years. With over forty cast-and-crew interviews, hundreds of behind-the-scenes photographs and never-before-seen film footage of the shoot, this is, without a doubt, the last word on Mad Max (1979). Interviews include: George Miller, Byron Kennedy, Mel Gibson, Hugh Keays-Byrne, Steve Bisley, Roger Ward, Joanne Samuel, David Eggby, Jon Dowding and many more. From the Producers to the Bike Designers to the Traffic Stoppers, this is the story of how Mad Max was made.

Mad Max: Fury Road Two Film Collection

Special Features and Additions:

NEW! *George Miller Introduction to the Mad Max Fury Road: Black and Chrome Edition â€“ Special introductory piece by George Miller describing his vision.

About The Films

Mad Max (1979)

George Miller's first entry in the trilogy, Mad Max packs brutal action and insane stunts as it follows the inevitable downfall of relentless cop Max Rockatansky (Mel Gibson) in a world gone mad. Living on the edge of an apocalypse, Max is ready to run far away from it all with his family. But when he experiences an unfortunate encounter with a motorcycle gang and its menacing leader, the Toecutter, his retreat from the madness of the world is now a race to save his family's life.

Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1982)

The sequel to Mad Max, Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior provides action-packed “automotive” entertainment, telling the story of a selfish-turned-selfless hero and his efforts to protect a small camp of desert survivors and defend an oil refinery under siege from a ferocious marauding horde that plunders the land for gasoline.

Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985)

Mel Gibson returns for his third go-round as the title hero who takes on the barbarians of the post-nuclear future - and this time becomes the savior of a tribe of lost children. Music superstar Tina Turner co-stars as Aunty Entity, a power-mad dominatrix determined to use Max to tighten her stranglehold on Bartertown, where fresh water, clean food and gasoline are worth more than gold.

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Haunted by his turbulent past, Mad Max (Tom Hardy) believes the best way to survive is to wander alone. Nevertheless, he becomes swept up with a group fleeing across the Wasteland in a War Rig driven by an elite Imperator, Furiosa (Charlize Theron). They are escaping a Citadel tyrannized by the Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne), from whom something irreplaceable has been taken. Enraged, the Warlord marshals all his gangs and pursues the rebels ruthlessly in the high-octane Road War that follows.

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BY DAVID GROVE

Why do you want to do a book on Jan-Michael Vincent?

This is the most common question I received during the writing of Jan-Michael Vincent: Edge of Greatness, my book on the career and life of Jan-Michael Vincent. Jan’s former Hollywood colleagues, most of whom now refer to him in the past tense, asked me this, and so did Jan’s classmates and friends from Hanford, California, where Jan was born and raised.

I’ve always been fascinated by unfulfilled potential, and the tragedy this represents, and I see Jan as the embodiment of this. Although Jan, as an actor, possessed all of the ingredients, on a purely physical level, for superstardom, there was something missing, something very wrong, and I wanted to explore this.

I called the book Edge of Greatness, which suggests great potential but also the existence of a precipice bordered by the arbitrary forces of fate and circumstance. Obviously, Jan’s story turned out very badly, and although there is no clear explanation for the source of Jan’s lifelong sense of confusion, his eternal torment, I found some disturbing clues.

Jan’s hallmark as an actor, at the height of his career in the early to mid-1970s, was his physical beauty, his incredible well of vitality, which disguised the characteristics and personality of a lifelong misfit, an identity that carried destructive implications for Jan in his career and life. He was cursed with natural ability, in terms of his screen presence, and with surfing, his one true passion. He got by on this, his god-given gifts, for a very long time. When this evaporated, turned inward on him, there was nothing left.

Jan’s alcoholism, which is the bedrock of not only his downfall but his life, was rooted in his family. It was passed down to him through his grandfather, Herbert Vincent, and Jan’s father, Lloyd, a World War II veteran who owned a sign painting business in Hanford, Jan’s hometown. However, it must be pointed out that Jan’s brother and sister both avoided this fate. “Jan was a born alcoholic from an alcoholic family,” says Bonnie Hearn Hill, Jan’s classmate at Hanford High, the high school Jan attended between 1959 and 1963. “He would’ve been an alcoholic had he ended up a sign painter in Hanford. He probably wouldn’t have had access to all of the drugs.”

Jan wanted to be a surfer. After graduating from Hanford High in 1963, at the age of nineteen, he enrolled at Ventura College, far away from Hanford. In early 1965, Jan abruptly dropped out and went to Mexico in pursuit of a surfing odyssey, which was halted due to Jan’s draft status. In 1966, after completing basic training, Jan had few prospects. Acting, as a possible career, was a last resort for Jan, and he really had no choice.

Through his father’s connections, Jan made the acquaintance of legendary talent agent Richard “Dick” Clayton, who immediately saw in Jan, purely visually, the heir apparent to James Dean, Clayton’s friend and former client. Clayton, following the Rock Hudson model, specialized in identifying good-looking boys, hunks, and developing them into stars, whether they had talent or not. Clayton’s stable included Harrison Ford and Nick Nolte, whom Clayton discarded in favor of Jan.

The only acting training Jan received in his career was at Universal Studios, in the training program, which he entered in the summer of 1966. Jan was a natural. The camera loved him, and he had an instinctive sense of the camera, and he understood how to seize the crucial moment within a given scene. “Jan was a “stand and deliver” type of actor,” says Robert Englund, Jan’s friend and co-star in the film Buster and Billie. “He could, in those short bursts, dominate the scene he was in, and he was very effective. Jan was about five ten, which was the perfect height in terms of him relating to the camera. He had everything going for him.”

Following the Rock Hudson model, Jan was marketed, beginning in the late 1960s and continuing well into the 1970s, as a male model. He was a teen idol, a luridly-developed persona that followed him into the early thirties, when he was a husband and father.

Vincent starred with Darren McGavin in the acclaimed TV movie "Tribes".

Jan’s first acting role, which Jan received outside of the Universal bubble, was a supporting part in the western feature The Bandits, which starred Robert Conrad, who urged Jan to abandon his chosen screen name, Jan Vincent, in favor of a more manly-sounding name. He became Michael Vincent, Mike, employing the middle name he’d barely invoked in Hanford, a moniker he kept until he appeared in the TV production Tribes, the first film Jan was proud of.

Conrad was the first in a parade of iconic leading men Jan found himself paired with between the late 1960s and late 1970s. Conrad was followed by John Wayne and Rock Hudson in The Undefeated, Darren McGavin in Tribes, Robert Mitchum in Going Home, Charles Bronson in The Mechanic, Gene Hackman in Bite the Bullet, and Burt Reynolds in Hooper.

As a leading man, Jan found his greatest success, critically and commercially, between 1972 and 1975, with the films Buster and Billie, The Mechanic, The World’s Greatest Athlete, and White Line Fever, a film that was most notable, in spite of its success, because it represented Jan’s introduction to cocaine, which he was turned onto by a stuntman. None of these films were gigantic box office hits, but they were successful and promoted the idea that Jan was going to become a major star. “Jan was at the beginning of the process of being groomed for stardom when I met him,” recalls White Line Fever’s director, Jonathan Kaplan. “He was being groomed by Peter Guber at Columbia Pictures, which distributed White Line Fever, and Peter told me that he was convinced that Jan was going to become a major star.”

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN UPDATED

BY LEE PFEIFFER

The past year has been an especially harsh one for the entertainment industry in terms of well-known personalities who have passed away. Today's news that actor Robert Vaughn has died hits Cinema Retro especially hard and this writer in particular. He died from a battle with leukemia and was surrounded by his family in his final moments. I first met Robert in 1983 at a press conference in New York in which he and David McCallum promoted their forthcoming TV movie "Return of The Man From U.N.C.L.E." I've remained friends with them ever since and shared many an enjoyable conversation. Robert was an early supporter of Cinema Retro and contributed to numerous issues, most recently issues #33 and #34 in which he was interviewed by writer Steve Rubin about the dramatic occurrences in making the 1969 WWII film "The Bridge at Remagen". Robert overcame a troubled youth in which he grew up in a household in which both of his parents, who were actors, were barely on speaking terms. In his autobiography "A Fortunate Life", he related how, as a young man with an aspiration for acting, he and his mother drove to Hollywood in a beaten up car in hopes he would find work. He did so almost immediately and gained praise for his stage appearance in "End as a Man". That led to appearances in a slew of "B" movies, including the Roger Corman cult film "Teenage Caveman". He didn't linger in "B Movie Hell" for long, however. Having befriended Paul Newman, he got a key supporting role in Newman's 1959 film "The Young Philadelphians" and earned an Oscar nomination for his performance. That led to him being cast by John Sturges in the 1960 western classic "The Magnificent Seven". He became a familiar face on TV in the 1960s and co-starred with Gary Lockwood in the short-lived TV series "The Lieutenant". 

Vaughn with Steve McQueen on the set of "The Magnificent Seven".

Robert entered the realm of superstardom with the 1964 premiere of "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.", which benefited a great deal from the explosive success of the James Bond phenomenon. He played suave secret agent Napoleon Solo opposite David McCallum as fellow agent Illya Kuryakin. The show struggled for ratings in its first season before catching fire in the second season and becoming a pop culture phenomenon in its own right. In 1966 Photoplay named him the most popular male star in the world. The series lasted three-and-a-half years and when it went off the air in January 1968,  he went immediately into production on "Bullitt", the detective thriller in which he played an ambitious D.A. in conflict with a maverick detective played by Steve McQueen. He was nominated for a BAFTA for his acclaimed performance. Over the decades Robert appeared in many other major films including "The Venetian Affair", "Superman III" , "S.O.B" and "The Towering Inferno". He won an Emmy for his performance as the political hatchet man in the 1977 mini series "Washington: Behind Closed Doors" and in 1998 was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  He had a late career success as one of the stars of the British crime series "Hustle" that ran from 2004-2012, earning him a new generation of fans.

Robert was always consumed by politics. He was the first major American actor to publicly denounce President Johnson's Vietnam War policy, a position that earned him criticism from William F. Buckley, the father of modern conservatism. The two men ended up having a memorable debate on Buckley's political show "Firing Line" and a moderator ruled it a "draw", something Robert took great pride in. He and Buckley formed a mutual respect and kept in touch after the event. Robert also worked tirelessly to pursue higher education and became the first star of his caliber to earn a PHD. His thesis on the Hollywood blacklist was published as the acclaimed book "Only Victims". He was a close friend of Robert F. Kennedy and was devastated by his assassination in 1968, just two months after the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King, who he greatly admired and once introduced at an event. Robert became disaffected with the situation in America and moved to England for several years where he starred in the TV series "The Protectors" and made feature films such as "The Mind of Mr. Soames" and the 1970 all-star version of "Julius Caesar". Although he considered himself a confirmed bachelor, he fell for his co-star in a production of "The Tender Trap", Linda Staab. They ultimately married and raised a son, Cassidy, and a daughter, Caitlin. The Vaughns resided in Ridgefield, Connecticut, having preferred the East Coast to the dazzle of Hollywood, but they also spent a considerable time in England shooting for the filming of "Hustle". Robert loved the UK and considered it his second home. In 2014 he returned to London to star in a West End revival of "Twelve Angry Men". He received rave reviews and proved he could still bring in audiences, as the play was a smash hit and entered an extended run.

Cinema Retro's Lee Pfeiffer reunited Vaughn with David McCallum and "Man From U.N.C.L.E." guest star Joe Sirola at the 2009 event in honor of Vaughn at The Players.

In 2009, this writer had the pleasure of arranging and hosting a black tie dinner in honor of Robert at New York's famed private club for the arts, The Players. The highlight of the evening was the surprise appearance of David McCallum, who made a very gracious speech about their long friendship. The two men remained in touch through the years and always called each other on their birthday.

With Robert's death, the entertainment world has lost another great talent. He once told me why he titled his book "A Fortunate Life". He said, "All I ever wanted to do was act and I always have. If you do what you want to do for a living then you can say you never worked a day in your life".

Thanks for the memories, Robert.  Closing Channel D for the final time. 

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Cinema Retro has received the following press release:

BURBANK, Calif., November 3, 2016 – To mark the 75^th anniversary of Orson Welles’ cinematic masterpiece “Citizen Kane,”Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) will release a new Blu-ray™ and DVD on November 15, and the American Film Institute (AFI) will mount a special screening of the restored master at AFI FEST presented by Audi, the Institute's annual film festival in Hollywood, on November 13. The screening will take place at the Egyptian Theatre at 1:30 p.m., followed by an AFI Master Class, featuring close personal Welles friend Peter Bogdanovich and a celebrity and academic panel to be announced.

The film’s central character is powerful publisher Charles Foster Kane, who aspires to be president of the United States. Newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst claimed “Citizen Kane” was a thinly veiled and slanderous account of his own life and sought to use his formidable muscle to halt the film’s production and distribution and ultimately to destroy Welles himself.

By the early 1960s “Citizen Kane” had been out of circulation for many years when a panel of top industry tastemakers, selected by the AFI, voted it as the Greatest Film of All Time. Since then, “Citizen Kane” has remained # 1 or # 2 on countless critics’ lists and other surveys including those from Roger Ebert, The BBC, Rolling Stone Magazine, Pauline Kael, among many others.

One-time dean of American movie reviewers, Pauline Kael, noted, “Citizen Kane is perhaps the one American talking picture that seems as fresh now as the day it opened. It may seem even fresher.” Ebert echoed, “This towering achievement is as fresh, as provoking, as entertaining, as sad, as brilliant as it ever was. Many agree it is the greatest film of all time.”

According to Martin Scorsese, Welles and the film are “responsible for inspiring more people to be film directors than anyone else in the history of cinema.” Woody Allen: “Welles takes a quantum leap above every American director with that intangible thing called genius. Just an exhilarating movie.” Mel Brooks: “Maybe the best American picture ever. A masterpiece with artistic genius on a ‘Beethoven’ level.” Richard Dreyfuss: “I usually avoid questions about my favorite movie but then people keep pressing me. ‘OK, ‘Citizen Kane’ is my favorite movie. It’s the greatest movie ever made, OK?’ Without a doubt the only film you can watch 138 times, and each time you’ll still see something new.” And finally, Steven Spielberg: “Just one of the great movies ever made. A great American experience in cinema.”

Citizen Kane” also heads a long list of film dramas about the media including such classics as “All The President’s Men,” “Sweet Smell of Success,” “The Killing Fields,” “Absence of Malice,” “The Paper,” and last year’s Academy Award®-winning Best Picture, “Spotlight.”

Not only did he star in the film, but the then only 25-year-old Orson Welles also produced, directed and co-wrote the film which won the Academy Award® for Best Writing, Original Screenplay (Welles and Herman J. Mankiewicz) and captured nine nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Director (Welles). Joseph Cotten made an impressive screen debut as Jedidiah Leland, newspaper reporter and Kane’s longtime friend, from whom he had become estranged over the issue of journalistic integrity. Other actors included Everett Sloane, Agnes Moorehead, Ruth Warrick, Paul Stewart and William Alland as the investigative reporter who delves into Kane’s life and his mysterious “Rosebud.” Alan Ladd and Arthur O’Connell appear uncredited as reporters. Gregg Toland was the film’s cinematographer and Robert Wise, later a two-time Academy Award-winning director, edited the picture.

Remastered and restored from original nitrate elements in 4K resolution, the film (certified 100% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) will be available on DVD ($14.97) and Blu-ray ($19.98). A wide variety of DVD and Blu-ray extras will be included in all editions.

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(Photo: Rex) 

BY LEE PFEIFFER

It's a photo that will bring back many great memories for countless retro movie lovers across the globe. Participating in a centenary parade to honor his hometown of Carmel, California, Clint Eastwood shocked the crowd by leading a parade atop an old-time Western stagecoach and dressing as The Man With No Name, the character he made famous (and who made him famous) in the classic trilogy of films directed by Sergio Leone in the mid-1960s.  For a man of 86, Eastwood stills looks might tall in the saddle. It appears that the hat he is wearing might be the one he wore in his 1992 Oscar-winner "Unforgiven". Eastwood became enamored of the Carmel area in the late 1960s. He filmed his first directorial effort, "Play Misty For Me" there in 1971. In 1986 Eastwood took a hiatus from acting to run for mayor the town. He was elected and served one successful term before resuming his career as an actor and director.

Unlike most actors, Eastwood can say that many of the costumes associated with his films have been preserved for posterity. His long association with Warner Brothers has resulted in the studio preserving an archive of his iconic costumes worn in WB films. Eastwood has been especially sentimental about the poncho he wore in the Leone trilogy and has only shown it publicly on rare occasions. In 2005 he authorized the poncho to be displayed at the Autry Center in Los Angeles as part of props exhibition relating to the films of Sergio Leone. 

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BY DAWN DABELL

Fans of Sophia Loren will be ecstatic to learn new independent label CultFilms is in the process of releasing a collection of her award-winning movies. Launching this fine set is the wonderful Two Women aka La Ciociara (previously reviewed in Issue #34 of Cinema Retro), followed by A Special Day aka Una Giornata Particolare (which is reviewed here). Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, Marriage Italian Style and Boccaccio 70’ are to follow. This collection showcases Loren at the top of her acting game and will be warmly welcomed by her fans and fans of Italian cinema generally.

Fascist housewife and mother of six Antoinetta (Sophia Loren) is busy trying to ready her family so they can attend a parade to celebrate Hitler’s state visit with Mussolini. Rushed off her feet, it becomes apparent she won’t be able to attend the momentous occasion as she has too much housework to deal with and is getting no help from her husband. Deflated that her family has left her with this mountain of work, she resigns herself to another mundane day and sets about her daily chores. To make things worse, their pet bird escapes and lands on the ledge of a neighbouring apartment. This seemingly innocuous event leads to a chance encounter with neighbour Gabriele (Marcello Mastroianni) which changes the course of her day. Instead of endless chores with no appreciation from those around her, she converses, dances and even begins to fall for this charming stranger who, like her, cannot attend the parade. The pair discuss life, love and politics and, in a short space of time, seem to enjoy each other’s company. But does Gabriele harbour a dark secret which has kept him away from the parade? Will Antoinetta be as loyal to the ideology of the fascist state after her educational encounter with Gabriele? Will things ever be the same for either of them after this day?

Most people think of Loren as a glamorous leading lady, able to make men drool at her phenomenal beauty while women can do nothing but begrudgingly acknowledge what a stunning woman adorns the screen before them. A Special Day deliberately goes against this perceived image, making Loren look far from glamorous as a character who is haggard and severely run down due to the strains of motherhood. She plays a woman expected to wait on her family slavishly: a dutiful wife trapped by the Mussolini-era philosophy that women should be viewed simply wives and mothers, nothing more, mere baby-making machines and domestic workers. In real-life, Mussolini introduced incentives to men whose wives bore them lots of children: it was the fascist dictator’s way of increasing the Italian population. In the film Antoinetta and Emanuele are shown to have six children, and it becomes apparent he wants her to have another as soon as possible as a seventh child will make him exempt from paying taxes. So many children will obviously take a toll on the mother, but none of that comes into anyone’s considerations. Instead of the usual glamorous make-up and elegant clothing, we see Loren wearing dull, oversized and scruffy garments which merely serve a practical purpose. It’s clear from her demeanour that she has given up on life. In one scene Emanuele needs to dry his hands and, unable find anything close at hand, he simply uses the skirt of his wife’s outfit. From very early on viewers are prompted to be angered and outraged at Antoinetta’s treatment at the hands of her ungrateful family.

Like Loren, Mastroianni puts in a remarkable performance as a radio journalist who has been fired from his job due to his sexual orientation. Right from his opening scene, Mastroianni shows great passion, fighting his demons while contemplating suicide. At this point we don’t realise what issues are weighing so heavily on his mind, making him consider ending his life. The characterisation could have fallen flat in another actor’s hands, but he performs it superbly and generates audience sympathy right from the start. He keeps us engrossed with his poignant performance throughout.

Loren and Mastroianni worked together on a number of films, including Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (1963), Marriage Italian Style (1964), The Priest’s Wife (1970), Sunflower (1970) and Sex Pot (1975), among many others. They were an acting duo to rival Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn. Here, they manage to convey an important message to their audience: even when it feels like all is lost, you may yet find comfort and support in the strangest of places.

Throughout the duration of the day, it becomes increasingly apparent that Antoinetta is becoming attracted to Gabriele and believes he reciprocates her feelings. This leads to an altercation between the two, forcing him to share his sexual secret with her. Regardless of this, Antoinetta’s overwhelming need for human contact - for someone to view her as a human being, an equal - overpowers everything else and causes her to be drawn to him once more. Eventually they make love, though Gabriele seems very dazed and confused throughout the event. This scene has caused considerable debate, with some audiences questioning whether Antoinette takes advantage of Gabriele, forcing herself on him. Anyone who watches carefully, though, will note how he tenderly grabs her breast while she is kissing him. It can be interpreted that both give the other something they need in order to survive. Gabriele is about to be sent to exile and lacks companionship. His sexual orientation means he is classed as a degenerate who people want little to nothing to do with and Antoinetta needs to feel like a beautiful woman, to be appreciated and not treated like a baby-making-machine or slave. Gabriele knows he can give her the contact she craves even though we see the pain and conflict on his face as he allows events to unfold. These two people show each other that there is more to life if you are prepared to take a chance. They know that once the day is over, things probably won’t really change; everything will go back to how it was but, for the moment at least, they can feel a sense of hope and take solace from the knowledge they don’t always have to be so neglected and isolated.

We were very sorry to hear that Video Watchdog magazine has announced it is closing down after an astonishing run of 27 consecutive years. Publishers Tim and Donna Lucas cite soaring postage costs combined with the ever-diminishing number of bookstores and newsstands to carry the magazine. In a written statement on the Video Watchdog web site they say they have explored all possible methods of staying in print but could not find a feasible way to do so and that the future of Video Watchdog is up in the air. Over the years, the magazine has presented outstanding coverage of the latest video releases along with insightful interviews, great photos and the talents of supremely informed writers. We at Cinema Retro never viewed Video Watchdog as a competitor, but rather, an inspiration. They faced a familiar problem that all of us who publish traditional magazines in the age of new media face: the web site draws a huge number of readers but the majority of people who read it don't buy the print edition. This is true of every print publication in the world. What many readers who enjoy the web sites don't realize is that, if there isn't a magazine or newspaper to generate funds, the web site, too, will most likely go away. We at Cinema Retro continue to buck the trend but we, too, can ultimately be susceptible to the same factors that  sank so many worthy film-related magazines. So many great newspapers and magazines have gone out of business because people just take a fast read of their web sites and call it a day, which is why, to survive, even great institutions like the New York Times only allow a certain number of articles to be read for free during a given month before the reader is told they have to subscribe at least to the on-line edition. So if you enjoy any web site regularly, please do support the venture behind it. On-line journalism is terrific...but there is also something special about a printed publication that you can hold in your hands and peruse at your leisure. 

Tim and Donna Lucas provided outstanding insights into the world of classic and cult cinema. We sincerely hope that their considerable talents are used in a new venture to continue their valuable contributions to film journalism. Thanks also to their outstanding "supporting cast" of talented writers. We at Cinema Retro also benefit from the selfless contributions of outstanding writers around the world. Without their efforts, we wouldn't exist. We thank everyone associated with Video Watchdog for a job well done and wish them all the best in their future endeavors.  

Lee Pfeiffer and Dave Worrall

Publishers 

To read the Video Watchdog statement, click here.  

By Lee Pfeiffer

Released in 1966, producer Ivan Tors' Around the World Under the Sea seemed at first blush like an exercise in stunt casting: cobble together some contemporary TV favorites into a feature film and have MGM and Tors divy up the profits. However, that perception would be entirely wrong. While the film did boast some popular TV stars in leading roles, the film itself is an intelligent adventure flick, well-acted and very competently directed by old hand Andrew Marton. The film stars Lloyd Bridges (only a few years out of Sea Hunt), Brian Kelly (star of Flipper), Daktari lead Marshall Thompson and Man From U.N.C.L.E. David McCallum. Veteran supporting actors Keenan Wynn and Gary Merrill are also prominently featured and Shirley Eaton, riding her fame from Goldfinger, has the only female role in this macho male story line.

The plot finds a team of leading scientists who come together to install earthquake warning sensors on seabeds around the world. The risky mission is undertaken in the Hydronaught, a nuclear-powered state of the art submarine/science lab capable of operating at the ocean's greatest depths. The physical dangers are only part of the frustrations the team has to cope with. The presence of Eaton, as a drop-dead gorgeous scientist on board the confined all-male environment leads to inevitable jealousies and sexual tensions. (Although Tors specialized in family entertainment, even he couldn't resist a most welcome, completely gratuitous sequence in which Eaton swims around underwater in a bikini.) Unlike many films aimed at kids, Around the World Under the Sea boasts a highly intelligent screenplay that has much appeal to older audiences. The heroes are refreshingly human: they bicker, they panic and they make costly mistakes in judgment. Bridges is the stalwart, no-nonsense leader of the group, Kelly is his ill-tempered second-in-command who tries unsuccessfully to resist Eaton's charms, Wynn is his trademark crusty-but-lovable eccentric character. McCallum's Phil Volker is the most nuanced of the characters. A brilliant scientist, he can only be persuaded to join the life-saving mission by making demands based on his own personal profit. He also allows a brief flirtation with Eaton to preoccupy him to the point of making an error that could have fatal consequences for all aboard. Each of the actors gets a chance to shine with the exception of Thompson, whose role is underwritten. The scene-stealers are McCallum and Wynn, who engage in some amusing one-upmanship in the course of playing a protracted chess game. However, one is also impressed by Kelly's screen presence. He could have had a successful career as a leading man were it not for injuries he sustained in a near-fatal motorcycle accident. (Partially paralyzed, Kelly went on to serve as producer on a number of successful film including Blade Runner.)

The film benefits from some wonderful underwater photography shot in the Bahamas, Florida and the Great Barrier Reef - all the result of a collaborative effort between the three top underwater filmmakers of the period: Jordan Klein, Ricou Browning and Lamar Boren. Although the special effects were modestly achieved, they hold up quite well today. Marton wrings some legitimate suspense out of several crisis situations including an encounter with a giant eel and a Krakatoa-like earthquake that almost spells doom for our heroes. How they escape is cleverly and convincingly played out. The movie also has a lush score by Harry Sukman (we'll leave it to you to pronounce his last name.)

Warner Archive's widescreen, region-free DVD looks very good indeed and boasts a couple of nice extras: an original production featurette and an original trailer (with Spanish sub-titles!). The company has wisely retained the magnificent poster art for the DVD sleeve.

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By Lee Pfeiffer

The word "restrained" doesn't often fit into analysis of Jerry Lewis' film career, but in Hook, Line and Sinker, a 1969 black comedy, the legendary funnyman is indeed restrained, as least in comparison to most of the characters he played. The film is an unusual entry from this period of Lewis' film work in that he did not direct the movie. Instead, George Marshall, an old hand at helming diverse films, took on that responsibility. There isn't much discernible difference in the end result and one could easily be forgiven if they were to assume that Lewis directed. He plays Peter Ingersoll, a typical middle class suburbanite who is living the American dream. He has a boring but steady 9 to 5 job as an insurance salesman, a pretty wife (Anne Francis), two polite children, a comfortable home and a devoted best friend, Scott Carter (Peter Lawford), who also happens to be his personal physician. The only consternation in the household is wife Nancy's concern about Peter's costly and self-indulgent hobby of deep sea fishing. Peter's mundane but comfortable existence comes to an abrupt end when Dr. Carter gives him the stunning news that a recent medical check-up has confirmed that he is terminally ill. Distraught and and depressed, Peter is stunned when Nancy suggests that he forsake his responsibilities as husband and father and enact an audacious plan whereby he will spend his last few months on a solo journey to exotic locations where he can spend his final days fishing. Nancy concocts a plot whereby the entire venture can be financed on credit cards that will never have to be paid. Additionally, his life insurance policy of $150,000 will ensure that his family can live in comfort (this was back in 1969, don't forget.) Peter is initially reluctant to engage in the scheme but he ultimately concedes. He ends up traveling to exotic locations as he wracks up enormous bills with carefree abandon. In Lisbon, he is shocked when Scott Carter appears unexpectedly with the news that an equipment malfunction on a medical device resulted in the wrong diagnosis. Peter isn't going to die, but has to pretend he has in order to escape prosecution for the monies owed to the credit card companies. Scott assures him that the statute of limitations last only seven years, after which he can reappear and resume his family life.  By this point, the audience has long since figured out what Peter has to learn belatedly: that the entire plan has been an exercise in deceit on the part of Nancy and Scott. He discovers that the two are having an affair and that Nancy and his kids are in Lisbon, too, where they refer to his best friend as "Daddy Scott" even as their mother shares his bed. Emotionally devastated, Peter concocts a complex scheme of his own to exact revenge on his wife and friend.

Hook, Line and Sinker fares better than many of Lewis' late career big screen ventures in that the humor, characters and situations are more realistic and believable than those found in most Lewis films. The character of Peter is somewhat of a nerd and klutz but is far cry from the typical imbecile he usually portrays. Consequently, although he is dressed in a silly disguise when he discovers the deceit played upon him by those he trusts most, there is a certain genuine sadness that permeates the scene. The humor is also a bit more daring than usual, with the habitual abuse of corpses playing a central role in the plot. There are some over the top elements of the film, but for the most part it's a highly enjoyable, consistently amusing scenario well-played by an energized Lewis, who has a perfect foil in Lawford. It's really Lewis' show, however, with few memorable moments for supporting players other than Lewis perennial Kathleen Freeman, who makes a welcome appearance early in the film as the world's worst baby sitter. The actual on-location filming in Lisbon helps elevate the production values, even if the majority of the movie has clearly been shot in the studio. I'm a sucker for Jerry Lewis films, including this one, which remains one of his more successful efforts of the 1960s.

The Sony DVD is from the burn-to-order program and is region free. The transfer is top-notch but there are no extras. Sony should be a bit more generous in this area and provide at least a trailer, which we present for you here. 

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Norman Lear- Just Another Version of You

By Eddy Friedeld

The first two people in my life who taught me to think deeply about social and political issues and argue cogently and passionately for what I believed in were my late father David and Norman Lear.

Lear, the 94-year-old entertainment icon is the subject of a terrific American Masters documentary: Norman Lear- Just Another Version of You, which premieres nationwide Tuesday, October 25, 9-10:30 p.m. on PBS.

Speaking from his home in Los Angeles about both the documentary and his masterful 2014 autobiography, Even This I Get to Experience, he still has an energy level that would put people a quarter of his age to shame.

“People think when you’re over 90 you’ve changed. It’s everyone else who’s changed. Suddenly I’m extremely wise,” Lear says. Charming and reflective, he explains why he wears the white hat that has become his favorite article of clothing and his signature garment.

He has never lost his childlike view of the world. “I’ve never been in any situation, no matter how tragic, where I didn’t see the humor in it. Human beings are all foolish- that knits us all together.”

When asked what the secret to creating loving and enduring characters and family on television, he said: “My bumper sticker just outside on my car reads “just another version of you.” I think the question is best answered by that deepest of philosophies- I truly believe that as humans sharing our human commonalities we are versions of one another despite our ethnicities, our skin colors, or the country we may have been born in.”

“It seems to me when I look at the LGBT issue and see how far it has moved, whether socially, legally, or politically, and then I look at divisions in between races and I haven’t seen the same movement. Maybe that’s the next big movement, that the race movement leaps forward the way the LGBT movement has.”

Lear and the late Maya Angelou shared a concern that America was losing touch with its humanity. A national icon for hope, when asked whether he was more worried about the American people 40 years ago or now, he said: “I’d like to be the touchstone for hope that Trump is for lack of hope. He is gathering all of those people who are suffering as a result of the fact that we have little if not a long way to go, making for a culture where everyone has equal opportunity, and he is helping those that do not enjoy equal opportunity that villains are keeping them from getting and he is the hero.”

“Donald Trump is the middle finger of the American right hand- they do not have leadership in any direction. If you look at the auto industry, there is the airbag problem, in pharmaceuticals, the EpiPens, if you’re looking at banking it’s Wells Fargo, and if you’re looking at politics, it’s Donald Trump. It’s a very difficult place to be if you’re broke and out of a job or you have a good job and two kids in school and can no longer afford to live where you’re living.”

Born in Connecticut, Lear learned to love America through the eyes of his immigrant Jewish grandfather. “At nine, I was forced to become an adult,” he said when his father went to jail. “But that kid remained inside me for the rest of my life.”

A World War II hero, he started writing during the early days of television, for Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, Tennessee Ernie Ford, and Frank Sinatra.

He was part of the transitional generation from American Jews to Jewish Americans. Proud, fiercely loyal and carrying a sense of purpose and cultural and religious commitment to justice that permeated their work.

In the 1970s, Lear singlehandedly changed television with All in the Family, which became a platform for social discussion and reform. Norman Lear revolutionized the sitcom, taking the American family from the antiseptic and idealized to the contentious and dysfunctional. He was the first to hold up the mirror and share social issues through the sitcom format. Until Lear, mainstream television did not carry Vietnam protests.

Living in London, his partner, Bud Yorkin sent him a tape of a show called Till Death do us Part. “The father was conservative; the son was progressive. I went with that relationship and never lived to regret it.”

That show became All in the Family, which starred Carroll O’Connor as Archie Bunker, the bigoted patriarch of a Queens New York working class family, who was constantly at odds with his college student son-in-law, Mike Stivic (Rob Reiner), whom he referred to as “Meathead” for his progressive views. The first show began with a disclaimer: “The program you are about to see is All in the Family. It seeks to throw a humorous spotlight on our frailties, prejudices and concerns. By making them a source of laughter, we hope to show- in a mature fashion- just how absurd they are.”

The show became a megahit. It was the top-rated show on American television, and the winner of four consecutive Emmy Awards as Outstanding Comedy Series. All in the Family was not only one of the most successful sitcoms in history, it was also one of the most important and influential series ever to air, ushering in a new era in American television characterized by programs that did not shy away from addressing controversial or socially relevant subject matters and created an intelligent discourse, couched against a comedic and satirical backdrop.

“Mike Stivic spoke for me,” Lear said. Like Archie, he didn’t know a lot about what could be done about the country’s problems, the nitty gritty of the scholarly work that led to his opinions. He had those opinions reflexively. I am the same way. I think of myself as a bleeding heart conservative. I think the most conservative thing in America is to be devoted to The First Amendment, to The Bill of Rights, to the notion that we are all created equal under the law, and we must find a way to ensure equal justice. I think that’s an extremely conservative point of view. The bleeding heart part is because I don’t know enough to know how to correct it and I vote for the people who seem to be closer to how to correct it and to making good on those promises. The problem is that the people who do the best job at pretending that they back those documents are the Right. But it isn’t in actuality as the culture progresses.”

“As for the career that followed,” he said, “while the decision to cast Carroll O’Connor, Jean Stapelton, Rob Reiner and Sally Struthers was my own, the four-way chemistry that resulted in each player drawing comic strength from the other characters, at the same time brilliantly playing against them to deepen the humor in every direction, was a gift that I can only take credit for nourishing and using well.”

Archie Bunker and his family was followed by Maude, The Jeffersons, Good Times, Sanford and Son, One Day at a Time, as well as Fernwood Tonight, a talk show parody dedicated to battling bigotry and social issues through art, and Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, a parody of soap operas. In the 1970s, most of America was laughing and thinking because of Norman Lear.

The documentary follows him around through recent and 40-year-old clips, discussing political and social issues, and his battles with censors and censorship, which at the time was called “program practices.” It also shows his influence on now famous individuals, who have kept Lear’s activist flame burning bright.

He reflected on a few of his many friendships, including Carl Reiner, with whom I was able to agree from own experience: “Carl Reiner, a friend for some 60 years now is one of a kind. If no matter how good you may have a reason to feel, if you aren’t feeling a little bit better for being with him, I would call for a physician right away.”

“You raised me,” Jon Stewart said to him. “Where I think I learned how to process complex thoughts, issues that I cared about, through the lens of comedy, was watching Norman Lear shows.”

Carl Reiner and Norman Lear at book party for producer David V. Picker, Los Angeles, 2013. (Photo copyright Cinema Retro. All rights reserved).

“What could make me prouder,” Lear replies.

“”Good Times” was for white people,” Russell Simmons said. “The Jeffersons” was for black people. It was aspirational, angry. George Jefferson taught me how to walk- with confidence.”

With appearances ranging from Carl Reiner, Rob Reiner, Mel Brooks, and Amy Poehler, and directed by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady and Executive Produced by American Masters’ Michael Kantor, the film offers a unique insight into a “Gadol Hador,” a giant of his generation and those to follow.

Lear retired from television to devote his life to activism. He created “People for the American Way.” Fighting for civil rights resulted in death threats. He also bought an original copy of The Declaration of Independence and toured it around the country. “All men are created equal [with the right] to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness- The Declaration of Independence. The tour celebrated the founding fathers who pledged “their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor” to make good on these words… But ironically, and God Bless America, the last time I witnessed a reference to sacred honor was in Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather.”

“He had such a responsibility to make sure kids saw it and knew what that meant,” said George Clooney. When asked about what advice he would give to students who are embarking on artistic careers, especially comedy, Lear said: “Go with your gut. Deliver on your intention and go with it- it’s golden.”

Cinema Retro Contributor Eddy Friedfeld is the co-author of Caesar’s Hours with Sid Caesar and teaches film and television classes at Yale and NYU

“BERNIE SAVES THE DAY”

By Raymond Benson

Film noir was still a valid Hollywood commodity in 1951, and director Nicholas Ray was one the style’s star practitioners. He had begun his career with the classic They Live by Night, and just the previous year he had brought us In a Lonely Place (see Cinema Retro’s review here). On Dangerous Ground, which stars Ida Lupino (who reportedly directed some scenes when Ray was ill) and Robert Ryan, is a fair representation of the movement—it’s not bad, but it’s not particularly great, either.

Oddly, it comes across as two different movies. The first forty minutes or so are deep in film noir territory—it has an urban setting, a cynical and violent protagonist (Ryan, as a police detective in the city), night scenes, hard-boiled dialogue, harshly contrasting black and white photography (by George E. Diskant), and sultry dames. Then, the story shifts “up north” to snow-covered landscapes and mountains, a bright sky, and a completely different plot than the one we started off with. Ryan, after chasing after mobsters in the city, is sent upstate to help out with a murder investigation in a rural area (which also doesn’t make sense, jurisdiction-wise). There he meets a lovely blind woman (Lupino) and abruptly softens his tough guy act. His affection for her affects the way he treats her younger, mentally challenged brother, who of course is the killer. At this point the movie doesn’t know if it wants to be a crime thriller or a love story.

The performances are fine, although Ward Bond as the father of the slain victim is ridiculously over-the-top. The direction is competent, and the cinematography is striking. The problem is the script by A. I. Bezzerides—it’s weak enough to sink the entire picture. Fortunately, the film is saved by another member of the production team—the inimitable Bernard Herrmann. He provides the exciting score, and fans will immediately recognize motifs that sound as if they could be practice riffs for his music in Vertigo and, especially, North by Northwest. Bernie’s work makes On Dangerous Ground completely worthwhile and a lot of fun to watch.

The restoration and transfer of the Warner Archive Collection Blu-ray disk looks darned good. The images are sharp and clear, and the blacks and whites are vivid—the snow sequences are notably gorgeous. The movie comes with a commentary by film historian Glenn Erickson. The theatrical trailer is the only supplement.

Fans of film noir should consider picking up this release—and Bernard Herrmann enthusiasts should grab it without thinking about it.

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Cinema Retro has received the following press release from Time Life:

Bob Hope, the greatest entertainer of the 20th century, was above all a patriotic American dedicated to our troops around the world. His star-studded USO Christmas shows brought a taste of home to servicemen and women scattered thousands of miles from their families. Bob rang in the Christmas season with the biggest stars in Hollywood along with major figures from the worlds of sports and music, and cracked jokes with his celebrity pals and presidents alike. At home or abroad, his specials proved that laughter was the best medicine. 

THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES 6-DVD set features 13 specials from Bob’s career, spanning five decades with dozens of celebrity guests. Highlights include: 

Bob’s first studio comedy special “in living color” with guests Jack Benny, Bing Crosby and Janet Leigh

The Bob Hope Chevy Show with the entire cast of I Love Lucy—Desi Arnaz, Lucille Ball, Vivian Vance, and William Frawley, plus James Cagney and Diana Dors

A hilarious spoof of Star Wars and other sketches with Tony Bennett, Perry Como, James Garner, Mark Hamill, Dean Martin, Olivia Newton-John, Barbra Streisand, Tuesday Weld, The Muppets and more stars

The murder-mystery parody Joys (A Comedy Whodunit) with nearly fifty guest stars including Charo, Milton Berle, Dean Martin, Don Rickles, George Gobel, Alan King, Don Knotts, Groucho Marx, Vincent Price andFreddie Prinze

The best of the bloopers from 30 years of Bob’s shows with George Burns, Sammy Davis Jr., Angie Dickinson, Phyllis Diller, Burt Reynolds, DonRickles, Brooke Shields, Elizabeth Taylor, Mr. T, John Wayne and others.

Bob’s 1967 USO tour to 22 bases around Vietnam, Thailand and the South Pacific in 15 days with special guest Raquel Welch

Highlights from over 25 years of specials in Bob Hope’s World of Comedy and the celebration Highlights of a Quarter Century of Bob Hope on Television

A look at Bob’s personal relationships with American presidents including Franklin D. Roosevelt, Bill Clinton, John F. Kennedy, and Harry S. Truman

Bob Hope’s 90th birthday celebration featuring tributes by Johnny Carson, George Burns and many more!

EXCLUSIVE BONUS: Plus, the DVD set contains the exclusive bonus feature Shanks for the Memory about the world of golf according to Bob Hope, which includes historic clips of Bob with Bing Crosby, presidents and pros on courses around the world, and special appearances by Pres. Gerald Ford, pro golfers Arnold Palmer, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus and more.

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BY LEE PFEIFFER

I recently wrote in relation to a review of "The Big Show" that circus movies have gone the way of the Model T. You can add to that another genre of film that used to be a Hollywood staple- the safari movies in which the hero was a great white hunter. Changing social attitudes make it unlikely we'd ever again cheer some rock-jawed leading man as he unloads some hi caliber bullets into a grazing elephant or a lazing hippo. The last word on such films was Clint Eastwood's woefully underrated (and woefully under-seen) 1990 film "White Hunter, Black Heart", which was loosely based on the hunting obsessions of director John Huston during production of "The African Queen". Nevertheless, jungle-themed adventures are still the stuff of cinematic thrills in the minds of retro movie lovers. One of the best is "Rampage", a 1963 opus directed by Phil Karlson and based on a novel by actor/screenwriter Alan Caillou. Robert Mitchum stars as Harry Stanton, known in zoological circles as the world's most eminent tracker of wild game. The Wilhelm Zoo in Germany makes him a proposition: they will finance his trip to Malaysia to track down and capture the Enchantress, a legendary one-of-a-kind animal that is said to be half-leopard and half-tiger. Part of the deal is that Harry must also return with two tigers. Harry is told he will be traveling with Otto Abbot (Jack Hawkins), an internationally famed hunter of exotic prey. Harry is invited to meet Otto at his opulent home which is unsurprisingly decorated with trophies of his more notable expeditions into the wild. However, Harry's eye goes immediately to Abbot's girlfriend Anna (Elsa Martinelli), an exotic beauty many years younger than Otto. It's clear that Abbot takes great pride in his relationship with Anna and he enjoys seeing Harry looking at her with pangs of desire. It turns out that Anna was a young girl of fourteen who had no family and who was facing a harsh life on the streets. Harry "adopted" her, presumably for humanitarian reasons but, in fact, he was grooming her to be his lover. Out of gratitude for the opulent life Abbot has afforded her, she has complied even though it is clear she would rather have a relationship with another man. It only takes a moment for she and Harry to lock eyes before both of them realize they are drawn to each other. 

At first the journey to Malaysia goes well enough. While Harry personally loathes the killing of exotic animals, he respects Abbot for his achievements. However, en route to their destination, it becomes clear to Abbot that Harry and Anna are becoming increasingly flirtatious. He even tells her that she has his permission to have a fling with Harry as long as it's a short-term affair and she continues to regard him as her "real" lover. However, Harry and Anna aren't interested in a quickie sexual thrill...both of them want to build a relationship. Things become more tense when they arrive in Malaysia and begin hunting the tigers and the Enchantress. Abbot attempts to kill a a charging rhino and finds it takes him two shots to do so, which apparently is a no-no in the world of big game hunting. The failure to bag the rhino with one shot becomes a metaphor for Harry's diminishing virility. To prove he still has what it takes, he foolishly attempts to capture the Enchantress in a cave and ends up being badly mauled. It falls to Harry to capture the beast. By the time the group is back in Germany, tensions are raw. Both Harry and Anna admit that they did make love and Anna tells Abbot that, while she respects him, she has never loved him. Driven to madness at the thought of losing Anna, Abbot lures Harry into the storage room where the Enchantress is locked in a cage. He frees the animal with the expectation that it will kill Harry but, instead the beast leaps from the train and hides somewhere in Berlin. With an all-out hunt on for the dangerous animal, the film predictably finds Harry, Abbot and Anna facing off against each other as well as the Enchantress.  

"Rampage" is certainly dated. It's the kind of movie where the two male antagonists-to-be dress in tuxedos for their initial meeting and drink cocktails while the leading lady saunters about the house in a lavish gown. However, the movie was ahead of its time in terms of addressing the issue of animal conservation. The film makes a poignant plea through Mitchum's character to stop the wholesale annihilation of entire species. In that respect, the film joins only two others from this era that spring into mind that were similarly-themed: John Huston's "The Roots of Heaven" (1958) and Ivan Tors' "Rhino!" (1964). Despite intelligent direction by Phil Karlson and a compelling screenplay, the movie exists to showcase its three glamorous stars. Mitchum is solid as the thinking man's tough guy, Hawkins is old world elegance and superficial charm and Martinelli has the kind of traditional sex siren persona that is all but invisible in today's film industry. The movie also benefits from some exotic locations (apparently filmed in Hawaii, not Africa) and an impressive score by Elmer Bernstein (even if the title track sounds like a combination of Monty Norman's theme for "Call Me Bwana" combined with "The Banana Boat Song".) There's even an appearance by Sabu as a guide for the hunting expedition. The movie is unusually frank for its day in its treatment of sex. Mitchum and Martinelli practically undress each other with their eyes and this aspect lends increasing tension to the inevitable mano a mano showdown between rivals Mitchum and Hawkins. "Rampage" is largely off the radar screens of retro movie lovers but that's all the more reason why the DVD release through the Warner Archive is highly recommended. (Note: the DVD contains no extras but is region-free.)

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THIS STORY HAS BEEN UPDATED WITH CRAIG'S COMMENTS ABOUT THE BOURNE FILMS. 

BY LEE PFEIFFER

Last evening Daniel Craig took to the stage for a  90 minute interview as part of the New Yorker Festival, sponsored by the legendary magazine. The interview took place at New York's School Visual Arts. Craig, who is not known to be enamored of engaging in interviews, was clearly in a feisty and humorous mood and attributed his presence at the event as a sign of his long-standing respect for the New Yorker magazine. The wide-ranging discussion covered a multitude of topics with the predominant subject unsurprisingly being James Bond.  Craig was sporting a bleached blonde crew cut for a forthcoming role that made him bare a resemblance to the legendary Bond villain Red Grant, played memorably by Robert Shaw in "From Russia With Love". He was dressed casually in jeans, sneakers and a leather jacket and walked on stage with host, writer Nicholas Schmidle, without any formal introduction.  Craig displayed considerable humor but did pepper his comments with some liberal use of profanity. Here are some highlights of the interview:

• Craig said that rumors that he has been offered $150 million for the next two James Bond films are completely untrue. "I haven't been offered any money", he said. Craig noted that the next Bond film isn't even under discussion at this time. He said that after having spent a full year filming "Spectre", everyone involved feels they need a break from the series for a while. Craig did acknowledge controversial comments he made to the press last year in which he said he would rather slash his wrists than play 007 again. Although he didn't formally apologize for the comments, he clearly seemed to regret saying them. He admitted he was in a foul mood at the time because the ordeal of filming "Spectre" had left him emotionally drained and physically injured after having suffered accidents in the course of production.  He did not rule playing Bond again in or out but did say that if he were not to play the role again "I would miss it terribly" and said he considered it "the best job in the world". When asked what specific perk he likes the most about playing the role, he wryly noted that he has an Aston Martin stashed in a garage in upstate New York- a direct benefit of playing Bond. 
• Craig said that throughout his life he has always enjoyed seeing Bond films but had never read Ian Fleming's novels. He never dreamed he would be asked to play the part of 007. When producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson told him he was their choice to play Bond in the 2006 reboot of the franchise, "Casino Royale", Craig almost dismissed the offer out of hand. He said he felt he was all wrong for the role and took a full year to give the producers his answer, after having consulted with family. He said he reluctantly agreed to take on the part with the proviso that it was understood he would not attempt to play the role like Bond actors who came before him. He was effusive in his praise of his immediate predecessor, Pierce Brosnan, but told the producers that he would not be successful in playing Bond in the lighthearted manner that succeeded with Brosnan. He demanded to see a finished script and to have input in defining the character of Bond in his own persona. Craig was surprised when his demands were met and was highly impressed by the finished script. He said he appreciated the producers' willingness to allow him to make creative suggestions regarding the films he has appeared in. 

(Photos copyright Tom Stroud. All rights reserved)

• Craig spoke highly of his colleagues with whom he works on the Bond films. He was especially generous in his praise of producer Barbara Broccoli, who is producing his forthcoming New York production of "Othello" in which he will play Iago. Craig said that, while he had heard of Barbara Broccoli before being approached for the Bond role, he assumed she was a woman in her seventies. When he finally met her face-to-face he was astonished that she was decades younger. He praised Broccoli and his other colleagues on the Bond series as the epitome of professionalism. 
• Asked about the current political situation in the United States, Craig said he was a solidly supporting Hillary Clinton. While not mentioning Donald Trump by name, he did say that he thought a country should not be run like a business, as Trump has professed. Craig said that companies only care about the bottom line and making a profit while the first priority of a nation should be to provide help and compassion for its least-fortunate citizens. His comments got rousing applause. (The scandal of Trump's sexually-charged comments on the 2005 video was unfolding during the interview and Craig may well have been unaware of the developments.) 
• Craig acknowledged that his second Bond film, "Quantum Of Solace", had a rushed production schedule and suffered from script deficiencies due to a writer's strike. He said the script had to be fine-tuned without the benefit of the screenwriters and that even he ended up writing material, stressing that he did not consider himself qualified to do so. Still he defended the film saying there were still some "fantastic" elements to it. 
• Regarding his private life, Craig denied tabloid reports that he is "prickly" to deal with. He said that he understood that by playing Bond his life would never be the same and that he would be the subject of intense media attention. He did say, however, that to whatever extent possible, he tries to stay out of the press. He scoffed at the notion that he is anything like Bond in real-life, saying that he is neither a bon vivant or a tough guy. He laughingly said that the public should never confuse him with his on-screen alter-ego. Asked if he had any advice for his possible successor in the role, Craig said that actors should not try to emulate their predecessors and bring their own style and conviction to the part. He said the most challenging aspect of filming a Bond movie was the sheer amount of time it takes to shoot it- a full year. He said he misses his family and New York when filming. He also said that not much time elapses between the end of shooting and the release of the film- perhaps six months. Thus it is important to work out the movie in great detail before filming begins because the schedule doesn't allow much time for making changes after production has wrapped. 
• Craig cringed when a clip was shown of him in his feature film debut in director John G. Avildsen's little-seen 1992 prison drama "The Power of One". He needn't have been embarrassed as the clip showed Craig giving a powerful performance as a brutal and abusive prison guard. He said he had not seen the film since it was originally released. 
• Asked about criticism from Paul Greengrass, director of the Bourne spy films, that he wouldn't want to direct a Bond film because they were outdated, Craig responded that no one associated with Bond would want him to and that "He should be so lucky" to be asked. This evoked laughter and applause from the audience. Craig, who made his comments seemingly in jest, did say he has yet to see a Bourne movie, but looks forward to getting around to it in the future. 
• Asked about long-time criticisms that the character of James Bond was sexist, Craig commented on a clip from "Spectre" in which Bond seduces a character played by Monica Bellucci and pointed out that charges of sexism against Bond were misguided because such scenes are meant to be viewed with a degree of camp. 

(Photo copyright Cinema Retro. All rights reserved)

• Craig said that since he was a young boy he wanted to be an actor. He used to fantasize about being on the big screen. He said one of the films that inspired him most was Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner", which was a bomb when it first opened. He said he recalled watching it in awe in a mostly empty theater and being mesmerized by the film. He recalled that this particular movie was one of the ones that most inspired him to pursue an acting career. 
• In terms of future projects Craig acknowledged that he will star in an co-produce a two-season television production of author Jonathan Franzen's best-selling novel "Purity" for Showtime. Craig said he wife got him hooked on the book and he immediately called producer Scott Rudin, who owned the screen rights to make a deal to film the story. Craig said that he feels T.V. is the proper medium for the adaptation because he does not want to have to cut down on the essential elements of the story in order to squeeze them into a feature film's running time. His goal is to ensure that virtually every important element of the book is brought to the screen. He also said that he will play a small supporting role in the forthcoming film "Kings" with Halle Berry, which apparently deals with the aftermath of the L.A. riots that took place in Los Angeles in 1992 following the Rodney King verdict. 
• Craig verified internet rumors that he was indeed in the latest "Star Wars" movie, playing an anonymous Storm Trooper. Craig indicated he is a big "Star Wars" fan and when the "Spectre" filming coincided with filming of "Star Wars" at Pinewood Studios, he couldn't resist asking director J.J. Abrams if he could appear in a tiny, uncredited role. Not surprisingly, his wish was granted.

(Photo copyright Cinema Retro. All rights reserved)

BY ERNIE MAGNOTTA

Remember the days when you would wear a baggy raincoat, visit your local independent theater and abuse your genital region while watching “naughty” films? Maybe the younger “internet porn” readers don’t (I actually don’t either. I just remember hearing about it while OD’ing on VHS porn in the 80s), but I know some of you older perverts know what I’m talking about. You see, during the 1960s and early 70s, you could hit your local grindhouse theater and see films that are now classified as sexploitation. These low-budget independent features contained plenty of nudity, but showed very little in the way of actual onscreen sex, giving them the nickname “soft-core.” Until hardcore classics like 1972’s Deep Throat and Behind the Green Door as well as 1973’s The Devil in Miss Jones arrived on the scene rendering the tamer stuff almost obsolete, these soft-core flicks (which were also frequently viewed by couples) were all the rage. And now, the nice folks at Vinegar Syndrome have unearthed three of them for you to relive or to discover for the very first time.

In the first feature, Marsha, The Erotic Housewife, a young woman (soft-core queen Marsha Jordan also from Count Yorga, Vampire) whose businessman husband (Mark Edwards) is cheating on her, decides to teach him a lesson by fulfilling her sexual fantasies with other men. The second feature, titled For Single Swingers Only, tells the tale of Gracie (Ann Myers) who moves into an apartment complex for swingers, but gets much more than she bargained for. Last, but not least, Her Odd Tastes once again stars Marsha Jordan, this time as a woman who goes from having an incestuous relationship with her sister to becoming a door-to-door vibrator saleswoman. She eventually kills a man in self-defense before being hired by a book publisher to research sexual pleasure and pain. The insatiable woman travels the world, visiting Hong Kong, Africa and the Middle East in order to satisfy her strange sexual cravings.

All three films (which were directed by Don Davis) may contain washed-out colors and plenty of pops, scratches, jump cuts and lines; not to mention drab-looking locations, but hey, no one buying a ticket to see these movies was interested in things like cinematography or production value. They paid to see some skin and there’s plenty of nudity on display here. There’s also a lot of kissing and groping (in lieu of everything else) as well as a bunch of unintentional laughs thanks to silly dialogue, stiff acting and quite a few so-bad-it’s-good moments. Highlights include a hilarious “Marsha” theme song, a woman with a very thick Swedish accent, a satanic orgy where one guy wears a silly-looking goat head mask and, finally, death while boinking on an electrified chair.

On the downside, the three movies, although each one only running a little over an hour, all move along at a somewhat slow pace. Still, I enjoyed them all for what they are. (I found Her Odd Tastes to be the better paced and most entertaining of the three).

The three films have all been released on one dual layer DVD by Vinegar Syndrome. The disc is region free and the movies are presented in their original 1.33:1 aspect ratio. The aforementioned pops, scratches, jump cuts and lines (which us grindhouse cinema junkies adore) never detract from the story, and the images, although far from Blu-ray quality, are more than watchable and pretty much what you would expect something from this genre to look like. There are no special features, but the DVD sleeve and disc both contain the original poster art for all three films; my favorite tag line being “In Throbbing Color.” If you’re a fan of soft-core sex flicks or are just curious to see what they were all about, I recommend giving this retro drive-in collection a look.

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By John M. Whalen

In “Blackmail,” (1939), Edward G. Robinson plays John Ingram, an expert at putting out oil well fires with explosives. He’s got a wife, Helen (Ruth Hussey) a son, Hank (Bobs Watson), and a sidekick named Moose (Guinn “Big Boy Williams). After one of his jobs, the newspapers snap his photo and put him on the front page. His success affords him the opportunity to buy his first oil well. But a short time after his picture appears in the papers an obsequious stranger, William Ramey (Gene Lockhart), shows up at the house begging for food. He turns out to be someone from Ingram’s past, who know that the oil man is actually a wanted fugitive who escaped from a southern chain gang nine years ago.

To keep Ramey quiet, Ingram gives him a job, but it doesn’t take long before Ramey keeps upping the ante. He finally tells Ingram he knows he’s innocent of the robbery charge he was sent to the chain gang for, because he was the one who stole the money. In a scheme that only a dumb hero in an MGM potboiler would fall for, Ingram exchanges ownership of the well for a signed confession. Ramey, of course is too smart for Ingram, and in the end Ingram not only does not get the confession, he also loses the well and is taken in by police for questioning. Next thing you know, it’s back to the chain gang.

“Blackmail,” was released by MGM seven years after Warners’ “I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang,” (1932) starring Paul Muni. Rather than focusing on social injustice and the deplorable conditions of Southern chain gangs, as the Warners film did, “Blackmail” uses all that as background for what is basically a melodrama. It was probably a smart move to go that way, since there was no way MGM, or anyone else, could have turned out a better socially conscious chain gang movie than the Paul Muni film.

The chain gang scenes in “Blackmail” are not bad, with director H.C. Potter and his writers (David Hertz and William Ludwig), focusing less on the social inequities and more on how Ingram intends to honor his promise to his wife not to try and escape again by not letting anything that happens on the chain gang get to him. But after learning that Ramey is planning to sell the well, and his family is now living in near-poverty, he begins to crack. Not only that, the sadistic guard, who he escaped from nine years ago, is still there with his bull whip, adding to his misery. He finally makes a break with help from his good buddy, Moose, and heads back home for a showdown with Ramey.

“Blackmail,” is an entertaining movie. Not every film has to have “redeeming social value,” but it’s just too bad MGM couldn’t have come up with a more believable plot. There are too many scenes where the characters do things that strain credulity, especially when the film reaches its climax.

One of the problems is that Edward G, on loan to Metro, was miscast. We’re used to him in his gangster roles—the tough guy who always comes out on top. He gives a good performance as Ingram, but this tricky bit of casting-against-type undermined the basic story line. As Ramey keeps squeezing him, you keep expecting Ingram to pull a gun out of his coat and tell him: “Say, what do you think I am? Some kind of sap? Got any last wishes?” But instead he falls hook line and sinker for Ramey’s machinations.

Lockhart is another bit of unusual casting. Normally the kind-hearted, sympathetic guy, as Ramey, he plays a groveling, totally despicable snake. Those distractions wouldn’t be so much of a problem if the plot and its unlikely twists, didn’t require so much suspension of disbelief. The story, as contrived as it is, move along at high speed, and Ingram’s problems pile up one after another for 81 fast minutes to the point where it seems he’ll never resolve them. You won’t be tempted to hit the stop button on your remote control until you reach the final frame, even though the denouement may leave you scratching your head.

The Warner Archive has released “Blackmail” on DVD. Picture and sound quality are very good. The only extra on the disc is the original theatrical trailer. If you’re an Edward G. Robinson fan, or just like chain gang movies, you’ll probably want to add this obscure title to your collection.

John M. Whalen is the author of "Hunting Monsters is My Business: The Mordecai Slate Stories" . Click here to order the book from Amazon)

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By Mark Cerulli

Cinema Retro readers no doubt remember Michael Crichton’s classic sci-fi thriller Westworld. Who can forget the chilling spectacle of Yul Brynner – sans face – stalking a hapless Richard Benjamin? When I heard HBO was “rebooting” Westworld, I was skeptical. The word “Why?” kept coming to mind. The original was so good, why go there?

I’m happy to say I was dead wrong. By expanding Michael Crichton’s original vision, the producers were able to open up new storylines and vastly enhance the earlier concept. While the 1973 film was epic, it was limited by the visual effects available at the time. Now every modern tool in the VFX toolbox can be used and the results are intoxicating, drawing the viewer into Westworld’s latex embrace.

The overall setup is still the same – a high-end resort modeled after the Old West where guests can indulge in every fantasy and no matter how much mayhem they cause, they can’t ever get hurt. So far… Overseen by Executive Producer J.J. Abrams (sharing those duties with Jerry Weintraub, Jonathan Nolan, Lisa Joy and Brian Burk), the series’ attention to detail is meticulous. The show’s use of Monument Valley’s stunning vistas (put to such good use by John Ford many decades ago) really gives it a scope well beyond typical cable. The town of “Sweetwater”, the hub of the action, has an authentic look and feel as good as anything seen on Deadwood and the gunfights – of which there are many – would do Clint Eastwood proud.

Jonathan Nolan (who also directed the pilot) and Lisa Joy’s writing is crisp, seamlessly blending layer upon layer of narrative. HBO’s casting is flawless: Anthony Hopkins as the resort’s Creator Director is quietly menacing as he rewrites the resort’s “storyline” for mysterious reasons. Instead of Yul Brynner, Ed Harris is the relentless gunslinger in black. Not a robot, but a frequent guest who is on a quest to discover all the resort’s hidden secrets, whether management wants him to or not. To say he stays “in character” would be an understatement. When another guest begins to gush about how his (real life) foundation saved his sister’s life, Harris threatens to slit his throat, snarling, “I’m on vacation!” Thandie Newton is conniving yet vulnerable as the local brothel owner who begins to have doubts as to who or what she is… and special note has to be made of Evan Rachel Wood, a stunning actress who made her name in HBO’s Mildred Pierce and True Blood and in a string of indie films. Here she plays an innocent farm girl “host” (artificial human), available to be ravaged or romanced, depending on the guest. Gradually she realizes she’s part of something much bigger and her AI awakening is a major story arc. Louis Herthum, playing her homespun rancher dad, is nothing short of terrific – alternating from folksy charm to an eerie mechanical persona as he’s examined by Hopkins and his head programmer, played by a brooding Jeffrey Wright (Casino Royale). Rounding out the regulars is the great looking James Mardsen as a stoic young gunslinger.

Early in production, a casting notice asking extras to be prepared to perform nude went viral, causing an uproar. There IS nudity in Westworld, but it’s fleeting and in each instance, totally germane to the story. Not a gratuitous shower scene in sight.

Currently HBO has plans for 10 episodes of Westworld, but hopefully that’s just the beginning. With a reimagining like this, there is plenty more to explore. And then maybe they’ll visit Romanworld or Medievalworld…

Westworld premieres Sunday, October 2 on HBO.

Cinema Retro has received the following press release from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment:

Horror fans are sure to rejoice when a terrifying trio of Stephen King’s screen adaptations -- “Salem’s Lot,” “Stephen King’s Cat’s Eye” and “Stephen King’s It” (a best-seller on DVD and one of King’s most popular TV miniseries) – debuts with all-new 2016 high definition masters on Blu-ray™ from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, just in time for a haunting Halloween on September 20.

The three films based on the best-selling author’s novels and short stories are among his most popular and feature a variety of film and TV stars, including Drew Barrymore, Tim Curry, James Mason, Richard Masur, Annette O’Toole, John Ritter, David Soul, Richard Thomas and James Woods, among others. Each title will be available to own on Blu-ray for $14.97 SRP.

Stephen King is the author of more than 50 books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. In addition to these new Blu-ray titles, some of his most noted works include Carrie, The Shining, Pet Sematary, The Dead Zone, Misery, The Green Mile, The Stand, and The Shawshank Redemption. Recent work includes End of Watch, The Bazaar of Bad Dreams, Finders Keepers, Mr. Mercedes, Doctor Sleep, and Under the Dome. King’s books have been translated into 33 different languages and have been published in over 35 different countries. The recipient of the 2014 National Medal of Arts and the

2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, King lives in Maine and Florida with his wife, novelist Tabitha King.1 The author’s 11.22.63, produced by

J.J. Abrams and starring James Franco, is currently available on Blu-rayâ„¢ from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.

About the Films:

“Salem’s Lot” (1979)

Sinister events bring together a writer (David Soul) fascinated with an old hilltop house; a suave antiques dealer (James Mason) whose expertise goes beyond bric-a-brac; and the dealer’s mysterious, pale-skinned “partner” (Reggie Nalder) in “Salem’s Lot” -- a blood-curdling shocker based on King’s novel and directed by Tobe Hooper (Poltergeist).

Special Features:

• All-new Feature-Length Audio Commentary by Director Tobe Hooper

• International Theatrical Trailer

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“Stephen King’s Cat’s Eye” (1985)

A wandering supernatural feline’s adventures provide the linking story for “Stephen King‘s Cat's Eye” -- a dead-on ‘thrillogy’ scripted by King and directed by Lewis Teague (Cujo). The staff at Quitters Inc. promises to help nicotine fiend Dick Morrison (James Woods) kick the habit. Next, a luckless gambler (Robert Hays) is forced into a bet involving a stroll around a building – on the five-inch ledge encircling the 30th floor. Finally, our wayfarer kitty rescues a schoolgirl (Drew Barrymore) from a vile, doll-sized troll.

Special Features:

• Feature-Length Commentary by Director Lewis Teague

• Theatrical Trailer

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“Stephen King’s It” (1990)

October 1957: "It" awakens and the small town of Darry, Maine will never be the same. Stephen King brings to life every childhood fear and phobia as seven children face an unthinkable horror which appears in various forms, including “Pennywise” (Tim Curry), a clown who lives, hunts and kills from the towns sewers. Years later, the surviving adults who are brave enough return to stop the new killing spree, this time for good.

Special Features:

• Commentary by Director Tommy Lee Wallace and Actors Dennis Christopher, Tim Reid, John Ritter and Richard Thomas

Click here to order from Amazon