Writer Alex Tse discusses a few of his favorite films with Josh Olson and Joe Dante.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Rrr (2022)
Watchmen (2009)
Superfly (2018)
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Book Of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 (2000)
Independence Day (1996)
Clueless (1995)
Fast Times At Ridgemont High (1982) – Karyn Kusama’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review
William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet (1996)
The Goonies (1985)
Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom (1984)
Infested (2002)
Straw Dogs (1971) – Rod Lurie’s trailer commentary, Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Charlie Largent’s Criterion Blu-ray review, Joe Dante’s review
Altered States (1980) – Katt Shea’s trailer commentary
Return Of The Ape Man (1944)
Major League (1989)
The Sting (1973)
Angels In The Outfield (1951)
Rocky (1976)
Slap Shot (1977) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary
Eight Men Out (1988)
Heavy Metal (1981)
Fritz The Cat (1972) – Mick Garris’s trailer commentary, Charlie Largent’s Blu-ray review
The Killer Snakes (1974)
Zodiac (2007)
Se7en (1995)
Dirty Harry (1971) – Alan Spencer’s trailer commentary,...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Rrr (2022)
Watchmen (2009)
Superfly (2018)
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Book Of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 (2000)
Independence Day (1996)
Clueless (1995)
Fast Times At Ridgemont High (1982) – Karyn Kusama’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review
William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet (1996)
The Goonies (1985)
Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom (1984)
Infested (2002)
Straw Dogs (1971) – Rod Lurie’s trailer commentary, Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Charlie Largent’s Criterion Blu-ray review, Joe Dante’s review
Altered States (1980) – Katt Shea’s trailer commentary
Return Of The Ape Man (1944)
Major League (1989)
The Sting (1973)
Angels In The Outfield (1951)
Rocky (1976)
Slap Shot (1977) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary
Eight Men Out (1988)
Heavy Metal (1981)
Fritz The Cat (1972) – Mick Garris’s trailer commentary, Charlie Largent’s Blu-ray review
The Killer Snakes (1974)
Zodiac (2007)
Se7en (1995)
Dirty Harry (1971) – Alan Spencer’s trailer commentary,...
- 2/7/2023
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
Mickey Zide, an exhibition and distribution specialist who later went into producing films including “Dirty Mary Crazy Larry,’ died Nov. 10 in La Quinta, Calif. of natural causes. He was 90.
Born in Detroit, Zide was the third generation of his family to work in the film business, and got his start working as a salesman for Columbia Pictures in Detroit. His father Jack and brother Martin owned Allied Film Exchange, the largest independent distributor in Midwest, which released films for companies including Aip, Crown and Atlantic Releasing.
He became VP of sales for Sam Arkoff’s American International Pictures, where he booked films such as “Foxy Brown,” “Last House on the Left” and “The Pit and the Pendulum.”
After Aip producer James H. Nicholson left to form Academy Pictures, Zide joined him and served as associate producer on the Peter Fonda-Susan George starrer “Dirty Mary Crazy Larry.” Distributed by 20th Century Fox,...
Born in Detroit, Zide was the third generation of his family to work in the film business, and got his start working as a salesman for Columbia Pictures in Detroit. His father Jack and brother Martin owned Allied Film Exchange, the largest independent distributor in Midwest, which released films for companies including Aip, Crown and Atlantic Releasing.
He became VP of sales for Sam Arkoff’s American International Pictures, where he booked films such as “Foxy Brown,” “Last House on the Left” and “The Pit and the Pendulum.”
After Aip producer James H. Nicholson left to form Academy Pictures, Zide joined him and served as associate producer on the Peter Fonda-Susan George starrer “Dirty Mary Crazy Larry.” Distributed by 20th Century Fox,...
- 11/18/2022
- by Pat Saperstein
- Variety Film + TV
Writer/Director Lucky McKee discusses a few of his favorite movies with Josh Olson and Joe Dante.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Tár (2022)
Speed Racer (2008)
The Matrix (1999)
Gloria (1980) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
The Howling (1981) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings
Old Man (2022)
Don’t Breathe (2016)
Avatar (2009)
Band of the Hand (1986)
May (2002)
The Piano (1993)
The Crying Game (1992)
Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977)
Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Star Wars: Episode VI – Return Of The Jedi (1983)
Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999)
Star Wars: Episode II – Attack Of The Clones (2002)
Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge Of The Sith (2005)
The Dark Crystal (1982) – Bernard Rose’s trailer commentary
Cockfighter (1974) – Jon Davison’s trailer commentary
Days of Heaven (1978)
Sweetie (1989)
The Power of the Dog (2021)
Do The Right Thing (1989) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary
A History Of Violence (2005)
Se7en (1995)
Straw Dogs (1971) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary,...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Tár (2022)
Speed Racer (2008)
The Matrix (1999)
Gloria (1980) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
The Howling (1981) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings
Old Man (2022)
Don’t Breathe (2016)
Avatar (2009)
Band of the Hand (1986)
May (2002)
The Piano (1993)
The Crying Game (1992)
Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977)
Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Star Wars: Episode VI – Return Of The Jedi (1983)
Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999)
Star Wars: Episode II – Attack Of The Clones (2002)
Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge Of The Sith (2005)
The Dark Crystal (1982) – Bernard Rose’s trailer commentary
Cockfighter (1974) – Jon Davison’s trailer commentary
Days of Heaven (1978)
Sweetie (1989)
The Power of the Dog (2021)
Do The Right Thing (1989) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary
A History Of Violence (2005)
Se7en (1995)
Straw Dogs (1971) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary,...
- 11/1/2022
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault/Rape
The last film class I took in college was titled "Violence in American Cinema," and the curriculum provided by the remarkable Roberta Di Carmine, Ph.D. included two films by "Bloody" Sam Peckinpah, "The Wild Bunch" and "Straw Dogs." While every class inspired heated discussions -- imagine Midwest college kids debating Quentin Tarantino -- none were as passionate as the ones that surrounded "Straw Dogs." Released in 1971 (and remade in 2011), "Straw Dogs" follows mild-mannered intellectual David Sumner (Dustin Hoffman) and his English wife Amy (Susan George) as they relocate to Amy's hometown of Cornwall. The move is supposed to help...
The post The Straw Dogs Controversy Explained: The Trouble with Amy appeared first on /Film.
The last film class I took in college was titled "Violence in American Cinema," and the curriculum provided by the remarkable Roberta Di Carmine, Ph.D. included two films by "Bloody" Sam Peckinpah, "The Wild Bunch" and "Straw Dogs." While every class inspired heated discussions -- imagine Midwest college kids debating Quentin Tarantino -- none were as passionate as the ones that surrounded "Straw Dogs." Released in 1971 (and remade in 2011), "Straw Dogs" follows mild-mannered intellectual David Sumner (Dustin Hoffman) and his English wife Amy (Susan George) as they relocate to Amy's hometown of Cornwall. The move is supposed to help...
The post The Straw Dogs Controversy Explained: The Trouble with Amy appeared first on /Film.
- 3/8/2022
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
Richard Donner, the prolific Hollywood director and producer whose helming credits include some of the most iconic movies of the 1970s and ’80s including the Christopher Reeve-starring Superman, The Goonies and the Mel Gibson-Danny Glover buddy cop series Lethal Weapon, has died. He was 91.
Donner passed away Monday, according to his wife, the producer Lauren Schuler Donner, and his business manager. No cause of death has been revealed.
The Bronx-born Donner, a genial man with a booming voice, started his career directing for television. His TV credits include a laundry list of staple shows from the ’60s including Route 66, The Rifleman, The Twilight Zone, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Gilligan’s Island, Perry Mason and The Wild Wild West. His debut feature X-15 in 1961 with Charles Bronson (and a young Mary Tyler Moore) was followed by the 1968 crime comedy Salt & Pepper starring Sammy Davis Jr. and Peter Lawford,...
Donner passed away Monday, according to his wife, the producer Lauren Schuler Donner, and his business manager. No cause of death has been revealed.
The Bronx-born Donner, a genial man with a booming voice, started his career directing for television. His TV credits include a laundry list of staple shows from the ’60s including Route 66, The Rifleman, The Twilight Zone, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Gilligan’s Island, Perry Mason and The Wild Wild West. His debut feature X-15 in 1961 with Charles Bronson (and a young Mary Tyler Moore) was followed by the 1968 crime comedy Salt & Pepper starring Sammy Davis Jr. and Peter Lawford,...
- 7/5/2021
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Brian Trenchard-Smith created this trailer for an Aussie supernatural thriller that never made it to American theaters. Director David Hemmings (star of Blow-Up) was determined to class up what was initially intended as a lowly horror movie, and rewrites of David Ambrose’s script continued throughout production. Actor’s Equity frowned on so many overseas cast members and refused to allow Susan George and Samatha Eggar to perform. Thom Eberhardt’s 1983 Sole Survivor uses the same premise to a degree that it should almost be considered a remake, although there’s no official connection.
The post The Survivor appeared first on Trailers From Hell.
The post The Survivor appeared first on Trailers From Hell.
- 4/14/2021
- by TFH Team
- Trailers from Hell
Happy 2021, everyone! It’s been a few weeks, but we’re back with a brand-new edition of our weekly Blu-ray and DVD releases column to kick off this new year. And while we may not have a ton of titles headed home on Tuesday, we do have an excellent bunch of films all the same, including one of my favorite films of 2020, Love and Monsters, which hits various formats this week. Another film from last year that I really enjoyed was Brea Grant’s 12 Hour Shift, which hits both Blu-ray and DVD (and will be available On Demand) tomorrow, and if you have somehow never seen it, I highly recommend picking up the new Blu for Savage Streets, featuring Linda Blair.
Other releases for January 5th include Tintorera… Tiger Shark, From the Depths, Nina of the Woods, and Hacksaw.
12 Hour Shift
It's 1998, and over the course of one...
Other releases for January 5th include Tintorera… Tiger Shark, From the Depths, Nina of the Woods, and Hacksaw.
12 Hour Shift
It's 1998, and over the course of one...
- 1/5/2021
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
“I want friend like me.”
Article by Jim Batts, Dana Jung, and Tom Stockman
No other actor in the long history of horror has been so closely identified with the genre as Boris Karloff, yet he was as famous for his gentle heart and kindness as he was for his screen persona. William Henry Pratt was born on November 23, 1887, in Camberwell, London, England. He studied at London University in anticipation of a diplomatic career; however, he moved to Canada in 1909 and joined a theater company where he was bit by the acting bug. It was there that he adopted the stage name of “Boris Karloff.” He toured back and forth across the USA for over ten years in a variety of low-budget Theater shows and eventually ended up in Hollywood. Needing cash to support himself, Karloff landed roles in silent films making his on-screen debut in Chapter 2 of the 1919 serial The Masked Rider.
Article by Jim Batts, Dana Jung, and Tom Stockman
No other actor in the long history of horror has been so closely identified with the genre as Boris Karloff, yet he was as famous for his gentle heart and kindness as he was for his screen persona. William Henry Pratt was born on November 23, 1887, in Camberwell, London, England. He studied at London University in anticipation of a diplomatic career; however, he moved to Canada in 1909 and joined a theater company where he was bit by the acting bug. It was there that he adopted the stage name of “Boris Karloff.” He toured back and forth across the USA for over ten years in a variety of low-budget Theater shows and eventually ended up in Hollywood. Needing cash to support himself, Karloff landed roles in silent films making his on-screen debut in Chapter 2 of the 1919 serial The Masked Rider.
- 11/23/2020
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
There’s nothing like a good car chase in a movie. Maybe it’s the daring-do of the stunt drivers that makes you feel you’re in danger even though you’re comfortably in your seat, or the high stakes of the moment in which the characters we’re rooting for will either get out of the situation or have a gruesome finale, but an impressive car-chase scene can make even a mediocre movie a beloved classic. What makes a car chase legendary, you ask? They’re the ones that keep you at the edge of your seat and actually fit in with the rest of the plot. While the “Fast and Furious” movies have collectively taken the car chase to the next level, they don’t count. They’re far too CGI-enhanced. The 1970’s may have marked a new age in American cinema, but it was also a decade...
- 4/24/2020
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
A babysitter gets more than she bargained for when an unexpected (and deadly) guest arrives in Peter Collinson's Fright, and with the 1971 horror film now on Blu-ray from Scream Factory, we've been provided with three copies to give away to lucky Daily Dead readers!
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Prize Details: (3) Winners will receive (1) Blu-ray copy of Fright.
How to Enter: We're giving Daily Dead readers multiple chances to enter and win:
1. Instagram: Following us on Instagram during the contest period will give you an automatic contest entry. Make sure to follow us at:
https://www.instagram.com/dailydead/
2. Email: For a chance to win via email, send an email to contest@dailydead.com with the subject “Fright Contest”. Be sure to include your name and mailing address.
Entry Details: The contest will end at 12:01am Est on September 24th. This contest is only open to those who are eighteen years...
---------
Prize Details: (3) Winners will receive (1) Blu-ray copy of Fright.
How to Enter: We're giving Daily Dead readers multiple chances to enter and win:
1. Instagram: Following us on Instagram during the contest period will give you an automatic contest entry. Make sure to follow us at:
https://www.instagram.com/dailydead/
2. Email: For a chance to win via email, send an email to contest@dailydead.com with the subject “Fright Contest”. Be sure to include your name and mailing address.
Entry Details: The contest will end at 12:01am Est on September 24th. This contest is only open to those who are eighteen years...
- 9/17/2019
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
This week’s horror and sci-fi Blu-ray and DVD titles are an eclectic bunch, led by a pair of cult classics—Fright and Straight on Till Morning—which were both directed by Peter Collinson. Arrow Video put together a special edition release for Who Saw Her Die?, which this writer is really looking forward to checking out in the coming weeks, and Unearthed Classics is resurrecting Nightwish on both formats as well.
In terms of new films, The Velocipastor arrives on Tuesday on both Blu and DVD, and for those of you who missed it in theaters, Dark Phoenix rises again on multiple formats, and Clownado touches down this week on DVD as well.
Other notable releases for September 17th include The Night Sitter, D-Railed, The Bloody Ape, Return of the Scarecrow, and The Films of Sarah Jacobson: Mary Jane’s Not a Virgin Anymore & I Was a Teenage Serial Killer from Agfa.
In terms of new films, The Velocipastor arrives on Tuesday on both Blu and DVD, and for those of you who missed it in theaters, Dark Phoenix rises again on multiple formats, and Clownado touches down this week on DVD as well.
Other notable releases for September 17th include The Night Sitter, D-Railed, The Bloody Ape, Return of the Scarecrow, and The Films of Sarah Jacobson: Mary Jane’s Not a Virgin Anymore & I Was a Teenage Serial Killer from Agfa.
- 9/17/2019
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
While Scream Factory is bringing enough horror movies to Blu-ray this summer to keep you entertained after countless barbecues and bonfires, they also have a bunch of titles to look forward to this September, as they've now announced three more Hammer horror films coming to Blu-ray (including the Christopher Lee-starring Scars of Dracula), as well as 1972's Fright!
From Scream Factory: "If you’re a fan of Hammer Films (like we are) then save up for this Sept when we release three films from them on Blu-ray for the first time in North America! (**Correction: We originally included Fright as in the Hammer library. Our "Oops!" on that. Sorry! Its still releasing though.)
Scars Of Dracula (1970) - The legendary Christopher Lee is back as Dracula, bringing unspeakable horrors upon a local village that defies his evil reign. But when a young man and his luscious girlfriend unwittingly visit the Count's castle,...
From Scream Factory: "If you’re a fan of Hammer Films (like we are) then save up for this Sept when we release three films from them on Blu-ray for the first time in North America! (**Correction: We originally included Fright as in the Hammer library. Our "Oops!" on that. Sorry! Its still releasing though.)
Scars Of Dracula (1970) - The legendary Christopher Lee is back as Dracula, bringing unspeakable horrors upon a local village that defies his evil reign. But when a young man and his luscious girlfriend unwittingly visit the Count's castle,...
- 6/6/2019
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Alesha Dixon, Martin Clunes OBE, Deborah Meaden, Anneka Rice, Susan George, Virginia McKenna OBE, Brian Blessed OBE, Fiona Shaw Cbe, Steve Backshall and Lucy Watson have written to EU Environment Commissioner Karmenu Vella urging him to support a proposal by African nations to protect the imperiled giraffe.
The species has declined by up to 40 percent in the past 30 years. The proposal will be discussed at a meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites) in Colombo, Sri Lanka starting in late May, but it has little chance of success without the support of the EU voting bloc.
In an open letter co-signed by the Born Free Foundation, Humane Society International, the International Fund For Animal Welfare, Pro Wildlife, Animal Defenders International, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Center for Biological Diversity, Animal Welfare Institute, and Avaaz, the stars urge the EU Commission...
The species has declined by up to 40 percent in the past 30 years. The proposal will be discussed at a meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites) in Colombo, Sri Lanka starting in late May, but it has little chance of success without the support of the EU voting bloc.
In an open letter co-signed by the Born Free Foundation, Humane Society International, the International Fund For Animal Welfare, Pro Wildlife, Animal Defenders International, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Center for Biological Diversity, Animal Welfare Institute, and Avaaz, the stars urge the EU Commission...
- 3/27/2019
- Look to the Stars
Cinema Retro issue #39 has now shipped worldwide. For subscribers, this is the final issue of Season 13. Please renew for Season 14 (see below) and keep supporting the world's most unique movie magazine.
Issue #39 devotes a full 32 pages to celebrating the 50th anniversary of the James Bond film "You Only Live Twice", which starred Sean Connery as 007 and introduced Donald Pleasence as the immortal villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld. Why did we dedicate half of the pages in this issue to the film? Largely because of the outpouring of contributions from talented writers from around the world, not to mention esteemed names like composer David Arnold, actress Karin Dor, who played the villainous femme fatale Helga Brandt, Tsai Chin who played Bond's bedmate in the pre-credits scene, legendary lyricist Leslie Bricusse, assistant director William Cartlidge, future Oscar-winning production designer Peter Lamont and Nancy Sinatra, who recalls the nerve-wracking experience of singing the title song.
Issue #39 devotes a full 32 pages to celebrating the 50th anniversary of the James Bond film "You Only Live Twice", which starred Sean Connery as 007 and introduced Donald Pleasence as the immortal villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld. Why did we dedicate half of the pages in this issue to the film? Largely because of the outpouring of contributions from talented writers from around the world, not to mention esteemed names like composer David Arnold, actress Karin Dor, who played the villainous femme fatale Helga Brandt, Tsai Chin who played Bond's bedmate in the pre-credits scene, legendary lyricist Leslie Bricusse, assistant director William Cartlidge, future Oscar-winning production designer Peter Lamont and Nancy Sinatra, who recalls the nerve-wracking experience of singing the title song.
- 9/18/2017
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Straw Dogs
Blu-ray
Criterion
1971 / 1:85 / Street Date June 27, 2017
Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Susan George
Cinematography: John Coquillon
Film Editors: Paul Davies, Tony Lawson, Roger Spottiswoode
Written by David Zelag Goodman and Sam Peckinpah
Produced by Daniel Melnick
Music: Jerry Fielding
Directed by Sam Peckinpah
Adrift from civilization, an attractive young couple find themselves threatened, assaulted, and eventually compelled to defend themselves in a bloody showdown. That is the basic premise of Sam Peckinpah’s Straw Dogs, released in 1971 and inspired by some of the same movies then crowding the legendary dives of 42nd street. On its surface Straw Dogs is pure exploitation but its lasting power resides in Peckinpah’s transformation of those visceral grindhouse cliches into an appalling examination of human nature.
Straw Dogs begins with the seemingly benign introduction of David Sumner, a young man with an even younger wife, arriving in a tiny hamlet in the north of England,...
Blu-ray
Criterion
1971 / 1:85 / Street Date June 27, 2017
Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Susan George
Cinematography: John Coquillon
Film Editors: Paul Davies, Tony Lawson, Roger Spottiswoode
Written by David Zelag Goodman and Sam Peckinpah
Produced by Daniel Melnick
Music: Jerry Fielding
Directed by Sam Peckinpah
Adrift from civilization, an attractive young couple find themselves threatened, assaulted, and eventually compelled to defend themselves in a bloody showdown. That is the basic premise of Sam Peckinpah’s Straw Dogs, released in 1971 and inspired by some of the same movies then crowding the legendary dives of 42nd street. On its surface Straw Dogs is pure exploitation but its lasting power resides in Peckinpah’s transformation of those visceral grindhouse cliches into an appalling examination of human nature.
Straw Dogs begins with the seemingly benign introduction of David Sumner, a young man with an even younger wife, arriving in a tiny hamlet in the north of England,...
- 7/15/2017
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
Upon its 1971 release, Sam Peckinpah’s Straw Dogs obviously offended Roger Ebert, who issued a scathing review. Where he found purpose and even poetry in the grisly violence of Peckinpah’s prior film The Wild Bunch, when Peckinpah translated that western violence to a bucolic English village and, more uncomfortably, into the domestic sphere, Ebert drew the line: “Peckinpah’s theories about violence seem to have regressed to a sort of 19th-Century mixture of Kipling and machismo.” Straw Dogs offended many on its release and continues to offend nearly fifty years since, though it has also become a well-regarded, confrontational classic. Even Ebert, in 2011, admitted that “something within me has shifted,” and recognized “how close to home the movie strikes.”
Is this film offensive? Yes! Is it a rich masterpiece worthy of our prolonged estimation, and perhaps even our esteem? Yes! We should be offended by much of what happens and why and how,...
Is this film offensive? Yes! Is it a rich masterpiece worthy of our prolonged estimation, and perhaps even our esteem? Yes! We should be offended by much of what happens and why and how,...
- 6/30/2017
- by Trevor Berrett
- CriterionCast
For decades, the car chase has existed as a timeless equalizer, settling scores with stomach-churning speed and velocity. The best of these chases employ vintage muscle-cars with practical effects and stunt work to achieve these amazing shots in camera. If CGI is used in the scene, it’s only to sweeten the practical effects and stunts.
The landscape is an equally essential ingredient, providing opportunities and obstacles for the drivers to embrace and overcome. The car chase grounds the action in an identifiable reality, menacing us with the ever-present possibility of death at high-speed. It also taps into something deep within everyone who’s ever gotten behind the wheel of a car: driving fast is as addictive as it is life-threatening.
The newest film from director Edgar Wright, Baby Driver, mixes the filmmakers love for the classic car chase genre with a killer soundtrack. To explain, the plot follows Baby,...
The landscape is an equally essential ingredient, providing opportunities and obstacles for the drivers to embrace and overcome. The car chase grounds the action in an identifiable reality, menacing us with the ever-present possibility of death at high-speed. It also taps into something deep within everyone who’s ever gotten behind the wheel of a car: driving fast is as addictive as it is life-threatening.
The newest film from director Edgar Wright, Baby Driver, mixes the filmmakers love for the classic car chase genre with a killer soundtrack. To explain, the plot follows Baby,...
- 6/28/2017
- by Tony Hinds
- The Film Stage
There’s nothing like a good car chase in a movie. Maybe it’s the daring-do of the stunt drivers that makes you feel you’re in danger even though you’re comfortably in your seat, or the high stakes of the moment in which the characters we’re rooting for will either get out of the situation or have a gruesome finale, but an impressive car-chase scene can make even a mediocre movie a beloved classic. What makes a car chase legendary, you ask? They’re the ones that keep you at the edge of your seat and actually fit in with the rest of the plot.
Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver opens Wednesday, June 28th. Baby (Ansel Elgort), is an innocent-looking getaway driver who gets hardened criminals from point A to point B, with daredevil flair and a personal soundtrack running through his head. That’s because he...
Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver opens Wednesday, June 28th. Baby (Ansel Elgort), is an innocent-looking getaway driver who gets hardened criminals from point A to point B, with daredevil flair and a personal soundtrack running through his head. That’s because he...
- 6/27/2017
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Marcel Pagnols’ Marseille Trilogy, Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog” and Nicholas Ray’s “They Live by Night” are among the new titles joining the Criterion Collection this June. In addition, Kenji Mizoguchi’s “Ugetsu” and Sam Peckinpah’s “Straw Dogs” are being upgraded in new Blu-ray editions. More information below.
Read More: The Criterion Collection Announces May Titles: ‘Ghost World,’ ‘Dheepan,’ ‘Jeanne Dielman’ and More
“Ugetsu”
“Having refined his craft in the silent era, Kenji Mizoguchi was an elder statesman of Japanese cinema-fiercely revered by Akira Kurosawa and other younger directors-by the time he made ‘Ugetsu.’ And with this exquisite ghost story, a fatalistic wartime tragedy derived from stories by Akinari Ueda and Guy de Maupassant, he created a touchstone of his art, his long takes and sweeping camera guiding the viewer through a delirious narrative about two villagers whose pursuit of fame and...
Read More: The Criterion Collection Announces May Titles: ‘Ghost World,’ ‘Dheepan,’ ‘Jeanne Dielman’ and More
“Ugetsu”
“Having refined his craft in the silent era, Kenji Mizoguchi was an elder statesman of Japanese cinema-fiercely revered by Akira Kurosawa and other younger directors-by the time he made ‘Ugetsu.’ And with this exquisite ghost story, a fatalistic wartime tragedy derived from stories by Akinari Ueda and Guy de Maupassant, he created a touchstone of his art, his long takes and sweeping camera guiding the viewer through a delirious narrative about two villagers whose pursuit of fame and...
- 3/15/2017
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
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...
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...
- 1/5/2017
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Join us for some old-school 16mm Movie Madness! – It’s our monthly 16Mm Double Feature Night at The Way Out Club (2525 Jefferson Avenue in St. Louis)! Join Tom Stockman and Roger from “Roger’s Reels’ for a double feature of two complete films projected on 16mm film. The show is Tuesday August 2nd and starts at 8pm. Admission is Free though we will be setting out a jar to take donations for the National Children’s Cancer Society.
First up is Dirty Mary Crazy Larry
If entertaining ‘70s car culture movies with great chases are your thing, then check out Dirty Mary Crazy Larry. In 1974, John Hough delivered a fast paced, and surprisingly entertaining film. Peter Fonda is Larry Rayder, a down and out race car driver with dreams of driving in the big-time Nascar circuit. Along with his mechanic, Deke Sommers (Adam Roarke), they rob a supermarket to finance their dreams,...
First up is Dirty Mary Crazy Larry
If entertaining ‘70s car culture movies with great chases are your thing, then check out Dirty Mary Crazy Larry. In 1974, John Hough delivered a fast paced, and surprisingly entertaining film. Peter Fonda is Larry Rayder, a down and out race car driver with dreams of driving in the big-time Nascar circuit. Along with his mechanic, Deke Sommers (Adam Roarke), they rob a supermarket to finance their dreams,...
- 8/31/2016
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
If you’re looking for a great killer snake movie, you may find 1982’s Venom to be a disappointment. If you’re looking for a showcase of competitive overacting, Venom is your huckleberry.
Imagine the 1955 Humphrey Bogart/Fredric March movie The Desperate Hours if it were invaded by a killer black mamba. That’s Venom, only instead of Bogart and March, it’s Klaus Kinski and Oliver Reed, two incredibly talented but famously difficult actors, attempting to devour both the scenery and one another. Though it went into production with Tobe Hooper as director, he left the film fairly early on (with vague reports of “it just wasn’t working” as an explanation) and was replaced by Piers Haggard, the British filmmaker responsible for Blood on Satan’s Claw. He found himself in a difficult and unhappy situation, guiding a movie that wasn’t his and run roughshod over by his actors.
Imagine the 1955 Humphrey Bogart/Fredric March movie The Desperate Hours if it were invaded by a killer black mamba. That’s Venom, only instead of Bogart and March, it’s Klaus Kinski and Oliver Reed, two incredibly talented but famously difficult actors, attempting to devour both the scenery and one another. Though it went into production with Tobe Hooper as director, he left the film fairly early on (with vague reports of “it just wasn’t working” as an explanation) and was replaced by Piers Haggard, the British filmmaker responsible for Blood on Satan’s Claw. He found himself in a difficult and unhappy situation, guiding a movie that wasn’t his and run roughshod over by his actors.
- 6/24/2016
- by Patrick Bromley
- DailyDead
Belladonna Of Sadness
Release Date: Coming Soon from Cinelicious Pics Written By: Yoshiyuki Fukuda, Jules Michelet (novel), Eiichi Yamamoto Directed By: Eiichi Yamamoto Starring: Tatsuya Nakadai, Katsuyuki Itô, Aiko Nagayama
When I heard about Cinelicious Pics’ plans to restore and release the long lost 1973 anime Belladonna Of Sadness, I was well and truly excited. I’m a huge aficionado of 70s-era anime, and this baby has been a “holy grail” of sorts for folks like me for a good many years — much desired but damn near impossible to obtain. So that being said, and with those expectations set freakin’ sky high, let’s see if ol’ Belladonna was worth the wait or will it just fill me with sadness of my own!
Belladonna Of Sadness, based loosely (and by that I mean hardly at all) on the French novel La Sorcière by Jules Michelet, tells the brutal tale of Jeanne,...
Release Date: Coming Soon from Cinelicious Pics Written By: Yoshiyuki Fukuda, Jules Michelet (novel), Eiichi Yamamoto Directed By: Eiichi Yamamoto Starring: Tatsuya Nakadai, Katsuyuki Itô, Aiko Nagayama
When I heard about Cinelicious Pics’ plans to restore and release the long lost 1973 anime Belladonna Of Sadness, I was well and truly excited. I’m a huge aficionado of 70s-era anime, and this baby has been a “holy grail” of sorts for folks like me for a good many years — much desired but damn near impossible to obtain. So that being said, and with those expectations set freakin’ sky high, let’s see if ol’ Belladonna was worth the wait or will it just fill me with sadness of my own!
Belladonna Of Sadness, based loosely (and by that I mean hardly at all) on the French novel La Sorcière by Jules Michelet, tells the brutal tale of Jeanne,...
- 5/16/2016
- by DanielXIII
- FamousMonsters of Filmland
Enter the Ninja
The film that heralded the start of the ninja craze in the West, Enter the Ninja was one of many martial arts action films made by the uber-prolific producers Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus after they purchased Cannon Films in the late 70s.
Directed by Golan, Enter the Ninja tells the story of Cole (Franco Nero), a Westerner who is trained in the art of ninjitsu in Japan. Finishing his training he heads the Philippines to visit his war buddy Frank Landers (Alex Courtney) and his newlywed wife Mary Ann (Susan George), who are the owners of farm which is under attack from unscrupulous businessman Charles Venarius (Christopher George) because – unbeknownst to the Landers – there’s a huge oil deposit under their land! Of course having Franco Nero’s ninja on their side means that the Landers can easily see off Venarius’ henchmen. That is until he...
The film that heralded the start of the ninja craze in the West, Enter the Ninja was one of many martial arts action films made by the uber-prolific producers Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus after they purchased Cannon Films in the late 70s.
Directed by Golan, Enter the Ninja tells the story of Cole (Franco Nero), a Westerner who is trained in the art of ninjitsu in Japan. Finishing his training he heads the Philippines to visit his war buddy Frank Landers (Alex Courtney) and his newlywed wife Mary Ann (Susan George), who are the owners of farm which is under attack from unscrupulous businessman Charles Venarius (Christopher George) because – unbeknownst to the Landers – there’s a huge oil deposit under their land! Of course having Franco Nero’s ninja on their side means that the Landers can easily see off Venarius’ henchmen. That is until he...
- 1/31/2016
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
The macabre side of martial arts kicks off the New Year in Scream Factory's Blu-ray of The House Where Evil Dwells and Ghost Warrior. Ahead of the double feature's release tomorrow, we've been provided with three Blu-ray copies to give away.
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Prize Details: (3) Winners will receive (1) Blu-ray copy of The House Where Evil Dwells / Ghost Warrior double feature.
How to Enter: For a chance to win, email contest@dailydead.com with the subject “The House Where Evil Dwells / Ghost Warrior Contest”. Be sure to include your name and mailing address.
Entry Details: The contest will end at 12:01am Est on January 10th. This contest is only open to those who are eighteen years of age or older that live in the United States. Only one entry per household will be accepted.
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From the previous press release: "Scream Factory presents a double dose of samurai action with...
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Prize Details: (3) Winners will receive (1) Blu-ray copy of The House Where Evil Dwells / Ghost Warrior double feature.
How to Enter: For a chance to win, email contest@dailydead.com with the subject “The House Where Evil Dwells / Ghost Warrior Contest”. Be sure to include your name and mailing address.
Entry Details: The contest will end at 12:01am Est on January 10th. This contest is only open to those who are eighteen years of age or older that live in the United States. Only one entry per household will be accepted.
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From the previous press release: "Scream Factory presents a double dose of samurai action with...
- 1/4/2016
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Next Tuesday, Takashi Miike's Over Your Dead Body and the macabre martial arts double feature The House Where Evil Dwells / Ghost Warrior will come out on respective Blu-rays from Scream Factory. Ahead of their January 5th debuts, we have high-definition clips and trailers from the films.
Over Your Dead Body Blu-ray: "A beautiful actress (Kô Shibasaki of 47 Ronin and Battle Royale) plays the protagonist in a new play based on a legendary ghost story. She pulls some strings to get her lover cast in the play, although he's a relatively unknown actor. With the cast in place, rehearsals for the play, about an abusive relationship and a grudge, begin. But off stage, some begin to develop their own obsessions. Trapped between the play and reality, they are horrified to find that a real grudge can cross the blurred line between reality and fantasy. Will love flourish? Or has it already turned hideously dark?...
Over Your Dead Body Blu-ray: "A beautiful actress (Kô Shibasaki of 47 Ronin and Battle Royale) plays the protagonist in a new play based on a legendary ghost story. She pulls some strings to get her lover cast in the play, although he's a relatively unknown actor. With the cast in place, rehearsals for the play, about an abusive relationship and a grudge, begin. But off stage, some begin to develop their own obsessions. Trapped between the play and reality, they are horrified to find that a real grudge can cross the blurred line between reality and fantasy. Will love flourish? Or has it already turned hideously dark?...
- 12/31/2015
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
The macabre side of martial arts will kick off the New Year courtesy of the fine folks at Scream Factory, who will release a double-feature Blu-ray of The House Where Evil Dwells and Ghost Warrior on January 5th. Ahead of the films' Blu-ray debuts, we have a look at the double bill's cover art and list of bonus features:
Press Release: Scream Factory presents a double dose of samurai action with The House Where Evil Dwells & Ghost Warrior on Blu-ray on January 5, 2016.
These two martial arts-themed thrillers from the 80s are now finally available for the first time on Blu-ray, in a release including a new high-definition transfer for The House Where Evil Dwells.
The House Where Evil Dwells
A century ago, a samurai brutally murdered his adulterous wife and her lover before taking his own life. Now, the Fletcher family has found what they think is their perfect Japanese...
Press Release: Scream Factory presents a double dose of samurai action with The House Where Evil Dwells & Ghost Warrior on Blu-ray on January 5, 2016.
These two martial arts-themed thrillers from the 80s are now finally available for the first time on Blu-ray, in a release including a new high-definition transfer for The House Where Evil Dwells.
The House Where Evil Dwells
A century ago, a samurai brutally murdered his adulterous wife and her lover before taking his own life. Now, the Fletcher family has found what they think is their perfect Japanese...
- 11/25/2015
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Article by Jim Batts, Dana Jung, and Tom Stockman
No other actor in the long history of horror has been so closely identified with the genre as Boris Karloff, yet he was as famous for his gentle heart and kindness as he was for his screen persona. William Henry Pratt was born on November 23, 1887, in Camberwell, London, England. He studied at London University in anticipation of a diplomatic career; however, he moved to Canada in 1909 and joined a theater company where he was bit by the acting bug. It was there that he adopted the stage name of “Boris Karloff.” He toured back and forth across the USA for over ten years in a variety of low-budget Theater shows and eventually ended up in Hollywood. Needing cash to support himself, Karloff landed roles in silent films making his on-screen debut in Chapter 2 of the 1919 serial The Masked Rider. His big...
No other actor in the long history of horror has been so closely identified with the genre as Boris Karloff, yet he was as famous for his gentle heart and kindness as he was for his screen persona. William Henry Pratt was born on November 23, 1887, in Camberwell, London, England. He studied at London University in anticipation of a diplomatic career; however, he moved to Canada in 1909 and joined a theater company where he was bit by the acting bug. It was there that he adopted the stage name of “Boris Karloff.” He toured back and forth across the USA for over ten years in a variety of low-budget Theater shows and eventually ended up in Hollywood. Needing cash to support himself, Karloff landed roles in silent films making his on-screen debut in Chapter 2 of the 1919 serial The Masked Rider. His big...
- 11/23/2015
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Eureka Entertainment have announced they are to release The Ninja Trilogy, a trio of crazed martial-arts classics from the 80s starring Sho Kosugi, in a Dual Format (Blu-ray & DVD) edition in the UK on 18th January 2016.
The wild world of Cannon Films rarely became more delirious or influential than this trio of rollocking, crazed action classics. Beginning with Enter the Ninja, they spearheaded a craze for the titular martial-arts assassin that spiralled throughout the decade and beyond, but this eccentric trilogy still stands alone.
Enter the Ninja (featuring Franco Nero and Susan George) deals with a couple on oil-rich land in the Philippines under siege from a ruthless industrialist. Revenge of the Ninja moves to Salt Lake City, Utah, where Cho and his son Kane begin a new life after their family is killed in Japan. After opening a doll shop, a criminal betrayal leads to an almighty showdown. Ninja III: The Domination...
The wild world of Cannon Films rarely became more delirious or influential than this trio of rollocking, crazed action classics. Beginning with Enter the Ninja, they spearheaded a craze for the titular martial-arts assassin that spiralled throughout the decade and beyond, but this eccentric trilogy still stands alone.
Enter the Ninja (featuring Franco Nero and Susan George) deals with a couple on oil-rich land in the Philippines under siege from a ruthless industrialist. Revenge of the Ninja moves to Salt Lake City, Utah, where Cho and his son Kane begin a new life after their family is killed in Japan. After opening a doll shop, a criminal betrayal leads to an almighty showdown. Ninja III: The Domination...
- 11/12/2015
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
With Halloween right around the corner, the folks at Scream Factory already have their sights set on the new year with January Blu-ray release dates set for Wes Craven's The Serpent and the Rainbow, William Friedkin's The Guardian, and more.
Scream Factory will release The Serpent and the Rainbow Collector's Edition Blu-ray (originally scheduled to come out this past summer) on January 26th. The company has also slated The Guardian Blu-ray for a January 19th debut and set a January 26th release date for the James Spader-starring Jack's Back Blu-ray / DVD.
Also coming out on Blu-ray in January from the diligent distributor is 1989's Sonny Boy (January 26th) and a double feature of The House Where Evil Dwells and Ghost Warrior (January 5th).
Due out next spring is the Blu-ray debut of 2000's Cherry Falls. Official details and a look at the...
Scream Factory will release The Serpent and the Rainbow Collector's Edition Blu-ray (originally scheduled to come out this past summer) on January 26th. The company has also slated The Guardian Blu-ray for a January 19th debut and set a January 26th release date for the James Spader-starring Jack's Back Blu-ray / DVD.
Also coming out on Blu-ray in January from the diligent distributor is 1989's Sonny Boy (January 26th) and a double feature of The House Where Evil Dwells and Ghost Warrior (January 5th).
Due out next spring is the Blu-ray debut of 2000's Cherry Falls. Official details and a look at the...
- 10/15/2015
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Director John Hough made this eccentrically plotted action flick at the height of the American moviegoer’s passion for rowdy car chase movies. A Nascar take on Bonnie and Clyde, Peter Fonda stars as a hot-rodder who knocks over a supermarket in order to fund his racing team. Susan George plays the good-time girl who goes along for the ride and Vic Morrow co-stars as the single-minded sheriff in hot pursuit. The film was a solid success bringing in over 12 million dollars in 1974 (most likely collected from drive-in venues).
- 9/7/2015
- by TFH Team
- Trailers from Hell
Well, as I said last fall when "Send Me" was announced during its Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign: who in their right mind would want to do that (go back in time to the days of slavery)? Personally, I say No Way. That is, of course, unless I could be like Django and take out a whole bunch of white Southern slave owners (or just like Ken Norton in "Mandingo" with Susan George. Just kidding...Maybe...) Created by playwright, screenwriter and actor Steve Harper, and starring Tracie Thoms, Gabrielle Carteris, Nelsan Ellis, Jerrika Hinton, Jasika Nicole, and Carlease Burke, and shot earlier this year in and around Los Angeles, "Send Me" follows a black woman...
- 8/11/2015
- by Sergio
- ShadowAndAct
Here's another installment featuring Joe Dante's reviews from his stint as a critic for Film Bulletin circa 1969-1974. Our thanks to Video Watchdog and Tim Lucas for his editorial embellishments!
Dustin Hoffman defends his home against murderous thugs in strong, violent melodrama with appeal to both discriminating trades and the blood- and-guts fans. Rating: R.
Director Sam Peckinpah’s fascination with violence as man’s most basic instinct finds new and disturbing expression in Straw Dogs, a difficult, harrowing film which is in essence a long, slow-burning fuse leading to an explosion of bloodshed. On the whole, the ABC Pictures Corp. production possesses a nightmare intensity few horror films could match, and this should be a factor in drawing both serious filmgoers and the mayhem-minded masses. As an action entry, the Cinerama release has the requisite sex and brutality to pull them in, while Dustin Hoffman’s presence an...
Dustin Hoffman defends his home against murderous thugs in strong, violent melodrama with appeal to both discriminating trades and the blood- and-guts fans. Rating: R.
Director Sam Peckinpah’s fascination with violence as man’s most basic instinct finds new and disturbing expression in Straw Dogs, a difficult, harrowing film which is in essence a long, slow-burning fuse leading to an explosion of bloodshed. On the whole, the ABC Pictures Corp. production possesses a nightmare intensity few horror films could match, and this should be a factor in drawing both serious filmgoers and the mayhem-minded masses. As an action entry, the Cinerama release has the requisite sex and brutality to pull them in, while Dustin Hoffman’s presence an...
- 7/9/2015
- by Joe Dante
- Trailers from Hell
A kind of Bonnie and Clyde for the Nascar crowd, director John Hough (The Legend of Hell House) puts together an eccentric and original premise with an equally quirky cast including Vic Morrow, Kenneth Tobey and Roddy McDowall in support of stars Peter Fonda and Susan George, two misfits on the lam from the law after a supermarket robbery. Released mainly to drive-ins, Hough’s carefree crime chase brought in a more than respectable 14 million at the box office.
- 7/3/2015
- by TFH Team
- Trailers from Hell
Leigh Chapman, a pioneering female screenwriter in the action-adventure genre who co-wrote the 1974 movie Dirty Harry Crazy Mary, has died. She was 75. Chapman, who started her career as a TV actress and appeared most memorably as the secretary of Napoleon Solo (Robert Vaughn) on the 1960s NBC spy hit The Man From U.N.C.L.E., died at her home in West Hollywood after an eight-month battle with cancer, her sister, Morgan, said. The chase-crazy Dirty Mary Crazy Larry, which starred Peter Fonda, Susan George, Vic Morrow and several souped-up muscle cars,
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- 11/14/2014
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Issue #30 of Cinema Retro is now shipping worldwide, as is our special issue "Foto Files #1: Spy Girls", an 80-page special tribute to the sexiest femme fatales of '60s and '70s cinema.
Highlights of issue #30 include:
Celebrating the 50th anniversary of The Beatles screen debut in "A Hard Day's Night" with exclusive insights from the film's director Richard Lester and David V. Picker, former head of production for United Artists. "Blood, Sweat and Togas": Hercules and the Italian sword and sandal epics of the 1960s. Exclusive! Oswald Morris: the final interview with the legendary cinematographer of such film classics as "The Guns of Navarone", "The Man Who Would Be King", "Moulin Rouge", "Oliver!", "Lolita", "Fiddler on the Roof" and "The Hill". "From Rio Bravo to El Dorado"- Part 2 of the in-depth comparison between two Howard Hawks film classics. "Francoise Dorleac: A Remembrance": a...
Highlights of issue #30 include:
Celebrating the 50th anniversary of The Beatles screen debut in "A Hard Day's Night" with exclusive insights from the film's director Richard Lester and David V. Picker, former head of production for United Artists. "Blood, Sweat and Togas": Hercules and the Italian sword and sandal epics of the 1960s. Exclusive! Oswald Morris: the final interview with the legendary cinematographer of such film classics as "The Guns of Navarone", "The Man Who Would Be King", "Moulin Rouge", "Oliver!", "Lolita", "Fiddler on the Roof" and "The Hill". "From Rio Bravo to El Dorado"- Part 2 of the in-depth comparison between two Howard Hawks film classics. "Francoise Dorleac: A Remembrance": a...
- 9/19/2014
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Cult movie classic ‘Pretty Poison’ filmmaker Noel Black dead at 77 (photo: Tuesday Weld and Anthony Perkins in ‘Pretty Poison’) Noel Black, best remembered for the 1968 cult movie classic Pretty Poison, died of pneumonia at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital on July 5, 2014. Black (born on June 30, 1937, in Chicago) was 77. Prior to Pretty Poison, Noel Black earned praise for the 18-minute short film Skaterdater (1965), the tale of a boy skateboarder who falls for a girl bike rider. Shot on the beaches of Los Angeles County, the dialogue-less Skaterdater went on to win the Palme d’Or for Best Short Film and tied with Orson Welles’ Falstaff - Chimes at Midnight for the Technical Grand Prize at the 1966 Cannes Film Festival. Besides, Skaterdater received an Academy Award nomination in the Best Short Subject, Live Action category. (The Oscar winner that year was Claude Berri’s Le Poulet.) ‘Pretty Poison’: Fun and games and...
- 8/10/2014
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Radius-twc
Revenge has motivated characters in stories since humans first started telling them. From the vengeful gods of ancient mythology onwards, acts of retribution – often violent in the extreme – have been a staple ingredient of a narrative which, as we all know, is best served cold.
The vengeance motive is certainly one which hands the structure to you on a plate – someone performs an act of injustice against someone else, who then takes the law into their own hands and opts for an eye for an eye rather than the courts of justice. Blue Ruin, on release in cinemas this week, is a classic example of this basic set-up – a lean, effective and sometimes very bloody revenge thriller in which vagrant Dwight (Macon Blair) returns to his childhood home town to kill the man who murdered his parents, unleashing a wave of tit for tat reciprocal violence which escalates out of control.
Revenge has motivated characters in stories since humans first started telling them. From the vengeful gods of ancient mythology onwards, acts of retribution – often violent in the extreme – have been a staple ingredient of a narrative which, as we all know, is best served cold.
The vengeance motive is certainly one which hands the structure to you on a plate – someone performs an act of injustice against someone else, who then takes the law into their own hands and opts for an eye for an eye rather than the courts of justice. Blue Ruin, on release in cinemas this week, is a classic example of this basic set-up – a lean, effective and sometimes very bloody revenge thriller in which vagrant Dwight (Macon Blair) returns to his childhood home town to kill the man who murdered his parents, unleashing a wave of tit for tat reciprocal violence which escalates out of control.
- 5/6/2014
- by Andrew Dilks
- Obsessed with Film
Although Hammer Films will always be associated with British horror, the studio did have stiff competition. Amicus specialised in the successful horror anthologies and Us counterparts American International Pictures established a permanent UK base in the mid sixties. Other smaller independents took their own bite from the cherry tree of horror with some success, the best known being Tigon Films.
Tigon has received some belated recognition in recent years. Andy Boot’s book on British horror Fragments of Fear devotes a chapter to the company while John Hamilton’s excellent book Beast in the Cellar covers the varied career of Tigon’s charismatic founder Tony Tenser.
Like Hammer’s Sir James Carreras, Tenser was one of the British Film Industry’s great entrepreneurs. Born in London to poor Lithuanian immigrants and a movie fan since childhood, he was an ambitious man with a natural talent for showmanship. Combining shrewd business...
Tigon has received some belated recognition in recent years. Andy Boot’s book on British horror Fragments of Fear devotes a chapter to the company while John Hamilton’s excellent book Beast in the Cellar covers the varied career of Tigon’s charismatic founder Tony Tenser.
Like Hammer’s Sir James Carreras, Tenser was one of the British Film Industry’s great entrepreneurs. Born in London to poor Lithuanian immigrants and a movie fan since childhood, he was an ambitious man with a natural talent for showmanship. Combining shrewd business...
- 2/18/2014
- Shadowlocked
We have great news for those of you who subscribe to Full Moon Streaming. It has been announced that fifty Blue Underground titles have been acquired by Full Moon Features for their new streaming service:
“Los Angeles, CA, February 3, 2014 – Full Moon Features is proud to announce their most exciting acquisition yet – fifty of cinema’s most obscure and beloved classics from the Blue Underground label will debut on their new subscription-based video streaming service, Full Moon Streaming (www.fullmoonstreaming.com), home to the entire Full Moon Features library. The Blue Underground titles will be released once per week beginning in March, and titles will include Venom (a beloved thriller about a killer snake starring Klaus Kinski, Susan George, and Oliver Reed), Mondo Cane (the Award-Winning documentary that launched the whole “mondo” craze of the sixties), Contamination (a gory Italian homage to Alien), Violent City (the Charles Bronson action classic), Don...
“Los Angeles, CA, February 3, 2014 – Full Moon Features is proud to announce their most exciting acquisition yet – fifty of cinema’s most obscure and beloved classics from the Blue Underground label will debut on their new subscription-based video streaming service, Full Moon Streaming (www.fullmoonstreaming.com), home to the entire Full Moon Features library. The Blue Underground titles will be released once per week beginning in March, and titles will include Venom (a beloved thriller about a killer snake starring Klaus Kinski, Susan George, and Oliver Reed), Mondo Cane (the Award-Winning documentary that launched the whole “mondo” craze of the sixties), Contamination (a gory Italian homage to Alien), Violent City (the Charles Bronson action classic), Don...
- 2/4/2014
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
Full Moon has been steadily beefing up its streaming service, and if you haven't had a chance to check it out yet, this latest announcement should persuade you and then some. Read on for details, and get those smart TVs ready!
From the Press Release
Full Moon Features is proud to announce their most exciting acquisition yet – fifty of cinema’s most obscure and beloved classics from the Blue Underground label will debut on their new subscription-based video streaming service, FullMoonStreaming.com, home to the entire Full Moon Features library.
Blue Underground titles will include Venom (a beloved thriller about a killer snake starring Klaus Kinski, Susan George, and Oliver Reed), Mondo Cane (the award-winning documentary that launched the whole “Mondo” craze of the Sixties), Contamination (a gory Italian homage to Alien), Violent City (the Charles Bronson action classic), Don’T Torture A Duckling (horror/thriller from Italian godfather of...
From the Press Release
Full Moon Features is proud to announce their most exciting acquisition yet – fifty of cinema’s most obscure and beloved classics from the Blue Underground label will debut on their new subscription-based video streaming service, FullMoonStreaming.com, home to the entire Full Moon Features library.
Blue Underground titles will include Venom (a beloved thriller about a killer snake starring Klaus Kinski, Susan George, and Oliver Reed), Mondo Cane (the award-winning documentary that launched the whole “Mondo” craze of the Sixties), Contamination (a gory Italian homage to Alien), Violent City (the Charles Bronson action classic), Don’T Torture A Duckling (horror/thriller from Italian godfather of...
- 2/3/2014
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
Television director in the glory days of the BBC, who went on to make feature films
Alan Bridges, who has died aged 86, was a leading director during the glory days of the BBC, from the mid-60s to the early 70s. Today, whenever media pundits analyse the history of television drama, they wax lyrical about The Wednesday Play and its successor Play for Today, bemoaning the virtual disappearance of the single play.
By the time Bridges started working in the Wednesday Play slot, he was already one of the BBC's most experienced TV directors – he had directed excellent 10-part adaptations of two 19th-century classics, Great Expectations and Les Misérables (both in 1967) – but he relished the "right to fail" ethos at the BBC, enjoying working with exciting contemporary writers.
While continuing to have a distinguished television career into the 80s, adeptly moving from the popular to the experimental, from the modern to the classical,...
Alan Bridges, who has died aged 86, was a leading director during the glory days of the BBC, from the mid-60s to the early 70s. Today, whenever media pundits analyse the history of television drama, they wax lyrical about The Wednesday Play and its successor Play for Today, bemoaning the virtual disappearance of the single play.
By the time Bridges started working in the Wednesday Play slot, he was already one of the BBC's most experienced TV directors – he had directed excellent 10-part adaptations of two 19th-century classics, Great Expectations and Les Misérables (both in 1967) – but he relished the "right to fail" ethos at the BBC, enjoying working with exciting contemporary writers.
While continuing to have a distinguished television career into the 80s, adeptly moving from the popular to the experimental, from the modern to the classical,...
- 1/29/2014
- by Ronald Bergan
- The Guardian - Film News
Has 'slavery' finally arrived as a 'safe' subject for major motion picture production? If so, why now?
The ordeal of Solomon Northup, a literate, skilled free man of colour from New York who was kidnapped in Washington, D.C., and sold as a slave in the deep south state of Louisiana, is the focus of the 2013 film 12 Years a Slave, directed by Steve McQueen and based on Northup’s 1853 published autobiographical account. The film, which actually is a remake of Gordon Park’s 1984 television movie, Solomon Northrop’s Odyssey, is a masterful depiction of antebellum southern slave life and, like Haile Gerima’s 1993 brilliant Sankofa, Stan Lathan’s 1982 A House Divided: Denmark Vesey’s Rebellion and his 1987 Uncle Tom’s Cabin, along with the indomitable classic TV miniseries Roots of 1977, and Jonathan Demme’s Beloved (1998), 12 Years a Slave represents a decided evolution of African American slave narration presented on celluloid.
The ordeal of Solomon Northup, a literate, skilled free man of colour from New York who was kidnapped in Washington, D.C., and sold as a slave in the deep south state of Louisiana, is the focus of the 2013 film 12 Years a Slave, directed by Steve McQueen and based on Northup’s 1853 published autobiographical account. The film, which actually is a remake of Gordon Park’s 1984 television movie, Solomon Northrop’s Odyssey, is a masterful depiction of antebellum southern slave life and, like Haile Gerima’s 1993 brilliant Sankofa, Stan Lathan’s 1982 A House Divided: Denmark Vesey’s Rebellion and his 1987 Uncle Tom’s Cabin, along with the indomitable classic TV miniseries Roots of 1977, and Jonathan Demme’s Beloved (1998), 12 Years a Slave represents a decided evolution of African American slave narration presented on celluloid.
- 1/8/2014
- by Prof. Brenda Stevenson
- Pure Movies
Welcome back to This Week In Discs! As always, if you see something you like, click on the image to buy it. It’s a Disaster Four couples get together for their monthly brunch, but today’s gathering includes a few surprises. Tracy (Julia Stiles) has brought along a new boyfriend (David Cross), one of the couples is heading towards a separation, and a mysterious incident in the city has left them trapped in the house with little in the way of reliable information. A lack of certainty, loyalty and sanity quickly overcomes the group leading to even more trouble. Writer/director Todd Berger‘s ensemble comedy is easily the funniest disaster film in ages. Most of the cast are (fairly) fresh faces, but in addition to the two names above America Ferrera gets to show a decidedly different side of herself. It’s a simple film, essentially set in a single location, but...
- 6/4/2013
- by Rob Hunter
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Dirty Mary Crazy Larry
Directed by John Hough
Written by Leigh Chapman and Antonio Santean
1974, USA
A good percentage of the best American chase films were released in the decade that brought us a new wave of rebellious, edgy filmmakers who put muscle cars in the spotlight, and directed realistic, fast-paced action sequences highlighted by the incredible stunt work from Hollywood daredevils. Cutting right to the chase, Dirty Mary Crazy Larry is high on extreme stunts and crazy car crashes, created in a time when CGI didn’t exist. Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry remains one of the best in the genre: the stunts are extreme, the humor is dark, and the cars are awesome.
Released in 1974, Dirty Mary Crazy Larry is a ridiculous fun, heist picture driven by tough-guy dialogue, male posturing and a somewhat familiar premise. Adapted from Richard Unekis novel The Chase, the film follows a stock car...
Directed by John Hough
Written by Leigh Chapman and Antonio Santean
1974, USA
A good percentage of the best American chase films were released in the decade that brought us a new wave of rebellious, edgy filmmakers who put muscle cars in the spotlight, and directed realistic, fast-paced action sequences highlighted by the incredible stunt work from Hollywood daredevils. Cutting right to the chase, Dirty Mary Crazy Larry is high on extreme stunts and crazy car crashes, created in a time when CGI didn’t exist. Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry remains one of the best in the genre: the stunts are extreme, the humor is dark, and the cars are awesome.
Released in 1974, Dirty Mary Crazy Larry is a ridiculous fun, heist picture driven by tough-guy dialogue, male posturing and a somewhat familiar premise. Adapted from Richard Unekis novel The Chase, the film follows a stock car...
- 5/25/2013
- by Ricky da Conceição
- SoundOnSight
A Planet Fury-approved selection of notable genre DVD releases for the month of January.
Lightning Bug (2004) Image Entertainment Blu-ray and DVD Available Now
Effects guru Robert Hall’s semi-autobiographical film about a small town teen (Reaper's Bret Harrison) who has aspirations to become a special effects artist. An opportunity to manage the town’s local haunted house is thwarted by his alcoholic stepfather and the staunchly religious views of the surrounding population. The solid supporting cast includes That 70’s Show’s Laura Prepon, Hellraiser’s Ashely Lawrence and Kevin Gage. Written and directed by Hall, it’s an affectionate coming-of-age drama that works in spite of an uneven narrative that falls apart in the final half hour. Hopefully this new extended cut will remedy the scripting problems of the original release.
Special Features include:
* Never-before-released extended cut of the film.
* Making-of Featurette
* Audio commentaries with the writer/director and cast.
Lightning Bug (2004) Image Entertainment Blu-ray and DVD Available Now
Effects guru Robert Hall’s semi-autobiographical film about a small town teen (Reaper's Bret Harrison) who has aspirations to become a special effects artist. An opportunity to manage the town’s local haunted house is thwarted by his alcoholic stepfather and the staunchly religious views of the surrounding population. The solid supporting cast includes That 70’s Show’s Laura Prepon, Hellraiser’s Ashely Lawrence and Kevin Gage. Written and directed by Hall, it’s an affectionate coming-of-age drama that works in spite of an uneven narrative that falls apart in the final half hour. Hopefully this new extended cut will remedy the scripting problems of the original release.
Special Features include:
* Never-before-released extended cut of the film.
* Making-of Featurette
* Audio commentaries with the writer/director and cast.
- 1/22/2013
- by Bradley Harding
- Planet Fury
Anybody who has ever been to a high school reunion (and I’ve been to my share) will tell you that the calendar and the clock can be incredibly cruel (particularly when combined with the long-term effects of gravity, but let’s not go there).
Time punishes creative works as well. Some work grows dated, stale, stiff. Time and the evolving form of the given art leaves a once vibrant and exciting work behind looking dead and obsolete.
More cruel, perhaps, is work that is simply…forgotten. Not for any good reason. Good as it was, maybe it was simply not successful enough to lodge very deeply in the popular consciousness; working well enough in its day, but soon lost among the ever-growing detritus of a lot of other pieces of yesterday.
Movie music is particularly vulnerable to the cruelties of time. Outside of the form’s devotees, it rarely...
Time punishes creative works as well. Some work grows dated, stale, stiff. Time and the evolving form of the given art leaves a once vibrant and exciting work behind looking dead and obsolete.
More cruel, perhaps, is work that is simply…forgotten. Not for any good reason. Good as it was, maybe it was simply not successful enough to lodge very deeply in the popular consciousness; working well enough in its day, but soon lost among the ever-growing detritus of a lot of other pieces of yesterday.
Movie music is particularly vulnerable to the cruelties of time. Outside of the form’s devotees, it rarely...
- 1/14/2013
- by Bill Mesce
- SoundOnSight
Highlights Of Issue #24:
Major celebration of The Poseidon Adventure's 40th anniversary with articles by David Savage, Tom Lisanti, James Radford and Chris Poggiali. Includes many rare photos, international movie posters and interviews with Carol Lynley and Mort Kunstler, the legendary artist who created the movie poster. Kunstler also provides his original sketches for the ad campaign, reproduced in this issue for the first time. 40th anniversary tribute to Deliverance. John Exshaw visits director John Boorman at his home in Ireland for exclusive interview about working with author James Dickey on the landmark film. Gary Giblin takes an in-depth look at another classic film celebrating its 40th anniversary: Alfred Hitchcock's Frenzy, complete with rare stills from sequences that the Master cut from the final version of the movie. Matthew R. Bradley looks at one of the screen's legendary baddies, James Bond nemesis Blofeld in both literature and cinema.
Major celebration of The Poseidon Adventure's 40th anniversary with articles by David Savage, Tom Lisanti, James Radford and Chris Poggiali. Includes many rare photos, international movie posters and interviews with Carol Lynley and Mort Kunstler, the legendary artist who created the movie poster. Kunstler also provides his original sketches for the ad campaign, reproduced in this issue for the first time. 40th anniversary tribute to Deliverance. John Exshaw visits director John Boorman at his home in Ireland for exclusive interview about working with author James Dickey on the landmark film. Gary Giblin takes an in-depth look at another classic film celebrating its 40th anniversary: Alfred Hitchcock's Frenzy, complete with rare stills from sequences that the Master cut from the final version of the movie. Matthew R. Bradley looks at one of the screen's legendary baddies, James Bond nemesis Blofeld in both literature and cinema.
- 1/14/2013
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
December is Tarantino Month here at Sos, and in the week leading up our January month-long theme of westerns, I thought it would be best to whip up an article spotlighting some films that influenced Tarantino’s long awaited take on the western, Django Unchained. For my money, all of the films listed below are essential viewing for fans of Django Unchained. I’ll be diving deeper into these films come January, but in the meantime, this should hopefully whet your appetite. Enjoy!
Note: I’m not including any Sergio Leone Spaghetti westerns as they should be essential viewing for anyone, regardless if you like or dislike Tarantino’s film.
****
Django
Directed by Sergio Corbucci
Written by Bruco Corbucci and Sergio Corbucci
1966, Italy / Spain
The most obvious influence for Django Unchained was of course critic-turned-director Sergio Corbucci’s 1966 masterpiece Django. The film features the Belgian actor Franco Nero playing the...
Note: I’m not including any Sergio Leone Spaghetti westerns as they should be essential viewing for anyone, regardless if you like or dislike Tarantino’s film.
****
Django
Directed by Sergio Corbucci
Written by Bruco Corbucci and Sergio Corbucci
1966, Italy / Spain
The most obvious influence for Django Unchained was of course critic-turned-director Sergio Corbucci’s 1966 masterpiece Django. The film features the Belgian actor Franco Nero playing the...
- 12/26/2012
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
In the 1974 car culture classic Dirty Mary Crazy Larry stone-faced Peter Fonda wears his customary hype shades, pulls a heist, and messes with the pigs (lead by Vic Morrow) in a boss set of wheels (a 1969 440 Magnum Dodge Charger to be exact) while pouty-faced Susan George covers the shotgun seat and pops major attitude. You can taste the sweat, feel the heat, and smell the hi-test gasoline right up until the best ending any movie ever had. They don’t make movies like this anymore, probably because there aren’t enough drive-ins to support them, but you’ll have the chance to see this fave on glorious 16mm film projected at what Schalfly Bottleworks (7260 Southwest Avenue, Maplewood, Missouri 63143) is calling their first “Walk In” movie on a new big screen they’ve constructed on their outdoor, covered patio (band stage side, next to the outdoor dining area).
The movie is on Thursday,...
The movie is on Thursday,...
- 9/26/2012
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
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