John Frankenheimer ended a three year hiatus following his 1979 environmental horror/creature feature Prophecy with a commendable martial-arts effort, The Challenge (1982). Starring Scott Glenn in his first lead performance, the curiosity was co-written by John Sayles and also stars Japanese legend Toshiro Mifune (who had previously appeared in Frankenheimer’s 1966 film, Grand Prix). Though it ultimately proves to be a nonsensical narrative in its clash of East meets West and traditional values threatened by the consumer cravings of the modernized world, some fantastic fight sequences (a pre-fame Steven Seagal served as technical advisor) and superb lensing from famed cinematographer Kozo Okazaki mark the title as worthy of recuperation for its conglomeration of vintage components.
In 1982 Los Angeles, a down and out boxer, Rick Murphy (Glenn) is approached to transport a sacred sword to Kyoto in order to restore it to its rightful owner, a master samurai, Toru Yoshida (Mifune). Apparently,...
In 1982 Los Angeles, a down and out boxer, Rick Murphy (Glenn) is approached to transport a sacred sword to Kyoto in order to restore it to its rightful owner, a master samurai, Toru Yoshida (Mifune). Apparently,...
- 3/8/2016
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Still doing it his way: Sayles today.
By Mark Cerulli
The interview was set for 10:30 Am. Usually they run a few minutes late as the celebrity works his way through a call list. When the moment arrives an assistant handles the intros. Not this time. At precisely 10:30:00, the phone rang and iconic Indie filmmaker John Sayles introduced himself. And why not? A no-nonsense, get- it -done type of auteur, Sayles handles his own publicity calls and was keen to discuss his remarkable and varied career in advance of a weekend retrospective at La’s Cinefamily February 18 - 20.
Sayles broke into the business, like so many before him, by working with genre legend Roger Corman who figuratively and literally wrote the book on low budget filmmaking. “I got very lucky, didn’t realize it at the time, “Sayles recalls. “I wrote three screenplays (Piranha, The Lady in Red...
By Mark Cerulli
The interview was set for 10:30 Am. Usually they run a few minutes late as the celebrity works his way through a call list. When the moment arrives an assistant handles the intros. Not this time. At precisely 10:30:00, the phone rang and iconic Indie filmmaker John Sayles introduced himself. And why not? A no-nonsense, get- it -done type of auteur, Sayles handles his own publicity calls and was keen to discuss his remarkable and varied career in advance of a weekend retrospective at La’s Cinefamily February 18 - 20.
Sayles broke into the business, like so many before him, by working with genre legend Roger Corman who figuratively and literally wrote the book on low budget filmmaking. “I got very lucky, didn’t realize it at the time, “Sayles recalls. “I wrote three screenplays (Piranha, The Lady in Red...
- 2/18/2016
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Director John Frankenheimer.
I'm often asked which, out of the over 600 interviews I've logged with Hollywood's finest, is my favorite. It's not a tough answer: John Frankenheimer.
We instantly clicked the day we met at his home in Benedict Canyon, and spent most of the afternoon talking in his den. A friendship of sorts developed over the years, with visits to his office for screenings of the old Kinescopes he directed for shows like "Playhouse 90" during his salad days in live television during the 1950s.
We hadn't spoken for nearly a year in mid-2002 when the phone rang. It was John, who spoke in what can only be described as a "stentorian bark," like a general. "Alex!" he exclaimed. "John Frankenheimer." He could sense something was amiss with me. It was. My screenwriting career had stalled. My marriage was progressing to divorce. I had hit bottom. John knew that...
I'm often asked which, out of the over 600 interviews I've logged with Hollywood's finest, is my favorite. It's not a tough answer: John Frankenheimer.
We instantly clicked the day we met at his home in Benedict Canyon, and spent most of the afternoon talking in his den. A friendship of sorts developed over the years, with visits to his office for screenings of the old Kinescopes he directed for shows like "Playhouse 90" during his salad days in live television during the 1950s.
We hadn't spoken for nearly a year in mid-2002 when the phone rang. It was John, who spoke in what can only be described as a "stentorian bark," like a general. "Alex!" he exclaimed. "John Frankenheimer." He could sense something was amiss with me. It was. My screenwriting career had stalled. My marriage was progressing to divorce. I had hit bottom. John knew that...
- 7/6/2015
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
Smack dab in the middle of his fourth decade as a filmmaker, auteur John Frankenheimer would release what would stand as one of his last notable titles with 52 Pick-Up in 1986. The 80s were not really kind to the veteran director, having knocked out one of his silliest titles in 1979 with the environmental horror film Prophecy prior to helming some other oddities, like the Scott Glenn/Toshiro Mifune film The Challenge (1982), the Michael Caine thriller The Holcraft Experiment (1985) and then Dead Bang (1989) with Don Johnson. But it would be his adaptation of this Elmore Leonard novel, a black mail neo noir that really stands out amongst his later works.
Harry Mitchell (Roy Scheider) is a Los Angeles entrepreneur. He’s got a great life, lots of money, a beautiful wife (Ann-Margret) about to enter into the political arena, and a sprawling home. But when three criminals led by pornographer Alan Raimy...
Harry Mitchell (Roy Scheider) is a Los Angeles entrepreneur. He’s got a great life, lots of money, a beautiful wife (Ann-Margret) about to enter into the political arena, and a sprawling home. But when three criminals led by pornographer Alan Raimy...
- 3/10/2015
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Few filmmakers these days name John Frankenheimer as an influence. He was never particularly trendy, never embraced by the auteurists or overtly paid homage by those who came after. In part, it's because of some of his later projects; the commercial failure of thriller "Black Sunday" in 1977 drove him to alcoholism that lasted for several years (it was only when he was reduced to drinking on the set of martial arts actioner "The Challenge" in 1981 that he checked himself into rehab), and some of his later projects, including his final film, "Reindeer Games," and the famous disaster "The Island Of Doctor Moreau" (on which the helmer replaced Richard Stanley several weeks into production) meant his critical reputation took a hit. But Frankenheimer was also a master of the American thriller, with an extraordinary run in the 1960s, and many underrated subsequent highlights, from "French Connection II," multiple HBO and TNT.
- 7/6/2012
- by The Playlist Staff
- The Playlist
La-La Land Records has released a new soundtrack set for the sci-fi series Star Trek: The Next Generation. The 3Cd-set features more than three hours of previously unreleased music from the show by composers Dennis McCarthy, Jay Chattaway, Don Davis, John Debney and Fred Steiner. The Volume One set is limited to 3000 copies. To order the album and to listen to lengthy audio clips from the release, visit La-La Land Records’ website. Star Trek: The Next Generation created by Gene Roddenberry and starring Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, Brent Spiner, Denise Crosby and Wil Wheaton aired from 1987 to 1994 and was the longest-running Star Trek series.
Here’s the complete track list of the set:
Disc One: Dennis McCarthy
1. Star Trek: The Next Generation Main Title (3rd Season) Narration: Patrick Stewart (1:49)
Music by Alexander Courage and Jerry Goldsmith, Arr. Dennis McCarthy
Recorded September...
Here’s the complete track list of the set:
Disc One: Dennis McCarthy
1. Star Trek: The Next Generation Main Title (3rd Season) Narration: Patrick Stewart (1:49)
Music by Alexander Courage and Jerry Goldsmith, Arr. Dennis McCarthy
Recorded September...
- 8/8/2011
- by filmmusicreporter
- Film Music Reporter
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