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Posted on 08.05.09 by David @ 8:09 am
From August 7-14, starting this Friday, the Anthology Film Archives in New York will present a series of 1970s crime/action films, curated by William Lustig of Maniac Cop and Blue Underground fame, all produced by Hollywood during its more grubby, adventurous days. None are available on US DVD and most have become quite obscure over the years, so this is a rare chance to not only see them, but to see them on the big screen.  A few of the films I’ve seen before and few I’ve now seen for the first time. Here are some of the films to look forward to (press release with full details follows): The Outside Man (1972) The Outside Man (also known by its French title, “A Man is Dead“) is one of the earlier examples of what I tend to think of as “The Killer” plot – a hit man who finds himself hunted by his own employers after fulfilling a contract. In this case, the killer, and eponymous “outside man,” is Lucien, a French contractor brought to America to whack the head of a Los Angeles crime organization and immediately betrayed by his employers (whose identity should be obvious within the first 10 minutes). In LA, Lucien is pursued by ferocious American killer Roy Scheider and assisted by topless waitress and party girl Nancy (Ann-Margret, utilized primarily as a cleavage-delivery device). Like its protagonist, The Outside Man is an odd duck. Lucien, as played by Jean-Louis Trintignant, is cold and unlikable - the hero by default only. Frankly, I was rooting for Scheider’s character. However, the emphasis is less on Lucien’s predicament and his efforts to save himself than on his surroundings. Lucien is a man completely out of place, nonplussed by the cultural mores of seventies Los Angeles. Seedy bars and motels are ubiquitous, and Lucien seems as confounded by his encounters with bikers, proselytizers and single moms as he does by the assassination attempts on him. In a particularly clever touch, Jacques Deray, a second-tier but talented director of French crime films (Borsalino & Co., Flic Story) constantly inserts televisions into the frame, contrasting their down-to-earth reality with the fantastic elements of the plot. Overall, it is an unexpected approach to a largely played-out subgenre, and elevates the material considerably. Filed under: Movie News and Movie News: USA and Contributors: David and Venues: Anthology Film Archives and People: William Lustig Comments: 1 Comment |
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Posted on 08.12.08 by David @ 8:49 am
A scene from William Lustig’s Vigilante, starring Fred Williamson and Robert Forster. Vigilante is playing on August 23 and August 24 as part of the Anthology Film Archive’s “New York City Vigilantes” series of films, featuring Abel Ferrara’s rare Ms. 45, Michael Winner’s original Death Wish, and William Lustig’s Vigilante and Maniac Cop 1 and 2. (And, by the way, after you’ve enjoyed this series, make sure to check out Winner’s Death Wish 3, not exactly a good film, but one of the wackiest, campiest, most unapologetically violent pieces of 80’s trash cinema ever to grace a big or small screen.) More detailed information on the program below: Filed under: Movie News and Movie News: USA and Movie Image and People: Fred Williamson and People: Charles Bronson and Venues: Anthology Film Archives and People: William Lustig and People: Abel Ferrara Comments: None |
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Posted on 08.10.08 by David @ 3:47 pm
I just learned that Isaac Hayes has died at the age of 65. Hayes was an incredible talent, from his funk-inflected soundtracks to his soulful records for Stax Records. Look no further than the incredible Hot Buttered Soul and the soundtrack for Shaft for proof. Hayes also put his basso voice and imposing physique to use outside of the realm of pure music as characters in films like Truck Turner and shows like South Park. After all, how many men can pull off a shirt made entirely of gold chains. Truly, though, his screen legacy (Shaft aside) pales before the musical - tracks like “Walk on By,” “Soulsville,” “One Woman” and “I Stand Accused” will live on forever. Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll have some terrific images of Isaac, and you better believe that “Walk on By” is going to be getting a lot of play in my personal player (though it usually does anyway). Filed under: Movie News and Movie News: USA and Movie News: Obituaries Comments: None |
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Posted on 05.13.08 by David @ 5:01 pm
Just what the world always needed: Nicholas Cage whacking off on the side of a car while Werner Herzog holds a gun to his head. (We kid because we love, Werner.) ::: Nicolas Cage to star in ‘Bad Lieutenant’ Filed under: Movie News and Movie News: USA and People: Werner Herzog and People: Abel Ferrara Comments: None |
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Posted on 01.28.08 by David @ 10:02 am
Though I would have liked to see Peter Jackson direct a film adaptation of The Hobbit, Guillermo Del Toro is about as good a second choice as I could have asked for. I think Del Toro has proven he can combine epic scope with an intensely personal tale in the manner The Hobbit requires, and has the ability to tell what is essentially more of a children’s tale with adult heft (The flavor of The Hobbit is significantly different than The Lord of the Rings, an intentionally more mature work). Filed under: Movie News and Movie News: USA and People: Peter Jackson and Studios: New Line Cinema and People: Guillermo del Toro Comments: 1 Comment |
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Posted on 01.22.08 by David @ 4:51 pm
Nothing too surprising or too appalling. The Best Picture nominees are: Atonement No Country still seems to be positioned as the one to beat, which is fine with me. Frankly, it’s the best Coen Brothers film since The Big Lebowski, and would be an interesting choice for the Academy. There Will Be Blood has engendered more mixed feelings in the CSB crew. Overall, though, it is a fairly respectable field. For once, there is nothing in the final five that I can’t bear to watch or find completely embarassing to the entire process. The final line-up of Best Foreign Film contenders remains to be determined. On the shortlist are: The Counterfeiters (Austria); Beaufort (Israel); The Year My Parents Went On Vacation (Brazil); Days of Darkness (Canada); The Unknown (Italy); Mongol (Kazakhstan); Katyn (Poland); 12 (Russia); and The Trap (Serbia). Most conspicuously missing in action from my perspective is Czech director Jiri Menzel’s wonderful I Served the King of England. Persepolis did make the Best Animated Feature list after getting the shaft for Best Foreign Film, along with Ratatouille and Surf’s Up, which is apparently one of those penguin films (fortunately, I have another year or so until my daughter’s old enough that I have to start knowing). I am still annoyed that Paprika got shut out last year, and apparently consensus is that Ratatouille will sweep, so I really can’t get interested in the race. The remaining major nominations are as follows: Filed under: Movie News and Movie News: USA Comments: None |
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Posted on 10.03.07 by Charlie @ 8:14 pm
 We’re delighted to report that the excellent documentary Toots, which played at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival (click here to see our review from the festival) has been extended another week at theaters in New York City (its third extension). The film tells the story of New York bar-owning legend Toots Shor. He learned the bar business during the prohibition era, and when that came to an end, he opened what came to be one of the most legendary bar “scenes” in New York history — where regular New Yorkers would bump elbows on a nightly basis with players from the New York Yankees, TV and movie stars, politicians, journalists — you name it. One of my favorite stories from the film ended up with Jackie Gleason passed out — the victim of some kind of drinking game — right in front of the door as you walked into the bar, where Toots made sure he remained undisturbed for hours so that everyone would see him. It’s hard to imagine that today, and part of the fun of Toots is being whisked away to that other era. I’m sure the theatrical run promises a DVD release in the near future, but for those looking for a fun documentary about old New York, we suggest you check out Toots while it’s still playing in theaters. Filed under: General and Movie News and Movie News: USA and Film Festivals: Tribeca Film Festival 2006 Comments: 2 Comments |
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Posted on 09.07.07 by David @ 10:34 am
Filed under: General and Movie News and Movie News: USA Comments: 2 Comments |
Much as Pirates of the Caribbean begat “Pirate Master,” the success of the Transformers movie (the new one, not the good one) has begat big screen adaptations of Robotech and Voltron, two other Japanese imports about giant robots. Warner Brothers has licensed Robotech with Toby Maguire in the pilot’s seat as actor and producer, while Regency has nabbed Voltron.|
Posted on 08.24.07 by David @ 10:02 am
::: “Lust” too hot for Hollywood censors Filed under: Movie News and Movie News: Hong Kong and Movie News: USA and Movie News: China and People: Tony Leung Chiu-wai and People: Ang Lee Comments: None |
Ang Lee’s espionage and patriotism film “Lust, Caution,” set during the Japanese-occupation of China and following the attempt of a young woman to assassinate an amorous official, has been hit with an NC-17. Apparently stars Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Tang Fei exchange a few more pelvic thrusts than are approved of by the MPAA. As we all know, MPAA members are strictly forbidden from exchanging in more than 2-3 pelvic thrusts per sex act with their spouses and lovers.|
Posted on 08.10.07 by David @ 2:20 pm
 No offense to any fans of the Steve Martin-Pink Panther remakes (should any such persons exist), but this is not how I’d hoped Ash would break into Hollywood. It is a good opportunity for a gratuitous shot of the beautiful Ms. Rai though. ::: Bollywood’s Ash to star in Pink Panther -report Filed under: General and Movie News and Movie News: Bollywood and Movie News: USA and Movie News: India and People: Aishwarya Rai Comments: 1 Comment |
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Posted on 05.30.07 by Blake @ 7:25 am
 ::: Regal Guest Response System Offered in 114 Theatres ::: Theaters arm customers against cell phones My ideal guest response system for movie theatres would be onstaff bouncers. Stopping short of that but still promising, Regal Entertainment Group has rolled out in 114 movie theatres its own Guest Response System to combat rude moviegoers and help to keep theater managers aware of any technical problems with a films presentation. Select moviegoers in this program at one of the theaters get a little walkie talkie device where at anytime they can press four little buttons to notify the manager on duty of issues with: picture, sound, piracy or “other dis-turbance.” Filed under: Movie News and Movie News: USA Comments: 1 Comment |
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Posted on 05.20.07 by David @ 6:38 am
The rumored venture between Mexican directors Guillermo del Toro (The Devil’s Backbone, Pan’s Labyrinth), Alfonso Cuaron (Children of Men, Y Tu Mama Tambien) and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (Amores Perros, Babel) has been finalized. Riding an Oscar wave, the three have signed a $100 million deal to produce five films for Universal, some in English and some in Spanish and (calling themselves Cha Cha Cha, an Amazing Race shout-out, perhaps?). Universal has released a predictably smarmy statement about how “[t]hese filmmakers truly represent the importance of cultural diversity for the global audience,” but I think we can all agree that the real reason to be excited is the real reason why this deal happened - these guys have more talent than they know what to do with, and we can expect great things if even one or two of these films meet their potential. ::: Mexican directors ink $100M studio deal Filed under: Movie News and Movie News: USA and Studios: Universal Pictures and People: Guillermo del Toro and People: Alfonso Cuarón and People: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and Movie News: Mexico Comments: None |
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Posted on 05.09.07 by Blake @ 12:59 pm
  With his biting black humor, minimalist storytelling, and character-driven tales about slackers, director Nobuhiro Yamashita has been a recent Cinema Strikes Back favorite (previous coverage here). At the recent AFI Dallas Film Festival, correspondent Blake Ethridge had the chance to catch up with him and discuss “Linda Linda Linda“, his upcoming film “The Matsugane Potshot Affair“, his segment in “Ten Dreamy Nights“, as well as to see if he had finally been able to see Richard Linklater’s “Slacker” (a film to which people have always drawn thematic comparisons). “Linda Linda Linda” incidentally is now out on US Region 1 DVD courtesy of Viz Media (www.viz-pictures.com). Filed under: Movie News and Movie News: Japan and Movie News: USA and DVD News and DVD News: USA and Contributors: Blake and Film Festivals: News and Movie News: Interviews and Film Festivals: AFI Dallas and People: Nobuhiro Yamashita and Movies: Linda Linda Linda (2005) and Movies: The Matsugane Potshot Affair (2006) and Movies: Tennen kokekkô (2007) and DVD Companies: Viz Media Comments: 2 Comments |
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Posted on 04.19.07 by Charlie @ 11:32 pm
Ever since seeing Street Thief, an excellent, gritty crime film from last year’s Tribeca Film Festival, I have been anxiously awaiting news of its distribution. As noted in our review from when it screened, it generated a lot of controversy at the festival because it claimed to be a “filmed record” of the committing of real crimes, of which the director had something that came close to first-hand knowledge of, though the details were always kept fuzzy. At the time of the festival, either as high-level hype or because it was true, there was talk of legal battles, and possible real-life arrests of people involved in the film, which seemed to lend credibility to the film’s claim. This possibility seemed all the more real when the film’s website disappeared, and for months (nearly a year) we didn’t hear any information on what was happening with the film. I began to worry that one of the most interesting films from last year’s Tribeca Fest wasn’t going to make the cut! Which makes today’s news all the more exciting. As part of my periodic search, tonight I found this encouraging link, which indicates the film is set to air on A&E on June 21st, 9pm, which other links indicate will be followed by a dvd release. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the link (which appears to be selling ad space for the initial airing) presents the same story that star/director Malik Bader conveyed at the festival: “Viewers will meet Kaspar Carr, a fictional character created by director Malik Bader, but based on Bader’s real-life experiences and observations.” No doubt this will generate a new round of controversy. There are several articles claiming the film was initially set to screen earlier (variously, in March, April, June, etc. Here’s one example). But this new date is listed on Time Warner’s website, and so is probably the real thing. Currently there is no confirmation of this up at A&E’s website. The film is reported to be under A&E’s IndieFilms banner, which has also released such well-known films as Murderball, Rock School and Jesus Camp. I know most of you have not seen this film, but trust me on this one — if you like crime films, mark your calendar for June 21st, and let’s all cross our fingers and hope that the rumors are true. Filed under: Movie News and Movie News: USA and DVD News and Contributors: Charlie and Film Festivals: Tribeca Film Festival 2006 Comments: 3 Comments |
Posted on 04.14.07 by David @ 5:20 am
 A publicity shot of Barry Nelson for “My Favorite Husband” – the TV series he toplined the year before playing Bond. In addition to roles in classics like The Shining, and “classics” like Airport, Nelson originated the role of James Bond in CBS’s early adaptation of “Casino Royale.” For more, see Mike Malloy’s article - “Royale ’54: How the Original 007 was Saved from Oblivion (as told by the people who saved him).” ::: Barry Nelson, Broadway and Film Actor, Dies at 86 Filed under: Movie News and Movie News: USA and Movie News: UK and Movie News: Obituaries and Movies: Casino Royale (2006) Comments: None |
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