Saturday Night At The Movies

Release me, Pt. 2

By Dennis Hartley

















Although the DVD format has now been thriving for more than a decade, there are still a surprising number of “deep catalogue” titles that remain unreleased. This dearth is not necessarily restricted to foreign, cult and indies, as one might assume. In some cases, I’m sure there are roadblocks due to estate wrangling, music publishing issues, and sundry concerns like profitability (heh), but I suspect the biggest problem is the historical disconnect between the major studio vault keepers and the zeitgeist of true movie buffs.

Thankfully, there are a handful companies who seem to “get it” (Criterion, Anchor Bay, Fantoma, Blue Underground, NoShame, Cult Epics, HVE, Kino, Rhino and New Yorker Video come to mind) but they seem few and far between.

Early in 2007, I posted my top ten “wish list” of films yet to be released on DVD. I’m happy to report that several of those coveted titles have since found their way out of the dusty vaults and into my library (Serial, Ladies And Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains and O Lucky Man! ). However, as it seems to be the karma of the obsessive collector to never be quite sated, I hereby submit my revised and updated “wish list” for your amusement. As always, dear readers, I welcome your annotations, exhortations and condemnations:

Mickey One-This outstanding 1965 film from the late director Arthur Penn stars Warren Beatty as a stand up comic on the run from the mob. A Kafkaesque, noirish vision (filmed in exquisite B&W) that rates in my book as one of the great American art films. Beatty and Penn pooled their talents again in 1967 to produce Bonnie and Clyde . This gem hasn’t even played on cable in years; it’s a damn shame and a real mystery to me. Oddly, the (very cool and jazzy) soundtrack is available, but alas, the film remains MIA.

The Friends of Eddie Coyle-I’ve discussed this lost 70’s noir gem before; Robert Mitchum is at his sleepy-eyed, world-weary best as an aging hood. Great support is on hand from Peter Boyle as a sleazy hit man, and a superlative Richard Jordan as a manipulative Fed. It did air (once) on Cinemax HD recently, but did not appear to be restored or enhanced for 16x9. Criterion is rumored to have secured the rights (no street date); in the meantime, beware of grey market boots that are floating around on websites.

Farewell, My Lovely-OK, so I admit that I have a Mitchum fixation. But this other late-career noir (from 1975) features one of the actor’s finest performances, IMHO. Mitchum turns the hard-boiled Raymond Chandler dialog into something approaching poetry with a kind of conviction and believability that transcends “acting”; he absolutely inhabits Phillip Marlowe. Luscious Charlotte Rampling (who could make a bishop kick a hole in a stained glass window) is a great femme fatale. I would rank this one right up there with Chinatown and L.A. Confidential ) in the pantheon of retro-noirs set in the City of Angels. Keep your eyes peeled for a pre-Rocky Sly Stallone in a bit part as a surly henchman.

The New Age-This overlooked yet brilliant mid-90’s social satire from writer-director Michael Tolkin (The Rapture) takes a brisk stroll through Yuppie Hell. Judy Davis and Peter Weller have great screen chemistry and give ace performances (they had previously worked together to similar effect in David Cronenberg’s Naked Lunch). The film’s real surprise is Adam “Batman” West, who plays an aging lothario with much aplomb.

Stardust-1974 film starring British rocker David Essex is an incisive “rise and fall” portrait of a decadent, self indulgent rock star (isn’t that redundant?) Great acting and fantastic music performances make this one a keeper. The film’s fictional band, “The Stray Cats” features Keith Moon and Dave Edmunds. Some years later, Edmunds produced the debut album for a “real” band who called themselves The Stray Cats (ah, it all has a certain beautiful symmetry to it now, doesn’t it?) The excellent prequel, That'll Be The Day also stars Essex and features one of Ringo Starr’s best screen performances.

The Decline of Western Civilization-Penelope Spheeris’ vital document of the early 80’s L.A. punk rock scene remains curiously unavailable. The official website nebulously promises that DVD versions of this film and its equally compelling sequel (documenting L.A.’s hair metal heyday) are forthcoming and thanks fans for their, um, continued “patience”. There is a third film in the series (which I have not seen) that played festivals in 1998, but has never to my knowledge been released in home format. Box set, please!

Siesta-Even though it dances precariously close to being dismissible as a laughable, pretentious mess, there is still something quite compelling about Mary Lambert’s 1987 variation on Carnival of Souls. I can’t quite put my finger on what that “something” is (OK, it may have something to do with Ellen Barkin appearing throughout in various stages of undress). Seriously though, from a purely cinematic standpoint, it is a beautiful film. Maddeningly perplexing, perhaps, but beautiful. One might even say it’s hauntingly phantasmagoric. And did I mention that Ellen Barkin appears naked? A great supporting cast (Gabriel Byrne, Isabella Rosselini, Julian Sands, Jodie Foster, Martin Sheen, Grace Jones) tries to make sense of it all. C’mon, Criterion…donde esta el amor?

Hearts of the West-You know you’re in for something refreshingly offbeat when a lead character plops himself down into a barber’s chair and requests to have his hair cut to look “just like Zane Grey’s”. Jeff Bridges excels as a Midwestern rube, a wannabe pulp western writer who falls for a mail scam and ends up broke and jobless in 1930s Tinseltown. Serendipity lands him in the movie business, working as a stuntman. Howard Zieff deftly directs this twin valentine to Hollywood’s golden age of screwball comedies and B-westerns. The fantastic ensemble includes Blythe Danner, Andy Griffith, Donald Pleasence and Alan Arkin in a riotous turn as a perpetually apoplectic film director.

Electric Dreams-It’s the oldest story in the world. Shy nerd (Lenny von Dohlen) buys his first computer, discovers that said computer has sentient abilities and the ability to talk. Meanwhile, a beautiful, shy cello player (Virginia Madsen) moves into his apartment building. The nerd and his computer both develop an instant crush and become rivals for her affection. How many times have we heard that one? I see it as sort of a lightweight, good-natured version of Demon Seed. This one is a guilty pleasure for me (and apparently for many others as well, judging from the clamor from Amazon reviewers for a DVD release). It’s pure fluff, but it’s held up very nicely thanks to the absolutely charming performances from the two leads. Bud Cort provides the voice of the computer.

Tampopo-Much of classic Japanese cinema has been well covered in recent years (especially thanks to Criterion), but it beats the shiitake out of me as to why the 10 wonderful films of the late great Juzo Itami have received relatively spotty attention on Region 1 DVD. Tampopo remains my favorite-a “noodle” western disguised as social satire disguised as a romantic comedy. To Itami-san (wherever you are): Gochi so sa ma!

Well, we can’t have those yet (sigh), but just so this post isn’t all gloom, heartbreak and unrequited desire, here’s some good news-a few forthcoming DVD reissues of note.

Just out this week: The Godfather - The Coppola Restoration Gift Set, the much anticipated spiff-up that improves mightily on the somewhat dodgy previous DVD versions (picture and sound were less than stellar). Also, Sony Studios has kicked off their puzzlingly labeled “Martini Classics” series with five titles, including two of my favorite 70s heist movies - The Anderson Tapes and $ (Dollars).

Wait…there’s more! Yasujiro Ozu’s An Autumn Afternoon gets the Criterion treatment and Kino presents F.W. Murnau’s The Last Laugh (both on September 30). On October 7, Criterion will reissue Jean-Pierre Melville’s crime classics Le Deuxième Souffle and .Le Doulos Also on October 7, Universal offers a 2-disc set for Touch Of Evil (50th Anniversary Edition). From Paramount: William Friedkin’s groundbreaking film adaptation of Matt Crowley’s The Boys in the Band finally makes it to disc on November 11. David Lynch fans are sure to get a Tweety-sized tingle up their legs when they check out the goodies in David Lynch The Lime Green Set (out on November 18).

One more thing…I’m still on the fence with the whole Blu-Ray thing; the players remain prohibitively expensive, and average list price for the discs approaches absurdity. Also, the catalogue of Blu-Ray titles has been somewhat limited to LCD Hollywood gristmill fare, and mostly of recent vintage. However, after researching upcoming releases, I glean that the studios are getting smarter and roping in the film buffs by starting to reissue more collectibles (just when I thought I was out, they PULL me back in!) Upcoming on Blu-Ray:

Body Heat(October 7), Dr. No (Oct 22), From Russia with Love (Oct 22), Baraka (October 28), Planet of the Apes 40th Anniversary Collection (November 5), JFK (November 11), The Man Who Fell to Earth (November 18), The Last Emperor (November 18), The Third Man (November 18), Casablanca (December 2), The Day the Earth Stood Still (December 2), Dr. Strangelove (no date set) and Taxi Driver (no date set).


Update:

Natural born world-shaker

By Dennis Hartley



I’m shocked and saddened by the news today about Paul Newman’s passing. Yes, he was 83 years old, and we all know he had been seriously ill for some time, but it was still one of those “Nooooo!!” moments for me. It was also a spooky moment for me, actually. As I was getting ready to go work out at my health club early this morning, I was flipping through the cable channels, and came across Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. (I hadn’t heard the news yet). It’s one of those personal favorites that I always get sucked into, no matter what scene I happen upon. In this case, I tuned in just as Butch, Sundance and Etta were disembarking at the train station in Bolivia. I love that scene (“Aw…he’ll feel a lot better after he’s robbed a couple of banks!”). So there I sat, giggling as if it wasn’t the 250th time I’d watched the film, for 15 minutes before I realized, “Oh yeah, I was just headed out the door.” I’m easily distracted. Anyway, it got my morning off to a great start; as I headed for my truck, I was still chuckling to myself. I switched on the radio, and the very first thing I heard was the NPR host’s solemn announcement. Fuck!

Paul Newman is not only to be admired for leaving behind an impressive array of iconic film roles that truly enriched the art of film acting, but for making so many genuine contributions to humanity in his off-hours. Earlier today on CNN, I caught a phone interview with an obviously choked-up staffer from one of Newman’s Hole in the Wall Camps (for terminally ill children) and it was a much more moving tribute than any collage of film clips could ever be. It’s also worth noting that the donated profits from the “Newman’s Own” food company have translated to over $250,000,000 for charitable organizations. You know-just another one of those typical Democratic Hollywood lefties.

Newman was one of those actors who made it all look so easy; you couldn’t detect the “method”, as it were. He “inhabited” his characters, and you never doubted that you were observing a real flesh-and-blood human being up on that screen. Even when he was playing larger than life characters, he always managed to keep it real and down-to-earth.

It’s difficult to narrow down my favorite Newman movies; no matter how good or bad the film around him was, I never met a Paul Newman performance that I didn’t like. But if I had to cough up a “Top 10” list of what I would personally consider his greatest performances on short notice, it would probably include (in chronological career order):

Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958), The Hustler (1961), Hud (1963), Harper (1966), Cool Hand Luke (1967), Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), The Sting (1973), Slap Shot (1977), The Verdict (1982).

Also, here’s “10 more”; some Newman sleepers I would recommend, films that most obits will likely fail to mention but which are still worth seeking out:

Paris Blues, The Secret War of Harry Frigg, WUSA, Sometimes a Great Notion, The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean, Pocket Money, Buffalo Bill and the Indians or Sitting Bull’s History Lesson, Fat Man and Little Boy, Nobody’s Fool, Twilight.

I think I’ll leave the final words of farewell to Cool Hand Luke’s best pal, “Dragline”.

“He was smiling... That's right. You know, that, that Luke smile of his. He
had it on his face right to the very end. Hell, if they didn't know it 'fore,
they could tell right then that they weren't a-gonna beat him. That old Luke
smile. Oh, Luke. He was some boy. Cool Hand Luke. Hell, he's a natural-born
world-shaker.”



We’ll keep “shakin’ that world” in your memory, Mr. Newman. I’m pretty sure somebody up there likes you.


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