GIANT FROM THE UNKNOWN -Film Detective Blu Ray

GIANT FROM THE UNKNOWN (Film Detective Blu Ray)    

Original theatrical Release: Astor Pictures March ,1958 B&W 77 min.

The Film Detective release Jan 19, 2021  Region A  $24.95  https://www.amazon.com/Giant-New-4KRestored-Version-Blu-ray/dp/B08KJ66H5B/ref=sr_1_2?crid=20MY9UTNI5XR2&dchild=1&keywords=giant+from+the+unknown+blu+ray&qid=1608513823&s=movies-tv&sprefix=giant+fr%2Caps%2C177&sr=1-2

Also available on DVD $19.95  https://www.amazon.com/Giant-New-4k-Restored-Version/dp/B08KJ66H59/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=giant+from+the+unknown+dvd&qid=1608513856&s=movies-tv&sr=1-1

Film Detective has released some interesting films of late. Their copy of THE VAMPIRE BAT (https://www.amazon.com/Vampire-Bat-Special-Detective-Restored/dp/B01LTIAUJ2/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1LKAB9WDI072G&dchild=1&keywords=vampire+bat+blu+ray&qid=1608514341&sprefix=vampire+bat+blu+r%2Cmovies-tv%2C154&sr=8-1 ) recreated the color sequences to the independent Majestic Pictures 1933 release .

Now Film Detective has given the 4K cleanup restoration to GIANT FROM THE UNKNOWN.  G.F.T.U. was a low budget quickie that came and went to theatres back in 1958. It was often a co-bill with SHE-DEMONS, another Astor Picture, both directed by Richard E. Cunha (1922-2005). Cunha also directed two other Astor horror flicks that year, FRANKENSTEIN’S DAUGHTER and MISSLE TO THE MOON.

G.F.T.U. is most notable today for it being one of the low budget films that make-up genius Jack Pierce worked upon after Universal International booted him from the studio in 1946. The man who created the definitive look of Frankenstein’s creation was now working on films shot with extraordinarily little resources and less time for creative experimentation. Pierce’s output for 1958 included applying hair to 51-year-old stuntman Gil Perkins to turn him into the TEENAGE MONSTER (Howco,1958) as well as the fuller’s earth coating of 6’ 6” actor Buddy Baer for G.F.T.U.

51 year old teenage monster

The plot: A series of animal mutilations have recently happened in an area called Devil’s Crag (one of the working titles for the film were “Giant of Devil’s Crag “) and now a local known as old man Harold Banks (an inside joke, as that was the name of the picture’s special effects man, as well as visual effects on MISSLE TO THE MOON) has been found murdered.  

The body is brought into town by Sheriff Parker (western star Bob Steele, who had portrayed Curly in the classic OF MICE AND MEN, Hal Roach, 1939) The townspeople talk of the area being cursed, and Indian Joe (western actor Billy Dix, in a wig. Dix also had a small part as a storm trooper in SHE DEMONS.) talks about the area being a burial ground for his ancestor and talks of the curse.

Sheriff Parker goes to Geologist Wayne Brooks (Ed Kemmer ,who had starred in the ABC-TV science fiction classic SPACE PATROL from 1950-5. In 1958, he also headlined Bert I. Gordon’s THE SPIDER, AIP) who has been working in the area. Brooks is also a suspect since it seems he did not get along with the late Banks.

Brooks becomes friends with Professor Cleveland (Morris Ankrum, HOW TO MAKE A MONSTER, AIP, 1958, as well as a gruff military type in many 1950s sci fi films), an archeologist, and his daughter Janet (Sally Fraser, WAR OF THE COLOSSAL BEAST, AIP,1958, as well as THE SPIDER, both for Bert I Gordon). Both had arrived when the townsfolk were discussing the murder of Banks as well.

Cleveland has been studying the history of the area to a group of Spanish Conquistadors led by Vargas (Baer). Vargas, a giant of a man, was a violent man who broke away from the main expedition and vanished with a few followers up in the Devil’s Crag some 500 years ago. Meanwhile, Brooks makes an amazing discovery about the soil in the area, wherein he finds a lizard long thought extinct preserved and alive. He theorizes that the soil induces a sort of suspended animation and preserves living creatures.

Having found an old broken cross that he believes is from Vargas’ party, they use a metal detector to search the area for other artifacts. Janet is the one who finds the location of the burial area of the lost Spaniards. A thunderstorm comes through and freshly cleared soil shows more of that preservative dirt that saved the lizard, as well as spotting a giant battle axe. They decide to retire to their camp site for the night and investigate further in the morning.

During the night, Vargas comes alive, and stumbles down to their campsite. Janet, however, has a gun with her, which she fires off, startling the giant. The man out of his time goes staggering off, only to find other victims.

The film has a lot of plot and continuity errors.  We hear of animal mutilations and the murder of Banks as the film begins, but Vargas is not shown rising from the earth until 36 minutes into the 77-minute film. Who then was responsible for the killings before Vargas arises?  During a climatic fight, it begins snowing but in certain shots there is no snow, etc.  The joys of low budget filmmaking. The budget for the film was $54,000 for a six-day shoot, so retakes and time are not luxuries afforded to indie filmmakers. The budget was 30K on hand as well as $24K deferred. That includes renting locations, transport, feeding, housing, as well as film stock, cast and crew salaries, plus optical effects costumes and makeup.

The film has long since slipped into public domain and thus has been seen in prints on television and home video releases varying from good to very scratchy and splice ridden.

Now, FILM DETECTIVE has gotten the original camera negative and made a brand new 4 K transfer. The print is incredibly sharp, complimenting director Cunha’s photography (he did double duty on the picture).

They also have provided yellow easy to read optional subtitles, though there are a few misspellings in the extras section (the director’s name, for instance, or Grauman’s Chinese Theatre).

Other extras with this blu ray release are

A running audio commentary by Tom Weaver, filmmaker, and film fan/filmmaker Larry Blamire (LOST SKELTON OF CADAVRA, Columbia, 2001, inspired by films like G.F.T.U.). Weaver reveals a personal connection to this film, and the kindness that the filmmakers bestowed upon him. The commentary also uses audio clips of the late filmmaker, and some sound effects that seem influenced by Ghoulardi.

A second running commentary with co-star Gary Crutcher, who has fond memories of his first film role some sixty-two years later.

Ballyhoo Motion Pictures provides two new featurettes.

The first is YOU’RE A B-MOVIE STAR, CHARLIE BROWN -an interview by Daniel Griffith with co star Gary Crutcher, covering some of the same territory as his running commentary, but fascinating and fun, nonetheless.

THE MAN WITH A BADGE: BOB STEELE IN THE 1950s- C. Courtney Joyner (screenwriter of PRISON, Empire ,1987) and how big a deal it was to have Steele (January 23, 1907 – December 21, 1988) in this film. 

from F TROOP -1965-7.WB-TV

A Booklet enclosed inside the disc case written by Tom Weaver about the making of the picture with some nice photos.

If you love 1950s B movies, this looks to be a must have to add to your collection.

Film Detective has truly gone all out on this one.

ONLY 1,500 copies pressed.

Do not miss out!!

–Kevin G Shinnick

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnu-FnKoIVk&feature=emb_logo

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THE OTHER SIDE OF MADNESS -Film Detective Blu Ray

THE OTHER SIDE OF MADNESS (1971) Film Detective. Release November 13,2020. B&W. 81 minutes. Region A.

Ltd Edition (1,500 copies) Blu Ray $29.99 https://www.amazon.com/Other-Side-Madness-BONUS-Blu-ray/dp/B08HGPPRRS/ref=sr_1_2?crid=22CB1CDJH7Z7V&dchild=1&keywords=the+other+side+of+madness+blu+ray&qid=1606010306&sprefix=the+other+side+of+madness%2Caps%2C168&sr=8-2

DVD $21.95 https://www.amazon.com/Other-Side-Madness-BONUS-CD/dp/B08HGRZRJ9/ref=tmm_dvd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1601923760&sr=1-1

Back before we had non stop reality show and true crime recreations , including entire T.V. networks and podcasts dedicated to same, there were a lot of films released in the late 1960’s and 1970’s that dealt with shocking murders, a few being made by Hollywood, but more often rushed and amateurish , concentrating on salacious details to pad out the running time, or just making things up around the few details that were known at the time.

THE BOSTON STRANGLER (Fox,1968) and IN COLD BLOOD (Columbia,1967) were two of the big budget studio pictures that set the tone about true crime recreations, having the benefit of big budgets and major studio backing. Independent filmmakers were not going to leave such a profitable subgenre go unmined.

THE ZODIAC KILLER (Adventure ,1971, which has been restored and released on Blu Ray by AGFA/Something Weird) was made with the idea that it might even capture the infamous murderer , making it quite unique , though wildly conjectured . GUYANA: CRIME OF THE CENTURY (1979) was another quite inaccurate and exploitive film based upon the Jim Jones/Jonestown massacre, that got distribution by a major studio (Universal).

Somewhat in between is THE OTHER SIDE OF MADNESS, now being released on DVD and Blu Ray by Film Detective in a 50th Anniversary Edition. The film was possibly the first* to deal directly with the Charles Manson cult , the savage murder of a pregnant Sharon Tate and four others in her home, and then two other murders soon after ( all taking place between August 8-10,1969). So savage and senseless were the killings , that it became an international fixation on the police search and eventual arrest and trials of Charles Milles Manson (né Maddox) and his insane cult followers.

Manson had spent at least half of his life in and out of institutions, he ended up in California in 1967. The changing mores and the urge of many to question authority as well as explore alternative ideas was perfect for a con artist like Manson. People who feel adrift often join gangs or cults to feel that they belong to something greater than themselves, and Manson was obviously able to convince several people, mostly women, that he was the solution.

Manson’s dogma was a Doomsday Cult that would result in a Race War (Manson was a White Supremacist), that would somehow end up with Manson and his true believers leading the remnants of the human race. A failed musician, he read dark meaning into the Beatles song ‘Helter-Skelter”. In British English, a helter- skelter is a fairground attraction consisting of a tall spiral slide winding round a tower, but the phrase can also mean chaos and disorder . The murders were supposed to start the war. Later, Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme, another cult member tried and luckily failed to assassinate President Gerald Ford.

On July 15, 1970, the trials of Manson, Leslie Van Houten, Susan Arkins and Patricia Krenwinkel began (Tex Watson was tried later). One of the people who was fascinated by the case and attended the actual trials was producer /film collector Wade Williams. Williams was so fascinated by the case that he somehow even got to interview Manson in prison, even buying the rights to two of his songs. He chose first time director Frank Howard(who also was the cinematographer and editor on this, his only credit) to helm the script written by J.J. Wilke Jr. (screenplay), Duke Howzer (additional dialogue). They gathered a cast of unknowns for whom the majority that this film would also be their only known film credit.

The film was shot in black and white to give it the look of a documentary, as had been used in IN COLD BLOOD or THE HONEYMOON KILLERS (Cinerama, 1970). The film chooses to jump back and forth from the courtroom (using actual court transcripts) to the events leading up to the murders, wherein Manson gathers his followers. There is a surreal moment wherein we are shown what to expect when the projected race war happens, with black militants murdering everyone in the suburbs(one wonders if this film was viewed by donald trump ?) , but it is rather clumsily staged.

The director fades into color for a brief sequence about Sharon Tate’s acting career. The costumes used are obviously referencing Polanski’s THE FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS (MGM ,1967). Interestingly, since the trials were still going on while the film was being made, the real names were not used , and thus Tate is only referred to as ‘The Starlet “. Debbie Duff, the actress who portrayed her, certainly has a resemblance to Sharon Tate. Duff is one of the few performers who had more than one credit (HONKY, Getty & Fromkess Pictures Corp,1971). The name Charlie is used several times, though actor Brian Klinknett (who appeared in SLIME TOWN BLUES, NB Releasing,1974) is only referred to as “Killer “in the credits.

Debbie Duff

Sharon Tate

The actual murders, which, while not gory, are staged with almost fetishistic attention to details. The poor acting detracts from the frisson that the film works so hard to create. One character, after escaping from his bonds, stiffly walks toward the insane killers saying, ‘What the hell is going on?” before being shot dead is a prime example. The film often has stretches without dialogue (which, given how bad some of the actors are, is a bit of a blessing), with the court room scenes doing most of the heavy lifting in that area.

Much of the score is by Sean Bonniwell ,but Charles Manson himself is heard singing his composition “Mechanical Man “, a monotonic recitation with twangy guitar joined halfway through by mournful chanting ,showing Manson was also delusional about his dreams of being a rock star. The new Film Detective release has a bonus CD of “Mechanical Man “and “Garbage Dump” for you to listen apart from the film to judge for yourself.


The film ends with a credit crawl that makes one think of REEFER MADNESS (G& H, 1936) with its warning about the need to control drugs, which completely avoids the complexity of cults.

In a 1970 Box Office article, producer Williams stated that the film was in post-production for a November ,1970 release. The film’s production company, Auric Ltd, had announced it would be in “Auramation”, a “special cellular film treatment designed to heighten or depress the emotions …by subliminal monochromatic suggestions.”. Checking out the Blu-Ray, I saw no subliminal effects, so it may have been either ballyhoo or dropped.

Of note is that some parts of the film were shot on the actual Spahn Movie Ranch, where the Manson Cult had lived from 1968-69. Indeed, some of the remaining Manson followers appear in the footage. Shortly after the scenes were shot, the Spahn Ranch burnt to the ground. The ranch, established in 1947, had been used in several films, including THE CREEPING TERROR (Crown Int.,1964). Spahn was 80 years old, going blind and living at his ranch when he allowed the Manson Family to move in, rent-free, in exchange for labor .He was unaware of their nefarious activities.

The film was submitted to the MPAA in October ,1971 and slapped with an “X’ rating. To give it a chance for wider distribution, some further cuts were made to the film, garnering a re-release an R Rating. No record of what was cut, but the film went from an announced 91 minutes at a Cannes screening to its present length of 81. The film’s original rating may have hurt its box office originally, so the later R rating probably was too little too late. In 1976, the film was retitled as THE HELTER SKELTER MURDERS. For a time, the film was banned outright in Los Angeles.

Released theatrically by Prestige Pictures (BLACKENSTEIN,1973), it sat virtually unseen after it is 1976 reissue until the ever- hungry video market was born, which was desperate for product, any product. Media Home Entertainment released it on VHS as THE HELTER-SKELTER MURDERS (1989) before Wade Williams took it back, releasing it on his Englewood Entertainment label in both VHS and DVD.

Now, Film Detective has made a new deal with Wade Williams to release his vast library in brand new restored versions for the current DVD /BLU RAY market. THE OTHER SIDE OF MADNESS is their first release to mark it is 50th Anniversary in 2021.

First off, they have gone back to the original 35mm camera negative, they have given a clean up and a new 4K transfer that is a vast improvement over the previous home video releases. Sound is in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional subtitles are available in either English or Spanish.

Then there are the extras

There is the already mentioned CD of Manson performing “Mechanical Man” & “Garbage Dump”, taken from the original 7” vinyl soundtrack.

Ballyhoo Motion Pictures has created two original featurettes for this release:

– ‘The Other Side of Manson: An Interview with Producer Wade Williams”-an interview with the producer.

Wade Williams with Martin Scorsese

– “Mechanical Man: Wade Williams Meets Manson” – the story of how he got to have a meeting with the madman.

Two Trailers: the original release and as THE HELTER SKELTER MURDERS.

A 12-page booklet packed in the case with liner notes by filmmaker Alexander Tuschinski (MISSION CALIGULA ,2018) examining the film and its history.

THE OTHER SIDE OF MADNESS is of interest to those who wish to study the infamous history of Manson and his followers, especially from the context of it’s closeness to the actual crimes and trials, as well as use of actual songs by the master monster himself and footage of the Spahn Ranch.

-Kevin G Shinnick


*-A film called THE COMMUNE (1970) was purportedly the first to deal with the actual crimes, but I can find no information about this picture .

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THE SIN OF NORA MORAN (Film Detective Blu Ray)

THE SIN OF NORA MORAN (Film Detective Blu Ray and DVD. July 29,2020) Film original release December 13,1933(US). Produced by Majestic Pictures. Crime /Drama. B&W. 65 minutes. With 20 Minutes of Special Features. Blu-Ray $24.99. DVD $19.99. https://www.moviezyng.com/the-sin-of-nora-moran-bluray-dvd-zita-johann/810044715644

THE SIN OF NORA MORAN is a pre-code above average programmer probably mostly known for it’s beautiful poster by Alberto Vargas. The beautiful artwork really has nothing to do with the film, but oh does it draw your interest.

That said, THE SIN OF NORA MORAN is an entertaining drama from the early 1930s. At times, while watching it, I kept thinking of I WANT TO LIVE (U.A.,1958). The film is told in flashback form to tell the tragic story of Nora, played by Broadway actress Zita Johann. This was one of the seven films that she made between 1931-34, the best known being THE MUMMY (Universal,1932).

Nora ‘s early life was filled with tragedy, so when the star struck woman gets the chance to join the circus as part of a lion taming act for Paulino (John Miljan) she accepts. Paulino is a sadistic bastard, whose act it seems to consist of whipping and even punching a lion! It is no surprise then that Paulino is not above raping the poor woman. She survives and goes onto becoming a dancer in a small night club. There, she meets D.A. John Grant (Alan Dinehart). Things look like they are going better for her at last. Alas, it was not to be. It seems that Nora will die because of love.

The film is very daring for the period, with a woman who seems to be suffering from the aftereffects of the sexual attack upon her. Add to that, the unique jumping from present to past and back again in telling her story is quite unique. It had been done before (Griffith’s INTOLERANCE, Triangle, 1916) but very rarely, and I cannot recall any other sound films of that period doing so. The Griffith connection continues with the casting of with Griffith regular Henry B Walthall as Father Ryan, as well as Johann herself who appeared in THE STRUGGLE (U.A. ,1931).

 

Writer Willis Maxwell Goodhue had written several Broadway shows, mostly comedies. The film claims to have been based upon a Broadway play, but I can find no record of it playing upon the Great White Way. I suspect it is based upon an unproduced script of his called “Burnt Offering”. Filmed under the title of THE WOMAN IN THE CHAIR, its publicity claimed that it took five months to make the picture, a claim that I find a bit hard to believe. KING KONG (RKO,1933) took EIGHT MONTHS to make, and that was due to its extensive effects.

Majestic Pictures was a poverty row studio that was active from 1930 until 1935, when it and several other studios were absorbed into Republic Pictures. During their time, they produced THE VAMPIRE BAT (1933), perhaps their best-known picture, as well as THE SCARLET LETTER (1934). Larry Darmour, the founder of Majestic, had begun releasing the Mickey McGuire shorts in 1927, starring an incredibly young Mickey Rooney. After Majestic folded, Darmour went on to take over Columbia Pictures serial unit from 1938 until her passing in 1942.

Producer /Director Phil Goldstone worked in the industry from 1920 until 1942. His best-known contributions were as a producer for both WHITE ZOMBIE (uncredited; Halperin/ UA ,1932) and THE VAMPIRE BAT (Majestic ,1933). His most infamous title as director seems to be DAMAGED GOODS (Grand National,1937), a film about sexually transmitted diseases.

It is therefore quite surprising to witness his adventurous camera set ups and editing tricks of playing around with the timeline as he does. A scene near the end reminds one of Hitchcock whereas we see from a character’s point of view as he commits suicide by pistol (though not as successfully as the Master, it is indeed impressive for a small indie of the period).

The film fell into obscurity for many decades until film historian and filmmaker Sam Sherman (editor of the late lamented SCREEN THRILLS ILLUSTRATED ,and head of Independent International Pictures) was shown a 16mm print of THE SIN OF NORA MORAN and became fascinated with the picture. He even went so far as to get a print for himself and tracked down the lead Zita Johann, who was at that point already retired and living in West Nyack NY. She herself did not care for the film’s playing with time, preferring the original straightforward narrative that had been planned. Over time she began to appreciate the ambition of style that the film possessed. She even briefly came out of retirement to appear in a cameo in one of Sherman’s I.I. titles. Sherman also was able to repackage the film under a new title for tv distribution, VOICE FROM THE GRAVE, making it sound more like a horror film.

Now, thanks to Sam Sherman, film preservationist David Shepard, The Film Detective, and the UCLA FILM & TELEVISION ARCHIVE, an original 35 mm camera element was found, and a new 4K print was struck.

This release from The Film Detective is the definitive version of this film. Unlike other prints found elsewhere, the film is incredibly sharp and clear. The cinematography by Ira H. Morgan (who also filmed THE DEVIL BAT and DAMAGED GOODS, as well as working on Chaplin’s MODERN TIMES(!) (U.A.,1936) is as clear as many a major production of the era, with strong blacks and clear levels of gray shadings. The mono sound has been cleaned up and was as far as I noticed crackle free. Dialogue, sound effects and music did not blur or overpower each other as many indie films of the period do.

There are optional English subtitles for the dialogue.

The music by Heinz Roemheld is uncredited. In fact ,it seems that for most of his career, his music was written for stock music libraries ,being used into films into the 1960s. One of the films he did receive screen credit was for THE MONSTER THAT CHALLENGED THE WORLD (U.A.,1957) . The unusual thing about his score here is that it is used throughout the films entire 65 minutes running time.

Many films of that period were still coping with sound, and many used music sparingly, if at all. KING KONG (RKO,1933) was a major film that same year that showed a running musical score could work with a film’s storytelling.

Roemheld’s score is no where near as memorable as Max Steiner’s classic compositions. Indeed, at times it sounds a bit like music one would hear in an Our Gang short of the period, especially in a sentimental moment. At other times, it is quite sparse and effective.

As a bonus on the disc, Ballyhoo Pictures put together a nice 20 minute documentary, ‘The Mysterious Life of Zita Johann” (“mysterious” being misspelled on the back cover of the case )wherein Samuel M. Sherman talks about Johann and his connection to the film and the actress.

Inside the case there is also a booklet written by Sherman and illustrated with some rare movie clippings, lobby cards and photos.

 

All and all, a nice little collectable of a by gone era of filmmaking.

 

 

If that is not enough, for the limited edition blu ray release (1500 copies) ,within one of the packages will be a special certificate for one lucky purchaser to win a free 27” x 41” hand pulled lithograph of the Vargas poster , printed on Coventry 100% cotton archival paper with a certificate of authenticity .

 

No, it was NOT me.

 

 

 

the original Vargas sketch (here in a Lithograph) was more undraped

 

Kudos for all involved for the extraordinary amount of care given to this picture. Would that every movie be given this kind of treatment.

Check out THE FILM DETECTIVE’s gorgeous print of THE VAMPIRE BAT, which replicates the brief hand colored sequences that were used in certain release prints of the time. https://www.amazon.com/Vampire-Bat-Special-Detective-Restored/dp/B01LTIAUJ2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1490377335&sr=8-1&keywords=vampire+bat+the+film+detective+restored+version

RECOMMENDED.

-Kevin G Shinnick

the end

 

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JAKE SPEED (Arrow Blu Ray S.E.)

JAKE SPEED (Arrow Video Blu Ray Special Edition) -original release New World May 30, 1986. Anamorphic, Color, Dolby, NTSC, Widescreen .105 minutes. PG $39.95 REGION A/1. Blu Ray released December 2019

https://www.amazon.com/Jake-Speed-Blu-ray-Wayne-Crawford/dp/B07YGZ6D1B/ref=sr_1_1?crid=JMU517NGMEI7&keywords=jake+speed+blu+ray&qid=1574018190&s=movies-tv&sprefix=jake+speed%2Cmovies-tv%2C204&sr=1-1

JAKE SPEED is a super fun action adventure film that never takes itself too seriously and lets you in on the joke. Indeed, the whole film is based upon the idea of “What if the heroes we read about in pulp fiction existed”? This flick  makes the whole premise work.

A young woman, Maureen Winston (Becca C Ashley in her only theatrical role) is abducted while she is in Paris by white slavers (a plot later used in the better known TAKEN, Fox,2008). Her family back in the United States are understandably upset. Maureen’s parents (Monte Markham, PROJECT X, Paramount 1968, and Millie Perkins, THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK, Fox,1959) blame Maureen’s sister Margaret (Karen Kopins, ONCE BITTEN, Goldwyn,1985) for encouraging her to go out and see the world.

Margaret’s crusty grandfather (Leon Ames, THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE, MGM,1946) says that there are very few real men anymore, such as Remo Williams, or Jake Speed. He feels Jake Speed would be the best man to handle this.

The thing is Maureen discovers that Jake only exists in a series of pulp novels that her grandfather reads. Or does he?

A note is slipped under Margaret’s door that instructs her to go to a bar at the San Pedro Docks at midnight if she wishes to find her sister. Going along is her friend, Wendy (Donna Pescow, SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER, Paramount, 1977).

The bar is the type of dive that might make pirates feel unsafe. They are soon joined by Desmond Floyd (Dennis Christopher, BREAKING AWAY, Fox,1979) and Jake Speed (writer producer Wayne Crawford, who also co-wrote /co-produced the indie hit VALLEY GIRL, Atlantic, 1983) himself.

It seems that they base their pulp stories upon actual events and that Margaret’s story connects with a case that Desmond and Jake are pursuing , involving white slavers in Africa and Jake’s arch-nemeses, the gleeful Sid (John Hurt, ALIEN,Fox,1979) and his somewhat foppish brother Maurice (Roy London, one of the top acting teachers in Hollywood ,who died in 1993 at only age 50).

London was the subject of a 2005 documentary

What follows are a series of wildly over the top adventures that Margaret becomes part of as a struggling country’s different faction fight a Civil War all around them. John Hurt looks like he is having the time of his life playing the baddie, and he never takes his character too seriously (though when he slits the throat of an innocent civilian near the end, it is a bit of a shock).

Shooting in Africa gave the picture much grander production values than a medium budget picture of the time would have had filming elsewhere. Plus, as we learn from the disc extras (more later in the review), they were given use of actual military vehicles, troops and helicopters, mixed in with some amazing Australian stunt people.

Watch for one little editing boo boo near the end at the airport, where all the background extras behind John Hurt stand perfectly still and then start moving as if they got their cue late .

The film was released by New World Pictures while COBRA (WB) and TOP GUN ( Paramount) were dominating the U.S. box office in May 1986.   JAKE SPEED was not a successful picture, making most of it’s money on it’s release to video and cable. There were plans to make more but the failure to find a wide theatrical acceptance put an end to that idea.

New World did  do a clever bit of promotion for the film, releasing an actual paperback on June 1,1986 by Gold Eagle/Harlequin, under the pseudonym Reno Melon, which is the fake name Jake and Des’ author their pulp novels in the film. The thing is, they should have released the book in advance of the film, not after it had disappeared from theatres.

A vinyl LP was released of Mark Snow’s score by sound track by Varèse Sarabande . The very 80s synth score is very infectious and the flute sound adds a sense of whimsy to the theme.

I have to admit that I have been a fan of this film since it first came to video on the old New World Video. This new Arrow Video Blu Ray is an incredible improvement over any prior release on this film. Arrow Video has gone back to the original 35mm interpositive prints and given it a 2K Hi Def (1080p) clean up that makes this picture look even more impressive. The stunning African vistas and colors show that more care was given to this movie than one would assume from prior prints.

The mono sound from prior releases has been cleaned up and given a lot more audio punch (2.0 stereo), with the crashes, punches, gunfire and music all jumping out at you while still never overpowering the tongue in cheek lines as the film zooms along.

There are optional English subtitles that are easy to read and follow the action and dialogue quite accurately.

Other Extras include –

PAPERBACK WISHES, CINEMATIC DREAMS– a brand new Ballyhoo Motion Pictures interview with director Andrew Lane. Ballyhoo Motion Picture extras on any disc are always top notch and this one keeps the fine record by the company.

Lane and Crawford worked together since 1977 (starting as a writing producing team on the 1977 Dimension Pictures’ TOMCATS). Their idea was to make each succeeding picture just a little bit better, culminating with JAKE SPEED. They worked upon a few more films after this, but none seemed to be as personal as this picture.

THE HARD WAY READS BETTER-Another made for this release Ballyhoo Motion Pictures extra, this time producer William Fay offers his insights into making JAKE SPEED, including budget restraints, and other problems of having to bring practically all equipment into the country to make the picture.

 

The Blu Ray Sleeve has a reversible cover, with newly commissioned artwork by Graham Humphreys, whose magnificent work has graced several other collectible Arrow Video releases.

This is a fun independent action adventure that merely asks that you relax and have a good time.

Highly recommended.

-Kevin G Shinnick

 

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HUSSY (Twilight Time Blu Ray)

 

HUSSY (TWILIGHT TIME Blu Ray,2019) original theatrical release UK-Watchgrove Films,1980. Color. Rated R. 95 min. 1080p High Definition / 1.85:1 English 1.0 DTS-HD MA.\No subtitles. REGION FREE. Extras -Original Theatrical Trailer. $29.95  https://www.twilighttimemovies.com/hussy-blu-ray/

 

In the 1970s, Joan Collins starred in two low budget soft core porn films, THE STUD (Brett Walker,1978) and THE BITCH (Brett Walker,1979). Both were low budget films, but based upon steamy novels by Joan’s sister Jackie, and done with style and enough sex scenes provided by Ms. Collins, the films were enormously profitable, especially when they were some of the first films licensed for the brand-new home video market.

 

Other producers looked at the profits and tried to come up with films of a similar nature. HUSSY seems to be a film that came into being with that idea, but the producers got a film with a lot more depth than they expected.

Writer /Director Matthew Chapman is the great great grandson of Charles Darwin, and who has written extensively on the creation-evolution debate, and in 2007 co-founded ScienceDebate.org, which has been trying to get Presidential Figures to discuss scientific issues (something the current occupant would fail dreadfully).

What he created for his first film was more of gritty drama than a seedy sex romp. Then 35-year-old
Helen Mirren, a naturalist at heart, had no problem with nudity, have appeared in the controversial 1979 Penthouse film CALIGULA. She also brought her usual intelligence and lots of character shading to her part of Beaty, the “hussy “of the title.

 

Actor John Shea (WINDY CITY, Fox,1984) had appeared on Broadway in YENTL opposite Tovah Feldshuh. HUSSY was his film debut, portraying Emory, a member of stage crew at the cabaret where Beaty works, and where he falls in love with her.

Basically, Beaty (Mirren) works as a call girl in this seedy club, where she falls in love for Emory (Shea). Complicating matters is that Beaty has a young son as well as a psycho strong arm pimp /ex-lover Alex (Paul Angelis, who in 1968, provided the voices of Ringo and the chief Blue Meanie in United Artists’ animated YELLOW SUBMARINE!), who is fresh out of prison. Meanwhile Emory’s friend Max (Murray Salem , who later wrote the screenplay for KINDERGARTEN COP ,Universal ,1990,died of AIDS complication at only age 47. ) wants Emory to join him on an upcoming drug deal.

Paul Angelis

 

Alex finds out about the deal and muscles his way in, further endangering Emory and Beaty’s future and safety. The result will end up in murder, but of whom?

 previous DVD release 2006

HUSSY had been released on DVD in 2006 in a rather dull flat print. This new Blu Ray from TWILIGHT TIME has given the film a 1080p High Definition clean up, with colors and images being much sharper, showing cinematographer Keith Goddard ‘s work to good advantage (this film seems to have been his biggest credit).

The 1.0 DTS-HD MA (English only) sound is clear, with dialogue and sound clear and free from pops and hiss. The score by George Fenton (DANGEROUS BEAUTY, WB,1998), his second theatrical soundtrack, is a mixture of club music and songs, as well as disco influence, very much a product of it’s time.

There are no subtitle options.

The only extra is the original theatrical trailer.

Limited to ONLY 2,000 copies,
This Blu Ray is recommended to
Those who like
British Noir and
Helen Mirren fans

 

 

 

Kevin G Shinnick

 

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TRESSPASSERS -now playing theatrically , IFC MIDNIGHT FILMS

 

TRESSPASSERS– IFC Midnight-Now Playing Theatrically. Color -87 Minutes Unrated.

Watch the trailer :  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RawgS69nvR8&list=PLzbzLEBDQ5MqDFjyhpI4gGPsOlQRNP7ti

When a film opens with a bunch of guys donning cloth masks that give them the suggestion of skulls and walk towards a house wielding machete, you know there is going to be trouble.

That is the opening of TRESSPASSERS, a new nail biter from Director Orson Oblowitz (director of the crime drama THE QUEEN OF HOLLYWOOD BLVD, Dark Star ,2017; as well as having a small role in the darkly comic yet violent Bobcat Goldthwait film GOD BLESS AMERICA, Magnet, 2011).

 

After the murder of an unnamed man and woman , the film changes mood and switches to a couple, Sarah (Angela Trimbur, THE FINAL GIRLS, Sony ,2015) and Joseph (Zack Avery, CURVATURE, Screen Media 2017. CURVATURE was produced by The Hallivis Brothers, producers of TRESSPASSERS)., who are dealing with some relationship issues and they have gone to this isolated house out in the California desert to have some alone time. At least, that is, until two friends that Sarah has invited show up, Estelle (Janel Parrish, from the television series PRETTY LITTLE LIARS, ABC ,2010-17) and her boyfriend (Jonathan Howard), much to Joseph’s annoyance.

 

Shortly thereafter, another unexpected visitor arrives. A quirky bespectacled woman who doesn’t identify herself (Fairuza Balk, AMERICAN HISTORY X, New Line ,1998) says that her car broke down and there is no cell phone signal in the area.

She wonders if she might use their phone to check in on her babysitter with her son, as well as possibly get a tow truck. The thing is, as the night goes on, the visitor doesn’t seem to want to leave, as strange things happen, like a sudden power outage. The visitor says that  such outages are common in the area, which is why they have backup generators, but Jonathan, who is, shall we say, a major dick, feels that there is something wrong with the woman and wants her gone.

 

Things quickly escalate until a horrible accident occurs (which made this reviewer jump). The events do not start going any better, when first the police stop by, and then the masked trio from earlier returns.

 

I am trying to keep from giving away too many too many of the delicious surprises and thrills that this film has ,hoping you go and enjoy this thrill ride .

 

The film has a few flaws (none of the four leads are particularly likeable, but that is more to how they are written ,and not the fault of the performers) , but it makes for an enjoyable thriller along the lines of THE STRANGERS (Universal, 2008) and THE STRANGERS PREY AT NIGHT (Aviron ,2018).

 

Composer Jonathan Snipes (SNAKES ON A PLANE, New Line,2006) at times evokes the Giallo thrillers of old, such as using a harpsicord accompanying a female vocalist for the opening and the end credits, at other times a kind of techno sound score. The cinematography by Noah Rosenthal (the horror comedy DETENTION OF THE DEAD,Anchor Bay ,2013) is sharp and crisp , at times giving the house a cold sterile look, against which the horrors play, while at other times, colored filters are used, which also recalls early Dario Argento.

 

A good creepy thriller that if you are at all paranoid, this will do nothing to reassure you.

-Kevin G Shinnick

Personal Thanks to IFC Midnight.

 

 

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TRESSPASSERS original title

BAD SAMARITAN

 

BAD SAMARITAN is a superior example of the serial killer thriller genre.

Opening in 2000 theatres in May 2018, the film did not do well in its three week run ( making only $3,435,047 ) . It’s distributor , Electric Entertainment, who produced several television  and theatrical  co productions) has released three motion pictures ,all of which had high profile stars (BLACKWAY starring Anthony Hopkins in 2016; LBJ directed by Rob Reiner and starring Woody Harrelson in the title role in 2017; and now this film) but have not registered a blip on the radar financially.  The real shame is that two of them films(I have not seen BLACKWAY to honestly comment) are superb motion pictures.

 

Back to BAD SAMARITAN . Directed by Dean Devlin (INDEPENDENCE DAY) with  true style , and a clever screenplay by actor writer Brandon Boyce ( his skill as a thriller writer were in full view in  his adaptation of Stephen King‘s APT PUPIL ,Columbia,1998), the film, set in present day Portland Oregon ,makes full use of modern technology .

 

Amateur photographer Sean Falco      (Irish  actor Robert Sheehan , who appeared in Devlin‘s noisy but empty  GEOSTORM ,WB/Electric ,2017)  also  works with his best friend Derek (Carlito Olivero , who began in show biz  as a lead singer in a revamped Menudo ) parking cars at an upper class restaurant. This job also allows them to pilfer the homes of those in the eatery, since it is obvious that they are not home, often using the victim’s own cars to drive to and from the burglary! Sean takes mostly items that won’t be noticed ,such as photographing a gift card’s info and number, as  the card itself isn’t needed to purchase items online.

 

 

One day a rich self centered Cale Erendreich  (an absolutely terrific David Tennant, making one forget his DR WHO persona for BBC TV from 2005-2010) drives up in a $200,000 Maserati ,and his attitude spurs  Sean to go to Cale’s home and rob it.  However, when he breaks in, he finds a woman bound and gagged (Irish actress Kerry Condon ,from AMC tv‘s BETTER CALL SAUL ,2015-present). He ungags her but she points out that the house is wired to be control and surveilled remotely by Cale from his phone . In a moment, Sean gets fearful and yells I’m sorry to the imprisoned woman ,and flees.

         Ah, the glamorous life of a film actress. 

Getting the car back to a waiting Cale, a guilt ridden Sean contacts the police, which brings him to the attention of Cale . Cale decides that Sean needs correcting ,and thus begins to systematically destroy everything that the young man cherishes , while the police find Sean’s stories less than credible, especially when they check out Cale’s home and discover nothing. 

 

The tale becomes then one where not only must Sean try and save the unknown woman, but he must also try and hang onto his own existence. 

 

Interestingly, three of the main leads are from the U.K., with Tennant and Condon  mastering American accents, while Sheehan is allowed to use his natural Irish accent).

Cinematography by David Connell (who had worked with Devlin on the tv series, THE LIBRARIANS( Electric , 2014-8) is sharp ,and makes marvelous use of cold blues as well as sterile clean white rooms . The music by Joshua LoDuca   ( tv’s ASH VS THE EVIL DEAD  , Renaissance/Starz,2015-18)is quite superb at underlining  and supporting the suspense ,with several well placed stings to accentuate jump moments.

 

 Is he more creepy dead eyed and emotionless? 

or more creepy smirking ?

 

The film is definitely worth seeking out, and has been released on DVD and Blu Ray from Sony Home Entertainment.  The Blu Ray is Region A ,and features a running audio commentary by Devlin and Boyce, as well as deleted scenes as well as optional subtitles.

It can also be rented/ purchased on AMAZON PRIME (available for free viewing to Amazon Prime Subscribers.  https://www.amazon.com/Bad-Samaritan-David-Tennant/dp/B07F1P5L19/ref=tmm_aiv_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Seek out the BAD SAMARITAN, and pray that he does not seek YOU out.

-HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Kevin  G Shinnick

 

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BOSS (Kit Parker Blu Ray/DVD combo)

BOSS (Kit Parker Blu Ray/DVD combo)
Dimension ,1975 color. Rated PG .87 mins. Region A/1. Release August 28,2018. Also known as BOSS NIGGER; THE BLACK BOUNTY HUNTER

https://www.amazon.com/Blu-ray-Williamson-DUrville-William-Armstrong/dp/B07C5K53N4/ref=tmm_blu_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=.

If you ever wondered what BLAZING SADDLES(1973,W.B.) might have looked like done as a straightforward film, BOSS should give you an idea.

Fred “The Hammer ” Williamson, the former football star’s initial forays into acting were in such films as M*A*S*H (1970, Fox) as well as Diane Carroll’s boyfriend on T.V.’s JULIA (1968-71, Fox/NBC). The Larry Cohen actioner BLACK CAESAR (1973, AIP) featured him as a man who climbs his way up in the underworld, and THREE THE HARD WAY (1974, A.A.) solidified his status as an action star.

 

 

Williamson decided the first film he would co-produce himself would be based upon 20-page treatment he showed to director Jack Arnold (they had worked together on the Warner Brother actioner BLACK EYE,1974). Dimension Pictures decided to release the film and so production began on a town set left over from the big budget Gene Kelly film THE CHEYENNE SOCIAL CLUB (1970, National General) in Santa Fe New Mexico.

 

 THE CHEYENNE’S SOCIAL CLUB set used for BOSS

Boss (Williamson) and his sidekick Amos (D’Urville Martin, who directed DOLEMITE, Dimension,1975) a former slave, are two bounty hunters who decide to become the law in a small town when they save a woman named Clara Mae (Carmen Hayworth) from a pack of outlaws. On one of the men they killed while saving her they find a letter from the mayor of the town of San Miguel that invites the possessor of the letter to become the new sheriff. The bounty hunters also find out that a man they are tracking, Jed Clayton (cult baddie William Smith, best known for playing Falconetti on the miniseries RICH MAN POOR MAN ,1976, Universal TV, as well as the vampire hunting son in GRAVE OF THE VAMPIRE ,1972, Millenium), also spends time in the town and so they decide to escort Clara Mae there.

Boss gives the letter to the mayor (western great R.G. Armstrong) who is forced to accept them as the new law. They set upon their task with zeal as they confront members of Clayton’s gang, killing and wounding several of them.

 

 

The new laws that the bounty hunters post does not make them popular with the racists town folk, resulting in a few well-dressed town folk (including the bank President) having to pay a fine or a stay in the cell in the sheriff’s office. The “N” word is tossed about as readily as at a trump rally, but the two bounty hunters put their bigoted butts behind bars or make them pay for their words. Not everyone is a racist in town, exemplified by local school marm Miss Pruitt (Barbara Leigh, who later co-starred with William Smith in SEVEN,1979,AIP).

 

Things escalate as they always do with a final showdown between boss and Clayton.

Black westerns were nothing new (going back as least as far as Norman Film Manufacturing Co’s CRIMSON SKULL ,1922), but in the 1960s and 1970s, they went from black only cinemas to mainstream theatres. Films like SGT. RUTLEDGE (1960, WB) began to finally acknowledge that people of color made up a lot of the history of the American West. Indeed, the character of The Lone Ranger may have been inspired by the exploits of the first black Marshall Bass Reeves.

The 1970s though allowed black stars to shine and take the lead in a variety of films, including westerns.

No longer the sidekick, black performers were front and center of the action.

Williamson was born to play the action hero, with his good looks and natural athleticism, one could readily accept him facing down the bad guys. He was wise enough to surround himself with familiar western faces like R.G. Armstrong (PAT GARRETT & BILLY THE KID, 1973.MGM, as well as numerous Sam Peckinpah films) and Don “Red” Barry (star of many Republic Westerns, here playing a bad guy).

The direction by Jack Arnold is effective , using creativity to make his film look as exciting as possible. One example was clever editing when a horse was to run over a small child.

 

BOSS was released previously by VCI /Sprocket Vault /Kit Parker in 2008. This Kit Parker BLU RAY has been given a 1080p resolution release, with an aspect ratio of 2.35:1. The film has been cleaned up, but there are still some color shifts due no doubt from the negative fading. A full restoration for this film probably would have been prohibitively expensive, and the print is quite watchable, and I am sure in much better condition than the worn-out prints shown in many grindhouse and drive in theatres of the period.

The audio is an English 2.0 mono track. It is clear, and the dialogue is easy to understand, along with all the sound effects and music. For the hard of hearing, there is an optional white lettering subtitle in English.

The extras on this Kit Parker BLU RAY release are all ported over from the VCI release.

A CONVERSATION WITH FRED “THE HAMMER” WILLIAMSON with Joel Blumberg. Shot ten years ago, it is amazing that Williamson appears to have hardly aged in the 33 years since he shot the film. He brags that a film he did for Universal ,THAT MAN BOLT (1973), was the first major studio film to have a black action star, forgetting MGM produced SHAFT in 1971. Still, he was among the first, and indeed with his own production company (PO BOY) was able to call the shots that he was the hero and got the girl.

 

A BOSS MEMORY (8 min) with producer/ director & UCLA film prof Myrl A. Schreibman ( he was the associate producer on BOSS).Schreibman got into film working with Jack Arnold .After Arnold had directed BLACK EYE, Arnold brought Schreibman aboard for this film .He talks about their filming the big fight scene between Smith (who as cast because he looked like he would be an equal match in a fight) & Williamson while a dust devil storm raged outside with ho

wling winds.

JACK ARNOLD TRIBUTE by producer Myrl Schreibman– For any fan of 1950s science fiction, Jack Arnold was the go -to guy in the 1950s (CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON,1954, Universal )before he transitioned to TV on such shows as GILLIGAN’S ISLAND ( 1964-1967,CBS).Schreibman lets us know that Arnold began as actor, but when in the Army ,trained in their film division under famed filmmaker Robert Flaherty(NANOOK OF THE NORTH, 1922,Pathe) .Returning to civilian life, he did a documentary called WITH THESE HANDS (1950 ,ILGWU ) about the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire. The featurette was Oscar nominated, which led to his career at Universal. https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=1OKcJcJ4TfA

 

The disc also has the original theatrical trailer :  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWDTw7IjeiI

 

The BLU RAY also has a reversible cover, using the more politically safe version, or the or original poster and art.

This is a fun action adventure and a good addition to any fans of
–Westerns
-Blaxploitation
-Fred Williamson.

–Kevin G Shinnick

THE SONG OF SOLOMON (2018) MVD Blu Ray

             THE SONG OF SOLOMON (Released August 14,2018). MVD BLU RAY $24.95

https://www.amazon.com/Song-Solomon-Blu-ray-Gene-Palubicki/dp/B07CSLNHXM

(also available separately on DVD ($21.95) a Limited Edition (Blu-Ray/DVD of the film, and a CD soundtrack,3 discs) $39.98.)

Region A/1 NTSC. English. 1 disc .NR. 86 mins. Color. Unearthed Films. Dolby Digital 2.0. 1.85:1/16:9
The disc reviewed was the single Blu Ray disc.

When a film’s cover blurb has a quote: ‘In this critic’s opinion better than THE EXORCIST” (Spencer Evatt, House of Tortured Souls), you set expectations for something spectacular. Sadly, the film falls far short of the 1973 W.B. masterpiece. On its own, however, it is not a movie to be lightly dismissed.

T.S.O.S. is considered part of the American Guinea Pig series (begun in 2014 by Unearthed Films). The American Guinea Pig films are basically just gore effects and not much more. Wisely, they chose not to put the American Guinea Pig imprimatur on the cover, as it would perhaps limit its audience.

That said, gore fans will have a field day with a series of superior practical effects (no cgi snapping bones here, its on set splatter).

Indeed, the film is technically one of the better indie horror films that I have seen, with super sharp photography and cinematography, music and as mentioned in makeup trickery.

Where the film fails, and it is a problem that haunts a lot of indie films, is in the acting and pacing. Most of the cast either say their lines with an indifference that means they could as well just be going over their grocery list rather than a possession leading to many mutilations and murders, or with a stilted seriousness of trying too hard.

 

Writer/producer /director Stephen Biro is the founder / President of Unearthed Films. Besides his own work, unearthed has released several obscure Asian films, as well as an upcoming October 2018 release of the sadly neglected H.P. Lovecraft THE UNNAMEABLE (1988). Biro is also an author, who written several books about God and The Devil, as well screenplays for others.

 

T.S.O.S. opens with Mary’s father (one of the film’s make-up artists) having a screaming fit at his daughter, ending with him taking a knife, slitting his own throat, and then, reaching into the wound and pulling out his own tongue (sometimes referred to as a “Columbian necktie”, due to it being an act of mutilation done by drug cartels).

 

 

Mary (very busy actress /director Jessica Cameron; TRUTH OR DARE, Small Town Girl Productions,2013) is possessed by a demon and the Church sends in several exorcists to try and drive the Demon from the young woman.

The priests and their associates suffer several terrifying deaths (tearing out one’s own eyes, another pulls out his own tongue- this film doesn’t like tongues!) as the demon grows stronger with each attempt at driving it out.

However, we also begin to wonder is the Church trying to drive the Demon out, or bring about the return of the Anti-Christ?

There are a lot of interesting ideas in the film, but the performers, as I mentioned, for the most part, let the film down. A stronger cast would have made this a much more powerful film.

T.S.O.S. was produced in part due to a very successful Indiegogo campaign (over $52,000 raised, or 1497% of original goal), so there are a lot of fans who wish to see more of Biro’s work.

Those fans will be pleased at the 100 % all practical effects within the film, as well as appearances by people like Jim Van Bebber (THE MANSON FAMILY, Dark Sky,2005) as Father Blake getting a gory comeuppance.

The rituals of exorcism seem to try for a level of authenticity not seen in most films that deal with the subject, so kudos to the people going the extra mile.

The Blu Ray is superb transfer of the HD 4K cinematography by Chris Hilleke (ABC’s OF DEATH, Magnet Releasing 2012). The sharpness and color put many a larger budget film to shame. The Dolby 2.0 sound is good, with a nice mix of dialogue and music. Some of the sound effects needed a bit more punch to them, and some of the dialogue seems a bit echoey, due to shooting in real locales, but that is no fault of the transfer.

The music, by the way, includes some by Gene Palubicki from the group Angel Corpse, who portrayed Father Corbin in movie. The score works well with the picture, and one can see why they added a CD soundtrack to the limited special edition.

Extras on the disc include:

-A commentary track by director Biro and star Jessica Cameron. Their passion and pride for the final product comes through on the running commentary, as well as a mutual admiration for each other.

-A second commentary track has director Biro this time with effects whizzes Marcus Koch and Jerami Cruise.

-On camera Interview with actress Jessica Cameron
-Interview with writer/director Stephen Biro
-Interview with SPFX artist Marcus Koch
-Interview with DOP Chris Hilleke
-Interview with actor Gene Palluvicki
-Interview with actor David McMahon

-A behind the scenes documentary on how the practical effects were done. This goes from the planning stages, planning where the real person will bend and where the fake limbs for breaking bones will be added, the molding and life masks of the lead actress, on set touch ups, as well as the construction of the special bed used in the movie. One nearly gags watching the poor performers forcing fake intestines and things into their mouths to pull them out as the cameras roll. Who says show business is all glamor?

-An Outtake reel- scenes with clap boards and prepping of sequences as well as bloopers.

-Photo Gallery.

Overall, one of the more interesting variants on the exorcism horror genre, let down by the performances.

Still, for fans of grue, you will not be disappointed.

-Kevin G Shinnick

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NEXT STOP, GREENWICH VILLAGE (Fox,1976,111 min.color) Blu-Ray Twilight Time $29.95

                                                                                NEXT STOP, GREENWICH VILLAGE

(Fox,1976,111 min.color) Blu-Ray Twilight Time $29.95 https://www.twilighttimemovies.com/next-stop-greenwich-village-blu-ray/ released May 22,2018 limited to 3,000 copies only.

 

While not as well known or as financially successful as AN UNMARRIED WOMAN (Fox,1978) or BOB &CAROL & TED & ALICE (Columbia ,1969), to me NEXT STOP GREENWICH VILLAGE is writer/producer/actor/director Paul Mazursky’s masterpiece that can be revisited again and again.

A semi-autobiographical work, N.S.G.V. perfectly captures the mood of a vibrant bohemian culture that defined the Village scene until the early 2000s, when the area grew too expensive and the quirky and energetic art, individualism, and yes, just plain fun crazy inhabitants were driven out, and the cozy brownstones and shops turned into expensive high-rises and expensive pretentious stores that lack any personality.

 

Much of the credit must go to the casting geniuses of Juliet Taylor and Sylvia Fay (background). Ms. Taylor and the late Ms. Fay (if you ever saw tv’s  FRIENDS(W.B.,1994-2004), actress June Gable obviously based her character of the chain-smoking Estelle on the late Sylvia Fay) were the unsung heroes of NY casting.

Unlike many casting directors today, they would attend Off -Off Broadway shows, seeking out new interesting faces and talent.

That is how Ms. Taylor came across actor Lenny Baker. The actor was busy working in Off Broadway shows, when she brought him to the attention of director Mazursky very close to the start of actual filming. The role fit the actor to a “t”, and he went on to win a Tony Award in 1977 for his role in the musical I LOVE MY WIFE. It is a major shame that illness took him from audiences too soon, dying from AIDS in 1982 at age 37.

   Ilene Graff as Cleo and Lenny Baker as Alvin in I Love My Wife

 

The film is also filled with a lot of New York stage actors who were still unknown at the time, including leading lady Ellen Greene (later most famous for her star turn both on stage and off as a blonde tressed Audrey in the musical LITTLE SHOPPE OF HORRORS) and a blink and you’ll miss him Bill Murray. This film and many New York lensed films of the 1970s truly did live up to the maxim, ‘They had faces then”.

 

Surrounding the talented newcomers were seasoned stars and supporting actors like Shelley Winters, Lou Jacobi, and Mike Kellin (whose last film role was as Mel in SLEEPAWAY CAMP, American Eagle, 1983).

 

• The Lapinskis are a nice if eccentric working class Jewish family living in Brooklyn ,1953 when son Lenny Lapinski (Baker) decides it’s time for him to move to Manhattan and pursue his dream of becoming an actor, much as the idea brings agita to his mother Fay (Winters) and his somewhat henpecked dad Ben (Kallin).
•
• Finding a flat in a Village brownstone, he is soon surrounded by loving bohemian friends who are artistically hungry, assured self-centered intellectuals, or creating lives and backgrounds for themselves that help them survive the real world. Among this idiosyncratic crew are Anita (Lois Smith), a high-strung friend who contemplates suicide, Robert (Christopher Walken) as the smug poet Robert, and Bernstein a black gay man who is full of fanciful stories of his life (Antonio Vargas, whom if you only know him as Huggy Bear from tv’s STARSKY & HUTCH, Spelling-Goldberg,1975-79, you will be astonished by his brilliant and touching turn here), hanger on Connie (Dori Bremmer).

The cast and director Mazursky

 

Lenny also a girlfriend, free spirit Sarah Roth (Greene). Their relationship is very sexual, in contrast to the normal conformity of the era. She enjoys their relationship but doesn’t want to be merely someone’s girlfriend. The problem is she isn’t sure exactly where she fits in the world.

 

That is not an issue with Lenny, who goes to acting classes, hoping like so many to be the next Brando, while working in an health food shop run by Herb (Lou Jacobi) and his wife (Helen Hanft, a fixture in Off -Off and Off-Broadway productions).

 

Along the way, we have many funny and tragic events happen along the way to Lenny’s journey to achieve stardom. Moments perfectly capture what feel honest and true of the period, including rent parties (a $1 a head, when a flat could be had for $50 a month!).

 

Among the names mentioned above, keep an eye out for Jeff Goldblum as a self-centered actor who studied at “The Studio” whose big mouth costs him from even being able to audition, Joe Spinnell as a cop who watches Lenny performing on a subway platform, and Rutanya Alda as an uncredited party guest.

 

The film was lensed by Arthur J. Ornitz (son of one of the Hollywood Ten ,Samuel Ornitz),who had been behind the camera for such films as THE BOYS IN THE BAND (National General,1970),SERPICO (Paramount,1973) and DEATH WISH (Paramount,1974) ,which all used a similar grainy look and brown palette in color, but he was also the cinematographer on HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS (MGM,1970), so he was not limited in his color use or cinematic style .

 

Bill Conti was the composer, the same year that he wrote his score for ROCKY (U.A.,1976). For N.S.G.V., his score is a bluesy jazzy score that perfect evokes the era, often using pieces from the Dave Brubeck Quartet (the 1953 set film has Brubeck’s 1959 composition ‘Blue Rondo a la Turk”) or Charlie Parker.

 

 Don’t you hate when your parents walk in during sex?                                                                    

 

 

The film was mostly shot on location in NYC, though you would be hard pressed to find many of the locations nowadays. A shot looking toward the city from the subway platform clearly shows on the far-left buildings that were not there in the 1950s, but this, like the Brubeck note, are so nitpicky, that if you notice them while seeing the film then you aren’t paying attention to the brilliance of the storytelling.

 

You can still recognize the location on 7th Avenue South and Christopher Street (Village Cigar is still there) and you can still a nice meal at Café Reggio on 119 MacDougal Street, as well as Julius’s Bar at 159 W 10th Street, which is NYC’s oldest Gay Bar (it was also used in a scene for the film of THE BOYS IN THE BAND).

The commentary track by Mazursky (more on in a bit) mentions that Alan Ladd Jr, then head of 20th Century Fox, gave the director a lot of input on the film, up to and including the poster design by graphic designer Milton Glaser. Mazursky leaves it at that, but I was curious as to why he felt that was important to reference.

 

 

Though his imagery is well known even when his name is not (the original Broadway production of ANGELS IN AMERICA, for Bob Dylan, and the I LOVE NY logo, this is one of the illustrators few movie posters.

 

The more Norman Rockwell-ish design is by artist Birney Lettick, whose artwork graced movie posters for many a major American film across the genres..

 

The Blu Ray from Twilight Time is another winner from this company. An upgrade in picture quality from the previous DVD release from Fox, this is a 1080p High definition transfer in 1:85:1 ratio. The original grain and dark colors perfectly capture the look of the film when it played theatrically in 1976, to critical praise but small audiences in the U.S. It found a more appreciative audience for its European screenings, but slowly and surely it has been discovered by new audiences with each release. This stands as the one that fans will want to own.

The sound is available to listen to in DTS-HD MA 2.0 stereo as well as the original mono sound. I really didn’t notice any major difference, but since this is a dialogue driven score, it really doesn’t affect the overall enjoyment.

 

There are optional English SDH subtitles.

 

Other extras include

A very warm and informative commentary track recorded for the 2005 DVD release by director Mazursky and Ellen Greene. Though recorded separately, they are very nicely edited together for a commentary track that you may wish to listen to more often than other more technical but cold commentaries heard on bigger budgeted new releases. The joy that each have on recalling the film, and how it affected each one, is engrossing.

 

Another audio track allows you to hear the music track isolated in DTS-HD MA 2.0 stereo. This is a fun score to listen to while you are doing things, like perhaps writing a film review.

The Original Theatrical Trailer- this will give you an idea of how much the film elements have been cleaned, as well as idea of how the studio sold films at the time.

 

 

There is a reversible case sleeve as well as a nice booklet with liner notes by Julie Kirgo, ending with some more personal commentary than usual that shows the power of this film.

This is a must have addition to anyone who

-Loves Great Independent Style filmmaking (ironically, it was greenlit by Alan Ladd Jr, then head of 20th Century Fox)
-seeing famous actors in their early works
-Nostalgia
-Superlative Storytelling.

 

 

Heck, I think I am going to watch it again right now.

HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION!
Get it now- remember -only 3,000 pressing.

-Kevin G Shinnick-

If you enjoyed this film, may I also recommend MOSCOW ON THE HUDSON https://www.twilighttimemovies.com/moscow-on-the-hudson-blu-ray/
And
BOB & CAROL & TED & ALICE
https://www.twilighttimemovies.com/bob-carol-ted-alice-blu-ray/
, also directed by Paul Mazursky.

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