Scream Factory’s Amazing Sale! Incredible Special Edition Blu-Rays For Fans!

Movie fans, do I have a deal for you!

I have posted about some of the Scream Factory special edition releases before, because they LOVE cult films and are bringing terrific special editions to life…and now, they have a 50% off sale!

Head over to their parent company “Shout Factory” to see their incredible inventory:

Here is the link:

https://www.shoutfactory.com

Here are a few highlights of their catalog, as well as some details on the incredibly over-stuffed blu-ray special editions!

Let’s begin with one of my top ten favorite films of all time:

Carrie!

Brian DePalma directed one of horror’s greatest films, starring Sissy Spacek as a young girl with “special” powers:

Here are some of the bonus features on sale now:

DISC ONE:
NEW 4K Scan Of The Original Negative
Original Theatrical Trailer (HD)
Carrie Franchise Trailer Gallery
DISC TWO:
NEW More Acting Carrie – featuring interviews with Nancy Allen, Betty Buckley, William Katt, Piper Laurie, Edie McClurg and P.J. Soles (20 minutes)
NEW Writing Carrie – an interview with screenwriter Lawrence Cohen (29 minutes)
NEW Cutting Carrie – an interview with editor Paul Hirsch (25 minutes)
NEW Shooting Carrie – an interview with director of photography Mario Tosi (15 min)
NEW Casting Carrie –an interview with casting director Harriet B. Helberg (16 min)
NEW Bucket of Blood – a new interview with composer Pino Donaggio (24 minutes)
NEW Horror’s Hallowed Grounds – Revisiting The Film’s Original Locations (11 minutes)
Acting Carrie – Interviews With Actors Sissy Spacek, Amy Irving, Betty Buckley, Nancy Allen, William Katt, Piper Laurie, Priscilla Pointer and P.J. Soles And Art Director Jack Fisk And Director Brian De Palma (43 minutes)
Visualizing Carrie – Interviews With Brian De Palma, Jack Fisk, Lawrence D. Cohen, Paul Hirsch (41 minutes)
A Look At “Carrie: The Musical” (6 minutes) – TV Spots – Radio Spots
Still Gallery – Rare Behind-The-Scenes Photos, Posters And Lobby Cards
Stephen King And The Evolution Of Carrie Text Gallery

I mean – WOW! See more about this classic horror film here:

https://johnrieber.com/2016/10/30/shocktober-day-30-brilliant-carrie-brian-depalmas-horror-classics-star-wars-connection/

Speaking of great horror films:

The Thing!

Remember the iconic tagline?

“Man Is The Warmest Place To Hide”

This is one of the most shocking horror films ever made, thanks to Director John Carpenter!

Here are the abundant bonus features on this 50% off blu-ray:

DISC ONE:
NEW 2K Scan Of The Interpositive Supervised And Approved By Director Of Photography Dean Cundey
NEW 4.1 Audio Mix Created From The Original 70MM Six Track Dolby Stereo Soundtrack (5.1 Audio Mix Also Included)
NEW Audio Commentary With Director Of Photography Dean Cundey
NEW Audio Commentary With Co-producer Stuart Cohen
Audio Commentary By Director John Carpenter And Actor Kurt Russell
Teaser Trailer (1 minute) – Theatrical Trailers (U.S. And German) (5 minutes)
TV Spots (1 minute) – Radio Spots (2 minutes)
Still Gallery (Behind-The-Scenes Photos, Posters And Lobby Cards) (15 minutes)

DISC TWO:
NEW Requiem For A Shape Shifter – An Interview With Director John Carpenter In Conversation With Filmmaker Mick Garris (28 minutes)
NEW The Men Of Outpost 31 – Interviews With Keith David, Wilford Brimley, David Clennon, Thomas Waites, Peter Maloney, Richard Masur And Joel Polis (51 minutes)
NEW Assembling And Assimilation – An Interview With Editor Todd Ramsay (11 minutes)
NEW Behind The Chameleon: The Sights Of THE THING – Interviews With Visual Effects Artists Peter Kuran And Susan Turner, Special Make-up Effects Artist Rob Burman, Brian Wade And Stop Motion Animators Randall William Cook And Jim Aupperle (25 minutes)
NEW Sounds From The Cold – Interviews With Supervising Sound Editor David Lewis Yewdall And Special Sound Effects Designer Alan Howarth (15 minutes)
NEW Between The Lines – An Interview With Novelization Author Alan Dean Foster (16 minutes)
NEW Back Into The Cold: A Return To The Shooting Locations Of THE THING – An Animated Photo Gallery Narrated By Todd Cameron Of Outpost31.com
NEW The Art Of Mike Ploog Gallery (12 minutes)
John Carpenter’s The Thing: Terror Takes Shape – A Documentary On The Making Of THE THING Featuring Interviews With John Carpenter, Kurt Russell, Special Effects Make-up Designer Rob Bottin, Legendary Matte Artist Albert Whitlock Plus Members Of The Cast And Crew (80 minutes – SD)
Network TV Broadcast Version Of THE THING (92 minutes – SD)
Outtakes (5 minutes – SD)
Vintage Featurettes From The Electronic Press Kit Featuring Interviews With John Carpenter, Kurt Russell And Rob Bottin (13 minutes – SD)
Vintage Featurettes – The Making Of A Chilling Tale And The Making Of THE THING (14 minutes – SD)
Vintage Product Reel – Contains A Condensed Version Of The Film With Additional Footage Not In The Film (19 minutes – SD)
Vintage Behind-The-Scenes Footage (2 minutes – SD)
Annotated Production Archive – Production Art And Storyboards, Location Scouting, Special Make-up Effects, Post Production (54 minutes – SD)

It’s a treasure trove for movie lovers – see more about this great film here:

https://johnrieber.com/2016/10/26/the-thing-shocks-halloween-horror-day-26-man-is-the-warmest-place-to-hide/

Need some classic sci-fi-fi laced with plenty of 80’s nudity? Well, here you go!

Lifeforce!

This classic British film is chock full of shocks and skin…

Look at what you can get for 50% off:

The Blu-ray Contains Both The Theatrical Cut And The Longer, Director Approved Cut

Bonus Features
Audio Commentary with Director Tobe Hooper
Audio Commentary with Makeup Effects artist Nick Maley
New interviews with Mathilda May, Steve Railsback and Director Tobe Hooper
Theatrical Trailers – TV Spot – Still Gallery

See more about this film here:

https://johnrieber.com/2013/06/17/lifeforce-the-amazingly-naked-80s-sci-fi-horror-cult-classic-is-back/

An obscure, offbeat horror film is not only brand new to blu-ray, but also on sale!

Willard!

The creepy story of a young man who makes friends with killer rats!

Bonus features include:

NEW 4K Scan Of The Original camera Negative
NEW Audio Commentary With Actor Bruce Davison
NEW Interview With Actor Bruce Davison
Theatrical Trailer – TV Spot – Radio Spots – Still Gallery

Read more about this classic 70’s film – and Oscar-nominated sequel “Ben!” by clicking here:

https://johnrieber.com/2016/08/02/killer-rat-horror-willard-michael-jacksons-ben-love-song-jacksons-oscar-night-performance/

Finally, Shout Factory has done a great job preserving classic Bruce Lee films:

Game Of Death!

This is the movie Lee was making when he died – the blu-ray has these bonus features:

DISC ONE: The U.S. Version (100 min.)
NEW 4K Transfer From The Internegative
Audio Commentary With Asian Film Expert Mike Leeder
Game Of Death Revisited
Game Of Death Locations
Outtake Montage – Deleted Scenes
Alternate Opening And Ending
Bloopers – Theatrical Trailers – Still Gallery – Japanese Print In HD

DISC TWO: The Mandarin/Cantonese Version (90 min.)
NEW 4K Transfer From The Internegative
NEW Trailer Gallery

Here is much more on Bruce Lee – an icon who will live forever – click here to see the amazing one-on-one fight he had for this film with Karen Abdul-Jabbar!

https://johnrieber.com/2015/04/25/dj-bruce-lee-robert-downey-jr-avengers-age-of-ultron-action-hero-mashup-nunchuck-mania/

Bravo to Scream Factory for their incredible sale!

Classic Music From CSN!

Crosby, Stills & Nash created some of the greatest music of our time…amid a LOT of internal squabbles, drug addictions and more…

Of course, they were ALSO Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – the first “supergroup” in the early 70’s, but the trio released a lot of great music without Neil Young as well…

Let’s Talk “Daylight!”

Crosby, Stills & Nash were making music and performing together in the late 70’s. Stills and Nash also released albums as well.

Stephen Stills and Graham Nash were recording new music in 1980 and 1981 and the album was originally slated to be a Stills-Nash project. Art Garfunkel and Timothy B. Schmitt of The Eagles recorded with them…

Unfortunately, their record label had other ideas…

According to wikipedia:

“Executives at Atlantic Records, however, had little interest in anything but CSN product from any member of the group, and held out for the presence of Crosby, forcing Nash and Stills to start paying for the sessions out-of-pocket. They began to turn toward the company’s point of view, however, and decided to invite Crosby to participate at the eleventh hour.”

NO NUKES, David Crosby, Stephen Stills, Graham Nash, 1980, (c) Warner Brothers

So that’s how we got CSN’s “Daylight Again!” Even though Crosby arrived late to the sessions, he contributed the song “Delta” and a cover of Judy Henske and Craig Doerge’s “Might as Well Have a Good Time” along with some additional vocals on other tracks.

The album was released to great acclaim and big sales, with Nash’s “Wasted on the Way” at top ten single at #9, and Stills’ great “Southern Cross” which made the top twenty at #18.

The album was also a top ten hit, reaching #8 on the Billboard charts when released in 1982.

Let’s Give It A Listen!

With that background information, let’s listen to this terrific album, beginning with the opening track:

“Turn Your Back on Love”

The album kicks off with a great song, and a great video that sets up the friendship and musical partnership of the group:

“Wasted on the Way”

Next up is Graham Nash’s great song, which perfect CSN harmonies.

It was their first top 10 hit in five years…

“And there’s so much time to make up everywhere you turn
Time we have wasted on the way
So much water moving underneath the bridge
Let the water come and carry us away…”

Here is a great live version, where they talk about their issues as a band before kicking into an absolutely gorgeous live version of the song:

“Southern Cross”

This is one of my favorites as well, Stephen Stills’ story of, well:

“When you see the Southern Cross for the first time
You understand now why you came this way
‘Cause the truth you might be runnin’ from is so small
But it’s as big as the promise, the promise of a comin’ day…”

Here is a terrific live version of the song:

“Into the Darkness” is next, which leads into one of the two Crosby originals, the hauntingly beautiful “Delta”…written almost like a poem…

“Waking
Stream of consciousness
On a sleeping
Street of dreams

Thoughts
Like scattered leaves
Slowed in mid-fall
Into the streams

Of fast running rivers
Of choice and chance
And time stops here on the delta
While they dance, while they dance…”

Here is a terrific live version from 2010 – much longer than the album cut – an absolutely beautiful song:

“Since I Met You”, “Too Much Love to Hide”, “Song for Susan”, “You Are Alive” are all great songs, leading into the other Crosby contribution, “Might As Well Have a Good Time”

This leads into the title track that goes back to their initial album a decade earlier:

“Daylight Again”

The song “Daylight Again” evolved out of Stills’ guitar-picking to accompany on-stage stories regarding the South in the Civil War, and it segues into their anti-war chant “Find the Cost of Freedom,” which had been the b-side of the “Ohio” single in 1970.

The song “Ohio” was written by Neil Young after four students were murdered by National Guardsmen on the campus of Kent State University…this shocking act was during the violent Vietnam War protests – here is the story behind this song:

https://johnrieber.com/2017/02/03/the-shocking-kent-state-massacre-anti-war-protests-csny-an-era-of-political-activism/

If you want to see how violent this demonstrations were, here is a movie that actually was filmed during one of the protests:

Legendary Cinematographer and Director Haskell Wexler filmed his fictional story of a news photographer caught up in the Chicago anti-war riots DURING the Chicago anti-war riots! Check it out here:

https://johnrieber.com/2015/04/21/medium-cool-1968-chicago-riots-americas-political-turmoil-captured-on-film/

The entire album is a great example of the strong songwriting and terrific harmonies of Crosby, Stills and Nash…let me know your favorites!

RIP To A Great Movie Director, John G. Avildsen!

The odds are that, even if the name isn’t familiar, his work will be – RIP to the legendary Director John. G. Avildsen, who died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 81.

Yes, that’s Rocky Balboa behind the Director – oh, and here he is again with Ralph Macchio hanging around as well:

Avildsen directed the original “Karate Kid” movies, but so much more – his most famous work was in 1976, when he won the Best Director for “Rocky”, the tale of Rocky Balboa’s gritty and unlikely transcendence from the streets of South Philadelphia…

Avildsen won the Best Director Oscar, and “Rocky” also won Best Picture as well.

According to the great article about him in The Los Angeles Times:

“In an interview last year, Avildsen told the Baltimore Sun about his initial misgivings about “Rocky”: “When this script came to me from an old friend … I said I had no interest in boxing, I think boxing’s sort of a dumb thing,” he said. “He pleaded and pleaded, so I finally read the thing. And on the second or third page, he’s talking to his turtles, Cuff and Link. I was charmed by it, and I thought it was an excellent character study and a beautiful love story. And I said yes.”

One Of Jack Lemmon’s Greatest Performances!

Avildsen also directed the drama “Save the Tiger” in 1973, which earned Jack Lemmon an Academy Award for best actor.

This film was an intense look at a desperate Executive who torches his own business to save himself from financial ruin…

In an interview with The Times in 2014, Avildsen recalled his encounter with Lemmon:

“When I came to meet him for the first time I had long hair, an extensive beard and blue velvet jeans with daisies on my butt. I explained to him if he chose me to direct the movie, I didn’t want to see him in it. I didn’t want all the mannerisms, all of the things he had grown comfortable with over the years. I wanted to see [the character], not him.”

Another Avildsen film was the black comedy “Neighbors” from 1981 – John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd starred the height of their fame, but reversed roles – Belushi was the timid meek neighbor to the wild Aykroyd. Critic Roger Ebert called “Neighbors” a “truly interesting comedy, an offbeat experiment in hallucinatory black humor. It grows on you.”

Among other Avildsen movies was the smash 80’s hit “The Karate Kid.” He also directed “Lean On Me” with Morgan Freeman.

And yes, Avildsen had a TROMA connection as well! TROMA Founder Lloyd Kaufman worked on the first “Rocky” film and stayed friends with Avildsen…in fact, some of Lloyd’s Super-8 footage was used recently on a “Rocky” Blu-ray release, and Lloyd recorded commentary with the Director and his son!

You can see more here:

http://www.lloydkaufman.com/news/2013/11/19/lloyd-with-legendary-director-of-rocky-john-g-avildsen/

RIP to a great Artist!

5 Reasons To Celebrate This “Jaws” Birthday!

42 years ago this week, one of the great thrillers in cinema history premiered – and changed movie history forever.

At that time, Hollywood routinely premiered a film in a dozen theaters across the entire country, the film slowly rolling out to theaters over weeks and even months.

But on June 20, 1975, Universal sent this big fish out to a thousand theaters on the same day – and the way films were released changed forever.

Remember the trailer?

Here are five bits of trivia about this shark tale:

5 – Bruce The Shark!

The stories are legendary that “Bruce” the mechanical shark was notoriously difficult to work with. Yes, he was named “Bruce” after Director Steven Spielberg’s lawyer. Three mechanical sharks were built to play the part of the great white: a “left” and “right” shark for side shots, and a full-sized one for the straight on shots.

However, since “Bruce” malfunctioned so much, Spielberg filmed most of the movie’s scenes without him. In fact, the first shark doesn’t appear in “Jaws” until more than an hour and twenty minutes have gone by.

Although principal photography was scheduled to take 55 days, it took 159 days. Spielberg, reflecting on the protracted shoot, stated:

“I thought my career as a filmmaker was over. I heard rumors … that I would never work again because no one had ever taken a film 100 days over schedule.”

One other fact according to wikipedia:

“Spielberg himself was not present for the shooting of the final scene in which the shark explodes, as he believed that the crew were planning to throw him in the water when the scene was done, something that has since become a tradition for Spielberg to be absent when the final scene of one of his films is being shot.”

4 – The “Line”!

The acting in “Jaws” is stellar: Roy Scheider as the Sheriff trying to keep tourists safe; Richard Dreyfus as the shark expert who wants everyone to show more respect toward their prey; and of course Robert Shaw, as the crusty “shark killer” who one night tells the morbid story of his WW2 buddies being eaten by sharks after their ship was capsized during battle.

However, one line in the film has become legend – and Scheider improvised it! As the trio are searching for Bruce in their fishing vessel, it’s the Sheriff who suddenly finds himself face-to-face with the great white.

Without missing a beat, he turns to the other two and utters the immortal line:

“We’re going to need a bigger boat.”

Sheider’s stunned look of fear tells you that this film is only going to get more terrifying, because “Bruce” has finally appeared…

3 – The Music!

One reason the film works without the audience actually seeing the shark is the music. The ominous, repetitive beat builds dread, suspense and fear – without the audience actually seeing anything at all.

However, apparently the first time Spielberg heard John William’s opening track, he thought it was TOO simplistic. Obviously, he changed his mind and it is now one of the most iconic scores in film history.

2 – The Poster!

This poster says it all. It is also one of the most iconic images of all time.

Artist Roger Kastel designed it, and according to a website filled with “Jaws” trivia, the swimmer in the poster was a model that Kastel had been sketching for another ad he was working on. The Artist asked her to pose on a stool like she was swimming, and that is the image he captured.

Now, 42 years later, here is the real reason that “Jaws” remains one of the greatest films of our generation:

1 – The Pop Culture Phenomenon!

Everyone knows that “Jaws” is a classic suspense thriller – beautifully directed, a great script, and terrific performances – and you know that as soon as you see the trailer for the film – the ominous tone, and the pure terror in the eyes of beachgoers as Bruce begins his rampage…

“Jaws” ushered in a whole new era in blockbuster cinema – a film that was a larger-than-life film-going experience that needed to be seen with a large group – making it even more terrifying.

People have even shown the film with the audience in a lake, so you could watch it while in the water!

Bravo to 42 years of Bruce terrorizing audiences!

Meet 007’s Best “Bond Girl!”

Some of the most empowered women roles in film were actually in the classic James Bond movies – beginning in the very first film “Dr. No”, when the first “Bond girl” emerged from the water…

“Honey Ryder” was strong, smart and of course beautiful – Ursula Andress set the stage for all “Bond Girls” to follow….oh, and she was known as Ursula “Undress” – click here to see why:

https://johnrieber.com/2016/03/28/ursula-andress-or-undress-007s-first-bond-girl-60s-sex-kitten-frolicked-with-nature/

From that point on, there was always a “Bond Girl” to match wits with 007, as well as provide the requisite sexual innuendo for the movie – but in each film, the women got a chance to kick ass, and show their brains as well as their beauty…

Diana Rigg – 007’s Most Complicated “Bond Girl!”

The terrific Actress Diana Rigg is, to me, the greatest Bond Girl of all – in part because of how she handled the role, and in part because of the complexities of the film she starred in…here is the story.

“On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” was the sixth James Bond movie, but there was a big difference with this film: it came right after Sean Connery’s decision to retire from the role. It was time for a new 007!

Unknown actor and model George Lazenby was chosen to play the most famous spy in the world, James Bond. That led to Diana Rigg’s casting as well…more on that, but first, here is the trailer:

In the film, James Bond meets and falls in love with Contessa Teresa di Vicenzo, played by Diana Rigg. There is always a beautiful “Bond Girl” in each film, but this role was much different.

Casting A Star Alongside 007!

Because there was a brand new 007 in the role – and a complete unknown, the Producers reached out to legendary Brigitte Bardot to star in the movie, but she was unavailable. So, they went with the popular Diana Ring, who was in the smash TV series “The Avengers.”

Rigg said one of the reasons for accepting the role was that she always wanted to be in an epic movie – and the Bond films were certainly that!

Also, the script for “OHMSS” was smart, sharp, funny and very emotional – with one of the most devastating endings of any Bond film – one reason “OHMSS” is considered by many to be the greatest Bond film of all!

Trouble In 007 Paradise!

While Diana Rigg is great in the film, apparently it wasn’t a smooth movie set…according to legend, the arrogant new Bond was rubbing Rigg the wrong way!

Allegedly, there were personality conflicts between the two. However, according to director Peter Hunt, these rumors are untrue and there were no such difficulties — or else they were minor!

The “Garlic” Myth!

Rumors of a rift on-set may have started with Rigg joking to Lazenby before filming a love scene. She was overheard yelling this at 007:

“Hey George, I’m having garlic for lunch. I hope you are!”

HA! Whatever the truth, Rigg is captivating in the role – showing brains, beauty, and a complexity not usually seen in the 007 films…when we meet her, she is contemplating suicide! Rigg brings gravitas to the movie, and hits very deep emotional notes that you don’t see in a Bond film – for that reason, she is my favorite “Bond Girl”, but she really is so much more – as important to the film’s plot as 007 himself…

Diana Rigg has had a long and distinguished career, and played serious roles AND comedy – even comedic horror with Vincent Price!

Yes, that’s Diana Ring with the mustache and wig – and that’s Vincent Price sporting an Afro! Click her to see the trailer for the film they did together!

https://johnrieber.com/2017/06/06/an-afro-tastic-vincent-price-kills-his-critics-in-theater-of-blood-diana-riggs-favorite-performance/

If you want to know more about the only “one and done” 007, check this out:

This amazing documentary is out now – the inside story of how George Lazenby became James Bond – and he shares ton of dirt on it – see the trailer here:

https://johnrieber.com/2017/05/02/the-sex-secrets-of-james-bond-007-george-lazenbys-swinging-007-days-great-new-documentary-becoming-bond/

Finally, I am a big fan of ALL the Bond Girls:

Here is a look at seven of the best – see them here:

https://johnrieber.com/2017/02/07/00-7-great-bond-girls-brains-brawn-beauty-oh-james/

Let me know if Diana Ring tops your “Bond Girl” list as well!

Bradley Cooper Directs Lady Gaga In The Classic Hollywood Story – “A Star Is Born!”

Now THIS is a film I can’t wait to see!

There have been a number of public appearances by Lady Gaga recently, performing for Bradley Cooper’s cameras, as he directs and co-stars in the latest remake of the classic Hollywood Story, “A Star Is Born!”

This classic Hollywood tale is the story of a successful Actor in Hollywood who discovers and falls in love with a fresh young talent – and destroys his own career at the same time…

This is Cooper’s directorial debut – and a flashy starring role for Lady Gaga, who has been terrific on television in a variety of roles…

“A Star Is Born” – Again!

This will be the fourth time this story has been told – I’ll get to the previous ones in a moment – and filming begins after years of rumored pairings like Will Smith and Beyonce – to have been directed by Clint Eastwood…here is the latest filming from the Glastonbury Festival…

Mandatory Credit: Photo by NIGEL RODDIS/EPA/REX/Shutterstock (8877550af)
Bradley Cooper
Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm, Pilton, United Kingdom – 23 Jun 2017
US actor Bradley Cooper is filmed making a re-make of the movie ‘A Star is Born’ during the Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts 2017 at Worthy Farm, near Pilton, Somerset, Britain, 23 June 2017. The outdoor festival runs from 21 to 25 June.

As it was reported in the press:

“The Oscar nominee was there to film a scene for A Star Is Born, the Warner Bros remake due he’s doing with Lady Gaga that’s out in September 2018. Cooper strapped on an electric guitar and “performed” — no definitive word about that — ahead of a set by outlaw country hero Kris Kristofferson (who starred in the 1976 version of the movie). As cameras rolled, one operated without explanation by Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich, Cooper got his shot.”

How funny, Lars Ulrich on camera!

Cooper also filmed Gaga at Coachella earlier this summer….so the film will be filled with great musical performances by the duo!

I can’t wait for this film, because the previous three films were all classics in their own way!

The first film was released in the 30’s, and Judy Garland and James Mason were phenomenal in the version from the 50’s…

The last version was filmed in 1976 – with Kris Kristofferson playing the burnt out rocker who discovers Barbra Streisand singing in a small club….

Streisand won an Oscar that year for Best Song – “Evergreen”, which she wrote with legendary singer/Actor Paul Williams…

Here is some very personal trivia: my neighbor, Songwriter Carol Connors, lost to “Evergreen” that year – what song did she write? Well, she wrote the lyrics to “The Theme From Rocky – Gonna Fly Now!”

If you want to read more about the previous three versions of the film, here is a story that look at them – and all of the classic “Hollywood” melodramas!

https://johnrieber.com/2012/02/22/best-picture-the-artist-one-of-5-great-movies-about-movies/

Eager to see this new version!

Look! It’s Wonder Woman!

Yes, this summer’s biggest action star is female – and why not? Empowered women SHOULD rule the box office…but if we are going to talk about “Wonder Women”, what about these two?

Now These Two Are Wonder Women!

Notice a similarity in the poses? These two empowered women were also “Wonder Women” – time to celebrate two of the biggest blaxploitation stars of the 70’s empowered women known as “Cleopatra Jones” and “Foxy Brown!”

Time to celebrate a classic genre of 70’s film, and celebrate two women who not only broke racial barriers by starring as empowered women in these films, but they scored big at the box office as well!

First up: FOXY BROWN!

Michael Anderson: I don’t know… vigilante justice?
Foxy Brown: It’s as American as apple pie.

Pam Grier IS “Foxy Brown!”

In the 70’s, blaxploitation films were the rage, with such classics as “Shaft”, “The Mack” and “Cotton Comes To Harlem” leading the way…

Cue “Coffy!”

The success of this urban action genre led to a series of hit action films with WOMEN as the stars – breaking a lot of barriers at the same time – and none were bigger than Pam Grier!

Pam Grier burst onto the scene (more in a moment on that) and became a star as “Foxy Brown” – who had attitude, confidence, and street smarts – and she could kick ass when she needed to as well – as “Bobbi” is about to find out!

Bobbie: Listen skinny, before you start talking tough, I’d better warn you I’ve got a black belt in karate. So why don’t you get out of here quietly, while you still got some teeth left in that ugly face?

[Foxy knocks her down with a barstool]

Foxy Brown: And I’ve got MY black belt in barstools!

Here’s The “Foxy Brown” Classic Blaxploitation Trailer!

Here’s the very succinct – and very descriptive – description of “Foxy Brown” on IMDB: “A voluptuous black woman takes a job as a high-class prostitute in order to get revenge on the mobsters who murdered her boyfriend.”

“Voluptuous” Indeed!

The Rise Of Pam Grier!

Pam Grier got her start as a “party goer” in “Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls”, but she broke out big in Director Jack Hill’s classic of exploitation, his “women in prison” epic, “The Big Doll House!”

“They Caged Their Bodies – But Not Their Desires!”

These were classic exploitation films that played every drive-in in America – sexy, crude “women in prison” films – a popular genre that made tons of money at a time when exploitation was getting more daring…and Pam Grier stuck out and made a big impression on the crowd!

This sweltering mix of hot young women – angry, violent and mostly naked – in prison was very popular at the time, and her classic “Black Mama White Mama” was a classic of the genre…

You can see more about this classic piece of 70’s exploitation here:

https://johnrieber.com/2015/03/21/black-mama-white-mama-queen-of-blaxploitation-pam-grier-naked-showers-women-in-prison-classics/

Grier used her popularity in this film to go on to star in one of the first “blaxploitation” films of the era, called “Coffy”….

This low budget, violent action film was such a success that a sequel was inevitable. According to director Jack Hill – yes, the genius behind “Big Doll House”, “Foxy Brown” was originally intended to be a sequel to his “Coffy”, and in fact the working title of the film was “Burn, Coffy, Burn!”

However, American-International Pictures decided at the last minute it didn’t want to do a sequel, even though “Coffy” was a huge hit. So a new action star was created, “Foxy Brown!” Pam Grier’s rise to stardom was confirmed, as “Foxy Brown” was a big hit!

Tarantino’s Homage To Pam!

Director Quentin Tarantino was such a fan of Pam Grier and her iconic action status that he made “Jackie Brown” just so she could star in it – and made her a leading lady again!

Pam Grier was the best known “Blaxploitation queen”, but there was another leading lady kicking ass and taking names as well….and her name was:

“Cleopatra Jones!”

Tamara Dobson is “Cleopatra Jones!”

Here’s the story of Tamara Dobson: she was a young actress in Hollywood, with only two small parts to her credit…then, because everyone was looking to take advantage of “Foxy Brown”‘s success, she got cast as the lead in a new action movie – “Cleopatra Jones”! That is the story of Tamara Dobson in a nutshell – a 6’ 2″ model who overnight became one of blaxploitation’s biggest stars!

Here is the trailer for “Cleopatra Jones” starring Tamara Dobson and Oscar Winner Shelley Winters!

Oh as you can tell, Shelley Winters doesn’t just chew up the scenery, she beats the hell of it as well!

There was one sequel, “Cleopatra Jones And The Casino Of Gold” – in hindsight, it sounds like an earlier incarnation of an Indiana Jones movie!

Even though “Cleopatra Jones” was a huge hit, Tamara Dobson wasn’t able to capitalize on that – the blaxploitation genre dried up, and she never become a huge star – and unfortunately, Dobson struggled to find roles going forward…sadly, she died in 2006.

“Cleopatra Jones” is a fun, action-packed film with some crazy scenery chewing by Shelley Winters…definitely worth checking out!

If you need more crazy Shelley Winters, try out this story – she was the leader in another 70’s fil genre about crazy old ladies who killed, killed, and killed some more – click on this link to find out all about the wacky genre of “Old Lady Horror”!

https://johnrieber.com/2013/03/09/old-lady-horror-crazy-ladies-chew-up-the-screen/

Kudos to “Foxy Brown” and “Cleopatra Jones” for showing the world that women could kick ass just a hard as a man!

The genre of “blaxploitation” is fascinating – with lots of social and political themes played out in the gritty urban world of the early 70’s…and there is a great documentary that looks at this genre, see the trailer here:

https://johnrieber.com/2013/08/23/dolemite-hit-man-shaft-iconic-blaxploitation-stars/

Leave a comment telling me YOUR favorite blaxploitation film!

A Trio Of Cult Classics On This #FrancoFriday!

Mondo Macabro has made it a great #FrancoFriday with this triple set of Franco movies starring his wife Lina Romay…including a rarely seen recut of “Countess Perverse” that is very different from the original theatrical cut!

“Hunting Humans Was Her Favorite Game!”

What a great tagline for a movie! Of course, only Jess Franco would come up with a twist on “The Most Dangerous Game” – the shocking story of a man being hunted by a rich Aristocrat…Franco’s twist was simple: the Hunter was a woman, she used a bow and arrow – and she was naked!

Countess Perverse!

Director Jess Franco just may have been the world’s most prolific Director, credited with hundreds of films…some were classics, some not as much, but he was never anything less than fascinating – to celebrate the social media ritual of “Franco Friday”, I want to look at a new blu-ray release – including two versions of “Countess Perverse!”

Here’s the plot in a nutshell: Two wealthy aristocrats lure a virginal girl, Lina Romay, to a Spanish island for a night of sex, death and cannibalism.

These aristocrats have a fun hobby: They strip their guests and send them out on the grounds to be hunted, “Most Dangerous Game”-style. If the guests survive long enough, the count sets them free. In this case, the young woman played by Lina Romay has a nice visit with them before discovering what they had in store for her…

Yes, the countess — who is naked, save for a quiver of arrows — gives her a head start and then the hunt is on – her goal is to shoot Lina dead, then roast her – and serve her for dinner!

Yes, you read that right!

The Most Dangerous Game – Naked!

Here is the back of the new blu-ray release – read about all the extra material on display.

Mondo Macabro has released this great trip bill blu-ray, with the original “Countess Perverse” cut PLUS an extended, notoriously dirtier cut as well!

“Sexy Nature” is the XXX-rated version of “Countess Perverse” – 25 minutes longer than the original film. Franco’s longtime companion and wife Lina Romay was an unabashed exhibitionist – and was filmed many times by Franco in XXX-rated situations…

Many of these projects have been remastered and re-released for cult film fans – always with lots of great extras – and this new release is no exception!

Also included is another Romay film, “How To Seduce A Virgin” – what a great deal – bravo to Mondo Macabro for this excellent sexploitation triple feature on two blu-ray discs, including the musical score!

If this has you interested in learning more about Lina Romay and her creative partnership with Jess Franco, here are some additional films you may enjoy:

https://johnrieber.com/2013/02/17/countess-perverse-lorna-the-exorcist-jess-francos-naked-masterpieces/

Let me know if you are celebrating #FrancoFriday!

U.S. actress Olivia de Havilland poses during an Associated Press interview, in Paris, Saturday, June 18, 2016. She may be losing her sight and hearing, but the mind of the indomitable actress Olivia de Havilland, who turns 100 Friday, remains as sharp as a tack. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Legendary Actress Olivia De Havilland turns 101 years old on July 1, but she got a head start on the holiday fireworks by filing a massive lawsuit against FX and Ryan Murphy over her depiction in the new television series “Feud”!

This terrific new series spent an entire season looking at the feud between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford – but according to de Havilland, the show’s portrayal of her was made up!

Here is the report from Deadline.com:

“Seeking a jury trial, sweeping damages and unplugging the potential Emmy-contending show with an injunction, the two-time Oscar winner says her portrayal by Catherine Zeta-Jones in the anthology series damaged her “professional reputation for integrity, honesty, generosity, self-sacrifice and dignity.”

“Olivia De Havilland did not give her permission for FX Defendants to use her name, identity, or likeness in Feud or any of the promotional materials used by the FX Defendants to advertise themselves, their products and services,” states the complaint charging infringement of right of publicity, invasion of privacy and unjust enrichment that was filed Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court. “FX Defendants knew that they did not obtain Olivia De Havilland’s permission to use her name, identity, or likeness in their documentary or the advertisements of their products and services,’ the 33-page filing adds.”

Catherine Zeta-Jones was terrific as the Actress, who shows up in the series as a participant in a documentary about the two Actresses…but according to de Havilland, she never did any such thing.

According to Deadline.com:

“Throughout Feud, the Zeta-Jones played de Havilland appears in a mock documentary from 1978 taking abut the relationship between the adversarial Crawford and Davis. She also shows up at the 1963 Oscars as a supporter of Davis’ and makes numerous remarks about the nature of Hollywood and being an actress in the dirty business of show business.

“Olivia De Havilland did not give any such interview and never made these statements about Miss Davis and Miss Crawford or their relationship,” says attorneys for the self-described “living legend and unique role model for multiple generations of actors and fans” in the complaint.”

This is fascinating – did the show make up all of de Havilland’s material?

Deadline.com has the entire 33-page filing you can link to – check it out here:

http://deadline.com/2017/06/ryan-murphy-fx-sued-olivia-de-havilland-feud-catherine-zeta-jones-1202122984/

This will be interesting to see as it develops. I was a huge fan of the “Feud” TV series, as it really took us inside the story of the Davis/Crawford feud, and Susan Sarandon and Jessica Lange were terrific.

The movie they made together was a huge hit, and sparked a revival in films with older Actresses in the leads – but they were all horror films!

See more about this genre of film here:

https://johnrieber.com/2017/03/28/bloody-grannies-epic-hollywood-feud-camp-old-lady-horror-classics/

I will post updates as this progresses!

U.S. actress Olivia de Havilland poses during an Associated Press interview, in Paris, Saturday, June 18, 2016. She may be losing her sight and hearing, but the mind of the indomitable actress Olivia de Havilland, who turns 100 Friday, remains as sharp as a tack. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

A Sad Day For Sports Fans – And Fans Of GREAT Memoirs!

“You spend a good piece of his life gripping a baseball, and in the end it turns out that it was the other way around all the time.” – Jim Bouton

I grew up in Seattle, and in a city that for man-years had NO major league teams, there was the legendary pro baseball team, The Seattle Pilots – who only lasted one season – 1969 – before moving to Milwaukee to become the Brewers…a black eye on the sport…

Luckily for Seattle sports fans, former Yankee Pitcher Jim Bouton wrote a diary about his year with the expansion Seattle Pilots, as he was trying to make a comeback in baseball.

The result is the greatest sports book ever written – that also happened to be a “history” of the team, which moved to Milwaukee after a single season – on April Fools Day!

The Brilliant “Ball Four!”

This candid book about major league baseball tore the cover off the sport – this was a time when there were NO “tell-all” books about sports…but Bouton was honest, acerbic, candid and revealing.

Mickey Mantle’s Hangover Home Run!

Baseball fans were outraged when Bouton revealed that the great Mickey Mantle once hit a home run after a night of binge-drinking – his hangover was massive, and after he rounded the bases he went into the dugout and said, “they’ll never know how tough that was.”

Tragic News About Bouton Revealed:

Bouton has always been honest about his life – and The New York Times has just published a poignant and honest story about the Pitcher’s recent stroke – and the news that he has revealed that he is locked in a losing battle with brain disease:

Bouton has publicly revealed a degenerative brain disease – just five years after he acknowledged having a stroke.

The NY Times story is beautifully reported – and very sad – here is an excerpt, beginning as the Reporter visits Bouton at his home:

“It is good for Bouton to have company, said his wife, Paula Kurman, who has a doctorate in interpersonal communications from Columbia. They have been married for 35 years and have lived here for more than 20, among the foxes and black bears, surrounded by pine trees. A cloud might roll by, straight through the screened-in porch, and there are no other homes in sight. Their children are grown and live elsewhere.

Bouton had a stroke five years ago this Aug. 15. They know the date because it was the 15th anniversary of the death of Bouton’s daughter, Laurie, in a car accident.”

“The body knows, you know?” Kurman said, softly. “The body knows.”

The wife’s candid comment sets up the latest bad news to hit Bouton:

“Bouton’s body was largely unaffected by the stroke. But his mind, the one whose pointed and poignant observations produced the classic memoir “Ball Four” in 1970, will never be the same. This weekend in New York, at the convention for the Society of American Baseball Research, Bouton went public about his brain disease: cerebral amyloid angiopathy, which is linked to dementia.”

The Pitcher/Author/Actor is fighting a brain disease that leads to dementia – a horrible fate for anyone – but always shocking to see happen to someone who has faced so many tragedies in the past already.

It’s another great piece of reporting from The New York Times – you can see the entire story at their website:

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/01/sports/baseball/jim-bouton-brain-disease.html?smprod=nytcore-iphone&smid=nytcore-iphone-share

As I said, “Ball Four” tore the cover off of baseball – and it’s hilariously self-deprecating as well – as when Bouton finds out the Pilots traded him to Houston for Pitcher Dooley Womack.

“Wait – THE DOOLEY WOMACK??!?!?!?”

Bouton also writes about trying to sneak a fast ball by one hitter and the result:

“He snuck it over the fence.”

Here is a look at this book, and the fallout that followed its release:

https://johnrieber.com/2013/09/17/ball-four-baseballs-most-controversial-and-best-book/

Bouton also did acting, like the great Robert Altman take on “The Long Goodbye” – check out this classic movie poster, which references Bouton and his baseball book:

Altman’s updated take on the Raymond Chandler novel is a quirky masterpiece, starring Elliott Gould. The movie was filmed in one of LA’s great locations: the famous Hollywood Hightower:

See more about the film – and this iconic location – here:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/09/14/hollywoods-hightower-movie-past-vintage-los-angeles-climbs-these-legendary-stairs/

Here’s wishing the best for Jim Bouton and his wife…

Time To Watch Some Movies!

There is nothing better than seeing a great film and wanting to share it with others – and thanks to the internet, we can do it all day long!

Ten Great Films That Begin With the letter “A”!

A terrific social media trend is going around where people share lists of their favorite films, A-Z. More on this in a moment.

But first, I decided to do it one letter at a time, so here we go – ten of my favorite movies that begin with the letter “A”!

10 – Animal House!

Yes, it is official “National Lampoon’s Animal House” but since this is arguably the funniest film ever made, I am going to go with the shortened title.

Check out the vintage trailer:

John Belushi showed that he could command the big screen, and togas were never funnier than in this hilariously profane look at college life…I suggest watching it as a double bill with “Old School” – here’s a bunch of fun trivia about the movie and the trailer as well:

https://johnrieber.com/2015/04/15/sex-togas-bluto-blue-schools-out-for-animal-house-and-old-school/

From comedy to horror, this is also arguably the greatest film of its genre:

9 – Alien

The most shocking sci-fi horror film of all – with the greatest poster as well! So many reasons to love this movie, and this scene is certainly iconic, isn’t it?

What a way to introduce a new cast member! None of the subsequent films can measure up – remember, “Aliens” is an action film more than horror – and that shocking introduction of the aline will never be topped!

Now onto one of the most interesting psychological biographies about Hollywood I’ve ever seen:

8 – Auto Focus

Greg Kinnear is mesmerizing as Bob Crane, who shot to fame as the star of “Hogan’s Heroes” – but he was a, shall we say, FAN OF WOMEN?

Check out the trailer – a blend of Hollywood bio-pic and sleazy exploitation:

Bob Crane loved to film himself having sex with female fans, and sleazy sidekick Willem Dafoe had no problem being his cameraman! A fascinating character study directed by Paul Schrader, who wrote “Taxi Driver.”

This is based on a true story, while our next film is a fictionalized version of Cameron Crowe’s teenage years – writing for Rolling Stone!

7 – Almost Famous

Cameron Crowe released a director’s cut of this great film – with more funny scenes, context and music – a classic movie about rock’n’roll!

Read more about the film, and the girls who followed by band:

https://johnrieber.com/2012/12/01/pamela-des-barres-the-groupie-trilogy-almost-famous-the-groupie-life/

Now, here’s a movie that has one of cinema’s more iconic lines:

“No, YOU’RE Out Of Order!”

6 – “And Justice For All”

Al Pacino shows that he’s got a set of lungs and he’s not afraid to use them in this late 70’s courtroom drama.

Next up is one of my all-time favorite films: a masterpiece about the horror of war – and working with Marlon Brando:

5 – “Apocalypse Now”

Franci Ford Coppola went into the jungle and came back with this anti-war masterpiece. Yes, Brando was a nightmare to work with, but the ending of the film has even been parodied on “Seinfeld”, and Coppola’s wife even made a documentary about how the experience almost destroyed their life:

What a great double bill!

Next on the “A” list is a Best Picture winner from 1977- yes, it beat “Star Wars” – Woody Allen’s masterpiece:

4 – “Annie Hall”

Diane Keaton won Best Actress for her portrayal of the title character – a film full of humor, insight, and of course, a small bit with Christopher Walken that is classic:

“Annie Hall” is an example of a film that is perfection: every scene works. A more recent comedy also balanced serious and funny – thanks to a “career best” performance by Hugh Grant:

3 – “About A Boy”

“You could end up childless and alone!”

“Well, fingers crossed, YES.”

Check out the trailer:

Hugh Grant has said that this 2002 film is the closest to his “real life” persona – a guy who simply doesn’t want to connect with anyone for any length of time – until “a boy” enters his life in the best way…Chris Weitz directed this, and its a terrific film – funny, emotional, and inspiring.

Now, one of the greatest “growing up” films of all time – directed by a guy who went on to make an “outer space movie”:

2 – “American Graffiti”

“Where Were You In ’62?”

The trailer asks this simple question – check it out:

One night in central California, as a group of high school graduates try to determine their future – a classic “coming of age” film with a great cast, expertly directed by George Lucas, who used this success to convince 20th Century Fox to let him make his passion film “Star Wars”….

Finally, a brilliant movie that is as topical today for reasons we all know:

1 – “All The President’s Men”

The story of the downfall of President Richard Nixon – Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman are terrific as the Reporter who won’t let the Watergate story fade away – even with overwhelming odds against them…a history lesson worth watching:

It’s one of a number of great political films, check them out here:

https://johnrieber.com/2012/10/17/dont-put-baby-in-a-binder-presidential-politics-political-movies/

There you have it, ten great films that begin with the letter “A”!

Yes, so many left off: from “Anti-Christ” to “Anchorman”, “Airplane!” to “Anvil!”, but I had to choose a list – so let me know what yours are!

It all started with a great social media experiment – everyone posting their favorite movie lists from A-Z – here’s a look at it:

https://johnrieber.com/2017/05/11/my-movie-alphabet-an-a-z-of-my-favorite-and-most-offbeat-films/

I loved taking part, and guess what – there’s another one that is just as fun!

My friend Beetley Pete has been doing a musical countdown to the alphabet – and here is the latest – the finger-snappin’ letter “N” – check his list out here:

https://beetleypete.wordpress.com/2017/07/09/a-musical-a-z-n/comment-page-1/#comment-30033

I will be doing a music version as well – but for now, movies with an “A” are here to enjoy.

As you can see, we have so many to choose from, let me know your favorite “A” movie!

Caucasian woman watching move in empty theater

How About Some Classic “B” Movies!

In Hollywood parlance, a “B” movie used to refer to the second film on a double feature – a lesser known movie that viewers got as a bonus…here’s an example:

It’s too bad there are no longer double bills like this, but it gives me a way to launch into ten great movies that begin with the letter “B” – and I begin with what I call:

The Original “Hunger Games!”

Yes, you may know “Hunger Games”, but this is the film that started it all: a group of students forced to survive on a secluded island – battling against each other – the intense and controversial Japanese film from 2000:

10 – Battle Royale

This ultra-controversial film began in Japan as a controversial novel – the story is simple: one high school class is taken to an island – and only one lone survivor leaves! Here is the trailer:

This subject matter was so controversial in Japan that members of the Japanese Parliament tried to get the novel banned, and then later tried to ban the film as well. It backfired, as both became mega-hits based on the controversy.

You can read more about this great movie here:

https://johnrieber.com/2012/03/18/behold-battle-royale-the-original-hunger-games/

Next up is one of my favorite movies – about the changing nature of TV news – while it’s 30 years old, it’s amazing topical today:

9 – “Broadcast News”

William Hurt, Holly Hunter and Albert Brooks star in this inside look at the changing nature of TV news. You can see so many parallels to what is happening today….one of the best films about TV, TV news, and chasing ratings at all costs…

It’s just one of many films that captured where we are today – see that story here:

https://johnrieber.com/2016/05/31/political-chaos-2016-network-and-broadcast-news-nailed-it-this-town-confirms-the-shenanigans/

Next up is a classic science fiction film from 1982 with the iconic line:

“Wake Up, Time To Die”

8 – Blade Runner

This Ridley Scott films stars Harrison Ford as a “blade runner” who must terminate four “replicants” who stole a ship in space and have returned to Earth to find their creator.

Here is the trailer:

According to IMDB, Ridley Scott’s first cut ran four hours! When he showed it to the cast and crew, they “admitted that while it looked beautiful, it was mostly incomprehensible, necessitating additional editing and an explanatory voice-over.”

The imagery of the film is haunting, and one of the greatest moments is when Rutger Hauer, one of the replicants, leans over Ford and whispers:

“Wake up, time to die.”

I can’t wait for the sequel, “Blade Runner 2049”, which will be out later this year!

Here is one of the most seminal films of the 60’s, which ushered a whole new era of explicit violence in film:

7 – Bonnie & Clyde

In 1967, Arthur Penn directed this brilliant film starring Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway, Gene Hackman and Michael J. Pollard – a raw, violent and controversial look at these modern day outlaws:

My friend Alison Martino hosted a screening in LA with Pollard in attendance, here is a look at that event:

https://johnrieber.com/2015/03/17/bonnie-clyde-vintage-la-screening-amazing-live-guest-pictures-from-a-revolution/

Time to lighten the mood, with the the highest grossing R-rated female comedy of all time!

6 – Bridesmaids

Kristen Wiig catapulted to stardom in 2011, along with Melissa McCarthy, thanks to this hilariously funny look at the world of “bridesmaids” – check out the trailer:

This ensemble cast is amazing – and Jon Hamm is hilarious is a small role as Wiig’s sex-crazed boyfriend:

Here is some surprising trivia, thanks to IMDB:

“Before he came to Hollywood, Jon Hamm, who plays Ted in this movie, was a high school drama teacher at the John Burroughs School in Ladue, Missouri. One of his acting students was Ellie Kemper, who plays Becca.”

Wow, I love that!

Now that I have you laughing, time to thrust you into a political assassination drama that was overlooked upon release, but now is considered a masterpiece!

5 – Blow Out

Legendary Director Brian DePalma made this political thriller set during the 1976 bicentennial election. John Travolta has never been better as a Sound Engineer who accidentally captures a political assassination – here is the trailer:

Travolta is terrific in the film, which bombed upon release, but is now considered a masterpiece. DePalma’s previous film was “Dressed To Kill”, and while that thriller was a smash hit, this was considered too dark by audiences at the time:

DePalma’s then wife Nancy Allen starred as well, and she did a great job…read more about this film, and other DePalma masterpieces, here:

https://johnrieber.com/2012/03/03/a-celebration-of-depalma-the-best-least-known-classics/

Here’s another great film that was overlooked upon release, even though it starred one of the biggest stars of 1971:

4 – The Beguiled

Clint Eastwood stars as the injured civil war solder taken in by a woman’s school – and the erotic issues that arise. Here is the trailer:

“The Beguiled” was overlooked in 1971, partly because Eastwood had two other films the same year – here they are:

https://johnrieber.com/2017/01/12/clint-eastwoods-1971-triple-play-of-classic-films-dirty-harry-play-misty-for-me-the-beguiled/

Time to lighten up with one of my favorite movies about Hollywood – and arguably Eddie Murphy’s greatest comedic role!

3 – Bowfinger

Steve Martin wrote this affectionate look at the underbelly of Hollywood, and Eddie Murphy is hilarious in two roles!

Click here to see the trailer:

This is a great ensemble cast, an affectionate look at the “anger ons” in Hollywood, and a really funny movie as well – click her for a ton of trivia about this great movie:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/06/24/eddie-murphys-comic-brilliance-his-bowfinger-redemption/

Here’s a movie that starred a Hollywood legend:

2 – The Big Sleep

Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall sizzle in this classic film noir directed by Howard Hawks from a script by legendary Writer William Faulkner!

Check out the classic trailer:

Bogart plays Private Investigator Philip Marlowe, who is hired by a wealthy general to find out and stop his youngest daughter, Carmen, from being blackmailed about her gambling debts…

According to Lauren Bacall, production was such fun, that they got a memo from Jack L. Warner saying “Word has reached me that you are having fun on the set. This must stop.”

The film is based on the series of novels by Raymond Chandler…all of them are worth reading as well!

Finally, here is a modern “film noir” classic, which took the genre that “The Big Sleep” epitomized and added a frank sexuality:

1 – Body Heat

Lawrence Kasden directed this brilliant film noir in 1981 – a steamy erotic thriller starring William Hurt and Kathleen Turner – here is the trailer:

“Body Heat” is one of my favorite movies of all time – a great thriller that has a mystery that unfolds beautifully…a classic – see more here:

https://johnrieber.com/2012/09/29/steamy-body-heat-and-double-crossing-indemnity-film-noir-sizzles/

There you have it – ten films beginning with the letter “B” – let me know what you think, and don’t forget to check out my “A” list as well – click here!

https://johnrieber.com/2017/07/09/give-me-an-a-ten-classic-films-that-begin-with-a-movies-a-z/

Time For Some “C” Cinema!

My countdown of favorite movies “A-Z” continues with another great letter, which is full of comedy, drama, horror and John Travolta!

REMEMBER: This is not a top ten, just ten movies, so if your favorite pops in at #8, that doesn’t mean the next 7 are better!

I’m really torn on this list, as I didn’t include “Crimes & Misdemeanors” OR “Charley Varrick” with Walter Matthau – but I wanted to make the list eclectic so I moved around many genres…

Let’s get started with movies starting with the letter “C” – one that may not be well known, but it is beloved!

10 – Chuck & Buck

This is one of those quirky classics that, when you mention it to someone, they embrace you as if you’re part of a secret club!

Here’s the plot: an offbeat, naive “man-child” stalks his childhood best friend win Hollywood in order to rekindle a long ago friendship.

“Chuck & Buck” was directed by Miguel Arteta, and was written by Mike White, who also stars as Buck.

Check out the trailer:

Chris Weitz stars as Chuck, a successful Hollywood Producer hounded by an unwanted childhood friend. Aside from acting, Weitz is an acclaimed Writer/Director – he directed another great film “About A Boy.”

His brother Paul Weitz, currently the Executive Producer of “Mozart In The Jungle”, almost steals the film in a hilarious supporting role…this movie is offbeat, a bit dark at times, and a real treat…a great movie to begin our list, and one of my favorite “forgotten cult classic” – here are some more:

https://johnrieber.com/2012/03/03/5-great-forgotten-cult-classics/

Next up is one of my top 5 favorite films – a masterpiece of horror and suspense!

9 – Carrie

Director Brian DePalma took Stephen King’s debut novel about a girl with special powers and turned it into the ultimate “teen angst” movie. Sissy Spacek is terrific as Carrie, a shy girl who doesn’t wish anyone harm, until they make a very bad decision at the prom.

John Travolta and Nancy Allen also star in the film, which is one of the best horror films ever made – read more trivia here about Carrie’s “Star Wars” connection!

https://johnrieber.com/2016/10/30/shocktober-day-30-brilliant-carrie-brian-depalmas-horror-classics-star-wars-connection/

Back to forgotten films – have you heard about the town that was paid $25-million to quit smoking – by a tobacco company?

8 – Cold Turkey

This 1970 film was a flop, but it’s an inspired black comedy starring Dick Van Dyke and Bob Newhart.

Here is the trailer, with a very young Paul Dooley as an Anchorman:

“Cold Turkey” was directed by Norman Lear, who wen ton to make the classic TV comedy “All In The Family!”

Next up, Francis Ford Coppola won Best Picture in 1974 for “The Godfather Part II” – but he was competing against himself!

7 – The Conversation

Coppola made this “quiet masterpiece” in 1974 as well – and Gene Hackman is terrific as an audio specialist who works on a job that includes murder! Check out the trailer:

This movie is terrific, if you haven’t seen it, there is a nicely remastered blu-ray you can find.

Speaking of offbeat films worth finding on blu-ray:

6 – Countess Perverse

Looking for a classic tale of a woman who is hunted – by a naked woman with a bow and arrow?

European Director Jess Franco made more than a hundred films – all were outrageous, erotic and fascinating – “Countess Perverse” is one of his best, starring his wife Lina Romay – and you can find special blu-ray editions with alternate takes as well!

Read more about it, and check out the trailer here:

https://johnrieber.com/2017/06/30/sexy-nature-the-notorious-francofriday-cut-of-countess-perverse-with-lina-romay/

From naked hunting to classic musicals, this “C” list has them all!

In 1991, Director Alan Parker made a classic, modern day musical from Ireland!

5 – The Commitments

One of the great modern musicals – the story of the rise and fall of a Dublin Soul band, The Commitments. The film chronicles the creation of the band, put together by Jimmy Rabbitte, an unemployed wheeler/dealer with a vision: he wants to create “The Worlds Hardest Working Band”!

here is the trailer:

Yes,one band member is Glen Hansard, who went on to star in the great musical “Once”, and he won the Oscar for best original song “Falling Slowly!”

And here is one piece of amazing trivia, thanks to the great website IMDB:

“The kid on the skateboard who appears outside Robert Arkins’ (Jimmy’s) window during the first third of the movie when the band are recruiting members is the (now grown up) boy from the covers of U2’s “Boy” (1980) and “War” (1983) albums. At the time The Commitments (1991) was filmed, he owned a skate shop in Dublin and was a champion skateboarder!”

Read more about this film, and see the classic music video for “Mustang Sally” here:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/11/19/best-modern-musicals-once-the-commitments-glen-hansards-musical-oscar/

Now, let’s go back to a time when “blaxploitation cinema” was tearing up movie screens, thanks to one very tall kick ass lady!

4 – Cleopatra Jones

Tamara Dobson stars as a US Drug Agent who takes on the mob to destroy an opium field.

Check out the trailer:

Dobson also starred in a sequel – these films showed empowered women of color kicking ass – if you want to see more of it, check out my story here:

https://johnrieber.com/2017/01/27/female-empowerment-indeed-foxy-brown-cleopatra-jones-blaxploitations-kick-ass-women/

Next up is one of the most commanding movie performances ever:

3 – Cast Away

Tom Hanks is alone on screen for over an hour – a man who survives a plane crash and end up on a deserted island…here is the trailer:

I love this film, and Hanks is brilliant.

Director Robert Zemeckis shot the first half of the film with a “normal” Tom Hanks, then stopped production for a year so Hanks could lose fifty pounds – and when you see the weight loss in the film, it is stunning…the film is also iconic for the character of “Wilson”:

“Wilson” was, of course, the soccer ball that also washed ashore from the wreckage, and became the only “person” Hanks had to talk to during the entire middle of the film.

I love this movie for the flawless filmmaking and a mesmerizing performance by Hanks. Subtle and powerful.

Now, if you DON’T want subtle in your entertainment right now, well I’ve got you covered as well:

2 – Crimes Of Passion

Get ready to have your eyeballs sucked out of your head!

This 1984 erotic thriller was directed by Ken Russell – and Anthony Perkins and Kathleen Turner chew up the scenery with a deliciousness that is eye-popping…

Here is the plot: A mysterious woman, who is a fashion designer by day, is also a prostitute by night, and of course, she’s accused of murder! Who can help her? Why wacko Priest Perkins of course!

Check out the trailer:

According to film critic Roger Ebert, the picture “required massive cuts in the movie before it could qualify for an R rating” in the USA with studio distributor New World Pictures reluctant to release the film stateside with an X rating – because Director Russell lets it all hang out – and it wildly entertaining!

But don’t worry, there is an uncut version on blu-ray now – this is a pulpy must see!

Finally, I leave you with one of my all-time favorite films – as inky black as any black comedy can be:

1 – Catch – 22

It’s one of the most revered novels of modern times – a darkly black comedy about the horrors of war. Check out the trailer:

If you don’t know, the “catch” is this: if you are mentally ill, you cannot fly a war plane – BUT if you know you are mentally ill, then you MUST be sane, therefore you must fly!

As they say in the film:

“That’s some catch, that catch-22!”

Alan Arkin plays Yossarian, a WW2 pilot desperate to get out of the war – he heads an all-star cast, including Charles Grodin, Jon Voight, Art Garfunkel, Bob Newhart, Richard Benjamin, Paula Prentiss and Orson Welles!

Click here to find out more about this neglected masterpiece, including the DVD that includes a fascinating conversation between Mike Nichols and Steven Soderbergh!

https://johnrieber.com/2014/03/24/the-brilliant-black-comedy-catch-22-a-neglected-movie-masterpiece/

There you have it – a list of “C” movies worth finding – and if you want to see my “A” list, here’s an example of a classic one:

You can see my list of ten “A” movies here:

https://johnrieber.com/2017/07/09/give-me-an-a-ten-classic-films-that-begin-with-a-movies-a-z/

If you want to see some classic “B” movies, try this one:

Here are more of my favorite “B” movies as well:

https://johnrieber.com/2017/07/13/b-movies-indeed-my-list-of-ten-great-films-beginning-with-b/

Let me know what I left off – I know there are many!

Meet Susan George!

Fans of cult cinema already know this terrific Actress, Producer and Arabian horse breeder – yes, horse breeder!

A woman of many talents, there are a few classic cult films that George has made that are worth re-visting…

The Actress has starred alongside some great Hollywood names – in both action comedy as well as thrillers and a very controversial drama – opposite Charles Bronson!

Twinky!

Yes, Susan and Charles Bronson starred in this film from 1969 – with a very controversial subject matter.

A 38-year-old writer of pornographic novels meets and falls in love with a sixteen-year-old school girl in London. Here is the trailer:

Interestingly, Woody Allen made “Manhattan” in 1979, about a middle-aged man having a relationship with a 17-year old high school student. Hard to imagine that sort of film being made today…

Here’s some interesting trivia: “Twinky” was directed by Richard Donner, who went on to make “The Omen” and “Superman” with Christopher Reeve!

George went on to star in “Straw Dogs” in 1971 – a revenge thriller with a very controversial scene involving the Actress:

Here is the trailer:

Dustin Hoffman stars as a bookish US teacher whose new wife, played by Susan George, convinces him to move back to her small hometown in England…

By far the most controversial scene in the film occurs when George is raped by a former lover…

The film was directed by Sam Peckinpah – and the rape scene was widely criticized at the time for suggesting she enjoyed the act of violence.

It continues to be one of the most polarizing scenes in movie history. Here is a look at some of the other most controversial and shocking scenes from films:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/03/19/cover-your-eyes-a-serbian-film-martyrs-the-worlds-most-extreme-censored-cinema/

“Straw Dogs” ends with an extended sequence involving Hoffman and George fighting off local thugs – it is also a brutal scene that was very controversial at the time…

When asked in a 2013 interview about working with Hoffman and director Sam Peckinpah , George said:

“I had a love-hate relationship with Sam, but he was a brilliant director and a genius of his time. Dustin was a generous actor to work with, who could be intense at times, but had a great personality and an incredibly mischievous sense of humour. Making the film was a fantastic experience and one that I cherish to this day.”

Sam Peckinpah was the Director of such great movies as “The Wild Bunch” and “Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid” – but he was a wild man – see more here:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/08/05/the-wild-bunch-billy-the-kid-sam-packinpahs-soup-tossing/

That same year, Susan starred in the thriller “Die Screaming, Marianne” – but it was a short time later that she had her biggest success – opposite Peter Fonda…

Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry!

This is, without a doubt, one of the best car chase movies of the 70’s – an action-filled romp across America’s back roads – here is the trailer:

DIRTY MARY CRAZY LARRY, Susan George, 1974, TM and Copyright (c) 20th Century Fox Film Corp. All rights reserved.

“Dirty Mary Crazy Larry” was a huge hit, and gave George her biggest exposure in the US – and she seemed to love the attention…

As you can see, she was being sold as a sex kitten in these films, but it was her next performance that was perhaps her most notorious!

Mandingo!

1975 saw the release of perhaps her most outrageous film, because it was one of the wildest, most racist films of all time!

The film is everything you think it is and more – and George plays the daughter of a Plantation owner in the deep south who has a fling with one of his slaves – boxer Ken Norton!

See the trailer for this film, and more about the notorious plot, here:

https://johnrieber.com/2013/04/14/django-please-mandingo-klansmen-ojs-movie-debut-most-offensive-70s-movies-ever/

Susan’s film appearances slowed down in the 80’s, and as I said before, she and her husband were horse breeders…

Here is a shot of Susan at a film event from 2007:

Susan George made a number of great films, a few that continue to be controversial to this day – bravo Susan!

Here Are Ten Great “D” Movies!

Continuing my alphabetical countdown of movies I love, here are ten that begin with the letter “D” – they are full of sex, violence and Paul Giamatti too!

Remember, these are not in order, just ten films to share – so let’s get going with the most realistically bloody fist fight ever captured on film!

10 – “Darker Than Amber”

There was a great series of hard-boiled crime novels by Author John D. MacDonald featuring the ultra-cool Travis McGee. In 1970, a film was released starring Rod Taylor, and it included the most violent – and real – fish fight in film history!

Here is the fight scene:

The movie wasn’t a hit, but it is terrific – and you can read all about it here:

https://johnrieber.com/2013/03/01/darker-than-amber-film-noirs-legendary-fight-scene-a-brutal-hidden-gem/

I have posted about many obscure films like “Amber”, and also many films like this one:

9 – “Dead Sushi”

That’s right, killer sushi!

Folks, the wild wild filmmaking going on in Japan is worth checking out, and if you want to bite into a hilariously over-the-top killer sushi film, this is the one for you! You can see the trailer here:

https://johnrieber.com/2015/01/28/killer-sushi-toilet-zombies-karaoke-terror-tasty-japanese-exploitation/

You know how they say “revenge is a dish best served cold?” Well, here is my ultimate revenge flick:

8 – “Dead Man’s Shoes”

Director Shane Meadows made this terrific revenge movie, starring Paddy Considine, who also-cowrote with Meadows. Check out the trailer:

Trust me when I tell you this is a dark revenge story – but I loved it!

If you want something a big more “mainstream”, how about some Michael Douglas?

7 – “Disclosure”

This is classic Michael Douglas: playing a man who is “sexually harassed” by Demi Moore – all while a really “so dated its funny” high-tech espionage story unfolds.

Michael Douglas made his “penis trilogy” around this time – click on my story to see how “Disclosure” is part of his perfect storm of penis films!

https://johnrieber.com/2014/01/13/fatal-attractions-basic-instincts-full-disclosure-the-infamous-michael-douglas-penis-trilogy/

Now, time to head to the 70’s, where all the women were “Dirty” and the men were “Crazy!”

6 – “Dirty Mary Crazy Larry”

Peter Fonda and Susan George star in this wild action adventure – if you haven’t heard of it, you are missing out!

Check out the trailer:

Susan George is a great Actress, and has an incredible career – see all of her great movies, from “Straw Dogs” to “Mandingo” by clicking here:

https://johnrieber.com/2017/07/21/terrific-actress-susan-george-from-straw-dogs-to-dirty-mary-and-mandingo-a-controversial-british-sex-kitten/

Now, time to celebrate the beginning of the longest running movie series – which began in 1962 when we first met Secret Agent 007!

5 – “Dr. NO”

Yes, Sean Connery became a super star when he starred as James Bond, the coolest spy in the world.

Here is the first ever trailer, introducing 007 to the world!

“Dr. NO” was a huge hit, and it led to the greatest action series of all time – and not only was Connery the greatest Bond, but many feel that Ursula Andress was the greatest “Bond Girl” as well!

Andress set the stage for all Bond girls to come – click here to find out why her nickname was Ursula “UNDRESS!”

https://johnrieber.com/2016/03/28/ursula-andress-or-undress-007s-first-bond-girl-60s-sex-kitten-frolicked-with-nature/

In 1980, Director Brian DePalma made one of his greatest movies, the shocking thriller:

4 – “Dressed To Kill”

Angie Dickinson stars as a sexually repressed woman who picks up the wrong man at a museum…check out the trailer:

DePalma was on a roll at this time, having made “Carrie” and “The Fury”, and next up was “Scarface!”

DePalma’s shocker is worth watching, as is this controversial shocker from a decade earlier:

3 – “The Devils”

Director Ken Russell made this intense drama about possessed Nuns – with a strong sexual desire!

Oliver Reed stars as the “Witchfinder” who must determine if these Nuns are possessed by the devil!

See the trailer, and bunch of movie trivia, here:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/12/23/unleash-the-devils-movie-lovers-demand-ken-russells-sexy-controversial-masterpiece/

Here’s another controversial film from 1971 – with the iconic line:

“Do You Feel Lucky, Punk?”

2 – “Dirty Harry”

Clint Eastwood starred as “Dirty Harry” Callahan, who was given every crummy job the SF police department didn’t want to handle.

His iconic monologue near the beginning of the film cemented this as a classic movie thriller, but it was controversial at the time for its portrayal of police – read more about it here:

https://johnrieber.com/2017/01/12/clint-eastwoods-1971-triple-play-of-classic-films-dirty-harry-play-misty-for-me-the-beguiled/

Finally, I will leave you with an interesting comedy/drama that will have you whistling a classic tune!

1 – “Duets”

Gwyneth Paltrow, Huey Lewis and Paul Giamatti head up a great cast of karaoke singers who dream of winning the big competition – here is the trailer:

My favorite moment in the movie is when Paul Giamatti gets up and sings Todd Rundgren’s classic song “Hello, It’s Me.” Click here to hear the song:

https://johnrieber.com/2015/08/12/paul-giamatti-singing-duets-with-gwyneth-paltrow-todd-rundgren-hello-its-me-karaoke/

Now everyone knows I am a huge fan of Todd as well:

This is one of his signature songs, and he still performs in on tour.

Here is Todd performing it live in 2016:

There are my ten “D” movies, I’m sure I left out many more – leave a note to let me know!

Also, I have been posting these stories for a while now, including this classic slice of cinema:

It’s just one of the ten “A” movies, I shared, so make sure to check out my “A” list here:

https://johnrieber.com/2017/07/09/give-me-an-a-ten-classic-films-that-begin-with-a movies-a-z/

And of course, the “B” list included this classic movie:

One of cinema’s steamiest film noir made the list, and you can see all of my “B” choices here:

https://johnrieber.com/2017/07/13/b-movies-indeed-my-list-of-ten-great-films-beginning-with-b/

Those two letters didn’t include this film, which is one of my all-time favorites:

That is, of course, a film that begins with the letter “C” – and you can see them all here:

https://johnrieber.com/2017/07/16/the-c-list-great-cult-movies-beginning-with-c/

Let me know your favorites!

Welcome To The Hollywood Bowl!

Just a short distance from Hollywood and Vine, the iconic Hollywood Bowl has a terrific lineup of performances all summer long, including tonight, when Kool & the Gang were headlining a night of funk, with Morris Day & The Time as the opening act…except there was a third group on the bill – who came out to warm up the crowd and wow them with several of their iconic hits:

The Village People!

Yes, it was straight back to the disco era when the wildly-dressed group warmed up the crowd of 17,000+ with a short set of classic hits…here I am with my wife Alex and her sister Lauren, ready to dance the night away…

The Village People may have changed a bit over the years, but they seem to be more popular than ever!

As noted by The Hollywood Bowl website:

“The one-of- a-kind VILLAGE PEOPLE is synonymous with dance music. Their impact on music has earned them the title “Kings of Disco” and they have sold more than 100 million recordings worldwide. These six talented men combine energetic choreography with outrageous fun and lots of bumping and grinding! Their music provides entertainment for all and will have you singing & dancing!”

A1J7KX Can t Stop The Music Year 1980 Director Nancy Walker Village People

More on this photo in a moment, but for those who wonder who is still in the band, here is the latest on the group:

“In the summer of 2013, Let’s Go Back to the Dance Floor, Village People’s first worldwide release in 25 years (available on iTunes, Amazon etc.) and written and produced by Harry Casey (KC & the Sunshine Band!) joins their other hits as a super-popular addition to their stage show. It’s also the last collaboration with beloved members David Hodo and Jeff Olson before they retire after decades with the group. Jim Newman replaces Jeff Olson as the Cowboy and Bill Whitefield takes over the Construction Worker from David Hodo– Felipe, Alex, Ray and Eric remain as the longtime members. You can’t stop the music…and the party continues.”

And the party did in fact continue at The Hollywood Bowl on July 22, as dusk settled over the crowd, the boys came on stage and put on a party!

They had the crowd in the palm of their construction worker/policeman/indian chief/cowboy/soldier hands from the first note – but of course, everyone was there to hear that one song:

“YMCA” Live!

Yes, it was all about this one song – and they didn’t disappoint – here is the video of the live perforance, beginning with a tutorial by the band on how to form the letters to the song – it’s a great live moment as 17,000+ dance to the music:

As you can see, it was an amazing night for everyone – and as the colors show, a night of inclusion for all as well!

FYI, The Guinness World Records book certified The Village People’s Sun Bowl appearance on December 31, 2008 as the world’s largest YMCA dance with over 40,000 fans “doing the YMCA moves” while the group performed!

Speaking of great Village People performances:

CAN’T STOP THE MUSIC, front from left: The Village People: Ray Simpson, Randy Jones, Glenn Hughes, David Hodo, Alex Briley, Felipe Rose, 1980, © Associated Film Distribution

Yes, the boys starred in the amazingly ill-conceived musical starring Bruce Jenner called “Can’t Stop The Music!”

Yes folks, this is as wildly entertaining and misguided as anything you have ever seen! Click here for the trailer and the story behind this film:

https://johnrieber.com/2015/07/16/the-caitlyn-jenner-nobody-knows-bruce-jenners-cant-stop-the-music-madness/

Let me know if you enjoyed The Village People at The Hollywood Bowl!

Albert Brooks Gets “Lost” Again!

Actor/Director Albert Brooks posted this note on Twitter, letting fans know that The Criterion Collection is releasing a new, expanded blu-ray edition of his 1985 comic gem “Lost In America!”

“You couldn’t change your life on a hundred thousand a year?”

The film includes this great line about changing your life…and so much more!

First of all, bravo to Criterion for continuing to release remastered editions of great movies, with tons of extras!

Before we dig into the details, refresh your memory about his comic cult classic:

Prior to making “Lost In America” in 1985, Albert Brooks was well known in the 70’s for his short films that aired on “Saturday Night Live” – he was also a Standup Comedian, Writer, Director and Actor. His first film was “Real Life”, a parody of the groundbreaking PBS documentary-series about the Loud family…

This prescient comedy imagined an era when camera crews invaded your house and captured your entire life – without being “intrusive”…so the Camera people wore them on their heads!

For his second film, Brooks told the story of a couple who decide to “drop out” of society and travel across America by Winnebago…

Julie Hagerty plays his wife – you will know her from “Airplane” – and as you can see from the trailer, EVERYTHING goes wrong:

“Twenty-two, twenty-two, come on back to me, come on back to me!”

Julie Hagerty is incredible in the film, exhibiting perfect comic timing, especially when she has a “hunch” on the number twenty-two at the Roulette table…

While their journey to “touch Indians” is a fiasco, the film is a hilarious look at Reagan-era Yuppies who want to drop out, but still need their big salaries – as the Employment Director in a small town says to him:

“You couldn’t change your life on a hundred thousand a year?”

Bravo to Monica Johnson, who co-wrote the script. Here is what’s on the Criterion Blu-Ray:

DIRECTOR-APPROVED EDITION:

New 2K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray
New conversation with director Albert Brooks and filmmaker Robert Weide
New interviews with actor Julie Hagerty, executive producer Herb Nanas, and comic writer and director James L. Brooks
Trailer
PLUS: An essay by critic Scott Tobias

I can’t wait to see this again, and check out all of the supplements…

If you aren’t familiar with Brooks, you are missing out on terrific movies like this one and “Defending Your Life” with Meryl Streep – and Brooks is a great Actor as well:

Brooks is great in “Drive” with Ryan Gosling from a few years ago…as well as “Broadcast News” and “Out Of Sight” – check out more of his great performances here:

https://johnrieber.com/2012/01/22/albert-brooks-great-acting-moments-pt-1/

Here’s a film you may not even remember he starred in:

That’s right, Brooks was one of Cybil Sheppard’s co-workers in the film – and he was sharp in the role:

“Taxi Driver” is one of the greatest films ever made, and it recently had a big 40th anniversary screening – check it out here:

https://johnrieber.com/2016/04/21/travis-bickle-turns-40-taxi-driver-tribeca-screening-3-reasons-to-love-him-one-big-reason-to-hate/

Let me know if you haven’t seen “Lost In America”!

Happy 72nd Birthday To Helen Mirren!

Iconic Actress Hellen Mirren turned 72 on July 26 – and it’s time to celebrate some of her early work in film!

Helen Mirren has become well known for such films as her Oscar-winning turn in “The Queen” and recent hits like “Eye In The Sky” and “RED”. But did you know she got her start in a more “natural” film?

Her breakout role came early: in 1969 she co-starred with James Mason in a film about artistic freedom and rebirth – and the “age of consent”.

Mason plays an Australian artist who wants to regain the edge he had as a young man, so he heads to a small island on the Great Barrier Reef.

There he meets a young Helen Mirren, who ends up becoming his model, and his muse…check out the trailer, which tries a bit too hard to make this movie far more salacious than it is:

Mirren captures the innocence of a young girl who is on the verge of becoming a woman, and the film is clearly “of its time”…legendary Director Michael Powell’s last film.

Mirren went on to co-star in my second favorite film of all time:

The Brilliant “O Lucky Man!”

Mirren co-starred with Malcolm McDowell in an amazing film from 1973 called “O Lucky Man”, which was written by McDowell and directed by Lindsay Anderson.

If you haven’t heard of this movie, check out my story, with the film’s trailer and lots of great trivia about this masterpiece of cinema:

https://johnrieber.com/2013/03/22/o-lucky-man-malcolm-mcdowells-seinfeld-connection/

Mirren also starred in one of the best gangster films ever made, the gritty and violent “The Long Good Friday”:

The late Bob Hoskins gave the performance of his career as the gangster who doesn’t see that times are changing in the London underworld…

Mirren is his loyal wife who is trying to keep her husband alive in a rapidly changing world – she is terrific in the movie, one of the best gangster films ever…read more about this great film here:

https://johnrieber.com/2012/08/08/bob-hoskins-retires-celebrate-this-great-long-good-friday-star/

Mirren has been in more than a hundred films and TV shows in her career, many of them unique, challenging and very adult in theme.

And speaking of that, let’s look at one of the most controversial movies ever made – with an All-Star cast!

Caligula!

This is one of the most notorious films ever released for many reasons, like the fact that an all-star cast finds themselves in a xxx-rated film!

First, let’s look at the trailer, which is for the R-rated version of the film – just one of several cuts that were shown…

Here is the plot: ”

The rise and fall of the notorious Roman Emperor Caligula, showing the violent methods that he employs to gain the throne, and the subsequent insanity of his reign – he gives his horse political office and humiliates and executes anyone who even slightly displeases him. He also sleeps with his sister, organises elaborate orgies and embarks on a fruitless invasion of England before meeting an appropriate end.”

Malcolm McDowell chews up the scenery in the film, which also starred such legendary Actors as Peter O’ Toole an Sir John Gielgud!

Mirren also starred in the film, which was the first mainstream movie produced by the Publisher of Penthouse magazine…

The Many Cuts Of “Caligula!”

Here is where the story of “Caligula” gets even more fascinating: there are various versions of the film, ranging from the “R”-rated version which was heavily edited to remove a lot of sex and graphic violence…

There is also the legendary 160-minute “hardcore” version of the film, where xxx-rated sex scenes were added to the movie long after production had finished!

ROMAN ORGY SCENE IN THE FILM – CALIGULA (1979)
01/05/1979
CTD11873…Scarborough…North Yorkshire…England…Group Shot

The film was always intended to be a graphic look at this controversial leader, and the film’s original Director Tinto Brass had a long history making “software” erotica – but this went even too far for him!

What happened was this: Penthouse publisher Bob Guccione added hardcore sex scenes into the movie – long after the original cast had finished filming – they had no idea it was being done!

Acclaimed writer Gore Vidal did not want credit for his work on the screenplay, and legendary Actors Peter O’Toole and John Gielgud claimed to have been unaware hardcore sex footage was being shot for the film.

So, Was The Film “Disowned” By The Creators?

Even though the Actors had no idea what was happening behind-the-scenes, apparently the film’s creative team wasn’t upset because of the sex.

Here is great trivia courtesy of IMDB:

“Despite popular beliefs, Gore Vidal and Tinto Brass did not disown this film because Bob Guccione inserted hardcore sex and graphic violence sequences and changed the point of the film.

In reality, only five or six minutes of the 156-minute version of the film was part of Guccione’s reshoot – that five or six minutes consists of the lesbian tryst in the secret room, and several inserts in the imperial bordello scene.”

“Everything else was shot by Brass. Vidal disowned the film because Brass and lead actor Malcolm McDowell changed the point of view of his screenplay. Brass disowned it because Guccione locked him out of the editing room (some in the industry suspect it was because Brass didn’t want to use Guccione’s hardcore inserts) after assembling the first 40 minutes (which was probably disassembled shortly afterward).

Guccione then proceeded to edit the film himself, but he often chose shots that were never meant to be included (the many zooms, out-of-focus shots, etc.), and also cut up certain scenes and put them in the wrong order.”

Hear The Inside Story!

Now you can hear exactly what happened here, by some of the stars involved!

In 2007, Image Entertainment released a 3-disc special edition known as the Imperial Edition. It features two cuts of the film, the 156-minute print and a new edit created from an alternate pre-release version which re-arranges some scenes and does not include most of the explicit sexual inserts added by Guccione (a few shots were left in by mistake and various outtakes from Brass’ shoot and a handful of 16 mm behind-the-scenes footage were used to fill in for the deleted material).

Both Malcolm McDowell and Helen Mirren take part in a full-length audio commentary, discussing the non-hardcore, pre-release version of the film – the film they THOUGHT they were making…the DVD also includes interviews with Tinto Brass, who discusses the film’s hectic production and botched editing; and Penthouse Pet Lori Wagner, who discusses the addition of the hardcore footage, including the lesbian sex scene in which she participated.

There is also a booklet included with the 3-disc set includes a discussion of the many different versions of the film, and states that a significant amount of footage remains unaccounted for – this movie should be studied in film school as a classic example of “crazy gone wild” – and with so much behind-the-scenes information and commentary, here is a ton to study!

Mirren of course has gone on to make many great movies and TV shows, but these early films showcased her beauty, talent and passion for performance that have stayed with her ever since!

Get Ready For Some “E”eccentric Cinema!

My alphabetical countdown of my favorite movies – the 26-part “Movies A-Z” – continues with the letter “E” – another letter full of incredible cinema – as always, I have tried to find some mainstream choices as well as cult cinema and eclectic movies that may not be on your radar!

Remember, this is not a countdown, I am just listing ten great films in no particular order, so let’s get started – with a black comedy that shows how corrupt elections can be – and what certain candidates will do to win – whatever the cost – sound familiar?

10 – “Election”

Reese Witherspoon starred with Matthew Broderick in this 1999 black comedy about a high school election that spirals wildly out of control, and how the campaign changed both of their lives forever.

Check out the trailer:

This is a great movie from Director Alexander Payne, who also made the terrific “About Schmidt” and “Sideways”. “Election” is a really funny, acerbic and timely film!

Now, I want to share one of cinema’s most original journeys ever!

9 – “Enter The Void”

Argentinan Director Gasper Noe takes you on a mesmerizing journey through Tokyo – take a look at the trailer:

This is a challenging and hypnotic film – from a Director who has made such controversial films as “Irreversible” and “Love”. They are provocative films that will immerse you in darkly troubled worlds, and in this case, with a visual style that is mesmerizing:

“Enter The Void: is one of the most unique movies you will ever see – it’s one of three very challenging films that I focused on recently – take a look here at all of them:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/11/01/audacious-mind-blowing-cinema-enter-the-void-vanishing-waves-and-holy-motors/

I love movies, and so does Tim Burton – in fact, he loves the story of Hollywood, especially those who struggle to make it in the business – case in point: Director Ed Wood, widely considered to be the worst Director of all time!

8 – “Ed Wood”

Was he Hollywood’s worst Director? Who cares, he made his movies like “Plan Nine From Outer Space” – and for that we should applaud him – as Burton did with this terrific bio-pic starring Johnny Depp in a terrific performance – check out the trailer:

I love this movie. Johnny Depp gives Wood a warmth and empathy – and he wears a pink Angora sweater very well! Bill Murray is terrific in a supporting role as well…

Martin Landau’s amazing portrayal of Bela Lugosi won his the Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor….RIP to Landau – you can see more about this great Actor here:

https://johnrieber.com/2017/07/17/rip-martin-landau-oscar-winning-actor-and-mission-impossible-star/

Speaking of amazing performances, how about these two Hollywood legends battling it out atop a moving train?

7 – “Emperor Of The North Pole”

This 1973 film is a gritty action drama that took place during the depression – and the title was so confusing to people – expecting a film about Santa Claus – that they shorted the title after the film was already released!

“Emperor” was directed by Robert Aldrich, who also made “The Dirty Dozen” and “Whatever Happened To Baby Jane.” It the story of a hobo, Lee Marvin, who attempts to ride the “north Pole” train, while sadistic guard Ernest Borgnine stalks him! Here is the trailer:

These two legendary Actors take each other on in a brutal series of fights on the moving train – while there are moments of quiet reflection, this really is a classic action thriller – one of many that Lee Marvin starred in during his career – here are more:

https://johnrieber.com/2012/11/01/hit-man-tough-guy-emperor-too-lee-marvin-hollywoods-coolest-tough-guy/

Marvin was a Hollywood legend, and so is Julia Roberts – perhaps for different reasons, but she won her Oscar for a dynamite portrayal of a woman who put her life on the line to discover the truth!

6 – “Erin Brockovich”

In 2000, Roberts mesmerized us as Brockovich, a woman who stumbles onto a legal case that made her famous. Here is the trailer:

ERIN BROCKOVICH, director Steven Soderbergh, Julia Roberts, on-set, 2000, © Universal

Director Steven Soderbergh made a dynamite film that year – called “Traffic!” That’s right, he was nominated twice in 2000 for directing that film as well – and that is the one he won the Oscar for, while Roberts took home the acting award for “Brockovich”!

Now, one of horror’s more iconic images:

5 – “The Evil Dead”

Director Sam Raimi gathered a bun of friends, went into the woods, and created on of cinema’s most iconic horror films! Check out the original trailer:

Bruce Campbell became a star thanks to this 1981 film, which had two sequels that are equally as beloved, especially because “Evil Dead 2” is as much a comedy as a horror film!

See more about this and other classic independent horror films here:

https://johnrieber.com/2012/10/07/halloween-horror-bloody-tension-scary-changelings-and-the-evil-dead/

Next up is a great David Cronenberg film starring Viggo Mortensen and Naomi Watts:

4 – “Eastern Promises”

Cronenberg made two great films with Mortensen – “A History Of Violence” and then in 2007, this great crime drama.

A Russian teenager living in London who dies during childbirth leaves clues to a midwife in her journal that could tie her child to a rape involving a violent Russian mob family.

here is the trailer:

Naomi Watts is great in the film, but it’s Mortensen’s fully nude knife fight in a steam bath that is the centerpiece of the movie – wow!

Next up is the scariest horror film of all time – with iconic moments like this:

Yes, the pea soup flies in the shocking film known as:

3 – “The Exorcist”

What can you say? It’s one of the greatest films of all time – directed by William Friedkin, starring Ellen Burstyn and Linda Blair as the 12-year old girls possessed by Satan – or is she?

Here is a look at the filming of the movie – with lots of great trivia:

https://johnrieber.com/2016/10/31/the-exorcist-the-greatest-horror-film-of-all-shocktober-2016-says-happy-halloween/

Everyone knows I love kung fu movies, and here is the greatest one ever made:

2 – “Enter The Dragon”

Bruce Lee became an international superstar because of this film, which showcased his amazing physical ability – none of his scenes were sped up – this was Lee in real time! Check out the trailer:

Bruce Lee died soon after this film became a success – what a loss – he was one of cinema’s most dynamic characters – if you don’t believe me, check out this clip of him playing competitive ping pong – using nunchucks!

https://johnrieber.com/2016/11/27/happy-birthday-bruce-lee-lees-amazing-nunchuck-ping-pong-his-brilliant-movie-career/

Wow, what an incredible athlete.

Finally, the last “E” movie on my list is also from the early 70’s – a counterculture classic:

1 – “Electra Glide In Blue”

Robert Blake starred as a Highway Patrolman who uncovers a murder conspiracy – check out the trailer – and pay attention to the musical score over the beginning:

Robert Blake is terrific in the film, but the music is also unique – it was produced by the film’s Director James William Guercio, who was the Manager of the band Chicago, who performs it!

Band members also have small roles in the film as outlaw bikers – there is so much more to share about this classic film – see it here:

https://johnrieber.com/2013/04/19/electra-glide-in-blue-forgotten-masterpiece-robert-blakes-best-role/

Of course I left many great “E” films off the list, so feel free to remind me!

If you’ve missed any of my other letters, here’s a short recap:

An amazingly iconic movie poster sets the stage for a list of classic “A” movies, see them here:

https://johnrieber.com/2017/07/09/give-me-an-a-ten-classic-films-that-begin-with-a-movies-a-z/

If you want to see some classic “B” movies, try this one:

“Broadcast News” is a great movie. Here are more of my favorite “B” movies as well:

https://johnrieber.com/2017/07/13/b-movies-indeed-my-list-of-ten-great-films-beginning-with-b/

I also posted on ten great “C” movies, like this cult classic:

“Chuck & Buck” was joined by a wide range of great movies that began with the letter “C” – see them here:

https://johnrieber.com/2017/07/16/the-c-list-great-cult-movies-beginning-with-c/

I also posted a list of ten films that began with the letter “D”, like this one:

Yes, “The Sushi Bites Back!” That’s just one of the amazing movies with the letter “D” – see them here:

https://johnrieber.com/2017/07/22/movies-with-a-d-ten-classic-d-list-movies-revenge-sex-the-dawn-of-007/

Let me know what I left off the “E” list and don’t forget that “Enter The Dragon” has an amazing new blu-ray!