Heroes and Villains

Of all the Hollywood noir tough guys, Richard Widmark was the baddest. Even Lee Marvin, who threw that hot pot of coffee in Gloria Grahame's face in The Big Heat (53) doesn't come close. Widmark's status as "screen heavy" was cemented in his immortal star-making performance in (remarkably his debut film) Kiss of Death (47). As psychotic mob hit-man, Tommy Udo, he giggled his way into movie history as he pitched the old woman in the wheel-chair (Mildred Dunnock) down a long staiway to her demise. Widmark, who went on to a long Hollywood career following Henry Hathaway's brilliant Kiss of Death, was good at whatever type of role he played. Ironically, it wouldn't be crime films that he would spend the majority of his years starring in, but westerns, such as John Ford's often over-looked, Cheyenne Autumn (64). One of my favorite Widmark performances was when he played Marine Lt. Carl Anderson in Lewis Milestone's The Halls of Montezuma (50). He gave an instinctual and natural performance in this vastly under-rated war picture, and I believed his pain (mental and physical). That's the kind of actor he was (he is now retired) that you always believed him on screen. He was no bullshit.

The Best of the Best:

Kiss of Death (47) *****
Night and the City (50) *****
Panic In the Streets (50) *****
No Way Out (50) *****
Don't Bother to Knock (52)
Pickup on South Street (53) *****
Garden of Evil (54)
Backlash (56)
Warlock (59) ****
The Alamo (60) ****
Two Rode Together (61) ****
Judgement at Nuremburg (61) ****1/2
How the West Was Won (62) ****
Cheyenne Autumn (64) *****
The Bedford Incident (65) ****1/2
Alvarez Kelly (66) ****
Madigan (68) ****1/2
Death of a Gunfighter (69) ****
Murder on the Orient Express (74) ****1/2
To the Devil a Daughter (76)
Coma (78)

He was once quoted in the seventies as saying: "The heavies in my day were kid's stuff compared to today. Our villains had no redeeming qualities. But there's a new morality today. A villain is a guy with a frailty. Heroes are villains." This is true. But there would be no template without the heavies, psychos, tough guys and bad-asses that actors like Widmark helped to define. Kiss of Death is set to be released soon on DVD. Criterion did a wonderful version of Sam Fuller's gem Pickup on South Street. This is required viewing. Cheyenne Autumn has not been released on DVD yet. I still have my fingers crossed. In a lot of ways, it's the ultimate John Ford film (post The Searchers, 56). Widmark was never better. Nearly all of his films are pure gold, whether he plays the hero, or the, well, you know...

water color

Akira Kurosawa's 1980 epic , Kagemusha, is finally coming to DVD in a special edition from the Criterion Collection. More details can be found at their site. Many people consider this to be his "late life" masterpiece, even superior to Ran (85). You can be the judge.

Tatsuya Nakadai is no Toshiro Mifune (by this time, his relationship with the great director had been completely severed) but he is served well by the material and the breathtaking visual operatics that Kurosawa employs here in this unusual "war" film are unforgettable. Nakadai was a veteren Kurosawa player, giving memorable performances in: Sanjuro (62), High and Low (63) and Ran (85), but in Kagemusha, he proved he was more than a supporting actor - even if the material was originally designed for someone else.

Kurosawa had originally intended the role of Shingen Takeda (and his "Kagemusha" or "double") to be played by the legendary Shintaro Katsu, known mainly in the West for his Zatoichi character. This looked like a marriage made in heaven - on paper. Unfortunately, working with Katsu proved to be too difficult for Kurosawa. Katsu arrived on the set for his first day of shooting with an entire video crew set to film the great actor while he was performing in the film. His reason was so that he could watch the footage and gauge how well his performance was going. Kurosawa said "I'm the director, that's what I'm here for." Katsu would not relent, and Kurosawa reportedly obliged him until - it became impossible to film Katsu around his own film crew. According to which account you read, Kurosawa claims he fired Katsu, and Katsu claims that he quit. Either way, it ended what could have been the greatest pairing of an actor and director since Red Beard (65) and the Kurosawa/Mifune glory days.

Kagemusha is essential viewing. You can rent it at just about any video store, thanks to financial backers Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas (Kurosawa disciples, or rather "clones") and their involvement with the picture. But if you haven't seen it, than you might as well wait for the glorious DVD release. In the meantime, you can watch a number of Kurosawa films already on DVD. I highly recommend:

Stray Dog (49)
Rashomon (50)
Ikiru (52)
The Seven Samurai (54)
Throne of Blood (57)
The Lower Depths (57)
The Hidden Fortress (58)
Yojimbo (61)
Sanjuro (62)
High and Low (63)
Red Beard (65)
Dersu Uzala (75) - currently unavailable on DVD
Ran (85)
Akira Kurosawa's Dreams (90)

There are several others available that I did not mention because I believe the ones above to all be undisputed "masterpieces." I am currently still waiting for region 1 DVD versions of Drunken Angel (his first pairing with Mifune, 48), I Live In Fear: Record of a Living Being (55) and The Bad Sleep Well (60). What other director in the history of film has produced such a body of work as magnificent as this?

That it should come to this!
Hamlet. ACT I Scene 2.

This is the official statement from Warner Brothers regarding the release of Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet (96) on DVD: "Legal issues preclude our releasing the Branagh HAMLET at the moment". After years now of flip-flopping the release date, it looks as if they have permanently shelved this much sought after title. I myself, have the widescreen VHS version, so I'm content for now. It's not one of my favorite films (I prefer Branagh's flawless Henry V, 89), but if you're going to see it, please track down a widescreen version. The visuals are superb, the cinematography is grand and the acting, well - the acting is all aces. If you're a die-hard fan of this movie, hang in there. They will no doubt release it at some point in a special edition format. Frankly, the film deserves no less.

One thing's for sure, with the studio's witholding of this title and refusal to comment on details, they have pretty much guaranteed the film a cult following. I get asked at least once a week by a complete stranger when this film will be coming out on DVD. The funny thing is, about a year ago, Warner Brothers opened up their vaults and asked consumers which of their films they would most like to see on DVD. I believe they did a total of five, and one of them was Where the Boys Are (60). So where were you guys back then? It probably wouldn't have mattered anyway, but it's the thought that counts. On another note, where is Nicol Williamson's Hamlet (69), directed by Tony Richardson, on DVD? I believe this was originally released on video by Columbia TriStar. This is an excellent film version of the play. Even if you aren't a Mel fan, the Franco Zeffirelli version (90) may still be the most natural and beautiful.

I prefer Richard Burton's legendary 1964 filmed "dress rehersal" directed by John Gielgud above all. There were more "Sirs" in that production than any other filmed version I can think of. And speaking of "Sirs," I mean "Lords," there's the atmospheric Olivier version from 1948. Olivier is the only actor in film history to win an Oscar for playing the Melancholy Dane. Of course Burton and Olivier were too old for the part, but come on, Branagh wasn't either? Or Gibson? Each version listed here has it's merits, but unfortunatley, I do not believe that the best version of Hamlet on film has been made yet. If you're feeling adventurous, check out Michael Almereyda's 2000 version starring Ethan Hawke and an excellent Bill Murray as Polonius. And of course if you were to ask me what the best Shakespeare on film would be, I would have to say Orson Welles' The Chimes at Midnight (65). Hands down, even though it is not an "official" play. It is deeply moving and may be one of the greatest films of all time.

Wild Man Blues

"What I like and what I need are two different things."
Deke Thornton (Robert Ryan, 1909-1973) in Sam Peckinpah's masterpiece, The Wild Bunch (69).

Classic Ryan:
Crossfire (47)*****
The Boy With Green Hair (48)
The Set-Up (49)****1/2
The Naked Spur 53)*****
Bad Day At Black Rock (53)*****
The Tall Men (55)
God's Little Acre (58)
Odds Against Tomorrow 59)****
King of Kings (61)
The Longest Day (62)
The Professionals (66)****1/2
The Dirty Dozen (67)*****
Hour of the Gun (67)****1/2
Custer of the West (67)
The Wild Bunch (69)*****
Lawman (71)****
Executive Action (73)
The Iceman Cometh (73)*****
Lolly-Madonna XXX (73)

...to name but a few.

The truth is, in whatever role Robert Ryan played, he elevated the entire picture. He remains as under-rated now as he was during his lifetime. I feel the time is overdue for a Robert Ryan renaissance. You can find most of these films on video and DVD. They have yet to release three of my favorite Ryan films, Crossfire, Anthony Mann's The Naked Spur (shown above) and Bad Day At Black Rock. Warners did finally release an excellent edition of Robert Wise's The Set-Up. Many people (including Martin Scorsese) consider this to be the quintessential boxing film. High praise coming from the director of Raging Bull (80). Part of Scorsese's motivation for filming the fight sequences in Raging Bull with a surreal touch, was because he felt he could not shoot a straight fight picture, since it had already been done as good as it could be done in the Ryan film. Robert Ryan was a brilliant actor and a true legend. Check him out.

Edward Dmytryk's Crossfire (47) with Robert Mitchum and Robert Young

Mean Machines



1968 Ford Mustang GT-390 Fastback vs. 1968 426 Hemi Dodge Charger. Two 390 Mustangs were used for the famous chase scene from Peter Yates' Bullitt (68). Due to the severe conditions that the main car was under (performing all those hairy stunts) it was ordered to be crushed after filming by studio execs fearing lawsuits from any potential buyers of the classic car used in the film. The second Mustang has supposedly been hid away (for mysterious reasons) in a farmer's barn. Location unknown.

The classic chase scenes were all filmed around Easter of 1968. McQueen (a serious driver) demanded authenticity so he performed most of the stunts in the film by himself. Bullitt was also the first picture done with live sound (only minor additions were dubbed in later). So what you see in the film is really what you get. McQueen, along with stunt drivers Bud Elkins, Bill Hickman and a few others, made movie history that year on the streets of San Francisco. Bullitt is still a good film, despite the famous chase, but we would not still be re-playing it over and over in our minds if it weren't for that damn Mustang going after that damn Charger.


Frank Bullitt:
"Look, you work your side of the street, and I'll work mine."
"You sell whatever you want, but don't sell it here tonight."
"Shotgun and a backup man, professionals."
"Bullshit."

Natural Mystic Man

Clint Eastwood's Mytsic River (03) is not just a great film, it's one of the top ten greatest American films of all time. I try to explain this opinion to people by essentially saying: it has the same internal logic that all Eastwood films have, the only difference is that every single actor and actress in the film, was giving his or her performance of their lifetime. Even if you dislike some of the characters or find them to be pathetic or simple, you cannot deny the overwhelming power of every single performance in the film. You would have to go back to The Deer Hunter (78) to find another ensemble with this level of artistry, or another contemporary American film this important. There, now that that's out of the way, let's talk about Penn, shall we? He's come a long way since Spicoli, and now that he's finally won his Oscar (for a role he actually deserved it for - for a change) let's take a look back at the essential Penn:

Fast Times At Ridgemont High (82)

Bad Boys (83)

The Falcon and the Snowman (85)

At Close Range (86)

Colors (88)

Casualties of War (89)

State of Grace (90)

Carlito's Way (93)

Dead Man Walking (95)

She's So Lovely (97)

Sweet and Lowdown (99)

I Am Sam (01)

Mystic River (03)

21 Grams (03)
In addition to: Taps (81), Racing With the Moon (84), We're No Angels (89), U Turn (97), The Game (97), The Thin Red Line (98), Before Night Falls (00) and many others. He's set to star in a whole slew of films getting ready to come out, most notably: The Assassination of Richard Nixon (04) and Sydney Pollack's new potboiler The Interpreter (05). It will be interesting to see what he does with the Huey Long character in the remake of All the King's Men. Broderick Crawford won an Oscar (49) for Best Actor for his portrayl of the character Penn will be playing (Willie Stark), so we'll see if lightning strikes twice for him. I would love to see Penn do a straight comedy again. Maybe the further adventures of Jeff Spicoli?

I could see it...

Stolen Generation

These incredible images are from Phillip Noyce's powerful film Rabbit-Proof Fence (02). The film tells the true story of three young aboriginal girls in 1931 who journey across 1,500 miles of the harsh Australian outback, without food or water, to be reunited with their family. They set out on foot against unbelievable odds, being pursued by a spiritual tracker who knows the territory better than any living person, to regain their freedom. It is an uncommon film. It is a disgrace that it did not win the Academy Award for best picture. I can think of no other film, maybe with the exception of The Killing Fields (84), about personal and political freedom that has moved me to this extenet. The fact of the matter is, the atrocities commited by the Australian government against the aboriginal people continue to this day. This film was responsible for bringing a great deal of this to the attention of the world. It is a story that needed to be told. No greater director, other than native Australian, Phillip Noyce, could have done a better job. So just who is Phillip Noyce?

Noyce has been around for quite a while. His first major film was the Australian, Newsfront (78), and then he came to the worlds attention with the vastly under-rated, Dead Calm (89) which also introduced us to Nicole Kidman. After the Hitchcock meets Polanski style-fest that is Dead Calm, he directed an homage to the Zatoichi character and Chambara film called Blind Fury (89) with Rutger Hauer. It is actually based on a script by Zatoichi writer, Ryozo Kasahara. If you've seen this film on Saturday afternoon television and never gave it a second thought, then you might actually want to sit down and watch it on DVD from start to finish. It's not as bad as you think. After that, he went full-force into Hollywood style film-making with the second and third Jack Ryan films, Patriot Games (92) and, Clear and Present Danger (94). In between he directed the Robert Evans production of Sliver (93) with Sharon Stone. I actually like Clear and Present Danger. It's a very mature film for Hollywood. I like the choices he made with the Ryan character and I believe there to be more depth in it than the previous outing. Noyce is very good at making ordinary material seem fresh and alive.

After that he was on to The Saint (97) and The Bone Collector (99). Both films were very good but up until now he had yet to make his masterpiece. All of that was about to change. His next film was Rabbit-Proof Fence. There simply isn't enough space to write about how good this film is, or enough adjectives to describe the performances in it. All I can recommend to you is that you buy the DVD. Not only will you be owning one of the best films ever made (I don't care what anyone says), but you will see a first hand account of how an entire generation of people were stripped of their identity and got "lost" in their own country. The three lead characters, Molly, Daisy and Gracie are three of the most interesting characters I have ever had the pleasure of watching a film about. It helps that the three girls who played them (of varying ages) all deserved Oscars for their performances. None of them were trained actresses. Noyce found them while doing casting calls (the DVD recounts all of this in a one-of-a-kind making of exploration). The girl who plays Molly (the leader), Molly Craig, is simply stunning. The work she does in this film is one million times superior to half of the work certain "trained" actresses in the industry have won awards for. The film would not have been as good without her. But it is an utterly amazing cast.

David Gulpilil, who turned heads in Nicholas Roeg's master-work, Walkabout (71), is outstanding in a nearly wordless performance. He plays Moodoo, the tracker. He is a man who is simply doing a job. He is part nemisis, part angel of death, and part savior of the film. His sheer presence will leave you feeling speechless. Much was made of Kenneth Branagh's appearance in the film before hand. The truth of the matter is, it simply is just an "appearance." He is in a very small but important role. I guarantee you one thing, you will not forget about him after this film is over. You may want to call him up and tell him how much you hated his character in this movie. But I don't recommend that - just write him a letter. He's actually a very brilliant actor (if you didn't already know) and it's a hell of a lot harder to play a "bad guy" then it is to do anything else. The rest of the cast is uniformly excellent. I cannot recall enjoying a movie this much, that had so much to say about oppression, more in my whole life. It is an unsettling and inevitably uplifting experience. Truly. Your life will be enriched just by seeing this movie. The incredible cinematography is by Christopher Doyle (In the Mood for Love, 00) and if you love Peter Gabriel (he did the awesome soundtrack) than it's a no-brainer.

It should also be noted that Noyce directed another knockout film back to back with Rabbit-Proof Fence, The Quiet American (02) starring Oscar nominated Michael Caine. It is another nearly flawless film from this important film-maker. Caine gives one of his best performances in years (along with the best performance he's ever given in quite possibly the worst film he's ever been in - Norman Jewison's The Statement, 03) and it is a joy to watch a film that's actually been labored over by real craftsmen and not pumped out by a studio for the sole purpose of turning a buck. See The Quiet American along with Rabbit-Proof Fence and you will get what I'm talking about. Phillip Noyce has made not one, but two masterpieces in a row. He's on a roll. His next film is called The Bielski Brothers and is tentatively set for release in 2006. If it's only half as good as these two films, then it will still be better than anything else you're likely to see that year. We shall see. Until then, we have these classics to savor.

"Aloha, my name is Mr. Hand"

Ray Walston (1914-2001) with Sean Penn's Jeff Spicoli in Fast Times at Ridgemont High (82).

Mr Hand:
"Am I hallucinating here? Just what in the hell do you think you're doing?"
"What are you, people? On dope?"
"Oh please, I get so lonely when that third attendance bell rings and all of my kids are not here."

Ray Walston was a brilliant character actor who gave many memorable performances in his lifetime. Most notably: Kiss Them For Me (his first film, 57), South Pacific (58), Damn Yankess! (for which he won the Tony Award on stage as Mr. Applegate, the Devil, and reprised the role for the film, 58), The Apartment (60), Kiss Me, Stupid (when he replaced an ill and disgruntled Peter Sellars in Billy Wilder's luke-warm comedy, 64), Paint Your Wagon (69), The Sting (73), Silver Streak (76), Popeye (my favorite Walston film, that is still misunderstood to this day, 80),

Of Mice and Men (92), and of course, Fast Times, as the immortal Mr. Hand. In addition to a prolific stage and film career, Walston of course became more famous for his many televison film and series appearances, especially in My Favorite Martian (63-66). Whether you remember him as Uncle Martin (the Martian), Mr. Applegate (The Devil), Poopdeck Pappy (Popeye's Father) or Mr. Hand (Spicoli's nemisis, and eventual Bud), he will always be a Hollywood legend.

"Aloha, Mr. Hand."

Critical Reading



The Emperor and the Wolf: The Lives and Films of Akira Kurosawa and Toshiro Mifune by Stuart Galbraith IV (Faber & Faber, 02).



This may be the best book I've ever read related to film. Every single page is a discovery.

Of all the great director/star teams, Kurosawa and Mifune were the most legendary. Not even Ford and Wayne, or Herzog and Kinski could match their creative genius. Best story in the book: the battle over the ownership of Mifune's actual beard for the film Red Beard (65).

Favorite Kurosawa/Mifune film:

High and Low (63)

"There are two kinds of people in this world: those that enter a room and turn the television set on, and those that enter a room and turn the television set off."


Bennett Marco: "Anybody invites you to a game of solitaire, you tell 'em sorry, buster, the ball game is over."

I would be cheating you if I told you what this film is about (if you don't already know). The Manchurian Candidate (62) starring Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey and Angela Lansbury (in her best screen role). This is the original one. The only one. It can be debated that Sinatra and Harvey each did better work in other films, but the film is director John Frankenheimer's masterpiece. One among many.
Along with:

Birdman of Alcatraz (62)

Seven Days In May (64)

The Train (64)

Seconds (66)

Grand Prix (66)

The Fixer (68)

The Gypsy Moths (69)

The Iceman Cometh (73)

The French Connection II (75)

Ronin (98)

Path To War (02)

There are many others that are great but aren't quite "masterpieces," such as:
The Horsemen (71), Story of a Love Story (73), 99 and 44/100% Dead (74), Black Sunday (77), The Challenge (82), The Holcroft Covenant (85), 52 Pick-Up (86), The Burning Season (94), and Andersonville (96). Sure he made some stinkers, but even the craptastic The Island of Dr. Moreau (96) has it's moments of brilliance (any scene with the white-powdered Marlon Brando is priceless). I think it's safe to say that if you haven't seen any of the certified Frankenheimer masterpieces listed above, than you have some catching up to do.

Marco: "We're busting up the joint, we're tearing out all the wires..."

Seconds

John Frankenheimer 1930 - 2002

Safety In Numbers

Tom Gilroy's Spring Forward (99) starring Liev Schreiber and the legendary Ned Beatty. This is one of the most grossly overlooked films I have ever seen. Do what you must to find it. The perennially under-rated Ned Beatty gives the performance of his lifetime. Do not expect much action, because the film unfolds the way true friendship often does - at it's own pace and often times by surprise. This contemplative tale is ultimately a story of male bonds. Fathers and sons, friends and partners. Murph (Beatty) and Paul (Schreiber) are two co-workers who bond over the course of a year in a small Connecticut town. They work outdoors. They do physical labor. One of them is an ex-con, the other a struggling father. The film examines their relationship as they relive things from their damaged pasts and inevitably find the courage it takes to press on. Each man does it differently and in his own time. I wont say much else, except that by the end, as one of them says their goodbyes, you feel the pain of letting go of someone you love.

It is an extraordinary film. I'm always surprised when a small film like this actually looks like the studio spent millions of dollars on things like production design and marketing. The film simply breathes in a way. There's something useful in watching a film that actually says something without having to wear some type of slogan. There's absolutely no difference bewteen a film like Spring Forward, and one like Ordinary People (80) in terms of exploring human emotion. No one debates the importance of that film (it has the Oscars to prove it) but often times films like Spring Forward do not get recognition by the industry. No one sees them. You have the chance. MGM released the film a couple years ago on DVD and you can probably rent it at any local Hollywood Video. See it. You wont regret it. It's the perfect thing for when you've got the Winter blues, and you feel like you're running out of steam. Like the characters in this film, you are not alone. And hey, don't get me wrong: this isn't just some sappy movie with a wishy-washy "life affirming" message to it. It's a good fucking movie. It's a goddman classic. I put it right up there with Five Easy Pieces (70). It's what a character study is supposed to be - told with conviction. And that's the God's honest truth, chief.

The Gospel of Ricky Roma

Ricky Roma (Al Pacino) gives it to his boss, Williamson (Kevin Spacey) straight.

Roma: "You stupid fucking cunt. You, Williamson...I'm talking to you, shithead...You just cost me six thousand dollars. Six thousand dollars. And one Cadillac. That's right. What are you going to do about it? What are you going to do about it, asshole. You fucking shit. Where did you learn your trade. You stupid fucking cunt. You idiot. Whoever told you you could work with men?"

Baylen: "Could I..."

Roma: "I'm going to have your job, shithead. I'm going downtown and talk to Mitch and Murray, and I'm going to Lemkin. I don't care whose nephew you are, who you know, whose dick you're sucking on. You're going out, I swear to you, you're going..."

Baylen: "Hey, fella, let's get this done..."

Roma: "Anyone in this office lives on their wits...(to Baylen:) I'm going to be with you in a second. (To Williamson:) What you're hired for is to help us - does that seem clear to you? To help us. Not to fuck us up...to help men who are going out there to try to earn a living. You fairy. You company man...I'll tell you something else. I hope you knocked the joint off, I can tell our friend here something might help him catch you...You want to learn the first rule you'd know if you ever spent a day in your life...you never open your mouth till you know what the shot is...You fucking child..."

Glengarry Glen Ross (92) was written by David Mamet and directed by James Foley. Al Pacino was nominated that year for the Supporting Actor Academy Award. He lost in that category (to Gene Hackman in Unforgiven) but won for Best Actor for Scent of a Woman (92). I like to think that the Academy was awarding him for both roles (mainly for Glengarry, as well as his body of work) because Scent of a Woman is one of my least favorite Pacino films. Also, his competition was pretty stiff in that category that year: Robert Downey, Jr. (Chaplin), Clint Eastwood (Unforgiven), Stephen Rea (The Crying Game), Denzel Washington (Malcolm X). Washington probably deserved the Oscar, but they finally recognized him too (also a little late). Glengarry Glen Ross is one of the finest screenplays I have ever read, or had the pleasure to see acted on screen. The play (also written by Mamet) is his masterpiece. Although the character Alec Baldwin plays in the movie, Blake, was written by Mamet for the movie only, the film nevertheless remains faithful to the original dialogue of the play. However you see it performed, it will leave a lasting impression on you.

Mr. Blonde (Michael Madsen): "You're a big Lee Marvin fan, aren't you? Me too. I don't know about the rest of you fellas, but my heart's beatin' fast. Okay, you guys, follow me."

Mr. White (Harvey Keitel): "Follow you where?"

Mr. Blonde: "Down to my car."

Mr. White: "Why?"

Mr. Blonde: "It's a surprise."


Radio: "Joe Egan and Gerry Rafferty were a duo known as Stealer's Wheel when they recorded a Dylanesque, pop, bubble-gum favorite from April of 1974. That reached up to number five, as K-Billy's Super Sounds of the Seventies continues."

Reservoir Dogs (92)

Pink Ladies Forever

Stockard Channing as the unforgettable (and sexy) Betty Rizzo in Grease (78)

Rizzo:
"Oh, I forgot to tell you...you shouldn't inhale unless you're used to it!"
"She looks too pure to be pink."
"My Dutch treat days are over."
"True love and he didn't lay a hand on you? Sounds like a creep to me."
"Where are you goin'? To flog your log?"
"Some people are so touchy."

Big Bad Love


Big Bad Love (01) just might be the best film ever made about the interior life of a writer. It was written by one (obviously) and a rather good one at that. James Howard and director/star Arliss Howard adapted the short stories of Larry Brown from the self titled book. Here's just a small sample of Brown's style:
"Sheena Baby, the one that I loved, and I were walking around. It was late one evening. All the clouds had gathered up into big marshmallows and mushrooms, and it was an evening as fine as you could ask for except that we had two flat tires on our car some miles back down the road and didn't know where we were or who to ask." Howard's directing style somehow compliments this lyrical honesty, and the film is a pure delight, even when it verges on tragedy.
Barlow, and some of the women in his life:





Howard, who has appeared as an actor in many films (Full Metal Jacket 87, Men Don't Leave 90, CrissCross 92, Wilder Napalm 93, Natural Born Killers uncredited 94, Amistad 97) is an excellent director. This is his first feature as director, and it was produced by his co-star and wife Debra Winger. They are amazing on screen together. There are alot of amazing things about this movie. First of all, it has a timeless feel about it. You know, it's alot like watching a film like Kramer vs. Kramer (79) that looks like it has no date. The fashion just appears permanently contemporary. Also, the cast is outstanding. Besides Howard and Winger, Rosanna Arquette, Angie Dickinson, Michael Parks and especially Paul Le Mat all give tremendous performances. It's not hard when you're working with a director and material that is this good. Le Mat should have recieved nominations for every major acting award for his performance. His character, Monroe, is a pure delight to watch. As is the whole production.

The original songs are all sung by Tom Waits. Needless to say, the soundtrack is wonderful. The cinematography by Paul Ryan also deserves special mention. There is a certain unique device that is used throughout the film (that I will not reveal here) that gives the story a surreal touch. I have never seen anything like it in any other film. This blending of the real and surreal, of truth and fantasy, is what gives the movie it's character. It is truly unique. I wont go too far into the story, but Howard's character, Barlow, is an alcoholic Vietnam Veteran and also a struggling writer. Did I mention this film is about the writing process itself?

There are insights into the creative mind that I have never seen explored before. At times it can be very simple, and other moments you are left facing unbelievable truths about the human heart and mind. It is also a film about men and women, and ultimately how our relationships with loved ones define who we are as people. I love films about characters searching for truth. In this film, the main character doesn't know what he's searching for in the begininng, but by the final credits, you will have taken an incredible journey with him. Howard is stunning in the film. His scene at the end in a jail cell (I wouldn't dare give away the particulars) is one of the finest moments of acting this film-watcher has ever seen. Period. I would not lie to you.

Big Bad Love is truly a great film, and deserves to be seen by a wider audience. If you are a writer, were a writer or aspire to become one, then you will relate to this film like no other. Howard is currently directing a new film starring his wife. If it's anything like their first, I will be happy to put my money down and see it. Like Keith Gordon, another great actor turned director, Arliss Howard is one to watch.

I wont bore you with a long, drawn-out tribute to Christopher Reeve and talk about all of his films - everybody knew who he was - but I will say a few things about my favorite Reeve performances. First and foremost, the best Christopher Reeve performance is from a film that you may not have ever seen. Simply because to see it, would have meant actually seeking it out for whatever reason. It's just not shown that much. The Bostonians (84) directed by James Ivory, written by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala and produced by Ismail Merchant, the team known simply as Merchant-Ivory. Reeve brings Henry James' classic character, Basil Ransome handsomely to life. Come to think, is there anything that isn't usually "handsome" in a Merchant-Ivory film? I've recently acquired a Merchant-Ivory jones so I've been watching nearly everything I can get my hands on, including the lesser-known stuff (which is convenient since Criterion has been doing their own line of DVDs called The Merchant Ivory Collection) and while I do not feel that The Bostonians is their best film (that would still probably be Heat and Dust(83) or Howard's End (92) (Remains of the Day 93, and A Room With a View 85, are nearly flawless as well) I still feel that most of the performances in The Bostonians rank it right up their with the best literary adaptations of all time. That brings me to Basil.

Some criticized him for using a southern accent, but pretend that you've never heard Christopher Reeve speak before, and if that were his own accent, you'd be saying "hey, that Southern guy was pretty good!" Catch my drift? That aside, he gives a remarkable performance and is well matched by an incredible ensemble, especially the luminous Vanessa Redgrave. Following the little-seen and under-rated Bostonians, comes another little-seen and under-rated Reeve film, Street Smart (87) directed by Jerry Schatzberg (director of The Panic in Needle Park 71, and his masterpiece Scarecrow 73, as well as the excellent The Seduction of Joe Tynan 79). I know, if you've seen this film than you know what the thing to rave about is: unfortunately it's not Reeve (who is very good in the film) but the incomparable Morgan Freeman in his breakthrough performance as Fast Black (in his first Academy Award nominated performance). I wont tell you the particulars of the story, I hope I've enticed you enough just by telling you Freeman's character name in the film - but do see it. It's a very good film, and certainly one of the best things that Reeve has ever been associated with.

And finally, that brings me to the last four Reeve films I would like to discuss briefly. First, Deathtrap (82). Reeves first big film post Superman (78). Based on the play by Ira Levin, the film version was directed by the great Sidney Lumet. It is very good, a little stage-bound, but what do you expect from a film with technically only four characters. Michael Caine is of course the main attraction, but Reeve comes very close to stealing the show. Their infamous "kiss" has become the stuff of movie legend. Next, one of my favorite Reeve films, Ted Kotcheff's Switching Channels. This movie doesn't get far enough the credit that it deserves. It kinda got labelled one of those standard eighties comedies, but the material here is priceless. It was based on the play by the immortal Ben Hecht, which was made into the famous Howard Hawks film His Girl Friday (40), which was in turn based on an earlier film from the same material, Lewis Milestone's The Front Page (31) that was remade again in 1974 by Billy Wilder. Did ya get all that? In any case, Switching Channels is a very funny film, and I would rank it right behind His Girl Friday in terms of dialogue delivery and straight humor. Reeve plays the role that Ralph Bellamy made famous in the Hawks film, and he has one incredible scene in a glass elevator. Reeve proved that he was equally adept at comedy, as he was in any other genre.

After Switching Channels, Reeve excelled in another play turned film. This time it was the excellent Michael Frayn play, Noises Off...directed as a film by Peter Bogdanovich. This might be the most unusual Bogdanovich film ever made. It doesn't have the feel of one of his films, but regardless, the performances are outstanding and the material is absolutely brilliant. Reeve plays the sensitive and stalwart stage actor Frederick "Freddie" Dallas, in what I consider to be his last great role. It's mainly a supporting character, but he is so memorable in it that I find it amazing when people I know have never even heard of it. See this film. It's funny and touching. Michael Caine has never been better. The film also stars the late, great John Ritter, and Carol Burnett in her finest film performance. If you have any interest in the theater (or if you've ever worked behind the scenes) you must pick this one up. That brings me to the last of my Reeve films, and one of my favorite movies of all time, the Richard Lester classic, Superman II (80).


It just wouldn't be a Reeve tribute if I didn't mention at least one Superman film. The fact of the matter is, the first Superman (78) directed by Richard Donner and Superman II are actually one film. At least they should be viewed that way. The whole story can be found elsewhere on the web, and in an excellent documentary on the Warner's Superman Special Edition DVD, so I wont go into it here - but let's just say that Superman, and Superman II will always be what he is remembered for best. And rightly so. Gene Hackman, Margot Kidder, Ned Beatty, Jackie Cooper, Valerie Perrine, Glenn Ford (in the first film), Terence Stamp, Sarah Douglas, the list goes on. I grew up with these films and they will always be apart of me, and Reeve will always be Superman in my mind. There I said it. I told myself I wasn't going to say it, but I did. And ya know what? I don't feel so bad afterall.

Christopher Reeve was 52 when he passed away from heart failure on October 10, 2004.

Peter Cushing and His Women...
























"Charming to the last"...

The Gentle Man of Westerns

Whenever I see an old cowboy film, where a guy gets thrown from a horse and lands against a fence post, I think of Richard Farnsworth. You will recognize him from his numerous supporting performances over the years, and from his Academy Award nominated swan-song, David Lynch's The Straight Story (99). I usually don't like to go into an actor's history in depth, I like to think that if I spark someone's interest in their films, then I've done my job. But Richard Farnsworth deserves more. Simply because he gave every part he ever played, everything he ever had. Mind, body and spirit. He was an honest, straight-forward and giving man. An incredible actor, capable of exploring an enormous depth of emotion. This was mainly due in part to his honesty, and the rest was just plain, natural talent. If Peter Cushing was the "Gentle Man of Horror", than Richard Farnsworth was truly the "Gentle Man of Westerns."

Often credited as Dick, or Bill, Richard Farnsworth was born on September 1, 1920 in Los Angeles, California. He grew up around horses and after leaving school, he joined the rodeo circuit in the 1930s. He worked his way into film soon there after, appearing in The Adventures of Marco Polo (38) along with hundreds of extras riding as a stunt man in cavalry charges. Some 300 films and TV shows later, he finally landed one of his first speaking parts in the John Wayne film, The Cowboys (72). The work rider was a stunt man for 40 years before becomming an actor. He had doubled for just about every big name in Hollywood westerns, the likes of: Montgomery Clift (Red River, 48), Steve McQueen (the pilot episode of Wanted Dead or Alive), Guy Madison (Wild Bill Hickcock TV series), as well as Roy Rogers, Gary Cooper, Kirk Douglas, Henry Fonda, and even Jerry Lewis (Pardners, 56).

In 1978, director Alan J. Pakula gave him his first big acting break, a major supporting role in the Jane Fonda, James Caan film, Comes a Horseman. Pakula had worked with Farnsworth on the 1969 film, The Stalking Moon, and obviously recognized his talent when he saw him. In the role of Dodger, an aging cowhand on Fonda's character's failing ranch, Farnsworth gave the performance of a lifetime. The scene when his injured character forces himself out of his death-bed, out into the court-yard, up onto his horse (with the careful use of a step stool) and then out into a field to die, is one of the most heartbreaking things I have ever witnessed. He was given an Academy Award nomination for the part. How could they not nominate him. He lost that year to Christopher Walken for the Deer Hunter (in his career-defining performance) but I will always remember him for that one unbelievable scene. It came as a surprise to many in Hollywood that the first-time nominee, and "newcomer," had actually been in the business since before many of them were born.

The 80s proved to be a fruitful decade for the aging horseman cum actor. With memorable roles in Ulzana's Raid (72) (pictured above right), Steve McQueen's under-rated epic Tom Horn (80), Resurrection (80), The Legend of the Lone Ranger (81), Waltz Across Texas (82), The Natural (84), Rhinestone (84), Into the Night (85), Sylvester (85), his endearing performance in Anne of Green Gables (85), and into the 90s with: The Two Jakes (90), Misery (90), co-starring again with The Natural's Robert Redford in Havana (90), and the remake of the Steve McQueen/Sam Peckinpah classic The Getaway (94) to name just a few. Above all these great Farnsworth acting jobs, there were two films that defined him more as actor than any other. The first, was a small independent Canadian film about an old west bandit and highwayman who had finally been released from prison after 33 years into a completely new society in 1901, named Bill Miner. He was known to the Pinkerton's as "The Gentleman Bandit," and to the rest of us as, The Grey Fox.

Phillip Borsos' The Grey Fox (82) is a an amazing achievement. The film was never put into wide release, and of course did not star John Travolta or Sylvester Stallone, so there was no major ad campaign from the studio. It was however, and remains, one of the best historical westerns ever made. I am somewhat of a Bill Miner enthusiast, and I can't remember just when I got interested in the Gentleman Bandit, but I do know how, it was after seeing this amazing film many years ago. It is not available on DVD, but you may be able to find a copy of the VHS for rental. Please do. You wont regret it. The wonderful score is by Michael Conway Baker, and the Chieftains released the Main Theme from the Grey Fox on their album, Reel Music. I highly recommend further reading about Bill Miner (after you see the film, you'll no doubt want to) and there are several excellent books written about him. Most notably, The Grey Fox - The True Story of Bill Miner, Last of the Old-Time Bandits by Mark Dugan and John Boessenecker. No other actor could have personified Bill Miner's character and charm other than Richard Farnsworth. The scene near the end as Farnsworth's Miner is heard singing an old West song over the events leading up to his fate, is unforgettable. The film plays a little fast and loose with the real events, but hey, the fact that anyone chose to make a film about The Grey Fox in the first place, and the fact that it's this good (and no one's made one since) say's quite alot. One thing's for sure, it's authentic and rich in period detail. Ask a true Western fan - they know this movie.

That brings me to the other truly remarkable film of Richard Farnsworth's career. His final screen appearance. Lynch's The Straight Story. This was the second time that Farnsworth had been nominated for an Oscar (his first for Best Actor). He lost that year to Kevin Spacey for American Beauty. Spacey was good, but he did not deserve to win. The Academy likes rewarding movie stars for roles that represent the actor in their true element. Just as My Fair Lady (64) was Rex Harrison's quintessential role, so was Amercian Beauty to Kevin Spacey. Neither gave the performance of their lifetimes, but it represented the best they were probably ever going to do. Kevin Spacey was a big star, Richard Farnsworth was ironically in the same boat he was back in '78 for Comes a Horseman. Once again, nobody knew who he was. But this did not bother him, he was happy just to be recognized. The performance he gives for Lynch is quite possibly the best thing he ever did. It certainly will be the film he is most remembered for. Although in the end, it is not a tragedy, I still weep like a baby everytime I see the scenes where Farnsworth's character, Alvin Straight, considers turning around from his incredible journey and going back home. There is a scene in the film when an 18 wheeler flies down the interstate beside him on his John Deere mower, and blows his trusty hat off. What happens immediately after is one of the greatest things I have ever seen any actor do in a film. He manages to convey the pain and frustration that an elderly person feels when confronted with a task that the not-so-elderly might find insignificant. The simple act of getting up and grabbing the hat is physically painful to him. He shows this with a single look on his face of fear. It wasn't just acting, it was really happening to him. I almost fell out of my seat. This was his tour-de-force, and Spacey should have either refused the Oscar, or offered to share it with Farnsworth. Shame on him for doing neither.


Farnsworth also co-founded the Stuntmen's Association in 1961, and fathered two children Missy and Diamond Farnsworth, who followed in his father's footsteps and became a Hollywood stuntman. Farnsworth was known to have an intense dislike for the use of "four-lettered words." He was inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in 1997. He is currently the oldest person to ever recieve a Best Actor Oscar nomination at 80. After being diagnosed with terminal cancer and suffering from incredible pain, the great actor and cowboy died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on October 6, 2000. Out of all the faces who graced the screen in Western films, his was the most friendly, compassionate and memorable. He played many bad guys in his early days, but he will always be remembered for chasing that hat on his John Deere. A true cowboy. A true actor. A true bandit. A true gentle-man.

Cult Icon

Brian Keith may have appeared so tough in all of his films because the actor really was that way in real life. In many ways, he was the quintessential Hollywood "tough guy." Born the son of touring stage actors, he was a machine gunner in the Marines during WWII before returning to the Broadway stage, which eventually led to televison and film stardom. Uncle Bill Davis on Family Affair (66-71) aside, Keith's most famous roles were as Mitch Evers in The Parent Trap (61), and President Theodore Roosevelt in John Milius' The Wind and the Lion (75). In whatever role he played, you could be sure of one thing, he was a consummate professional. There weren't many other actors who could play violent and gentle all in the same expression.

Keith was most certainly an under-rated actor. His body of work encompassed over 100 feature film appearances, many of which are now considered "lost classics." Some of my favorites include: Sam Peckinpah's first feature film as director, The Deadly Companions (61), Savage Sam (63), The Hallelujah Trail (65), The Rare Breed (66), The Russian's are Coming, The Russian's Are Coming (66), Nevada Smith (66), John Huston's Reflections In a Golden Eye (67), With Six You Get Eggroll (68), The McKenzie Break (70), The Yakuza (75), Sharky's Machine (81), Death Before Dishonor (87), Young Guns (88), Picture Windows "Lightning" episode (95), and Milius' Rough Riders (97) again playing a U.S. President (William McKinley), to name but a few. He even poked fun at his own persona in the cable film National Lampoon's Favorite Deadly Sins (95).

Brian Keith was not content to just go out of this world lying in a hospital bed. On June 24, 1997, after suffering from terminal respiratory illness, and the recent suicide of his daughter only ten weeks prior, he took his own life. However you remember him (tough guy, sweet father, ornery rascal) one thing's for sure, he was one of the great all-time movie stars, even if he didn't always end up in the best projects Hollywood had to offer. I would like to say that Brian Keith is as popular today as he could possibly be. The truth is, he is just now beginning to be rocognized by a new generation of movie fans. As his popularity continues to grow, his legacy lives on. He is now something of a cult figure. Let's face it, it's cool to talk about Brian Keith. Who else was as equally at home in a Disney film, as they were in a Peckinpah movie?

It's also interesting to note that Brian Keith passed away within days of two other great Hollywood leading men (and tough guys): Robert Mitchum and Jimmy Stewart. If you don't think Stewart was a tough guy, see Winchester '73, or any one of the legendary Stewart/Mann westerns. This is why we love actors like Stewart and Keith, they could hold the door open for you one minute, and then punch you in the eye the next. They may have been "nice guys," but you wouldn't want to piss them off.

Best Keith line from a film - from Nevada Smith (66), spoken to Steve McQueen's character Max Sand after he teaches him the finer art of killing a man with a gun...

Jonas Cord: "You get so good you can do that with either hand: when you're half drunk, or half awake, in a dark room, or off the back of a running horse, and you might stand a chance - a small chance."

Shark bait 101
or everything I know about sailing I learned from Robert Shaw

"Ya'll know me. Know how I earn a livin'. I'll catch this bird for you, but it ain't gonna be easy. Bad fish. Not like going down to the pond and chasing bluegills and tommycocks. This shark, swallow you whole. No shakin', no tenderizin', down you go. And we gotta do it quick, that'll bring back your tourists, put all your businesses on a payin' basis. But it's not gonna be pleasant. I value my neck alot more than three thousand bucks, chief. I'll find him for three, but I'll catch him, and kill him, for ten. But you've gotta make up your minds. If you want to stay alive, then ante up. If you want to play it cheap, be on welfare the whole winter. I don't want no volunteers, I don't want no mates, there's too many captains on this island. Ten thousand dollars for me by myself. For that you get the head, the tail, the whole damn thing."
Quint (Robert Shaw) from Steven Spielberg's Jaws (75) written by Peter Benchley

Robert Shaw was not even nominated for an Academy Award for this performance, but he will never be forgotten...

Quint: "Here's to swimmin' with bow-legged women."

Quint: "Front, bow. Back, stern. If ya don't get it right, squirt, I throw your ass out the little round window on the side."