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REMEMBERING "CLOSE ENCOUNTERS": AN INTERVIEW WITH "MAKING OF" AUTHOR RAY MORTON

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Tue, 29 Jan 2019 13:04:00 +0000

(Note: this interview with conducted to coincide with the 40th anniversary of Close Encounters of the Third Kind in 2017.)

By Michael Coate

Ray Morton is the author of ��Close Encounters of the Third Kind: The Making of Steven Spielberg��s Classic Film�� (Applause Theatre & Cinema Books, 2007). He is a screenwriter, script consultant, and senior writer and columnist for Script magazine. His other books include ��King Kong: The History of a Movie Icon from Fay Wray to Peter Jackson�� (Applause Theatre & Cinema Books, 2005), ��Amadeus: Music on Film�� (Limelight, 2011), ��A Hard Day��s Night: Music on Film�� (Limelight, 2011), ��A Quick Guide to Screenwriting�� (Limelight, 2013), ��A Quick Guide to Television Writing�� (Limelight, 2013), and ��A Quick Guide to Film Directing�� (Limelight, 2014).

Cinema Retro: How would you like ��Close Encounters of the Third Kind�� to be remembered on its 40th anniversary?

Ray Morton: As a wonderful, entertaining movie.

As the first true Steven Spielberg movie. ��Jaws�� is a magnificent film, but in a way an atypical film for Spielberg in terms of genre and subject matter. ��Close Encounters�� is the first of Spielberg��s movies to contain many of the elements that would become closely associated with him in the years that followed: an uplifting sci-fi/fantasy narrative infused with a tremendous sense of wonder; a focus on children; an exploration of life in the American suburbs; broken families; a fascination with World War II; a highly sophisticated use of visual and special effects; the use of a powerful John Williams score to create a powerful emotional response; cinematography that emphasizes backlighting; and Spielberg��s trademarked ��push in�� close-ups onto the awed faces of his characters. ��Jaws�� made Spielberg hot, ��CE3K�� made him a brand name.

As one of the two films that transformed science fiction and fantasy from vaguely disreputable ��B�� genres into ��A�� movie material in the eyes of both the public and the film industry. The other was, of course, ��Star Wars.��

As the masterwork of Douglas Trumbull, Richard Yuricich, and their great team of visual effects magicians at Future General.

As one of the most intense and honest depictions ever filmed of obsession and of the rewards and costs of pursuing a dream.

As one of the most authentic, non-idealized, and non-stereotypical depictions of American suburban life ever shown on screen.

Cinema Retro: Can you recall your reaction to the first time you saw ��Close Encounters��?

Morton: I can absolutely recall the first time I saw ��Close Encounters��it was the most significant movie-going experience of my life. I saw it in December 1977 at the Ridgeway Theater in Stamford, Connecticut��on a school night with my sisters Kathy and Nancy.I loved the movie as a movie��it was intriguing, thrilling, frightening, funny, awe-inspiring, thought-provoking, and ultimately extremely moving. But the effect ��Close Encounters�� had on me went well beyond the simple enjoyment of a very good film. By the time ��CE3K�� opened, I had already been a film fan for a few years, but ��Close Encounters�� is the movie that awakened me to the true power of cinema. Until that night, if you had asked the very young me what the most important ingredients in a movie were, I would have said dialogue and performance. Those things are certainly present in ��CE3K,�� but they are secondary. The storytelling in ��Close Encounters��especially in its final thirty minutes��is accomplished primarily through the manipulation of the core elements of cinema: imagery, sound effects, and music. Watching the film for the first time, I found myself having a profound emotional response to Spielberg��s masterful orchestration of light and sound��I was filled with feelings of awe, wonder, and joy so intense they were almost spiritual. When the movie ended, I just sat staring at the screen, enraptured and unable to move as I processed the overwhelming intensity of what I had just experienced. I sat there so long that my sisters finally lost patience with me. ��Wake up!�� my sister Nancy snapped. ��The movie��s over!�� That brought me back to the world, but I still hadn��t come back to Earth.I realized then and there the powerful effect that movies could have on an audience �� that in the right hands they could transcend mere storytelling and impact viewers on a much deeper and more profound level. Driving home that night (in a heavy fog that filtered the headlights of oncoming cars in ways that mimicked much of the imagery in the movie we had just seen), I knew I wanted to do something more than just watch movies��that I wanted to make a life in the cinema as well.

Cinema Retro: Is there any significance to ��Close Encounters��?

Morton: Well, it��s one of the best sci-fi movies ever made, both creatively and from a production stand-point. And, as I mentioned earlier, it��s one of the films that made sci-fi into a respectable genre.

Beyond those two points, however, it was the first major sci-fi film to depict first contact as a potentially positive experience��that a meeting between mankind and beings from another world could be a joyous, peaceful, uplifting event��something that could be good for us��rather than an occasion of invasion and horror. In the years following ��CE3K�� and especially ��E.T.�� that became a commonplace idea, but in 1977 it was pretty revolutionary.

Cinema Retro: Which edition of ��Close Encounters�� do you like best?

Morton: I prefer the 1977 theatrical cut, in part because it��s the first version of the movie I saw and the one that made such a strong impression on me. But I also prefer it because it��s the most subtle version of the film. As an example, in the scene in which Roy has his initial close encounter at the railroad crossing, as he drives off in pursuit of the UFO, the 1977 version cuts to a long shot of Roy��s truck driving across the landscape and in the sky above you see a little point of light moving along. Is it a UFO? Or is it just an airplane or a satellite? We��re not 100% sure and that adds some mystery and intrigue to the picture��was what we just saw happen real or did Roy perhaps imagine it? We��re not sure and neither is Roy until the three UFOs come flying around the corner in the Crescendo Summit scene a few minutes later. In the Special Edition and the 1997 Director��s Edition, that shot is replaced by the shadow of an impossibly large UFO zooming across the landscape��all of the ambiguity is gone and the point is hit right on the head that what we saw was real and that UFOs are real before they are revealed to us at Crescendo Summit. It takes a little bit of the magic out of it for me.

As technically wonderful as it is, I feel the Cotapoxi scene has similar problems. The jeeps leaping over the sand dunes in 1-2-3 formation and the helicopters zooming low across the desert feel like they belong in a slightly broader, slightly less real film than the theatrical cut is. One of the things I like so much about ��CE3K�� is that the fantastic events occur in a very real setting��Roy��s world and Jillian��s world all feel very authentic and real to me��but when people are zooming around like they are in an action movie, some of that reality gets lost for me. And, as cool as seeing the ship in the desert is, the scene is really just a repeat of the opening sequence in which the airplanes are discovered, so it��s a bit repetitious. I do like some of the family strife material that was put back in for the Special Edition and the Director��s Edition and some of the editing in the second act is tighter and less raggedy. But I still prefer the 1977 version. Following that I would choose the 1997 cut and then the Special Edition. (I think going inside the Mothership was always a mistake.)

Cinema Retro: Where do you think ��Close Encounters�� ranks among Steven Spielberg��s body of work?

Morton: Near the top, along with ��Jaws,�� E.T.,�� Raiders,�� Schindler��s List,�� and ��Empire of the Sun.�� It has always struck me as being one of his most personal movies.

Continue reading "REMEMBERING "CLOSE ENCOUNTERS": AN INTERVIEW WITH "MAKING OF" AUTHOR RAY MORTON"

ALEXANDER WALKER ON PETER SELLERS AND STANLEY KUBRICK

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Fri, 11 Jan 2019 13:11:00 +0000

The YouTube channel Stanley & Us is devoted to the works and life of Stanley Kubrick. Here they present an interview that was done years ago with the late, esteemed British film critic and historian Alexander Walker, a friend of Kubrick's, who reflects on the fractious relationship Kubrick had with the volatile but ingenious Peter Sellers. While Walker downplays the extent of the disputes they had on the set of "Dr. Strangelove", he does provide some interesting insights into their work together.

"THE COOLEST GUY MOVIE EVER: RETURN TO THE SCENE OF 'THE GREAT ESCAPE'": INTERVIEW WITH JOE AMODEI, PRESIDENT & CEO OF VIRGIL FILMS

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Fri, 23 Nov 2018 13:00:00 +0000

Virgil Films has released the remarkable documentary "The Coolest Guy Movie Ever", a unique look at the 1963 WWII classic "The Great Escape". The film cemented Steve McQueen as a newly-minted superstar of the big screen and featured one of the all-time great casts: James Garner, Richard Attenborough, Charles Bronson, James Coburn, David McCallum, Donald Pleasence, James Donald among them. United Artists originally intended the movie to be shot in Hollywood but director John Sturges argued that it would only be convincing if shot on location in Germany. "The Coolest Guy Movie Ever" visits those locations and presents how they look today. In some cases, the iconic locations have changed considerably while others remain instantly recognizable. The documentary was conceived, directed, photographed and edited by Christophe Espenan, a devoted fan of the film. Espenan and a team of dedicated assistants and enthusiasts of the movie painstakingly tracked down even the most minor locations. The documentary details the challenges this presented in Germany's ever-changing landscape. Most vitally, he also tracked down people whose families interacted with the film crew. Most interesting is the small hotel where key members of the cast, including Steve McQueen, stayed during production. The son of the couple who ran the hotel at the time (and who still operates it today) gives first-hand memories of what it was like to have legendary celebrities staying in the cozy venue and how polite everyone was to the family. The documentary is chock full of such wonderful anecdotes and is enhanced by ample film clips from the movie and very rare production photos.

We spoke to Joe Amodei, the President and CEO of Virgil Films, which has released the film as a region-free DVD. Here, Amodei shares his thoughts about the production.

When did you first learn of the existence of ��The Coolest Guy Movie Ever�� documentary?

Somewhere around three years ago Steven Jay Rubin introduced me to Chris Espenan who was directing the doc. I had previously released Steve��s documentary ��East LA Marine�� about WWII hero Guy Gabaldon. Steve knew I was a ��Great Escape�� fan and told me about the movie. I immediately said ��Tally Ho, I am in.��

What attracted you in terms of agreeing to distribute the film through Virgil?

��The Great Escape�� was the film that did it for me as a kid going to the movies in Northeast Philadelphia. In those days I could walk to the theatre so I went three or four times a week. I learned the meaning of ��cool�� while watching the film. Steve McQueen was the definition of that word. We are always on the lookout for film- related docs and this one really came close to home. I also knew it was something I might be able to get my friend Michael Meister involved in. He is a fellow ��Great Escape�� lover who ended up coming in with finishing funds that allowed us to screen the film in the market at Cannes. BTW Michael LOVES Cinema Retro!

Where did the rare production photos seen in the documentary originate?

A lot of them came from Walter Rimi��s son Christian who graciously allowed us the use of his father��s photos. Walter was second unit director of photography. Christian is in the film and gives a very emotional talk about freedom and how important it s.

What was WWII historian Steve Rubin��s role in making the documentary a reality?

He is the Producer of the film. Our very own Big X. My Dad and I had the pleasure of seeing the film at Grauman��s Theatre (I still call it that) in Hollywood a few years back during the Turner Classic Movies Film Fest. Was very cool seeing it on the big screen with my father sitting next to me. It��s not something I will ever forget.

What are your personal memories of ��The Great Escape��? When did you first see it?

The summer of 1963. The Merben Movie Theatre. Philadelphia PA. I remember building a ramp for my bicycle to jump over. I was lucky if I got the bike a foot or two off the ground. But it felt unbelievably cool!!!!

What qualities about the movie do you feel resonate most after so many years?

The POW��s never give up. They try to escape from the minute they get into the camp. They never give up. It is this heroism that the real Stalag Luft 3 inhabitants had when they made the real escape in March of 1944. John Surges and crew made sure that courage was on display throughout the film.

Who is your favorite character in the film?

Simply put Virgil Hilts. But I do have a love for Charles Bronson��s portrayal of ��Tunnel King�� Danny as well.

��your favorite scene?

Nothing like that motorcycle jump over the fence to get me going. There is also a scene where McQueen takes down a German soldier about to shoot his friend, ��The Mole�� Ives. He doesn��t get to save him but the gymnastic leap off the ground of McQueen��s body into the German added to the coolness of the character. No one had done this in movies before. We had cool actors like William Holden in ��Stalag 17�� or James Dean in ��Rebel Without a Cause.�� But no one was cool like McQueen. No one.

Any reflections on Elmer Bernstein��s score?

In the top two or three of all time. It is the ringer on my phone. I got the chance to thank him at a screening of ��Sweet Smell of Success�� a while back. He was a nice and gracious man.

Your thoughts on John Sturges as a director and other films of his that have impressed you.

Sturges never gets the credit he deserves because a lot of his films were big time audience favorites but not necessarily critical favorites. This guy not only made ��The Great Escape�� but he also brought us ��The Magnificent Seven", ��Bad Day at Black Rock,�� The Old Man and the Sea�� and ��Gunfight at the OK Corral.�� Those are some heavyweights!!

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GETTING EVEN: INTERVIEW WITH RICHARD VETERE, SCREENWRITER OF THE ULTIMATE '80S REVENGE FLICK "VIGILANTE"

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Sun, 26 Aug 2018 13:02:00 +0000

BY BILL BLICK

In the late 1970s and early 80s, there was a fear that gripped New York City. After 1977, the year of the Son of Sam murders, the disastrous blackout, and the Bronx literally in flames later, the cityscape and New York aura had drastically changed. The movie Death Wish (1974) directed by Michael Winner, made earlier, had caused quite a stir reflecting the bleak and often paranoid reactions of citizens, and it spawned several other films. Vigilante, produced and directed by exploitation genre virtuoso, William Lustig, and written by Richard Vetere, was perhaps arguably one of the leanest and no-holds-barred of this type of film. Lustig and actor Joe Spinell had teamed up to make the lucrative but extremely graphic and controversial horror/ serial killer film Maniac (1980). Vigilante was Lustig��s follow up. Yet, Vigilante remains to be more aestheticized with a raw prose of the street thanks to Vetere's work, and the grim urban settings serving as a stark landscape, rather than relying on the raw gratuitous gore of Lustig��s prior film.

I caught up with Richard Vetere in July 2018, who was a former professor of screenwriting of mine at Queens College in the late 1990s. I had seen the film on Netflix recently and thought how underrated it was, and I wanted to contact Vetere to find out his insight into writing such a gritty, visceral, and memorable film. Vetere explains that Lustig approached him to write a ��Blue Collar Death Wish��. One of the points Vetere makes was how unapologetically politically incorrect the film is. It was on the top 20 highest grossing films of 1983, and it was an example of an innovative indie film, before indie groundbreakers, Miramax, the Shooting Gallery and Tarantino were making waves in the 1990s.

Vigilante can easily be overlooked as an exploitation genre film, but offers the viewer something more unique with the gritty performances especially by Forster, dialogue thanks to Vetere, and cinematography that make it a stand out. I saw the film when I was young and it made an impression. The political view is obviously in --your -face about policing tactics and politicians not doing enough for the public. We see this frustrated view in many of the films of the era. Pre-Giuliani, pre-Disneyfication of New York was grim, but it had almost a distinct street grit-aesthetic for filmmaking, such as in earlier films like The French Connection (William Friedkin, 1971).

Vetere says what makes his film stand out is that it is unapologetic for the action of the heroes in the movie. The ending in which a judge is blown to bits was very controversial. He emphasizes his own frustration at the growing apathy in the city by police and the public alike. He also feels his film is one of the most realistic of the genre in comparison to other films like Death Wish and Fighting Back. He felt Death Wish had an ill-fitting sense of humor and the villains were so over the top that they were not realistic. Vetere maintains that he was going for ��reality�� untrammeled by Hollywood restriction or by a need for self-justification as he felt Fighting Back had.

Richard Vetere's films that he wrote or co-wrote include The Third Miracle starring Ed Harris and produced by Francis Ford Coppola and directed by Agnieszka Holland released by Sony Picture Classics, The Marriage Fool for CBS TV films starring Walter Matthau and Carol Burnett, How to Go Out on a Date in Queens starring Jason Alexander and the teleplay Hale the Hero! starring Elisabeth Shue for A&E.

1. What was happening politically at the time this film was made in the early 1980s New York?

In the late 1970s and early ��80s New York City was a city on a major decline. There was no political will and no ability to get anything done. Unlike today there wasn��t a single neighborhood untouched by graffiti, street crime, vandalism and muggings. Prostitutes walked the streets, cars being broken into -- all met with indifference by a somewhat over-taxed, somewhat corrupt, somewhat bewildered police force. When you got on a subway you were basically taking your life into your own hands since gangs roamed the subway with impunity. Just stepping out of your house could be intimidating to the common citizen. You have to remember back then the police only responded to a crime the concept of attacking crime and preventing it was not put into effect. Also the subway police and the street police were two different departments so if someone committed a crime, they took refuge underground. So I would like to answer your question this way �C the average citizen was afraid and felt helpless. This made them apathetic to their own plight. As a young man this outraged me to such a point that I wanted to take action. I was angry at the indifference of the populace and of the authorities. From this anger and frustration came Vigilante.

Continue reading "GETTING EVEN: INTERVIEW WITH RICHARD VETERE, SCREENWRITER OF THE ULTIMATE '80S REVENGE FLICK "VIGILANTE""

BURT REYNOLDS: "THE LAST MOVIE STAR"

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Tue, 10 Apr 2018 13:50:00 +0000

Riding high: at the peak of his career, Reynolds and Clint Eastwood were the top boxoffice stars in the world.

At age 82, Burt Reynolds is beaten but not broken. The one-time superstar had many ups-and-downs in his career and he's now walking with a cane, the result of doing many dangerous stunts that went wrong. But he's still in there kicking. Reynolds, who resides in Florida, mentors acting students and is also starring in a new film, appropriately titled "The Last Movie Star", about a forgotten leading man who is to receive an honor late in life at a Nashville film festival. Reynolds was recently in New York to make an appearance at a retrospective of his films and was interviewed by Kathryn Shattuck of the New York Times. He comes across as candid and very much the same kind of wise guy that he popularized on screen. Click here to read.

WILLIAM SHATNER ISN'T SLOWING DOWN

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Sun, 02 Jul 2017 13:28:00 +0000

In an interview with Craig Modderno of The Daily Beast, William Shatner reflects on all matter of subjects ranging from American politics (he claims to be agnostic on the subject) to his long-standing friendship with the late Leonard Nimoy and his disappointment at not having been cast in any of the recent "Star Trek" films. At age 86, Shatner is still one of the busiest stars in Hollywood, writing books, shooting TV series and feature films and hosting charity events. Click here to read.

FLASHBACK: CINEMA RETRO INTERVIEWS ROBERT OSBORNE OF TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Fri, 10 Mar 2017 13:40:00 +0000

RETRO-ACTIVE: THE BEST FROM THE CINEMA RETRO ARCHIVE

(Cinema Retro joins other retro movie lovers in mourning the recent passing of Turner Classic Movies host Robert Osborne. This is Lee Pfeiffer's interview with Osborne that originally ran in 2008)

Cinema Retro Editor-in-Chief Lee Pfeiffer chatted with Robert Osborne, the popular host of TCM's movie broadcasts. Osborne, who is also the official Oscar historian, is well known for his informative introductions and epilogues for the films that TCM broadcasts. Director Sidney Lumet once said that even if he doesn't desire to see certain films, he always tries to tune in for Osborne's introductions. Osborne is as affable offscreen as he is on the air. Witty, knowledgable and conversant in all things Hollywood-related, he has many of the attributes he ascribes to the stars he grew up idolizing. In addition to being a columnist for the Hollywood Reporter, Osborne is by all accounts America's premiere film historian.

CR: You seem to have every movie lover's dream job: to get paid to watch and analyze classic movies. How did this come about and what led to your association with the Academy?

RO: When I was first starting out as an actor, I was under contract to Lucille Ball at Desilu Studios, which was owned by Lucy and Desi Arnaz. Lucy knew I had this passion for movie history which at that time was not a normal thing. Most people weren't interested in movie history. She said, "You know, you would have a happier life as a writer than as an actor. You should be writing about movies, because nobody is." She told me that she thought being an actor would never make me happy, but writing would. She knew I was a journalism major at the University of Washington. She told me that if I took up writing as a profession, the first thing I had to do was write a book because people would look at you differently if I did. She told me it didn't even have to be a good book, but that everyone is impressed with anyone who writes a book because most people lack the discipline to do it. I knew she was telling me this for my own good, not some other agenda, so I quit being an actor and became a writer.

The thing I decided to write about was the Academy Awards because you could always find a list of who won Oscars, but you could never find a list of who was nominated. It was even hard to get one from the Academy because that was a very small organization at the time. So I wrote this book and it hit a chord with people because you couldn't get a book about the Oscars anywhere else. The cult success of that book has followed me around ever since. Years later, when they decided they wanted a history done of the Academy, they asked me to write it. (The latest edition of the book is titled 75 Years of the Oscar: The Official History of the Academy Awards-Ed.)

Continue reading "FLASHBACK: CINEMA RETRO INTERVIEWS ROBERT OSBORNE OF TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES "

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH TONY GARNETT, DIRECTOR OF "HANDGUN" (1984)

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Mon, 02 Jan 2017 14:52:00 +0000

Interview by Matthew Edwards

Tony Garnett is one of the most respected and celebrated British filmmakers of his generation having worked extensively in British television and through his work with critically acclaimed filmmakers such as Ken Loach, whom the pair worked together on the seminal British dramas Kes (1969) and Cathy Come Home (1966), both of which Garnett produced. Opting to move away from producing, Garnett set his sights on writing and directing his own feature films. After directing the critically acclaimed drama Prostitute (1980), Garnett went on to the write and direct the film Handgun (1983), a powerful cult rape and revenge thriller. Eschewing the exploitation motifs as explored in the genre titles such as Death Wish (1974), Abel Ferrara��s Ms. 45 (1981) and I Spit on Your Grave (1978), favouring an art-house aesthetic and employing a docudrama stylistic approach, Garnett��s film is a measured exploration of the nature of injustice and retribution while a searing indictment of American gun culture and rape.

Set in Dallas, when young high school teacher Kathleen spurns the advances of arrogant lawyer Larry, he coerces her to his apartment where he rapes her at gunpoint, raping her a second time for good measure. Violated not only by Larry, Kathleen is further violated by the authorities who do little to bring the sexual predator Larry to justice. Enraged, Kathleen eradicates any form of femininity by cropping her hair and donning army fatigues, while undergoing firearm training, before taking the law into her own hands by luring Larry out in the dead of night to administer her own brand of rough justice (it should be noted that the ending will leave viewers divided, especially those expecting a more violent denouement to the film). In this feminist vigilant film, Kathleen is forced into this path when all around her fail her, while Larry is painted as a bigoted, misogynistic, and racist bully, who believes his wealth and power entitles him to anything, and this power can be derived through violence. This is expertly shown prior to the harrowing rape scene when Garnett cuts to a scene of Larry indulging in the high life with his equally grotesque pals, before attending a ��Foxy Boxing�� match, where the all-female fighters fight bra-less in an arena while the scummy patrons holler from the side lines and try to grope the fighters as they walk by. It is an important point in the film because it comes just prior to the rape sequence as Garnett is critiquing male machismo and a sexist view of women. In a sense, with the bra-less boxers fighting in the ring, we see that in Larry��s world sexualized violence is acceptable. In this sequence Garnett attempts to show how this attitude and perception of women leads him to violate Kathleen. The rape scene that follows is harrowing, yet not overtly explicit. While the rape is shocking, especially as we see Kathleen forced to strip at gunpoint, before being sexually violated, the most sickening part is the attitude of Larry post-rape, where he administers blame on her for being frigid. He sees nothing wrong in his actions, which makes it even more satisfying when the pent up fury of Kathleen explodes as she goes hunting her prey at the gun club where she has honed her sharpshooting skills.

Those expecting a film seeped in violence will be disappointed. This is a slow, methodical and intelligent film shot in long, natural takes that make it seem like a documentary at times, with standout performances by Karen Young as Kathleen and Clayton Day as Larry. In October 2016, I was fortunate to interview Garnett about his memories working on the film [note: spoilers alert].

Matthew Edwards: Your cult thriller Handgun is one of the more intelligent films that emerged in the 70s/80s in the rape and revenge genre. Where did the inspiration come from to make the film? Were you trying to bring attention to the ��date-rape�� crisis that was afflicting American society and the failure to prosecute the persecutors of the crimes?

Tony Garnett: I was in America trying to understand it. Having been brought up during the war, my idea of America was of GI��s giving me gum, Hollywood action movies and glossy TV. My reading of its history and troubled present offered me a different picture. I was particularly interested to see how Americans tended to settle arguments by shooting each other. Why? I also saw the relationship between rape and guns��in my view, rape is about violence more than about sex. It is about power and control. So I went to Dallas��so resonant in all our minds with violence, I even began the film with shots of Dealey Plaza, the infamous West End district of Dallas where J.F Kennedy was assassinated. Research over many months gradually produced a story. I have always researched and allowed characters to emerge from it and then they, under interrogation, tell me a story.

How did you set about writing/researching the film and securing finance for the film? I understand that EMI stepped on board to get the film into production.

The budget was small, around $3m, and my agent Harry Ufland set it up at EMI without difficulty. I had no interference from them, until the rough cut and then everyone wanted to ��improve�� the film. The problem was that I had made a slow, thoughtful, and I hope considered character study, and they were expecting a commercial hit��an action movie with some sexy rape scenes. I hadn��t delivered. Some of the distributors were disappointed as they considered the rape scenes a turn off and not sexy! I had to cut elements from the film that I now regret. I also regret selling the film to Warner Brothers, instead of Goldwyn, who were a small art house distributor. They were producing a Clint Eastwood rape and revenge film. They didn��t want the competition so they bought mine, sat on it, and opened it in a few theatres before pulling the film. It was a failure. I was na?ve. I wish I had gone with Goldwyn. They would have been more sympathetic to the film.

Why did you opt to set the film in Texas? Was it their frontier attitude and obsession with guns that prompted this?

Texas has a frontier attitude, there are more guns there than people and the attitude to women tends to be courtly even as they��re commodified. I had to choose somewhere and could have set it anywhere, in truth. But Dallas seemed right at the time.

Stylistically how did you approach the visual style of the film? For me, the film is a fine blend of action mixed with a naturalistic documentary sensibility.

The style of the film was approached in exactly the same way my colleagues and I had been developing for decades while working in small British films, many at the BBC. I took Charles Stewart as Director of Photography and Bill Shapter as Editor, who I��d worked with many times as producer and director. I spent many months doing improvisations with actors, none of them known. I found Karen in New York and the actors who play her parents in Boston; the rest of the cast I found in Dallas. Some, like those at the gun club and in the gun shop, were just there and non-professional actors. We allowed the actors freedom, no marks, the camera has to follow them; they don��t exist for the camera and the lighting. Our aim was to never to allow a line if it felt as though a writer has written it; I wanted to abolish ��acting�� acting and ��directing�� directing as I wanted the technique to be invisible so that all you see is a character in a circumstance and the audience is eavesdropping on the action.

The casting of Karen Young as Kathleen Sullivan was brilliant as she delivers a highly believable performance of an innocent young girl pushed over the edge into vengeance. How did you come to cast her in the role and were you pleased with her performance in the film?

Karen was excellent. A very talented young woman. She never flinched when going through Karen��s journey especially as she had many arduous emotional scenes during the shooting of Handgun.

Continue reading "EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH TONY GARNETT, DIRECTOR OF "HANDGUN" (1984) "

JERRY LEWIS GIVES RUDEST INTERVIEW EVER TO THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Tue, 27 Dec 2016 14:07:00 +0000

BY LEE PFEIFFER

Even at 90 years of age Jerry Lewis can still grab a headline. When the Hollywood Reporter recently visited his home to conduct a video interview, Lewis looked as though he was facing root canal surgery. He rudely answered questions with one or two word answers, insulted the crew throughout in a not very subtle manner and for seven excruciating minutes that have since gone viral, he dissed the interviewer, who never lost his cool or the respect he showed to the comedy legend. In that regard, he showed more class than Lewis himself. This wasn't an ambush-style interview or one loaded with "gotcha" questions. The pity is that if Lewis had played ball with the interviewer, he could have provided some interesting insights from the standpoint of a man his age who is still actively performing on stage and in film. Instead Lewis acted as though he had not consented to the interview and that somehow the crew had engaged in a home invasion. By doing so, he only diminished himself. If he was that ticked off at the prospect of doing the interview, why didn't he just cancel it instead of degrading himself in this manner?

INTERVIEW WITH JOHN GRANTHAM, AUTHOR OF "THE WORLD'S HARDEST MUSIC TRIVIA: ROCK N ROLL HISTORY, FUN FACTS AND BEHIND THE SCENES STORIES ABOUT THE GROUPS AND SONGS YOU THOUGHT YOU KNEW"

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Wed, 14 Dec 2016 17:36:31 +0000

A new book release just grabbed our attention that in many ways has both everything and nothing to do with cinema. The book is titled, The World��s Hardest Music Trivia: Rock n Roll History, Fun Facts and Behind the Scenes Stories About the Groups and Songs You Thought You Knew (Nautilus) but at 388 well-researched pages there is nothing trivial about it. The book is a fun read that not only covers rock 'n roll but also delves a bit into the realm of films, as well as providing interesting facts about eras gone by. Perhaps somewhat ironically its author, John Grantham, spent over 30 years in Hollywood in and around the movie industry as an actor, stuntman and voice over artist. Cinema Retro's Lee Pfeiffer caught up with him for a Q&A about his book which has a title longer than some nation's entire constitutions.

CR �C It should be noted that this isn��t just a book listing questions & answers about music. It��s an homage to the generations that lived and loved the music.

JG �C Thanks for recognizing that. There are plenty of books that simply ask a question and then provide you with the answer. I wanted to set a tone for the music and provide a background for the songs and groups mentioned in the book.

CR �C You started your sections that dealt with musical decades with an overview of what was happening culturally, politically and financially during that period of time.

JG �CIt was important to me that the reader experiences the questions in the context that each generation provided. Music, perhaps more than cinema, has always held a mirror up to society. The 1960s for example provided folk music, anti-war music, tune in �C drop out music amidst the background of a divisive war in Vietnam that was fracturing America. There was ��Black Power��, Women��s Lib, the Eco movement and lest we forget, the introduction of terrorist actions. For someone reading the book that wasn��t alive then or was too young to remember, it��s helpful to set the scene if you will.

CR �C You also included a lot of movie quotes instead of lyrics. Why is that?

JG �C I feel like music provides the soundtrack of our lives. I tried to include quotes from movies that highlighted the significance of music. Movies like High Fidelity and School of Rock are obvious choices. My favorite scene is from Barry Levinson��s 1982 classic, Diner where Daniel Sterns�� character Shrevie argues with his wife Beth, ��The first time I met you? Modell��s sister��s high school graduation party, right? 1955. And ��Ain��t That A Shame�� was playing when I walked into the door! It��s important��.

CR �C You were a Hollywood actor and stuntman. Why then a book about music and not, say, well the obvious, movies?

JG - (Laughs) Thank you for dignifying my career. I had more than my share of stinkers. If my career had started a decade earlier much of my finer work would have gone straight to the drive-in.

CR �C Such as?

JG �C Let��s see�� Baja, Deadly Breed, Death House�� Of course there was also Double Dragon and Master��s of the Universe�� If Double Dragon had done anything at the box office you could have an action figure of my character, Torpedo, on your shelf!

CR �C What would you say was your favorite role or movie?

JG �C Hmmm. Harvey Keitel shoots me in the final scene of Get Shorty. I played Hari Krishna #1. I doubled Peter Deluise in the TV show seaQuest DSV. There was a lot of fire and explosions on that, plus a gnarly stunt where I had to crash through a plate glass window.

CR �C Sounds like fun.

JG �C Some days were better than others. The movie that was the most gratifying to be associated with was an independent film I doubt many of your readers ever saw called Miss Firecracker��

CR - ��With Holly Hunter and Tim Robbins��

JG �C That��s right. It also starred Scott Glenn, Alfrie Woodard, Mary Steenburgen and the late Trey Wilson. I was the stunt coordinator for that. Scott Glenn came up to me after the fight scene at the fairground and said it was the most realistic fight he��d ever seen. It wasn��t of course, but it was kind of him to say.

CR �C Your love of rock and pop is obvious from the book but what movies inspired your career choice?

JG �C All of them. I��d put moving pictures right next to the printing press in terms of how it has shaped and moved society. You can��t understate its influence. The optimistic messages of Frank Capra��s films and the documentaries of Leni Riefenstahl, are from the same era. The 70s gave us gritty, street level dramas like The French Connection and Shaft . The latter of which featured, perhaps, the best opening theme song in history.

John Grantham: Hollywood stuntman and author.

CR �CBack to the music then��

JG �C Oh right��My formative years were spent in Naples, Florida. My best friend��s parents owned the only record store in town. That was our ��Diner�� if you will; the place we would hang out and talk about girls and sports and movies to the backdrop of great music. It never occurred to me that all that time spent pouring over album covers and liner notes would someday form the foundation of a book.

CR �C With the success of ��The World��s Hardest Music Trivia�� can we expect to see The World��s Hardest Movie Trivia on the shelves soon?

JG �C You��d have to ask my publisher. I��d love to do it. I am a student of Hollywood. I couldn��t tell you who my Congressman is but I can tell you that Susan Hart played the ghost in The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini��, which I saw in 1966 at the Yazoo Theater in Yazoo City, Mississippi. I was too young to know what was causing that tingling sensation in my body as I watched the movie but I knew I wanted to experience it again; and often.

CR �C Maybe we should leave it at that.

JG �C Probably for the best Lee. Thanks for the shout out. Rock on.

CLICK HERE TO ORDER FROM AMAZON

AL PACINO OPENS UP ABOUT THE HITS AND MISSES IN A LONG CAREER

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Thu, 01 Dec 2016 14:16:00 +0000

As he prepares to accept honors at the Kennedy Center on December 4 with President Obama and the First Lady in attendance, Al Pacino talks about his long, mostly illustrious career to Karen Heller of the Washington Post. We say "mostly illustrious" because the notoriously private Pacino admits to having built a "museum of mistakes" in relation to the roles he turned down in what turned out to be classic movies. Among them: "Taxi Driver", "Pretty Woman", "Kramer Vs. Kramer" and a little picture called "Star Wars". His first big break, playing Michael Corleone in "The Godfather", resulted in him almost being fired by the studio- and even Pacino admits he thought he was all wrong for the role. Click here to read.

Pacino says that Paramount tried to fire him three times from "The Godfather".

EXCLUSIVE: NORMAN LEAR INTERVIEWED BY CINEMA RETRO'S EDDY FRIEDFELD

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Fri, 21 Oct 2016 16:53:12 +0000

Norman Lear- Just Another Version of You

By Eddy Friedeld

The first two people in my life who taught me to think deeply about social and political issues and argue cogently and passionately for what I believed in were my late father David and Norman Lear.

Lear, the 94-year-old entertainment icon is the subject of a terrific American Masters documentary: Norman Lear- Just Another Version of You, which premieres nationwide Tuesday, October 25, 9-10:30 p.m. on PBS.

Speaking from his home in Los Angeles about both the documentary and his masterful 2014 autobiography, Even This I Get to Experience, he still has an energy level that would put people a quarter of his age to shame.

��People think when you��re over 90 you��ve changed. It��s everyone else who��s changed. Suddenly I��m extremely wise,�� Lear says. Charming and reflective, he explains why he wears the white hat that has become his favorite article of clothing and his signature garment.

He has never lost his childlike view of the world. ��I��ve never been in any situation, no matter how tragic, where I didn��t see the humor in it. Human beings are all foolish- that knits us all together.��

When asked what the secret to creating loving and enduring characters and family on television, he said: ��My bumper sticker just outside on my car reads ��just another version of you.�� I think the question is best answered by that deepest of philosophies- I truly believe that as humans sharing our human commonalities we are versions of one another despite our ethnicities, our skin colors, or the country we may have been born in.��

��It seems to me when I look at the LGBT issue and see how far it has moved, whether socially, legally, or politically, and then I look at divisions in between races and I haven��t seen the same movement. Maybe that��s the next big movement, that the race movement leaps forward the way the LGBT movement has.��

Lear and the late Maya Angelou shared a concern that America was losing touch with its humanity. A national icon for hope, when asked whether he was more worried about the American people 40 years ago or now, he said: ��I��d like to be the touchstone for hope that Trump is for lack of hope. He is gathering all of those people who are suffering as a result of the fact that we have little if not a long way to go, making for a culture where everyone has equal opportunity, and he is helping those that do not enjoy equal opportunity that villains are keeping them from getting and he is the hero.��

��Donald Trump is the middle finger of the American right hand- they do not have leadership in any direction. If you look at the auto industry, there is the airbag problem, in pharmaceuticals, the EpiPens, if you��re looking at banking it��s Wells Fargo, and if you��re looking at politics, it��s Donald Trump. It��s a very difficult place to be if you��re broke and out of a job or you have a good job and two kids in school and can no longer afford to live where you��re living.��

Born in Connecticut, Lear learned to love America through the eyes of his immigrant Jewish grandfather. ��At nine, I was forced to become an adult,�� he said when his father went to jail. ��But that kid remained inside me for the rest of my life.��

A World War II hero, he started writing during the early days of television, for Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, Tennessee Ernie Ford, and Frank Sinatra.

He was part of the transitional generation from American Jews to Jewish Americans. Proud, fiercely loyal and carrying a sense of purpose and cultural and religious commitment to justice that permeated their work.

In the 1970s, Lear singlehandedly changed television with All in the Family, which became a platform for social discussion and reform. Norman Lear revolutionized the sitcom, taking the American family from the antiseptic and idealized to the contentious and dysfunctional. He was the first to hold up the mirror and share social issues through the sitcom format. Until Lear, mainstream television did not carry Vietnam protests.

Living in London, his partner, Bud Yorkin sent him a tape of a show called Till Death do us Part. ��The father was conservative; the son was progressive. I went with that relationship and never lived to regret it.��

That show became All in the Family, which starred Carroll O��Connor as Archie Bunker, the bigoted patriarch of a Queens New York working class family, who was constantly at odds with his college student son-in-law, Mike Stivic (Rob Reiner), whom he referred to as ��Meathead�� for his progressive views. The first show began with a disclaimer: ��The program you are about to see is All in the Family. It seeks to throw a humorous spotlight on our frailties, prejudices and concerns. By making them a source of laughter, we hope to show- in a mature fashion- just how absurd they are.��

The show became a megahit. It was the top-rated show on American television, and the winner of four consecutive Emmy Awards as Outstanding Comedy Series. All in the Family was not only one of the most successful sitcoms in history, it was also one of the most important and influential series ever to air, ushering in a new era in American television characterized by programs that did not shy away from addressing controversial or socially relevant subject matters and created an intelligent discourse, couched against a comedic and satirical backdrop.

��Mike Stivic spoke for me,�� Lear said. Like Archie, he didn��t know a lot about what could be done about the country��s problems, the nitty gritty of the scholarly work that led to his opinions. He had those opinions reflexively. I am the same way. I think of myself as a bleeding heart conservative. I think the most conservative thing in America is to be devoted to The First Amendment, to The Bill of Rights, to the notion that we are all created equal under the law, and we must find a way to ensure equal justice. I think that��s an extremely conservative point of view. The bleeding heart part is because I don��t know enough to know how to correct it and I vote for the people who seem to be closer to how to correct it and to making good on those promises. The problem is that the people who do the best job at pretending that they back those documents are the Right. But it isn��t in actuality as the culture progresses.��

��As for the career that followed,�� he said, ��while the decision to cast Carroll O��Connor, Jean Stapelton, Rob Reiner and Sally Struthers was my own, the four-way chemistry that resulted in each player drawing comic strength from the other characters, at the same time brilliantly playing against them to deepen the humor in every direction, was a gift that I can only take credit for nourishing and using well.��

Archie Bunker and his family was followed by Maude, The Jeffersons, Good Times, Sanford and Son, One Day at a Time, as well as Fernwood Tonight, a talk show parody dedicated to battling bigotry and social issues through art, and Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, a parody of soap operas. In the 1970s, most of America was laughing and thinking because of Norman Lear.

The documentary follows him around through recent and 40-year-old clips, discussing political and social issues, and his battles with censors and censorship, which at the time was called ��program practices.�� It also shows his influence on now famous individuals, who have kept Lear��s activist flame burning bright.

He reflected on a few of his many friendships, including Carl Reiner, with whom I was able to agree from own experience: ��Carl Reiner, a friend for some 60 years now is one of a kind. If no matter how good you may have a reason to feel, if you aren��t feeling a little bit better for being with him, I would call for a physician right away.��

��You raised me,�� Jon Stewart said to him. ��Where I think I learned how to process complex thoughts, issues that I cared about, through the lens of comedy, was watching Norman Lear shows.��

��What could make me prouder,�� Lear replies.

��Good Times�� was for white people,�� Russell Simmons said. ��The Jeffersons�� was for black people. It was aspirational, angry. George Jefferson taught me how to walk- with confidence.��

With appearances ranging from Carl Reiner, Rob Reiner, Mel Brooks, and Amy Poehler, and directed by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady and Executive Produced by American Masters�� Michael Kantor, the film offers a unique insight into a ��Gadol Hador,�� a giant of his generation and those to follow.

Lear retired from television to devote his life to activism. He created ��People for the American Way.�� Fighting for civil rights resulted in death threats. He also bought an original copy of The Declaration of Independence and toured it around the country. ��All men are created equal [with the right] to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness- The Declaration of Independence. The tour celebrated the founding fathers who pledged ��their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor�� to make good on these words�� But ironically, and God Bless America, the last time I witnessed a reference to sacred honor was in Francis Ford Coppola��s The Godfather.��

��He had such a responsibility to make sure kids saw it and knew what that meant,�� said George Clooney. When asked about what advice he would give to students who are embarking on artistic careers, especially comedy, Lear said: ��Go with your gut. Deliver on your intention and go with it- it��s golden.��

Cinema Retro Contributor Eddy Friedfeld is the co-author of Caesar��s Hours with Sid Caesar and teaches film and television classes at Yale and NYU

DEBORAH NADOOLMAN: THE WOMAN WHO GAVE INDIANA JONES HIS ICONIC LOOK

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Sun, 31 Jul 2016 10:36:00 +0000

BY LEE PFEIFFER

It's no secret to Cinema Retro readers that director John Landis has been a long-time contributor to the magazine. What they might know is that his wife, Deborah Nadoolman, has also gone above-and-beyond for us, as well. In 2012, we were shepherding members of one of our movie-themed tours around London film locations. Deborah, one of the most accomplished costume designers in the industry, was in the city for the opening of a major exhibition about famous costumes seen in cinema. The event was held at the Victoria & Albert Museum and there was overwhelming demand for tickets. We requested that perhaps she could give our members a private tour of the exhibition. Deborah readily agreed and she and her co-curator Sir Christopher Frayling arranged to have us gain entrance to the museum an hour before opening time for the public. Deborah regaled us with wonderful anecdotes about many of the costumes on display including those from "Raiders of the Lost Ark", as it was Deborah who created that iconic look for Harrison Ford. The Daily Beast's Joshua David Stein has written a very welcome article about Deborah and her achievements in the film industry. You're likely to find some interesting anecdotes relating to both "Raiders" and Michael Jackson's landmark music video for "Thriller" which John Landis directed and Deborah designed the costumes for. Click here to read.

DON RICKLES IS 90 AND HE'S STILL GOING STRONG, YOU HOCKEY PUCKS!

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Sun, 29 May 2016 10:06:00 +0000

BY LEE PFEIFFER

He's arguably the last of his kind from the Golden Age of stand-up comedy. Don Rickles is now 90 years old and still performing, though according to a profile in the Washington Post, he's now considered a sit-down comedian, with a recliner on stage being about the only concession he's made to his advanced age and the onset of some physical infirmities. But his razor-sharp humor remains intact and Rickles still writes his own material to perform in front of appreciative audiences. Most people would be uncomfortable with being singled out by a snarky comedian but Rickles' fans consider it be a mark of honor to be on the receiving end of his insults. There was a time when Rickles broke barriers with his unique act in the 1960s. Until then, most stand-up comics were relatively benign and respectful to their audiences. Rickles changed all of that. A downside of his influence is that, while Rickles gentle ribbing never crossed the line into vulgarity, the younger generation of comedians had no such reservations. Perhaps because his act reminds us of a gentler time in American comedy, Rickles is now considered to be a national treasure. It's worth noting that he is also an accomplished actor, having appeared in dramatic roles in feature films in such diverse fare as Roger Corman's "X: The Man With X-Ray Eyes", "Run Silent, Run Deep" opposite the likes of Clark Gable and Burt Lancaster and "The Rat Race" with Tony Curtis and Debbie Reynolds. After Rickles caught on with his comedy shtick, he remained a popular fixture in feature films, often replicating his wiseguy persona, most memorably in the Clint Eastwood WWII comedy caper film "Kelly's Heroes". He also provided the voice of the grumpy Mr. Potato Head in the "Toy Story" films and reverted back to a dramatic role in Martin Scorsese's "Casino". In 2007, director John Landis paid homage to Rickles, who he met as an aspiring filmmaker on the set of "Kelly's Heroes", with the acclaimed documentary "Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project". Click here for an interview with Rickles and clips of some of his best moments.

"MISTER ED" AND BEYOND:AN INTERVIEW WITH ALAN YOUNG

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Sun, 22 May 2016 10:44:00 +0000

Actor Alan Young, the beloved star of the "Mister Ed" TV series died this week at age 96. In tribute, we are re-running Nick Thomas's exclusive interview with him.

(This interview originally ran in November 2009)

By Nick Thomas

Alan Young created some memorable characters over his long career in film and television. Co-starring with Rod Taylor, Young played David Filby in the classic sci-fi film of the 60s, The Time Machine. He also horsed around as Wilbur Post for six seasons in one of best-loved sitcoms ever, Mister Ed, and was the voice behind numerous cartoon characters such as the grumpy Scrooge McDuck. Mr. Young is celebrating a milestone birthday- although he isn��t especially fond of talking about such traditional annual events. But when I spoke with him a few days ago, he was quite happy to chat about his long career.

Born in Northern England, Alan��s Scottish father soon moved the family to Edinburgh, then later to Canada when he was six. Bed-ridden for months at a time with asthma, Alan would listen to radio shows and write his own comedy routines. He later made Los Angeles his home and went on to appear in some 20 films and dozens more television roles. In 1994, he wrote "Mister Ed and Me," detailing his experience with the world��s most famous TV horse, of course. He recently revised and republished the book as "Mister Ed and Me... and More!"

Why did you update "Mister Ed and Me"?

My publisher suggested adding more stories about my life so I included some that I think will interest readers. He also wanted more about Connie Hines, my TV wife on Mister Ed. So I asked Connie if she would do a chapter about her life and she was happy to.

The book��s divided into 3 sections, one called Lips Don��t Sweat. That��s an unusual title.

When I was young, I was paid $3 for doing a short monologue. That impressed my dad, who earned the same amount for working all day in a shipyard at the time. He told me to "keep up this talking business because lips don��t sweat!" It was good advice.

You also wrote "There��s no Business Like Show Business ....Was" which is crammed with delightful Hollywood memories and stories. It��s extremely enjoyable to read.

Well I love to write. I��ve had the pleasure of meeting and working with so many lovely people here in Hollywood. I��ve heard so many of them tell fascinating stories, so I wanted to put it all together so fans could read about working in Hollywood in the "old days." Young people often say to me that it must have been easier working back then. But in many ways it wasn��t. For example, we had to learn by the seat of our pants, as there were few schools that taught acting skills.

Continue reading ""MISTER ED" AND BEYOND:AN INTERVIEW WITH ALAN YOUNG"