Inner Child: A young woman struggles with sleep paralysis and visions of a dark figure in a new horror film gearing up for production this spring. Here are details on Inner Child, an upcoming feature from writer / director Natalie Rodriguez:
"Cassie, a twenty-year-old college student, has the same recurring night terror (sleep paralysis), where she sees a dark figure. When a particular night terror becomes too real, taking over her physically, she reaches out to her longtime therapist, Dr. Reid, for guidance. Cassie hopes that Dr. Reid will help put an end to her sleep paralysis. Soon, Cassie comes to terms with reality when she makes a startling connection between her sleep paralysis and childhood trauma. Reopening unresolved wounds, she reckons with the ongoing fear of reverting to the terrified girl she once was. Cassie faces the difficult choice to either cave into her past and relive her horrific...
"Cassie, a twenty-year-old college student, has the same recurring night terror (sleep paralysis), where she sees a dark figure. When a particular night terror becomes too real, taking over her physically, she reaches out to her longtime therapist, Dr. Reid, for guidance. Cassie hopes that Dr. Reid will help put an end to her sleep paralysis. Soon, Cassie comes to terms with reality when she makes a startling connection between her sleep paralysis and childhood trauma. Reopening unresolved wounds, she reckons with the ongoing fear of reverting to the terrified girl she once was. Cassie faces the difficult choice to either cave into her past and relive her horrific...
- 3/29/2024
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
Tales Of Blood Island Kickstarter: "Body horror director and producer of the Re-Animator zombie franchise, Brian Yuzna; Sam Sherman of Independent-International Pictures Corp; and Dave Sehring of Drive-In-Sanity Films have teamed up for another Blood Island Kickstarter crowd-funding campaign to resurrect the mutant zombie, the Beast of Blood (aka The Chlorophyll Man), with more monstrous merchandise to get fans excited about a planned re-boot of the Blood Island film series that is currently in pre-production."
Brian Yuzna’S Tales Of Blood Island is a series of jungle horror comic books, games, tiki barware and beachwear that re-boots and re-imagines the classic Blood Island creature features made in the Philippines for the U.S. drive-in market by Kane Lynn, Irwin Pizor, Gerardo de Leon and Eddie Romero in the 1960s & 1970s. Blood Island director Eddie Romero went on to serve as Associate Producer on Francis Ford Coppola’s Vietnam War...
Brian Yuzna’S Tales Of Blood Island is a series of jungle horror comic books, games, tiki barware and beachwear that re-boots and re-imagines the classic Blood Island creature features made in the Philippines for the U.S. drive-in market by Kane Lynn, Irwin Pizor, Gerardo de Leon and Eddie Romero in the 1960s & 1970s. Blood Island director Eddie Romero went on to serve as Associate Producer on Francis Ford Coppola’s Vietnam War...
- 10/19/2023
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
If you haven't subscribed for Season 17 of Cinema Retro, here's what you've been missing:
Issue #49
Lee Pfeiffer goes undercover for Robert Vaughn's spy thriller "The Venetian Affair" .
Cai Ross goes to hell for "Damien- Omen II"
Ernie Magnotta continues our "Elvis on Film" series with "Elvis: That's the Way It Is"..
Robert Leese scare up some memories of the cult classic "Carnival of Souls"
Dave Worrall and Lee Pfeiffer look back on the 1976 Sensurround sensation "Midway"
Remembering Sir Sean Connery
James Sherlock examines Stanley Kramer's pandemic Cold War classic "On the Beach".
Dave Worrall goes in search of the Disco Volante hydrofoil from "Thunderball"
Raymond Benson's Cinema 101 column
Gareth Owen's "Pinewood Past" column
Darren Allison reviews the latest soundtrack releases
Issue #50
50th anniversary celebration of "The French Connection" : Todd Garbarini interviews director William Friedkin
"Scars of Dracula": Mark Cerulli interviews stars Jenny Hanley and...
Issue #49
Lee Pfeiffer goes undercover for Robert Vaughn's spy thriller "The Venetian Affair" .
Cai Ross goes to hell for "Damien- Omen II"
Ernie Magnotta continues our "Elvis on Film" series with "Elvis: That's the Way It Is"..
Robert Leese scare up some memories of the cult classic "Carnival of Souls"
Dave Worrall and Lee Pfeiffer look back on the 1976 Sensurround sensation "Midway"
Remembering Sir Sean Connery
James Sherlock examines Stanley Kramer's pandemic Cold War classic "On the Beach".
Dave Worrall goes in search of the Disco Volante hydrofoil from "Thunderball"
Raymond Benson's Cinema 101 column
Gareth Owen's "Pinewood Past" column
Darren Allison reviews the latest soundtrack releases
Issue #50
50th anniversary celebration of "The French Connection" : Todd Garbarini interviews director William Friedkin
"Scars of Dracula": Mark Cerulli interviews stars Jenny Hanley and...
- 11/26/2021
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Charles ‘Jerry’ Juroe, a veteran marketing and public relations professional best known for handling the promotion of 14 installments of the James Bond film franchise dating back to the very first, has died at 98.
Juroe died Sept. 30 of natural causes at his home near Valencia, Spain, his friend Mark Cerulli, who edited his 2018 memoir Bond, the Beatles and My Year with Marilyn: 50 Years as a Movie Marketing Man, told The Hollywood Reporter.
“He made a huge contribution to the success of the series from the very first promotional tour to Italy in 1962 for Dr. No with Sean Connery to his ...
Juroe died Sept. 30 of natural causes at his home near Valencia, Spain, his friend Mark Cerulli, who edited his 2018 memoir Bond, the Beatles and My Year with Marilyn: 50 Years as a Movie Marketing Man, told The Hollywood Reporter.
“He made a huge contribution to the success of the series from the very first promotional tour to Italy in 1962 for Dr. No with Sean Connery to his ...
- 10/7/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Charles ‘Jerry’ Juroe, a veteran marketing and public relations professional best known for handling the promotion of 14 installments of the James Bond film franchise dating back to the very first, has died at 98.
Juroe died Sept. 30 of natural causes at his home near Valencia, Spain, his friend Mark Cerulli, who edited his 2018 memoir Bond, the Beatles and My Year with Marilyn: 50 Years as a Movie Marketing Man, told The Hollywood Reporter.
“He made a huge contribution to the success of the series from the very first promotional tour to Italy in 1962 for Dr. No with Sean Connery to his ...
Juroe died Sept. 30 of natural causes at his home near Valencia, Spain, his friend Mark Cerulli, who edited his 2018 memoir Bond, the Beatles and My Year with Marilyn: 50 Years as a Movie Marketing Man, told The Hollywood Reporter.
“He made a huge contribution to the success of the series from the very first promotional tour to Italy in 1962 for Dr. No with Sean Connery to his ...
- 10/7/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Normal 0 false false false En-us X-none X-none
"When Sherman Met Frankenstein"
By Mark Cerulli
To celebrate the release of producer Sam Sherman’s memoir, When Dracula Met Frankenstein (Murania Press) Cinema Retro presents this exclusive interview with the man himself. In our two-hour conversation, the filmmaker demonstrated a virtual photographic memory when discussing his remarkable 60 plus year career. Our interview was a time capsule of the drive-in era where creative marketing, distribution and production exemplified the true spirit of independent filmmaking.
Sam Sherman grew up a horror and western film fan. The first horror film Sam ever saw was Universal’s classic monster comedy, Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) which captivated his imagination at a very young age. Following his dream, he attended City College of New York to study filmmaking. Like most Cr readers, he was also an avid collector – in his case, horror stills, which one imagines were...
"When Sherman Met Frankenstein"
By Mark Cerulli
To celebrate the release of producer Sam Sherman’s memoir, When Dracula Met Frankenstein (Murania Press) Cinema Retro presents this exclusive interview with the man himself. In our two-hour conversation, the filmmaker demonstrated a virtual photographic memory when discussing his remarkable 60 plus year career. Our interview was a time capsule of the drive-in era where creative marketing, distribution and production exemplified the true spirit of independent filmmaking.
Sam Sherman grew up a horror and western film fan. The first horror film Sam ever saw was Universal’s classic monster comedy, Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) which captivated his imagination at a very young age. Following his dream, he attended City College of New York to study filmmaking. Like most Cr readers, he was also an avid collector – in his case, horror stills, which one imagines were...
- 8/21/2021
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
(right to left) George Feltenstein poses with Michael Feinstein, and Roddy McDowall in front of a re-creation of Rick’s cafe for the 1992 Vsda trade show.
By Lee Pfeiffer
Film historian Tim Millard has launched an addictive new blog titled "The Extras" in which he interviews various people in the movie industry. Millard is a former Warner Brothers Home Entertainment veteran who went on to create many of the "extras" (i.e bonus content) found on popular home video releases, hence the title of the podcast. For a high profile launch for the podcast, Millard turned to an appropriate interview subject: George Feltenstein, with whom he worked with for many years at WB. The average retro movie fan may not know Feltenstein by name, although he is a legend in the home video industry, but anyone who appreciates how classic and cult movies are made available to the general public...
By Lee Pfeiffer
Film historian Tim Millard has launched an addictive new blog titled "The Extras" in which he interviews various people in the movie industry. Millard is a former Warner Brothers Home Entertainment veteran who went on to create many of the "extras" (i.e bonus content) found on popular home video releases, hence the title of the podcast. For a high profile launch for the podcast, Millard turned to an appropriate interview subject: George Feltenstein, with whom he worked with for many years at WB. The average retro movie fan may not know Feltenstein by name, although he is a legend in the home video industry, but anyone who appreciates how classic and cult movies are made available to the general public...
- 8/5/2021
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Normal 0 false false false En-us X-none X-none
By Mark Cerulli
Many movies are a reflection of their time: Dr. Strangelove was a biting 1960s anti-nuclear war satire. Taxi Driver was a 1970s commentary on urban loneliness. Now as America grapples with rising, politically inspired unrest, it’s more than a bit sad that the movie for Our time may well be The Forever Purge.
This half a billion-dollar franchise started out in 2013 as a humble $3M action/thriller starring Ethan Hawke. Expectations were modest at best… Instead, the film’s main theme – allowing society to “let off steam” with one night where all crime is allowed - touched a nerve, grossing almost $90M and installments (and profits) soon followed.
This latest sequel, directed by Everardo Gout and written by series creator, James DeMonaco, cannily picks up on today’s social and political vibes - a humble Mexican couple, Juan and Adela,...
By Mark Cerulli
Many movies are a reflection of their time: Dr. Strangelove was a biting 1960s anti-nuclear war satire. Taxi Driver was a 1970s commentary on urban loneliness. Now as America grapples with rising, politically inspired unrest, it’s more than a bit sad that the movie for Our time may well be The Forever Purge.
This half a billion-dollar franchise started out in 2013 as a humble $3M action/thriller starring Ethan Hawke. Expectations were modest at best… Instead, the film’s main theme – allowing society to “let off steam” with one night where all crime is allowed - touched a nerve, grossing almost $90M and installments (and profits) soon followed.
This latest sequel, directed by Everardo Gout and written by series creator, James DeMonaco, cannily picks up on today’s social and political vibes - a humble Mexican couple, Juan and Adela,...
- 7/2/2021
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Arrow to Release Haunted Road Trip Thriller Threshold May 3 in the US, Canada and the UK: "London, UK - Arrow Video is excited to announce the Arrow release of Powell Robinson and Patrick R. Young's acclaimed Threshold, available to subscribers in the US, Canada and the UK. The haunted road trip thriller world premiered at the Salem Horror Fest in October and made its European premiere at Soho Horror Film Festival in November. On May 3, Arrow subscribers in the US, Canada and the UK can go on a trip with Threshold from the comfort of their homes.
Threshold, the second feature from co-directors Powell Robinson, Patrick R. Young and producer Lauren Bates, following their debut Bastard (2015), was improvised and shot on two iPhones over the course of a 12-day road trip with a crew of just three. The results are an inventive and compelling psychological thriller with hints of the...
Threshold, the second feature from co-directors Powell Robinson, Patrick R. Young and producer Lauren Bates, following their debut Bastard (2015), was improvised and shot on two iPhones over the course of a 12-day road trip with a crew of just three. The results are an inventive and compelling psychological thriller with hints of the...
- 4/19/2021
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
Normal 0 false false false En-us X-none X-none
By Mark Cerulli
Mike Henry, the rugged former football player-turned-actor, passed away on January 8, 2021 after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease and Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, likely from his heavy physical contact during his years in the NFL playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers and LA Rams. Although not a household name, Henry carved out an impressive career playing heroic roles, most notably Tarzan in three films from 1966 – 68. I remember stumbling across Tarzan And the Valley of Gold on network TV as a kid and being enthralled by this hulking, well-spoken Tarzan who wore a suit in one scene and the traditional loincloth in the next. Henry took over the role of Tarzan from Jock Mahoney Blessed with a chiseled physique that Weintraub crowed looked like it was “sculpted by Michelangelo”, Henry could easily handle the athletic demands of the coveted part.
What Henry...
By Mark Cerulli
Mike Henry, the rugged former football player-turned-actor, passed away on January 8, 2021 after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease and Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, likely from his heavy physical contact during his years in the NFL playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers and LA Rams. Although not a household name, Henry carved out an impressive career playing heroic roles, most notably Tarzan in three films from 1966 – 68. I remember stumbling across Tarzan And the Valley of Gold on network TV as a kid and being enthralled by this hulking, well-spoken Tarzan who wore a suit in one scene and the traditional loincloth in the next. Henry took over the role of Tarzan from Jock Mahoney Blessed with a chiseled physique that Weintraub crowed looked like it was “sculpted by Michelangelo”, Henry could easily handle the athletic demands of the coveted part.
What Henry...
- 4/6/2021
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Inside "Area 5150": Cinema Retro's Mark Cerulli Takes You Behind The Scenes On An Indie Horror Flick
Mark Cerulli (seated) with Aaron Prager, Matthew Lucero, August Kingsley and Rob Wight. (Photo by David Rubalcava)
Cinema Retro columnist Mark Cerulli has long championed indie horror films. They generally have one thing in common: the need to use innovative methods to compensate for less-than-extravagant budgets. Cerulli finally decided the best way to experience what it's like making one of these films was to participate in aspects of its creative process. Here is his report.
By Mark Cerulli
As a writer/producer for HBO, I had been on a number of film sets to do interviews and shoot “B-roll”… tolerated, sometimes even welcomed but never a part of the actual film. As a scriptwriter I had also piled up an impressive number of “passes” (my favorite was from Steven Seagal’s nutritionist!). Then in a Hollywood coincidence I met director Sean Haitz at the premiere of Rob Zombie’s Three from Hell.
Cinema Retro columnist Mark Cerulli has long championed indie horror films. They generally have one thing in common: the need to use innovative methods to compensate for less-than-extravagant budgets. Cerulli finally decided the best way to experience what it's like making one of these films was to participate in aspects of its creative process. Here is his report.
By Mark Cerulli
As a writer/producer for HBO, I had been on a number of film sets to do interviews and shoot “B-roll”… tolerated, sometimes even welcomed but never a part of the actual film. As a scriptwriter I had also piled up an impressive number of “passes” (my favorite was from Steven Seagal’s nutritionist!). Then in a Hollywood coincidence I met director Sean Haitz at the premiere of Rob Zombie’s Three from Hell.
- 3/30/2021
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Normal 0 false false false En-us X-none X-none
By Mark Cerulli
Just before the Covid veil descended, this Cinema Retro scribe traveled to Texas to meet up with the unstoppable Allen Danziger, an entrepreneur and actor who parlayed a friendship with the late Tobe Hooper into roles in two of his films. Always fast on his feet, Allen basically improvised his way through Eggshells, Hooper’s 3rd film in 1969… five years later he got the call for a role in Hooper’s next project, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. He landed the part of “Jerry”, the van driver transporting his college friends to their doom – and into cinema history. “I think he liked my look,” Danziger says of Hooper, “I was a munchkin with Leatherface towering over me.”
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was a genre film destined for drive-ins and grindhouses, then something magical happened – audiences connected with its raw power and gritty filmmaking.
By Mark Cerulli
Just before the Covid veil descended, this Cinema Retro scribe traveled to Texas to meet up with the unstoppable Allen Danziger, an entrepreneur and actor who parlayed a friendship with the late Tobe Hooper into roles in two of his films. Always fast on his feet, Allen basically improvised his way through Eggshells, Hooper’s 3rd film in 1969… five years later he got the call for a role in Hooper’s next project, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. He landed the part of “Jerry”, the van driver transporting his college friends to their doom – and into cinema history. “I think he liked my look,” Danziger says of Hooper, “I was a munchkin with Leatherface towering over me.”
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was a genre film destined for drive-ins and grindhouses, then something magical happened – audiences connected with its raw power and gritty filmmaking.
- 1/30/2021
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Normal 0 false false false En-us X-none X-none
(Rich Correll with the T-Rex prop from Jurassic Park.)
By Mark Cerulli
After 30+ years as a 007 collector, I understand collecting… how amassing items connected to a movie series or iconic character gets into the blood and forces you to disregard common sense when pursuing a must-have. Like most collectors, I have always been constrained by two factors – money and time. Now imagine a collector who isn’t bothered by either, who has a deep passion for horror and even deeper pockets to acquire almost anything available. Meet Richard “Rich” Correll!
A native Californian, Correll started his career as a child actor on Leave It to Beaver, practically growing up on the Universal lot. “Jerry Mathers is one of my best friends,” he notes. Rich found himself drawn to Universal’s Makeup Department where he became fascinated by the appliances and masks used in...
(Rich Correll with the T-Rex prop from Jurassic Park.)
By Mark Cerulli
After 30+ years as a 007 collector, I understand collecting… how amassing items connected to a movie series or iconic character gets into the blood and forces you to disregard common sense when pursuing a must-have. Like most collectors, I have always been constrained by two factors – money and time. Now imagine a collector who isn’t bothered by either, who has a deep passion for horror and even deeper pockets to acquire almost anything available. Meet Richard “Rich” Correll!
A native Californian, Correll started his career as a child actor on Leave It to Beaver, practically growing up on the Universal lot. “Jerry Mathers is one of my best friends,” he notes. Rich found himself drawn to Universal’s Makeup Department where he became fascinated by the appliances and masks used in...
- 9/29/2020
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Normal 0 false false false En-us X-none X-none
(Above: Raphael Peter Engel (aka Zandor Vorkov) today.
By Mark Cerulli
When you think of Dracula, some iconic names immediately come to mind – Bela Lugosi, Christopher Lee, Gary Oldman, Jack Palance… and Raphael Engel.
Wait.
Who?
Raphael Peter Engel, aka “Zandor Vorkov” played the thirsty count in one of the most unique films to feature the immortal character – 1971’s Dracula vs Frankenstein, made by the prolific B-movie team of director Al Adamson and co-writer/producer Sam Sherman.
Both the actor and the film itself took a very circuitous route to come into being. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Raphael (then known as Roger) grew up with a younger brother in Miami, Florida. “We did Saturday matinees – two films, cartoons, a short, popcorn and I’d walk down many blocks to the theater…”, Raphael recalls in an exclusive Cinema Retro interview. “That influenced me. We...
(Above: Raphael Peter Engel (aka Zandor Vorkov) today.
By Mark Cerulli
When you think of Dracula, some iconic names immediately come to mind – Bela Lugosi, Christopher Lee, Gary Oldman, Jack Palance… and Raphael Engel.
Wait.
Who?
Raphael Peter Engel, aka “Zandor Vorkov” played the thirsty count in one of the most unique films to feature the immortal character – 1971’s Dracula vs Frankenstein, made by the prolific B-movie team of director Al Adamson and co-writer/producer Sam Sherman.
Both the actor and the film itself took a very circuitous route to come into being. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Raphael (then known as Roger) grew up with a younger brother in Miami, Florida. “We did Saturday matinees – two films, cartoons, a short, popcorn and I’d walk down many blocks to the theater…”, Raphael recalls in an exclusive Cinema Retro interview. “That influenced me. We...
- 5/23/2020
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Roy Rose and his horrific and historic gas station.
(Photo copyright Mark Cerulli. All rights reserved.)
By Mark Cerulli
Deep in the heart of Texas there’s a nondescript gas station on the side of a sleepy road… You can’t buy gas there. They don’t sell lottery tickets, and the closest neighbors are a herd of cows. But this gas station has a unique place in horror film history as a key setting of director Tobe Hooper’s iconic 1974 film, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
The station was in serious disrepair when it caught the eye of Texas Chainsaw Massacre mega-fan Roy Rose who “fell in love with the movie since I was ten years old.” Why? “It’s the most realistic horror movie there is, nothing else is even close,” Roy explains. He then set about living his dream - approaching the station’s original owner to buy it.
(Photo copyright Mark Cerulli. All rights reserved.)
By Mark Cerulli
Deep in the heart of Texas there’s a nondescript gas station on the side of a sleepy road… You can’t buy gas there. They don’t sell lottery tickets, and the closest neighbors are a herd of cows. But this gas station has a unique place in horror film history as a key setting of director Tobe Hooper’s iconic 1974 film, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
The station was in serious disrepair when it caught the eye of Texas Chainsaw Massacre mega-fan Roy Rose who “fell in love with the movie since I was ten years old.” Why? “It’s the most realistic horror movie there is, nothing else is even close,” Roy explains. He then set about living his dream - approaching the station’s original owner to buy it.
- 3/17/2020
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
By Mark Cerulli
Although Bond and Jill Masterson famously quaffed Dom Perignon in Goldfinger (right before she met her “glittering end”), Bollinger has been Bond’s go-to on screen champagne since the early Roger Moore era.
Over the decades since, the vintner has been canny enough to celebrate their cinematic tie-in by releasing a number of limited edition 007-themed bottles over the years, usually coinciding with each new film.
To celebrate the 25th Bond movie, No Time to Die, Bollinger really went all out, releasing two special editions – one within the reach of most Bond fans and one for the more, um, rarified collector…
The first edition, produced in limited quantities, is a real work of art – the bottle itself has the names of all 24 previous Bond films as part of a swirling “25”. The outer case is a wood veneer and glass gift box that opens when pressed. The glass...
Although Bond and Jill Masterson famously quaffed Dom Perignon in Goldfinger (right before she met her “glittering end”), Bollinger has been Bond’s go-to on screen champagne since the early Roger Moore era.
Over the decades since, the vintner has been canny enough to celebrate their cinematic tie-in by releasing a number of limited edition 007-themed bottles over the years, usually coinciding with each new film.
To celebrate the 25th Bond movie, No Time to Die, Bollinger really went all out, releasing two special editions – one within the reach of most Bond fans and one for the more, um, rarified collector…
The first edition, produced in limited quantities, is a real work of art – the bottle itself has the names of all 24 previous Bond films as part of a swirling “25”. The outer case is a wood veneer and glass gift box that opens when pressed. The glass...
- 1/11/2020
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
By Mark Cerulli
Growing up, I remember listening to the CBS Radio Mystery Theater, hosted by the gifted actor, E.G. Marshall. But as the plethora of new media choices came online over the years, I had thought that kind of pure audio entertainment had gone the way of the RCA Selectavision Video Disc… The delightful Passport to Oblivion 2-disc set from Spiteful Puppet proved me wrong and is a welcome return to adventure for the ears and mind.
The production, based on James Leasor’s 1964 best-seller (filmed as Where the Spies Are in 1966) stars ex-007 George Lazenby as Dr. Jason Love, a reluctant spy lured back into service to make a seemingly routine rendezvous for MI6 – a rendezvous that turns out to be anything But routine. Love is no high-flying secret agent, but a comfortably retired doctor in rural England.
The story unfolds with a highly skilled cast including Glynis Barber,...
Growing up, I remember listening to the CBS Radio Mystery Theater, hosted by the gifted actor, E.G. Marshall. But as the plethora of new media choices came online over the years, I had thought that kind of pure audio entertainment had gone the way of the RCA Selectavision Video Disc… The delightful Passport to Oblivion 2-disc set from Spiteful Puppet proved me wrong and is a welcome return to adventure for the ears and mind.
The production, based on James Leasor’s 1964 best-seller (filmed as Where the Spies Are in 1966) stars ex-007 George Lazenby as Dr. Jason Love, a reluctant spy lured back into service to make a seemingly routine rendezvous for MI6 – a rendezvous that turns out to be anything But routine. Love is no high-flying secret agent, but a comfortably retired doctor in rural England.
The story unfolds with a highly skilled cast including Glynis Barber,...
- 11/26/2019
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
By Mark Cerulli
John Carpenter’s Halloween was supposed to be a one-off… a small, disposable horror movie that would give some young filmmakers a break and its backers a nice hit of cash should it succeed. But a one-off it was not. Instead it became an American classic, which until a few years ago, was the most successful indie movie of all time. It’s a story that cried out for a book – and now there is one: Halloween: The Changing Shape Of An Iconic Series by Ernie Magnotta.
This deeply researched, 378 page oversize paperback illustrates Magnotta’s enthusiasm for the films and the genre on every page. He goes through the franchise, film by film, examining the plots, the key sequences, the cinematography, the music and, of course, the characters and the actors who portray them. Even the changing face of Michael’s iconic mask is examined and discussed.
John Carpenter’s Halloween was supposed to be a one-off… a small, disposable horror movie that would give some young filmmakers a break and its backers a nice hit of cash should it succeed. But a one-off it was not. Instead it became an American classic, which until a few years ago, was the most successful indie movie of all time. It’s a story that cried out for a book – and now there is one: Halloween: The Changing Shape Of An Iconic Series by Ernie Magnotta.
This deeply researched, 378 page oversize paperback illustrates Magnotta’s enthusiasm for the films and the genre on every page. He goes through the franchise, film by film, examining the plots, the key sequences, the cinematography, the music and, of course, the characters and the actors who portray them. Even the changing face of Michael’s iconic mask is examined and discussed.
- 10/16/2019
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Issue #46
Highlights Of Issue #46 (2020) Include:
John Wayne and Rock Hudson are "The Undefeated"
Unpublished 1974 interview with Albert Finney
Don Siegel's "Madigan" starring Richard Widmark and Henry Fonda
Interview with writer/director Michael Armstrong
The making of the epic film "Waterloo" starring Rod Steiger and Christopher Plummer
Hammer Films Actor John Richardson interview Part II
Vietnam Before and After: "Go Tell the Spartans" and "Rolling Thunder"
Brian Keith in "The McKenzie Break"
Plus review of DVDs, soundtracks and film books.
USA/ Canada : Cinema Retro #46 USA/ Canada : Cinema Retro #46 $12.00 Usd UK : Cinema Retro Issue #46 UK : Cinema Retro Issue #46 £8.50 Gbp Europe : Cinema Retro Issue #46 Europe : Cinema Retro Issue #46 £10.50 Gbp Rest Of The World : Cinema Retro Issue #46 Rest Of The World : Cinema Retro Issue #46 £12.00 Gbp
Issue #47
Nick Anez covers "Flaming Star", the Elvis Presley drama that remains an overlooked gem.
Director John Stevenson's tribute to...
Highlights Of Issue #46 (2020) Include:
John Wayne and Rock Hudson are "The Undefeated"
Unpublished 1974 interview with Albert Finney
Don Siegel's "Madigan" starring Richard Widmark and Henry Fonda
Interview with writer/director Michael Armstrong
The making of the epic film "Waterloo" starring Rod Steiger and Christopher Plummer
Hammer Films Actor John Richardson interview Part II
Vietnam Before and After: "Go Tell the Spartans" and "Rolling Thunder"
Brian Keith in "The McKenzie Break"
Plus review of DVDs, soundtracks and film books.
USA/ Canada : Cinema Retro #46 USA/ Canada : Cinema Retro #46 $12.00 Usd UK : Cinema Retro Issue #46 UK : Cinema Retro Issue #46 £8.50 Gbp Europe : Cinema Retro Issue #46 Europe : Cinema Retro Issue #46 £10.50 Gbp Rest Of The World : Cinema Retro Issue #46 Rest Of The World : Cinema Retro Issue #46 £12.00 Gbp
Issue #47
Nick Anez covers "Flaming Star", the Elvis Presley drama that remains an overlooked gem.
Director John Stevenson's tribute to...
- 10/12/2019
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
By Mark Cerulli
Forty eight years ago, United Artists continued their series of highly profitable Bond double features by releasing arguably the biggest 00 double bill of them all – Thunderball and You Only Live Twice. Both films had coined money on their initial releases, with Thunderball being the highest-grossing 007 film of that era – in fact, of many eras, right up until Skyfall in 2012. Thunderball earned a stunning $141 Million worldwide (over one billion dollars in today’s money), a number that must have had UA’s finance department humming the Bond theme at 727 Seventh Avenue. You Only Live Twice pulled in over $111 Million worldwide, its profits squeezed perhaps by a competing Bond film, the over-the-top comedy, Casino Royale with Peter Sellers, David Niven, Terence Cooper and Woody Allen as various Bonds or an Italian spy knockoff starring Sean Connery’s younger brother, Neil. (More on that later.)
Throughout the 60s, 70s and into the early 80s,...
Forty eight years ago, United Artists continued their series of highly profitable Bond double features by releasing arguably the biggest 00 double bill of them all – Thunderball and You Only Live Twice. Both films had coined money on their initial releases, with Thunderball being the highest-grossing 007 film of that era – in fact, of many eras, right up until Skyfall in 2012. Thunderball earned a stunning $141 Million worldwide (over one billion dollars in today’s money), a number that must have had UA’s finance department humming the Bond theme at 727 Seventh Avenue. You Only Live Twice pulled in over $111 Million worldwide, its profits squeezed perhaps by a competing Bond film, the over-the-top comedy, Casino Royale with Peter Sellers, David Niven, Terence Cooper and Woody Allen as various Bonds or an Italian spy knockoff starring Sean Connery’s younger brother, Neil. (More on that later.)
Throughout the 60s, 70s and into the early 80s,...
- 8/8/2019
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
By Mark Cerulli
Ian Fleming’s rise from newspaper journalist to worldwide best-selling author was not all jet-setting glamor. In the early 1960s, with the Bond literary series well underway, Fleming was involved in a grueling legal battle regarding his novel, Thunderball – which later became the record-breaking 1965 Eon film. The strain of the trial may well have contributed to Fleming’s death the following year at the relatively young age of 56…
Now the daughter of the original screenwriter, Jack Whittingham, has compiled a unique chronology of the entire episode titled, appropriately enough, "The Thunderball Story". Sylvan Mason, an accomplished writer and photographer in her own right, has produced a spiral-bound, limited edition booklet of the behind-the-scenes battle that played out in British courts in 1963 and gave producer Kevin McClory the right to remake the story, eventually resulting in 1983’s Never Say Never Again.
Ms. Mason’s book reproduces a number of key documents and photographs,...
Ian Fleming’s rise from newspaper journalist to worldwide best-selling author was not all jet-setting glamor. In the early 1960s, with the Bond literary series well underway, Fleming was involved in a grueling legal battle regarding his novel, Thunderball – which later became the record-breaking 1965 Eon film. The strain of the trial may well have contributed to Fleming’s death the following year at the relatively young age of 56…
Now the daughter of the original screenwriter, Jack Whittingham, has compiled a unique chronology of the entire episode titled, appropriately enough, "The Thunderball Story". Sylvan Mason, an accomplished writer and photographer in her own right, has produced a spiral-bound, limited edition booklet of the behind-the-scenes battle that played out in British courts in 1963 and gave producer Kevin McClory the right to remake the story, eventually resulting in 1983’s Never Say Never Again.
Ms. Mason’s book reproduces a number of key documents and photographs,...
- 2/8/2019
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Bonding In Britain: Book Launch Party For Jerry Juroe's "Bond, The Beatles And My Year With Marilyn"
By Mark Cerulli
Customers at London’s Bond in Motion exhibit could be forgiven for wondering about the steady stream of distinguished-looking people heading through the vehicle displays towards a private area – but they were witnessing a bit of James Bond history in the making. On on Thursday, October 11th, the Ian Fleming Foundation, Eon Productions, Iff founder Doug Redenius and this writer hosted a remarkable book signing for Charles “Jerry” Juroe, the executive who ran publicity on 14 Bond movies, from Dr. No right up to the dawn of the Pierce Brosnan era. His memoir, Bond, The Beatles and My Year with Marilyn is just out from McFarland Press. For 50 years, Jerry knew, worked with or encountered “Anyone who was anyone”. From Sean Connery to Daniel Craig, Mary Pickford to John Wayne, William Holden, Alfred Hitchcock and, yes, the Fab Four. Jerry even crossed paths with the legendary Howard Hughes.
Customers at London’s Bond in Motion exhibit could be forgiven for wondering about the steady stream of distinguished-looking people heading through the vehicle displays towards a private area – but they were witnessing a bit of James Bond history in the making. On on Thursday, October 11th, the Ian Fleming Foundation, Eon Productions, Iff founder Doug Redenius and this writer hosted a remarkable book signing for Charles “Jerry” Juroe, the executive who ran publicity on 14 Bond movies, from Dr. No right up to the dawn of the Pierce Brosnan era. His memoir, Bond, The Beatles and My Year with Marilyn is just out from McFarland Press. For 50 years, Jerry knew, worked with or encountered “Anyone who was anyone”. From Sean Connery to Daniel Craig, Mary Pickford to John Wayne, William Holden, Alfred Hitchcock and, yes, the Fab Four. Jerry even crossed paths with the legendary Howard Hughes.
- 10/24/2018
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
By Mark Cerulli
Michael Fassbender plays a Norwegian detective with the high school bully magnet name of “Harry Hole” on the icy trail of a serial killer who always leaves a snowman at his crime scenes. Based on the, um, Hole literary series by Norwegian writer Jo NesbØ, the thriller also stars Rebecca Ferguson as a damaged policewoman trying to solve the crimes, Oscar-winner J.K. Simmons as a creepy industrialist and, curiously, Val Kilmer as an alcoholic detective who first opens up the case. (Kilmer’s rumored bout with cancer has sadly taken a toll as the actor looks nothing like the blonde Adonis he was in Top Gun and Batman Forever. It also sounded like he was dubbed throughout.) Although the Nordic scenery looks bleakly majestic due to Dion Beebe’s stunning cinematography and soaring helicopter shots, the plot twists and turns into a slushy mess.
Directed by Swedish filmmaker Tomas Alfredson (Tinker,...
Michael Fassbender plays a Norwegian detective with the high school bully magnet name of “Harry Hole” on the icy trail of a serial killer who always leaves a snowman at his crime scenes. Based on the, um, Hole literary series by Norwegian writer Jo NesbØ, the thriller also stars Rebecca Ferguson as a damaged policewoman trying to solve the crimes, Oscar-winner J.K. Simmons as a creepy industrialist and, curiously, Val Kilmer as an alcoholic detective who first opens up the case. (Kilmer’s rumored bout with cancer has sadly taken a toll as the actor looks nothing like the blonde Adonis he was in Top Gun and Batman Forever. It also sounded like he was dubbed throughout.) Although the Nordic scenery looks bleakly majestic due to Dion Beebe’s stunning cinematography and soaring helicopter shots, the plot twists and turns into a slushy mess.
Directed by Swedish filmmaker Tomas Alfredson (Tinker,...
- 11/4/2017
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
By Mark Cerulli
For years, every studio salivated over Marvel’s profit machine where iconic characters jump in and out of each other’s films. To get in on the action, Universal mined their monster vaults by creating the Dark Universe franchise. The first entry was The Mummy starring Tom Cruise, Annabelle Wallis and Russell Crowe (as Dr. Henry Jekyll). Directed by Alex Kurtzman, the film also starred Algerian stunner Sofia Boutella as the title creature, who is light years away from Karloff’s 1932 creation.
The film stirred a pot o fan controversy when it was announced because of, well… Tom Cruise in a horror movie? Not to worry, he dove into the hero role with his trademark enthusiasm and ageless good looks, doing stunts that would leave any other mortal in a coma or full body cast. The film is entertaining; it’s a popcorn ride, full of beautiful...
For years, every studio salivated over Marvel’s profit machine where iconic characters jump in and out of each other’s films. To get in on the action, Universal mined their monster vaults by creating the Dark Universe franchise. The first entry was The Mummy starring Tom Cruise, Annabelle Wallis and Russell Crowe (as Dr. Henry Jekyll). Directed by Alex Kurtzman, the film also starred Algerian stunner Sofia Boutella as the title creature, who is light years away from Karloff’s 1932 creation.
The film stirred a pot o fan controversy when it was announced because of, well… Tom Cruise in a horror movie? Not to worry, he dove into the hero role with his trademark enthusiasm and ageless good looks, doing stunts that would leave any other mortal in a coma or full body cast. The film is entertaining; it’s a popcorn ride, full of beautiful...
- 10/1/2017
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Tim Sarnoff Technicolor's President of Production, addresses attendees.
By Mark Cerulli
The energy was building, the drones were flying and the mood was celebratory as Technicolor officially opened its brand-new Culver City Tec Center dedicated to the brave new worlds of Vr (virtual reality), Ar (augmented reality) and other immersive media platforms.
The official name is “Technicolor Experience Center”, and it’s been having a “soft” opening for almost a year, but now the doors are really open... The facility is a collaborative lab and incubator to develop future content and delivery platforms in the Immersive media space. “The Tec is really a work in progress,” explains Marcie Jastrow, Technicolor’s Svp Immersive Media and the executive in charge of the Center. “It’s a safe place for people to come and learn. It’s part education, part production and part post-production.” Although Technicolor is the parent company of hot VFX shops The Mill,...
By Mark Cerulli
The energy was building, the drones were flying and the mood was celebratory as Technicolor officially opened its brand-new Culver City Tec Center dedicated to the brave new worlds of Vr (virtual reality), Ar (augmented reality) and other immersive media platforms.
The official name is “Technicolor Experience Center”, and it’s been having a “soft” opening for almost a year, but now the doors are really open... The facility is a collaborative lab and incubator to develop future content and delivery platforms in the Immersive media space. “The Tec is really a work in progress,” explains Marcie Jastrow, Technicolor’s Svp Immersive Media and the executive in charge of the Center. “It’s a safe place for people to come and learn. It’s part education, part production and part post-production.” Although Technicolor is the parent company of hot VFX shops The Mill,...
- 6/17/2017
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
You Only Live Twice opened in UK cinemas 50 years ago today (on the 13th in America), and to celebrate the release of the biggest Bond of all Cinema Retro's September issue pays tribute to this cinematic extravaganza with a 32-page 'Film in Focus' special. Apart from Matthew Field and Ajay Chowdhury's interview with Nancy Sinatra (a rare in-print interview about her involvement with the film), we feature many rare and never-seen-before stills and behind-the-scenes photos, features on props and collectibles, and exclusive interviews with Karin Dor, Leslie Bricusse, Julie Rogers (the singer who was originally contracted to record the title song) and Mark Cerulli catches up with Tsai Chin for her memories of the film. And that's not all - Bond composer David Arnold discusses how the music to You Only Live Twice changed his life forever, and we have an exclusive interview with the late Ken Wallis, the...
- 6/12/2017
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
By Mark Cerulli
Anyone who grew up in the 1970s fondly remembers “Chiller Theater” playing on Wpix in the NY area. Chiller introduced me to all the Universal classics – Dracula, Frankenstein, The Wolfman and, of course, Karloff’s 1932 addition, The Mummy. Universal’s new re-imagining of their beloved classic isn’t that Mummy, not by a long shot– but we’re in a different time and a different world, so why not?
This new Mummy stars Tom Cruise as Nick Morton, an Army commando/antiquities raider who finds and sells priceless relics on the black market. He’s stolen a map from a lovely, combative British archaeologist (Annabelle Wallis) that leads him to modern day, ultra dangerous Iraq. After he and his Army bro (Jake Johnson) call in an airstrike to save them from insurgents, a missile blast reveals the hidden tomb of Ahmanet, an Egyptian Princess who murdered her...
Anyone who grew up in the 1970s fondly remembers “Chiller Theater” playing on Wpix in the NY area. Chiller introduced me to all the Universal classics – Dracula, Frankenstein, The Wolfman and, of course, Karloff’s 1932 addition, The Mummy. Universal’s new re-imagining of their beloved classic isn’t that Mummy, not by a long shot– but we’re in a different time and a different world, so why not?
This new Mummy stars Tom Cruise as Nick Morton, an Army commando/antiquities raider who finds and sells priceless relics on the black market. He’s stolen a map from a lovely, combative British archaeologist (Annabelle Wallis) that leads him to modern day, ultra dangerous Iraq. After he and his Army bro (Jake Johnson) call in an airstrike to save them from insurgents, a missile blast reveals the hidden tomb of Ahmanet, an Egyptian Princess who murdered her...
- 6/8/2017
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
This Story Has Been Updated.
By Lee Pfeiffer
Molly Peters, who began her career as a nude "glamour girl" model before starting a short-lived film career, has passed away at age 78. She had been diagnosed with terminal breast cancer according to her husband but it was a stroke to which she succumbed. Peters' voluptuous appearance made her one of the more popular of the provocative models who posed for men's magazines in the 1960s. She posed for England's legendary photographer of nudes, Harrison Marks. She landed the only memorable role of her career in the 1965 James Bond blockbuster "Thunderball". In the film, Bond (Sean Connery) was sent to the Shrublands health spa to recuperate from some wear-and-tear. Here he encounters nurse Pat (Peters), a sexy blonde who conveniently is assigned to look after Bond's needs. Within short order Bond has her naked in a steam room. In another scene, Bond...
By Lee Pfeiffer
Molly Peters, who began her career as a nude "glamour girl" model before starting a short-lived film career, has passed away at age 78. She had been diagnosed with terminal breast cancer according to her husband but it was a stroke to which she succumbed. Peters' voluptuous appearance made her one of the more popular of the provocative models who posed for men's magazines in the 1960s. She posed for England's legendary photographer of nudes, Harrison Marks. She landed the only memorable role of her career in the 1965 James Bond blockbuster "Thunderball". In the film, Bond (Sean Connery) was sent to the Shrublands health spa to recuperate from some wear-and-tear. Here he encounters nurse Pat (Peters), a sexy blonde who conveniently is assigned to look after Bond's needs. Within short order Bond has her naked in a steam room. In another scene, Bond...
- 5/30/2017
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
(The new documentary "Becoming Bond" is now showing on the Hulu network.)
By Mark Cerulli
Prior to seeing Josh Greenbaum’s illuminating documentary, Becoming Bond, which premiered on Hulu May 20th, I had dismissed George Lazenby’s mystifying refusal to continue as 007 as just another gullible young actor taking bad career advice; like Tom Selleck passing on Indiana Jones, Travolta nixing Forrest Gump, Thomas Jane handing Don Draper to Jon Hamm… but there’s more to it than that, a lot more as it turns out.
Cleverly combining interview footage of Lazenby, still hale and hearty at 77, with well-staged recreations, Becoming Bond dives deep into this complicated and impulsive star to understand How he could casually dump one of the most coveted roles in the history of film. As it turns out, that decision is symbolic of who George Lazenby really is: intelligent, charming, naïve but most of all, independent.
By Mark Cerulli
Prior to seeing Josh Greenbaum’s illuminating documentary, Becoming Bond, which premiered on Hulu May 20th, I had dismissed George Lazenby’s mystifying refusal to continue as 007 as just another gullible young actor taking bad career advice; like Tom Selleck passing on Indiana Jones, Travolta nixing Forrest Gump, Thomas Jane handing Don Draper to Jon Hamm… but there’s more to it than that, a lot more as it turns out.
Cleverly combining interview footage of Lazenby, still hale and hearty at 77, with well-staged recreations, Becoming Bond dives deep into this complicated and impulsive star to understand How he could casually dump one of the most coveted roles in the history of film. As it turns out, that decision is symbolic of who George Lazenby really is: intelligent, charming, naïve but most of all, independent.
- 5/20/2017
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
By Mark Cerulli
Even among discriminating Cr readers, there is No doubt that Alien, Ridley Scott’s 1979 sci-fi masterpiece is truly terrifying. Jump forward to 2017: technology is light years ahead and the world is counting down towards Scott’s latest directing effort, Alien: Covenant. One of the many new technologies to emerge in the 38 years since the franchise chest-burst onto the scene is Virtual Reality. Vr vastly expands the experience of a visual work by immersing the viewer in it. Like feature films a century ago, Vr content is starting out as short films, being consumed by a growing audience. Kudos to Twentieth Century Fox and Rsa for giving their iconic franchise the Vr treatment with Alien: Covenant In Utero, A Virtual Reality Experience. The two-minute feature was unveiled at a special event held at Technicolor’s Experience Center, the company’s Vr incubator in Culver City.
Who can...
Even among discriminating Cr readers, there is No doubt that Alien, Ridley Scott’s 1979 sci-fi masterpiece is truly terrifying. Jump forward to 2017: technology is light years ahead and the world is counting down towards Scott’s latest directing effort, Alien: Covenant. One of the many new technologies to emerge in the 38 years since the franchise chest-burst onto the scene is Virtual Reality. Vr vastly expands the experience of a visual work by immersing the viewer in it. Like feature films a century ago, Vr content is starting out as short films, being consumed by a growing audience. Kudos to Twentieth Century Fox and Rsa for giving their iconic franchise the Vr treatment with Alien: Covenant In Utero, A Virtual Reality Experience. The two-minute feature was unveiled at a special event held at Technicolor’s Experience Center, the company’s Vr incubator in Culver City.
Who can...
- 4/27/2017
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
By Mark Cerulli
The trailer tells you everything you need to know about “The Belko Experiment”, writer James Gunn’s bloody trip to the dark side of the corporate workspace. You know there’s going to be a serious body count… you know there’s going to be some wicked humor… and you know that somewhere you’re going to see Michael Rooker. But How things unfold is what makes Belko such an entertaining ride. Think “Office Space” meets “Texas Chainsaw Massacre”…
Aptly directed by Greg McLean (“Wolf Creek”), “The Belko Experiment” chronicles a (final) day in the life of the staff of a rather bland American company set up on the outskirts of Bogota, Colombia. It’s a typical workday until an anonymous intercom voice tells them they have two hours to kill thirty of their co-workers or sixty of them will be “sacrificed”. The execs laugh it off...
The trailer tells you everything you need to know about “The Belko Experiment”, writer James Gunn’s bloody trip to the dark side of the corporate workspace. You know there’s going to be a serious body count… you know there’s going to be some wicked humor… and you know that somewhere you’re going to see Michael Rooker. But How things unfold is what makes Belko such an entertaining ride. Think “Office Space” meets “Texas Chainsaw Massacre”…
Aptly directed by Greg McLean (“Wolf Creek”), “The Belko Experiment” chronicles a (final) day in the life of the staff of a rather bland American company set up on the outskirts of Bogota, Colombia. It’s a typical workday until an anonymous intercom voice tells them they have two hours to kill thirty of their co-workers or sixty of them will be “sacrificed”. The execs laugh it off...
- 3/13/2017
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
By Mark Cerulli
This so could have been a by-the-numbers genre movie: “Sensitive boyfriend goes to meet hot girlfriend’s parents in secluded country home and mayhem ensues…” and that’s exactly what happens in Get Out, the new thriller from writer/director Jordan Peele, but in a totally unexpected way.
The film turns every horror trope on its head while tackling racist stereotypes along the way. Daniel Kaluuya is excellent as Chris, an aspiring young photographer who happens to be black. His beautiful, Ivy League-ish girlfriend, Rose (Allison Williams from HBO’s Girls) is bringing him home to meet her parents for the first time – a momentous occasion in any new relationship but even more so when it’s interracial, a fact the movie meets head on. Once at the family estate, Chris feels that something is truly off – from the mind-gaming father (Bradley Whitford) and his spooky psychiatrist...
This so could have been a by-the-numbers genre movie: “Sensitive boyfriend goes to meet hot girlfriend’s parents in secluded country home and mayhem ensues…” and that’s exactly what happens in Get Out, the new thriller from writer/director Jordan Peele, but in a totally unexpected way.
The film turns every horror trope on its head while tackling racist stereotypes along the way. Daniel Kaluuya is excellent as Chris, an aspiring young photographer who happens to be black. His beautiful, Ivy League-ish girlfriend, Rose (Allison Williams from HBO’s Girls) is bringing him home to meet her parents for the first time – a momentous occasion in any new relationship but even more so when it’s interracial, a fact the movie meets head on. Once at the family estate, Chris feels that something is truly off – from the mind-gaming father (Bradley Whitford) and his spooky psychiatrist...
- 2/23/2017
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
By Mark Cerulli
Hard to believe it’s been five years since America’s worst environmental disaster, the Deepwater Horizon explosion, which claimed 11 lives and allowed 50,000 barrels of oil per day to spew from the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico for 87 heartbreaking days until the well was finally capped. Since then the world has moved on and the event remains relevant only for those who lived through it. Director Peter Berg’s riveting new film “Deepwater Horizon”, should snap people back to attention.
“Deepwater Horizon” is told through the eyes of blue-collar worker, Chief Electrician Mike Williams, played by Mark Wahlberg, who leaves his loving wife (Kate Hudson) and arrives on the massive rig, 41 miles off the Louisiana coast. Costing $500,000 a day to run, the rig is weeks behind schedule – which means a team of Bp managers led by a creepy John Malkovitch is breathing down the crew’s thick necks.
Hard to believe it’s been five years since America’s worst environmental disaster, the Deepwater Horizon explosion, which claimed 11 lives and allowed 50,000 barrels of oil per day to spew from the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico for 87 heartbreaking days until the well was finally capped. Since then the world has moved on and the event remains relevant only for those who lived through it. Director Peter Berg’s riveting new film “Deepwater Horizon”, should snap people back to attention.
“Deepwater Horizon” is told through the eyes of blue-collar worker, Chief Electrician Mike Williams, played by Mark Wahlberg, who leaves his loving wife (Kate Hudson) and arrives on the massive rig, 41 miles off the Louisiana coast. Costing $500,000 a day to run, the rig is weeks behind schedule – which means a team of Bp managers led by a creepy John Malkovitch is breathing down the crew’s thick necks.
- 10/2/2016
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
By Mark Cerulli
Cinema Retro readers no doubt remember Michael Crichton’s classic sci-fi thriller Westworld. Who can forget the chilling spectacle of Yul Brynner – sans face – stalking a hapless Richard Benjamin? When I heard HBO was “rebooting” Westworld, I was skeptical. The word “Why?” kept coming to mind. The original was so good, why go there?
I’m happy to say I was dead wrong. By expanding Michael Crichton’s original vision, the producers were able to open up new storylines and vastly enhance the earlier concept. While the 1973 film was epic, it was limited by the visual effects available at the time. Now every modern tool in the VFX toolbox can be used and the results are intoxicating, drawing the viewer into Westworld’s latex embrace.
The overall setup is still the same – a high-end resort modeled after the Old West where guests can indulge in every fantasy...
Cinema Retro readers no doubt remember Michael Crichton’s classic sci-fi thriller Westworld. Who can forget the chilling spectacle of Yul Brynner – sans face – stalking a hapless Richard Benjamin? When I heard HBO was “rebooting” Westworld, I was skeptical. The word “Why?” kept coming to mind. The original was so good, why go there?
I’m happy to say I was dead wrong. By expanding Michael Crichton’s original vision, the producers were able to open up new storylines and vastly enhance the earlier concept. While the 1973 film was epic, it was limited by the visual effects available at the time. Now every modern tool in the VFX toolbox can be used and the results are intoxicating, drawing the viewer into Westworld’s latex embrace.
The overall setup is still the same – a high-end resort modeled after the Old West where guests can indulge in every fantasy...
- 9/28/2016
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
By Mark Cerulli
The series’ fifth installment explodes on the screen as Matt Damon returns to the role he originated way back in 2002. The Bourne in this film is a bulked up, bare knuckle street brawler, earning money to support a humble off the grid existence. While never chatty and light, this Bourne incarnation is – if possible – even more grim and purposeful than before. (Supposedly Damon has only 25 lines of dialogue in the entire film!) His old CIA ally, Nicky Parsons (played by the wonderful Julia Stiles) tracks him down, offering freshly hacked information that will finally put the missing pieces in Bourne’s identity puzzle. When he learns that his own father was deeply involved then sacrificed, this chase becomes personal. Let’s just say you don’t want to get in Bourne’s way when it’s personal…
As important as Damon’s return to the franchise is,...
The series’ fifth installment explodes on the screen as Matt Damon returns to the role he originated way back in 2002. The Bourne in this film is a bulked up, bare knuckle street brawler, earning money to support a humble off the grid existence. While never chatty and light, this Bourne incarnation is – if possible – even more grim and purposeful than before. (Supposedly Damon has only 25 lines of dialogue in the entire film!) His old CIA ally, Nicky Parsons (played by the wonderful Julia Stiles) tracks him down, offering freshly hacked information that will finally put the missing pieces in Bourne’s identity puzzle. When he learns that his own father was deeply involved then sacrificed, this chase becomes personal. Let’s just say you don’t want to get in Bourne’s way when it’s personal…
As important as Damon’s return to the franchise is,...
- 7/27/2016
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
By Mark Cerulli
After one hundred years of turning dreams into cinematic reality, Technicolor became only the second company to be awarded a coveted Star by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.The ceremony took place on March 30.
Although world famous for bringing color to the movies, especially in iconic films like Gone With the Wind and The Wizard of Oz, Technicolor has adapted to the times. It withdrew from 35Mm film processing a number of years ago and is now firmly in the digital era. The company also holds over 40,000 patents and its technology can be found in flat screens and other consumer products.
At the ceremony, attended by actor Edward James Olmos and distinguished cinematographer and Asc President Richard Crudo, Technicolor’s CEO, Frederic Rose said the company strives to “bring a soul, a spirit, a feeling to what is being created.” Since Technicolor is known as a “Creative...
After one hundred years of turning dreams into cinematic reality, Technicolor became only the second company to be awarded a coveted Star by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.The ceremony took place on March 30.
Although world famous for bringing color to the movies, especially in iconic films like Gone With the Wind and The Wizard of Oz, Technicolor has adapted to the times. It withdrew from 35Mm film processing a number of years ago and is now firmly in the digital era. The company also holds over 40,000 patents and its technology can be found in flat screens and other consumer products.
At the ceremony, attended by actor Edward James Olmos and distinguished cinematographer and Asc President Richard Crudo, Technicolor’s CEO, Frederic Rose said the company strives to “bring a soul, a spirit, a feeling to what is being created.” Since Technicolor is known as a “Creative...
- 4/22/2016
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Still doing it his way: Sayles today.
By Mark Cerulli
The interview was set for 10:30 Am. Usually they run a few minutes late as the celebrity works his way through a call list. When the moment arrives an assistant handles the intros. Not this time. At precisely 10:30:00, the phone rang and iconic Indie filmmaker John Sayles introduced himself. And why not? A no-nonsense, get- it -done type of auteur, Sayles handles his own publicity calls and was keen to discuss his remarkable and varied career in advance of a weekend retrospective at La’s Cinefamily February 18 - 20.
Sayles broke into the business, like so many before him, by working with genre legend Roger Corman who figuratively and literally wrote the book on low budget filmmaking. “I got very lucky, didn’t realize it at the time, “Sayles recalls. “I wrote three screenplays (Piranha, The Lady in Red...
By Mark Cerulli
The interview was set for 10:30 Am. Usually they run a few minutes late as the celebrity works his way through a call list. When the moment arrives an assistant handles the intros. Not this time. At precisely 10:30:00, the phone rang and iconic Indie filmmaker John Sayles introduced himself. And why not? A no-nonsense, get- it -done type of auteur, Sayles handles his own publicity calls and was keen to discuss his remarkable and varied career in advance of a weekend retrospective at La’s Cinefamily February 18 - 20.
Sayles broke into the business, like so many before him, by working with genre legend Roger Corman who figuratively and literally wrote the book on low budget filmmaking. “I got very lucky, didn’t realize it at the time, “Sayles recalls. “I wrote three screenplays (Piranha, The Lady in Red...
- 2/18/2016
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
By Mark Cerulli
1965 Returns in 2015 (At Least For A Few Weeks).
In the mid 1960s James Bond was everywhere – it was the beginning of the “movie tie-in” era and when Thunderball was released, Bondmania exploded with numerous 007-flagged consumer items from dive masks to racing sets, men’s cufflinks and beach towels...
Now almost every movie has a “marketing partner” of some type – tires, toys, cars, watches, etc. (Try walking into a store today and avoiding the Star Wars logo!) But for a while, Bondmania has returned – especially in Europe.
By now, we all know what watch Bond wears. (Hint: it ain’t a Rolex anymore…) In Paris and London, Daniel Craig’s chiseled face stared down from massive Omega billboards and store displays for their beautiful (but pricey) Spectre edition watch.
Omega also publishes Lifetime, a glossy, high-end magazine aimed at serious watch enthusiasts. The current issue is devoted...
1965 Returns in 2015 (At Least For A Few Weeks).
In the mid 1960s James Bond was everywhere – it was the beginning of the “movie tie-in” era and when Thunderball was released, Bondmania exploded with numerous 007-flagged consumer items from dive masks to racing sets, men’s cufflinks and beach towels...
Now almost every movie has a “marketing partner” of some type – tires, toys, cars, watches, etc. (Try walking into a store today and avoiding the Star Wars logo!) But for a while, Bondmania has returned – especially in Europe.
By now, we all know what watch Bond wears. (Hint: it ain’t a Rolex anymore…) In Paris and London, Daniel Craig’s chiseled face stared down from massive Omega billboards and store displays for their beautiful (but pricey) Spectre edition watch.
Omega also publishes Lifetime, a glossy, high-end magazine aimed at serious watch enthusiasts. The current issue is devoted...
- 12/15/2015
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
By Mark Cerulli
“Vodka Martini, shaken, not stirred.” As soon as James Bond uttered that iconic phrase, the vodka martini became as much a part of the character as his Aston Martin or Walther Ppk. While previous films have seen 007 quaff a certain Dutch beer and we know he likes Sake (as long as it’s served at the correct temperature), in Spectre, Bond is back to his beverage of choice – and that choice is Belvedere.
Belvedere President Charles Gibb told Cinema Retro that, “We are absolutely thrilled that Belvedere is associated with James Bond and Spectre. Everybody knows that Bond is a man of distinction and that his drink of choice is a Belvedere martini.” The partnership is Belvedere’s biggest to date and to drive home the 00 association, the brand has pulled out all the stops, creating two limited edition Bottles (one of which has its own lighted...
“Vodka Martini, shaken, not stirred.” As soon as James Bond uttered that iconic phrase, the vodka martini became as much a part of the character as his Aston Martin or Walther Ppk. While previous films have seen 007 quaff a certain Dutch beer and we know he likes Sake (as long as it’s served at the correct temperature), in Spectre, Bond is back to his beverage of choice – and that choice is Belvedere.
Belvedere President Charles Gibb told Cinema Retro that, “We are absolutely thrilled that Belvedere is associated with James Bond and Spectre. Everybody knows that Bond is a man of distinction and that his drink of choice is a Belvedere martini.” The partnership is Belvedere’s biggest to date and to drive home the 00 association, the brand has pulled out all the stops, creating two limited edition Bottles (one of which has its own lighted...
- 11/13/2015
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
By Mark Cerulli
Full disclosure: I’m a Mac evangelist and have been since the 1980s. (The boxy Macintosh Plus was the first model I used.) I idolized Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak and this brilliant movie from director Danny Boyle doesn’t change that. What it does do is explain Jobs as much as a force of nature like Steve Jobs can be explained. The film, written by Aaron Sorkin, tells Jobs’ story through three pivotal product launches –1984’s Macintosh, the ill-fated Next in 1988 and his triumphant 1998 return with the revolutionary iMac. Most of the action takes place in the tension-filled backstage crucible before each event, where Jobs terrorizes staffers and programmers and deals with the inconvenient truth of a very dependent ex-girlfriend (played by Sam Waterston’s daughter, Katherine) who is also the mother of his child. A child he refuses to acknowledge, conclusive paternity test or no.
Full disclosure: I’m a Mac evangelist and have been since the 1980s. (The boxy Macintosh Plus was the first model I used.) I idolized Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak and this brilliant movie from director Danny Boyle doesn’t change that. What it does do is explain Jobs as much as a force of nature like Steve Jobs can be explained. The film, written by Aaron Sorkin, tells Jobs’ story through three pivotal product launches –1984’s Macintosh, the ill-fated Next in 1988 and his triumphant 1998 return with the revolutionary iMac. Most of the action takes place in the tension-filled backstage crucible before each event, where Jobs terrorizes staffers and programmers and deals with the inconvenient truth of a very dependent ex-girlfriend (played by Sam Waterston’s daughter, Katherine) who is also the mother of his child. A child he refuses to acknowledge, conclusive paternity test or no.
- 10/8/2015
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Welcome To The Jungle.
By Mark Cerulli
After a 14-year cinematic hibernation, the dinosaurs of Jurassic Park roar back with a vengeance. This fourth installment in the franchise had a lot to get right – it had to stand alone as entertainment for the masses who haven’t seen the 1993 original and make the series seem fresh and relevant, while fanning the flames of awe with which we (well, most of us anyway) hold dinosaurs. It also had to acknowledge that today’s world is far darker, more commercial and more cynical than 1993. Jurassic World succeeds on all counts. Instead of picking up where Jurassic 3 left off way back when, Jurassic World creates a new narrative – the park has been open for years and is a thriving tourist destination. But like any theme park, it needs to be updated to keep the public coming back. Although they have herds of Triceratops,...
By Mark Cerulli
After a 14-year cinematic hibernation, the dinosaurs of Jurassic Park roar back with a vengeance. This fourth installment in the franchise had a lot to get right – it had to stand alone as entertainment for the masses who haven’t seen the 1993 original and make the series seem fresh and relevant, while fanning the flames of awe with which we (well, most of us anyway) hold dinosaurs. It also had to acknowledge that today’s world is far darker, more commercial and more cynical than 1993. Jurassic World succeeds on all counts. Instead of picking up where Jurassic 3 left off way back when, Jurassic World creates a new narrative – the park has been open for years and is a thriving tourist destination. But like any theme park, it needs to be updated to keep the public coming back. Although they have herds of Triceratops,...
- 6/10/2015
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
By Mark Cerulli
Thirty years after Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome seemingly ended the Australian post apocalypse triptych, director George Miller is back, with a vengeance (and a much bigger budget). The result could have been an overdone, bloated production, loaded with CGI and soft on any real thrills… instead Miller has created a masterpiece that significantly raises the bar of action filmmaking.
Where to begin? From the opening sequence when Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy) surveys a vast desert wasteland while eating a mutant lizard that wandered too close, you know this ain’t your daddy’s Mad Max. The film explodes from there – Max is captured by a gang of “War Boys” run by a terrifying character named Immortan Joe, his face hidden behind a ghastly breathing mask complete with teeth. Joe is played by Hugh Keys-Byrne who starred as Toe Cutter in the original Mad Max. The actor has bulked up and gone gray,...
Thirty years after Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome seemingly ended the Australian post apocalypse triptych, director George Miller is back, with a vengeance (and a much bigger budget). The result could have been an overdone, bloated production, loaded with CGI and soft on any real thrills… instead Miller has created a masterpiece that significantly raises the bar of action filmmaking.
Where to begin? From the opening sequence when Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy) surveys a vast desert wasteland while eating a mutant lizard that wandered too close, you know this ain’t your daddy’s Mad Max. The film explodes from there – Max is captured by a gang of “War Boys” run by a terrifying character named Immortan Joe, his face hidden behind a ghastly breathing mask complete with teeth. Joe is played by Hugh Keys-Byrne who starred as Toe Cutter in the original Mad Max. The actor has bulked up and gone gray,...
- 5/15/2015
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
By Mark Cerulli
The 1951 film The Tales of Hoffmann, the acclaimed British adaptation of the opera by Jaques Offenbach, was an early influence on major directors like Cecil B. DeMille, George Romero (who said it was “the movie that made me want to make movies”) and Martin Scorsese. They were drawn to co-directors, Michael Powell and Emeric Pressberger’s inventive camera work, vibrant color palette (each of the three acts has its own primary color) and smooth blending of film, dance and music. According to an interview found on Powell-Pressburger.org, Powell wanted to do a “composed film” – shot entirely to a pre-recorded music track, in this case, Offenbach’s opera. Not having to worry about sound meant he could remove the cumbersome padding that encased every Technicolor camera and really move it around production designer Hein Heckroth’s soaring sets. (Heckroth’s work on the film earned him two 1952 Oscar nominations.
The 1951 film The Tales of Hoffmann, the acclaimed British adaptation of the opera by Jaques Offenbach, was an early influence on major directors like Cecil B. DeMille, George Romero (who said it was “the movie that made me want to make movies”) and Martin Scorsese. They were drawn to co-directors, Michael Powell and Emeric Pressberger’s inventive camera work, vibrant color palette (each of the three acts has its own primary color) and smooth blending of film, dance and music. According to an interview found on Powell-Pressburger.org, Powell wanted to do a “composed film” – shot entirely to a pre-recorded music track, in this case, Offenbach’s opera. Not having to worry about sound meant he could remove the cumbersome padding that encased every Technicolor camera and really move it around production designer Hein Heckroth’s soaring sets. (Heckroth’s work on the film earned him two 1952 Oscar nominations.
- 3/13/2015
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
By Mark Cerulli
Robert McGinnis…
For fans of movies of the 1960s and ’70s, his name ranks up there with the stars who made the major studio films of that era. Even though he didn’t actually “make” movies, his work most definitely did. Best known as the artist behind the “classic” James Bond posters, McGinnis worked for almost every publisher and major magazine for decades, putting his distinctive stamp on a huge, well, body of work, which is fully (and gloriously) represented in The Art of Robert E. McGinnis, a lush 176-page hardback now on sale from Titan Books. Since McGinnis is one of the most influential and iconic movie poster artists of the 20th Century, Cinema Retro was pleased to see him honored in this way.
The book starts with McGinnis’s journeyman beginnings in the 1950s Cincinnati and New York advertising scenes, where he toiled away on...
Robert McGinnis…
For fans of movies of the 1960s and ’70s, his name ranks up there with the stars who made the major studio films of that era. Even though he didn’t actually “make” movies, his work most definitely did. Best known as the artist behind the “classic” James Bond posters, McGinnis worked for almost every publisher and major magazine for decades, putting his distinctive stamp on a huge, well, body of work, which is fully (and gloriously) represented in The Art of Robert E. McGinnis, a lush 176-page hardback now on sale from Titan Books. Since McGinnis is one of the most influential and iconic movie poster artists of the 20th Century, Cinema Retro was pleased to see him honored in this way.
The book starts with McGinnis’s journeyman beginnings in the 1950s Cincinnati and New York advertising scenes, where he toiled away on...
- 1/10/2015
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
By Mark Cerulli
La’s long awaited rain couldn’t keep Sony Pictures Home Entertainment from celebrating the DVD release of Woody Allen’s Magic In The Moonlight with a vintage-themed party at The Crocker Club in downtown La on December 2nd.
Allen’s whimsical 2014 romantic comedy stars Colin Firth as a magician on a mission to debunk a professional clairvoyant played by Emma Stone. The film was well received during its theatrical run with reviewers noting the strong performances of Firth and Stone as well as cinematographer Darius Khondji’s excellent work capturing the French Riviera of the 1920s. (The two are already collaborating on Allen’s next film.)
At the party, guests could circulate among screen-used costumes from the film as a tarot card reader and astrologer worked their, um, magic. There was also a hip, young stylist on hand for guests who wanted a quick touch up.
La’s long awaited rain couldn’t keep Sony Pictures Home Entertainment from celebrating the DVD release of Woody Allen’s Magic In The Moonlight with a vintage-themed party at The Crocker Club in downtown La on December 2nd.
Allen’s whimsical 2014 romantic comedy stars Colin Firth as a magician on a mission to debunk a professional clairvoyant played by Emma Stone. The film was well received during its theatrical run with reviewers noting the strong performances of Firth and Stone as well as cinematographer Darius Khondji’s excellent work capturing the French Riviera of the 1920s. (The two are already collaborating on Allen’s next film.)
At the party, guests could circulate among screen-used costumes from the film as a tarot card reader and astrologer worked their, um, magic. There was also a hip, young stylist on hand for guests who wanted a quick touch up.
- 12/3/2014
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
By Mark Cerulli
On Wednesday night, Hollywood took a step back in time and it was a beautiful thing. Italy’s most glamorous export, the lovely Sophia Loren, made a rare visit to screen two of her films to an adoring crowd at the Dolby Theater. The movie legend was greeted with a standing ovation when she walked out in a shimmering gown, escorted by director Rob Marshall who was clearly in awe of the star he cast in Nine, her last Hollywood film. Settling into two plush seats separated by a mountain of roses, Marshall introduced her as “A woman with a heart as big as all of Italy.” Loren opened up about her life, career and leading men in a 45 minute Q&A, punctuated by frequent laughter and some poignant moments when she remembered how movies offered an escape from the misery of post-wwii Italy.
Loren came across...
On Wednesday night, Hollywood took a step back in time and it was a beautiful thing. Italy’s most glamorous export, the lovely Sophia Loren, made a rare visit to screen two of her films to an adoring crowd at the Dolby Theater. The movie legend was greeted with a standing ovation when she walked out in a shimmering gown, escorted by director Rob Marshall who was clearly in awe of the star he cast in Nine, her last Hollywood film. Settling into two plush seats separated by a mountain of roses, Marshall introduced her as “A woman with a heart as big as all of Italy.” Loren opened up about her life, career and leading men in a 45 minute Q&A, punctuated by frequent laughter and some poignant moments when she remembered how movies offered an escape from the misery of post-wwii Italy.
Loren came across...
- 11/15/2014
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
(Photos copyright Mark Cerulli. All rights reserved.)
By Mark Cerulli
Last Wednesday, the red carpet was rolled out on Hollywood Boulevard, the paparazzi were out in force and the Spiderman and Wonder Woman impersonators had been pushed aside, at least momentarily, for American Film Institute’s annual film festival.
Cinema Retro was in da house for writer/director J.C. Chandor’s new crime drama, A Most Violent Year, this year’s opening night selection. The director introduced his third film onstage at the Dolby Theater, joined by his distinguished cast and crew, including Jessica Chastain and Dp Bradford Young. Chandor also pointed out where he was sitting when his screenplay for “Margin Call” (which he also directed) lost out to Woody Allen’s “Midnight In Paris” in the 2012 Oscar race.
Although the film’s setting – the cutthroat world of home heating oil doesn’t sound exciting, it provides the backdrop for Abel Morales,...
By Mark Cerulli
Last Wednesday, the red carpet was rolled out on Hollywood Boulevard, the paparazzi were out in force and the Spiderman and Wonder Woman impersonators had been pushed aside, at least momentarily, for American Film Institute’s annual film festival.
Cinema Retro was in da house for writer/director J.C. Chandor’s new crime drama, A Most Violent Year, this year’s opening night selection. The director introduced his third film onstage at the Dolby Theater, joined by his distinguished cast and crew, including Jessica Chastain and Dp Bradford Young. Chandor also pointed out where he was sitting when his screenplay for “Margin Call” (which he also directed) lost out to Woody Allen’s “Midnight In Paris” in the 2012 Oscar race.
Although the film’s setting – the cutthroat world of home heating oil doesn’t sound exciting, it provides the backdrop for Abel Morales,...
- 11/12/2014
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Hayes in his one man stage show Riding the Midnight Express with Billy Hayes, which is now on tour.
By Mark Cerulli
“Ne Oldu, Ne Oldu, Veelyam Hayes…” That line from Midnight Express, delivered with swaggering menace by a depraved prison warden (played by the great Paul L. Smith) burned itself into this scribe’s cortex back in 1978. Alan Parker’s iconic film about the real-life ordeal of American student Billy Hayes caught smuggling drugs in Turkey and sentenced to a hellish prison became a cultural phenomenon – not to mention an international box office success. It earned glowing reviews and Oscars for screenwriter Oliver Stone and composer Gorgio Moroder. Hayes even met his wife Wendy at the splashy Cannes premiere. No joy for Turkey, though - there was an international outcry about their seemingly draconian justice system and the country’s once-booming tourism hit the skids hard. The gritty association...
By Mark Cerulli
“Ne Oldu, Ne Oldu, Veelyam Hayes…” That line from Midnight Express, delivered with swaggering menace by a depraved prison warden (played by the great Paul L. Smith) burned itself into this scribe’s cortex back in 1978. Alan Parker’s iconic film about the real-life ordeal of American student Billy Hayes caught smuggling drugs in Turkey and sentenced to a hellish prison became a cultural phenomenon – not to mention an international box office success. It earned glowing reviews and Oscars for screenwriter Oliver Stone and composer Gorgio Moroder. Hayes even met his wife Wendy at the splashy Cannes premiere. No joy for Turkey, though - there was an international outcry about their seemingly draconian justice system and the country’s once-booming tourism hit the skids hard. The gritty association...
- 8/28/2014
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
By Mark Cerulli
After a meticulous 4K restoration by none other than the Criterion Collection, the Beatles’ first film, A Hard Days Night, was unveiled at La’s Raleigh Studios. Yes, the image was crisp and clean, not a smudge or scratch in sight. (No surprise there as the film’s director Richard Lester personally approved the restoration.) And yes, the music sounded glorious in a new 5.1 mix. In fact, George Harrison’s iconic opening riff on the title track just about knocked this Cinema Retro scribe off his seat! But what was really special about this whimsical film was watching it through the prism of fifty years. From frame 1, we know how we lost both John Lennon and George Harrison. We are living with climate change, al-Qaeda, overpopulation and deforestation, so this movie is a welcome relief, capturing a simpler time in a quainter London which was then still...
After a meticulous 4K restoration by none other than the Criterion Collection, the Beatles’ first film, A Hard Days Night, was unveiled at La’s Raleigh Studios. Yes, the image was crisp and clean, not a smudge or scratch in sight. (No surprise there as the film’s director Richard Lester personally approved the restoration.) And yes, the music sounded glorious in a new 5.1 mix. In fact, George Harrison’s iconic opening riff on the title track just about knocked this Cinema Retro scribe off his seat! But what was really special about this whimsical film was watching it through the prism of fifty years. From frame 1, we know how we lost both John Lennon and George Harrison. We are living with climate change, al-Qaeda, overpopulation and deforestation, so this movie is a welcome relief, capturing a simpler time in a quainter London which was then still...
- 7/1/2014
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
By Mark Cerulli
Writer/Director Nicholas Wrathall turned an introduction to Vidal by his nephew into a rare filmmaking opportunity. The result is Gore Vidal: The United States of Amnesia, a new, in-depth look at the writer’s long and singular life.
“It took seven years to make,” Wrathall told CinemaRetro, “five years of interviewing him and I benefitted from the time frame because I got to know him.”
The author wrote a number of historical novels including Burr, Lincoln and 1876 along with screenplays, essays and teleplays; but was best known for speaking out, totally unconcerned about the feathers he ruffled along the way. In addition to Wrathall’s interviews, the film makes use of decades of Vidal’s televised appearances – arguing about sexuality in the 1950s, arguing against the Vietnam War and social inequality in the 1960s, stirring the intellectual pot whenever possible. Archive footage shows Vidal’s incredible...
Writer/Director Nicholas Wrathall turned an introduction to Vidal by his nephew into a rare filmmaking opportunity. The result is Gore Vidal: The United States of Amnesia, a new, in-depth look at the writer’s long and singular life.
“It took seven years to make,” Wrathall told CinemaRetro, “five years of interviewing him and I benefitted from the time frame because I got to know him.”
The author wrote a number of historical novels including Burr, Lincoln and 1876 along with screenplays, essays and teleplays; but was best known for speaking out, totally unconcerned about the feathers he ruffled along the way. In addition to Wrathall’s interviews, the film makes use of decades of Vidal’s televised appearances – arguing about sexuality in the 1950s, arguing against the Vietnam War and social inequality in the 1960s, stirring the intellectual pot whenever possible. Archive footage shows Vidal’s incredible...
- 6/6/2014
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
imdb.1eye.us, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.