'70s
and '80s Aisle Seat Flashback LET'S SCARE JESSICA...BEYOND THE
POSEIDON ADVENTURE! Plus: Criterion's Latest; a John Hughes
Redux; Fox Film Noir and More!
Last week I took in a revival of the Stephen Schwartz musical
“Pippin” at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam,
Connecticut. As a Goodspeed subscriber I’ve seen my share of
obscure musicals (as well as some classic revivals), but none compared
to this downright bizarre tale of Charlemagne’s castoff son,
which was a popular early ‘70s show directed and choreographed by
Bob Fosse.
Despite a terrific selection of songs, the show was dated beyond
belief: the incomprehensible plot, mixture of genres, and heavy-handed
direction that only heightened the risque costumes and story line
(I’m guessing even more graphic than Fosse’s original
rendition, since the William Katt-Ben Vereen early ‘80s tour --
which made it to DVD -- isn’t nearly as raunchy) made for one of
the strangest evenings I’ve ever encountered in a theater.
Strange, unsatisfying, and yet also audacious in a manner that few
shows today, at least, would ever attempt to be.
The early ‘70s were a time of great experimentation, as well as
inspiration, in the arts. Yet although not every film was a
“Chinatown”, not every musical a “Man of La
Mancha,” many not-entirely-satisfying works of the decade often
hold merit when viewed against today’s artistic output --
“Pippin” included.
Take
LET’S SCARE JESSICA TO DEATH (***, 88 mins., PG-13; Paramount),
a supernatural/psychological thriller that’s gained a small cult
following since its 1971 release.
Next week’s DVD bow will mark the first chance many viewers will
have had to catch this slow-moving, wholly strange and yet somehow
spellbinding tale of one woman’s sanity and possible supernatural
occurrences, set against a creepy, late summer New England countryside
(it appears as if the picture was shot in rural Connecticut).
Zohra Lampert (who played George C. Scott’s wife in William Peter
Blatty’s supremely under-rated “Exorcist III”) stars
as Jessica, a woman who travels to a remote country house with her
husband (Barton Hayman) and friend (Kevin O’Connor) after being
recently released from a mental institution. Soon, Jessica hears voices
in her head and questions the identity of a young girl (Gretchen
Corbett, who would later star in “The Rockford Files”) whom
the trio find living in the house.
John Hancock (“Bang the Drum Slowly”) directed this trippy
mood piece, which absolutely feels like the kind of film you’d
find in the early ‘70s -- and for the most part that’s a
compliment. The cinematography and direction establish an authentic
atmosphere that supports the somewhat thin Norman Jonas-Ralph Rose
screenplay, and the performances -- especially Lampert -- are
consistently on-target.
The film stresses restraint instead of full-out shocks, and ends with a
hugely ambiguous finale that barely skims the surface of answering the
questions it raises. Yet even with its offbeat ending,
“Let’s Scare Jessica...” is an eclectic thriller that
lives up to its reputation as a unique genre piece of its time.
Paramount’s DVD includes a sensational 16:9 (1.85) transfer that
looks incredibly vibrant and well-composed. The mono sound is decent,
offering an eclectic score by Orville Stoeber that only detracts from
the picture during its goofy, bombastic synthesizer passages. No extras
are included.
By decade’s end the Hollywood Blockbuster culture had been firmly
established and sequels began to be produced to films that never
required them. Case in point: BEYOND THE
POSEIDON ADVENTURE (*½, 114 mins., 1979, PG; Warner).
Producer-director Irwin Allen’s fortunes had sank following the
disaster (in more ways than one) of “The Swarm” but
production on this unnecessary sequel to the 1972 hit continued
undaunted.
“Swarm” alumnus Michael Caine even opted to cash another
Allen paycheck here as the captain of the tug boat Jenny, who -- along
with crew mates Karl Malden and Sally Field -- attempt to salvage parts
of the Poseidon (hours after the original movie ended) before it sinks
to the bottom. En route they run into nefarious Telly Savalas with an
agenda of his own, and a new roster of survivors (Peter Boyle, Jack
Warden, Shirley Knight, Shirley Jones, Veronica Hamel, Angela
Cartwright, Mark Harmon, and Slim Pickins) who are trying to survive
their own “Morning After” and get out of this cardboard
retread of the far superior original.
With ample amounts of stock footage and interminable scenes of actors
slowly making their way up and down ladders, “Beyond the Poseidon
Adventure” was reviled by critics and quickly became a box-office
bomb upon release.
Watching the movie now in Warner’s DVD (out this week),
it’s shocking to see how thread-bare the film actually is: with
production values that appear only a bit more elaborate than an old
“Star Trek” episode (when the ship shakes, you almost
expect Shatner or Nimoy to fall in the frame!), “Beyond...”
is incomprehensibly bad from every angle.
Not only is the dialogue in Nelson Gidding’s script hideous (is
this the same man who wrote “The Haunting”?) and the
performances equally overboard (Caine is at his hilarious best in his
late 70s/early 80s “Shouting Mode”), but the ineptitude
extends to the music as well. The opening strains of Jerry
Fielding’s music sound like they should have accompanied one of
Samuel Z. Arkoff’s sword-and-sandal imports from the ‘60s,
and the rest of the composer’s shockingly poor score comes off
like library music -- seldom matching what it accompanies on-screen.
Warner’s DVD is a top-notch affair, with a gorgeous 16:9 (2.35)
transfer enhancing every nook and cranny of the cut-rate production.
The 1.0 Dolby Digital mono sound is okay (there’s only so much
you can do for the music), and both the original trailer and a full,
half-hour vintage Making Of (complete with amusing cast and crew
interviews) round out a highly entertaining bargain DVD. (Sadly, none
of the deleted scenes that were restored to the ABC network TV
broadcasts were included here, but we’ll give Warner a mulligan
on that one). New & Upcoming From
Criterion
Upcoming releases from the Criterion Collection include several newly
remastered versions of fan-favorite titles that have long been a part
of the label’s canon.
Top of the list is Akira Kurosawa’s cinematic masterwork SEVEN SAMURAI
(****, 207 mins., 1954), which remains one of the most sumptuous
pieces of movie-making created in any corner of the globe.
Criterion’s upcoming three-DVD edition, available September 5th,
isn’t just a reprinting of their prior release, but rather a
whole new package with a superbly crisp, remastered high-definition
transfer; improved English subtitles; and a remixed Dolby Surround 2.0
soundtrack that’s been carefully executed.
Fresh supplements are likewise in abundance, including a scholarly
commentary with Tony Rayns, Donald Richie and others, as well as
another talk with Japanese film expert Michael Jeck that’s been
carried over from the original DVD. Posters, production stills, and
trailers are also on-hand, along with a 50-minute documentary on
“Seven Samurai” from the Japan “Toho
Masterworks” series “Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to
Create” (portions of this program appeared on previous Criterion
Kurosawa discs).
With the movie spread to two platters, the bulk of the extras are
housed on the third DVD, highlighted by “My Life In
Cinema,” a two-hour Directors Guild of Japan production that
includes a conversation between Kurosawa and Nagisa Oshima; a new
documentary, “Origins and Influences,” examining the
samurai traditions and films that impacted Kurosawa’s work; and,
as always with Criterion, a jam-packed booklet offering retrospective
essays from Sidney Lumet, Kenneth Turan, Peter Cowie and others.
Also on September 5th comes a reprinting of Terry Gilliam’s
troubled but acclaimed sci-fi fantasy BRAZIL (***, 142
mins., 1985, R), a film that -- for me at least -- is still
more compelling for its extensively documented behind-the-scenes
turmoil than the movie itself, which remains a highly uneven,
occasionally brilliant and just as often frustrating viewing experience.
Criterion’s previous DVD box-set is as spectacular as ever in
terms of its through account of the production, Gilliam’s run-ins
with Universal studio brass, and even its inclusion of the “Love
Conquers All” TV version the distributor ultimately produced for
syndicated TV.
Bearing that in mind, Criterion’s new “Brazil” is
nothing more than a repackaging of the previous DVD with one major
change: the film itself has been remastered for 16:9 (1.78)
televisions, having been restored and supervised by Gilliam himself.
The movie looks substantially improved in comparison to
Criterion’s original DVD, and for those who already own the 3-DVD
box set, the studio has kept you in mind by also offering a single-disc
release containing only the new 16:9 transfer with Gilliam’s
original commentary (I still don’t understand why Gilliam
didn’t just include the “cloud credits” from the U.S.
version which he admits his preference for in the commentary --
something that hasn’t been rectified in this edition).
Two other Criterion titles have been freshly remastered
with additional supplements, joining a pair of movies new to the
Collection in the next couple of weeks:
PLAY TIME
(1967, ***½, 124 mins., available September 5th): Jacques
Tati’s wonderful Monseiur Hulot comedy returns to DVD with a
brand-new 16:9 transfer; a video introduction from Terry Jones and
selected commentary by historian Philip Kemp; the alternate
international soundtrack; documentaries, vintage interviews footage and
more. A beautifully composed comic observation from Tati, just as
relevant today as it was in 1967.
AMARCORD
(1973, ***½, 123 mins., available September 5th): One of
Federico Fellini’s most beloved works receives a much-needed 16:9
remastered transfer in another new Criterion edition of one of their
original Collection titles. A deleted scene; commentary from historians
Peter Brunette and Frank Burke; new subtitles; a fresh, 45-minute
documentary, “Fellini’s Homecoming,” examines the
relationship between Fellini and his hometown; audio interviews, a
restoration comparison, and an extensive collection of essays rounds
out an essential package for Fellini lovers.
SEDUCED AND
ABANDONED (1964, **½, 117 mins., available August 29th):
Wacky tale from “Divorce Italian Style” director Pietro
Germi is a dated but curious comic confection that Italian cinema
lovers may warm to more than newcomers. Criterion’s DVD, out next
week, includes a new, high-definition transfer; recent video interviews
with writers and film scholars; interviews with actors Stefania
Sandrelli and Lando Buzzanca; Sandrelli’s screen test; the
trailer; and an improved English subtitle translation.
KICKING AND
SCREAMING (1995, ***, 96 mins., available this week):
Insightful, intelligent comedy from writer-director Noah Baumbach is,
indeed, a “Gen-X” (oh the horror!) tale of young college
grads trying, and struggling, to move into the next stage of adulthood.
The ensemble cast (which includes Josh Hamilton, Chris Eigeman, Parker
Posey, Olivia D’Abo and Eric Stoltz) is wonderful in this
under-rated, highly recommended comic-drama that Criterion has newly
released on DVD. Special features include new interviews, deleted
scenes, the trailer and other goodies. ‘80s Special
Editions!
PRETTY IN
PINK (***½, 96 mins., 1986, PG-13; Paramount) SOME KIND OF
WONDERFUL (***, 94 mins., 1987, PG-13; Paramount)
Two of John Hughes’ more memorable teen efforts return to DVD in
a pair of top-notch Paramount Special Editions this week.
Hughes wrote and produced the 1986 Molly Ringwald hit “Pretty
in Pink,”which remains a bona-fide teen classic
of its kind. Ringwald is at her finest as an artsy “poor”
girl caught in a triangle between her friend (Jon Cryer) and a good,
rich kid from another social universe (Andrew McCarthy). James Spader,
meanwhile, memorably essays McCarthy’s would-be best friend, with
“adult” support from Harry Dean Stanton as Ringwald’s
father and a rockin’ soundtrack sprinkled with original score by
Michael Gore.
“Pretty
In Pink”’s new “Everything’s Duckie
Edition” (named after Cryer’s character) offers a good
amount of fresh supplemental content, including a five-part Making Of
featurette. Director Howard Deutch, Ringwald, Cryer, McCarthy, and
producer Lauren Shuler-Donner appear in both new and vintage interview
segments recounting their work on the still-popular film, with Deutch
discussing the use of music (he initially wanted more instrumental
score; Hughes preferred songs) and the film’s initial ending.
Note that this infamous, original ending isn’t screened intact,
but rather discussed at length and backed with videotaped set footage
of its filming -- something that may disappoint “Pretty in
Pink” fans hoping to finally see Cryer get the girl (he gets
Kristy Swanson instead, which as it turns out wasn’t a bad
consolation prize!).
Hughes followed up the success of “Pink” by offering “Some Kind of
Wonderful” to Ringwald, which she declined and thus ended
the duo’s profitable, three-film collaboration. The resulting
movie was something of a pre-production mess as well, with Martha
Coolidge ultimately dropping out as director (apparently after shooting
had already started) along with Kim Delaney and Kyle MacLachlan, who
were cast alongside Eric Stoltz in the Hughes written-and-produced
vehicle.
According to reports, “Pink”’s Howard Deutch promptly
took over and re-cast Lea Thompson in the Delaney role and Craig
Sheffer in MacLachlan’s part, and had Hughes’ original
script reworked.
The finished product bears no evidence of the troubles, however --
“Some Kind of Wonderful” does recycle elements from
previous Hughes pictures (notably the romantic triangle of
“Pretty In Pink”), but works because of the conviction of
the performances. Stoltz and Thompson are both excellent (keep in mind
this was a “Back to the Future” reunion for the duo, since
Stoltz originally had Michael J. Fox’s role before being dumped),
but it’s Mary Stuart Masterson -- as the cute tomboy musician in
love with Stoltz -- who makes the drama work. Masterson is simply
terrific and John Ashton (as Stoltz’s father) and Elias Koteas
(as a crazed high school classmate) lend additional support in the
ensemble cast.
Paramount’s Special Edition DVD also sports a new, multi-part
Making Of featurette that only skims the surface of the movie’s
turbulent pre-production (Thompson notes that the script was changed
and Deutch admits he was the second director on the film), focusing
instead on its shooting and final release. Deutch, Masterson, Stoltz,
and Thompson are all on-hand to give their recollections, while
additional vintage footage includes Kevin Bacon interviewing Hughes
(likely while they were on the set of “She’s Having a
Baby”).
Both DVDs include solid 16:9 (1.85) transfers and 5.1 Dolby Digital
soundtracks. Highly recommended for any high school movie aficionado! ROMANCING THE
STONE (***, 106 mins., 1984, PG; Fox) JEWEL OF THE
NILE (***, 106 mins., 1985, PG; Fox)
Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner’s palpable chemistry turned
these highly entertaining romantic adventures into certifiable
box-office hits for Twentieth Century Fox.
Both 1984's “Romancing the Stone” (directed by Robert
Zemeckis prior to “Back to the Future”) and its
entertaining 1985 follow-up “Jewel of the Nile” offer
engaging performances from both Turner and Douglas, with Danny DeVito
as the comic relief, in a pair of “Raiders”-inspired larks
with an accent on romance.
Each film has its own merits (Alan Silvestri’s score for
“Romancing the Stone” is quite enjoyable and the scope
cinematography is superb in each), and both pictures basically grossed
the same amount at the box-office.
This week, Fox has -- at last -- given these superior escapist
entertainments the DVD presentations each has deserved. Both pictures
have been treated to excellent, new 16:9 (2.35) transfers with 2.0
(“Stone”) and 4.0 (“Nile”) Dolby Surround
tracks and a collection of extras: new featurettes offer recent
comments from Douglas, Turner, and DeVito, while an ample amount of
deleted scenes are included on each disc. Additional featurettes
examine the work of the late Diane Thomas, who wrote the original,
while “Nile” director Lewis Teague discusses his work in a
“Nile” commentary track
Additional liner notes (a rarity for Fox) compliment these superior
packages, released to coincide with the DVD debut of Douglas’
recent starrer “The Sentinel” on disc this week. Also New From Fox
FOX FILM NOIR
(available August 29): Three more vintage film noir favorites
mark Fox’s catalog titles for the month of August.
1946's SHOCK
offers Vincent Price as a nefarious shrink who’s also a murderer
in an entertaining programmer with a moody David Buttolph score; Henry
Hathaway’s 1951 drama FOURTEEN HOURS
marked the first appearance of one “Grace P. Kelly” and is
also a pretty solid yarn of suicidal Richard Basehart teetering on the
edge of an NYC hotel ledge, contemplating his life, and backed by both
a superb supporting cast (Paul Douglas, Barbara Bel Geddes, Debra
Paget, Agnes Moorehead, Howard Da Silva and others) and a fine Alfred
Newman score; and VICKI, a
1953 remake of “I Wake Up Screaming” with Jean Peters as a
slain NYC model and Richard Boone as the tough cop viewing her sister
(Jeanne Crain) among others as a possible suspect. Leigh
Harlaine’s atmospheric score is one of the positive attributes of
this entertaining noir, which also sports Aaron Spelling in an acting
role, years before he built his TV empire!
As with many of their prior Film Noir DVDs, Fox has assembled several
supplemental features on each DVD, including commentaries from film
historians, trailers, and numerous galleries (particularly on
“Vicki”). The black-and-white, full-screen transfers are
all solid across the board and both 2.0 stereo and mono soundtracks
comprise the robust audio offerings.
JUST MY LUCK
(**, 2006, 103 mins., PG-13; Fox): Mediocre vehicle for Lindsay
Lohan offers the tabloid-ridden young starlet as a NYC girl whose good
luck crosses paths with “bad luck magnet” Jake (the bland
Chris Pine). Donald Petrie’s fluffy teen comedy lacks any sort of
veteran support and basically feels like an elongated Disney Channel
movie; Lohan looks a bit frail as well in a movie that could have used
a dose of energy in front of and behind the camera. Fox’s DVD
includes both full-screen and 16:9 widescreen (1.85) transfers with 5.1
Dolby Digital sound; deleted/extended scenes and two behind-the-scenes
featurettes (featuring footage of the band McFly) comprise the
supplemental side of things. NEXT
TIME: A Pre-Labor Day Extravaganza with
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