I was delighted to hear of the premiere at this year’s Cannes film festival of a 269-minute restored version of Sergio Leone’s final masterwork, Once Upon a Time in America (1984). I love this film for many reasons, not least, because of the way it successfully channels the spirit of F. Scott Fitzgerald, a writer notoriously difficult ... read more »

by RONALD BERGAN It is traditional in Cannes to open with a relatively mainstream film that would soon be shown at a multiplex near you. It is a ritual that I can’t see the point of. I’m not so naïve to as expect the festival to open with a movie like Godard’s Film Socialism (although ... read more »

If you’re excited about the promos for the Ridley Scott science fiction movie coming out this summer, Prometheus… it might be a good time to visit some of the films that have been mentioned over the years as the inspirations for ALIEN, and it just so happens they’re all pretty short and all available on Netflix streaming – a perfect weekend triple bill.

FROM THE EDITOR Editorial: Of Devils and Runaway Trains, Anthony Mann and Jean-Claude Van Damme Gary Morris FEATURES Tragic Cinema: The Death of Subjectivities in JCVD Amir Khan Postlude to a Kiss: Will Smith’s Performances of Race and Sexuality in Fred Schepisi’s Six Degrees of Separation Willie Tolliver SIDEBAR: ANTHONY MANN Going Through the Devil’s ... read more »

Who wouldn’t love to go to L.A. from NYC via zeppelin? So what if it takes a week? Open air rear observation compartments! Farmers looking up, amazed, waving, scratching their heads in disbelief… rivers, lakes, Montana…

For a science fiction film francise to become truly successful, it helps not to be too original.  The most successful of these franchises are based on ideas that have been floating around pop culture long enough for audiences to feel comfortable with them (see, e.g., Star Wars or Avatar), as opposed to films based on comparatively ... read more »

istaVision, it’s also what Hitch shot VERTIGO on… and now both those films too make more sense, VERTIGO especially always seemed too traveloguey for a supposed top ten of all time classic. Now, if it was on Blu-Ray I’d get it even though the DVD version I have is pretty damned good and I don’t even really love it… yet

Price’s florid hamminess fills in the sparse patches of Corman’s sometimes spare mise en scene, and the sparseness conversely gives Price lots of room to floridly ham. Add Les Baxter’s crazy scores, some good freaky psychedelic California painters to make the portraits of dead and evil
uncles and incestuous sisters and flowing red paint credits, and sharp scripts by Richard Matheson and pre-CHINATOWN Robert Towne, and viola!

Homicidal gang debs, tripping youth, murderous charismatic hippie cult leaders,German lesbian junkie spies, sexy German terrorists: 6 Rare, Strange, awesome films (all on Netflix Streaming) from or about the late 60s-early 70s.

From the Editor Editorial: Welcome to the Love-In Gary Morris FEATURES On the Road to the Ninth Circle of Hell: Easy Rider Merges Lanes with Dante’s Inferno and Faust J. D. Markel How Easy Rider laid the groundwork for Wild Hogs “You Know, Billy, We Blew It”: Historical Influences on the “Rough Rebels” and How ... read more »