Johnny Allegro (1949) August 30, 2006
Posted by jackal in : Films , add a commentI sat down to this, expecting a pretty routine George Raft noir vehicle, but Johnny Allegro is a little different. For starters, although a crime thriller, it isn’t film noir. It also borrows heavily from The Most Dangerous Game in its last half-hour. You could say it’s a bit of a mish-mash of crime and adventure pictures, but surprisingly, it works pretty well.
Raft is John Allegro, an ex-con who now owns (wait for it; this is priceless) a flower shop. When he gets involved with the beautiful, mysterious Glenda (Nina Foch), the cops suddenly appear and strong-arm Johnny into helping their investigation into Glenda and her criminal husband Morgan Vallin (George Macready). Johnny wangles an invite to Vallin’s secret island hideout, and starts snooping round while the suspicious Vallin gradually begins to trust Johnny as a member of his gang. As mentioned above, the last act steals from The Most Dangerous Game, as Vallin discovers he’s been double-crossed and sets out with bow and arrow in hand to hunt down Johnny and Glenda.
There’s nothing particularly original here - the MacGuffin concerns a plot to smuggle counterfeit currency to the mainland - but it’s a lean, fast-paced 80 minute thriller, Raft provides a solid presence (if not a great performance), Foch sparkles nicely as his love interest and Macready is a suitably hissable villain. It’s just a shame that, as a Columbia picture, Johnny Allegro now falls under Sony’s control and thus has about a flea fart’s chance of getting a DVD release.
What’s still to come in 06 … August 24, 2006
Posted by jackal in : Films , add a commentFirstly, I want to apologise to anyone who found themselves having to explain to their boss why they fell asleep at their desk while reading my most recent post, “The Second Time Around”. It seemed like an OK idea for a post at the time, but I just read it again myself and I’m thinking ‘even I don’t care …’
Anyway, this’ll be an improvement, I promise. With a little over four months left in 2006, and most of the year’s remaining DVD releases now announced, I thought I’d take a look at my pre-orders list, and whittle it down to the 10 that I’m most looking forward to:
10. The Paul Newman Collection (Warner Bros, R1, 14 November)
A seven-film boxset containing: Harper, The Drowning Pool, The Left-Handed Gun, The Mackintosh Man, Pocket Money, Somebody Up There Likes Me and The Young Philadelphians. Why so low on my list? Truth be told, I’m still a little annoyed that the immensely fun The Prize was excluded, in favour of something like Pocket Money (not exactly my favourite Newman film). Sorry, I’ll stop bitching now 
9. Columbo: The Complete Sixth and Seventh Seasons (Universal, R1, 14 November)
The last of the original 1970s episodes hit DVD in this boxsetset (since seasons six and seven only have a combined eight episodes, they’re being issued together). This final volume of the classic TV show features guest stars like William Shatner, Samantha Eggar, Louis Jourdan, Ruth Gordon, Nicol Williamson and Jamie Lee Curtis. It also includes two of the very best Columbo episodes: Try and Catch Me, and Murder Under Glass. The only bad thing? Once this is released, all that remains are the inferior “new” episodes from the show’s second life (1989-2003).
8. Forbidden Hollywood Collection: volume 1 (Warner Bros/TCM, R1, 5 December)
What should prove to be a fascinating collection: Three Hollywood movies dating from before the 1934 introduction of the Production Code: Barbara Stanwyck in Baby Face (1933), Jean Harlow in Red-Headed Woman (1932), and Mae Clarke in Waterloo Bridge (1931).
7. Hollywood’s Legends of Horror Collection (Warner Bros, R1, 3 October)
Another collection of 1930s films from Warner Bros, this time it’s six early horror films, arriving just in time for Halloween: Mark of the Vampire, The Mask of Fu Manchu, Doctor X, The Return of Doctor X, Mad Love and The Devil Doll. Should make for great late-night viewing.
6. Cary Grant: Screen Legend Collection (Universal, R1, 14 November)
I’ve mentioned this collection in a previous post. I’m familiar with none of these films, but with a star like Grant, and the price under £15, what’s not to like? Includes five films from the 1930s: Thirty Day Princess, Kiss and Make Up, Wings in the Dark, Big Brown Eyes and Wedding Present.
5. Body Heat: 25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition (Warner Bros, R1, 24 October)
IMO one of the very best neo-noirs, this terrific riff on Double Indemnity is being released in a new special edition for its silver anniversary. If you haven’t seen it, pre-order. Now.
4. Humphrey Bogart: The Signature Collection volume 2 (Warner Bros, R1, 3 October)
Four new-to-DVD titles: Across the Pacific, All Through the Night, Passage to Marseille, Action in the North Atlantic, anchored by a mouthwatering, 3-disc Special Edition of The Maltese Falcon, which includes not only the 1941 classic, but two previous adaptations: The Maltese Falcon (1931) and Satan Met a Lady (1936). Passage to Marseille is the weak link for me, but this is still one hell of a set.
3. Forbidden Planet: Ultimate Collector’s Edition (Warner Bros, R1, 14 November)
I’ve somehow never managed to cross paths with this landmark 1950s science fiction film, but that’ll soon change. WB are offering Forbidden Planet restored and remastered in a 2-disc Special Edition with documentaries, a bonus Robby the Robot-starring movie, additional footage, and so on. But, puny earthlings, who’d settle for that, when for merely double the price, you can have the Ultimate Collector’s Edition, which comes in a gorgeous tin with lobby cards and - wait for it - a toy Robby the Robot. I kid you not. Look at the picture and tell me: how can anyone resist that? 
2. Astaire & Rogers Ultimate Collector’s Edition (Warner Bros, R1, 24 October)
A package that is about as close to perfection as I can visualise. All ten Fred & Ginger musicals: Flying Down to Rio, The Gay Divorcee, Roberta, Top Hat, Follow the Fleet, Swing Time, Shall We Dance, The Story of Verne and Irene Castle and The Barkleys of Broadway in a bumper boxset with a bonus documentary, soundtrack CD, photo cards, press book reproductions, and more. Damn it, I want this nowwwwww.
1. Superman: The Ultimate Collection (Warner Bros, R1&2, date TBC)
WB promised earlier this year that a gargantuan, 14 disc Superman collection would be released late in 2006. Since then, things have become a little murky; a boxset of the four Christopher Reeve films has been announced, but nothing further. I have my fingers crossed that the Ultimate Collection is still on the cards - it would be the frontrunner for DVD release of the year in my book. What would it contain, though? Well, most likely this lot ….
Superman: The Movie 4 disc Special Edition
Superman II: Special Edition
Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut
Superman III: Deluxe Edition
Superman IV: Deluxe Edition
Superman Returns: Special Edition
Bonus discs, including Look, up in the Sky: The Amazing Story of Superman (2006)
The Second Time Around August 21, 2006
Posted by jackal in : Films , add a comment
I watched Universal’s new ‘Legacy Series’ Double Indemnity DVD at the weekend. I’d seen the film only once previously, and had been holding out until this release for a second viewing. The film, of course, had me spellbound. What had struck me as ‘merely’ an excellent crime thriller first time around suddenly became oh-so-obviously one of the all-time greats; arguably the apotheosis of film noir.
Which brings me to my point, one I notice with film noir more than any other genre: almost without exception, I find that I only fully appreciate a noir after a second viewing. Even genre classics such as Laura and Night and the City that I loved
first time around, still got better with a second viewing; they seemed richer, more ‘perfect’. Where the Sidewalk Ends, on the other hand, left me cold on a first viewing, but hugely impressed me the second time around. I was left thinking: did I really change that much in six months?
I don’t know why this should be the case specifically with noir; maybe because on an initial screening, you’re concentrating on plot, trying to follow the story, figure out who the murderer is, etc. There’s a limit to how much of the film’s nuances and other touches you can absorb. Watching for a second time, you know the plot already. Instead, you can soak up the atmosphere, admire the cinematography, appreciate the performances, take in every line of snappy dialogue, and the whole package comes together.
I’ve got a growing pile of noirs due for an encore: some I loved (Nightmare Alley, Detour, The Killers, The Big Clock), others that didn’t live up to my expectations (Criss Cross, Fallen Angel, The Big Heat, The Lady from Shanghai). Fingers crossed that the same will be true for each of them.
There’s only one Sydney Bristow August 17, 2006
Posted by jackal in : TV , add a comment
Like the Chairman once sang: “It was a very good year”. It’s a bittersweet day indeed for me: I just got through watching the fifth and final season of my favourite TV show ever: that utterly implausible, frequently daft, and hugely entertaining beast that is Alias.
JJ Abrams’ innovative spy series was a whirlwind combination of spectacular action and outlandish plots with frequent twists, revelations and cliffhanger endings. And at the centre of it all: the personal and family conflicts of young, intelligent, and drop dead gorgeous (why not?) CIA agent Sydney Bristow.
Seasons one and two remain THE most fun television I’ve ever seen. Sydney (Jennifer Garner), unwittingly working for bad guy Arvin Sloane (Ron Rifkin), becomes a double agent for the real CIA, and discovers that not only is her father also an agent, but her mother was a KGB spy. With its season-long story arcs involving 500 year old “Rambaldi” prophecies, weekly exotic missions, action galore, appealing characters and strong cast, nothing matched Alias for sheer entertainment value.
It couldn’t last forever, though, and in season three the show jumped the shark, with an ill-advised shake-up in which Sydney wakes up with amnesia after being missing for two years. The action and stunts were still there, but the show’s central dynamic had been fundamentally altered.
In season four, another shake-up attempted to recapture the show’s original setup and dynamics. It was a bold move that could have worked, but for the lack of a compelling, extended story-arc. Instead, each episode became just a mindless series of covert missions, shootouts and near-misses. Things improved with an epic season finale that brought back key guest stars from previous seasons, but it was too little, too late.
Which brings us to the fifth and final season. The end of the line. I had my doubts as to how it would turn out, not least when Jen Garner’s pregnancy was announced last year. After all, what’s Alias without Syd going on an undercover mission in a figure-hugging disguise? Then ABC, after falling ratings, announced that the season would be cut to 17 episodes, complicating the writers’ plans as they attempted not only to go out with a bang, but also to tie up once and for all the myriad unresolved plotlines and character arcs.
I needn’t have worried; after a bad start, season five caught fire and never looked back. If I may switch into surf-dude mode for a moment, Alias ROCKED again! Plotlines not touched upon in years were reopened and pursued with vigour now that the end was in sight; familiar old characters, long forgotten, returned for one last appearance; halfway through the season, Jen got her figure back and started kicking ass again; but most importantly, the Rambaldi storyline that had driven the show since day one was finally and ultimately resolved in the series finale.
Alias’ success was due to many things: the inventiveness of creator JJ Abrams, the quality of writing, and the cast. The contribution of Jennifer Garner can’t be overstated - one of the brightest new stars of recent years, 
Alias caught her on the rise. Garner’s genuine, believable performance as Sydney gave the show the emotional core it needed to anchor the far-fetched plots, and also won her a Golden Globe for Best Actress. Garner’s natural beauty and physical fitness also made her perfect for a role in which eye-catching outfits and demanding stunt work were the norm. Equally as impressive were the supporting cast, in particular Ron Rifkin - superb as the tormented, Rambaldi-obsessed villain, Arvin Sloane - and Victor Garber, who to my mind never got the credit he deserved for his role as Jack Bristow, Sydney’s father. Garber took a cold and frequently ruthless character and made him human.
I’m tremendously sad to see the end of Alias, but also damn proud that my favourite TV show went out the way it started IMO: at the top of its game. How many other shows ever recovered their top form after jumping the shark? Exactly. There’s only one Sydney Bristow.
Screwball Noir August 14, 2006
Posted by jackal in : Films, Film Noir , add a commentA lighthearted mystery romance that does a good job of blending screwball comedy and film noir, Lady on a Train is worth a look for fans of either genre.
This was the first picture I’d seen with Deanna Durbin, and I quite liked her (in fact she reminded me of Lee Remick; just slightly, well, heavier). Her bright, sunny screen presence was perfect for the role of Nikki Collins who, on a train to New York, witnesses a murder from her train carriage on Christmas Eve. After the police (in a rather silly scene) fob her off, Deanna enlists the help of her favourite mystery writer, Wayne Morgan (David Bruce), as she investigates the wealthy family of the deceased man. She’s even conveniently mistaken for a nightclub singer (well, of course) and gets to belt out a couple of numbers along the way.
Boasting the likes of Dan Duryea, Ralph Bellamy and Edward Everett Horton among the supporting cast, and with beautifully photographed studio sets of snowy New York, it’s a fun ride all the way to the end of the line.
Nikki: “I hope I haven’t caused you too much trouble.”
Wayne: “Miss Collins, we first met at 10 o’clock this morning, didn’t we?”
Nikki: “Yes.”
Wayne: ”Since that time, you’ve had me thrown out of a newsreel theatre. chasing around Manhattan in my pajamas on Christmas eve, conked on the head by a total stranger, robbed of my favourite overcoat, and my fiancee - whom I’ve begged to forgive me twice a day for the past three years - will undoubtedly never let me beg her to forgive me again. But the evening is young; you probably haven’t even got rolling yet. So …. I think I’ll stick around.”
A detective story August 13, 2006
Posted by jackal in : Films, Film Noir , add a comment
Brick sounds like a stupid movie: A convoluted, melancholy film noir mystery … set around a California high school. Our tough, intelligent detective? That would be Brendan, the resident school loner. When his ex-girlfriend goes missing, and later turns up dead, Brendan sets out to penetrate the dark underbelly of local teenage society, in search of her killer and the truth behind the “brick”.
It shouldn’t work, but it does. Brick is dazzling. Reiminiscent of the way in which Robert Altman updated The Long Goodbye to the 70s, Brick is The Maltese Falcon in Beverly Hills 90210 land - a complete fantasy world, populated by teenagers who behave like troubled Raymond Chandler creations, in which ‘adults’ barely feature, and all played straight, with no excuses or explanations. The acting is superb: Joseph Gordon Levitt’s mesmerising central performance as the tough, introspective Brendan, Nora Zehetner’s radiant femme fatale, and Lukas Haas’ deliciously daft villain, The Pin.
The script is complex, the playful dialogue filled with incomprehensible slang and shorthand. The story is compelling, and riddled with dark humour: instead of Marlowe being hauled in by the cops, Brendan faces-off against Richard Roundtree’s Assistant VP in a marvellous scene (”If you have a disciplinary issue with me, write me up or suspend me!”); a tense meeting with The Pin starts off with the villain’s mother pouring them glasses of apple juice at the kitchen table. I know, it sounds daft, but it’s the finest film I’ve seen in ages. An absolute delight. Do yourself a favour and check out the DVD
Glamour Queens and Screen Legends August 8, 2006
Posted by jackal in : Films , add a comment
The months of October and November promise to be a goldmine for fans of classic movies, with Warner Bros. offering up a mouthwatering slate of boxsets to suit all tastes. Kind of lost in the mix, however, are three Screen Legend Collections from Universal. Following up on their Glamour Collections for Carole Lombard, Marlene Dietrich and Mae West earlier in the year, now it’s the boys’ turn: five movies each for Cary Grant, Bing Crosby and Rock Hudson.
I’m very much looking forward to the Grant set, even though I don’t know a single one of the films. After all, the same was true of the Carole Lombard Glamour Collection, which turned out to be one of my top releases of the year so far; six highly entertaining films, starring my favourite actress, for a sub-£15 price. The Cary Grant set looks equally promising: one of Hollywood’s greatest stars in a potentially fun bunch of movies, with co-stars like Myrna Loy and Joan Bennett, packaged together with no DVD18s this time(!), and it’s another steal at under £15 from DVD Pacific. For that price, even if only two of the films turn out to be any good, it’s still a bargain.
Nice job, Universal. Now, if you’d only get your Film Noir series back up and running, I’d really be impressed.
Rewriting the future? August 4, 2006
Posted by jackal in : Films, TV , add a comment
We’ve all heard the Star Trek rumours bouncing around of late: JJ Abrams will direct the eleventh Trek film, it’ll be set around/before The Original Series, it will likely feature new actors playing Kirk and Spock, Matt Damon may have been cast, there’ll be a talking monkey sidekick … OK, I may have made that last one up, but after the Matt Damon news, it doesn’t seem all that far-fetched.
I come to this as a lifelong Trek fan. I’m not a complete geek (honest I ain’t), I just grew up with it - The Original Series and Next Generation in particular - and love it. I watched all the spin-offs that followed, even down to the last death throes of Enterprise. I’d kill to see a Star Trek XI, I really would, but another prequel? Re-casting Kirk and Spock? Are they f*****g kidding?
Star Trek should look forward, not back. It should chart new territory, not retread old. Why not bring back Jonathan Frakes and Marina Sirtis for a Titan spin-off show? I’m sure they’d love the work. Better still, why not bring back Nick Meyer (director of the fantastic Star Trek II & VI) to pen another Next Generation movie? But, cry Paramount, Star Trek: Nemesis made no money (well, that’s what you get for hiring a director with no understanding of the franchise), and so we must find *another* direction. What about the young guy who made our new Tom Cruise movie? Oh yeah …
I’m a big fan of JJ Abrams - Alias and Lost are (or were, in the case of the former) terrific TV shows - but he’s clearly not the right man for the job if all he can come up with is ”hey, let’s reboot the franchise!” Star Trek’s success derives from the original concept, and by returning to the start, recasting the familiar roles, fundamentally changing the central core of the franchise, you wipe that out. A new Trek prequel, done well, could be phenomenally successful, but would it be true to the franchise’s origins? N-o-p-e.
Some fans don’t seem to mind the possible recasting of Kirk and Spock, either. James Bond has been played by more than one actor; so has Sherlock Holmes, etc. What’s the big deal? The difference is simple: the original Trek characters don’t have their basis in literature. They’re not portrayals of existing characters, in the way that Bond and Holmes are; before William Shatner, Kirk didn’t exist. Shatner didn’t just portray a character, he created one, week in, week out, for 79 episodes. Same with Nimoy’s Spock and the rest of the cast. Over the course of six (or seven) movies they aged, progressed, grew old together, retired (or died) - essentially lived out a character’s life on screen. James T. Kirk isn’t just ‘a character’ who used to be played by William Shatner; without Shatner, there is no Kirk. End of story.
Whenever I read anything about the new prequel idea, I think of McCoy in Star Trek IV, upon being assigned the task of building a huge whale tank. Folding his arms resignedly, he mutters, “oh … joy.” Couldn’t have put it better myself.
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As an afterthought, I must mention the fabulous documentary Mind Meld, released on DVD a couple of years ago. It’s basically just Shatner and Nimoy sitting in Leonard’s back garden, chatting for an hour; two old friends talking candidly about their lives, careers, personal demons, triumphs and disappointments … and an old show called Star Trek. It’s utterly fascinating, and essential viewing for all fans.
Back in the Ring August 3, 2006
Posted by jackal in : Films , 1 comment so farThe other week I caught the new trailer for Rocky Balboa - number 6 in the franchise, and a full 16 years after Rocky V. Then only a couple of days ago I read that Sylvester Stallone’s long-gestating Rambo IV finally starts shooting in October. Oh, great, everyone moans, Why can’t they just leave these things alone. The last thing we need is another has-been action star embarrassing himself in an ill-advised ‘comeback’.
Well, sod it - count me in for both. I love the Rambo films, and not even in a ‘guilty favourites’ kinda way - I just love ‘em. There are times when I don’t want to watch an intelligent / thought-provoking / well-written piece of cinema; I just want to crack open a few drinks, turn up the subwoofer, and enjoy a daft, brainless action movie (see also: Commando). The prospect of a fourth Rambo just causes a big grin to spread across my face. My only regret is that it’ll be without the late Richard Crenna.
As for Rocky, I’m not even a fan of the films, but I’ll still check out number 6. Why, you ask, when the character is far too old for the story to be remotely realistic? Because that doesn’t matter - the Rocky films have never been realistic. It’s a fairy tale story, and the real-life parallels with Stallone’s career make it irresistible. You see, I’m a big fan of the man - some of his films are, frankly, crap, but he’s a survivor, one of the ‘old school’ action heroes, and even delivered a damn good performance in the underrated Copland. He just turned 60, yet he’s in better shape than any actor half his age. And if that isn’t enough, he is by all accounts a thoroughly nice guy; I can’t help but hope his comeback is as successful as Rocky’s.
