“There Are No Bananas In It”
By Raymond Benson
Woody Allen’s second feature film as director/writer/actor is ranked #69 on AFI’s 100 greatest comedies list… and it is indeed a very funny, zany picture (arguably one of Allen’s funniest) that today says more about the early 1970s than perhaps was intended at the time. But would millennials find Bananas funny in this day and age? Would they get the jokes? Can an audience that hasn’t “grown up” with Woody Allen movies get past what has been said about his personal life since the 1990s? I can’t answer those questions. But I can place Bananas within the context of when it was released and attest that it still makes me laugh.
At this point in his career, Allen was mostly interested in making low budget movies with little substance, but with lots of gags. He was...
By Raymond Benson
Woody Allen’s second feature film as director/writer/actor is ranked #69 on AFI’s 100 greatest comedies list… and it is indeed a very funny, zany picture (arguably one of Allen’s funniest) that today says more about the early 1970s than perhaps was intended at the time. But would millennials find Bananas funny in this day and age? Would they get the jokes? Can an audience that hasn’t “grown up” with Woody Allen movies get past what has been said about his personal life since the 1990s? I can’t answer those questions. But I can place Bananas within the context of when it was released and attest that it still makes me laugh.
At this point in his career, Allen was mostly interested in making low budget movies with little substance, but with lots of gags. He was...
- 12/3/2017
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
“A Dash Of Unusual Brilliance Behind A Face With White Glasses”
By Raymond Benson
The somewhat snobbish critic John Simon has said that the only “great” female film directors are Leni Riefenstahl and Lina Wertmüller. I’m sure we can all take issue with such a sexist comment, but he is correct that both women were indeed “great,” even though the former is known for Nazi propaganda films of the 1930s. Wertmüller, on the other hand, made different kinds of scandalous pictures—but at least ones that were, and still are, entertaining. (They also sometimes had whimsically long titles, such as The End of the World in Our Usual Bed on a Night Full of Rain.)
In the early to mid-1970s, Wertmüller was the face of a daring new Italian cinema. When her movies were imported to America and the U.K, she was dubbed the “Female Fellini.” In fact,...
By Raymond Benson
The somewhat snobbish critic John Simon has said that the only “great” female film directors are Leni Riefenstahl and Lina Wertmüller. I’m sure we can all take issue with such a sexist comment, but he is correct that both women were indeed “great,” even though the former is known for Nazi propaganda films of the 1930s. Wertmüller, on the other hand, made different kinds of scandalous pictures—but at least ones that were, and still are, entertaining. (They also sometimes had whimsically long titles, such as The End of the World in Our Usual Bed on a Night Full of Rain.)
In the early to mid-1970s, Wertmüller was the face of a daring new Italian cinema. When her movies were imported to America and the U.K, she was dubbed the “Female Fellini.” In fact,...
- 11/7/2017
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
“The Beauty Of Irony”
By Raymond Benson
Leave it to The Criterion Collection to present a jaw-dropping, eye-popping Blu-ray release of Stanley Kubrick’s 1975 masterpiece that many critics have called one of the most beautiful films ever made. While the picture received many accolades upon its initial release, including Oscar nominations for Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay—and wins for Cinematography, Production Design, Costumes, and Adapted Score—it was again one those Kubrick films that was controversial and misunderstood at first. It was not a financial success in the U.S., and yet today it’s considered one of the auteur’s greatest works.
After such titles as Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and A Clockwork Orange, it may have seemed to be an odd choice for Kubrick to make a picture such as Barry Lyndon. One must look back to the period between 2001 and Clockwork to understand it. Kubrick...
By Raymond Benson
Leave it to The Criterion Collection to present a jaw-dropping, eye-popping Blu-ray release of Stanley Kubrick’s 1975 masterpiece that many critics have called one of the most beautiful films ever made. While the picture received many accolades upon its initial release, including Oscar nominations for Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay—and wins for Cinematography, Production Design, Costumes, and Adapted Score—it was again one those Kubrick films that was controversial and misunderstood at first. It was not a financial success in the U.S., and yet today it’s considered one of the auteur’s greatest works.
After such titles as Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and A Clockwork Orange, it may have seemed to be an odd choice for Kubrick to make a picture such as Barry Lyndon. One must look back to the period between 2001 and Clockwork to understand it. Kubrick...
- 10/28/2017
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Cinema Retro's Raymond Benson’s new stand-alone novel, The Secrets On Chicory Lane, will be published October 10, 2017, by Skyhorse Publishing, but it is trickling into stores now. The book is also listed on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Links to retailers can be found here.
Raymond has signing events scheduled for October 4 and October 8 in the Chicago area, and signed books can be pre-ordered from these outlets as well prior to the appearance date:
Anderson’s Bookshop (Oct. 4 signing)
Naperville, Il
630-355-2665
Centuries and Sleuths Bookstore (Oct. 8 signing)
Forest Park, Il
708-771-7243
*
From the New York Times bestselling author comes a new novel of suspense involving a small town neighborhood street where first love, a child abduction, and abuse collide.
Sixty-one-year-old Shelby Truman, a best-selling romance novelist, receives a request to visit her childhood friend, Eddie, who is on Death Row. Though mentally ill, Eddie is scheduled to be executed for murder.
Raymond has signing events scheduled for October 4 and October 8 in the Chicago area, and signed books can be pre-ordered from these outlets as well prior to the appearance date:
Anderson’s Bookshop (Oct. 4 signing)
Naperville, Il
630-355-2665
Centuries and Sleuths Bookstore (Oct. 8 signing)
Forest Park, Il
708-771-7243
*
From the New York Times bestselling author comes a new novel of suspense involving a small town neighborhood street where first love, a child abduction, and abuse collide.
Sixty-one-year-old Shelby Truman, a best-selling romance novelist, receives a request to visit her childhood friend, Eddie, who is on Death Row. Though mentally ill, Eddie is scheduled to be executed for murder.
- 10/2/2017
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Hugh M. Hefner
1926-2017
A Tribute
By Raymond Benson
Raymond Benson with Hefner at the Playboy Mansion.
A true American innovator and icon has left us.
While I would never claim to be one of this brilliant man’s inner circle of close longtime friends or family, I was privileged to know him for nearly three decades. I was a guest at the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles on numerous occasions, many times along with my wife and even my son, who first visited when he was eight years old! Hef was always a generous host—kind, warm-hearted, and full of conversation. He also had integrity. His championing of civil rights and First Amendment freedoms is legendary. He gave us the permission to embrace the sexual revolution—and, believe it or not, he was a strong advocate of women’s rights. The women who truly knew him loved him.
We...
1926-2017
A Tribute
By Raymond Benson
Raymond Benson with Hefner at the Playboy Mansion.
A true American innovator and icon has left us.
While I would never claim to be one of this brilliant man’s inner circle of close longtime friends or family, I was privileged to know him for nearly three decades. I was a guest at the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles on numerous occasions, many times along with my wife and even my son, who first visited when he was eight years old! Hef was always a generous host—kind, warm-hearted, and full of conversation. He also had integrity. His championing of civil rights and First Amendment freedoms is legendary. He gave us the permission to embrace the sexual revolution—and, believe it or not, he was a strong advocate of women’s rights. The women who truly knew him loved him.
We...
- 9/28/2017
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
“Love And Angst”
By Raymond Benson
Woody Allen came off an incredible run of five superior films released between 1983 and 1987 (Zelig, Broadway Danny Rose, The Purple Rose of Cairo, Hannah and Her Sisters, and Radio Days) and then delivered one of his occasional “serious” pictures (without his presence as an actor) in late ’87 that was so dire that it only grossed approximately $500,000 in its initial run.
Basically a six-character “play” that takes many cues from the works of Anton Chekhov, September is set in a Vermont country house where depressed Lane (Mia Farrow) is recovering from a suicide attempt. Her best friend Stephanie (Dianne Wiest) is there for moral support. Lane is in love with tenant/writer Peter (Sam Waterston), and neighbor/teacher Howard (Denholm Elliott) is in love with Lane. She doesn’t share Howard’s affections, but Peter, however, is in love with Stephanie. Coming to visit into...
By Raymond Benson
Woody Allen came off an incredible run of five superior films released between 1983 and 1987 (Zelig, Broadway Danny Rose, The Purple Rose of Cairo, Hannah and Her Sisters, and Radio Days) and then delivered one of his occasional “serious” pictures (without his presence as an actor) in late ’87 that was so dire that it only grossed approximately $500,000 in its initial run.
Basically a six-character “play” that takes many cues from the works of Anton Chekhov, September is set in a Vermont country house where depressed Lane (Mia Farrow) is recovering from a suicide attempt. Her best friend Stephanie (Dianne Wiest) is there for moral support. Lane is in love with tenant/writer Peter (Sam Waterston), and neighbor/teacher Howard (Denholm Elliott) is in love with Lane. She doesn’t share Howard’s affections, but Peter, however, is in love with Stephanie. Coming to visit into...
- 9/27/2017
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
“Portrait Of The Artist As A Young And Old Man”
By Raymond Benson
David Lynch is today’s foremost surrealist. In many ways, he has taken up the mantle begun by those artists of the 1920s who attempted to present in tangible, visual forms the juxtapositions, bizarre logic, and beauty/horror of dreams. Salvador Dalí, Luis Buñuel, Man Ray, Germaine Dulac, René Magritte—to name a few.
Most people know Lynch from his films, but as this thoughtful and insightful documentary reveals, he is and has always been primarily a painter. Lynch began his career in the “art life” studying and practicing fine art… and he sort of fell into filmmaking along the way. Even today, despite his recent foray back into television with Twin Peaks—The Return on Showtime, Lynch spends most of his time in his home studio drinking coffee, smoking cigarettes, and painting.
The film is narrated...
By Raymond Benson
David Lynch is today’s foremost surrealist. In many ways, he has taken up the mantle begun by those artists of the 1920s who attempted to present in tangible, visual forms the juxtapositions, bizarre logic, and beauty/horror of dreams. Salvador Dalí, Luis Buñuel, Man Ray, Germaine Dulac, René Magritte—to name a few.
Most people know Lynch from his films, but as this thoughtful and insightful documentary reveals, he is and has always been primarily a painter. Lynch began his career in the “art life” studying and practicing fine art… and he sort of fell into filmmaking along the way. Even today, despite his recent foray back into television with Twin Peaks—The Return on Showtime, Lynch spends most of his time in his home studio drinking coffee, smoking cigarettes, and painting.
The film is narrated...
- 9/13/2017
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
As is the case with the wait that accompanies any entry into the enduring James Bond film franchise, rumors are expected to swirl before Eon Entertainment holds one of their official press conferences that are surrounded by much pageantry. And with 007’s next big screen outing not arriving until November 2019, it could be well over a year before we once again witness such a thing.
Recently, word on the street has consisted of things such as Beyonce being the next big name to lend their pipes to the series’ proud tradition of memorable opening titles themes and, quite frankly, that actually sounds believable. After all, one could argue that the some of the best theme songs of the past have all been recorded by female vocalists.
When it comes to plot, however, that’s where things get a little more iffy. Not long ago, Raymond Benson himself debunked rumors that...
Recently, word on the street has consisted of things such as Beyonce being the next big name to lend their pipes to the series’ proud tradition of memorable opening titles themes and, quite frankly, that actually sounds believable. After all, one could argue that the some of the best theme songs of the past have all been recorded by female vocalists.
When it comes to plot, however, that’s where things get a little more iffy. Not long ago, Raymond Benson himself debunked rumors that...
- 9/5/2017
- by Eric Joseph
- We Got This Covered
Even though there isn’t a shadow of uncertainty currently being cast over the James Bond franchise as there was during the time that separated Quantum of Solace and Skyfall, I can’t help but draw parallels. Sure, the theatrical date for 007’s next outing may have been penciled in, but a lot of questions remain surrounding the project.
First, there’s the subject matter. Granted, we may not know the film’s title for another year, but that certainly hasn’t stopped rumors from surfacing. Not long ago, word on the street was that one of Raymond Benson’s novels would be adapted for the big screen, but the author himself swiftly shot down the notion of that happening.
Of course, the other hot topic causing much discussion has been that of actor Daniel Craig’s status. Although we’re fairly certain that he has one film remaining on his contract,...
First, there’s the subject matter. Granted, we may not know the film’s title for another year, but that certainly hasn’t stopped rumors from surfacing. Not long ago, word on the street was that one of Raymond Benson’s novels would be adapted for the big screen, but the author himself swiftly shot down the notion of that happening.
Of course, the other hot topic causing much discussion has been that of actor Daniel Craig’s status. Although we’re fairly certain that he has one film remaining on his contract,...
- 8/15/2017
- by Eric Joseph
- We Got This Covered
Not having seen our favorite super spy grace cinemas since late 2015, moviegoers such as myself couldn’t help but become excited upon hearing last week’s news stating that the next entry in the enduring James Bond franchise has been slated for November of 2019. With that, it’s only expected that plot details emerge in due time.
Naturally, it didn’t go unnoticed when reports surfaced yesterday stating that said film is set to be based on Raymond Benson’s novel Never Dream of Dying, and that the studio supposedly thought it would serve as a fine followup to Spectre. And seeing as how Benson has built quite the reputation for himself in the spy genre having written not only Bond novels, but also ones pertaining to Metal Gear Solid and Splinter Cell (the latter was done under the pen name of “David Michaels,” one shared by several authors who...
Naturally, it didn’t go unnoticed when reports surfaced yesterday stating that said film is set to be based on Raymond Benson’s novel Never Dream of Dying, and that the studio supposedly thought it would serve as a fine followup to Spectre. And seeing as how Benson has built quite the reputation for himself in the spy genre having written not only Bond novels, but also ones pertaining to Metal Gear Solid and Splinter Cell (the latter was done under the pen name of “David Michaels,” one shared by several authors who...
- 8/2/2017
- by Eric Joseph
- We Got This Covered
The James Bond rumor mill is operating at full tilt.
As the radio silence from MGM and Eoin continues unabated – both studios recently locked down a late 2019 release for the untitled Bond 25, but nothing more – British tabloid The Mirror (via /Film) has compiled a report that claims to have identified the film’s working title, Daniel Craig’s all-but-inevitable return, and the novel on which Bond 25 will be based: Never Dream Of Dying.
Before we deep dive into this latest info dump, we should stress that The Mirror isn’t exactly what one would call a reliable source in the film industry, and the outlet’s track record with Bond, in particular, is sketchy at best. With that disclaimer out of the way, let’s indulge in a little 00 speculation, shall we?
First thing’s first: the 25th instalment in MGM’s iconic spy franchise is reportedly simmering...
As the radio silence from MGM and Eoin continues unabated – both studios recently locked down a late 2019 release for the untitled Bond 25, but nothing more – British tabloid The Mirror (via /Film) has compiled a report that claims to have identified the film’s working title, Daniel Craig’s all-but-inevitable return, and the novel on which Bond 25 will be based: Never Dream Of Dying.
Before we deep dive into this latest info dump, we should stress that The Mirror isn’t exactly what one would call a reliable source in the film industry, and the outlet’s track record with Bond, in particular, is sketchy at best. With that disclaimer out of the way, let’s indulge in a little 00 speculation, shall we?
First thing’s first: the 25th instalment in MGM’s iconic spy franchise is reportedly simmering...
- 8/1/2017
- by Michael Briers
- We Got This Covered
According to a recent report from The Mirror, the next James Bond film will be shooting under the working title Shatterhand. They also claim to have information regarding the plot.
They are reporting that Bond 25 will be inspired by the 1999 book Never Dream of Dying. The book was written by Us author Raymond Benson, who also wrote Bond books Tomorrow Never Dies, Die Another Day and The World is Not Enough.
A source close to the production said, "Bond scriptwriters feel it could be the perfect follow-up to Spectre. They are hoping to film in Croatia next year."
In Never Dream of Dying, 007 comes "face to face with his most cunning nemesis-the enigmatic blind criminal mastermind behind the sinister organization known only as the Union." The report goes on to offer the following details:
The action kicks off in the south of France where a police raid ends up killing innocent people.
They are reporting that Bond 25 will be inspired by the 1999 book Never Dream of Dying. The book was written by Us author Raymond Benson, who also wrote Bond books Tomorrow Never Dies, Die Another Day and The World is Not Enough.
A source close to the production said, "Bond scriptwriters feel it could be the perfect follow-up to Spectre. They are hoping to film in Croatia next year."
In Never Dream of Dying, 007 comes "face to face with his most cunning nemesis-the enigmatic blind criminal mastermind behind the sinister organization known only as the Union." The report goes on to offer the following details:
The action kicks off in the south of France where a police raid ends up killing innocent people.
- 8/1/2017
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
“Hitch Begins”
By Raymond Benson
The British silent film period of director Alfred Hitchcock is simultaneously interesting and frustrating. It’s the former because it allows one to view a genius at the very beginning of his career—the kernels of motifs and themes, as well as stylistic choices, can be spotted and analyzed. It’s the latter because only one or two of the nine silent pictures he made are truly memorable and most are available today solely as poor quality public domain transfers.
The Criterion Collection has just released a bang-up, marvelous new edition of Hitchcock’s most celebrated silent work, The Lodger—A Story of the London Fog. The disk also contains one of the rarer silent titles, Downhill (also 1927), which might be reason enough for Hitchcock enthusiasts to purchase the package.
A bit of history: Hitchcock was working for Gainsborough Pictures under the auspices of Michael Balcon...
By Raymond Benson
The British silent film period of director Alfred Hitchcock is simultaneously interesting and frustrating. It’s the former because it allows one to view a genius at the very beginning of his career—the kernels of motifs and themes, as well as stylistic choices, can be spotted and analyzed. It’s the latter because only one or two of the nine silent pictures he made are truly memorable and most are available today solely as poor quality public domain transfers.
The Criterion Collection has just released a bang-up, marvelous new edition of Hitchcock’s most celebrated silent work, The Lodger—A Story of the London Fog. The disk also contains one of the rarer silent titles, Downhill (also 1927), which might be reason enough for Hitchcock enthusiasts to purchase the package.
A bit of history: Hitchcock was working for Gainsborough Pictures under the auspices of Michael Balcon...
- 6/29/2017
- 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
“Schoolgirl Crushed”
By Raymond Benson
George Roy Hill’s 1964 comedy, The World of Henry Orient, is based on a novel by Nora Johnson that fictionalizes her own experiences as a schoolgirl in New York City when she and a friend allegedly had crushes on pianist Oscar Levant. She and her father, Nunnally Johnson, adapted the book to screenplay.
It’s the story of two mid-teens, competently played by newcomers Merrie Spaeth (“Gil”) and Tippy Walker (“Val”), who attend a private girls school in the city. Gil’s parents are divorced and she lives with her mother and another divorcee in a nice Upper East Side apartment. Val’s parents are still married, but unhappily, and they’re constantly traveling the world for her father’s (Tom Bosley) business. This leaves Gil and Val to indulge in precocious imaginary “adventures” around the city.
Val develops an infatuation on eccentric womanizing concert...
By Raymond Benson
George Roy Hill’s 1964 comedy, The World of Henry Orient, is based on a novel by Nora Johnson that fictionalizes her own experiences as a schoolgirl in New York City when she and a friend allegedly had crushes on pianist Oscar Levant. She and her father, Nunnally Johnson, adapted the book to screenplay.
It’s the story of two mid-teens, competently played by newcomers Merrie Spaeth (“Gil”) and Tippy Walker (“Val”), who attend a private girls school in the city. Gil’s parents are divorced and she lives with her mother and another divorcee in a nice Upper East Side apartment. Val’s parents are still married, but unhappily, and they’re constantly traveling the world for her father’s (Tom Bosley) business. This leaves Gil and Val to indulge in precocious imaginary “adventures” around the city.
Val develops an infatuation on eccentric womanizing concert...
- 6/5/2017
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
“Unwelcoming Committee”
By Raymond Benson
Although the picture takes place a couple of months after the end of World War II in the year 1945, Bad Day at Black Rock is really a western. The setting is a desert town that’s barely a whistle stop for a train that hasn’t halted there in four years; the main street looks as if it’s right out of Dodge City, and the opening credits are designed in big, colorful, bold words that spread across the wide CinemaScope screen. Even director John Sturges is primarily known for his many westerns.
Good Guy Spencer Tracy rides into town—on that train—and is met with inexplicable hostility from everyone he meets. All he wants is to find a guy named Komoko—a Japanese farmer who supposedly lives just out of town. Most of the residents seem afraid to help Tracy. The ones who...
By Raymond Benson
Although the picture takes place a couple of months after the end of World War II in the year 1945, Bad Day at Black Rock is really a western. The setting is a desert town that’s barely a whistle stop for a train that hasn’t halted there in four years; the main street looks as if it’s right out of Dodge City, and the opening credits are designed in big, colorful, bold words that spread across the wide CinemaScope screen. Even director John Sturges is primarily known for his many westerns.
Good Guy Spencer Tracy rides into town—on that train—and is met with inexplicable hostility from everyone he meets. All he wants is to find a guy named Komoko—a Japanese farmer who supposedly lives just out of town. Most of the residents seem afraid to help Tracy. The ones who...
- 5/28/2017
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
“Tests Of Faith”
By Raymond Benson
Martin Scorsese has made several films that are challenging for an audience. Even some of his most acclaimed pictures, such as Raging Bull, are difficult to watch and “enjoy.” Scorsese tackles hard truths about the human condition, and many times they’re unpleasant and disturbing. Sometimes the dramas he explores are not what one would call a “good time at the movies.”
That doesn’t mean they’re bad. On the contrary, great art often requires an audience to meet it halfway, to capitulate and embrace the pain that is at the heart of what the artist has intended to convey.
Silence is one of those films. A decades-long passion project for the director, based on the novel by Shūsaku Endō, it is about the “silence” of God that is the biggest obstacle faced by people of faith. The subject matter would have been...
By Raymond Benson
Martin Scorsese has made several films that are challenging for an audience. Even some of his most acclaimed pictures, such as Raging Bull, are difficult to watch and “enjoy.” Scorsese tackles hard truths about the human condition, and many times they’re unpleasant and disturbing. Sometimes the dramas he explores are not what one would call a “good time at the movies.”
That doesn’t mean they’re bad. On the contrary, great art often requires an audience to meet it halfway, to capitulate and embrace the pain that is at the heart of what the artist has intended to convey.
Silence is one of those films. A decades-long passion project for the director, based on the novel by Shūsaku Endō, it is about the “silence” of God that is the biggest obstacle faced by people of faith. The subject matter would have been...
- 5/21/2017
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
“Greetings And Farts”
By Raymond Benson
Master filmmaker Yasujiro Ozu’s late-period picture, Good Morning (Ohayō), is a curious, but amusing, slice-of-life portrait of a suburban neighborhood in contemporary (circa 1959) Japan. Ozu, mostly known for the gendai-geki film genre, i.e., modern dramas about family life and social conditions, also made a few comedies. He was a genius at depicting relationships between parents and children (Tokyo Story, 1953, is arguably his most admirable work), and Good Morning presents something of a parable about how a couple of young schoolboys influence an entire community of suspicious and gossipy housewives and lackadaisical “salary men” husbands.
A Western audience will deem the comedy subtle; cultural differences between East and West, especially when it comes to bathroom humor, decidedly determine how funny someone will think Good Morning really is. There are a lot of fart jokes in the film. In fact, Ozu uses farting as a way that characters communicate,...
By Raymond Benson
Master filmmaker Yasujiro Ozu’s late-period picture, Good Morning (Ohayō), is a curious, but amusing, slice-of-life portrait of a suburban neighborhood in contemporary (circa 1959) Japan. Ozu, mostly known for the gendai-geki film genre, i.e., modern dramas about family life and social conditions, also made a few comedies. He was a genius at depicting relationships between parents and children (Tokyo Story, 1953, is arguably his most admirable work), and Good Morning presents something of a parable about how a couple of young schoolboys influence an entire community of suspicious and gossipy housewives and lackadaisical “salary men” husbands.
A Western audience will deem the comedy subtle; cultural differences between East and West, especially when it comes to bathroom humor, decidedly determine how funny someone will think Good Morning really is. There are a lot of fart jokes in the film. In fact, Ozu uses farting as a way that characters communicate,...
- 5/17/2017
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
On May 18, 2017, as part of their ongoing Classic Film series, the Pickwick Theatre in Park Ridge, Illinois (outside Chicago) will present a 50th Anniversary digital restoration screening of the 1967 James Bond extravaganza, You Only Live Twice. Showtimes 2:00pm and 7:30pm.
At the 7:30pm show, Bond author Raymond Benson will provide the Introduction and Ian Fleming Foundation board member Colin Clark will exhibit the Model 47 Bell Helicopter used in the motion picture. The first 100 patrons through the door will get a chance to win a tour of the James Bond vehicles facility in Illinois that is overseen by the Iff. Jay Warren will perform pre-show music on the theatre organ beginning at 6:30pm.
Tickets available online at http://www.pickwicktheatre.com/showtimes.asp .
Pickwick Theatre
5 S. Prospect Ave.
Park Ridge, Il 60068
Matinee: $6 (2pm)
Evening: $10 / $8 (advance) (7:30pm)...
At the 7:30pm show, Bond author Raymond Benson will provide the Introduction and Ian Fleming Foundation board member Colin Clark will exhibit the Model 47 Bell Helicopter used in the motion picture. The first 100 patrons through the door will get a chance to win a tour of the James Bond vehicles facility in Illinois that is overseen by the Iff. Jay Warren will perform pre-show music on the theatre organ beginning at 6:30pm.
Tickets available online at http://www.pickwicktheatre.com/showtimes.asp .
Pickwick Theatre
5 S. Prospect Ave.
Park Ridge, Il 60068
Matinee: $6 (2pm)
Evening: $10 / $8 (advance) (7:30pm)...
- 4/29/2017
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
“A Mod Murder Mystery”
By Raymond Benson
Michelangelo Antonioni’s Blowup (it’s spelled this way in the film credits, but on theatrical posters and advertising it was called Blow-Up) was a landmark, envelope-pushing film that caused quite a stir. For one thing, it was one of the nails in the coffin of the U.S. Production Code, paving the way for the elimination of cinematic censorship and the eventual creation of the movie ratings. Its depiction of nudity, sexual attitudes, and recreational drugs crossed the line for late 1966. Nevertheless, newspaper ads got away with simply proclaiming that the picture was “Recommended for Mature Audiences,” since this was prior to the ratings themselves.
Blowup also stands as a cultural landmark in that it captures that moment of time called “Swinging London.” Everything was “mod”—music, fashion, art... even groups of youths were called “mods.” Antonioni’s film could serve as...
By Raymond Benson
Michelangelo Antonioni’s Blowup (it’s spelled this way in the film credits, but on theatrical posters and advertising it was called Blow-Up) was a landmark, envelope-pushing film that caused quite a stir. For one thing, it was one of the nails in the coffin of the U.S. Production Code, paving the way for the elimination of cinematic censorship and the eventual creation of the movie ratings. Its depiction of nudity, sexual attitudes, and recreational drugs crossed the line for late 1966. Nevertheless, newspaper ads got away with simply proclaiming that the picture was “Recommended for Mature Audiences,” since this was prior to the ratings themselves.
Blowup also stands as a cultural landmark in that it captures that moment of time called “Swinging London.” Everything was “mod”—music, fashion, art... even groups of youths were called “mods.” Antonioni’s film could serve as...
- 3/26/2017
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
“A Long Day’S Journey Into A Little Night Silence”
By Raymond Benson
Woody’s Allen’s first dramatic feature film, Interiors, released in 1978 on the heels of his hugely successful and Oscar-winning masterpiece, Annie Hall, was met with praise by some and head-scratching by others. Most critics, however, acknowledged that the picture was a step the artist needed to take in his evolution as a filmmaker.
Prior to Annie Hall, Allen’s films were zany comedies—the “early funny ones,” as facetiously described in a later work, Stardust Memories. Beginning with Annie, Allen made a quantum leap forward in originality, confidence, and stylistic maturity. He reinvented the romantic comedy. In many ways, Annie Hall is a movie with a European sensibility. It could be argued that Allen’s body of work post-Annie resembles the kind of material made by a director like, say, Francois Truffaut—small, well-written, intimate gems about people,...
By Raymond Benson
Woody’s Allen’s first dramatic feature film, Interiors, released in 1978 on the heels of his hugely successful and Oscar-winning masterpiece, Annie Hall, was met with praise by some and head-scratching by others. Most critics, however, acknowledged that the picture was a step the artist needed to take in his evolution as a filmmaker.
Prior to Annie Hall, Allen’s films were zany comedies—the “early funny ones,” as facetiously described in a later work, Stardust Memories. Beginning with Annie, Allen made a quantum leap forward in originality, confidence, and stylistic maturity. He reinvented the romantic comedy. In many ways, Annie Hall is a movie with a European sensibility. It could be argued that Allen’s body of work post-Annie resembles the kind of material made by a director like, say, Francois Truffaut—small, well-written, intimate gems about people,...
- 3/14/2017
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
“Cain, Curtiz, And Crawford”
By Raymond Benson
Mildred Pierce is one curious piece of cinema. As film critics Molly Haskell and Robert Polito point out in their fascinating conversation that is a supplement on this beautifully-presented Blu-ray release from The Criterion Collection, Pierce is a movie that almost doesn’t know what it wants to be. In many ways it is a woman’s picture, that is, a melodrama, but it’s disguised inside a manufactured film noir.
This reasoning is sound, for in spite of novelist James M. Cain being known for terrific pulp crime fiction (Double Indemnity, The Postman Always Rings Twice), his 1941 novel Mildred Pierce is not a crime story, unless you want to say that a young woman having an affair with her stepfather is “criminal.” The book is indeed hardboiled and pulpy, but there is no murder in it.
On the other hand, Michael Curtiz...
By Raymond Benson
Mildred Pierce is one curious piece of cinema. As film critics Molly Haskell and Robert Polito point out in their fascinating conversation that is a supplement on this beautifully-presented Blu-ray release from The Criterion Collection, Pierce is a movie that almost doesn’t know what it wants to be. In many ways it is a woman’s picture, that is, a melodrama, but it’s disguised inside a manufactured film noir.
This reasoning is sound, for in spite of novelist James M. Cain being known for terrific pulp crime fiction (Double Indemnity, The Postman Always Rings Twice), his 1941 novel Mildred Pierce is not a crime story, unless you want to say that a young woman having an affair with her stepfather is “criminal.” The book is indeed hardboiled and pulpy, but there is no murder in it.
On the other hand, Michael Curtiz...
- 2/17/2017
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
“That’S The Glory Of Love”
By Raymond Benson
“You’ve got to live a little, take a little, and let your poor heart break a little—that’s the story of, that’s the glory of love.”
The popular opening song by Billy Hill and sung by Jacqueline Fontaine, “The Glory of Love,” sets the tone for this classic, delightful motion picture that addressed a social issue at the time that we take for granted today—interracial marriage. Hey, in 1967, this was a hot topic. The Supreme Court had decided the Loving vs. Virginia case, which prohibited states from criminalizing interracial marriage, only six months prior to the film’s release (and that legal battle is dramatized in the film Loving, currently in cinemas). Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner was indeed timely, certainly controversial in more conservative areas of the country, and a powerful statement about tolerance and the rights of American citizens.
By Raymond Benson
“You’ve got to live a little, take a little, and let your poor heart break a little—that’s the story of, that’s the glory of love.”
The popular opening song by Billy Hill and sung by Jacqueline Fontaine, “The Glory of Love,” sets the tone for this classic, delightful motion picture that addressed a social issue at the time that we take for granted today—interracial marriage. Hey, in 1967, this was a hot topic. The Supreme Court had decided the Loving vs. Virginia case, which prohibited states from criminalizing interracial marriage, only six months prior to the film’s release (and that legal battle is dramatized in the film Loving, currently in cinemas). Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner was indeed timely, certainly controversial in more conservative areas of the country, and a powerful statement about tolerance and the rights of American citizens.
- 1/27/2017
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
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