Film Forno

Here is the trailer for Jacque Becker’s classic noir Touchez Pas Au Grisbi (Don’t Touch The Grisbi). Grisbi is french gangster slang for treasure and this movie is just that. Incredible locations, atmosphere, and cinematography, great performences, excellent direction all add up to a top notch french Film Noir.

Jean Gabin was past his prime, washed up, a has-been. Nobody gave him a second thought anymore, word on the street: He’s through! Becker brought him back big time! After this film he was back on top and coasted through his golden years a renascent star. Lino Ventura was a pro wrestler, he had been injured so he was managing wrestlers. Someone suggested him to Becker for the part of a gangster. Becker approacher Ventura, he hadn’t ever acted, he said “No Dice!”, Becker persisted and thus one of the greatest Cinema actors of all time was born! If you don’t believe me check out Melvilles L’ Armée des ombres (Army of Shadows).

Jesse’s Uncle

Not only that but I believe this was Jeanne Moreau’s first screen appearence. You can’t beat this pedigree with a stick!

Moreau in The Middle

You can’t lose, put both of these films in your Netflix cue. You’ll be picking your feet in Poughkipse with delight. The only caveat, Gabin is a pretty old guy, he’s cool but he’s gotta be 65 or so and all of these stunning young babes are throwing themselves at him. I mean if that’s how it really was in Paris circa 1954 then get me a time machine! Also my pal Guillaume has a cat named Grisbi, I asked him what does that mean? He told me about this film, one of his all time favorites. I had it on my Netflix cue for years and about 6 months ago they got it! So sit back, uncork a nice Chateau-Neuf-de- Pape (French gangster’s favorite Red), smear some pate on toast, hole up in your hideout, and have a picnic with Gabin, Moreau, Ventura et al.

Here’s the title sequence from Bullitt. It was done by, guess who, the amazing Pablo Ferro. Steve McQueen saw a Peter Yates film called The Great Train Robbery and hired Peter for this movie. McQueen knew Pablo’s work and hired him for the credits. It’s a super cool credit sequence. Check it out.

Peter Yates told me that when they shot the finale to the great car chase, where the bad guys crash into a gas station and get blown to Kingdom Come, they had 5 cameras shooting it. At the last minute they decided to put one more camera in a cement filled industrial drum in the station, in harm’s way. Well as usual with a big pyrotechnic rig something went wrong. A stunt driver was towing the bad guys car with a cable and was to release it just before the gas station. The car was supposed to hit the gas pumps and a pyro guy was to hit the button blowing everything sky high. The car was released a little prematurely, the pyro guy hit the button, everything went KA-BOOM, but you could clearly see the gas station exploding before the car hit the pumps, they cursed their luck, thinking of what a drag it would be to rebuild the station. The next day at dailies, lo and behold, the footage from the camera added at the last minute, the one in the cement filled drum looked great, you couldn’t tell everything blew up too soon and that is the shot used in the final movie!

Good Luck Trying to Remake This Chase

The great stunt driver Bill Hickman drove the Mopar chase car, he was a driver for James Dean’s race team and was driving the station wagon follow car when Dean was killed. Hickman also did the car chase in The French Connection, another classic. Bud Ekins did the motorcycle stunt in Bullitt, sliding on the highway, he also did the motorcycle jump in The Great Escape and drove the truck on the rope suspension bridge in Friedkin’s Sorcerer. Bud was a good friend of Steve McQueen’s.

McQueen at the wheel of his killer Mustang

Recently McQueen’s first wife re-released a book she wrote about him. In it she says (and I agree) “Steve was like a wild animal” his screen presence always reminded me of footage of an animal in the jungle. The actor who I think was most like a wild animal though, would have to be the great Bruce Lee. He’s like a Cheetah or a leopard when he strikes and I think this phenomenon has a lot to do with both actors undying popularity.

Lee driving a Shelby Cobra

I love this movie! Almost non-stop action, not one but two excellent bank robberies, frenetic car chases, beatings, rapes, shootings, you name it’s got it! But seriously it’s the characters that are the best thing about this movie. Maurizio Merli is one hot head, ass kicking , tough cop! He will slap a punk silly in the blink of an eye, he has the most hair trigger temper you’ve ever seen.

Go ahead punk, make my day

He’s the perfect foil for Tomas Milian. Milian plays an evil, amoral hunchback. He’s a cold blooded killer,but he’s kind of charming in his own repellant way. This is an amazing physical performence! The shambling gait, his obsequious posture when dealing with Merli. He’s like the villan from Dirty Harry and Joe Pesci from GoodFellas rolled into one person. We meet him at his job in a slaughter house! What an intro.

The Butcher Of Rome

Coolest Car in Cinema- Le Citroen
A family that cares for him. Merli has no one, no family and his girl friend leaves town to think things out. Merli does have one pal, a fellow detective but of course he sacrafices his life saving Merli’s. The last criminal hunchback I can recall was James Whitmore in Jhon Huston’s immortal classic The Asphalt Jungle.

Lenzi calls in a cameo

The score by Franco Micalizzi is spot on! Super 70’s synth funk Italian Style. I was working on Kill Bill and Quentin says ” Hey Joe, you want to go see some Italian crime films at the Cinematech tonight?” I say yeah, of course! And we saw this gem and The Cynic, The Rat, and The Fist. Cut to last year I’m working on Death Proof, QT puts a cool piece of music under the big car chase when the girls are out to get Kurt Russel. It’s the music from Roma A Mano Armata. QT says, “I’ve been wanting to use that music ever since we went to that screening!” So if you’re in the mood for a crazy ride check out Roma A Mano Armata. Tomas Milian will blow you away!

The deaths of these two maestros got me thinking. Do young people today watch their films or even know who they are? A friend of a friend teaches a film course at a prestigous art college, according to him students are not that interested in classic Cinema from the 50’s and 60’s. They barely know Fellini let alone Antonioni. Although he reports that there seems to be a lot of interest in Kubrick among film students. Also a lot of young people find these art films boring, not just Antonioni but Truffaut and Godard as well! And I’m not talking about dumb people, these are college educated young professionals. To make matters worse there’s an article in the NY Times today lamenting the lack of Antonioni titles on DVD. So even if people want to see his films, they can’t. When I was a young cinephile these two were Titans on the horizon of Film. Are people less interested in intellectually challenging films? Is this a symptom of the dumbing down of world culture? Only Time will Tell.

The powerful presence of Steve Cochran graces an early Antonioni effort “Il Grido”

Antonioni with the workhorse of Italian Cinema- the Arri IIc

Michelangelo Antonioni, maestro of Cinema is dead. His last film Beyond The Clouds (1994) was made when he was 82 and still suffering from the debilitating effects of a stroke. A high priest in the Church of Cinema. Passion for silver nitrate, Zeiss lenses, xenon, carbon arc,spark of intense light, a silver screen, a huge dark room.

Buona Notte Maestro.

The great Ingmar Bergman has died. His dreams and existentialism made for some great Cinema. The austere spirit of shooting wide open. Liv Ullman’s eyes, her lips. Persona. Sawdust and Tinsel. I saw The Seventh Seal and The Virgin Spring on the Million Dollar Movie when I was a kid. They blew my mind.

Peace be with you, Ingmar.

I wanted to talk about The Hustler. A great film, just look at the talent involved, Robert Rossen, a genius socially conscious writer/director.

Smilin’ Bob Rossen

“Dede, stop pishing with the mustard!”

He battled back from the Blacklist and made some excellent films. Paul Newman, Jackie Gleason, George C. Scott, Piper Laurie, all tremendous in this film. Eugen Schufftan, the great cinematographer, inventor of the Schufftan process, an in camera special effects technique used on Metropolis and many other films.

Eugen Schufftan

Lang’s Metropolis

Dede Allen, this was the first film where her incredible talents as an editor were clearly on display, as a matter of fact I would nominate this film as the greatest editing job in Cinema! It is that good!

DeDe Allen

Where’s that trim!

The incredible plasticity of Schufftan’s images, the atmospheric pool games, the glowing, magical cue ball dancing on the velvet felt of the table, cracking at just the right moment, then freezing on a heart pounding emotional note from Newman. Jumping back to life and swinging us into this irresistible story of a young man’s talent and drive to be the best.

Killing The Dragon

Then once you’re hooked, Rossen steps in with his monsters, George C. Scott, an evil wizard from a psychaitrist’s couch, putting a spell on Newman, controlling him, destroying his relationship with Piper Laurie.

Scott and Gleason- The Sorcerer and his Golem

Jackie Gleason, a dragon breathing smoke in the dungeonlike pool halls. When Paul Newman as Fast Eddie comes back to do battle with him, he looks like a knight with his lance, St George, vanquishing the Serpent.

Newman Pays The Piper

Also the montages are among the best ever put together, little camera moves from clocks dissolving to pool balls dissolving to the incredible faces of the rouges gallery watching the game, pure visual poetry. Everyone involved at the top of their game. I’ve heard Rossen asked Dede to watch Godard’s Breathless and the liberating editing techniques of that film inspired her to towering heights of creativity. Dede had just finished Odds Against Tomorrow for Robert Wise before starting this film and it is interesting to compare the two in terms of editing. Odds is a great film, cited by Jean Pierre Melville as a personal favorite, the editing is excellent but only in some unorthodox(for it’s time) sound cutting( prelapping incoming sound on scene transitions for ex.) does it hint at the revolutionary brilliance of The Hustler. If you’re interested in editing The Hustler is a must see film, it was shot in CinemaScope so hopefully a museum or revival house will screen it and you can see it as it was meant to be seen.

Okay, I just found the complete list of Spaghetti Westerns that are screening at the 2007 Venice Film Festival. I have been invited to attend by Quentin Tarantino, we’ve worked together several times and he knows how much I love this genre. I brought QT to the NuArt to see the restored version of The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly which I had worked on as a film editor and he was impressed. I think that’s part of the reason why he invited me. Anyway I will be blogging about all these films so stay tuned in!

Biennale Cinema 64th Venice Film Festival Spaghetti Western

Spaghetti Western – Secret History of Italian Cinema 4
The films (in chronological order):

Antes llega la muerte (1964) by Joaquin Luis Romero Marchent
100.000 dollari per Ringo (1965) by Alberto De Martino
Il ritorno di Ringo (1965) by Duccio Tessari
Ringo del Nebraska (1965) by Mario Bava and Antonio Román
Un dollaro bucato (1965) by Giorgio Ferroni
Django (1965) – Uncut – by Sergio Corbucci
The Bounty Killer (1966) by Eugenio Martin
La resa dei conti (1966) by Sergio Sollima
Navajo Joe (1966) by Sergio Corbucci
Sugar Colt (1966) by Franco Giraldi
Un fiume di dollari (1966) by Carlo Lizzani
Yankee (1966) by Tinto Brass
10 000 dollari per un massacro (1967) by Romolo Guerrieri
El Desperado (1967) by Franco Rossetti
Il tempo degli avvoltoi (1967) by Nando Cicero
La morte non conta i dollari (1967) by Riccardo Freda
Se sei vivo spara (1967) – Uncut – by Giulio Questi
Ognuno per sé (1967) by Giorgio Capitani
Preparati la bara (1967) by Ferdinando Baldi
Tepepa (1968) by Giulio Petroni
Una lunga fila di croci (1968) by Sergio Garrone
E Dio disse a Caino (1969) by Antonio Margheriti
La taglia è tua l’uomo l’ammazzo io (1969) by Edoardo Mulargia
Lo chiamavano Trinità (1970) by Enzo Barboni
Matalo! (1970) by Cesare Canevari
Vamos a matar companeros (1970) by Sergio Corbucci
La vendetta è un piatto che si serve freddo (1971) by Pasquale Squitieri
Il grande duello (1972) by Giancarlo Santi
Il mio nome è Shangai Joe (1973) by Mario Caiano
Una ragione per vivere e una per morire (1973) by Tonino Valerii
I quattro dell’apocalisse (1975) by Lucio Fulci
Keoma (1976) by Enzo G. Castellari

Quentin told me that he’s trying to arrange DVD distribution for all these titles. I wish they could have a limited theatrical run as well! Wouldn’t that be great, seeing some of these babies in a theater with an audience, the way they were meant to be seen! By the way a few days ago I posted about meeting Leonard Mann, and now I find out that one of his westerns is going to screen at Venice! La vendetta è un piatto che si serve freddo(Revenge is a Dish Served Cold) (1971) by Pasquale Squitieri, how cool is that! I will be podcasting an interview with him after I get back.
p.s. The name of Leonard’s western is similar to a Klingon proverb at the begining of Kill Bill, vol.1

I’m writing about a little known but great movie, Andre de Toth’s Pitfall. A noir gem, hard to see but worth the effort! I got a laser disc copy, I don’t think it’s on DVD yet. It features great performences by Dick Powell, Lizabeth Scott, Raymond Burr ( in his first meaty role), and Jane Wyatt ( who steals the show!). There’s something about these European directors that came here in the 40’s, like Billy Wilder. They could see through all the moralistic bullshit and make films that dealt with emotional realities, truths, not whitewashed happy ending sentimental dreck. Pitfall delivers, it’s a classic noir tale, we start with a happy American family, Dad, Mom, and Junior.

The American Dream

Dad is an insurance investigator, one of his operatives is Raymond Burr, a creepy simian in an oversized suit.

The Look OF Lust For Lizabeth

They investigate sexy model Lizabeth Scott, (who we first see in revealling short shorts). It seems Scott’s husband embezzeled funds from his employer so he could keep Scott in minks and speedboats and other luxurious items. Now investigator Dick must reclaim said booty. Unfortunately for him he is mesmerized by Scott’s booty and after a hair raising ride in her speedy motorboat he’s hooked like a Marlin off Mexico. The first phase of the Film Noir Formula, Femme Fatale in need attracts chump with a lot to lose.

Dig those noir Venetian blinds

But don’t forget about dear old Raymond Burr, he’s got the hots for Lizabeth himself, he even warns Dick to keep away. But maybe this fans Dick’s flame even more! Liz tells Burr she wants nothing to do with him but that doesn’t stop him, he stalks her, follows her, waits for her on her doorstep. He’s like a large drooling chimpanzee ogling her everywhere she goes. He even shows up at her work (she’s a department store model) and insists to the madam, I mean matron that she model a dress for him, it’s a creepy degrading scene, you’re going to love it!

The Shining Object Of Desire

Burr kicks the shit out of Dick, waylaying him as he’s parking his car in his garage! The low down lily livered skunk! But Dick gets revenge, once Jane has healed him up, he heads over to Burr’s apartment and as soon as Ray opens his door, Dick coldcocks him! Very satisfying!

Director de Toth shows Dick Powell how to slug big bad Burr

Also Burr rats on Dick, working up Lizabeth’s husband who’s rotting in jail! Burr plays Iago to Liz’s husband’s Othello. When the guy gets out he’s ready to kill! He attacks Dick’s home late one night! I won’t reveal how it all turns out, you have to see this for yourself but I will say that Jane Wyatt, the mom from Father Knows Best delivers a rare true performence, like what a real woman would do if she finds out the man she loves had an affair. It’s beautiful just like her.

How could anyone cheat on a wife like this?

Also this movie has some of the best noir dialouge of all time! There are some great lines in here. I’d rate it just under Out Of The Past for noir dialouge excellence. Andre de Toth, the one-eyed Hungarian has served up a delicious dark noir, flecked with Americana and accented with European worldliness. Uncork some Tokay, drink, watch, enjoy.

Here’s the trailer for Roman Polanski’s masterpiece Chinatown. I worked with several individuals from this film on the film Mobsters. Doc Erickson, a producer who also played the banker in the barbershop that Jack Nicholson almost gets in a fight with and Dick Sylbert, the genius production designer. James Hong, the great actor who plays Kahn, Faye Dunaway’s faithful manservant appears in my film One Night With You. I’m hoping to do a podcast interview with James sometime soon and I’ll post more on that soon. I also am working on a post featuring an interview with Dick Sylbert about the locations used in Chinatown. Keep your eyes peeled for that one. Finally I’d like to offer a bit of information about the last line in the movie, the scene takes place on North Spring Street just south of Ord Street, in front of the old Yimmy Lu’s. One of Jake’s operatives is leading a dazed Jack Nicholson away when he turns to him and says “Forget it Jake. It’s Chinatown.” This line was spoken to Jacob Riis, a photographer and reformer working to help poor immigrants at the turn of the century in New York City. He tried to infiltrate Chinatown and bring about some changes but he had no luck penetrating the closed off culture of the Chinese immigrants. A detective uttered those exact same words to Mr. Riis in an attempt at consolation.

Here is the trailer for Tristana, an incredible film by the Surrealist maestro and maker of the world’s driest Martini, Luis Bunuel. Fernando Rey is excellent and Catherine Deneuve gives an incredible performance. When I see an actress give her all like this I cannot help but be moved. Deneuve, one of the most beautiful actresses of all time, but not worried if she looks good or are they portraying her in an unflattering way. She sublimates her ego for the sake of the film, you can’t ask more of an actor (especially a beautiful movie star). I’m reminded of Isabella Rossellini in Blue Velvet. Her courageous performance made that film great.
Check out Tristana, it has one of the most original endings in Cinema! Bunuel understood this rule of Dramaturgy that descends from the Deus Ex Machina, at the end of the play or movie, you can have anything happen. God can come down and strike someone dead, you don’t have to explain it, it’s over, THE END.

Here is the trailer for Black Sunday and a short trailer for Eraserhead. I think they rate a comparison. The images are kind of similar. An obsession with texture, skin, mortified flesh, mud, decay, decomposition, punctured heads, a sexual revulsion, irresistable, much to the horror of the aroused. Bava’s tells a story, a vampire story that ends with the death of the monster. A monster brought to life by a drop of blood dripped into the eye socket of the corpse of the once beautiful, sexually voracious vampire. Eraserhead tells a story of a monster, brought to life by sperm ejaculated into a vagina. I have a theory, once upon a time David Lynch lived in Philadelphia, the mid 60’s. He experimented with mind altering drugs, LSD for example. He went to a run down movie theater and watched Mario Bava’s La Maschera del Demonio, released in America as Black Sunday. It had a profound effect on him, like Bava he became a master of the Art/Horror film.