Dear Fans Of Film Forno I have decided to post interesting films I come across while rummaging around the Netflix streaming archive. Here’s an easy way to see films that were very hard to see for a long time and to start off my list I choose the films of Jean Rollin.
Unfortunately M. Rollin died last year, he had languished in relative obscurity for a while but was on the verge of a re-discovery when he passed. His semi- erotic fantasy/vampire films are worth checking out. even if it’s only to see what one can do with a castle, a beach, nude girls and very little money.
These films are unique and charming, the violence is underplayed and the erotic, fantastic aspects of these tales takes the fore.I recently watched Shiver Of The Vampire which feels like it may have inspired The Rocky Horror Picture Show. They share a lot of similar elements. Last night I watched Rollin’s first vampire movie,The Rape Of The Vampire, shot in glorious B&W, it was interesting, but I must confess I prefer Shiver with it’s garage band psychedelic score.
Netflix also has Lips Of Blood by Rollin, I haven’t checked it out yet but I will. So here’s your chance to view the work of a semi-obscure independent filmmaker, an obsessed visionary that returned to the very same beach to shoot the climax for almost all his films. Check them out.
See The skinny hippie vampire chick emerge from a Grandfather’s Clock at Midnite!
I watched this the other night and I must say it was a lot of fun. A 70’s Nudie movie with a great score by Charles Bernstein. The movie is worth watching for the music alone, a kind of Nashville session with a female chorus, really cool. Bernstein composed the scores for White Lightning, Gator and The Entity among many others. And his music is used by Quentin Tarantinio a lot as well.
The script for Invasion Of The Bee Girls was written by the writer/director of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , Nicholas Meyer. I guess Meyer was inspired by the term “B Girl” ( A woman employed by a bar to get patrons to buy her drinks), Meyer let fantasy take over and transformed them to Bee Girls. Mutant crossbreeds of bees and women. The sexual mores of the period are on display and are fascinating. There is a very sexy transformation sequence in which the victim is stripped naked, slathered in white goo by other bee women and subjected to radiation, all inside a geodesic dome with flashing laboratory equipment. A great sequence.
Another treat, it features Victoria Vetri, Playmate, actress, sex kitten.
She was later put on trial for murdering her husband. The great thing is it’s available on Netflicks streaming so you can watch it anytime. Check it out.
I got an email announcing the release of a CD, Maurice Jarre’s score to the incredible Sundays and Cybele. The music has been re-recorded by Robert Lafond and the example I heard was very faithful to the original. It’s been a while since I’ve seen this amazing film but I do remember being struck by the soundtrack, especially some intriguing electronic tonalities.
This score so impressed Sam Spiegal that he hired Jarre to score Lawrence Of Arabia. It’s wonderful that his music from this forgotten gem is being brought to life once again. I had the distinct pleasure of working with Mr. Jarre on a film a few years back, Michael Cimino’s The Sunchaser. He was a warm, sensitive person and his score was great. All the musicians at the scoring stage were in awe of him. It was magical to hear his music come to life. Thanks to Clement Fontaine for bringing this to my attention. He is the producer of the album entitled Unpublished French Film Music available on Disques Cinemusique . See The Movie, Listen To The Score.
An intrepid band of young filmmakers got together and made a Western, it’s called The Scarlet Worm. Now they have a distribution deal, congratulations! The Scarlet Worm is an enjoyable foray into Morality Western Style, a gun, a Bible, a whorehouse, a killer with a conscience, a Scripture spouting abortionist. Very creative spin on the genre. Standout performers: Dan Van Husen, Aaron Stielstra, Kevin Giffin, Montgomery Ford, David Lambert, Mike Malloy. Impressive wide screen cinematography by Mike Martinez. Great production design and locations, these guys do a lot with a little, it’s difficult to pull off a period film without a big budget and their results are very impressive. I also thought the practical gunshot effects were outstanding, when someone gets shot you feel it. Lead actor Stielstra composed the score as well and it’s very good, atmospheric, lyrical, it elevates the film. An excellent script by David Lambert explores Religion, Spirituality, Morality, in a classic Western drama, fraught with unexpected twists and creative soliloquies that contrast Biblical verse and natural science and become the basis for man’s rationalization of his horrible behavior. Director Michael Fredianelli assembled a talented cast of actors and artisans and pulled off a coup. The Scarlet Worm will be distributed by Unearthed Films later this year (I got a chance to view an advanced screener). Check it out as soon as you can.
Fassbinders epic SciFi filmWorld On A Wire will screen at LACMA , Saturday August 20th at 7:30 pm. The recently restored 3 1/2 hour movie screened for the first time at the Museum of Modern Art last year, now it’s here in LA, being shown at the endangered LACMA film series. It looks like classic Fassbinder, check out the trailer. All the info can be found here.
Here is the 3rd installment in my Val Lewton article extravaganza! This time it’s from Life Magazine. It’s mainly about Bedlam , the last of Lewton’s films for RKO, notable for it’s use of Hogarth prints as inspiration. Then there’s a short section on Lewton and a great photo of him in a screening room. Val got a lot of good press. Lewton constantly amazed his contemporaries by producing quality period films on a minuscule budget. His techniques are still well worth studying .
As promised, I’m posting a scan of another article about the great Val Lewton. This one is from Liberty magazine back in 1946. This was just after Lewton left RKO for Paramount, where he would be morassed in political intrigue and backbiting. It was not a good move for Val. This article is sort of an overview of the Horror film genre with special emphasis on Lewton. By the way I just got another old film magazine with an article on Curse Of The Cat People and a remembrance by DeWitt Bodeen, writer of said film. I’ll post that one soon as well.
Here as promised is a scan of a great article from an old issue of The Velvet Light Trap. Mark Robson describing his early days at RKO, where he worked his way up in the editorial department and eventually was given a shot at directing by Val Lewton. Those were the days, Robson’s accomplishments as an editor should not be overlooked, his work on I walked wih a Zombie and Cat people is nothing short of genius. He invented an amazing optical trick that is used in both films and I’ve never heard anyone discuss, it’s a transitional wipe that creates an undercurrent of fear and unease in the audience, I described it in my piece on Cat People. Robson and Robert Wise formed a production company after they left RKO , Lewton was supposed to be a part of it but was kicked out by his former proteges, two men he had raised up from editor to director. I don’t know all the details but Robert Wise said he regretted not telling Val in person. I guess they got rid of him by messenger. Too bad, Lewton’s wife said it devastated him and he passed away soon after. If anyone knows the true story write in and let us all know, set the record straight on what seems, on the surface at least, to be a grave injustice or business as usual in Hollywood, U.S.A. Click here for the article.Velvet Light Trap Robsen
Here’s a link to an article about composer Daniele Luppi, the photo was shot by my wife Heather D’Augustine and he’s sitting in my car, a 1972 Citroen Maserati. Check it out here.
My good pal Daniele Luppi was asked by the L.A. Film Festival to program a Spaghetti Western with a score he admired and he picked a classic, Sergio Corbucci’s epic Navajo Joe or as it was also called A Dollar A Head. See a young handsome Burt Reynolds give an incredible physical performance as an angry Indian out for revenge. Burt was a stunt man before he became a huge star and he executes some incredible feats in this film. Sergio Corbucci , one of the top directors of Italian Westerns , 2nd only to the greatest Sergio, Sergio Leone, delivers a violent, action packed film, a worthy companion to his masterpiece, The Grand Silence. And Ennio Morricone’s iconic score will blow you away.The vocal stylings of Alessandro Alessandroni’s choral group I Cantori Moderni, are used to amazing effect. Go See It! Downtown Friday Night June 24th, 10:15 pm at the Downtown Independent Theater. Here’s the info.
I just scored a copy of Liberty magazine from 1946 that has an extensive article about the great Val Lewton, I’ll be posting scans of it soon, along with scans from a Life magazine article of similar vintage, I also got a copy of The Velvet Light Trap, a wonderful magazine that specialized in film history, interpretation, appreciation,and criticiscm. This issue features an interview with Mark Robson about his RKO days. Coming Soon to a computer near you! Look For It!
Terrence Malik’s Tree Of Life has taken the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival. Bravo! This is the first time in years that I am excited about seeing a new film at the theater! I can’t wait to experience it.
                            The Figure Of Sean Penn in A Landscape
