|
DEJA RE-VU
"THE ASSASSINATION BUREAU" If 007 was issued his license to kill during the Edwardian era, his spy escapades, with the light-heartedness cranked up, might look something like this. Based on a Jack London ("Call of the Wild," "The Sea Wolf") tale that was set in America, the movie shifts the action to Europe. It presents the magnetic character Sonia Winter, journalist and women's rights activist (Rigg). She's on a mission to derail the London-based Assassination Bureau Limited, which executes powerful people, but only if they're clearly evil. She convinces her formidable boss, publishing magnate Lord Bostwick (Telly Savalas).to let her write an exposé. Winter has decided that the best way to halt the Bureau's murderous organization is to cut off its head. Having tracked down the headquarters, she hires the firm to assassinate its own chairman of the board, Ivan Dragomiloff. Dragomiloff relishes the challenge. The other board members will attempt to slay him. And perhaps it's an opportunity for Dragomiloff to rid the Bureau of those who have become more interested in profits than the company's original lofty aims. Ultimately, Winter and Dragomiloff are drawn together by the need to avert a world war and the urge to spark a little romance. A bomb aboard a zeppelin sets the stage for the spectacular climax. There's a surprising chemistry between Rigg and Reed. The brawny Reed, who often played villainous roles, here serves as the leading man, spicing up his charm with an air of menace. Rigg, as she did in the classic TV spy spoof "The Avengers," gives her role pluckiness, independence, strength and confidence. More than holding her own against the antagonist, she's ahead of her time. But the film would have benefitted by giving her even more to do, particularly towards the end. Savalas brings a bigger-than-life presence to the role of the press baron. There are innumerable comic bits delivered delightfully by a host of familiar character actors. The film contains ample violence, but the macabre humor offsets that element. Director Basil Rearden ("Dead of Night," "The Mind Benders," "Masquerade," "The Persuaders!" TV series) does a masterful job of balancing the movie's contrasting components and keeping the pace brisk. He captures the spirit of the time's British cinema, reflected by works of Tony Richardson, Bryan Forbes and Richard Lester. Set design and cinematography contribute to the extraordinary visual appeal. The ironically wholesome, easy listening theme song, "Life Is a Precious Thing," with music by Ron Grainer ("Doctor Who") adds another smirk and wink to the movie's winning tone. As always, Arrow's extras are not to be missed. The 30-minute "Right Film, Wrong Time" offers insights from Matthew Sweet -- not the 90s alt-rock singer/songwriter, but the critic/cultural historian. He documents the long and winding history of London's "The Assassination Bureau, Ltd," how author Jack London, in 1910, purchased the story idea from another great writer, Sinclair Lewis, worked on it, couldn't find a satisfactory ending and died with the book unfinished. It was later completed by Robert L. Fish and published in 1963. Also among the bonus features are the original trailers and a fun new commentary track featuring authors Sean Hogan and Kim Newman. "The Assassination Bureau" deserves broader acclaim and Arrow's sparkling Blu-ray release gives viewers the perfect chance to enjoy this highly entertaining, tongue-in-cheek film.
"BLACK SUNDAY" That should be no surprise, as the 1977 film is based on the debut novel by Thomas Harris, who went on to pen "Silence of the Lambs." The screenplay was co-written by Ernest Lehman, responsible for the scripts of such Hitchcock classics as "North By Northwest." Also working on the "Black Sunday" screenplay was Kenneth Ross, who had earned acclaim for the spine-tingling "The Day of the Jackal." In the director's chair was the great John Frankenheimer. He had previously helmed the politically-oriented thrillers "The Manchurian Candidate" and "Seven Days in May," as well as "French Connection II." These talents generate an electrical current of tension that lasts from the opening frames to the end credits. Combining elements of disaster pictures -- so popular in the mid-70s -- and espionage thrillers, the film depicts a terrorist threat to the Super Bowl. Marthe Keller ("Marathon Man") plays an operative for Palestinian terror group Black September (who had, in real life, carried out the attack on Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics). She's fierce, uncompromising and willing to use her body to further her destructive exploits. The script makes her far more than a cardboard villain. She's a complex character, driven by tragedies to wreak havoc on those she perceives as enemies. Keller has enlisted Bruce Dern ("Coming Home," "Silent Running"), emotionally scarred from his lengthy incarceration as a POW in the Vietnam War. He too seeks revenge on the government, family and society he feels has turned their backs on him and other veterans. Dern and Keller have concocted a devious plan to use the Goodyear Blimp to unleash mass destruction at the upcoming Super Bowl in Miami. Trying to thwart them are two Mossad agents, Robert Shaw and Steven Keats, as well as FBI agent Fritz Weaver. Shaw's conflicted character has grown weary of all the violence. Early in the film, he has a chance to gun down Keller. He freezes and decides to let her live. That decision could prove to be very costly. Scenes shot at the Super Bowl are particularly impressive, not to mention anxiety-inducing, as calamity approaches. There is football action that brings the audiences right onto the field. Fans will spot members of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys, such as Franco Harris and Roger Staubach. Dolphins owner Joe Robbie even has a couple of lines. The NFL gave the filmmakers a rare amount of access. The film achieves an unnerving level of realism. Hand-held and hidden cameras in crowd scenes help Frankenheimer give portions of the film a documentary feel. Though he is so effective with action sequences, Frankenheimer never forgets the importance of characterization and narrative thread. By the way, Frankenheimer has a cameo as the TV director in the mobile booth at the game. Adding to the tautness is a forceful score by John Williams, who uses some themes similar to those of Elmer Bernstein. The movie also benefits tremendously by John A. Alonzo's cinematography and the stunning special effects and stunts. The cast is terrific. Shaw, Keller, Weaver and Keats all give their roles dimension and depth. But it's Dern who steals the picture. His deranged terrorist ranks among the most disconcerting of the many psychotic characters he memorably played in the early stages of his career. Though he's certainly scary in the film, he also manages to justify a hint of viewer sympathy and generates a bit of sardonic humor. Among Arrow's invaluable extras are a fact-packed audio commentary by film historian Josh Nelson; "It Could Be Tomorrow," a visual essay by Sergio Angelini, providing interesting information on the project's development and production; and a featurette on the director's body of work, which includes interview clips with Frankenheimer himself, as well as Kirk Douglas, Rod Steiger, Frank Sinatra, Samuel L. Jackson, Frederic Forrest, Clarence Williams III, Ann-Margret, Salome Jens and producer Martin Manulis. Produced by Robert Evans ("Rosemary's Baby," "The Godfather," "Chinatown"), "Black Sunday" is sometimes confused with the far inferior "Two-Minute Warning," a Charlton Heston-starrer about a sniper loose in a filled football stadium. That latter movie, very forgettable, was released a few months prior to "Black Sunday," an attempt to cash in on the premise. That may have cut into the "Black Sunday" grosses and reception. It's time that "Black Sunday" is recognized for being one of the era's top thrillers. The new Arrow edition, maximizing the visuals and sound, makes the impact even greater. Experience this edge-of-your-seat, thought-provoking movie.
"THE HOUSE THAT SCREAMED" "The House That Screamed" (aka "The Finishing School" and "La Residencia") may surprise audiences. In the U.S., distributor American International Pictures, as they invariably did, chose a sensational approach to publicity, from the new title to poster art. But the movie itself, artfully created by Spanish writer/director Narciso Ibáñez Serrador, takes a relatively subtle approach. The film is set in a boarding school for wayward and unwanted teen girls. The strict headmistress, Señora Fourneau, (Lili Palmer) tolerates no nonsense. Punishment is harsh, including, for the most insubordinate, flogging. Despite being subjected to prison-like regulations, as well as religious doctrine, the students' adolescent desires can't be completely repressed. One clever sequence shows their lasciviousness carrying over into their sewing practice. As Fourneau tries to restrict and reform these youths, to drill into them how to behave like proper young ladies, she's abetted by her protégé, the sadistic Irene Tapon (Mary Maude). Tapon has turned her attention to the new girl, the sweet and innocent Teresa Garan (Cristina Galbó). Tapon and her smirking sidekicks bully Garan. They mock her, because her mother is a cabaret singer, which they equate with being a prostitute. As if Fourneau didn't have enough of a challenge dealing with the more rebellious among her charges, she must fret about her teen son, Luis (John Moulder-Brown). She doesn't want him near the girls. She reminds him that one day, he will find the perfect girl, one who's worthy of him, who's like his own dear, adoring, if overbearing mother. In the meantime, he revels in his hobby, being a Peeping Tom. One of Spain's first horror exports, the film was a huge hit in its homeland, as well as in South America. It's lesser known in America. But perhaps Arrow's release will help to remedy that. The score by Waldo de los Rios helps to build suspense. The violence is depicted in as tasteful a manner as possible, though there are still shocking moments. There are suggestions of lesbianism and incest, but those elements are left to the imagination. Despite some irritating plot holes, the stylish direction, lush cinematography, sharp twists and interesting characterizations lift the film far above ordinary horror fare. The acting is also top-notch. Palmer gives us an idea of what's seething beneath the surface of the intimidating headmistress. Maude makes Tupan a character we love to hate. She also skillfully makes the transition from victimizer to victim. Moulder-Brown, then 15, mixes the right amount of peculiarity with his boyish charm. Arrow's excellent extras include an engaging audio commentary by critic Anna Bogutskaya, trailers and TV spots, as well as fairly recent interviews with cast members Moulder-Brown and Maude. Be sure to watch those after you've already seen the film, as there are spoilers galore. There's an insightful discussion with Spanish horror expert Dr. Antonio Lázaro-Reboll. Segments with the director's son and the author of the original story are in Spanish with English subtitles. You'll also find alternative footage from the original Spanish theatrical version.
Serrador has been referred to as the Spanish Hitchcock and the master's sensibility is evident here. "The House That Screamed" has proven to be very influential, inspiring, in the following decade and beyond, Italian giallo and American slasher films. But Serrador's more subdued, sophisticated technique, partially necessitated by Spanish censorship of the time, makes this movie deliciously disturbing.
"STEPHEN STILLS LIVE AT BERKELEY 1971" After Stills created enduring, ahead-of-its time music with Buffalo Springfield from 1966 to 1968, Crosby, Stills & Nash created a sensation in 1969. Their impact only grew upon adding Neil Young. In 1970, Stills issued a successful, self-titled solo album and soon embarked on his first solo tour. The new album captures Stills in his prime, full of fire, his guitar solos soaring, the edge in his voice ramping up each song's intensity. His blend of folk, rock, blues and soul is difficult to resist. He opens with a galvanizing delivery of "Love The One You're With," the smash from his first solo record. The acoustic exuberance continues with convincing performances of such great Stills tunes as "Do For The Others" and the country-flavored "Jesus Gave Love Away for Free." A highlight of the concert comes when David Crosby ambles on stage and joins Stills for spellbinding renditions of Stills' "You Don't Have to Cry" and Crosby's "The Lee Shore." Their harmonizing is, as always, boundlessly beguiling. Among other standouts are the banjo-driven "Know You've Got to Run," blues-bathed "Black Queen" and a combo of the CSN-recorded "49 Bye-Byes" with Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth," the iconic Stills number, one that spoke to and for a generation in the 60s. The electric portion of the set reaches a zenith as the Memphis Horns augment the top-notch band. They take flight on such tracks as "Bluebird Revisited," "Lean on Me" and the Santana-like "Cherokee," which Joe Lala's percussion, complementing Dallas Taylor's drumming, helps to fuel. The album captures high-octane Stills, a force of nature.
ALLAN CLARKE - "I'LL NEVER FORGET" Clarke co-wrote and sang lead on many of the most memorable recordings by the Hollies, 1960s British Invasion stars and members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It's his voice that made such songs as "I'm Alive" and "Look Through Any Window" so electrifying. Nagging problems with his vocal cords and a cancer battle being waged by his wife prompted him to retire from the music business in 1999. But he returned 20 years later with a solo album, "Resurgence." Now he's back with his finest solo effort, "I'll Never Forget," which teams him on an album project with fellow founding member of the Hollies, Graham Nash, for the first time in decades. Their voices blend beautifully, just as they did as teens, emulating the Everly Brothers. Clarke, who mesmerized with his lead on "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother," now tends to sing in a bit lower register, but he's just as effective as ever. His vocals brim with intensity and sincerity. And this is his best batch of songs since he was co-writing Hollies hits like "Carrie Anne," "On a Carousel" and "Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress." The new collection features a number of strong, dramatic power ballads. Among the most striking are "When Love Walked Out The Room" and "Maybe The Next Time." "You Shine a Light" glows with a spiritual resonance. "Let's Take This Back to Bed" is a catchy country ditty. Nash's harmonies shine on such tunes as the title song, "I'll Never Forget," "Movin' On," which has a CSN vibe, and the Everlys-influenced, countrified "The Presence of You," the first love song Clarke has written for Jennifer, his wife of 59 years (although her name was used for the Hollies' Clarke/Nash-penned "Jennifer Eccles," the "Eccles" referring to Nash's 60s spouse, Rose Eccles). The one Nash composition here, the infectious "Buddy's Back," is an homage to Buddy Holly, after whom the Hollies were named. With galloping drums and twangy, propulsive guitar, it bounces along with a Crickets energy. It's a joy to hear the two Hollies mates collaborating again. Two especially forceful tracks bookend the album -- the opener, "You Need Someone to Save You" and the closing "Who Am I?" These are epic, soaring productions with powerhouse Clarke vocals. Remarkably, at age 81, Clarke has hit another peak in his creativity. Long underrated outside of the U.K., he deserves much more attention with this new album, "I'll Never Forget." His material is moving and compelling. Allan Clarke should never be forgotten.
THE ZOMBIES - "DIFFERENT GAME" Like Allan Clarke, the band's lead vocalist Colin Blunstone (who turns 78 on June 24, 2023) defies time and aging. His voice is more potent, more expressive, more riveting than ever. He's a true wonderment. Also lifting The Zombies to the upper echelon of the rock world is the dazzling keyboard work of virtuoso Rod Argent. He and Blunstone have always given the group a distinctive, instantly recognizable sound. But that doesn't mean the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers don't stand ready to explore new musical territory, which they do in portions of "Different Game." The band has always drawn on a wealth of different influences and inspirations, while creating something totally unique. They can smoothly segue from baroque to psychedelic and make it seem like the most natural transition in the world. Argent wrote nine of the 10 songs on the album. He summons a Gary Brooker, Procol Harum-like, surging, majestic organ for the opener, the title track. A jazzy feel infuses "Dropped Reeling & Stupid." The Zombies conjure up Beach Boys vocal magic, as well as a touch of doo-wop, for the enchanting "Rediscover." Blunstone gets breathy and beautiful on the moody, atmospheric, simmering, sultry "Runaway," which benefits from piercing, bluesy guitar licks. It ebbs and flows in enthralling fashion. The ballad "You Could Be My Love"stands out as one of the prettiest numbers, along with the exquisite "Love You While I Can." "Merry-Go-Round" is a wild ride with driving, rocking electric piano by Argent. Strings enhance "I Want to Fly," a gorgeous composition with classical roots. With Argent's tasty harmonica and keyboard work blending with Blunstone's soulful vocal, "Got to Move On" achieves a very cool blues spirit. Blunstone wrote the album's closing number, the winsome "The Sun Will Rise Again." His tender, sensitive singing gives the track a haunting loveliness. There is so much genuine emotion in each of his vocals. These are great songs, brilliantly performed. With each listening, you'll cherish them more. The innovative band's original run spanned 1961-1968, climaxing with the classic "Odessey and Oracle" album. But the reunited Argent and Blunstone have been thrilling audiences by touring and recording again for nearly 25 additional years now. There really must be something supernatural about the group. They began as one of rock's best groups and in recent years have somehow managed to get better and better.
These Zombies have risen again! And the game is far from over.
TO ANYONE WHO EVER ASKS: Born Elizabeth Eaton Converse into a strict, religious, New Hampshire family in 1924, she was high school valedictorian and earned a scholarship to Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts. She left the school after two years. In the early 50s, Converse moved to New York City and began writing songs, singing them and playing guitar accompaniment for intimate gatherings. She resided in such locales as Greenwich Village and Harlem, trying to snare attention for her unique compositions. Outside of a single 1954 television appearance, now lost, she gained little notice. She had invested in an early home reel-to-reel tape recorder and demos of her songs were made in her kitchen. But the breakthrough never came. In 1961, after a decade in New York, struggling to shine a light on her music, Converse gave up and moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan, where her brother Phil was a highly regarded university political science professor. After toiling as a secretary, she landed a job as writer/managing editor of the Journal of Conflict Resolution. In 1974, just after her 50th birthday, A depressed Converse left letters to her family and friends, saying she wanted to make a new life for herself in another place. She departed and no one ever heard anything of her again. She had disappeared. Fishman, a songwriter and musician, as well as a journalist and playwright, first heard a Converse song at his friend's holiday party. For him, it was love at first listening. But initially he was skeptical. How could this be real? Songs so good and no one had heard of the artist? Songs with such a modern sensibility, recorded in the early 50s, when no one was plunking themselves down with a guitar, singing their own tunes? Folk singers of the day performed only traditional material. And the pop scene was ruled by ditties like "(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window?" Fishman wondered if Converse might really be a 21st century hipster, dreaming up this unlikely scenario as a marketing ploy. However Fishman came across evidence that the story was true. Converse was simply not of her time. Like the 50s home recordings of Molly Drake (Nick's mum), Converse exudes a natural, haunting, idiosyncratic charm. But Converse's creations also display a profundity and a layer of darkness. Her songs shine with an unadorned beauty, a raw, honest emotional range. In 2009, a few years after some of Converse's songs were played on a WYNC radio show, some of her home recordings were released as the compilation, "How Sad, How Lovely." More than 35 years after she vanished into thin air, the singer-songwriter finally developed a cult following. For a dozen years, Fishman immersed himself totally in the music and life of Connie Converse. He tracked down the people who played important roles in her life, including brother Phil, who appreciated the opportunity to expose more potential listeners to Connie's songs. He also found a reluctant interviewee -- Gene Deitch, an artist/animator and music buff who had recorded rudimentary Converse demos. Fishman researched exhaustively, doing the meticulous detective work that might lead him to a greater understanding of the woman and the artist. He learned how multi-talented she was. In the book, Fishman digs deep into the essence of an artist. Converse bared her soul in her songs. According to Phil, as far as he knew, his sister never had a significant romantic relationship of any kind. Perhaps, like her music, she never quite fit in anywhere. Shy, private, isolated, she used songs to express herself in a meaningful way. Quiet and intentionally unglamorous, she followed her own path, though ultimately, it did not lead her where she wanted to go. Her songs of loneliness project a sorrow, an ache, a yearning, that is beyond poignant. That's not to say joy and humor can't be found in her material, as well. Her lyrics are revealing, evocative and eloquent. Musically, her compositions are deceptively sophisticated, inventive and complex. They combine many styles to form something that is entirely different. Like Fishman, we must shake our heads in disbelief, bewildered that such a gifted person, who created such cutting edge, remarkable work, could be so ignored. Tragically, that happens to many gifted people. And that's part of the point of the book. Fishman includes Converse's lyrics in the book. He has honored her music in many ways, including producing an album featuring her previously unrecorded piano songs. For his book, he has uncovered an amazing amount of detail into Converse's creative process and her troubled existence. But many questions about the artist cannot be answered. Mystery continues to swirl about her. And that makes her music even more intriguing. The book is not only a compelling examination of Converse, but also of Fishman's own journey and how the connection he felt to her grew into "something more than obsession." Email Paul Freeman at paul@popcultureclassics.com |
