Remember These People?

In 1996, this cast blew the doors of British cinema with a raucous, profane, and exhilarating movie experience, which included THIS:

Welcome To The “Worst” Toilet In Scotland!

Yes, you remember this scene: along with babies crawling on the ceiling, “Spud” soiling his girlfriend’s family sheets, and so much more….and guess what?

The Boys Are Back In Town!

That’s right! After twenty years apart, the gang is back in a “must see” movie:

“T2” Is Here! The Long-Awaited Sequel To A Masterpiece Has Arrived!

Here is how “Trainspotting 2” is described:

“First there was an opportunity……then there was a betrayal. Twenty years have gone by. Much has changed but just as much remains the same.”

Check out the trailer:

The entire cast is back – here is the plot:

“Mark Renton (Ewan McGregor) returns to the only place he can ever call home. They are waiting for him: Spud (Ewen Bremner), Sick Boy (Jonny Lee Miller), and Begbie (Robert Carlyle). Other old friends are waiting too: sorrow, loss, joy, vengeance, hatred, friendship, love, longing, fear, regret, diamorphine, self-destruction and mortal danger, they are all lined up to welcome him, ready to join the dance.”

I can’t wait to see this film, which has already opened in the UK to sterling reviews…here is something I shared with my friends on the terrific website “ActionAGoGo” – and it all begins with the opening monologue from the original film:

“Choose your future. Choose life…”

With those words, the original Trainspotting sent viewers off on an adrenelin-fuelled adventure through the streets of Edinburgh, Scotland.

As Director Danny Bowle said, Trainspotting was designed to be:

“most energetic film you’ve ever seen – about something that ultimately ends up in purgatory or worse.”

Here are three reasons that “Trainspotting” is a great action film.

First, the opening credits – Director Boyle says the Beastie Boys music video “Sabotage” inspired him to start the movie with a foot chase through the streets.

The second reason? This guy!

Meet Begbie, the leader of this groups of misfits who can’t hanve a drink in a bar without starting an action-filled melee. As he says in the film about puling of a robbery with a fake gun:

“Armed robbery. With a replica. I mean, how the f*$^% can it be armed robbery with a f&#*ing replica?”

The third reason that Trainspotting is a great action film takes place here:

Yes, it’s the filthiest toilet in Scotland. When Ewan MacGregor loses his drugs in there, he has only one option:

Now THAT’S action! Trainspotting is a classic film, and these three reasons are just the tio of the iceberg…check out the original trailer and see this before the sequel comes out!

Meet Actress Jill Banner!

If you don’t recognize this star, it’s because her movie roles were overshadowed by her personal life…but if you saw her screen debut, you’d never forget it!

“I caught a big fat bug right in my spider web and now the spider gets to give the bug a big sting. Sting! Sting! Sting! Sting! Sting!”

Here is a “True Hollywood Story” if there ever was one: an Actress who made her debut in one of the craziest cult films ever, and ended up on the arm of Marlon Brando!

This ultra-rare photo shows Banner with Brando, and here is the fascinating story that brought them together….it all began with this cult classic:

Spider Baby or, The Maddest Story Ever Told!

This is one cult gem! Legendary Exploitation Director Jack Hill made his moviemaking debut with this tale of a strange trio of kids being raised by iconic Hollywood horror star Lon Chaney Jr!

Character Actor Sid Haig also stars in the movie, which is a black-and-white horror film revolving around Chaney’s attempt to keep these problematic kids away from society…there’s a reason for it, of course…

Elizabeth: “Spiders don’t eat other spiders.”
Virginia: “Cannibal spiders do.”

You see, Jill Banner plays Virginia, who likes to keep pet spiders – she also has fun with her own spider web…as one of her guests found out the hard way…

Her sister Elizabeth has her own issues – and together, these two sisters don’t mess around!

“Spider Baby” was shot in 12 days August 1964 on a $60,000 budget. Lon Chaney Jr. was paid a flat fee of $2500 for his performance, each of the other actors were paid $100 a day – yes, this is low budget filmmaking!

Actress Jill Banner Made her movie debut in the film – at age 17! Many years later, Director Jack Hill was told that the actress was so embarrassed by acting in the film that she never told anyone that she had done it!

The film was made in 1964, but didn’t get released until 1967 – by that time, Banner would be seen in DEADLIER THAN THE MALE (1966) and THE PRESIDENT’S ANALYST (1967) as well as episodes of DRAGNET and IRONSIDE.

The “Marlon Brando” Connection!

After working steadily in the business, Banner moved to New Mexico in the 70’s but returned to Hollywood – and was linked to Marlon Brando!

Here is what I found online:

According to Charles Higham`s 1987 book, “Brando, the Unauthorized Biography”, the fiftyish Brando and 20-something actress met while filming “Candy” and became a couple. In Marlon Brando’s own 1994 autobiography, “Songs My Mother Taught Me”, he apparently discusses their relationship, but disguises certain details of her life and refers to her by the name “Weonna”.

A Tragic End…

Here’s where the story takes a tragic turn. When she was 36 years old, Banner was living with Brando and working on a screenplay with the Actor. Banner was involved in a car accident on LA’s Ventura freeway and died on August 7th, 1982.

Banner’s movie debut can be seen on a restored blu-ray, and you can also read a ton of material on “Spider Baby” at the film’s official website:

http://www.spiderbabyonline.com

Banner had a short career, but she is mesmerizing in the film, and her story end on a very sad note…

By the way, while this was Jack Hill’s directorial debut, he went on to make some of the greatest 70’s exploitation films of all, like this:

Hill was also a master of “blaxploitation” as well – working with the legendary Pam Grier on this classic:

You can see more of his work on the film here:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/01/02/foxy-brown-cleopatra-jones-blaxploitations-kick-ass-women/

In researching this “True Hollywood Stories”, I have come across a number of stars who died before their time. The Jayne Mansfield story also has a tragic end.

Mansfield was a huge star in the 50’s and 60’s, a smart “sex kitten” who knew how to play the Hollywood game.

On June 29, 1967, Mansfield and her Attorney Sam Brody were driving home from a nightclub performance in Mississippi when they crashed into a semi-truck, instantly killing both of them. Jayne Mansfield was only 34 years old at the time of her death…

You can see more of her story here:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/12/28/jayne-mansfield-the-tragic-life-of-hollywoods-legendary-sex-kitten/

And here is another story of a rising star who died in a car crash:

Soledad Miranda has just stared in the exploitation classic “She Killed In Ecstasy” when tragedy struck.

In August, 1970, Soledad and her husband went out driving along the Costa do Sol highway in Portugal. They were involved in a collision with a small truck which completely crushed their car. Though her husband, who was driving, only had minor injuries, Soledad received serious fractures to her skull and spine, placing her in a deep coma. She died several hours after the accident…

You can see more about his great Actress here:

https://johnrieber.com/2015/05/19/legendary-sex-kitten-soledad-miranda-ecstasy-vampyros-lesbos-new-cult-films-releases/

I know these are sad tales, but thanks to blu-ray and DVD, the work can live on for fans to appreciate…

“We Can’t ALL Be Nice Girls…”

Brie Larson gets down and dirty in this new action thriller!

“Free Fire” Is About To Unload!

“Free Fire” is a new British action-comedy film directed by Ben Wheatley, starring Brie Larson, Sharlto Copley, Armie Hammer and Cillian Murphy.

First, check out the trailer!

I am SOLD on this for two reasons: first, what a great cast, and they are all clearly having a blast with this film!

Second, it’s because of the Director, Ben Wheatley!

Sure, this picture was taken in jest, but if you haven’t seen any of his films, are you missing out!

“Kill List” and “High Rise” are just two of his terrific movies: gritty, unconventional and wildly entertaining, and “Free Fire” looks to be another great action thriller for us to enjoy!

I love that Brie Larson is taking on wildly different roles post Oscar win: it will help her avoid the “Oscar curse” in my opinion, especially if she keeps working with great new Directors like Wheatley.

Here is a great article from “The Guardian” all about the movie:

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/mar/23/director-ben-wheatley-cruelty-feels-more-honest-to-me-free-fire

And if you want to get a taste of his widely creative films, start here:

You can see the trailer for his “hit man horror” film here:

https://johnrieber.com/2016/08/19/kill-list-director-ben-wheatleys-shocking-thriller-brilliant-hit-man-horror/

I have to say, I’m loving this trend in film – empowered Oscar-winning women kicking ass!

Here is the red band trailer for Charlize Theron’s new action thriller “Atomic Blonde!”

https://johnrieber.com/2017/03/12/check-out-the-amazing-charlize-theron-trailer-for-atomic-blonde-celebrate-empowered-women-kicking-ass-on-film/

I can’t wait to see “Free Fire”!

It’s A Superstar “Feud!”

My wife Alex and I are loving the new FX series “Feud”, highlighting the Hollywood battle between screen legends Joan Crawford and Bette Davis. The show is currently airing, and showcases these legendary Actresses trying to make a comeback in 1962 with the horror film “Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?”

Their feud while making the movie was legendary, and led to the new FX series called “Feud”, starring Susan Sarandon and Jessica Lange…who are phenomenal in the roles…

The surprise success of the film led to a string of “old lady horror” films, including another from Bette Davis, who discarded Crawford and made the smash hit “Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte”:

Davis was on a roll, chewing up the scenery – and her co-stars! Take a look at this terrific movie trailer from that time:

This was another smash hit – and over the next decade, some great Hollywood Actresses jumped on the bandwagon – let’s take a look!

Hey, Old Ladies! Calm Down!

Hey, it’s two crazy old ladies fighting! What’s up? And how does it lead to THIS???

Wait, Debbie Reynolds? In a horror film? What’s going on here? Oh, and can someone PLEASE calm Shelley Winters down?

Introducing Classic Old Lady Horror!

If you have not seen any of these movies – and these performances, you are missing out on some of the most entertaining “B” movies ever made – and great opportunities for America’s finest Actresses to bare their teeth! It was a fascinating trend in film in the late 60’s and early 70’s. Let’s look at some classic “old lady horror”!

First, the question:

“What Makes Her Garden Grow? Wouldn’t You Like To Know?”

Whatever Happened To Aunt Alice?

Oh, it’s EXACTLY what you think! I mean, in a world where “Soylent Green” is people, what do YOU think makes her garden grow? Oscar winners Geraldine Page and Ruth Gordon team up for a gem of a horror film – check out the trailer:

As “Aunt Alice”, Ruth Gordon applies for the job of housekeeper in the Arizona home of widow Claire Marrable in order to find out what happened to a missing widowed friend.

As you can see, a very whacked out Geraldine Page plays widow Claire. The crazed Page, left only a stamp album by her husband, takes money from her housekeepers, kills them, and buries the bodies in her garden. A perfect setup for a classic horror film!

Remember that Page later won an Academy Award as Best Actress in 1987…and here she gets the chance to showcase her scenery chewing ability…

Claire Marrable: You are the only mistake I made.
Alice Dimmock: Didn’t you ever think you’d be found out?
Claire Marrable: No and I won’t be.
Alice Dimmock: Giving yourself away like that…
Claire Marrable: To you? You are a dead woman.
Alice Dimmock: Oh no, I’m alive. See, I’m very much alive. And I’m not gonna be your next victim!

This is a terrific poster as well – memorable imagery for classic horror! And remember, Ruth Gordon ALSO WON AN OSCAR – doing a horror film – for “Rosemary’s Baby” – check out my story on that film here!

https://johnrieber.com/2012/10/26/rosemarys-baby-jessicas-scared-to-death-great-halloween-horror/

Shelley Winters Bites Down HARD!

Now, time to move on to a classic “scenery chewer!”

“Aunt Roo is a witch!”

She sure is! Shelley Winters stars in this little-seen horror film, and she doesn’t leave a single scene unchewed!

Who Slew Auntie Roo?

Shelley Winters is evil Aunt Roo in this take on “Hanzel and Gretel” – note that the poster says “Who Slew Auntie Roo?” but the trailer says “Whoever Slew Auntie Roo”…whoever, whatever, check it out!

This is a retelling of the old tale of Hansel and Gretel, but set in England in the 1920s. To the children and staff at the orphanage, Auntie Roo is a kindly American widow who gives them a lavish Christmas party each year in her mansion.

In reality, she is a severely disturbed woman, who keeps the mummified remains of her little daughter in a nursery in the attic. Of course she does! I mean, look at crazy Shelley Winters!

To paraphrase The Doors, “The men don’t know but the little boy understands…”

Katy Coombs: You said she was going to eat us.
Christopher: She was, later.

Again, classic poster art sells this as another “crazy old lady” horror film!

Finally, let’s check out a film that offers a chance for Debbie Reynolds to get into the horror game!

“I offered you my blessing. You refused it. Now move along!”

What’s The Matter With Helen?

Yep, it’s crazy Shelley Winters again, but this time she tangles with “America’s Aging Sweetheart” Debbie Reynolds!

Set in the 30s, Helen and Adelle are two women whose sons commit a gruesome murder. After their conviction, they move to Hollywood change their names and open a dance school for girls. Adelle is looking for a good life and when one of the parents of her students who is wealthy takes a liking to her she thinks she’s got it made.

Calm Down, Shelley!

Helen is the crazy one, and she thinks that someone who blames them for what their sons did is stalking them. But Debbie Reynolds, as Adelle – thinks it’s all in her mind. Time for some blood to flow!

According to Debbie Reynolds, Shelley Winters’ psychiatrist advised her not to portray a woman having a nervous breakdown because, at the time, she was having a real-life nervous breakdown. “She’s the kind of actress who becomes the part she’s playing…” said Reynolds, “so all through the film she drove all of us insane!”

Shelley Winters decided that after they came in from the rain, her Helen character should have a moment when she kissed Debbie Reynolds Adelle character on the lips. This unscripted moment was filmed but removed from the final print of the movie to avoid attaining an R-rating.

Another classic movie poster – and a fun movie once again starring two of Hollywood’s classic movie stars, in roles you don’t think of them for!

And thanks to MGM, you can get two of these gems on one double bill DVD!

The tragic deaths of Debbie Reynolds and her daughter Carrie Fisher make the HBO documentary on their lives even more poignant…see more about it here:

https://johnrieber.com/2016/12/29/rip-carrie-fisher-rip-debbie-reynolds-hbo-bright-lights-documentary-captures-their-life-together/

Let me know what you think of “granny horror!”

25 Years Of “Basic Instinct!”

Wow, time flies when you are getting naked on screen! Yes, it was 25 years ago that Sharon Stone cemented her place in movie history, thanks to an erotic thriller with one very memorable scene:

“Basic Instinct” Sneaks A Peek At Movie Infamy!

Without a doubt the most controversial movie of 1992, and one of the most notorious Hollywood films of the last 30 years – you know, because of THIS scene:

Sharon Stone made Hollywood history with this memorable “show and tell” during her police interrogation in “Basic Instinct”…immediately turning the cops into a bunch of drooling idiots…

AND THE LEGEND GROWS!

Every movie buff knows that Stone wasn’t wearing any underwear in the scene, but here’s some backstory:

“According to Sharon Stone, director Paul Verhoeven asked her to remove her underwear for the leg-crossing scene, as he said they were too bright and reflected at the camera. Stone agreed to do so under the assumption that her genitals weren’t visible. It was only at an early preview that Stone discovered Verhoeven chose to use this specific shot. ”

However, Director Paul Verhoeven’s version of the story is different.

He says that “he told Stone beforehand about the leg-crossing shot, as it was important for showing Catherine Tramell’s free-spirited nature and her constant drive to toy with people. Stone was reportedly excited about the idea and shot the scene. However, during the early preview, her agents supposedly disproved of the scene, fearing it would harm her future career. According to Verhoeven, Stone radically changed her mind about the shot and demanded that he remove it, which he ultimately refused.”

Either way, the controversy about the scene made the movie a huge hit – at a time when Michael Douglas was one of Hollywood’s biggest box office stars.

“Basic Instinct” was also one of Douglas’s “penis movies” – he was letting it fly onscreen at the time – here are the others from that era!

https://johnrieber.com/2014/01/13/fatal-attractions-basic-instincts-full-disclosure-the-infamous-michael-douglas-penis-trilogy/

The “Vanity Fair” Story!

The success of “Basic Instinct” is the setup for a terrific new article in the latest Vanity Fair magazine.

This sex-filled murder mystery in 1992 led to the rise of a whole new genre of “direct to VHS” erotic thrillers, which is covered in a terrific new Vanity Fair article!

As you can see by the cover, Vanity Fair covers all sorts of “inside entertainment” stories, but this one is fascinating!

“The Sexpendables!”

The article talks about the era after “Basic Instinct”, when erotic thrillers were wildly popular, and smart companies flooded the marketed with movies like “Sins Of Desire”….here is an excerpt from the article:

“For prolific and proficient B-movie directors, the erotic thriller was another color to add to their palette. Before Basic Instinct, Jim Wynorski was best-known for such horror cult favorites as Chopping Mall, Sorority House Massacre 2, and 976-Evil 2. Following the release of Basic Instinct, he got the call to do Sins of Desire (“She was seduced into a world of sexual adventure . . . and dangerous deception”). “I was good and I was fast,” Wynorski tells Vanity Fair. “They knew the product would be solid.”

These B-movies ultimately helped brand a pay cable channel – they became “skinamax” features, sexy erotic thrillers that earned Cinemax a reputation for showing them all day and night – classic cult stuff like this!

Yep, even Madonna dove deep into the b-movie pool – here is the Vanity Fair article:

http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/03/basic-instinct-anniversary-sharon-stone-video

Of course, in an earlier era, these films would have been shown on New York’s notorious “grindhouse” district of 42nd Street!

Here is a look at some of the wildest films that populated Times Square in the 70’s!

https://johnrieber.com/2016/08/23/a-42nd-street-grindhouse-tour-of-new-york-seven-sexploitation-classics-that-turned-times-square-down-and-dirty/

Here’s to 25 years of “Basic Instinct” wildness!

“She Loved Men…To Death.”

If you haven’t heard of this new film, you are missing a classic modernization of 70’s cult horror…time to celebrate this terrific new “Love Witch!”

Meet Elaine, a beautiful young witch, who is determined to find a man to love her. Watch the trailer to really see what kind of retro cult gem this is:

Elaine stays in her gothic Victorian apartment making spells and potions, and then picks up men and seduces them. However her spells work too well, and she ends up with a string of hapless victims. When she finally meets the man of her dreams, her desperation to be loved will drive her to the brink of insanity and murder.

Director Anna Biller also wrote the film, designed the sets and made many of the costumes – with a sharp eye toward classic 70’s exploitation!

The film is a modern twist on classic serial killer films, with a woman’s sexuality being the catalyst for carnage.

“The Love Witch” is one of the last films to cut an original camera negative on 35mm film, and was lit and shot to look like a 1960’s Technicolor film. So a modern take on a classic film genre – bravo!

“The Love Witch” is now on demand, so check it out! This poster and visual style reminded me of another cult classic:

Yes, iconic exploitation Actress Soledad Miranda was stunning in “She Killed In Ecstasy” – exactly the kind of “artsploitation” that “Love Witch” evokes. See more here:

https://johnrieber.com/2015/05/19/legendary-sex-kitten-soledad-miranda-ecstasy-vampyros-lesbos-new-cult-films-releases/

Speaking of witches:

Yes, “witches” have always been big box office, especially when naked! See more of that malarkey here:

https://johnrieber.com/2015/10/17/bloody-witchcraft-horror-sexy-virgin-witches-halloween-2015-heats-up/

And finally, here’s another “empowered female” horror story for you:

Yes, it’s “The Lure” of zombie mermaid strippers – and it’s a musical! See the trailer and much more here:

https://johnrieber.com/2017/03/03/the-empowered-female-lure-of-flesh-eating-stripper-mermaids-get-ready-for-the-wild-musical-yes-musical-movie-the-lure/

Let me know if you’ve checked out “The Love Witch!”

Talk About A Shocking Movie Debut!

Here is one of the most disturbing movie debuts ever: the shocking exploitation revenge classic “Ms. 45!”

“Ms. 45”, also known as “Angel of Vengeance”, is the 1981 cult classic directed by Abel Ferrara and starring Zoë Tamerlis Lund.

This film was Lund’s movie debut – an amazing performance from an Actress who died much too soon…here is the story:

Zoe Lund is mesmerizing as a young woman who decides to fight back against her attackers, in a style and tone that echoes some of the roughest 70’s revenge films made.

Here is how wikipedia describes the film:

Inspired by films such as 1973’s “Thriller – A Cruel Picture” and 1974’s “Death Wish”, the film is a rape and revenge story about Thana, a mute woman who becomes a misandristic spree killer after she is raped twice in one day when going home from work. It was critically maligned on its theatrical release, but is now generally highly regarded among fans of underground and independent film.

Here is the trailer for this powerful exploitation film:

“Ms. 45” was Lund’s acting debut. Amazingly, Zoë was only 17 years old when she starred in the film, and a creative turn away from something she had been involved in all her life: music.

At a young age, she was an accomplished composer/musician – but was always intrigued by film. As she said:

“I could write a concerto with 17 violins that could be very powerful, but film works on a more visceral level where I can go into the collective audience and make sure my point gets across.”

This is a powerful, raw and gut-wrenching film – directed by Abel Ferrara, who went on to make such provocative films as “Bad Lieutenant” with Harvey Keitel – with tremendous creative input from Lund! More on that in a moment…

“Ms. 45” is a tour de force for Zoe Lund, and she said at the time that she was fully involved in the character’s development:

“In the beginning stages of the film, the only material that existed was vague descriptions of several scenes. Being that my face is on camera, without dialogue, for something like 98% of the time, I was involved very much. As to the film being pro-woman, I go beyond that by saying that the film is as much pro-woman as it is pro-garment worker, whatever.”

Zoe’s “Bad” Behavior!

As I mentioned before, Director Ferrara later made “Bad Lieutenant”, and Zoë Lund collaborated with him on creating that character, one of cinema’s most unforgettable cops – living life on the edge.

Here is the trailer for this film:

In “Bad Lieutenant”, Lund has a small role, and showcases the rawness of her personal life – she was a heroin addict and was open and honest about that fact.

Here is a great interview clip from “Mediafunhouse” on Youtube where Lund discusses the scene in the movie where she shoots up onscreen:

Zoe Lund’s Tragic Heroin Downfall!

Yes, Lund shot up in the film, and was a regular heroin user in real life.

Here is the tragic True Hollywood Story. As wikipedia reports:

“Lund was unapologetic about her heroin addiction. She wrote at length about heroin and advocated it for legal recreational use in the USA, as well as romanticized its effects. “She loved heroin, she was killed by heroin,” Ferrara said on her heroin addiction. “…Zoe was one of these people who thought heroin was the greatest thing in the world, and she did until the day she died. She was down on coke, down on everything, but you know, heroin was the elixir of life for her.”

Yes, Lund was a heroin addict, and it ultimately killed her. She was 37 years old when she died. It’s a sad Hollywood story – but if you want to celebrate her life and career, go to a website in her name to see all that she created in her short life:

http://www.zoelund.com

“Ms. 45” has a lot in common with the sexploitation classic “Thriller: A Cruel Picture” starring Christina Lindberg – a woman who is assaulted decides to fight back…

Christina Lindberg is the “Queen Of Artsploitation” – artistic films that still showcased sex, nudity and violence. Quentin Tarantino is a huge fan and based a character in “Kill Bill Vol. 1” on Lindberg’s character in “Thriller.”

Read more about this iconic “women’s revenge” picture here:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/08/11/christina-lindberg-speaks-the-queen-of-artsploitation-bares-all/

Unfortunately, Hollywood history is littered with stories of great young Actresses who succumb to the “fast lane”:

Cheryl “Rainbeaux” Smith was in a number of great films in the 70’s and early 80’s before the Hollywood lifestyle got the best of her – read her story here:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/09/20/hollywood-tragedy-70s-starlet-cheryl-rainbeaux-smith-the-runaways-caged-heat/

Let me know if you’ve seen “Ms. 45!”

Sharing Stories About A Great Hollywood Career!

Sherry Lansing was one of Hollywood’s most powerful Executives, and she has decided to tell some of the wild behind-the-scenes stories from her career!

The Hollywood Reporter’s Stephen Galloway is releasing “Leading Lady”, his biography of Lansing…and THR printed an excerpt to promote the release and it’s a doozy!

This excerpt talks about her run-in with Mike Myers during the planned filming of “Wayne’s World 2.”

Here’s an excerpt from the THR story about the book – when Lansing was in charge of Paramount Studios, and Mike Myers was ready to begin filming the sequel to his massive comedy hit:

“The then-Paramount chairman made an unfortunate discovery weeks before shooting was due to commence: Myers had heavily based the sequel on the 1949 British comedy ‘Passport to Pimlico’ — only nobody had bought the underlying rights.”

“Mike had always wanted to do Passport to Pimlico as the basis of Wayne’s World,” said SNL creator Lorne Michaels, who produced the comedy. “So he went and wrote it. I think he believed the studio understood that, and I think he even believed they had bought the rights to the other movie so that he was free to use it.”
Furious, Lansing summoned Myers to her office and told him exactly that — in much different (and harsher) words. Remembers one participant in the Myers-Lansing meeting: “She said, ‘How dare you? How dare you put us in this position?’ She turned to Mike and said, ‘We’ll sue you. We’ll take your f—ing house. You won’t even own a f—ing home.'”

The story continues:

“The verbal scathing went on, with Lansing adding a special twist, as then-production chief John Goldwyn recalled: “She made up this fabulous story about all of the lawyers sitting with [Paramount Communications executive] Stanley Jaffe. She said, ‘As I’m sitting here with you, there’s a team figuring out how they can take every single thing away from you.'”

Myers believed it, and was so shaken that he curled up in a fetal position on Lansing’s couch.

Said Lansing: “If I were you, Mike, I’d go to Lorne’s office right now and stay there until you come up with a new script. We’ll slide food under the door.”

Wow! She had a reputation for being tough as nails, and I can’t wait to read more stories about her career. Other anecdotes from the book have been released dealing with Mel Gibson’s temper and a real boiled bunny from “Fatal Attraction!”

Here is another book that also has a shocking Mel Gibson story – read about it here – along with MY Mel Gibson encounter:

https://johnrieber.com/2013/08/14/heaven-and-mel-shocking-mel-gibson-book-my-mel-encounter/

Lansing’s book is sure to be a page turner based on the stories teased so far!

She is also married to one of Hollywood’s greatest filmmakers, William Friedkin. Friedkin of course directed such great films as “The Exorcist”, “The French Connection”, “Sorcerer”, “To Live And Die In LA” and most recently “Killer Joe.”

He wrote his autobiography a few years ago – read all about it here:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/04/22/sorcerer-legendary-lost-classic-is-uncovered-on-blu-ray-the-friedkin-connection-rules/

Of course, one reason that “Wayne’s World” was such a smash hit was their use of the classic Queen song “Bohemian Rhapsody”:

Read all about the creation of that brilliant Queen song here:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/02/23/queens-brilliant-night-at-the-opera-freddie-mercurys-musical-madness/

Finally, Mike Myers has been largely absent from movies for a few years, but he did direct a terrific documentary:

Shep Gordon was a legend in Hollywood, handling some of the biggest stars of the 70’s and 80’s…see the trailer for this terrific documentary here:

https://johnrieber.com/2015/07/12/rocks-supermensch-mike-myers-brilliant-documentary-on-shep-gordon/

Looking forward to reading this book!

Plenty O’Toole: “Hi, I’m Plenty.”
James Bond: “But of course you are.”
Plenty O’Toole: “Plenty O’Toole.”
James Bond: “Named after your father perhaps?”

Time to look at one of the most beautiful “Bond Girls” who was also a member of Hollywood Royalty – and just revealed that she is homeless!

Sex kitten Lana Wood wowed 007 fans with her portrayal of “Bond Girl” Plenty O’Toole in “Diamonds Are Forever” – without a doubt one of the more outrageous monikers in the series…

Lana Wood was a hugely successful Actress in the 60’s and 70’s, but she would perhaps be unfairly overshadowed by the superstardom of her older sister, Natalie Wood…

Lana had early stardom thanks to her role in the classic soap “Peyton Place.” Now, a story has broken that says she is homeless, and a fund has been set up to help!

Lana Wood’s Terrible Plight!

Someone pointed this article out to me from Vanity Fair, which tells the tragic story of how Lana is now homeless! Here is a short excerpt from the story, written by Sheila Weller, who had a personal connection to the Actress:

“On Saturday I was able to get Lana on the phone. She had talked to no other members of the media. In the middle of the chaos of packing boxes, crying, and hugging her daughter and grandchildren, she told me, from her Ventura County house, “It’s pretty bad. The landlord wants us out—now—and we don’t have anywhere to go. We are a family of six. My daughter, Evan, who is 42, just got a return of the Hodgkin’s lymphoma she thought she’d beat, and she also has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease—C.O.P.D. When she walks, she walks around strapped to an oxygen machine. She has a wonderful husband who’s never missed a day of work in 20 years. But he doesn’t work for a big, moneyed company. They have three children—my crying teenage granddaughter is saying she doesn’t know what she’ll do if she doesn’t finish her year at her high school, and the two boys are saying: ‘We don’t want to go!’ to another school, either.”

Confronting her hectic packing, she said, “I’ve got seven years worth of accumulated books and CDs and nonsense. It’s a nightmare.”

“And now—being evicted—we have a black mark against us,” she said.”

Since this story broke, Wood has been interviewed on “Inside Edition” and her story has launched a go fund me site to help her…what a tragedy – but when you don’t work in the entertainment business, it’s easy to think that everyone drives limousines and attends the Oscars…the reality is far different…

Here is the link to the entire article in Vanity Fair:

http://www.vanityfair.com/style/2017/03/lana-woods-crisis-and-the-limits-of-hollywood-royalty

Lana Wood was a Hollywood “sex kitten” – and history has shown that it’s difficult to get past that label and build a long career…

This business a cruel in that regard, and now, she needs help. It is great to see the press coverage and the funding site set up by a fan to help her.

Here is the “GofFundMe” site where you can help support her:

https://www.gofundme.com/lanawood

The world of entertainment can be harsh – the recent show “Feud” spent a lot of time talking about the difficulties in “growing old” in the business…

A classic Hollywood sex kitten, Lana posed for Playboy, had a variety of roles, and always was in the shadow of her more famous sister.

In 1971, she was cast as a Bond girl, “Plenty O’Toole”, in the James Bond film, “Diamonds Are Forever.”

The film introduced her with a hilarious double entendre, carried off with perfect timing by Sean Connery:

Plenty O’Toole: “Hi, I’m Plenty.”
James Bond: “But of course you are.”
Plenty O’Toole: “Plenty O’Toole.”
James Bond: “Named after your father perhaps?”

“I Didn’t Know There Was A Pool Down There…”

One of the most memorable scenes in “Diamonds Are Forever” comes when 007 is surprised by mobsters while in his room with her. She is “escorted” semi-nude from the room – in an unusual exit that includes one of the best one-liners in the entire Bond series!

Here is that memorable scene from “Diamonds Are Forever”:

Here is some great trivia: while filming the scene where Plenty O´Toole is found drowned, Wood actually had her feet loosely tied to a cement block on the bottom. Film crew members held a rope across the pool for her, with which she could lift her face out of the water to breathe between takes. The pool’s sloping bottom made the block slip into deeper water with each take. Eventually, she was submerged but was noticed by on-lookers and rescued before drowning for real. Wood, being a certified diver, took some water but remained calm during the ordeal, although she later admitted to a few “very uncomfortable moments and quite some struggling until they pulled me out.”

Over the course of her career, Wood appeared in more than twenty movies and over three hundred television shows – everything from “Bonanza” to “Mission: Impossible”, “Starsky and Hutch” to “Fantasy Island.”

Lana Wood retired from acting in 1982 to concentrate on a Producing career, but has since returned to acting in a number of low-budget films since 2008 – however, that wasn’t enough to keep her financially afloat.

Wood wrote a memoir, “Natalie, A Memoir by Her Sister” in 1984. Her many memorable Hollywood moments have been unfairly neglected because of the tragedy surrounding her sister, and these recent events are even more disturbing – hopefully, the press surrounding her situation will help her…

I have also told the story of a 70’s action star who has also struggled – Jan-Michael Vincent!

He was one of the hottest stars of the 70’s – then things went horribly wrong…here is that story:

https://johnrieber.com/2015/08/31/jan-michael-vincent-from-70s-sexiest-man-to-a-true-hollywood-tragedy/

Good luck to Lana Wood – hope fans continue to step up and help her!

Another Great Film Starring Lina Romay!

I’ve posted about this iconic European Actress before – who starred in dozens of films, mostly for her longtime partner and film Director Jess Franco.

She had great screen presence – like this scene from “Night Has A Thousand Desires” – a hauntingly framed shot of her staring off into space – lost in the midst of her own madness – the shot lasting for almost a minute…

She commands the screen, baring her soul in so many movies like this one from the early 80’s.

Bravo to Mondo Macabro for releasing “Night Has A Thousand Desires” in such a beautifully remastered presentation – check out the trailer:

NIGHT HAS A THOUSAND DESIRES, a film by Jess Franco – coming soon to Blu-ray from Mondo Macabro on Vimeo.

Mondo Macabro has done it again with this great blu-ray release!

Bravo to Mondo Macabro for releasing this lavish blu-ray special edition of the film.

For exploitation film buffs, to know Jess Franco is to love him – everything from his meandering storytelling, his love of “tentative zooms” – and his love of his wife’s body – yes, his longtime partner and ultimately wife Lina Romay starred in dozens of his movies, and was always VERY VERY naked!

Romay is actually nude for more screen time in “Desires” than she is clothed, always willing to give a raw portrayal. The plot of “Thousand Desires” is simple: Lina stars as a clairvoyant, working with a partner in a lounge act – when she begins being hypnotized – and while in this trance, she is murdering people! Or is she?

What is real, and what is fantasy? Lina dreams of sexual encounters and murder – but is it really happening?

Well, as the film progresses, the dream sequences become more erotic and lurid, culminating in a group sex scene that leaves little to the imagination. Franco frames the shot from above and lets his cast get into the action before cutting to many closeups of sexual activity of all kinds – while this isn’t XXX-rated, it comes close:

Director Franco was working in Spain at the time, after the era of General Franco’s regime had ended, and he was given license to do anything he wanted – as long as there was sex and nudity in the movie – and boy, did he deliver!

Eurotika!

Mondo Macabro’s terrific Blu-ray release includes an episode of a show called “Eurotika!” which profiles Franco and includes great interview material with him. Was he the world’s most prolific Director?

Franco has small parts in many of his films, including “Desires” – and the TV episode makes a compelling case that Franco may have been the world’s most prolific Director – more than two hundred films!

Both Franco and Romay have died, but thanks to great film companies, we get to experience their greatest work – like this!

This is another wild Romay / Franco collaboration, with a new blu-ray that has the “notorious banana scene” in it – check it out here:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/03/11/lindas-shocking-hot-nights-lina-romays-classic-sexploitation/

If you want a Lina Romay marathon, then this is another of their films to buy:

Yes, they made a lot of shockers, and Lina was naked in all of them! Check out “Lorna The Exorcist” and more Franco films here:

https://johnrieber.com/2013/02/17/countess-perverse-lorna-the-exorcist-jess-francos-naked-masterpieces/

Bravo again to Mondo Macabro for a terrific blu-ray!

All Hail The King!

Yes, the “King” of winged serpents, killer babies AND blaxploitation! Yes, one Director has delivered a number of exploitation classics for cult movie buffs, and now there’s a documentary that celebrates this wild wild career!

Larry Cohen is a legendary B-movie Producer, Director, and Screenwriter – who had some of the best cult movies of the 70’s and 80’s…shown here with some of his favorite “stars”….we’ll talk about a few in a moment, but first, check out this wild trailer!

Well, I can’t wait to see this!

Cohen’s first big hit was the classic low-budget horror film “It’s Alive”, about a mutant monster baby that embarks on a killing spree. It has one of the best tag lines for any movie – check out the poster:

“There’s Only ONE Thing Wrong With The David Baby…It’s ALIVE!”

I mean, c’mon, this is one of the greatest tagline ever! And the film delivers as well – a low-budget shocker with a great hook!

He followed this hit up with a sequel, as well as making great blaxploitation films like “Hell Up In Harlem”:

Cohen was known to break a lot of rules when making his movies, and the documentary gets into some of those wacky stories of truly independent filmmaking.

This is the poster for his science fiction classic “Q The Winged Serpent.” It’s a terrific monster movie – a “winged serpent” terrorizes a very 70’s New York City….check out the trailer:

Cohen was a “down and dirty” filmmaker – no muss, no fuss, he just made his wildly entertaining films in a straightforward manner.

Here are a few more movies he directed in the 70’s and 80’s…

Cohen finished the 1980’s with “Wicked Stepmother” – which was the legendary Bette Davis’s last role…he has many more credits in his career, including screenwriting the Joel Schumacher thriller “Phone Booth” from 2002.

I look forward to seeing more of his films, to fully appreciate this renegade filmmaker…and speaking of legendary exploitation Directors, one of the first was Director Jack Hill, who made this cult classic:

Hill went on to work with Pam Grier among many others – you can see more here:

https://johnrieber.com/2017/03/18/cult-actress-jill-banner-from-spider-baby-web-to-marlon-brandos-arm-a-true-hollywood-tragedy/

Some cult Directors just make one classic film and then disappear…

Tommy Wiseau became a legend after just one film, the cult classic “The Room.” Now, it MAY be due to the fact it is considered the worst film ever made – but who’s to judge?

See the trailer for “The Room” here and judge for yourself!

https://johnrieber.com/2013/10/27/tommy-wiseaus-classic-the-room-now-a-book-tommys-secrets-revealed/

Let me know how many Larry Cohen films you’ve seen!

My Movie Alphabet!

Yes, the poster art says “Vol. 2” – because I missed the first “go-round” on this fun exercise in cinema! A movie for every letter of the alphabet – who can refuse?

For many of us, this is our great escape – a movie auditorium where magic happens – I have seen so many incredible films in my life…oh, outside too!

I love this idea – thanks to “MettelRaySe7en” for doing this, here is the link to see how you can participate:

https://mettelray.wordpress.com/2017/05/01/mettelrayse7en-my-movie-alphabet-vol-2-blogathon-announcment/#comment-10520

Let’s get started with a film that, while fictional, captured one of the most exciting and influential pop culture changes in our nation’s history!

A – A Hard Day’s Night

Hard to imagine how culturally significant “Beatlemania” was in today’s social media world, but this film captures the pop culture impact of The Fab Four through a hilariously droll, fictional film the band starred in – how did they know to make this film so it would come out as they were taking over the world – what an achievement! If you want to see just how wild their first trip to the US was, check out the terrific documentary here:

https://johnrieber.com/2016/09/06/the-beatles-first-us-tour-new-movie-the-fab-fours-segregation-battle-ron-howards-fascinating-new-beatles-documentary/

Next up is one of my top ten films of all time:

B – Boogie Nights

Paul Thomas Anderson shows the birth of adult cinema in LA’s San Fernando valley through the fictional story of Dirk Diggler…one of the greatest cinematic achievements ever, and career bests for the entire cast – see the “oral” history here:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/12/11/dirk-digglers-livin-thing-70s-sex-80s-excess-the-oral-history-of-boogie-nights/

Here is another film from my “top ten of all time”:

C – Chinatown

This lost Best Picture in 1972 to the greatest film of all time – more on that in a minute, but Roman Polanski’s story of Los Angeles in the 40’s, as seen through our thirst for water – and power – still resonates today – read more about this classic film noir here:

https://johnrieber.com/2013/02/19/forget-it-jake-its-chinatown-cynical-attitudes-and-sexual-motivations/

Ok, these were all fairly well known, let’s get obscure:

D – Darker Than Amber

This very obscure action film from 1970 has one of the most brutal – and REAL – onscreen fights ever captured – yes, the two main actors got carried away and the Director captured it all – see it here:

https://johnrieber.com/2013/03/01/darker-than-amber-film-noirs-legendary-fight-scene-a-brutal-hidden-gem/

Next up is one of the most hypnotic films I’ve ever seen…

E – Enter The Void

Argentinian Director Gasper Noe uses “2001: A Space Odyssey” as his inspiration to tell the story of a young man killed in Tokyo, who floats over the city to observe life after his death – see the hypnotic trailer here:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/11/01/audacious-mind-blowing-cinema-enter-the-void-vanishing-waves-and-holy-motors/

Need some 70’s horror? Great, let’s head to France!

F – Fascination!

French Horror Director Jean Rollin made moody, cerebral horror films filled with nudity, blood and amazing images like this one:

See all of his incredible work from the 70’s here:

https://johnrieber.com/2015/09/13/bloody-fascination-sexy-shockers-wildest-cult-horror-directors/

Now, time to celebrate the greatest film ever made:

G – The Godfather

For me, it is simply the greatest cinematic achievement in film history – beautifully acted, lyrical, violent and multi-layered to reveal something new each time I see it – and of course, Brando read from cue cards held by Robert Duvall!

One last bit of trivia – the horse’s head was real! Here is more on that:

https://johnrieber.com/2017/02/15/brandos-cue-cards-real-horse-heads-the-godfathers-best-stories-2/

Now, a film that was so good it had three different names!

H – Hookers Revenge!

I HAD to get a Christina Lindberg film on this list! She is the “Queen of Artsploitation”, and this one was so good they kept releasing it to grindhouse theaters with different titles! Officially known as “Thriller: A Cruel Picture” – it’s also AKA “They Call Her One Eye” and also AKA “Hooker’s Revenge” – even thought she doesn’t play a hooker in the movie!

She may have been mute in the film, but she really kicks some ass, and recently Christina spoke about her career – see that interview here:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/08/11/christina-lindberg-speaks-the-queen-of-artsploitation-bares-all/

Christina Lindberg is my “grindhouse guilty pleasure”, but the next film is serious, compelling and vital:

I – The Island President

This documentary tells the story of one person trying to save his country from drowning – and the politics of climate change…so powerful and important, see the trailer here:

https://johnrieber.com/2015/05/07/the-island-president-a-tragic-compelling-documentary-a-nation-underwater/

The next film on my list is one of those “movie theater experiences” I will never forget…

J – Jackie Brown

Some Quentin Tarantino was overdue, but more importantly, some Pam Grier! He wrote it with her in mind, and she stars with a timeless swagger…just one of her great films, like “Black Mama White Mama” and the blaxploitation classic “Foxy Brown”…see her here:

https://johnrieber.com/2015/03/21/black-mama-white-mama-queen-of-blaxploitation-pam-grier-naked-showers-women-in-prison-classics/

I was inspired by my friend Pete from Beetley, England…he is counting down his movies as well – you can follow along with them here:

https://beetleypete.wordpress.com/2017/05/10/a-z-film-challenge-day-ten/

Next up, a cerebral thriller with a very young Donald Sutherland…

K – Klute

A somewhat forgotten film from 1971, Jane Fonda won an Oscar for her portrayal of a lonely prostitute who is being watched by one of her clients…a young Donald Sutherland is also great…see more here:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/06/01/klute-the-late-show-electra-glide-in-blue-three-obscure-film-noir-70s-classics/

Now, one of my top 5 favorite movies…

L – The Last Of Sheila

This terrific mystery puzzle of a film was written by Stephen Sondheim and “Psycho” Anthony Perkins! An all-star cast including James Mason James Coburn, Raquel Welch, Richard Benjamin and Ryan Cannon make this a must see – here is the trailer:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/06/29/psycho-and-sondheim-the-last-of-sheila-classic-hollywood-murder-mystery-richard-benjamin-rules/

Time for one of America’s greatest Actors to lighten up…

M – Midnight Run

“Why are you unpopular with the Chicago Police Department?” The greatest buddy/action film of all, the first time we discovered that Robert DeNiro could do comedy! See the new blu-ray here:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/11/28/fistophobia-the-brilliant-but-neglected-buddy-action-comedy-midnight-run/

Next up, a European Actress from the 70’s who was naked in every single film she made!

N – Night Of A Thousand Desires!

I love Lina Romay – her haunting beauty and willingness to put it ALL out there – I mean, she is naked in every single film she made, and most of it was lovingly captured by her partner/husband Jess Franco – this is a great example of her hypnotic appeal, with a great blu-ray thanks to Mondo Macabro – see it here:

https://johnrieber.com/2017/05/06/night-has-a-thousand-desires-lina-romays-cult-classic-jess-francos-sex-shocker/

Next up, my second favorite film of all time…

O – O Lucky Man!

This obscure British masterpiece was written by and starring Malcolm McDowell – right after “A Clockwork Orange” – it is a brilliant satire of a world gone mad with an equally brilliant soundtrack – see it here:

https://johnrieber.com/2013/03/22/o-lucky-man-malcolm-mcdowells-seinfeld-connection/

Time for more 70’s stuff, this time a grindhouse classic:

P – Prime Cut

The “grindhouse” era of the 60’s and 70’s allowed studios to make gritty B-movies like this one, with lots of sex, nudity and violence, and many big stars willing jumped in! “Prime Cut” stars Gene Hackman, Lee Marvin and a VERY naked Sissy Spacek in her movie debut – see the trailer here:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/03/23/prime-cut-grindhouse-classic-gene-hackman-vs-lee-marvin/

Need more obscure classics?

Q – Q! The Winged Serpent

Legendary Exploitation Director Larry Cohen made this film about a “winged serpent” terrorizing New York – one of many great movies he made…here is a documentary about his life – and his wild wild work!

https://johnrieber.com/2017/05/08/king-cohen-exploitation-director-larry-cohen-killer-babies-winged-serpents-exploitation-master-dynamite-new-documentary/

I think a musical is in order….

R – Rude Boy

I grew up loving The Clash – but did you know they made a film? “Rude Boy” is the story of a roadie who dreams of success while following The Clash on their REAL tour of the UK at the end of the 70’s – and the birth of punk rock! This is terrific stuff – see the trailer here:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/03/09/the-clash-is-live-rude-boy-iconic-punk-music-meets-classic-cult-movie/

Another from my top twenty is next:

S – The Shawshank Redemption

One of the most inspiring movies ever made – brilliant from start to finish – Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman was flawless – click here to see the real “Zihuatanejo”:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/05/18/zihuatanejo-the-inspiring-greatness-of-the-shawshank-redemption/

Here is #3 on my list of greatest films:

T – Taxi Driver

Martin Scorsese and Paul Schrader capture the gritty streets of New York perfectly – as seen through the eyes of Travis Bickle – this masterpiece is still topical forty years on – see the anniversary reunion here:

https://johnrieber.com/2016/04/21/travis-bickle-turns-40-taxi-driver-tribeca-screening-3-reasons-to-love-him-one-big-reason-to-hate/

OK, from masterpiece to Russ Meyer!

U – Up!

Need a break from the seriousness of the list – well, how about some Russ Meyer? The man who gave us “Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!” also got us “Up!” See how here:

https://johnrieber.com/2012/03/16/sexploitation-classics-the-russ-meyer-edition/

Need more grindhouse?

V – The Virgin Witch

I love the sexploitation era of the 60’s and 70’s as you can see, and films like “The Virgin Witch” are the reason why…virgin witches baring all for our pleasure – see how here:

https://johnrieber.com/2015/10/17/bloody-witchcraft-horror-sexy-virgin-witches-halloween-2015-heats-up/

Another from my top twenty is next:

W – Withnail & I

Simply the greatest British comedy ever – Richard E. Grant is brilliant, and the film is acerbic, insightful, and hilariously funny – read more here:

https://johnrieber.com/2017/04/10/withnail-i-30th-anniversary-classic-80s-cult-comedy-richard-e-grant-tell-all-book-with-nails/

Some letters of the alphabet are better sung than spoken…

X – Xanadu

What, you don’t want an 80’s musical with a rollerskating Olivia Newton-John? I included “Xanadu” because it’s so “of its time”, and because it also has a terrific soundtrack from The Electric Light Orchestra! Here’s proof:

https://johnrieber.com/2015/02/25/elo-rocks-the-grammy-awards-brilliant-70s-orchestra-rock-jeff-lynnes-beatles-love/

Mel Brooks was a brilliant filmmaker, and here is one example:

Y – Young Frankenstein

The funniest film ever? Well, argue amongst yourselves, but Brooks competes with himself for that title (“Blazing Saddles!”), and this film gives Gene Hackman – yes, GENE HACKMAN! A chance to show how funny he is! To celebrate this legendary Actors birthday, I highlighted his ten best roles:

https://johnrieber.com/2017/01/30/happy-birthday-gene-hackman-ten-roles-that-defined-a-hollywood-legend/

Finally, I leave you with Bond, James Bond…well, this next film is a 007 you’ve never seen before!

Z – Zardoz!

Yes, that’s 007 in a bright red loincloth! But WHY? The answer lies in one of the wackiest films ever committed to celluloid – the lunacy of “Zardoz.” Click to see some of the hilariously “WTF” dialogue and trailer!

https://johnrieber.com/2012/10/01/suspiria-caligula-zardoz-wacky-one-word-movie-wonders/

Well, I tried to showcase movies you knew and many you didn’t, so let me know what you think!

Meet The “Blue Face” Of Horror!

With the chaotic 2017 Oscar telecast naming the wrong film for Best Picture, it’s time to look at other films that were “overlooked” for the Academy’s top honor…in fact, here are three classic films that never got the recognition they deserved:

“In Cranium-Cleaving Color!”

Take a moment to look closely at all three of these posters, including the “cranium” line at the bottom of “The Ghastly Ones”…how could you ever miss such classic horror cinema?

Now, if you turned the Oscars upside down and shook REALLY HARD, you would come up with the Director of these three films – arguably the worst movies ever committed to celluloid – time to meet Andy Milligan!

Grindhouse Lives!

Meet Andy Milligan, who may just be Staten Island’s greatest filmmaker!

Yes: STATEN ISLAND’S GREATEST FILMMAKER!

Here are some exampleS of his “masterpieces”, beginning with an early work of art:

I mean, the title alone NEEDS to be shouted out from the Oscar podium – but as you can imagine, the creative visionary behind this gem had many more classics to come:

All of these movies are the work of Andy Milligan, a quirky filmmaker who wanted to shock America.

These are films that you can savor over and over again, especially when they include dialogue like THIS:

Dusty Cole: How’s your mother?
Cherry Lane: She threw me out. I guess she got tired of me using all her hairspray.

Shooting on budgets that hovered around $10,000, Milligan turned out 29 movies between 1965 and 1988 – moves that were:

“In Dripping Blood Color!”

While the posters were classic grindhouse “come ons”, his movies were appallingly shot, often ludicrously plotted “shock” films – but that’s what played in 42nd Street grind houses, drive-ins and avant-garde film festivals in the late 60’s and 70’s…

Milligan churned out film after film, with some of exploitation’s greatest movie titles!

Torture Dungeon! (1969)
Bloodthirsty Butchers! (1970)
The Body Beneath! (1970)
Guru, the Mad Monk! (1970)
The Rats Are Coming! The Werewolves Are Here! (1972)

“EXPLICIT BEYOND BELIEF!”

And they weren’t just horror films – no, Milligan knew how to sex it up as well!

Fleshpot On 42nd St. “Erotic, Sensual and Smoldering!”

That’s right, they weren’t all horror films, Milligan also loved deviant sex – and blew the lid of 42nd Street’s sleazy sex trade!

The plot of this classic was simple: A street whore desperately seeks love and acceptance against the backdrop of the criminal element of early 1970s Times Square.

Here is a seven minute scene shot on location – you get a real clear idea of Milligan’s filming “style”:

The film featured classic Milligan dialogue like this:

Cherry Lane: Didn’t your mother ever tell you that you shouldn’t go out with strange men?
Dusty Cole: Bob’s not strange. He’s dull.

Wel, enough said! Let’s get back to what Milligan REALLY liked – movies that he filmed:

“In Cranium-Cleaving Color!”

How can you resist a movie that offers this tagline!

The Ghastly Ones!

You are seeing a trend: classic grindhouse poster art – sex, violence, SHOCKS BEYOND BELIEF! – c’mon in suckers, the water’s fine!

First, check out the trailer:

Then, check out the “Doctor’s Warning” on the poster – a classic “come on” for the suckers at that time…love it! Now, back to “The Ghastly Ones” plot: Three married couples are forced to spend the night in a Victorian-era house where they start getting killed off by a deranged psycho who’s bent on claiming an inheritance they are all entitled to.

Here’s a great bit of trivia, thanks to IMDB: In several of the fight scenes of the film, the crew and their cameras and sound equipment are visible. There are also moments when the director can be heard softly reminding the actors of their lines.

Now THAT”S film making! Here’s another example of Milligan’s madness – starring this “blue-faced” women:

The Body Beneath!

This is arguably is masterwork, mainly because these blue-faced beauties show up for no reason, but they liven up the pace of the film!

Check out the trailer, which proclaims that the movie was “filmed in the graveyards of England!”

In this movie, Milligan captures the eerie horror of-, ah who’s kidding who? Do you REALLY care what it’s about? It’s slow-moving and laughably bad in a dementedly fun way! I mean, you have to watch it in order to find out why these women look like THIS!

There is so much more on Andy Milligan to share, including a book that tells the hilarious, and ultimately sad story of an awful filmmaker who managed to make a number of movies that are still being enjoyed today!

Click on my story here:

https://johnrieber.com/2013/02/13/fleshpots-rats-cranium-cleaving-color-meet-andy-milligan-sexploitations-ed-wood/

I’m not trying to pick on Andy Milligan – after all, he made movies, so bravo for that! In fact, there are a number of filmmakers who had their own “unique” vision for movies:

All Hail Tommy Wiseau!

If you know “bad cinema”, then of course you know “The Room”, considered one of the most hilariously inept films ever made – and there is a great book that tells the whole “behind the scenes” story!

Greg Sistero’s starred in the film alongside Wiseau, and he gives a “no holds barred” look at the madness behind the moviemaking…read all about it here:

https://johnrieber.com/2013/10/27/tommy-wiseaus-classic-the-room-now-a-book-tommys-secrets-revealed/

Let me know your favorite “bad movies” – they are all worth celebrating!

Time For A “Franco Friday!”

The guy in the wheelchair doesn’t seem to be having a great day, but in fact, it’s just another day at the office for Director Jess Franco – perhaps the world’s most prolific Director!

He made HUNDREDS of films in his career, most starring his long-time creative partner and wife, Lina Romay – a “sexploitation superstar!”

She Loved The Camera As Much As The Camera Loved HER!

In the 70’s, there was a flood of exploitation films from Europe – many featuring one of the most exotic, vibrant and unabashedly “free” Actresses ever – the legendary Lina Romay!

Lina Romay was one of the most “empowered” female Actresses of the 70’s – in a series of roles that allowed her to explore her sexuality AND her acting ability – unabashedly unafraid to take on a multitude of controversial roles – most of them directed by her Husband!

Time To Celebrate Sex Kitten Lina Romay!

I have posted stories about many of Lina’s films: she was was a Catalan actress (born in Barcelona) who appeared in dozens of films in the 70’s, 80’s and beyond.

She starred in a slew of classic sexploitation films from Europe, mostly for her Director husband Jess Franco – and thanks to the terrific work of a number of DVD and Blu-ray companies, these films can be enjoyed today!

It’s A Perfect “Franco Friday!”

There is a trend on social media to celebrate “Franco Friday” – honoring this maverick Director who made so many movies over his career, classic exploitation like this one starring Soledad Miranda:

This newly remastered blu-ray is a revelation – see more about it here:

https://johnrieber.com/2015/05/19/legendary-sex-kitten-soledad-miranda-ecstasy-vampyros-lesbos-new-cult-films-releases/

This films were low-budget, raw explorations of horror and erotica at a time when the boundaries of film were being pushed – and Franco was at the forefront, especially when he directed his wife, Lina Romay!

Celebrating the Cinema Of Lina Romay!

Lina Romay began appearing in Director Jess Franco’s films from the time they met in 1971. They eventually married and she made more than a hundred movies, most of them directed by Franco.

“Barbed Wire Dolls!”

Here’s a great example: this 1976 “women in prison” tale stars Lina Romay as a woman who is jailed after killing her father, played by director Jess Franco, who tries to rape her. As IMDB points out, here is what follows:

“Lesbian wardens, torture, nudity, sex, insanity and conspiracy round out the formula.”

The majority of their films together were horror films and action thrillers, always with a healthy dose of nudity and sex – something that Romay was not only comfortable with, she loved it!

Lina Romay was one of exploitation cinema’s greatest sex kittens. She was a fearless performer – and a exhibitionist as well!

Romay was born in Barcelona in 1954, and made her film debut as a gypsy girl in “The Erotic Rites of Frankenstein” in 1973.

One of Lina’s most memorable roles was voracious Countess Irina Karlstein in “Female Vampire” / “Erotikill! / “The Bare-Breasted Countess” from 1975!

Yes, the film had three different titles! You can find a DVD release from Redemption that also includes the version called “Erotikill!”

In both cases, Lina Romay is a vampire who has sex with both male and female victims. In Jess Franco’s sex-fuelled cinema, this vampire performs oral sex on her victims until they die, draining them of their sexual fluids!

Three versions of the film were shot – one that was straight horror, one that had horror mixed with some sex, and then there was a hardcore porn version – because Romay was fearless and willing to bare all in her movies!

Talk About A “Blood Bath!”

Roman is fully nude in much of the film, like many of the films she made – she was VERY comfortable performing in the nude….

FYI, Director Franco’s original title for the film was “The Bare Breasted Countess”, and ultimately the film was shown with that title at the 2009 Fantastic Fest in the United States.

Kudos To Severin Films!

Because of the dedicated effort of a few great home video companies, some of Romay’s best movies are now available – including this notorious, controversial classic!

“The Hot Nights Of Linda!”

Jess Franco’s legendary sexploitation classic is finally unearthed, thanks to Severin Films! The Director’s wife, Lina Romay, stars in one of her larger roles for him – and among the most notorious! And the blu-ray release is full of great additional material!

The plot is straightforward: a young woman cares for an elderly man on an island off the Greek coast. She discovers that one of the man’s daughters is a crazed nymphomaniac who pursues everyone in the house!

Well, OF COURSE!

A Barcelona Bordello Discovery!

According to Severin, the film is restored from a 35mm print discovered in a Barcelona bordello! I don’t care how they found it, I’m just glad they did, as it is loaded with Bonus Features and presented in high definition for the first time ever in America!

Blu-Ray Bonuses!

Look at all of the bonus material included in this release, including an exclusive Interview with Director Jess Franco and Lina…check out all of the extras here:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/03/11/lindas-shocking-hot-nights-lina-romays-classic-sexploitation/

The Notorious “French” Version!

The blu-ray is a three disc effort, with the notorious “alternate banana” version of the film – the french cut, which is completely uncensored!

Again, kudos to Severin Films – what a great job!

Check out everything Severin has to offer by going to their website:

http://www.severin-films.com/

Another fascinating Franco film starring Romay was this classic:

Lorna The Exorcist!

This 1974 film by Franco has a simple logline: A man is tormented by an ex-lover, Lorna, who is some kind of witch!

And let’s be honest, Mondo Macabro’s extended teaser will blow your mind right now!

Franco’s themes often revolved around lesbian vampires, women in prison, surgical horror, sadomasochism, zombies and sexploitation – and were drenched in blood…

Their story fascinates, even if the films are not all that good, they are also fascinating to watch!

This genre of 70’s sexploitation movie was much more artistic in Europe…there was plenty of sex, violence and nudity, but the movies play out as if they think it’s high art! Here are some additional examples of Jess Franco and Lina Romay efforts:

https://johnrieber.com/2013/02/17/countess-perverse-lorna-the-exorcist-jess-francos-naked-masterpieces/

One of great roles of the 80’s was this shocker:

Directed by Franco, this was the story of a young woman who thinks she may be a murderer – or is she simply in a trance?

Franco lets his shot of her staring vacantly into space run for almost a minute – and she is hypnotic to watch – oh, and there is plenty of sex and violence as well! See the trailer here:

https://johnrieber.com/2017/05/06/night-has-a-thousand-desires-lina-romays-cult-classic-jess-francos-sex-shocker/

Thanks to the great Mondo Macabro for bringing this film to blu-ray – buy a copy to support them!

Lina Romay had a fascinating career, with many great films that are worth watching…sadly, she died of cancer in 2012, at the age of 57.

Let me know which ones are your favorites!

Vincent Price “Gets Down!”

Have you ever wanted to see the legendary Horror Actor Vincent Price in an afro? And have you ever wanted to kill your critics? Well, thanks to this Horror legend, you can do both!

When you create art, you can get angry when the reviews are bad…and if you are a Critic, THIS is how you feel:

“You begin to resent an actor if you always have to give him bad notices.”

With both sides sharpening their knives, it’s time for “Theater Of Blood!”

First, let’s check out the trailer:

Vincent Price stars as Edward Lionheart, an actor overlooked for a Critics acting award – and after confronting them, he dramatically throws himself into the Thames river.

Of course, you can’t keep a great Actor down, and soon Price is back, carrying out his bloody revenge on his Critics, donning a variety of great disguises as his kills them in very Shakespearean ways!

The great Actress Diana Rigg plays his daughter, Edwina Lionheart – yes, that’s her donning an Afro as well! She has no problem sticking up for her father against his harshest critics.

Critic Peregrine Devlin: “You don’t understand!”
Edwina Lionheart: “I understand that the greatest actor of all time never earned your approval for one single performance. Never. Not one good review!”

According to IMDB, Diana Rigg considers this her best film – and she has a point, because it’s terrific!

If you are worried it’s too funny to be gory, know that more than six gallons of fake blood was used to produce the eight ghastly murders!

Price was at his best in the 60’s and 70’s, and one of my favorite films was this one:

“The Abominable Dr. Phibes” is a great horror film from the early 70’s – you can find out more about this cult classic and see the trailer here:

https://johnrieber.com/2013/10/22/drunken-dr-phibes-horrors-abominable-midnight-madness/

Diana Rigg had a great career as well of course, and was perhaps the greatest “Bond girl” of all time:

She was smart, sassy, conflicted, confident and ultimately the greatest 007 tragedy ever filmed in the classic Bond movie “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”.

Of course, there were many stories about how she didn’t get along with the “one and done” 007, George Lazenby – and now there is a great documentary that tells the story! See more here:

https://johnrieber.com/2017/05/02/the-sex-secrets-of-james-bond-007-george-lazenbys-swinging-007-days-great-new-documentary-becoming-bond/

Let me know if you’ve seen Vincent Price at his afro-tastic best!

Scream Factory’s Amazing Sale! Incredible Special Edition Blu-Rays For Fans!

Movie fans, do I have a deal for you!

I have posted about some of the Scream Factory special edition releases before, because they LOVE cult films and are bringing terrific special editions to life…and now, they have a 50% off sale!

Head over to their parent company “Shout Factory” to see their incredible inventory:

Here is the link:

https://www.shoutfactory.com

Here are a few highlights of their catalog, as well as some details on the incredibly over-stuffed blu-ray special editions!

Let’s begin with one of my top ten favorite films of all time:

Carrie!

Brian DePalma directed one of horror’s greatest films, starring Sissy Spacek as a young girl with “special” powers:

Here are some of the bonus features on sale now:

DISC ONE:
NEW 4K Scan Of The Original Negative
Original Theatrical Trailer (HD)
Carrie Franchise Trailer Gallery
DISC TWO:
NEW More Acting Carrie – featuring interviews with Nancy Allen, Betty Buckley, William Katt, Piper Laurie, Edie McClurg and P.J. Soles (20 minutes)
NEW Writing Carrie – an interview with screenwriter Lawrence Cohen (29 minutes)
NEW Cutting Carrie – an interview with editor Paul Hirsch (25 minutes)
NEW Shooting Carrie – an interview with director of photography Mario Tosi (15 min)
NEW Casting Carrie –an interview with casting director Harriet B. Helberg (16 min)
NEW Bucket of Blood – a new interview with composer Pino Donaggio (24 minutes)
NEW Horror’s Hallowed Grounds – Revisiting The Film’s Original Locations (11 minutes)
Acting Carrie – Interviews With Actors Sissy Spacek, Amy Irving, Betty Buckley, Nancy Allen, William Katt, Piper Laurie, Priscilla Pointer and P.J. Soles And Art Director Jack Fisk And Director Brian De Palma (43 minutes)
Visualizing Carrie – Interviews With Brian De Palma, Jack Fisk, Lawrence D. Cohen, Paul Hirsch (41 minutes)
A Look At “Carrie: The Musical” (6 minutes) – TV Spots – Radio Spots
Still Gallery – Rare Behind-The-Scenes Photos, Posters And Lobby Cards
Stephen King And The Evolution Of Carrie Text Gallery

I mean – WOW! See more about this classic horror film here:

https://johnrieber.com/2016/10/30/shocktober-day-30-brilliant-carrie-brian-depalmas-horror-classics-star-wars-connection/

Speaking of great horror films:

The Thing!

Remember the iconic tagline?

“Man Is The Warmest Place To Hide”

This is one of the most shocking horror films ever made, thanks to Director John Carpenter!

Here are the abundant bonus features on this 50% off blu-ray:

DISC ONE:
NEW 2K Scan Of The Interpositive Supervised And Approved By Director Of Photography Dean Cundey
NEW 4.1 Audio Mix Created From The Original 70MM Six Track Dolby Stereo Soundtrack (5.1 Audio Mix Also Included)
NEW Audio Commentary With Director Of Photography Dean Cundey
NEW Audio Commentary With Co-producer Stuart Cohen
Audio Commentary By Director John Carpenter And Actor Kurt Russell
Teaser Trailer (1 minute) – Theatrical Trailers (U.S. And German) (5 minutes)
TV Spots (1 minute) – Radio Spots (2 minutes)
Still Gallery (Behind-The-Scenes Photos, Posters And Lobby Cards) (15 minutes)

DISC TWO:
NEW Requiem For A Shape Shifter – An Interview With Director John Carpenter In Conversation With Filmmaker Mick Garris (28 minutes)
NEW The Men Of Outpost 31 – Interviews With Keith David, Wilford Brimley, David Clennon, Thomas Waites, Peter Maloney, Richard Masur And Joel Polis (51 minutes)
NEW Assembling And Assimilation – An Interview With Editor Todd Ramsay (11 minutes)
NEW Behind The Chameleon: The Sights Of THE THING – Interviews With Visual Effects Artists Peter Kuran And Susan Turner, Special Make-up Effects Artist Rob Burman, Brian Wade And Stop Motion Animators Randall William Cook And Jim Aupperle (25 minutes)
NEW Sounds From The Cold – Interviews With Supervising Sound Editor David Lewis Yewdall And Special Sound Effects Designer Alan Howarth (15 minutes)
NEW Between The Lines – An Interview With Novelization Author Alan Dean Foster (16 minutes)
NEW Back Into The Cold: A Return To The Shooting Locations Of THE THING – An Animated Photo Gallery Narrated By Todd Cameron Of Outpost31.com
NEW The Art Of Mike Ploog Gallery (12 minutes)
John Carpenter’s The Thing: Terror Takes Shape – A Documentary On The Making Of THE THING Featuring Interviews With John Carpenter, Kurt Russell, Special Effects Make-up Designer Rob Bottin, Legendary Matte Artist Albert Whitlock Plus Members Of The Cast And Crew (80 minutes – SD)
Network TV Broadcast Version Of THE THING (92 minutes – SD)
Outtakes (5 minutes – SD)
Vintage Featurettes From The Electronic Press Kit Featuring Interviews With John Carpenter, Kurt Russell And Rob Bottin (13 minutes – SD)
Vintage Featurettes – The Making Of A Chilling Tale And The Making Of THE THING (14 minutes – SD)
Vintage Product Reel – Contains A Condensed Version Of The Film With Additional Footage Not In The Film (19 minutes – SD)
Vintage Behind-The-Scenes Footage (2 minutes – SD)
Annotated Production Archive – Production Art And Storyboards, Location Scouting, Special Make-up Effects, Post Production (54 minutes – SD)

It’s a treasure trove for movie lovers – see more about this great film here:

https://johnrieber.com/2016/10/26/the-thing-shocks-halloween-horror-day-26-man-is-the-warmest-place-to-hide/

Need some classic sci-fi-fi laced with plenty of 80’s nudity? Well, here you go!

Lifeforce!

This classic British film is chock full of shocks and skin…

Look at what you can get for 50% off:

The Blu-ray Contains Both The Theatrical Cut And The Longer, Director Approved Cut

Bonus Features
Audio Commentary with Director Tobe Hooper
Audio Commentary with Makeup Effects artist Nick Maley
New interviews with Mathilda May, Steve Railsback and Director Tobe Hooper
Theatrical Trailers – TV Spot – Still Gallery

See more about this film here:

https://johnrieber.com/2013/06/17/lifeforce-the-amazingly-naked-80s-sci-fi-horror-cult-classic-is-back/

An obscure, offbeat horror film is not only brand new to blu-ray, but also on sale!

Willard!

The creepy story of a young man who makes friends with killer rats!

Bonus features include:

NEW 4K Scan Of The Original camera Negative
NEW Audio Commentary With Actor Bruce Davison
NEW Interview With Actor Bruce Davison
Theatrical Trailer – TV Spot – Radio Spots – Still Gallery

Read more about this classic 70’s film – and Oscar-nominated sequel “Ben!” by clicking here:

https://johnrieber.com/2016/08/02/killer-rat-horror-willard-michael-jacksons-ben-love-song-jacksons-oscar-night-performance/

Finally, Shout Factory has done a great job preserving classic Bruce Lee films:

Game Of Death!

This is the movie Lee was making when he died – the blu-ray has these bonus features:

DISC ONE: The U.S. Version (100 min.)
NEW 4K Transfer From The Internegative
Audio Commentary With Asian Film Expert Mike Leeder
Game Of Death Revisited
Game Of Death Locations
Outtake Montage – Deleted Scenes
Alternate Opening And Ending
Bloopers – Theatrical Trailers – Still Gallery – Japanese Print In HD

DISC TWO: The Mandarin/Cantonese Version (90 min.)
NEW 4K Transfer From The Internegative
NEW Trailer Gallery

Here is much more on Bruce Lee – an icon who will live forever – click here to see the amazing one-on-one fight he had for this film with Karen Abdul-Jabbar!

https://johnrieber.com/2015/04/25/dj-bruce-lee-robert-downey-jr-avengers-age-of-ultron-action-hero-mashup-nunchuck-mania/

Bravo to Scream Factory for their incredible sale!

RIP To A Great Movie Director, John G. Avildsen!

The odds are that, even if the name isn’t familiar, his work will be – RIP to the legendary Director John. G. Avildsen, who died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 81.

Yes, that’s Rocky Balboa behind the Director – oh, and here he is again with Ralph Macchio hanging around as well:

Avildsen directed the original “Karate Kid” movies, but so much more – his most famous work was in 1976, when he won the Best Director for “Rocky”, the tale of Rocky Balboa’s gritty and unlikely transcendence from the streets of South Philadelphia…

Avildsen won the Best Director Oscar, and “Rocky” also won Best Picture as well.

According to the great article about him in The Los Angeles Times:

“In an interview last year, Avildsen told the Baltimore Sun about his initial misgivings about “Rocky”: “When this script came to me from an old friend … I said I had no interest in boxing, I think boxing’s sort of a dumb thing,” he said. “He pleaded and pleaded, so I finally read the thing. And on the second or third page, he’s talking to his turtles, Cuff and Link. I was charmed by it, and I thought it was an excellent character study and a beautiful love story. And I said yes.”

One Of Jack Lemmon’s Greatest Performances!

Avildsen also directed the drama “Save the Tiger” in 1973, which earned Jack Lemmon an Academy Award for best actor.

This film was an intense look at a desperate Executive who torches his own business to save himself from financial ruin…

In an interview with The Times in 2014, Avildsen recalled his encounter with Lemmon:

“When I came to meet him for the first time I had long hair, an extensive beard and blue velvet jeans with daisies on my butt. I explained to him if he chose me to direct the movie, I didn’t want to see him in it. I didn’t want all the mannerisms, all of the things he had grown comfortable with over the years. I wanted to see [the character], not him.”

Another Avildsen film was the black comedy “Neighbors” from 1981 – John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd starred the height of their fame, but reversed roles – Belushi was the timid meek neighbor to the wild Aykroyd. Critic Roger Ebert called “Neighbors” a “truly interesting comedy, an offbeat experiment in hallucinatory black humor. It grows on you.”

Among other Avildsen movies was the smash 80’s hit “The Karate Kid.” He also directed “Lean On Me” with Morgan Freeman.

And yes, Avildsen had a TROMA connection as well! TROMA Founder Lloyd Kaufman worked on the first “Rocky” film and stayed friends with Avildsen…in fact, some of Lloyd’s Super-8 footage was used recently on a “Rocky” Blu-ray release, and Lloyd recorded commentary with the Director and his son!

You can see more here:

http://www.lloydkaufman.com/news/2013/11/19/lloyd-with-legendary-director-of-rocky-john-g-avildsen/

RIP to a great Artist!

Summer’s New Movies Continue To Crash And Burn!

Hollywood’s summer box office blues continue, as another high profile film under-delivers. “Transformers: The Last Knight” will have an opening weekend around $69.1M, per industry sources.

“The Last Knight” will be, by far, the lowest grossing opening for the Transformers series through five films. Even worse, this number is almost 40% lower than the previous film in the series.

While many big budget films make the bulk of their money overseas, China throws a curveball – even if a movie grosses a lot in that country, barely 25% of the $$$ make it back to the studio, versus fully half of the domestic box office.

This is just the latest box office disappointment this summer – here is another one:

The new comedy “Rough Night” has barely grossed $16-million after its second weekend in theaters – audiences clearly rejected this black comedy, not even showing up to see if it was worthwhile.

These bombs are dropping soon after summer got off to a dismal start thanks to these films:

Amy Schumer’s first movie “Trainwreck” grossed more than $100-million – her new effort “Snatched” won’t get to half of that. The latest “Alien” and “Pirates” films are grossing much less than expected as well, and “King Arthur” will be a $100-mil write-off for Warner Brothers.

This summer has been filled with unwanted sequels and uninteresting “blockbusters”, and crowds are turning their back on Hollywood – another huge debacle was “The Mummy” remake with Tom Cruise.

Here is a look at the awful start to the summer:

https://johnrieber.com/2017/06/12/bombs-away-the-mummy-unwraps-another-2017-summer-movie-disaster-tom-cruse-fires-box-office-blanks/

It’s important to point out that “Wonder Woman” and “Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol.II” are both huge hits, but overall, the films this summer aren’t resonating with moviegoers.

I think we are going to see a couple of additional sequels come out to lower box office than expected as well – sequel fatigue is clearly upon us this summer.

Hollywood has a long history delivering smash hits – but also shocking box office bombs..like this one:

“Monster Trucks” was written off BEFORE IT EVEN OPENED!

That’s right, the company releasing this movie this January wrote off $115-million dollars the week the film was scheduled to open…read all about this debacle here:

https://johnrieber.com/2017/01/16/monster-trucks-meltdown-115-million-write-off-before-it-even-opened-disastrous-movie-performances/

Certain online personalities take stories like this as an insult to the films being discussed – but all I am focused on is the box office gross of these movies: if international helps salvage them, great! However, it’s hard to make hundreds of millions of dollars just from overseas box office…so this could be a summer when moviegoers send a loud message to Hollywood…

Look! It’s Wonder Woman!

Yes, this summer’s biggest action star is female – and why not? Empowered women SHOULD rule the box office…but if we are going to talk about “Wonder Women”, what about these two?

Now These Two Are Wonder Women!

Notice a similarity in the poses? These two empowered women were also “Wonder Women” – time to celebrate two of the biggest blaxploitation stars of the 70’s empowered women known as “Cleopatra Jones” and “Foxy Brown!”

Time to celebrate a classic genre of 70’s film, and celebrate two women who not only broke racial barriers by starring as empowered women in these films, but they scored big at the box office as well!

First up: FOXY BROWN!

Michael Anderson: I don’t know… vigilante justice?
Foxy Brown: It’s as American as apple pie.

Pam Grier IS “Foxy Brown!”

In the 70’s, blaxploitation films were the rage, with such classics as “Shaft”, “The Mack” and “Cotton Comes To Harlem” leading the way…

Cue “Coffy!”

The success of this urban action genre led to a series of hit action films with WOMEN as the stars – breaking a lot of barriers at the same time – and none were bigger than Pam Grier!

Pam Grier burst onto the scene (more in a moment on that) and became a star as “Foxy Brown” – who had attitude, confidence, and street smarts – and she could kick ass when she needed to as well – as “Bobbi” is about to find out!

Bobbie: Listen skinny, before you start talking tough, I’d better warn you I’ve got a black belt in karate. So why don’t you get out of here quietly, while you still got some teeth left in that ugly face?

[Foxy knocks her down with a barstool]

Foxy Brown: And I’ve got MY black belt in barstools!

Here’s The “Foxy Brown” Classic Blaxploitation Trailer!

Here’s the very succinct – and very descriptive – description of “Foxy Brown” on IMDB: “A voluptuous black woman takes a job as a high-class prostitute in order to get revenge on the mobsters who murdered her boyfriend.”

“Voluptuous” Indeed!

The Rise Of Pam Grier!

Pam Grier got her start as a “party goer” in “Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls”, but she broke out big in Director Jack Hill’s classic of exploitation, his “women in prison” epic, “The Big Doll House!”

“They Caged Their Bodies – But Not Their Desires!”

These were classic exploitation films that played every drive-in in America – sexy, crude “women in prison” films – a popular genre that made tons of money at a time when exploitation was getting more daring…and Pam Grier stuck out and made a big impression on the crowd!

This sweltering mix of hot young women – angry, violent and mostly naked – in prison was very popular at the time, and her classic “Black Mama White Mama” was a classic of the genre…

You can see more about this classic piece of 70’s exploitation here:

https://johnrieber.com/2015/03/21/black-mama-white-mama-queen-of-blaxploitation-pam-grier-naked-showers-women-in-prison-classics/

Grier used her popularity in this film to go on to star in one of the first “blaxploitation” films of the era, called “Coffy”….

This low budget, violent action film was such a success that a sequel was inevitable. According to director Jack Hill – yes, the genius behind “Big Doll House”, “Foxy Brown” was originally intended to be a sequel to his “Coffy”, and in fact the working title of the film was “Burn, Coffy, Burn!”

However, American-International Pictures decided at the last minute it didn’t want to do a sequel, even though “Coffy” was a huge hit. So a new action star was created, “Foxy Brown!” Pam Grier’s rise to stardom was confirmed, as “Foxy Brown” was a big hit!

Tarantino’s Homage To Pam!

Director Quentin Tarantino was such a fan of Pam Grier and her iconic action status that he made “Jackie Brown” just so she could star in it – and made her a leading lady again!

Pam Grier was the best known “Blaxploitation queen”, but there was another leading lady kicking ass and taking names as well….and her name was:

“Cleopatra Jones!”

Tamara Dobson is “Cleopatra Jones!”

Here’s the story of Tamara Dobson: she was a young actress in Hollywood, with only two small parts to her credit…then, because everyone was looking to take advantage of “Foxy Brown”‘s success, she got cast as the lead in a new action movie – “Cleopatra Jones”! That is the story of Tamara Dobson in a nutshell – a 6’ 2″ model who overnight became one of blaxploitation’s biggest stars!

Here is the trailer for “Cleopatra Jones” starring Tamara Dobson and Oscar Winner Shelley Winters!

Oh as you can tell, Shelley Winters doesn’t just chew up the scenery, she beats the hell of it as well!

There was one sequel, “Cleopatra Jones And The Casino Of Gold” – in hindsight, it sounds like an earlier incarnation of an Indiana Jones movie!

Even though “Cleopatra Jones” was a huge hit, Tamara Dobson wasn’t able to capitalize on that – the blaxploitation genre dried up, and she never become a huge star – and unfortunately, Dobson struggled to find roles going forward…sadly, she died in 2006.

“Cleopatra Jones” is a fun, action-packed film with some crazy scenery chewing by Shelley Winters…definitely worth checking out!

If you need more crazy Shelley Winters, try out this story – she was the leader in another 70’s fil genre about crazy old ladies who killed, killed, and killed some more – click on this link to find out all about the wacky genre of “Old Lady Horror”!

https://johnrieber.com/2013/03/09/old-lady-horror-crazy-ladies-chew-up-the-screen/

Kudos to “Foxy Brown” and “Cleopatra Jones” for showing the world that women could kick ass just a hard as a man!

The genre of “blaxploitation” is fascinating – with lots of social and political themes played out in the gritty urban world of the early 70’s…and there is a great documentary that looks at this genre, see the trailer here:

https://johnrieber.com/2013/08/23/dolemite-hit-man-shaft-iconic-blaxploitation-stars/

Leave a comment telling me YOUR favorite blaxploitation film!