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October 29, 2010
Savant's new reviews today are Blu-ray 
Stanley Kubrick's first acclaimed masterpiece is a stunning recreation of the horror and injustice of WW1 -- and manages to make room for its grandstanding star-producer. Kirk Douglas, Adolphe Menjou, George Macready and Ralph Meeker star in a heavy-duty indictment of army bureaucracy. With some eye-opening interview testimony from people like co-producer James. B. Harris. DVD and Blu-ray, from Criterion.
10/30/10
The first official film noir has the required earmarks to qualify for the style, but Savant sees it as an Edgar Allan Poe- inspired horror tale, complete with one of the most extreme German Expressionist sequences ever in a Hollywood film. John McGuire finds himself on the hot seat for murder, while the strange Stranger Peter Lorre creeps in the shadows. With Margaret Tallichet and Elisha Cook Jr.. From the Warner Archive Collection.
10/30/10
and 
A true original, an unusually sensitive horror film well directed and beautifully acted. Lee Grant and Carol Kane are sisters in a weird semi-incestuous relationship. Madness, murder and a succession of apes chained in the cellar ... and it's a quality picture in all respects. With Will Geer and James Olson, from Scorpion Releasing.
10/30/10 Greetings! Savant can offer a veritable avalanche of interesting reading this weekend, thanks to links provided by Savant readers. 
Perhaps some of you were caught in the same cruel hoax I was last week -- I had my credit card out and ready to buy some great gag Christmas gifts, only to be rudely disillusioned. My story will become obvious if you check out this ThinkGeek online ad for a terrific-sounding action toy. It's "made of semisynthetic, organic, amorphous, solid materials (AKA plastic)." and it can boast "Zero (0) points of articulation." This is worse than the days of Captain Company. Correspondent George Godwin interviewed filmmaker David Lynch long ago on the movie Eraserhead, and then went to Mexico City as a videographer-publicist for the filming of Lynch's epic Dune. This was back when EPK-type video documentation of filming was a brand-new field. Now he's moved his journals on both experiences to the web, for all of us to read: Eraserhead: The Making of a Cult Classic and Dune: On Set in Mexico. I was fascinated by George's account of his work on Dune because it was similar to my much more humble role in the filming of 1941, observing-while-working for the purpose of writing a making-of book. Only in my case, nobody recorded anything of the filming and all I kept was my daily diary-journal that mostly covered subjects that Columbia and Universal would never allow into print. George Godwin's Dune journals are frank and revealing -- he had quite an adventure. After going through all those Exorcist emails, it was nice to read all the positive feedback on my Warner Archive Collection Tarzan and the Lost Safari review ... including an informed message about Chimpanzees on film sets from cameraman Phil Smoot, which I've added as a footnote. I've also appended a fascinating footnote to my review of 711 Ocean Drive, that contains a link to a great article about real mob interference during the shooting of the film, as reported by journalist Sean Howe. While you're visiting Mr. Howe's blog, dig around ... his articles are full of interesting L.A.- based crime and movie lore. 
Reader Nicholas Krisfalusy reports that Shout! Factory has issued a hard date of January 18 for its Roger Corman Allied Artists triple bill of Attack of the Crab Monsters, War of the Satellites and Not of this Earth. The last I heard, War of the Satellites would be a full-frame transfer and the other two are fully remastered and properly enhanced. Specs may have changed since then. We've been whining and moping about being forced to wait for good copies of these Corman classics for years. Bye-bye unwatchable public domain eyesores! Since the AMIA and Dennis Doros of Milestone Films were so nice to me last Spring with their invitation to their super film restoration weekend here in Los Angeles, it behooves me to help publicize their worthy activities. This Association of Moving Image Archivsts page carries their latest news, plus viewable encodings of the two winners in their contest for a film or video that conveys the importance of preserving the world's moving image heritage. Thanks for reading! -- Glenn Erickson
October 25, 2010
Savant's new reviews today are 
Savant's first review from Sony's "Screen Classics By Request" burn on demand service is a near-flawless noir thriller starring Edmond O'Brien. A telephone technician rewires the mob's betting pools, rises in the ranks and continues to use DIY technology to defeat his competition. With a stunning conclusion at Hoover Dam.
10/26/10
One of the Lord of the Jungle's lesser color adventures is a highly watchable, unintentionally hilarious comedy: SEE foolish tourists fly their airplane into a flock of flamingos! SEE Tarzan dispense marriage counseling advice! Gordon Scott stars with Betta St. John, Yolande Donlan, and Chetah, who plays in full delinquent mode. From the Warner Archive Collection.
10/26/10
The Life and Times of Klaus Barbie 
Prepare for the shocking documentary of a verminous Nazi mass murderer allowed to prosper for decades after the war, thanks to protection from the U.S. Army, the Vatican and a corrupt dictatorship. It's an epic of history told by (and pried from) witnesses and participants in the events, and an Oscar winner for writer-director-producer Marcel Ophüls. Released by Icarus Films.
10/26/10
and Blu-ray 
Wes Anderson's tale of brothers on a spiritual quest in India is another of his terminally quirky character studies ... beautifully crafted filmmaking focusing on an amusing, narrow range of character tics. With Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman. A stunning Blu-ray from Criterion.
10/26/10 Greetings! 
Let's Jump into the links right away. Dick Dinman's Classics Corner On the Air has a new three-part radio show interview with the late star, Goodbye to Tony Curtis Part One, Part Two and Part Three. It's a full career rundown, including the actor's dark thoughts about The Boston Strangler and the professional dark corner he fell into late in his career. The promotions of other folk's products continues, although this one's pretty fancy, and very entertaining: Ernest Farino's elaborate montage-advertisement for the new Volume 3 of his Ray Harryhausen Master of the Majicks book. I hope to have at least two more vaguely Halloween-themed Savant reviews up before the weekend -- Thanks for reading! Glenn Erickson.
October 22, 2010
Savant's new reviews today are Blu-ray 
Kurosawa's classic always seemed pretty beat up, but the HD clean-up on this new Blu-ray makes the show stand out in relief -- to look better than I remember it in theaters. A pretty amazing result! From Criterion.
10/23/10
Gary Lockwood, Elke Sommer and Lee J. Cobb star in a wild international production set in California and Nevada -- but filmed mostly in Spain and Italy. A stylish, fast-paced caper: this is the one where they bury an entire armored van in some sand dunes. From the Warner Archive Collection.
10/23/10
and 
Danny Kaye is a mixed-up ventriloquist who tangles with deadly Cold War spies -- the funny kind. Mai Zetterling is a romantic psychiatrist; gags involve a crazy car and a goofy ballet. From Olive Films.
10/23/10 Greetings! I'm a bit behind in my writing but don't mind at all -- I got to spend the day with a friend I hadn't seen in half a year. And now I feel refreshed again, so what I write won't come out as endless lines of, "All work and no play makes Savant a dull boy." 
The first positive news of the week is that Sony Pictures' Screen Classics By Request burn-on-demand people have sent me some requested titles to review, so I'll be getting to those very quickly. I looked at the first and it appears to be a quality product in every respect. My request was alphabetical, so I guess somebody at SPHE just took the first three off the top of the list, 10 Rillington Place, The 27th Day and 711 Ocean Drive. That's perfectly fine, as they will give me a chance to see what Sony does with titles from three separate eras. I'm not going to post any more The Exorcist responses, as I think I've gotten enough and they're becoming repetitious. Thanks for all the praise, advice, well-meant scorn and reasoned thrashing. Some people tell me I should be tougher in my reviews, but hopefully not too many movies will touch me off the way that one did. And my review was more of an attack than a review should be, reviewing my low opinion of the motives behind its making. Thanks for putting up with it. Don't worry, even though I try to write mostly about movies I like and that I think people might want to see, I get plenty of emails -- and I don't mean abusive ones -- telling me how wrong I am. That's the hitch with writing one's opinions. I atone by not flying into a defensive posture when I'm contradicted. I've already had my say, and that's arrogance enough. If someone wants to disagree, it's not my place to act offended and retaliate. End of sermon. Onward. Hey, the International Federation of Film Critics' web 'zine Undercurrents has a terrific translation of an article by Fernando Martin Peña on the true story of why Metropolis took so long to be uncovered in Argentina. It's a great read! And Joe Dante sent along a YouTube clip in which Peter Jackson shows us even more instances in which random Willis O'Brien animation puppets ended up as set dressing in RKO movies. I assume that the video piece is from a King Kong extra I didn't watch carefully enough. BTW, Joe Dante's Trailers From Hell site is celebrating its 500th trailer posting. I really like some of his newer "guru" commentators. Joe has just put up trailers for three WW2 War Pictures. Brian Trenchard-Smith's delivery on Hell to Eternity is a gem. Thanks for reading! Glenn Erickson
October 18, 2010
Savant's new reviews today are 
Or .. how to get yourself blacklisted in one easy step. Cy Endfield's searing critique of American values presents Dan Duryea as a "hero" who tries to profit -- in four separate ways -- from the murder arrest of an innocent black maid. With Gale Storm, Herbert Marshall & Howard Da Silva, this is an undiscovered "subversive" noir gem. From the Warner Archive Collection.
10/19/10
Bob Hope teams with the sultry Hedy Lamarr in a popular Paramount comedy of a substitute agent proving his cowardice on a dangerous mission to Morocco. It's first-rate Hope & Lamarr for the first half, until the big slapstick set pieces take over. From Olive Films.
10/19/10
George Sanders and Beryl Reid help her biker son Nicky Henson turn his entire gang into undead zombies. Prime '70s exploitation horror, with young thugs creatively committing suicide to "cross over". With some excellent interview extras on the production and its music. From Severin.
10/19/10 and Blu-ray 
Forget about zombies and vampires, Adam Greene's well-made horror saga wrenches suspense and chills (literal) from a credible premise. Three Sunday skiers find themselves abandoned in freezing weather, 25 feet in the air and surrounded by dangerous wildlife. Quite a nice achievement on a small scale. Blu-ray, from Anchor Bay.
10/19/10 Greetings! 
I've received a number of responses to my review of The Exorcist Blu-ray, some positive and some aimed to toast my ears. I've amended them to the review, and will keep doing so for a few days. I didn't edit the responses, either. Gary Teetzel sends along a link for serious Bernard Herrmann fans: France Musique has a page that allows one to listen to Herrmann's entire opera of Wuthering Heights. It's all there -- good luck with your French! 
I've been encouraging my friend Guido Bibra, who runs a recommended German language film site called DVDLog.de, to review a Region 2 DVD of a German TV show called Raumpatrouille Orion, which he describes as a kind of Star Trek show. He's finally done it, and is offering an English-language version as well. Just follow the links to get to the Raumpatrouille Orion review in German or English. Meanwhile, over at the clever, erudite horror appreciation blog Arbogast On Film, October is cranking down to Halloween in a unique way. Every day since the first the site has celebrated one of the 31 Classic Screams of October. I just loaned the proprietor a special horror disc, in the hope that its female star will end up somewhere in the stack! Thanks for reading! -- Glenn Erickson.
October 16, 2010
Savant's new reviews today are Blu-ray 
It's been hailed and established as important, significant and scary, but Savant has held a grudge against this 'modern classic' since the day it opened. Let the tirade begin! A two-disc Blu-ray set, with the Extended Director's Cut and the Original Theatrical Version. Warner Home Video.
10/16/10
A thrilling "premature anti-Fascist African adventure, with Bruce Cabot, George Sanders, Harry Carey, Joseph Calleia, Reginald Gardiner and Carl Esmond lusting after Gene Tierney -- as an Arab trader / princess among the natives. Good dramatics, handsome cinematography and an absurd ending imposed by the Production Code. Directed by Henry Hathaway. Rescued from Public Domain oblivion in a fine B&W transfer, from TCM.
10/16/10
and 
The most enjoyable, unintentionally hilarious sword 'n' sandal fantasy ever -- George Pal's jumple of awkward theatrics, silly science fiction and solemn sincerity was a big hit with little kids and remains a solid hoot for adults. See men turned into animals! The Ordeal of Fire and Water! Shudder at the diabolical Death Ray ... 500 years B.C.! Recommended mirth, from the Warner Archive Collection.
10/16/10 Greetings! 
I've been writing and re-writing my review (essay? confused rant?) about The Exorcist right up until deadline, and am still not certain that I've communicated what I want to say, or that I still know what I want to say about it ... it might come down in a few hours. Besides that, the latest news is from The Criterion Collection, about their January releases. We'll be getting Blu-rays (and DVDs, where they don't already exist) of Sam Fuller's Shock Corridor and The Naked Kiss; James L. Brooks' Broadcast News and Jean-Pierre Melville's Army of Shadows and Byron Haskin's Robinson Crusoe on Mars. And the DVD set of Eclipse's 25th series has four films by English director Basil Dearden: Sapphire, The League of Gentlemen, Victim and All Night Long. Back again soon with more reviews -- Glenn Erickson.
October 11, 2010
Savant's new reviews today are (Pursuit of the Graf Spee) 
A few weeks into WW2, the Royal Navy engages the Nazi pocket battleship Graf Spee in the South Atlantic, despite being no match for its speed or guns. A colorful (originally VistaVision) ode to a historical sea battle made by Michael Powell & Emeric Pressberger, starring Peter Finch, Bernard Lee and Anthony Quayle. From Hen's Tooth Video.
10/12/10
Blu-ray 
This great new Blu-ray of the Alfred Hitchcock shock classic sends Savant back to his teen years as an aspiring film student, when the Master of Suspense could seemingly do no wrong. Besides a really good HD transfer, we get all the extras from earlier special editions. Janet Leigh, Anthony Perkins & Vera Miles. From Universal.
10/12/10
and 
Robert Mitchum tries to warn Brian Aherne and he tries to warn Gene Raymond, but the perfect fianceé Laraine Day may or may not be a thief and a murderess -- that nobody suspects until it's too late. One of the best 'psychological' films noir with terrific work by director John Brahm and cameraman Nicholas Musuraca. From the Warner Archive Collection.
10/12/10 
Greetings! The horror reviews are piling up, and it's time to knuckle down and write up the new Blu-ray of The Exorcist. I have obtained a new package of Warner Archive Collection discs, but the website's newly-touted Halloween releases will have to wait until next time. After waiting about 30 years, I will finally be able to see The Underworld Story and William Castle's Betrayed (When Strangers Marry) with Robert Mitchum and Kim Hunter. I'm getting some positive feedback from readers for my reviews lately, which is encouraging. I may just decide to do this on a regular basis! 
Today brings a review of the Michael Powell / Emeric Pressberger The Battle of the River Plate, also known as Pursuit of the Graf Spee. It's difficult to obtain review screeners for some desirable releases (mainly those elusive Burn On Demand discs from the big studios) but this was a happy story. Several years ago I reviewed a new release of Sam Peckinpah's Cross Of Iron. It turned out to be a good encoding of an uncut version I'd never seen, and I praised it. Well, its distributor Hen's Tooth Video apparently remembered that review and rushed me a copy of the Michael Powell epic as soon as it was available. In a perfect world, that's how things are supposed to work. As I'm in such a good mood, here's a plug for the The HORROR-THON! at the Lafayette Theater in Suffern, New York. It's a bit far from Savant headquarters for me to attend, but the lineup looks very attractive. Opening night on November 5 features Herk Harvey's Carnival of Souls followed by a new horror picture by Savant contributor Richard W. Haines, entitled What Really Frightens You? Scroll down in that link for full details. Thanks for reading! Glenn Erickson
October 08, 2010
Savant's new reviews today are Blu-ray 
Terrence Malick's shot at a war epic mixes realistic combat with the spiritual yearnings of boys far from home facing death in combat. Great filmmaking and great performances from Sean Penn, Adrien Brody, Jim Caviezel, Ben Chaplin, John Cusack, Woody Harrelson, Elias Koteas, Nick Nolte and John C. Reilly. Amazing in Blu-ray, from Criterion.
10/09/10
Blu-ray 
A new Blu-ray erases many flaws from earlier discs of this John Huston classic, giving us a transfer that resembles vintage original prints. Starring Humphrey Bogart, Walter Huston, Tim Holt and some great Max Steiner music! Warner Home Video.
10/09/10
A counterculture romance sees Katharine Ross and Jason Robards as mismatched lovers, facing the insanity of modern times (1970). A good show for fans of the two stars and vintage San Francisco settings. From Scorpion Releasing.
10/09/10
and Blu-ray 
George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg and Ice Cube go AWOL to steal Iraqi loot ... and end up rescuing civilian refugees. A satirical comedy about the First Gulf War, made before the Second Gulf War ruined all the best jokes. On Blu-ray, from Warner Home Video.
10/09/10 
Greetings! Some bright new release info from the Warner Archive Collection, which is coming through on a promise of a list of desirable Halloween titles. I've got a confirmation on October 12 for William Castle's Macabre, Bert I. Gordon's The Cyclops and the sadistic mutilation-fest The Hypnotic Eye, along with the Voodoo tale The Disembodied and the serial killer cult item The Todd Killings. Said to be imminent (according to Tom Weaver, a writer with inside info on the WAC schedule) are Eye of the Devil and a special edition of Don't Be Afraid of the Dark -- and a fantastic grouping of Lon Chaney silent classics: Mr. Wu, The Monster, The Unholy Three and He Who Gets Slapped. That's quite a stack of wanted items! Speaking of wanted items, I've gotten a look at this season's first major studio gift set offering, Warners' Humphrey Bogart The Essential Collection. The fancy white box contains 24 Bogie pictures from The Petrified Forest to Key Largo, on six DVD discs. Also included is the docu The Brothers Warner, a glossy 48-page book, poster reproductions and other goodies. The box is an easy choice for Bogart fans. 
It's reported that Ridley Scott is turning Philip K. Dick's superlative alternate history Sci-Fi novel The Man in the High Castle into a miniseries for British television. I hope for the best, but also pray that the show doesn't reinterpret the book as a Blade Runner clone -- Dick's hero is more of a defeated slacker than a cool hero like Deckard. And too many special effects might spoil the strange tale of a United States partitioned by Germany and Japan, with minorities almost extinct and ... I kid you not ... Bob Hope a performing star in the new Nazi order. Director-producer Scott now seems more of a franchise brand name than a guy who really wants to make a movie; hopefully this will be a big rebound from his Robin Hood fiasco. Gary Teetzel steered me to an article at Syfy's blastr. Links time: Remember a few months back when the buzz went about that the summer hit movie Inception was ve-e-ry similar to a particular Scrooge McDuck Comic Book? Savant contact Stefan Anderson sends a link to the entire original comic "Dream of a Lifetime!" It's all there, folks. Not only are the concepts very, very similar, it's rather mind-boggling to realize how complex these old comics were. And in case you haven't been bombarded with the news already, remember that at 10 minutes and 10 seconds after 10 O'clock on the 10th of October this year (tomorrow, Sunday), the time and date will be
I don't expect the planets to align to match the numerals on your digital watch. Nor will heaven open up or free beer be distributed by angelic messengers. But it is something of a perfect "10". Thanks for reading, Glenn Erickson
October 04, 2010
Savant's new reviews today are 
The Canadian Allan King's Warrendale is a major documentary milestone, and two of his later films are perhaps the most compassionate, honest looks at the Human Condition yet filmed. Eclipse Series 24.
10/05/10
When a cop is shot and killed, ex-con Steve Cochran goes on the run with dime-a-dance girl Ruth Roman. This oddly titled 1951 thriller looks like a gloom & doom noir project turned inside-out, to fashion an 'uplifting' story. Great cinematography by Robert Burks. Warner Archive Collection.
10/05/10
Mad painter/sculptor Mike Raven makes bronze statues by a horribly direct method in this murder mystery with oddball supernatural trappings. Said to be from a rare uncut, uncensored print. From Severin.
10/05/10
and 
The Rat Pack celebrates a 50th Anniversary with the release on Blu-ray of their first and biggest movie. Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. and Peter Lawford play ring-a-ding-ding while robbing five Vegas casinos in one go. With Angie Dickinson. From Warner Home Video.
10/05/10 Greetings! 
I've been itching to see Joe Dante's The Hole 3D for quite some time -- it's presently in release in England and parts of Europe but it hasn't yet received distribution in the U.S. This is because of the glut of "fake" 3D pictures that were rushed into distribution earlier this year to rip off viewers with inflated 3D admission prices. That greedy studio maneuver pushed this independent out of the limited number of theaters set up for digital 3D projection. Last Sunday night at the L.A. Film School 3D Festival, held just across Sunset Blvd. from the Cinerama Dome, I got to see a 3D screening of The Hole under optimum conditions. A crowd of eager viewers were delighted to have director Dante introduce the film. In the audience were the film's producer, the director of cinematography, the editor and guest star Bruce Dern. The Hole sees Joe Dante at his best, perking up a Haunted Basement tale with direction that keeps the audience wondering what's going to happen, when it will happen, and who it will happen to. Dante calls the story a throwback to the 1980s, by which I think he means that it has some of the innocence of the horror genre before today's torture-porn trend set in. The subject is fear, and the two brothers and cute neighbor girl of the story must each face the thing they're afraid of most. The Hole in question is a padlocked trap door in the basement that leads to a bottomless pit. Dante cleverly works up a serious case of dread by judicious application of atmosphere and proven spook-a-rama suspense devices, while making us care for the welfare of these kids. What's creeping where? Why on Earth are you going down there alone? Dante makes movies about people we'd like to know, which immediately sets his pictures apart from 80% of what's out there. This fun scare show may prove that there's still an audience out there for horror films that aren't extreme sadism porno. The Hole is also a great show for the 3D factor. Joe Dante has already done one 3D movie and in this picture he explores what can be done with the blocking of actors, camera placement and subtle camera moves to heighten the 3D experience. Dante says that his favorite 3D picture is Alfred Hitchcock's Dial M for Murder, and I think I understand exactly what he means. The depth staging is used not to poke objects in our eyes but to create a "3D space" that enhances our involvement in the action. Subjective camera shots with foreground objects partially blocking our view unerringly "put us in the picture". Dante plays with a couple of obligatory "in your face" shots, just to acknowledge the technology at work. But his use of the third dimension shows more thought and judgment than I've seen elsewhere. The movie has more tricks up its sleeve than mere violence and cruelty. One setup involving a man working amid a forest of hanging light fixtures becomes a visual reminder of the old fantasies Destiny and Macario, where haunted souls discover forests of candles, each representing a human life. In his talk Dante mentioned a serious connection to a creepy idea from a Mario Bava film, but he never simply transplants ideas. A demonic doll plays a major role but we never get the idea that Dante is "doing" Child's Play, or revisiting Gremlins. The Hole dips into the same pot of creep-out ideas that inspire Tim Burton, but goes in its own Dante-esque direction. I'm personally not much of a fan of haunted house movies, but The Hole worked for me. I'd take a kid to it, too. Joe Dante made fun of the notion that he was qualified to answer technical questions, yet demonstrated how seriously he takes the technical end of directing 3D. He talked about designing shots to direct the viewer's eye to the part of the screen where the 3D convergence has been programmed -- the new digital technology apparently allows the "depth stretch" dimension to be adjusted to some degree. Dante also understood one audience member's tech question about two-person "over the shoulder" shots. He shifts his camera position just enough to keep the foreground out-of-focus shoulder in the plane of the picture rather than let it project into the audience as a floating blur. From what Dante said about the 3D arena, it sounded as if the old rules for blocking actors still applied, but that the director must now work with the visual 3D-scape as well, if he wants to make worthwhile 3D. Dante didn't condemn "fake" 3D outright, as he's seen advanced technology solve problems almost as complicated. When they 3D-ize Titanic, he figures that the technique will be much more sophisticated than the paste-up jobs seen in a couple of releases earlier this year. The director did question how fake 3D could be applied to films that are grainy, or use bright backlight. When asked whether he thought all movies should be in 3D, Dante expressed doubt. Plenty of pictures don't want to be in 3D. Viewing 3D is more "work" for the brain, and not something he could see himself doing for hours at a time. Do we really want to watch TV newscasts in 3D, or commercials? The Hole 3D is a superior, fun picture in every respect. All it needs now is the decent distribution it deserves. -- Thanks for reading, Glenn Erickson.
October 01, 2010
Savant's new reviews today are 
One of the best 'direct cinema' documentaries ever, this multi-part examination of life in Muncie, Indiana is a revealing representation of American culture and an emotional viewing experience. Producer Peter Davis' miniseries includes the notorious final episode about teen life that was refused broadcast -- because of PBS political interference. From Icarus Films.
10/02/10
Bette Davis has a field day playing a ba-a-ad society dame up to her necklace in crime and corruption -- and about to pull her fiancé Lyle Talbot and her innocent sister Margaret Lindsay in with her. Also starring Donald Woods and directed at a breakneck pace by William Dieterle on the streets of San Francisco. Warner Archive Collection.
10/02/10
and 
Favorite actress Jenny Agutter and Sam Waterston are excellent in Beryl Bainbridge's adaptation of her own novel, an intense study of a romantic girl's whirlwind romance with the man of her dreams ... who finds out she's only one of several current conquests. From Scorpion Releasing.
10/02/10 Greetings! 
This week's review of Middletown really hits home; my personal identification with the series is total. I was a sheltered lad in San Bernardino, basically too "Air Force" to be accepted by the local social elite. But I was also sheltered from the wilder elements in town, which was a Mormon stronghold yet featured brothels and a key chapter of the Hell's Angels. I couldn't drive my dad's Mustang at night without being challenged to drag, George Lucas- style, and whenever I took a class that strayed out of the velvet-lined 'advanced placement' sector I ran into kids clearly into crime, drugs, and sex, which I heard about over the art tables or gym lockers. Girls in the art class talked graphic trash about running wild with their biker boyfriends -- they showed off burns on their legs from hot motorcycle exhausts! Meanwhile, the clueless red-faced fuddy-dud biology teacher began a lesson by protesting that THE STATE required him to convey certain facts about human reproduction. The banned-from-PBS Middletown episode Seventeen, although set about twelve years later, conveys perfectly a similar teen situation, except that my high school had a huge population of Mexican-American students as well as blacks, almost none of whom gained entrance in the "good" classes. We only saw them at lunchtime. The girls I knew never used the school restrooms, for fear of tough Mexican-American girls. I didn't believe the stories that they carried knives, until we had a real Senior-year stabbing. I made student films with the blacks because they were the only guys eager to perform for my camera (my 'rumble in the cafeteria' movie is a one-take miracle). The mini scandals of Seventeen are only one episode of this engrossing miniseries. Even if docus aren't your thing, I really recommend a rental of Middletown. Thanks for reading! Glenn Erickson
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