Remembering Sean Connery

Like most, I woke Saturday morning to the news beloved screen icon Sean Connnery had passed away at 90. 

 As a child of the 1970s, I probably first took notice of the charasmatic leading man with the commanding Scottish brogue in Michael Crichton's 1978 Victorian-era adventure The Great Train Robbery with Donald Sutherland, one of the many matiness my mom and I enjoyed Saturday afternoons after errands.  

I can then remember catching 1965's Thunderball on HBO at my dad's one summer afternoon in 1980. Roger Moore had been my only exposure to British superspy James Bond up until that point and I marveled at the fact that there were actually earlier, rather cool adventures with another dashing actor originating the role of 007. 

From there Connery popped up in smaller, independently produced films the next few years, providing memorable turns in Time Bandits, Outland, Never Say Never Again, Higlander and In The Name of the Rose.

It wasn't until his Oscar-winning performance as Jimmy Malone in 1987's The Untouchables that Connery became a sought-after Hollywood A-lister at age 57, headlining major studio films like The Presidio, Indiana Jones and Last Crusade, Family Business, The Hunt For Red October, Rising Sun and The Rock. Seriously, the guy made a film a year for the next 13 years until age 70. Just remarkable. 

Sean Connery meant different things to many genrations of film fans. To me, in addition to being the best Bond ever, he'll always be remembered as a towering prescence on screen, an actor who gave us some of the best and oft-quoted characters in the history of cinema and made every film he appeared in a little better and infinately more intresting. 

Quick Blu Review: War of the Worlds (1953)

The 1950s will always be considered the golden age of science-fiction films. The Atomic Age and communist paranoia fueled both rabid interest in technology and white-knuckle fear of invasion in the decade after World War II and Hollywood took advantage, producing such classics as The Thing From Another World, The Day The Earth Stood Still, Forbidden Planet, Invasion of the Body Snatchers and 1953's War of the Worlds.

Based on H.G. Wells' 1897 novel, the George Pal-produced, Byron Haskin-directed War of the Worlds unfolds in a small Southern California hamlet where a large meteorite has come crashing down in the night sky. The streaking ball of fire attracts the attention of all in town and soon everyone has assembled at the point of impact, marveling at the molten rock's size, poking it with sticks and planning their strategy for exploiting the object that will surely prove a boon to the community. 

The local sheriff sends for atomic scientist Dr. Clayton Forrester (Gene Barry), who just happens to be on a fishing trip with colleagues at the nearby lake. Forrester marvels at the meteorite like everyone else & is soon invited to partake in the celebratory festivities by library science instructor Sylvia Van Buren (Anne Robinson). 

In the middle of the night, with townspeople standing guard, a hatch opens on the so-called "meteorite" and an alien weapon vaporizes three men standing nearby. Of course the military is called in and we learn similar objects have been reported across the globe. Soon the aliens begin a full-fledge assault on the town, laying waste to anything in their path, making their way toward Los Angeles.

Fast-paced at a svelte 85 minutes and photographed in Technicolor when most other sci-fi films of the era were shot in black and white, War of the Worlds was a huge hit with both audiences and critics alike in the fall of '53. It became the biggest sc-fi hit of the year and earned an Oscar for Best Visual Effects. 

Newly restored in 4K and released on Blu-ray by The Criterion Collection, War of the Words has never looked better on home video. The native 1.37:1 aspect ratio (widescreen would debut later in the year with Fox's The Robe) is crisp and full of rich colors, especially those menacing green "desk-lamp" alien war machines. There are a few noticeable black scratch lines that appear from time to time but they disappear quickly and don't detract from an otherwise stellar presentation.

The original monaural and newly struck 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack are both immersive and satisfying at minimal levels. 

As usual with Criterion, there are a slew of extras, including a 2005 audio commentary featuring filmmaker Joe Dante, new features on the restoration and visual effects and the original 1938 Mercury Theatre radio play featuring Orson Welles.

Overall, a very nice presentation for a film I've loved since childhood, one that will forever define both the science-fiction genre and the zeitgeist of the 1950s.

Happy Halloween!

Quick Blu Review: The Grey Fox (1982)

Robert Farnsworth has always been a favorite character actor of mine. I probably first saw the former stuntman with the gentle demeanor and dollar-size blue eyes as the cowhand Dodger in 1978's Comes A Horseman, a roll that garnered Farnsworth an Oscar nod for Best Supporting Actor. 

From there came came a stint as Wild Bill Hickok in 1981's The Legend of the Lone Ranger and memorable turns as Wilford Brimley's assistant coach Red in 1984's The Natural and the feisty sheriff Buster in 1990's Misery. And of course his final, Oscar-nominated role as Alvin Straight in 1999's The Straight Story. 

 I thought I'd seen every film worth seeing of Farnworth's but recently was reminded of one in theaters when I was a kid but never saw. That film was 1982's The Grey Fox.

Skillfully directed by Canadian filmmaker Phillip Borsos and beautifully photographed by Frank Tidy (The Duellists), The Grey Fox tells the real-life story of "Gentleman Bandit" Bill Miner (Farnsworth), a soft-spoken, well-mannered 19th-century stagecoach robber who after serving 33 years in San Quentin is released in 1901 to a radically changed world.

Miner heads to British Columbia for a fresh start and does his best to find his place in the new century, digging for oysters, hauling wood for a sawmill, but after catching a screening of The Great Train Robbery one night in town, is inspired to once again don his kerchief and Colt six-shooter and return to his old stick-up ways. 

Miner recruits a co-worker from the sawmill and the pair successfully rob a couple of trains before heading to a small town to to lie low for a few months. Now using the alias George Edwards, Miner becomes a respected member of the community and begins a relationship with feminist/photographer Katherine Flynn (Jackie Burroughs). But it isn't long before the law closes in and jeopardizes Miner's new life.

The Grey Fox is a well-crafted film, small and intimate, but ultimately lacking in satisfying narrative and characterization.While Farnsworth absolutely shines, things feels a bit too one-dimensional and unrealized, like a good portion of the story was left on the cutting room floor to achieve its 92-minute running time.

Newly restored in 4K and released on Blu-ray by Kino Lorber, The Grey Fox looks great in high-definition. The native 1.85:1 image is crisp and colors are rich and well defined while maintaining natural film grain. While I've never seen the film on any previous home-video formats, I'm betting this is the best the picture has looked in 38 years. 

The DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track sounds great and both dialog and Michael Conway Baker's score are clear and immersive at minimal levels. 

Extras include a commentary track by filmmaker Alex Cox, interviews with producer Peter O'Brien and composer Michael Conway Baker, a restoration feature and a theatrical re-release trailer.

The Grey Fox isn't a perfect film, but it is a worthwhile entry in an important actor's legacy, one that should be defined by the size of his heart rather than the size of the part.

Greetings From Quarantine 2020

Greetings from the Klipfel Quarantine Zone. It's been a while since I've vistited with all of you. Sorry about that, other things on my mind, as I'm sure has been the case with everyone. 

Rest assured we're all doing okay here. The wife has set up shop at the kitchen table, while I take care of business from the upstairs office. We meet for lunch, then back to our corners until dinner. Somehow we've survived this daily process for the last seven months. It helps to cuddle at night.

 I obviously haven't seen many movies, just a few pre-quarantine releases on disc, so there hasn't been much to write about. But I miss crafting stories so I'm going to try and get a couple of things posted by the end of the year, a disc review or two, a personal essay here and there. So check back once and while as I may just have something new to share. 

In the meantime, stay safe and healthy everyone. We'll get through this.

Matt

Oscar: The Morning After

South Korea's Parasite made history last night at the 92nd Academy Awards, becoming the first foreign-language film ever to win Best Picture.

The Korean-language dark comedy also won Best Director for Bong Joon Ho, Best International Feature and Best Original Screenplay, capping a whirlwind year that began back in May when the film won the prestigious Palme D'Or at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival.

Things had been preceding pretty much as expected last night until the Best Director category late in the show.1917's Sam Mendes was the favorite, having already won the Golden Globe, BAFTA and DGA Award, so when Joon Ho's name was called instead there was a considerable gasp in the audience, one that pretty much translated to "all bets are off" and that Parasite might just have a chance at the top prize.

Granted, should a film competing in the Best International Feature category be allowed to jockey for Best Picture as well? My personal belief is that it should be one or the other. If your film is lucky enough to become one of the ten Best Picture nominees, foreign-language or not, it shouldn't be allowed to also compete in another best feature category. Spread the wealth a bit, give other worthy films a chance to shine and find a broader audience.

That said, Parasite deserves all of its accolades last night. It was my favorite film of last year and should have a place in Oscar's hallowed halls.

Congratulations to first-time acting winners Brad Pitt, Laura Dern and Joaquin Phoenix. I've been watching all three for over 30 years and it's nice to see them get some long-overdue recognition.

And while I enjoyed Eminem's live performance of "Lose Yourself," not sure why we needed to add to an already-too-long broadcast with a song from 2002. Was Lionel Richie not available for "Say You, Say Me?"

Maybe next year they can wheel out host Billy Crystal from 1992.

Oscar Predictions: Can Parasite Overpower 1917?

Below are my picks is the major categories for Sunday's 92nd Academy Awards.

Sam Mendes' WWI epic 1917 and Bong Joon Ho's Korean-language thriller Parasite seem destined to battle it out over Best Picture, with 10 and six nominations respectively.

While favorites Renée Zellweger, Laura Dern, Joaquin Phoenix, Brad Pitt and Sam Mendes seem assured to complete their award-season sweep and take home Oscar gold in their respective acting and directing categories. We shall see. Enjoy the show.

Picture: 1917
Director: Sam Mendes, 1917
Actor: Joaquin Phoenix, Joker
Actress: Renée Zellweger, Judy
Supporting Actor: Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Supporting Actress: Laura Dern, Marriage Story
International Feature: Parasite
Animated Feature: Toy Story 4
Original Screenplay: Bong Joon Ho and Han Jin Won, Parasite
Adapted Screenplay: Taika Waititi, JoJo Rabbit

Remembering Kirk Douglas

Kirk Douglas, one of the most charismatic and effortlessly talented actors to ever grace the silver screen, the last surviving star of Hollywood's Golden Age, has passed away at the remarkable age of 103.

Appearing in nearly 100 films across seven decades, Douglas was a pure force of nature, an acting whirlwind, someone who could put a film on his shoulders and carry it for 120 minutes or more as if he were the only person on the screen.

An Oscar nominee for Best Actor within three years of his first screen credit, Douglas absolutely commanded such classics as Billy Wilder's Ace in the Hole, Vincente Minnelli's Lust for Life and Stanley Kubrick's Paths of Glory and Spartacus.

Seriously, I have watched and studied film for over 40 years on this planet and I have rarely seen a more engaging actor than Kirk Douglas. Even when he played a villain or the performances got a little campier in later years, he was always watchable, likeable.

Others favorites of mine included 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, The Vikings, The Final Countdown and Greedy.

A true Hollywood icon. One to be remembered and studied for generations to come.