COLD SWEAT (1970) – starring Charles Bronson’s biceps!

Posted on by Bradley Crain

Charles Bronson plays a boat captain named Joe Martin who seems be living the good life in the south of France.  He has a great job renting out boats to tourists!  He has great luck beating his friends out of big stacks of cash in poker.  He has a beautiful wife (Liv Ullman), and most importantly, he has about the biggest biceps I’ve seen in a movie not starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.  This idyllic existence falls apart when some men from his past show up and force him to use his boat to help them smuggle drugs.  It seems these guys feel like Martin owes them something since they had to go to prison for killing a cop, while ace driver Martin, escaped.  As you might expect, nobody’s plans go as expected and much action ensues!

The first thing that stands out in this film is the cast, that includes James Mason, Liv Ullman, Michael Constantin, and Jill Ireland.  Bronson’s European films uniformly had tremendous casts and this one is no different.  Even with these well known actors, Jean Topart as the villainous Katanga, is a real standout.  Second, this is the first of three films that Bronson completed with director Terence Young, who is most famous for kicking off the James Bond franchise with DR. NO, THUNDERBALL, and FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE.  Young knows how to stage action scenes, and with the help of famous French stuntman Remy Julienne, the two men cook up some impressive car stunts and chase sequences.  Finally, Bronson himself exudes charisma and is in maximum physical condition in this film.  In a career defined largely by his supreme conditioning, this may be Bronson’s most impressive physical performance.

Charles Bronson became an international superstar when he went to Europe in 1968, where he made a series of good films with great international casts. COLD SWEAT doesn’t come together quite as well as some of his other European films like RIDER ON THE RAIN, VIOLENT CITY & RED SUN, but it’s still a fun film with good action sequences and an impressively pumped up Charles Bronson. And the film has never looked better. After decades of shabby VHS and DVD copies, Kino Lorber put out a very nice blu ray in 2019. It’s nice seeing the movie in such a high quality presentation.

Check out the trailer for COLD SWEAT below:

Live Tweet Alert: Join #FridayNightFlix For Shattered Glass!

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

As some of our regular readers undoubtedly know, I am involved in a few weekly live tweets on Twitter and Mastodon.  I host #FridayNightFlix every Friday, I co-host #ScarySocial on Saturday, and I am one of the five hosts of #MondayActionMovie!  Every week, we get together.  We watch a movie.  We tweet our way through it.

Tonight, at 10 pm et, #FridayNightFlix presents one of my favorite movies, Shattered Glass!

If you want to join us this Friday, just hop onto twitter, start the movie at 10 pm et, and use the #FridayNightFlix hashtag!  It’s a friendly group and welcoming of newcomers so don’t be shy.

Shattered Glass is available on Prime and Pluto!  See you there!

Song of the Day: Animal House by Stephen Bishop

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Since today is John Belushi’s birthday and I already shared a scene from Animal House, it only feels appropriate that today’s song of the day should come from the film as well.  From Stephen Bishop, here is …. ANIMAL HOUSE!

Let me t-t-tell you ’bout some friends I know
They’re kinda crazy but you’ll dig the show
They can party ’till the break of dawn
at Delta Chi you can’t go wrong

Otter, he’s the ladies man
Every girl falls into his hands
Boon and Katy playing “Cat and Mouse”
and Mrs. Wormer, she’s the queen of the

ANIMAL HOUSE

ANIMAL HOUSE

ANIMAL HOUSE

That Pinto he’s a real swell guy
Clorette was jailbait but he gave her a try
Chip, Doug, and Greg, they’re second to none
They studied under Attila the Hun

Mr. Jennings has got his wig on tight
Flounder’s left shoe’s always on his right
Babs and Mandy are having a pillow fight
With D-Day, Hoover, Otis Day and the Knights

DO THE BLUTO

Come on baby, dance with me
Maybe if we do the Bluto
We will get an “A” in lobotomy

DO THE BLUTO
DO THE BLUTO

DO THE BLUTO
DO THE BLUTO

Aw, come on!
Let me tell ya
Dean Wormer tried to shut us down
But he fell and he broke his crown
He didn’t know about the Delta spunk
He came in handy when we were short a skunk

At the

ANIMAL HOUSE

Songwriters: Stephen Bishop

Scenes That I Love: John Belushi’s Motivational Speech From Animal House

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today would have been the 76th birthday of actor John Belushi.

Today’s scene that I love comes from Belushi’s first film, 1978’s Animal House.  In the scene, Belushi (playing Bluto) gives the greatest motivational speech of all time.  My father was quite a fan of Mr. Belushi’s.  I’d like to think that this speech was the reason why.

 

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special Henry King Edition

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Henry King (1886 — 1982)

4 (or more) Shots From 4 (or more) Films is just what it says it is, 4 (or more) shots from 4 (or more) of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 (or more) Shots From 4 (or more) Films lets the visuals do the talking.

Henry King was born 139 years ago today.  He was born in Virginia and, though he may no longer be a household name, he was one of the busiest and most versatile directors of Hollywood’s Golden Age.  He began his career during the silent era, directing his first film in 1918.  He continued to work all the way through 1962, working in every genre and directing at least 8 Oscar-nominated performances.  He was also one of the founders of the Academy.  In short, Henry King was an important figure in the early years of Hollywood.  If you’ve ever studied classic film or just spent a weekend or two watching TCM, there’s a good chance that you’ve seen at least one Henry King film.

Like many of the top directors from Hollywood’s Golden Age, Henry King was prized for being a professional.  In the years when the studios ruled Hollywood and before directors became known as auteurs, King was someone who could be trusted to make an effective film with the minimum amount of behind-the-scene drama.  He was someone who could move from genre to genre and from theme to theme.  He was skilled at getting the best performances from his actors and he knew how to visually tell a story and keep the action moving.  He knew how to engage the audience and his best films hold up surprisingly well.

In honor of Henry King and his career and legacy, here are…

4 Shots From 4 Henry King Films

In Old Chicago (1938, dir by Henry King, DP: J. Peverell Marley)

The Song of Bernadette (1943, dir by Henry King, DP: Arthur C. Miller)

Wilson (1944, dir by Henry King, DP: Leon Shamroy)

David and Bathsheba (1951, dir by Henry King. DP: Leon Shamroy)

Late Night Retro Television Review: Highway to Heaven 3.10 “Man to Man”

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Welcome to Late Night Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past!  On Thursdays, I will be reviewing Highway to Heaven, which aired on NBC from 1984 to 1989.  The entire show is currently streaming on Tubi and several other services!

This week’s episode made me cry.

Episode 3.10 “Man to Man”

(Dir by Michael Landon, originally aired on November 26th, 1986)

As so often happens on this show, the episode begins with Mark visiting an old friend.  Luke Morgan (Joe Dorsey) grew up with Mark but, while Mark became a blue collar policeman, Luke went on to become a fabulously wealthy tycoon.  That actually seems a bit odd to me.  I mean, why has Mark never mentioned having a millionaire friend before?  All of the times that Jonathan and Mark have had to deal with other millionaires, Mark has always acted like he’s had no experience being around wealthy people.  Now, suddenly, we discover that Mark just happens to have a millionaire friend?

Anyway, Luke invites Jonathan and Mark to stay at his mansion and that’s a good thing because Luke is their mission for the week.  Luke devoted so much time to building up his business that he often wasn’t around when his son, Gary (Lee Montgomery, the kid who got crushed by the chimney in Burnt Offerings), was growing up.  Now Gary is in his twenties and his relationship with his father is strained.  Gary spends all of time lifting weights and working with his computers.  Luke wants to take a road trip with Gary but Gary refuses.  Mark makes a bet with Gary.  If Mark can lift more weight than Gary, Gary will go on the trip.  Jonathan temporarily gives Mark “the stuff.”  Mark wins the bet.  Gary goes on the trip!

Luke, it turns out, is dying.  He has Leukemia and he doesn’t have much time left.  He wants to patch things up with his son before he dies but he doesn’t want Gary to know that he’s dying.  Mark, realizing that Gary needs to know, tells Gary anyway.  Gary accuses Mark of lying but then he realizes that his father actually is dying.  Gary stops being a brat and he and his father enjoy their last road trip together.  Eventually, Gary reveals that he knows the truth.  He knows that Luke is dying.  Gary finally says that he loves his father and Luke says the loves his child.

And that’s pretty much the episode!  This was a pretty simple episode but it still made me cry.  It makes me think about all the people in my life who have passed on.  Every moment that you have with someone is precious and I think that people tend to take those moments for granted.  You never know when someone could get into a wreck while trying to drive home from the store.  I know when my Dad was in his car accident last May, I never expected him to die in August.  I’d give anything to have those final moments back.

This episode is sentimental and earnest and heavy-handed but it is also an example of what Highway to Heaven does so well.

 

Happy Birthday in heaven to RANDOLPH SCOTT!!

Posted on by Bradley Crain

Happy Birthday in heaven to Randolph Scott, who was born on January 23rd, 1898. The picture above is from probably my favorite Randolph Scott film, RIDE LONESOME (1959). Scott made so many great movies, but my personal favorites are the series of westerns he made with director Budd Boetticher from 1956 – 1960. I highly recommend that you search those films out!

Randolph Scott made the film RIDE THE HIGH COUNTRY with director Sam Peckinpah in 1962 and then retired from acting. Through his work in film and his excellent investments, he would pass away in 1987 as one of the richest men in Hollywood. I’m so glad that my movie hero Charles Bronson was able to work with Scott in the 1954 film RIDING SHOTGUN. Rest in peace, Mr. Scott!

Ghosts of Sundance Past: Last Night At The Alamo (dir by Eagle Pennell)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

The Sundance Film Festival is currently underway in Utah.  For the next few days, I’ll be taking a look at some of the films that have previously won awards at Sundance.

1983’s Last Night At The Alamo is the epitome of an indie film.  Filmed in black-and-white and populated with performers who possess a raw authenticity, Last Night of the Alamo takes place over the course of one long day and night.

A seedy Houston bar known as The Alamo is set to close down and the regulars come by for their final drinks.  It’s definitely a blue collar bar, a place where the conversations are loud and it seems like there’s always a possibility that a fight could break out at any minute.  Claude (Lou Perryman) shows up after getting kicked out by his wife and spends a good deal of the movie yelling and cursing into a telephone.  Ichabod (Steve Mattila), a young exterminator, spends almost the entire movie arguing with his girlfriend, Mary (Tina-Bess Hubbard).  Steve (J. Michael Hammond) is an adult who still has the personality of a high school bully.  For all the arguing and the taunting and the cursing that one hears over the course of the film, it’s also obvious that the regulars at the Alamo have formed a community of sorts.  No one is surprised when Claude starts yelling into the telephone.  That’s just Claude being Claude and he’s allowed to have his breakdown in peace.  As long as he doesn’t interrupt anyone else’s drinking, he’ll be tolerated.  It’s a very Texas attitude but then again, Last Night At The Alamo is a very Texas film.

It was written by Kim Henkel, who is probably best-known for writing the screenplay for the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre.  (Henkel also appears in the film.)  Director Eagle Pennell was one of the pioneers of the Texas film scene, making independent films about life in his home state.  (Robert Redford has said that one of the main reasons he started the Sundance Film Festival was because he was impressed with Pennell’s films and wanted to create something that would bring attention to indie filmmakers like Pennell.)  Much like many of the characters in Last Night At The Alamo, Pennell struggled with alcoholism and his promising career fizzled out as a result.  He died at the age of 49.  Legend has it that, shortly before his death, he was seen standing on a Houston streetcorner with a sign asking for either “a rich woman or a warm beer.”  Again, it’s a very Texas story.

The majority of the characters in Last Night At The Alamo look up to the bar’s best-known regular, Cowboy Regan (Sonny Carl Davis).  Cowboy is handsome and friendly, with a quick smile and a confident manner that makes him stand-out amongst the regulars at the Alamo.  He presents himself as being successful and connected and he claims that he has a friend in Austin who is going to save The Alamo from demolition.  Deep down, Cowboy is just as desperate as everyone else at the bar but he does a far better job of hiding it.  The others look up to him not so much because they believe his stories but because they want to believe them.

It’s an almost plotless film but it does a great job of capturing my home state, with its blue collar culture and its frequent embrace of hucksters like Cowboy.  Watching the film, one can see why it’s a favorite of Richard Linklater’s.  It’s a melancholy film in many regards.  Most of the characters don’t have much going for themselves.  But they do have their bar and they have the community that they bult for themselves.  The Alamo may be closing but life will continue just as surely as Ichabod and Mary will start and end every day yelling at each other.

Last Night At The Alamo was a prize winner at the 1984 Sundance Film Festival, winning the Dramatic Jury Prize.  It can be found, in all of its grainy black-and-white glory, on YouTube.