"I'm. . . JACK." R.I.P. Peter O'Toole.

So much has been written about the estimable, irreplaceable Peter O'Toole since his passing a few days ago that I have very little of importance to add to the general mourning. However, I do want to sing the praises of my favorites among his performances.

To me, O'Toole will always be Jack, the mad 13th Earl of Gurney in Peter Medak's THE RULING CLASS. O'Toole is the film's backbone--the core of its vicious skewering of England's decadent aristocracy. His performance is theatrical in the best ways--perfectly larger-than-life, from his spirited rendition of "My Blue Heaven" while Jack is blissfully under the impression that he's Jesus Christ, to the icy Victorian puritan that Jack transforms into once he has achieved--ahem--sanity.

O'Toole's take on Errol Flynn in Richard Benjamin's MY FAVORITE YEAR is a comic highlight of '80s cinema. Once again, his expansive acting in the role of aging, boozing Hollywood swashbuckler Alan Swann works beautifully, particularly in the context of the film, where he is nearly always performing opposite his foil, a starstruck everyman (Mark Linn-Baker) who becomes Swann's caretaker. The actor's dinner with his keeper's utterly stunned family is a highlight. "What's that piquant-tasting dish?" Swann asks his hosts. "Parrot!" replies the chef. (May Routh, the costume designer on MY FAVORITE YEAR, has graciously allowed me to run two previously unpublished behind-the-scenes photos of O'Toole and Mark Linn-Baker lighting-up in costume during the shoot.)

O'Toole's impersonation of John Huston was renowned and beloved, and he memorably had the opportunity to "play" Huston in "Banshee," an episode of "The Ray Bradbury Theater." Based on Bradbury's turbulent experiences in Ireland while writing MOBY DICK with Huston, O'Toole as the Huston surrogate and Charles Martin Smith as Bradbury's stand-in are bedeviled by a banshee--in this case, a vengeful spirit representing all of the used-and-discarded lovers that O'Toole's womanizing director had gone through. It was one of the series highlights.

Though O'Toole is rightfully revered for LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, THE LION IN WINTER, ad infinitum, my favorite of his dramatic performances is in Anatole Litvak's unfairly maligned and much-neglected THE NIGHT OF THE GENERALS. O'Toole's Nazi General Tanz is as unnerving a sociopath as has ever tortured a prisoner-of-war in a World War II melodrama. Tanz is in the Goebbels and Himmler mold--a psychopath for whom the War and the Third Reich represents the ultimate opportunity to commit mass murder with impunity. . . or so he thinks. The highlight of the film finds Tanz being escorted around Paris by his driver (Tom Courtenay), where, during his tour, he has a near psychotic fit while staring at a Van Gogh. A complete OCD case, Tanz detests uncleanliness--he berates one of his troops for his filthy fingernails, shrieking "You look like you just exhumed your grandmother with your bare hands!" It is an impeccable performance, but when did O'Toole ever give less?

How Barry White Became the Walrus of Love

The question arose last night: How did an immense, sweaty walrus like Barry White become an erotic sensation among housewives everywhere? Someone offered the answer: "Because they're sitting on the sub-woofer."

Andy Kaufman Strikes Again

Any day now, I'm expecting to see a headline that reads "Andy Kaufman Faked His Own Life. Comedian Never Actually Born."

The Hit That Should Have Been

I was just listening to Queen and suddenly realized how sad it was that Peter Lorre didn't live long enough to do a cover of "Fat-Bottomed Girls." That song was WRITTEN for him to giggle and shriek through. (And I'm not talking about Paul Frees doing his "My Old Flame" shtick--I am referring specifically to Peter Lorre singing it. If I'm going to fantasize, I may as well go all-out.)

Booze Along With Kolchak: The "Night Stalker" Drinking Game

"I'm becoming extinct in my own lifetime. Homo Newshawkus. Natural habitat: a pool of sour mash bourbon." - Carl Kolchak, reporter.

Just in time for Halloween, we have the "Night Stalker" drinking game. Every time Kolchak bribes somebody, take a drink. Every time Kolchak steals back the money he just used for that same bribe, take a drink. Every time Vincenzo berates Kolchak, take a drink. Every time Kolchak takes a photo when he shouldn't, take a drink. Every time somebody talks smack about Kolchack's wardrobe, take a drink. Every time Kolchak's evidence is ignored by a misguided authority figure, take a drink. Every time Kolchak narrowly eludes getting pummeled or run down by a supernatural being, take a drink. 

You'll be in a coma in five minutes flat.

(Thanks to Greg Viar.) 

Image Addiction- Chapter 1: The 1920s

For those with an addiction to images as strong as mine, I will be periodically posting streams of photographs and artwork that inspire and otherwise deeply appeal to me. To kick things off, here are some glorious images from that most elegant of decades, the 1920s:

Dr. Phibes Comes to Blu-ray!

http://www.fangoria.com/new/huge-vincent-price-collection-blu-ray-update-from-shout-factory/

I have had to keep mum about this for the last couple of months, but I can finally publicly announce that I have recorded the audio commentary for Scream Factory's upcoming blu-ray release of The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971). ONE of the audio commentaries, I should say-- the other is by my dear friend, the film's director, the late Bob Fuest. Not long after he recorded his track about three years ago, I spoke with Bob and he had obviously enjoyed it immensely. It came not long after a close friend of his had died, and doing the commentary seemed to allay his grief. I am as excited to hear what his no doubt hilarious, giggly, highly enjoyable anecdotes and remarks about the film.

This is my first video commentary, and I am honored that it is this particular film-- one of my all-time favorites. I never set out to become some kind of authority on Dr. Phibes-- what's the point?-- but it looks like I am, and I'm proud of it. More importantly, I am completely sold on the blu-ray format, and seeing the film looking better than it ever has before outside of a movie theater will be a joy to behold.

A note for nitpickers: the commentary was recorded in one continuous ninety-minute take, and at least one error crept in: I pronounced the name of swinging '60s London's Biba store as "By-bah" instead of the correct "Bee-bah." Just so I don't come off as a hick to the little weasels who spend their days picking apart anything that anyone else does publicly, I'll 'fess up to the mistake.

I hope that anyone who takes the time to listen to my commentary will find that it was worth their while.

The missing scene from Ralph Bakshi's HEAVY TRAFFIC

The release of Ralph Bakshi's masterful HEAVY TRAFFIC on bluray (from Shout Factory!) is cause for celebration. The film is genuinely experimental in all the best ways-- it is Bakshi's unfettered imagination at its feverish best. I love this film (obviously).

A scene was deleted from HEAVY TRAFFIC, though, that has never received a video release (as far as I know). In it, the film's protagonist, Michael (seen above), takes a subway ride and winds up getting a beating at the hands of a sweet, schoolmarm-type (seen at Michael's right). Meanwhile, a couple screws on the subway car floor while commuters sit, obliviously reading their papers.

I have heard rumors that Bakshi himself wasn't involved in making this scene, but they are unsubstantiated, as far as I know. How do you go about seeing this elusive scene?

And she can't even PLAGIARIZE worth a damn.

Since the same reports about the Lianne "Spiderbaby" MacDougall plagiarism mini-scandal have been repeated ad infinitum, I will not regurgitate them. But, as someone who, like "Spiderbaby," occasionally writes about horror films, I feel the need to comment on it.

Based on her excessively self-aggrandizing Facebook posts, I pegged "Spiderbaby" as a narcissistic social climber a year or more ago. Her writing was nothing special, tending toward pseudo-academic sophistry. She has now been mentioned in The Guardian and The LA Times, billed as "Quentin Tarantino's girlfriend." That's much more than she had before she stole from REAL writers. Those who have had their work plagiarized have my utmost sympathy.

Her attempts at excuses for her offenses have been, in a word, pathetic. She is an insult to all of the starving horror enthusiasts who write out of true passion and with true ability. Her actions are inexcusable... and inexcusably clumsy. Did she actually think that she wouldn't get caught in the Internet age? Can she actually be a college graduate and lack even that most basic grasp of Internet protocol? 

I hope that St. Martin's Press is flooded with emails calling upon them to drop her new book, GRINDHOUSE GIRLS, if they haven't already. At the very least, I encourage everyone reading this to boycott the book. "Spiderbaby" has ironically spoken of her desire to honor the "hard-working" women of exploitation cinema, but the meaning of hard work has obviously eluded her. She should be utterly ashamed, and almost certainly isn't-- at least genuinely so.

For auction: Anthony Burgess' unproduced A CLOCKWORK ORANGE screenplay- The producer's personal copy

On eBay this week, I have listed an ultra-rare original copy of Anthony Burgess' unproduced screenplay to A CLOCKWORK ORANGE. This copy comes directly from the files of the film's producer, Si Litvinoff. Here's a link:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=321154511505

Considering its rarity, this should be a bolshy treat for Stanley Kubrick, Burgess, and CLOCKWORK ORANGE aficionados.

Question: To anyone's knowledge, has any other copy of this script come up for sale before? Has it ever been published?

Dr. Phibes Remake Redux

A couple of weeks ago, rumors were flying around hot and fast of a remake of the 1971 horror classic THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES, to be directed by Tim Burton. However, nothing really hard and fast seems to have appeared in any major periodicals to substantiate them. Can anyone back these rumors up? Or are these just idle whispers around the fanboy campfire?

WWZ

So does Brad Pitt's army of adopted kids save the day in WORLD WAR Z? They definitely outnumber the zombies.

Dr. Phibes Rises Again... and Again... Courtesy of Tim Burton and Johnny Depp

I'm told that news of a remake of Bob Fuest's THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES starring Johnny Depp and directed by Tim Burton was announced in today's "Variety" and the other trades. (I cannot positively confirm this, as of yet, though.) This seems like an ideal time to announce that I have been expanding my lengthy, definitive making-of article on THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES (which ran last year in Little Shoppe of Horrors magazine) into a DR. PHIBES COMPANION book for publication in 2014. The initial DR. PHIBES article will be expanded and the book will include, among many other things, never-before-published images of drawings, notes, etc. from Fuest's personal shooting script. More news to come...

(Very, Very Irrelevent) Girls

It's a little-known fact that "Lena Dunham" is a centuries-old Gaelic expression, meaning "flash in the pan."

The Kind of Fiend Who Wins

I was very flattered last week to hear that I have been nominated for my third Rondo Award, this time for "The Kind of Fiend Who Wins," my exhaustive article on the making of THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES (1971). The piece ran in Little Shoppe of Horrors magazine #29, and the positive response from readers has been outstanding. Among others, Vincent Price's biographer, Lucy Chase Williams, calls it the "definitive" article on DR. PHIBES, and the film's co-creator/co-author, William Goldstein, praised it highly, as well. (Goldstein can be seen in the photo above, taken at a recent signing at Dark Delicacies Book Store in Burbank, California-- L-R: William Goldstein, Terri Jackson, and me.)

Little Shoppe of Horrors #29 has also been nominated for Rondos for Best Theme Issue and Best Cover Art (by the estimable Jeff Preston). Here is a link to the Rondo ballot... I hope that everyone reading this will take a minute to vote... And may the best fiend win...

http://rondoaward.com/rondo/rondos.html

Kogar, the Swinging (Styrene) Ape!

Bob Burns is a Hollywood institution-- his boundless knowledge of film history and his in-house museum of movie props are astonishing. In certain circles, Bob's annual Halloween shows are the stuff of legend. And, for decades, Bob donned a gorilla suit and performed as Kogar the Gorilla. As such, Bob is part of a long line of unsung movie "gorilla men" (like actor/sculptor Charlie Gemora) and Bob helped keep the line going by helping to inspire the modern gorilla king, makeup artist Rick Baker. Bob's hirsute appearances on shows like "Laugh-In" are always delightful, but my personal favorite instance of him aping-out is as "Kogar the Swinging Ape" in Ray Dennis Steckler's RAT FINK A BOO BOO. (Bob also appeared in other Steckler movies like THE LEMON GROVE KIDS MEET THE MONSTERS.)

Now, Bob-- a toy collector, himself-- can add himself to his collection. Moebius Models has released a salute in plastic to Bob-- a model kit of The Mighty Kogar, featuring three heads: Kogar's scowling mug; the very un-threatening Tracy (complete with beanie), Bob's character from the 1975 kiddie tv series, "The Ghost Busters"; and Bob's own amiable visage. There is also a deluxe version of this kit, featuring a figure Bob's wife, Kathy. The kit was designed to match the scale of Aurora Models' "Monsters of the Movies" kits. Topping all of this off is the great Vincent Di Fate's box art-- some of the best in its field since James Bama quit doing cover paintings.

This kit is a fitting tribute to Bob in so many ways. For monster-lovers everywhere, I recommend it highly.

For more information about Moebius' line of monster kits, visit their website at www.moebiusmodels.com.

Rare David Bowie memorabilia for sale- "The Man Who Fell to Earth" original script

For my fellow David Bowie aficionados out there, I am selling a rare piece of Bowie memorabilia on eBay this week: his costume designer, May Routh's, original script to THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH, featuring her hand-written notes about his costumes for the film (which would later appear on the cover of the LOW and STATION TO STATION albums). It's also a beautifully-written screenplay (by Paul Mayersberg, who also wrote MERRY CHRISTMAS, MR. LAWRENCE with Bowie and CROUPIER, among other films).

Here's a link to the auction:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/David-Bowies-costumers-original-script-THE-MAN-WHO-FELL-TO-EARTH-Nicolas-Roeg-/221182912028?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item337f87661c

R.I.P. actor Jon Finch

 

Actor Jon Finch has died with almost no fanfare-- the only immediately available obituary was in the local newspaper in the English town where spent his last years. He has always been a favorite of mine-- brooding, irate, Byronic-- like Klaus Kinski, the kind of actor that you loved to watch but would have PAID to not to have to work with. Finch did a beautiful job as Roman Polanski's MACBETH, and delivered his signature performance in Hitchcock's last truly great film, FRENZY, as mean, drunken, self-destructive Dick Blaney. Finch really soared as an actor in Robert Fuest's THE FINAL PROGRAMME. If anyone ever chooses to film Michael Moorcock's berserk Jerry Cornelius novels again, they will be hard-pressed to find an actor who could fall so utterly perfectly into the role of J.C. 

Finch was eerily perfect as the surly, bitter, spitting cobra Dick Blaney in Hitchcock's phenomenal FRENZY. He's a perfect foil for the film's villain, the (superficially) amiable Bob Rusk (played by the late Barry Foster). Blaney is the kind of character who calls nearly everybody "a bastard"- women included- which helps make FRENZY one of the best "bad mood movies" that I know of. 

Ironically, just days before I heard about Finch's passing, I was quoting one of his lines from THE FINAL PROGRAMME in an essay: "Well, for a start, I'm going to sit here and get smashed out of my mind. And I also have it on very good authority that the world is coming to an end. I thought I'd go home and watch it on television."

R.I.P.