Friday, August 18, 2006

RIP Monty Berman and the 'gong man'

Kenneth Richmond, the man who famously struck the gong for J Arthur Rank, has died at the age of 80. Read more here.

And Monty Berman, film and TV producer, is dead at 93. While he was most famous for a string of ITC hits in the 1960s - The Saint, Jason King, The Champions, Randall and Hopkirk Deceased - I will remember him for the horror films he produced with Robert S Baker in the late '50s, including Jack the Ripper (1958) and The Flesh and the Fiends (1959), a surprisingly good take on the Burke and Hare story, with Peter Cushing and Donald Pleasance. A worthy competitor to Hammer Studios, the invincible horror-makers at that time.

According to IMDB, he died on June 12. It just made the Guardian this week.

The New York Times, on the other hand, seems to think the poor chap passed away in Monte Carlo in 2002. If so, I guess you just can't keep a good man down.

(Actually, my bad - The NY Times was talking about Monty M Berman, a costume designer born in the same year!)

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

RIP Bruno Kirby

1949-2006.

Guardian story here.

Meet the Fockers; What's Eating Gilbert Grape?; Leon

Watched a few films over the weekend with friends; none of them was bad, and one was exceptional.

I loved Meet the Fockers, the 2004 sequel to Meet the Parents. I'm a sucker for the first film, so it was with great delight that I sat down to the follow-up, even though I'd been told (by critics - bah!) that it was crap. Well, if you order popcorn, you don't judge it by haute cuisine standards. By popcorn standards, this was a blast. It was funny, silly and of course all very cheesey when it got to the sentimental bits. The film is helped by an excellent cast in Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand. Teri Polo seems a little awkward, and isn't given much to do.

My friend insisted I watched What's Eating Gilbert Grape?, the 1993 drama starring Johnny Depp and Leonardo DiCaprio. When I saw Lasse Hallstrom was director, I wasn't keen - I find Chocolat and The Cider House Rules spoiled by a sentimentalism that gets just a little suffocating by the end. I am pleased to report, then, that Gilbert Grape was more low-key than I expected, and genuinely moving.

But Leon (1994) was the greatest surprise of the weekend for me. I was impressed that Luc Besson managed to get such truly emotional drama to sit so comfortably alongside the traditional elements of an action thriller. Jean Reno is heartbreaking in the title role of a man whose career is killing people, and yet who connects to life through his love for a potted plant, Gene Kelly and an orphaned girl (Natalie Portman). The two stars effortlessly brought tears to my eyes from their first encounter.

My ratings?

Meet the Fockers * * * * *
What's Eating Gilbert Grape? * * * * *
Leon * * * * * (I will not be surprised if this climbs to a five on subsequent viewings)

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

RIP Patrick Allen

1927-2006.

Patrick Allen was a bit of a legend in the voiceover world. In the past decade or so he gained a cult following with his voiceovers on the Reeves and Mortimer show, and more recently, as the voice of E4.

His film appearances could be hit-and-miss, but his fans (including myself) were fond of him. I first remember hearing his distinctive voice in the prologue to the classic Carry on up the Khyber (1966), one of the few truly great films in the Carry On comedy series.

Last year I was introduced to Captain Clegg (1962), one of Hammer's most underrated films. As arch-rivals Clegg and Collier, Peter Cushing and Patrick Allen play off each other brilliantly. My enduring image of Allen is when he doffs his hat respectfully to the late Captain Clegg.

I now doff my hat respectfully to Patrick Allen, a much-loved British star.

Monday, August 07, 2006

The Harder They Fall (1956)

I am pleased to say that Humphrey Bogart got the swansong he deserved with this 1956 drama. The signs were not good when I came across the DVD. Director Mark Robson - who he? IMDB informs me he directed Inn of the Sixth Happiness, Von Ryan's Express and Earthquake, all of which signals middle-of-the-road, but this is a surprisingly punchy drama (sorry, I swear I chose that adjective before I noticed the pun).

The story is typical noir, starring Bogey in a typical role. He is Eddie Willis, a sports writer desperate to do more than earn his crust, and struggling to rise above the seediness and corruption of the boxing world. He strikes a deal with shady New-York boxing promoter Nick Benko, played by Rod Steiger in just the sort of role he relishes. Willis becomes press agent to Toro Moreno, a South American boy of poor stock, whose seven-foot-plus stature makes him ripe for stardom, despite the fact he can't throw a punch. It becomes increasingly apparent that the promoters are taking Toro for a ride in order to make their bucks, and Willis takes pity on him.

There's warmth in Bogie's struggle to reconcile the cynicism he needs to get by in a dark and merciless world with his humanitarian instincts. The boxing scenes are photographed and edited in an effectively pacey and hard-hitting manner (if there are too many unintended puns here, that is only a reminder how often we writers use 'fighting' language to describe the impact of art). The final showdown is disarmingly brutal.

The one false note is the final shot; the movie held up on its own without having to labour a political point.

Nevertheless, a gutsy movie, and it was satisfying to know that while Bogart's career ended prematurely, it did not, like so many, end with a whimper.

My rating? * * * * * (4/5)