Movie review - "The Jazz Singer" (1980) **

 I was in the mood for this. It's not very good but it's a big crap musical with Neil Diamond a warm presence with a wonderful voice who deserved a better film. Starts with a thumping song, shots of NYC and Diamond and Laurence Olivier being Jewish and you wonder what went wrong. Then Diamond's in blackface with some black musicians.

Franklin Ajaye and Luci Arnaz are perfect support. Script makes dumb decisions like not killing off Olivier (isn't that the point?). Apparently they were going to kill off Arnaz too that would've been ideal. And dumb to make him married that makes him an arsehole. Lean into the melodrama. 

Great songs. Diamond doesn't disgrace himself. Olivier has a high old time. Campy fun when Diamond goes on the road.

Movie should have been book ended by a huge concert. 

Gene Hackman weird top ten

Okay enough time has passed (arguably) to do a Gene Hackman top ten. Everyone knows the actual good movies so I thought I'd do my top ten weird Gene Hackman movies.

1) Lucky Lady (1975) - Gene has a threesome with Burt Reynolds and Liza Minelli. That is not made up. Burt gives Gene's arm a fondle the morning after. You gentleman, Burt!

2) Two of a Kind (1982) - reteaming of Olivia Newton John and John Travolta that no one remembers except uber fans - Gene Hackman provides the voice of God and does very well.

3) March or Die (1977) - Hackman made a few films for Lew Grade's company ITC in the late 70s- I enjoyed this French Foreign Legion tale where he is, as always, good.

4) Bat 21 (1988) for some reason this movie was on like every few months on Channel Ten on Friday/Saturday nights in the nineties - there was probably a bigger market for pudgy men in war movies than people realised - this film isn't that weird actually it was more weird how it was always on Channel Ten.

5) Zandy's Bride (1974) - when people talk about how great cinema was in the 70s it's always good to say "what, like Zandy's Bride?" in the conversation to be annoying - Hackman is good as always.

6) Superman 4: The Quest for Peace (1987) - everyone took the money on this one - read Daniel Kremer's Sidney Furie bio for the inside scoop on what went down

7) First to Fight/ Covenant with Death (mid 60s) - when Hackman was working his way up through the ranks he had to support actors like Chad Everett and George Maharis in films like these because they were what people thought film stars looked like and Hackman wasn't - he graduated to "supporting people who looked like film stars and actually were" like Warren Beatty, Robert Redford, Jim Brown and Gregory Peck - but I guess you've got to get through Chad Everett first to get to Redford.

8 ) Lilith (1964) forgotten film in which Jean Seberg, who often sleepwalked through her roles, is terrific - so too is Peter Fonda.

9) Doctor's Wives (1971) - sleazy material with a director who had a class rep on TV and. a first rate cast - they manage to still make it sleazy material.

10) Misunderstood (1984) - a male weepie with Hackman and Henry Thomas, coming off ET - I remember it made me cry as an eleven year old but I sense it may be terrible so am afraid to see it again.

Movie review - "The Ipcress File" (1965) ****

 Harry Saltzmann's anti-Bond is still about a sexy agent who beds women, has some sophistication (he's a cook), outsmarts the bad guys and is cocky to his superiors - but he wears glasses, is unapologetically working class, and there's nice touches about filling out forms and bureaucracy.

It's very stylishly directed by Sidney J Furie, clearly loving having more of a budget. The music score is very James Bond-y as are Ken Adams' sets.

The plot was a little confusing but basically it's whether Nigel Green is the baddie or Guy Doleman is the baddy. You know that Gordon Jackson is going to be killed.

Some Aussies in the cast like Guy Doleman and Ric Hutton.

Movie review - "A Dangerous Age" (1957) **1/2

 Sidney Furie got his start working for Canadian television and this debut feature - entirely financed by his dad - feels more like a TV play. It's a simple tale of a couple who want to elope - both less than 21. 

It's unpretentious, quite well acted. The adults come across as smug prats. We never get to meet the parents. Like a lot of films that feel like TV plays, it needed another key subplot.

Location filming helps as does the jazz score. Shane Rimmer, from many Hollywood films shot in the UK, is in it.

Movie review - "During One Night" (1961) **

 Odd story - US pilot Don Borisenko is a virgin. His co pilot is rendered importent in a flying mission so he determines to lose his virginity. He can't get it up with a prostitute. Tries another, who sets him up for robbery. Finds a shy and gorgeous Susan Hampshire. They fall for each other. She wants sex. He can't get it up again. The MPs take him away. A chaplain is nice. He doesn't throw the book at him. Lets him sees Hampshire again. Gets it up this time.

It feels like a TV play at heart. But it's full of interesting touches. Nicely directed and acted. The topic of impotency is at least different. It's sensitively handled. There's some exploitation - an action sequence at the beginning where his co pilot is shot, nudity from the prostitute (we see nipples!) and then later from Hanpshire (her back). The film needs it TBH it is slow. But it's different.

Movie review - "The Snake Woman" (1961) **

 Sidney Furie's second British film. It's the sort of movie I should like - British horror about a woman who turns in to a snake and kills people, decent story - done in with too many two handers, too much chat, too many scenes indoors. No atmosphere. Too much dull hero John McCarthy. Not enough snake woman - though Susan Travers isn't much in the role. Only 70 minutes.

Movie review - "Doctor Blood's Coffin" (1961) ** (re-watching)

 Saw this again after reading the book on Sidney Furie. It's competently directed, quite stylish. In colour, set outdoors in Cornwall which is different. Keiron Moore is a lump. He grabs Hazel Court's arse. Not bad.

Book review - "Sidney J Furie Life and Films" by Daniel Kremer

Excellent book about an interesting filmmaker. He was treated as a bit of a punchline for a long time and Furie has been associated with a lot of disasters - quitting Night of the Juggler, fired off The Jazz Singer, plus Superman 4 and Gable and Lombard and a lot of flops from big stars (The Appaloosa, Little Fauss and Big Halsy)  - but I remember seeing Ipcres File and thinking this was pretty impressive. And his filmogrraphy holds up. Lots of popcorn fun, from Cliff Richard musicals and Iron Eagle to solid biopics like Lady Sings the Blues and flashy spy movies like Ipcress. I have a lot of gaps on my Furie list which I will try to address.

Great stories like Jeannie Berlin walking off Sheila Levine and dealing with Jill Clayburgh on Gable and Lombard and Brando on Appalosa. Interesting that Michael Caine never worked with him again. I presume bad luck.

Kremer skims over his later movies. Just compared to the others.

It's an excellent book.

Movie review - "Doctor Blood's Coffin" (1961) **

A modern day redo of the Frankenstein saga lacks spark. Its in colour but the production values aren't up to the Hammer horrors and Kieron Moore is no Peter Cushing; he's a big lunk of an actor, not really ideal for a mad scientist - dull hero yes, God complex no.

He does his experiments mostly in a Cornish tin mine, meaning this takes place a lot outdoors. Moore goes around killing people for his experiments and is loved by Hazel Court, grieving over the death of her former husband... who is revived by Moore.

There are several problems with this: Moore's miscasting in a role that cries out for a scenery chewing staff; it's set in the present day which lots of scenes outside meaning it lacks atmosphere; the creature doesn't get revived until the very end; there's far too much talk and not enough scenes of Moore being crazy. Hazel Court at least adds some class.