Author: Reece Crothers

Categories
Podcast

New Podcast Episode Available Now: “Dominion: Prequel To The Exorcist”

Stellan Skarsgard is the younger version of Father Merrin, and Billy Crawford is the boy possessed by the demon Pazuzu.

On this week’s episode of The Filmography podcast, Bjorn and I discuss Paul Schrader’s divisive 2005 prequel to William Friedkin’s 1973 horror classic, The Exorcist.

One of the greatest shots in cinema history (which also made for one of the all-time greatest film posters!) from William Friedkin’s 1973 original.

Listen to the podcast here:

The Filmography podcast is available on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes streaming every Friday.
Director Paul Schrader on location.

Considering that Schrader was taken off the picture in post-production, and replaced by Die Hard 2: Die Harder‘s Renny Harlin, who re-cast, re-shot, and retitled it, it’s a miracle that this version ever saw the light of day.

Renny Harlin, director of the re-shoot, re-titled The Exorcist: The Beginning.

Starring Stellan Skarsgard in the role originally made famous by the late, great Max Von Sydow, (and though my esteemed co-host may disagree with me) it’s worth the price of admission alone for the gorgeous cinematography by master of light, shadow, and (especially) colour, Vittorio Storaro (pictured with Schrader below).


Paul Schrader with legendary cinematographer Vittorio Storaro.

The least successful elements of the picture are those which are meant to tie the film into the “Exorcist” franchise. The exorcism sequence itself feels like an afterthought, but where the film succeeds on its own terms is in the very Schrader-esque exploration of a deep crisis of faith. After successfully exploring the humanity of the son of God in Martin Scorsese’s “The Last Temptation of Christ,” I was intrigued by the potential flip side of that coin. When not slipping into the silliness of its supernatural elements, “Dominion” asks some profound questions about the nature of faith in the presence of evil. If the devil exists, then surely God must also exist, right?

Willem Dafoe as Jesus, wearing his crown of thorns, in Scorsese & Schrader’s “The Last Temptation of Christ” (1988).
A still from Dominion‘s harrowing WW2 prologue, which serves as the core wound for Father Merrin’s crisis of faith.

Watch the trailer for “Dominion: Prequel To The Exorcist” here:

2005 trailer for “Dominion: Prequel To The Exorcist” on YouTube.

Watch the full movie here:

“Dominion: Prequel To The Exorcist” full movie on YouTube.

Watch the trailer for Scorsese & Schrader’s “The Last Temptation of Christ” here:

Trailer for Martin Scorsese’s “The Last Temptation of Christ,” written by Paul Schrader.

Watch the trailer for the 4K release of William Friedkin’s 1973 original “Exorcist” picture here:

Watch the trailer for Renny Harlin’s version, “The Exorcist: The Beginning” here:

2004 trailer for “The Exorcist: The Beginning” on YouTube.

Watch the full Renny Harlin version here:

Full movie (Renny Harlin version) on YouTube.

Watch Renny Harlin discussing his version, retitled “The Exorcist: The Beginning” here:

Renny Harlin talks The Exorcist: The Beginning.

Watch the trailer for the first sequel, John Boorman’s “The Exorcist II: The Heretic” here:

Trailer for Scream Factory’s Blu-ray release of The Exorcist II: The Heretic on YouTube, featuring a score by Ennio Morricone (expect future post on that).

Watch the trailer for William Peter Blatty’s “The Exorcist III” here:

Trailer for Scream Factory’s Blu-ray release of “The Exorcist III” on YouTube.

Watch the trailer for David Gordon Green’s “The Exorcist: Believer” here:

And while we’re at it, watch the trailer for Renny Harlin’s “Die Hard 2: Die Harder” here:

Die Hard 2: Die Harder trailer on YouTube.

Categories
Morricone

The Morricone Collection: “La Stagione Dei Sensi” (1968)

This 2018 pressing of Morricone’s soundtrack to the 1968 picture directed by Massimo Franciosa, and written by Dario Argento, is an eclectic mix of pop songs (sung by Patrick Samson as if his life depended on it!), lounge numbers (by frequent Morricone collaborator Edda Dell’Orso), prominent sitar, and ranges in feeling from light and romantic, to dramatic, dark and moody.

Back album cover.
Clear vinyl pressing.

Listen to the album here:

“La Stagione Dei Sensi” on YouTube.

Purchase the album via Discogs here:

https://www.discogs.com/master/550672-Ennio-Morricone-La-Stagione-Dei-Sensi-Colonna-Sonora-Originale-Del-Film

Discogs page for “La Stagione Dei Sensi.”

Purchase the album via twoheadeddog.com here:

https://www.twoheadeddog.com/ennio-morricone-la-stagione-dei-sensi-original-motion-picture-soundtrack-lp/

Categories
Morricone

The Morricone Collection: “The Big Gundown” (1966)

Mr Ugly comes to town! This 1968 recording from United Artists Records to the 1966 Lee Van Cleef (“The Good, The Bad, The Ugly”) Spaghetti Western picture, co-starring Tomas Milan (“Traffic”), and directed by Sergio Sollima (“Revolver“), is one of Morricone’s most fun, and surprisingly emotional scores.

Listen to the album here:

The soundtrack to “The Big Gundown.”

Listen to the standout track, “Run Man Run (Main Theme)” here:

Main theme “Run Man Run.”

Watch the trailer for “The Big Gundown” here:

Trailer for “The Big Gundown” on YouTube.”

Watch the full movie here:

Full film available on YouTube.

Watch the original 1973 trailer for “Revolver,”* also directed by Sergio Sollima, and starring Fabio Testi and Oliver Reed, here:

I have a real soft spot for this picture, and it features another stand-out Morricone soundtrack. Expect a future post on this album.

Trailer for “Revolver” here.

Categories
Podcast

New Podcast Episode Available Now: Auto Focus.

Trailer for “Auto Focus” on YouTube.

On this week’s episode of The Filmography podcast, Bjorn and I dive into Paul Schrader’s 2002 Bob Crane biopic, “Auto Focus,” a dark and funny portrait of the destabilizing effects of Crane’s twin addictions to sex and videotape.

Original theatrical poster.
Greg Kinnear giving the best performance of his life as sex and video-addicted Bob Crane.

Greg Kinnear gives a performance of great depth, one that was only suggested by his most popular roles, such as his Oscar-nominated turn in “As Good As It Gets.”

Willem Dafoe having a blast as John “Carpy” Carpenter, Crane’s friend, enabler, and (possibly) murderer.

In a brilliant supporting part, Willem Dafoe plays Crane’s friend, enabler, and (possibly) murderer, John “Carpy” Carpenter.

Their strange co-dependent relationship, and the chemistry between Kinnear and Dafoe, make for a fascinating psychological portrait of the destructive forces of addiction.

Wielding the video camera like a weapon.
The (video) fruits of Bob’s labour.

It’s a lot funnier than it’s subject matter would suggest, thanks in no smart part to the influence of co-producers Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski.

As co-screenwriters, Alexander & Karaszewski practically invented this particular brand of empathetic but irreverent biopic with their script for Tim Burton’s Ed Wood, and perfected it with their scripts for Milos Forman’s brilliant Andy Kauffman and Larry Flynt biopics (Man On The Moon and The People vs. Larry Flynt, respectively).

Ed Wood poster art (detail) from the soundtrack album (score by Howard Shore).
Man on The Moon theatrical poster (detail).
Theatrical poster (detail) for Milos’ Forman’s The People vs. Larry Flynt.

Listen to the podcast here:

The Filmography podcast, streaming on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Listen to the DVD audio commentary here:

Paul Schrader’s audio commentary for “Auto Focus.”

Watch the trailer for Ed Wood here:

Trailer for Ed Wood on YouTube.

Watch the trailer for The People vs. Larry Flynt here:

Watch the trailer for Man On The Moon here:

“Man On The Moon” trailer on YouTube.

Categories
Morricone

The Morricone Collection: “i Malamondo.” (1966)

Surf guitar, strings, vocal melodies, pop, classical, and jazz, Morricone’s 1964 score to Paolo Cavara’s mondo youth picture, “i Malamondo,” contains a wide range of sounds, moods, and passions, befitting the soundtrack to an anthology picture of such varied episodes as Italian students butchering a pig; teenagers skiing nude in Switzerland; a Parisian “happening”; Swedish students contemplating suicide; a nighttime orgy in a graveyard; a performance from the male Royal Ballet, etc. There are moments that suggest Morricone’s later work on Spaghetti Westerns, a little James Bond vibe here and there (as there will be on Morricone’s score for “Slalom,” a year later), and some of the dark, dissonant sounds of Morricone’s giallo scores.

This 2021 release from CAM Sugar and Decca Records features nine bonus tracks, and striking artwork by Eric Adrian Lee. It is the second in CAM Sugar’s Morricone Segreto series, celebrating the “secrets (sogretto is Italian for “secret”) of Morricione’s genius.”

Inner-gatefold album artwork by Eric Adrian Lee.

Fans of Wes Anderson may already be familiar with the standout track L’ultima Volta (The Last Time), which was featured in “The French Dispatch” (both the film and the trailer).

Listen to L’ultima Volta here:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=84hamSLnX_M%3Fsi%3DZerseoNoZQyUnZ9G

Watch the trailer for “The French Dispatch” here:

Trailer for “The French Dispatch” on YouTube.

Watch the trailer for “i Malamondo” here:

Trailer for “i Malamondo” on YouTube.

Categories
Podcast

New Podcast Episode Available Now.

DVD cover art for Paul Schrader’s “Forever Mine,” a film every bit as horny as critics said “The Comfort of Strangers” was.

On this week’s episode of The Filmography, Bjorn and I are joined by special guest Cameron Pulley for a discussion about Paul Schrader’s stylish and strange (and barely released!) 1999 neo-noir melodrama, “Forever Mine,” starring Joseph Fiennes, Gretchen Moll, and Ray Liotta.

Paul Schrader and Gretchen Moll on the set of “Forever Mine.”

The film is so strange in fact that rather than attempt to summarize the narrative myself, I’ll just re-post the synopsis from Paul Schrader’s website here:

“Forever Mine” synopsis from http://paulschrader.org
Joseph Fiennes and some very strange make-up choices.
(The greatly underrated) Gretchen Moll.

Listen to the podcast here:

Now streaming on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Watch the trailer for “Forever Mine” here:

“Forever Mine” trailer on YouTube.

Watch the full movie here:

“Forever Mine” on YouTube.

Categories
Film Tiles & Poster Design Saul Bass

To Saul, With Love

“I want to make beautiful things, even if nobody cares, as opposed to ugly things. That’s my intent.”

On the subject of film titles & poster design, one name looms majestically above all others, Mr. Saul Bass!***

*And his collaborator and wife, Elaine Bass. **With admiration and recognition of Pablo Ferro, who takes a very respectable second place.

Saul Bass stands before some of his work.

Saul Bass is probably best known for his collaborations with Hitchcock, Preminger, and Scorsese, but his iconic work is featured in so many excellent pictures (all the more excellent for his contribution), which, taken in their totality, have left a distinctive mark on the history of cinema and represent a peerless legacy, not just as a designer of titles and posters, but also as a one-of-kind filmmaker in his own right.

Below are just a few samples of his work, some personal favourites, that make the argument for Saul Bass’ reputation as the best to ever do it. Naturally, this is not an exhaustive collection, as that would require a book, not a post. For that, I can recommend no greater source than Jennifer Bass’ and Pat Kirkham’s “Saul Bass: A Life in Film & Design,” featuring a forward by Martin Scorsese.

Saul Bass: A Life in Film & Design.
Title sequence for Otto Preminger’s “The Man With The Golden Arm” (1955).

https://www.artofthetitle.com/title/the-man-with-the-golden-arm

Album art for Duke Ellington’s soundtrack to Preminger’s “Anatomy of a Murder” (1959).
Stills from title sequence to “Anatomy of a Murder” (1959).

https://www.artofthetitle.com/title/anatomy-of-a-murder

Poster for “Exodus” (1960). More Preminger.

https://www.artofthetitle.com/title/exodus

“Advise & Consent” (1962), another Preminger poster.
Sketches for “Advise & Consent” (1962).
Another sketch for Preminger’s “Advise & Consent” (1962).

https://www.artofthetitle.com/title/advise-consent

Sketch for Preminger’s “The Cardinal” (1963).
Also for Preminger’s “The Cardinal” (1963).

https://www.artofthetitle.com/title/the-cardinal

Two sketches for Preminger’s “In Harm’s Way” (1965).

https://www.artofthetitle.com/title/in-harms-way

Poster design for Martin Ritt’s “Edge of The City” (1957).

https://www.artofthetitle.com/title/edge-of-the-city

Poster (detail) for William Wyler’s “The Big Country” (1958).

https://www.artofthetitle.com/title/the-big-country

Poster for Hitchcock’s “Vertigo” (1958).
Poster (detail) for “Vertigo” (1958).

https://www.artofthetitle.com/title/vertigo

Titles for Hitchcock’s “North by Northwest” (1959).

https://www.artofthetitle.com/title/north-by-northwest

Title sequence for Hitchcock’s “Psycho” (1960).
Saul Bass’ titles for “Psycho” are legendary, but lesser known is his contribution to the infamous shower scene, as evidenced by his storyboards above.
Title sequence to “Psycho” (1960).
The iconic shower scene from “Psycho” (1960).

https://www.artofthetitle.com/title/psycho

Simple but powerful poster design for John Sturges’ “The Magnificent Seven” (1960).
Poster design for John Frankenheimer’s “Seconds” (1966).
Sketch for “Seconds” (1966).

https://www.artofthetitle.com/title/seconds

Stills from the simple, but evocative titles to Martin Scorsese’s “Goodfellas” (1990).

https://www.artofthetitle.com/title/goodfellas

Title sequence from Martin Scorsese’s “Cape Fear” (1991).
Also from the “Cape Fear” titles, red-infused negative image of Juliette Lewis’ eyes.
Complimentary to the red imagery above, this green and black silhouette “cut out” imagery recalls the plummeting Jimmy Stewart figure from “Vertigo.”

https://www.artofthetitle.com/title/cape-fear

Still from title sequence to Martin Scorsese’s “Casino” (1995), also recalling “Vertigo.”

https://www.artofthetitle.com/title/casino

For more on the best of film titles, please visit (and consider donating to) the authority at its source: The Art of The Title website, which boasts a breathtaking collection, and is currently (and entirely coincidentally!) featuring a tribute to none other than (you guessed it!) Saul Bass! Prepare to enter a rabbit hole!

Screenshot of site (as of this writing).

https://www.artofthetitle.com/feature/the-title-design-of-saul-and-elaine-bass/#

Saul’s signature style.

Categories
Podcast

New Podcast Episode Available Now: Affliction

On this week’s episode of The Filmography, Bjorn Olson and I take a deep dive into Paul Schrader’s adaptation of Russell Banks’ harrowing account of the fallout from an abusive father-son relationship, featuring Oscar-nominated turns from Nick Nolte (who has only ever been better in Neil Jordan’s “The Good Thief“), and James Coburn. As the abusive father, Coburn won the Oscar.

Listen to the podcast here:

Now streaming on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Watch the trailer for “Affliction” here:

Nick Nolte was Oscar-nominated, and James Coburn won, for their portrayals of an embattled father and son on a collision course.

See what Siskel & Ebert had to say about “Affliction” here:

Siskel & Ebert raise their thumbs for Schrader’s picture.
Categories
Mobile Filmmaking

The Bob Richardson Look

Nic Cage in Martin Scorsese’s criminally underrated “Bringing Out The Dead.”
Brian Doyle Murray as Jack Ruby in Oliver Stone’s “JFK.”
Adrian Brody & Jennifer Esposito in Spike Lee’s “Summer of Sam,”shot by Ellen Kuras (in the Bob Richardson style).
Isiah Washington in Spike Lee’s “Clockers,” shot by Malik Hassan Sayeed (in the Bob Richardson style).

Teaching myself lighting for camera, this is my first attempt at recreating the Robert Richardson look from Oliver Stone’s “JFK,” and Martin Scorsese’s “Bringing Out The Dead,” shooting on my iPhone 15 Pro Max. Also inspired by Malik Hassan Sayeed’s work on Spike Lee’s “Clockers,” and Ellen Kuras’ work on “Summer of Sam,” also for Spike Lee.

The Bob Richardson look: halo effect from top light, heavy backlight, blown out afterglow.

I didn’t quite nail it (not enough fill and bounce, too much top light) but I’ll continue to tweak, aided by back issues of American Cinematographer featuring interviews with Richardson and Kuras.

Back issues of American Cinematographer (right to left, top to bottom: “Clockers,” “Summer of Sam,” “Natural Born Killers,” “Casino,” “JFK,” and “Nixon.”

Special thank you to my Dad, who allowed me to interrupt his morning coffee to sit for this.

Next up, I’ll attempt to recreate the look of Janusz Kaminski’s photography on Steven Spielberg’s “Minority Report.”

The “Film Bleu” look of Janusz Kaminski’s photography for Steven Spielberg’s “Minority Report.”

Watch the trailer for “Bringing Out The Dead” here:

“Bringing Out The Dead” trailer.

Watch the trailer for “JFK” here:

“JFK” trailer.

Watch the trailer for “Summer of Sam” here:

“Summer of Sam” trailer.

Watch the trailer for “Clockers” here:

“Clockers” trailer.

Watch the trailer for “Minority Report” here:

“Minority Report” trailer.

Categories
Morricone

The Morricone Collection: “Svegliati E Uccidi” (1966)

Featuring 9 bonus tracks, this 2018 Dagored limited edition (500 copies) of Morricone’s score to the 1966 Italian crime thriller “Svegliati E Uccidi” (aka “Wake Up & Die,” aka “Wake Up & Kill,” aka “Too Soon To Die”) is the first time the complete soundtrack has been available on vinyl. Described as “dark and powerful,” this early work from Morricone showcases his mastery of not just film scores, but pop songs, too, as evidenced by the stirring, mournful opening track “Una Stanza Vuota” (“An Empty Room”) sung by the film’s lead actress, Lisa Gastoni, who also starred in the Morricone-scored films “Grazie Zia,” “Maddalena,” and “I Pugni In Tasca” (aka “Fists In The Pocket”).

Listen to the song here:

https://youtube.com/watchv=khFesfrt244%3Fsi%3DRuOWPlr43gE_JeFF

Thanks to Babbel.com, I can (almost) understand all the lyrics. I’ll attempt to translate below (with just a little help from Google Translate):

Una stanza vuota (An empty room)

e tu, che mi hai lasciato (and you, who left me)

con il cuore pieno di te, (with a heart full of you)

e non ti vedo. (and I don’t see you)

Torna, torna indietro, (Come back, come back)

voglio darti tutti i miei giorni. (I want to give you all my days)

Torna da me, da me! (Come back to me, to me!)

Se in un mondo matto per me (If in a world, crazy for me)

ti sei perduto, (you are lost,)

cerca di capire. (try to understand)

Purchase the record here:

https://www.discogs.com/release/13042939-Ennio-Morricone-Svegliati-E-Uccidi-

Watch the film here:

Directed by Carlo Lizzani, the fun and stylish “Svegliati E Uccidi” stars Robert Hoffman, Lisa Gastoni, and Gian Maria Vononté.

Learn Italian (or any language you like!) here:

https://www.babbel.com