BILLION DOLLAR BRAIN (1967) - offbeat cold war spy epic

BILLION DOLLAR BRAIN
(1967, UK)

This was the third Harry Palmer film, based on the books of Len Deighton, following the adaptions of The Ipcress File and Funeral in Berlin, and helped to confirm Michael Caine as an international star.

This was also Ken Russell's first feature, and seems restrained compared to his later outrageousness in The Devils, Mahler, Women In Love, Lizstomania... But the director's love of classical music and silent cinema is evident here, with several key sequences playing over orchestral music with minimal sound effects. I noticed an advanced echo of the visuals of Tommy, when a hundred soldiers in shiny silver helmets funnel through a narrow archway. It looked very much like pinball imagery to me.

While much of the film is a cold war spy thriller, Russell's style is in evidence whenever characters get tight close-ups and look straight at the camera, or when action is shot with wild hand-held camerawork.


This is in line with the surreal cinematography of The Ipcress File, where Sidney Furie used deep focus and wide-angles to make London look more sinister. Although the Harry Palmer films were made by many of the same production crew as the 1960s James Bond films, they took pains to distance the two series. This is initially an unglamorous depiction of spying - Palmer has to cook for himself, argue about pay with his boss (Guy Doleman, also a star of Thunderball), he doesn't have any gadgets, and he wears glasses... Bloody hell!

But the last of the trilogy is veering nearer to Bond territory, with its tale of world domination, silvery sci-fi settings and larger-than-life baddie (Ed Begley Sr at his most grotesquely frightening). The title sequence is also designed by Maurice Binder, verging on Matt Helm goofiness, with its repetitive, looped animation.

Harry gets a weird phone call from a faltering, monotone voice telling him to deliver a package... to Finland. There he meets Leo, an old friend who offers him work in a secret organisation supporting a revolution in Latvia that will threaten the stability of the USSR. Leo is also getting his orders from the same computerised voice and recruits Harry for assassinations and other dirty work. The trail, or in this case wiring, leads all the way to Texas, where a communist-hating oil-billionaire has designs on the fall of Russia...


The super-computer central to the plot also reminds us how hacking used to be done in the 1960s, by changing reel-to-reel tapes and shuffling punch cards. Computing is presented as a new threat to the world, just before Hal 9000 threatened 2001: A Space Odyssey. The science-fictional technology predicts retinal scans, voice-activated computers and bio-weapons, which still looks a little futuristic, if it wasn't for the punch cards...

The extensive location photography makes the most of the unusual frozen lakes, churches and castles of Finland, contrasted by the shiny petrol tankers and cutting-edge skidoos.

The soundtrack music is another reason I keep revisiting Billion Dollar Brain. Richard Rodney Bennett's score accompanies the snowbound landscapes with the surreal ondes martenot, a keyboard adaption of the theramin (famously used in The Day The Earth Stood Still). Barry Gray was also a fan of the martenot, using it to accompany the loneliness of space travel in Journey to the Far Side of the Sun. Bennett's cascading piano theme couldn't be more dramatic, but the most serious scenes use adaptions of Russian classical symphonies, in line with the Soviet sub-plot.

Michael Caine's character prompted his appearance as Austin Powers's dad in Goldmember, as well as Myers' choice of glasses. Karl Malden plays the slippery Leo, years before he raced The Streets of San Francisco with Michael Douglas. The enchanting Francoise Dorleac (Polanski's Cul-de-sac) was en route to being as big a star as her sister, Catherine Deneuve. The jovial Oscar Homolka (Mr Sardonicus) makes a welcome return as Colonel Stok, reprising his role from Funeral in Berlin.

This was a latecomer to DVD, now available 2.35 widescreen by MGM. The delay was presumably because of the music rights to a Beatles track. Unfortunately, the solution has been to remove a short scene, but you might still catch that on TV.

The movie trailer isn't on the DVD, but is on YouTube.

The Harry Palmer Movie Site has much more on all three films, and boasts rare behind-the -scenes footage.

The soundtrack liner notes (from a huge and expensive MGM boxset) are full of insight into the production, including the sad news that Francoise Dorleac died at 25, shortly after the film's release.

DOC SAVAGE - MAN OF BRONZE (1975) - on DVD with other WB rarities

Warner Bros. is offering a new service that could lead the way for film fans to see rarities hidden in the studio archives. Movies that might not make their money back in a standard DVD release, are being released in limited numbers, depending on demand. There's also the option to 'download to own'. Whoever is interested can now see these older movies, and the studio doesn't waste money on over-production. The online store is linked here.

There've been two 'waves' of releases so far. The downside is that this is only available in the USA at the moment. Here's what initially caught my eye...


I can now officially take Doc Savage - Man of Bronze off my 'not on DVD' list. The 1975 adaption, of the long-running 1930s pulp action hero adventures, isn't popular with every fans of the bronze giant, but it still deserves to be out there. I reviewed the movie, fondly, here.

Want to see Francis Ford Coppola's 1969 'existential road movie'? Now you can - a youthful James Caan, Robert Duvall and Shirley Knight starred. I shouldn't be surprised when films by important directors aren't available, but I am.


Looking for information on early 'flight panic' movie Zero Hour, (the movie that largely inspired Airplane!), I heard about The Crowded Sky and it's close links with the genre. It's based on an Arthur Hailey book that was adapted before he had the huge hit with Airport (the template for 70s disaster movies). The Crowded Sky also pre-dates Dana Andrews mid-air collision in Airport 1975. Now if only I lived in America, I could get to see it...

Hammer films were all made by the same British studio but distributed by many different American distributors. Tracking them all down has become a lifetime quest. But Hammer fans can now see the psycho-thriller Crescendo (1970) starring Stefanie Powers (Hart to Hart, The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.) and James Olsen (The Andromeda Strain, Moon Zero Two).

Many of the movies on offer are early black-and-white film. Rasputin and the Empress (1932) impressed me greatly when I caught on late-night TV. A grand recreation of the legendary puppet master and his friendship with the Russian royal family. This is the only time the three heavyweights of the Barrymore acting dynasty starred together. Drew's grandad John has a terrifying showdown with Lionel, as Rasputin, where they beat bloody hell out of each other, in a violent approximation of real-life events. This movie being 'pre-code', it's a still shocking scene today.

Hopefully, this will be a success and Warners will continue to dust off more treasures from their vaults, and maybe other studios will follow on.

49ers Top Ten Draft Picks (since 1980)

I was looking over the 49ers draft picks today(draft day) and thought I would make up a list of the top ten picks they have made since 1980. Here you go 49ers fans!

10. Julian Peterson- 2000, 1st round, 16th- Peterson was a great linebacker who suffered from being selfish. The 49ers weren't that great a team when he was around and to keep him they had to apply the franchise tag to him twice. He later went on to play for the Seahawks, he would always step up his game when he played the 49ers. He now is on the 0-16 Lions, justice served.

9. Patrick Willis- 2007, 1st round, 11th- Willis is higher on the list because he has only played two seasons. So far he is one of the best LB's I have seen drafted by the team. He was defensive rookie of the year and has made the Pro-Bowl. The skys the limit with Willis.

8. Frank Gore- 2005, 3rd round, 1st- I remember when the 49ers drafted Gore, it seemed like a straight up steal. I would have taken him over the guy they did take #1 (Alex Smith) any day. Gore is a tough runner and reciever. I think he was a steal for going in the third round. I think Gore will be around for a long time. 

7. John Taylor-1986, 3rd round, 21st- John Taylor goes mostly unnoticed, except for the game winning catch he had in Superbowl. He was a very talented WR who paved the way for Jerry Rice to get open. He was also known as a great blocker and possesion reciever. He was a two time pro bowler and would often go without mention in the media. For real 49er fans Taylor will never be forgotten. 

6. Roger Craig- 1983, 2nd round, 21st- Roger Craig holds many good memories in the hearts of 49er fans. He was our main Halfback during the 80's Superbowl run(s). He was kind of more like RB's today in that he could also catch the ball besides being a good runner. He was never the biggest or fastest but he had the determination to get the job done. He was a 4 Time Pro Bowler and his career average of 4.1 ypc is great. He will also be known as the player who fumbled in the NFC Championship game and cost the 49ers another chance at a superbowl. Oh well. He was a great value for the 2nd round. The next RB taken after him in the 83 draft was Johnny Hector, anyone ever heard of him?

5. Charles Haley- 1986, 4th round, 14th- Haley was taken in the same year as Taylor. That was a good draft! The 49ers were looking for some D to go along with there amazing West Coast Offense. They took Haley in the 4th round in 86 and the guy has an awesome career. He was a 5 time Pro Bowler and won numerous superbowls with the 9ers and Cowboys. In 1990 he was voted an All Pro and had 16 sacks. Haley was a scary looking guy. After his run with the Cowboys he re-joined his original team in 1998 and retired a year later.

4. Terrell Owens- 1996, 3rd round, 28th- Well, what can you say...he was a great WR and play maker and an asshole. He is an amazing talent and if he kept his mouth shut could have been the best WR to ever play. He was a great pick for being taken in the 3rd round. T.O. has been pretty much kicked off or demanded a trade from every team he has played on. He is 6 Time Pro Bowler (4 with the 9ers). He is now getting up in age but can still produce, he will be on the Buffalo Bills next year. 

3. Bryant Young- 1994, 1st round, 7th- Bryant Young was the T.O. opposite. He was a quiet man who lead by example and was team leader because of it. He had a great 13 year career (all with the 9ers). He was a 4 time Pro Bowl player as well. He was really just a great player and he never once complained or whined, he was the last player left from the 1994 superbowl team. He will also be remembered for his broken leg injury and being voted as comeback player of the year the year after. He is what the red and gold are all about. 

2. Ronnie Lott-  1981, 1st round, 8th- I dont think I need to say too much here. Hall of Fame Saftey should be enough. But I will say, the hardet hitter I have ever seen play. He gave up his pinky to play in a game. WOW, i mean seriously, he lost the tip of his pinky so he could stay in a game. He was a 10 time pro bowl player and the best saftey to ever play in the NFL.

1. Jerry Rice- 1985, 1st round, 16th- a 16 year run with the 49ers, a 13 time Pro Bowl player, and holds about all WR records. Yeah not bad for going 16th overall in 85 draft. You think the Jets didn't hate themslves forever for taking WR Al Toon before Rice? I guess it haven't mentioned it but all of this was Bill Walsh. The guy was mastermind at making picks. Rice is known as THE best reciever ever. 

Traller Park Old School Editon

Just had some random thought, what is the best trailer you have ever scene? I know a lot of people will have many different memories of what is best. But I just watched this T2 trailer from 1991 and it got me thinking how much this trailer made me want to see the movie. I did a little bit of looking up opinons, but if you read this let me know what your favoite is. I looked up this one, it is bad ass! They sure dont make em like this anymore.

THE SKY CRAWLERS (2008) - new anime from Mamoru Oshii

THE SKY CRAWLERS
(2008, Japan)

While I'm in awe of Mamoru Oshii's achievements, especially the Ghost in the Shell movies, I've yet to enjoy any other films he's directed. Red Spectacles (1987), Avalon (2001) and now The Sky Crawlers all left me cold, and confused. I'd highly recommend other projects which he's an important creative force behind, like Jin-Roh (1998) and Blood - The Last Vampire.

Unfairly perhaps, I watched The Sky Crawlers with sub-standard subtitles (on this Malaysian DVD, pictured below) which fails to introduce the rules of 'the war' or translate the more complex dialogue adequately. But this is also how I first watched Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, and it instantly became a favourite film.

On a near-future Earth, young people fight wars so that no-one else has to (it's explained a little more fully than that). A new fighter pilot arrives at an airfield, but is trying to unravel the mysteries surrounding his (pretty, young, female) commander. As fewer of his comrades return from their regular hazardous missions, the truth slowly emerges...

The flying sequences are exceptionally dynamic, the 3D animation almost photo-real. The action is almost too fast to follow, in complete contrast to the slowly developing plot. The fluid and intricately detailed animation of the aerial scenes is also in jarring contrast to the simply-rendered 2D characters, still moving at a jerky eight times a second (the customary speed for Japanese animation). The designwork is exciting, but limited to only a few different types of aircraft.

On the ground, most of the story takes place in dull, muted interiors, reminiscent of wooden-panelled houses of WW2 England - far removed from the sci-fi scenarios anime fans might expect. The drama, basically a two-handed struggle, lost my interest completely. I'm no action junkie, but I just couldn't get involved.

While Innocence was also heavy on philosophy, I at least had a handle on the issues he was exploring, from my knowledge of the Ghost in the Shell universe. I could also enjoy Oshii's very visual imagining of the near future, without fully understanding what was going on. The weighty dialogue was compensated with intricately predicted cities, computers, robots, vehicles...


This isn't the sort of film I can recommend to anyone other than Oshii fans. The aerial scenes are stunning, but unlike Hollywood action films where the effects are special but the plots aren't, the difference here is that the story is not lowbrow, but too highbrow.

The Sky Crawlers will be released on DVD and Blu-Ray on May 26th in the US (cover art at top). I wouldn't recommend anyone jumps the gun with the Malaysian DVD, because the transfer makes the action look juddery. The subtitles are poorly translated and often only flash up for a fraction of a second.

Draft

So I am excited about the Draft, I usually watch the first round or so. It tends to get boring after a while. I really think teams should be given less time to make a pick. What is it now? 15 minutes a pick for the first round? And now ESPN has chosen to make the draft start at 1PM, which will make it go way long into the night. With all the hype leading up to the draft, I understand that teams need some time but seriously, I think 10 minutes for the first round and then like 2 minutes after that. Imagine how cool it would be seeing them rapidly make the picks. We could have the whole thing done in half the time. 

Another things is ESPN, remember when it used to be cool and rare to see highlights so you would turn on ESPN and wait forever just to see your teams highlights. Now if your team is on the West Coast or doesn't have a player named Manny or Kobe you never see highlights of your team, and if you do they are short. Sportscenter now brakes off into different shows. If you want to see baseball highlights you watch Baseball Tonight (which I like), if you want to basketball highlights (and you do not have Kobe or LeBron on your team) you watch their Basketball show (I forgot the title). Anyway the draft and Mel Kiper are everywhere! The things is that they do all these mock drafts and picks but they just do it all over when the draft starts. I guess what I am saying is that ESPN should focus less on what "might happen" and just make the actual draft more important. So in that vein I will make my draft prediction for the first 10 picks. My niners are drafting #10. Anyway can you recall the #10 pick last year? (Jerod Mayo by New England...if you were wondering)

1. Lions - Matthew Stafford QB: I think the Lions need a face of the future and the pressure in not taking a QB will make them go with Stafford. I mean looks at all those other great #1 QBs taken in the past. Alex Smith, JaMarcus Russell, etc.. Anyway point taken, I would just take a good Offensive Lineman and save the QB for later. Lately it has been proven that you can get a good QB later on. 

2. Rams - Jason Smith OT: I think the Rams are slowly building up a team with good lines, they did have the #2 pick last year and got DE Chris Long who I didn't hear much about. He did have 4 Sacks last year, nothing fantastic but he could come around. The team needs a lot of players and just got with the best available. 

3. Chiefs - Aaron Curry LB: I think Chiefs go safe and with good reason. Seems that LB's are the safest picks to make lately. Patrick Willis comes to mind. From what I hear this guy is for real and could help the team who needs some D players. The offense is finally coming around with Cassell, Bowe, and LJ. They has so many close loses I could see them maybe make a playoff run...maybe.

4. Seahawks - Mark Sanchez QB: I would love to have this pick, they can go so many ways. I think they should take Michael Crabtree at this point, and they still may. Signing WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh could make them not take Crabtree, who will swooped up soon after. The team played terrible last year. They need a RB, WR, and QB. I think the upside of Sanchez it too much to pass up. Is he Plamer or Leinart? Since he will playing my team for a while I hope for the latter.

5. Browns- Eugene Monroe OT: The Browns can go in a lot ways here. I hear they will be trading WR Bralyon Edwards, if they do that then maybe the take Crabtree? This team is weird. They draft players with bad attitudes and eventually end up trading them. Winslow Jr. and possibly Edwards. I think Monroe would be a safe pick, a guy who goes unnoticed but is good for 8-10 years. With Joe Thomas anchoring the line, and adding Monroe they could have a great O-line and would lead the way for more rushing yards and better protection for Quinn or Anderson or whoever the hell they are going to start at QB.

6. Bengals- Andre Smith OT: Not a sexy pick, but they need someone who can help protect Carson Palmer. They have some questions and RB and this pick would also help with that. I am also thinking with TJ gone and Ocho Cinco wanting a trade, maybe they pull a draft day deal to get rid of old 85 and maybe they take Crabtree? I think they go with a lineman here.

7. Raiders- Michael Crabtree WR: How are the Raiders only drafting 7th? They sucked last year. Anyway they had like no good WRs last year and would love to take the sexy pick here. This time they don't mess it up, I think Crabtree is a great pick and would be the #1 WR they have lacked since Tim Brown (Randy Moss doesn't count since he wasn't trying). Another reason I am hoping he goes here is because he wont be in the NFC West!

8. Jaguars- Jeremy Maclin WR: Oh shit, we have a run on WRs! I think they want Crabtree but stick with the next best WR and take Maclin. They suffer from drafting terrible WR who never pan out. They could really use a great WR to help the offense. This team will rebound and have a much better year I bet. 

9. Packers- B.J. Raji DT: He could go way earlier, sorry I am no Mel Kiper, I am losing hair and he has too much. Anyway this guy is the talk of the town, but so was Glenn Dorsey last year and he has 1 sack, but a DT is never a huge sack guy. I think Packers just take the best guy and nab him and take the steal at #9.

10. 49ers- Brian Orakpo DE: I have heard this guys is cut and a great sack guy, we need someone like that. I have seen him go higher then #10, but the 49ers could use this guy. I think he comes from a school (Texas) that usually makes NFL stars and he could start right away. He also plays some OLB and we could use him at both position, which makes him even better to get. Niners need a pash rush! Please take him Mike, if he is still on the board!!

This guy looks badass! Will he be a 9er?

ALLIGATOR (1980) - great monster movie, with sewer humour

ALLIGATOR
(1980, USA)

Trailing the animal attack genre of the 1970s, witty dialogue, constant action, and great character actors keep Alligator afloat to the very end. Added to this, modest outbursts of gore, building on the bloodier moments of Jaws (1975), makes this latter-day b-movie very watchable for genre fans today. I remember it was a huge hit on VHS. I also miss the days when John Sayles (now a top director) just wrote low-budget and exploitation films. His script for Piranha (1978) also helped elevate it to cult status.

The story builds up the urban myth about alligators breeding in the sewers into an (almost) believable tale about growth hormone experiments gone wrong (like Food of the Gods). The police investigation keeps the film rooted in reality, opening with the discovery of body parts in the sewers. This is all too commonplace in the news nowadays, but felt really unlikely when I saw it back in the day. As the cops find more victims, they eventually realise they have a big problem down under.


Clever, but low-tech special FX make the most of real alligators in scaled-down sets. But my favourite scenes involve a tremendous-looking full-scale prop, used to crunch on stunt performers and actors alike. There's also some bad-taste use of amputees to show alligator attack aftermaths.

Director Lewis Teague (Cat's Eye, Cujo) follows in Spielberg's footsteps with a marvellous night-time episode in a swimming pool. But full credit to him though for making a Jaws rip-off that actually entertains. Similarly, the story starts by not showing too much too early, while keeping the bodycount steadily rising. The ridiculous car crashes and explosions are slotted in to pump up the trailer - a regular device in the straight-to-video market.

The alternately dramatic/ghastly/humorous tone reminded me of the recent Korean hit The Host, as well as the 'Gnaws' episode of The New Avengers, which also crept around the sewers after some growth hormone had been dumped down there, hmm.

Robert Forster (Jackie Brown, Dragon Wars, The Black Hole) suffers a running joke about going bald, but his hair has magically looked the same ever since. His A-list performance is almost too good for a monster movie, but the rest of the cast also play it straight, to the movie's benefit. I was surprised to see Dean Jagger again, so long after he was the quasi-Quatermass character of X - The Unknown (1956).

Anchor Bay's 16:9 widescreen transfer loses picture information on all sides, compared to the VHS and 4:3 DVD releases, but nothing too important. The big plus is a sharper picture and a welcome commentary track.

For screengrabs and another review, see DVD Active here. For the lousy UK poster that played up the comedy way too much, see Cinema Is Dope here.


All I can say about the belated sequel Alligator 2: The Mutation (included on the UK set) is that even the trailer is dull, despite having Dee Wallace Stone (The Howling, Cujo, The Frighteners) and Steve Railsback (Helter Skelter, The Stuntman).

THE FALL (2006) - when, will it, will it be famous?

THE FALL
(2006, India/UK/USA)

It’s possible to fall in love with new Hollywood movies that cost millions of dollars but no-one has heard of. These can be box-office flops that were killed by word of mouth and/or negative critical reaction. I think The Fall just never got a good enough launch. Looking at the reviews and reactions of anyone who's seen it, there's a potentially large audience out there. An audience that is having to discover the film for themselves. Logically, this is a bizarre phenomenon for an epic film. Sort of similarly, another film slowly gaining an audience is last year's Speed Racer, which had a huge marketing push that somehow failed to attract an adult audience. Speed Racer was special effects-heavy, as in every single scene, while The Fall is also spectacularly beautiful, but naturally so.

Last year, after a telling delay, it was finally released in the UK. I was very interested because of director Tarsem Singh’s previous film The Cell (2000), a mixture of imaginatively lush visuals and dark subject matter - a journey into the mind of a serial killer. I suspect that more people would have gotten to see The Fall if the story hadn’t taken such a late hairpin turn into the dark side, because it's almost a children's film... for all ages.


It's Hollywood, 1915. A stuntman is recovering in hospital from a broken leg. Another patient, a little girl, happens to visit him one day and he starts making up a story for her. A swashbuckling tale full of colourful characters in even more colourful, fantastic locations. The little girl has to imagine it all, but we see everything as he describes it. A band of skilled adventurers from far-flung lands, teaming up against a common foe in a mysterious desert kingdom. The little girl visits him every day for a little more of the story. But as the stuntman’s luck goes bad in real life, he evokes his troubles on the characters in his story, much to the distress of the little girl. Will there be a happy ending to his story?


The Fall starts off as a good-natured, multi-cultural adventure intercut with the light-hearted friendship of the stuntman and the little girl, a slightly unusual and different-looking family film. But towards the end, the tone shifts and gets very dark very quickly, making the film rough for young children and adults expecting to chill out. This leaves the film in a niche category of adult-biased dark fairytales. Presumably this made the film too hard a sell but shouldn't have sunk it completely. It's hopefully being discovered on DVD and, especially, Blu-Ray which is perfect for spectaculars like this.


Director Tarsem (as he now calls himself) has carefully picked beautiful and astonishing locations that I’ve not seen before, though I suspect that some may have already appeared in Indian cinema. Of the many other countries used in the film, he's also revisited a few choice locations from Baraka (1992), a mix of startling images and music from the cinematographer of Koyaanisqatsi (1982). With Tarsem's flair for cinematographic splendour and outlandish fashions, the movie regularly looks surreal, though the marvellous vistas actually exist.


The international cast is led by the charismatic Lee Pace (star of Pushing Daisies). Whenever I see an actor successfully play two entirely different roles, I’m very impressed. Pace impresses as the attractive romantic action hero, but he was also totally convincing as a male-to-female transsexual in A Soldier’s Story! Anyone who can succeed in polar-opposite roles can surely play a whole range between.

While the climax is problematic, The Fall is still the most sumptuous, FX-lite, eye candy of last year, and likely to fuel holiday ideas for decades to come.

DVD Beaver has more screengrabs here, and the promotional website is still live.

After a clue in the end credits, it turned out that the story has been filmed before, on a much lower budget. Yo Ho Ho (1981) is a Bulgarian film that's provided the inspiration here. Though Tarsem has made The Fall very much his own, it would be interesting to compare it. There's a plot description and some useful screengrabs here at Gotterdammerung.

Happy Birthday, Gerry Anderson - thank you for the rock snakes

My first memory of going to the cinema was of being frightened by a Martian rock snake (above). My mum had taken me to see a movie that span off one of my favourite TV shows, Thunderbirds. Thunderbirds Are Go is still in my top ten, and after all this time never fails to entertain me from start to finish. During the Zero X expedition to Mars, man encounters a strange new alien lifeform that haunted my nightmares for years.

While Thunderbirds has always been derided for being entirely cast with puppet characters, and sent up recently with Team America: World Police, I've always taken it at face value, immersed in the stories. The modelwork and special effects were unprecedented for any TV show, even adult ones, for years to come. For a children's show, it didn't get any better for adventure, action and entertainment.


Thunderbirds is the pinnacle of Gerry Anderson's 'puppet years', inspiring me to watch everything he has ever produced. I have boxes of his shows, most of which are from the 1960's and 1970's. Fireball XL5, Stingray, Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, UFO and Space 1999 are the best, but all his series have endured repeated TV showings and every subsequent home video format.

Despite moving into live-action TV back in 1969, Gerry has remained firmly associated with his puppet shows. He recently leapt into the CGI world with a reinvention of the Captain Scarlet series, using motion-captured 3D computer-generated characters for a terribly overlooked and gritty series.


I could talk about his work for hours, though these pages are fairly unaffected so far. I'm not alone though - there's these new books coming out for instance. Filmed In Supermarionation goes behind the scenes on the extensive special effects work involved in the shows, and two volumes of Century 21 reprints some of the beautiful comic strips that appeared in the tabloid-sized comic TV21. Also, Gerry's shows are being remastered for HD presentation. Fanderson, the fan club, is still thriving, and new merchandise still keeps coming out for shows that are over forty years old (besides endless Japanese Thunderbirds replicas, there's also a new Stingray CD soundtrack just out).


But, for providing me with so many thrilling memories, I can only say thank you, and...

Happy 80th birthday, Gerry. Wishing you many more.

Walking in L.A. - BLADE RUNNER locations and Japanese shopping

A quick, furtive look round Downtown Los Angeles

Last year, I had a couple of days to spare in Los Angeles, but no car. Luckily I was staying near a subway station of the slowly spreading LA County Metro Rail. There are convenient stops near tourist attractions like Universal Studios (the Metro stop is Universal City), Mann's Chinese Theater and the Kodak Center (both near the Hollywood & Highland stop). The tunnels and the Hollywood station featured extensively in the central heist in The Italian Job remake in 2003.


I first surfaced at the Civic Center stop, just two short blocks from the new Walt Disney Concert Hall, at 111 South Grand Avenue, an architectural marvel from the same designer as the Bilbao Guggenheim Museum (which was seen briefly at the start of Tomorrow Never Dies). The curved reflective silver surfaces intersect in shapes that almost defy description. On a sunny day it's hard to look at the outside without being blinded by the glare, perfect for busy intersections!

Walking downhill, I wanted a closer look at the huge tower atop City Hall, that was blown to pieces (in miniature) in the original The War of the Worlds (1953).


I kept going until Little Tokyo, that has several streets of Japanese stores. I was surprised by a huge replica of a space shuttle standing in the street, that celebrates the first Japanese astronaut in space.


In a small outdoor multi-level mall off E 1st Street is Kinokuniya, an excellent Japanese bookstore that had a good selection of DVDs and film-related books and magazines. Many of the DVDs had English subtitles, but there wasn't much anime.


Not to worry, for only a block away at 319 E 2nd Street was Anime Jungle, a store full of rare DVDs, magazines and Japanese toys. A mixture of the best US and Japanese anime releases.

A short walk to 304 South Broadway meant I could return to the Bradbury Building, a stop that we made on our first trip to the East Coast, ten years earlier. The interior of this office block was a pivotal shooting location for Blade Runner (1982), doubling for the interior of J.F. Sebastian's apartment block.


The staircase, lift, entrance hall, elevator, balconies and skylight are all in the film - an evocative place for BR fans. The exterior shots of the front entrance were dressed up with huge pillars, but the cinema opposite, the Million Dollar Theater, was visible in the reverse shots, like when Pris bangs into Sebastian's car.



A couple of blocks north is the 2nd Street tunnel, used for a startling night scene of Deckard driving, his headlights illuminating the shiny interior of the tunnel. Luckily there's a sidewalk running through the tunnel so it's easy to get a close look.

From the tunnel it's just a short walk back to the Walt Disney Concert Hall - a very satisfying circular tour.


Back onto the Metro, it's only one stop further to Union Station, where the main hall was also used in Blade Runner. The establishing shot of Deckard being escorted towards the police chief's office used the huge interior of this beautiful art deco building.

So if you're ever in town, just a few reasons to detour Downtown.

ORANG MINYAK (2007) - the Oily Man of Malaysian legend

ORANG MINYAK
(2007, Malaysia, The Oily Man)

I couldn't visit a new country without sampling the local horror films. While browsing DVDs, I remembered this title one from a poster on 24framespersecond, back when it was first in cinemas. There's definitely better Malayan movies out there and low-budget horror films give a remarkably skewed view of a country's film industry. But while Orang Minyak (2007) is pretty bad, it led me to a previous version of the legend Sumpah Orang Minyak (1957) which was far more impressive, and I review it further down...

Watching Orang Minyak, the complexities of the plot, if there are any, were hamperered by the lack of English subtitles. Like Thailand, the available languages on DVDs vary from film to film. But here goes...

In a small village in the rainforest, young women are being attacked in their homes at night. A bald, naked man, apparently covered in black grease, hypnotises his victims with red glowing eyes, rapes them and leaves them comatose. The villagers know that the Oily Man of ancient legend is back. But two of them are confused because they'd already vanquished the evil spirit by imprisoning it in a small bottle and throwing it in a lake. Meanwhile the Oily Man is loose, and has sealed a deal with the devil - he's going to need 21 victims in all...


While I've little idea about local beliefs and customs in rural Malaysia, I do know when a camera is out of focus, which it repeatedly is in many shots. Added to this the special effects, brightly coloured animated overlays, which give the film the surreal look of a Chinese ghost story from the 1980's. Together with a flurry of film scratches that belong to 1970's prints, this movie looks decades older than it actually is.

The demon, with red glowing eyes, looks most effective in close up. But in longshots he's unconvincing, wearing what look like skindiver's rubber trousers pulled up to his chest. His superhuman leaping around is achieved with rather slow wirework. The atmosphere is helped by the deep blue light that bathes the night scenes, but the Oily Man is often far too well lit to look anything other than a non-oily man.


The story stalls as the attacks continue without progressing the plot. The young hero tries to defeat the Oily Man with martial arts and cheap animation, where the local priests' ceremonies and endless angry villager meetings have failed.

The broad acting from the supporting cast, and lush jungle locations reminded me of Thai horror films of ten years ago. While this film is sold as horror, and despite the theme of sexual violence, the film is actually non-explicit and I'm presuming it was made for a general audience, particularly with it's many slightly comical characters.

The trailer is here on YouTube, but you have been warned. If you want a horror film, this isn't one. The Malaysian DVD, from Golden Satellite, has no other languages on it, 5.1 stereo, and is letterboxed but not anamorphic. The cover art is the same as the poster. (Movie stills and poster courtesy of Sinema Malaysia).

SUMPAH ORANG MINYAK
(1957, Malaysia, Curse of the Oily Man)

Looking around online for more information about Orang Minyak (which hasn't even got an IMDB entry), I learned of the earlier filmed version of the legend, Sumpah Orang Minyak (1957), which I thought I'd little chance of seeing, until discovering it was also on YouTube in it's entirety (linked below)! It's a very different story, grander in scale, in budget, and in the end more effectively scary than the modern version. Again, it has no subtitles.

Starting off as a drama, in the vein of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, a facially disfigured man (possibly referenced in the new version by a priest with a hugely swollen jawbone) is taken in by an unlucky batik printer. But the dirty-faced outcast is also an excellent artist and helps turn the printer's business around.

When the hunchbacked outcast gets viciously bullied by local fishermen, the women of the village take pity and he begins to fall in love with one of them. While believing she couldn't ever love him back, he appeals to the gods and is miraculously restored to full health and a handsome appearance. But when he approaches his intended love, the villagers realise who he really is and get ugly. They attack him, and by killing one of them, he angers the gods. Outcast once again, he makes a deal with the devil, and is transformed into the Oily Man, and takes revenge with a rampage of violence.

This black and white film gets a handsome budget and big sets, managed by Run Run Shaw, the producer who went on to make it big in Hong Kong by making dozens of internationally successful kung fu films. Some of the special effects rely on simple editing, and appear a little bit Monkey, but there are elaborate camera effects too. The cinematography and acting are far superior to the modern version - but it's a fantasy drama that only really enters the darker supernatural world towards the climax.

While it's again aimed at a family audience, this version is slightly more explicit, more bloody and even gets unsettling, when we hear the nerve-jangling screams of his victims. A grisly touch is the oily 'X' he draws on their faces.

Altogether it's very watchable, and one of the best 1950's Asian films (from outside of Japan) that I've seen.

The film is available on VideoCD, as an example of a Malaysian classic movie, and also for the lead actor P. Ramlee, a much-loved actor and singer of the time. He plays the multiple central roles, sings a couple of songs, in the heaven sequences and directed as well.

The entire film is on YouTube, part 1 is embedded below, but the Oily Man doesn't appear in the story until part 8...

SF Giants 2009

Looking back on the 2008 season the Giants have much to look forward too and also a new look. We have moved on from the Barry Bonds era. In fact the team has a new icon in a scrawny white kid, quite the difference from the huge Bonds. Tim Lincecum was a sensation last year. The kid blew away the competition and won 18 games for a team that only won 72 last year. The team did try to get younger is most ways, there any many new younger faces and they are joined by a few veterans too. Giants are going into the 2009 season with a lot of question makes on offense, lots of unproven talent that hopefully will make some big steps and help the team get better. The pitching staff is stacked. Especially the starting 5. I think this is the best starting 5 in the NL, heck maybe even in the league. The bullpen has been bolstered by the additions of some vets as well. I still think the team should have gone after some bats in the off-season. I read that they will have money to after players IF they are still in the race when the trading deadline starts. I think this is bullshit, why wait to see if teams will give up players then? They are making excuses for why they didn’t address issues of need when they had the chance. Sure we might be able to nap some huge star but who? And for how long? I think the lack of proven hitting will lead to some losses; I think the team can be competitive but I just don’t see a big winning record. I think they will win around 80 games this year and hopefully develop some talent and sign someone who can hit the long ball. If all thing fall into place they could somehow make a good run at the division, but that’s a long a shot in my eyes. Here is a run down by position and how I think the players will do.


Starting Positions:

C – Bengie Molina – Last year Molina was clutch. He should have been an all-star. The guy plays gold glove like D, ends up with 95 RBI’s, and commands a pitching staff that produces a Cy Young winner. Big man gets no respect! I think Molina is a great guy to have on the team. He will be a great mentor to current up and comers Pablo Sandoval and maybe even Buster Posey. I look for Molina to hit around .280/ 15 HR/ 80 RBI.

1B - Travis Ishikawa – I am glad he won the starting nod at first. The guy is built and why is getting a great shot to prove himself. Of course this could be his last shot, he has had a few tries before this one. I think he will be a good player, he was tied for most HR’s in spring training but he is a not a long ball guy. I think he could earn a spot for good with a nice showing, of if nothing else he could become a good back up player. I look for these type numbers. .270/ 14 HR / 67RBI

2B – Emmanuel Burris – Burris had a good rookie year and an even better spring training to wing the starting spot straight out. Now he will have to prove he has the slick glove and can steal some bases. He is no long ball threat, but he is young and could prove to be a valuable source of speed and good D. I think he will have a pretty good year and could get some steals and much needed runs for the team. .290/ 3HR/ 35 RBI/ 27 SB

SS – Edgar Renteria – A proven hitter is a nice thing to have at short. Last year the Giants had almost no offense contribution from the SS position. Just signing the guy means we will have something better then we did last year. He had an off year in Detroit but he is coming back to the NL, where he hits much better. He may have lost a step but it’s nice to have a former All-Star on the team. Look for these type numbers. .275/12/65

3B – Pablo Sandoval – Ah yes, the Giant who everyone is looking forward to seeing for a whole year (me included). He looks like Tony Gwynn in his later years and also hit like him after his call up last year. In 41 games he hit .345 and had 24 RBI’s. The guy looks like he can hit for good average and get some RBI’s. Not so sure he has power but he did win a home run contest for the Dominican Republic. I can’t wait to see what he will do. I predict: .325/ 12 HR/ 84 RBI

OF – Aaron Rowand, Fred Lewis, and Randy Winn –

Rowand was the big signing last year but had a regular numbers season. He did go through some injury problems but I think having been around for a year and knowing more of the team and park will help rebound. He may never put up the numbers he did with the Phillies but he is a solid ball player. Looking for: .288/15HR/74 RBI.

Fred Lewis is a great hustle player who runs well and has a great arm. He is fan favorite because he hustles and goes full blast on every play. He is still somewhat young and still could grow. He put up solid numbers last year and I think he can better some if not most of his numbers from last year: .292/ 15 HR/ 57 RBI/ 22 SB

Randy Winn is another great player, he isn’t flashy but he is a good player and good teammate. He plays with a lot of heart and can get on hot streaks very quickly. He is getting up there in years, but this is a contact year for him. I would look for another good season from Winn. It is pretty easy to see what you will get from him: .288/ 10 HR/ 63 RBI/ 20 SB

Starting Pitchers:

Tim Lincecum – What else can the kid do? We all know he was a monster last year. He did it all, and won the Cy Young. The sky’s the limit for this kid. I don’t think he will let anyone down this year, but also he might not be able to do what he did last year. I still look for a solid year from the kid, and I cannot wait to see him baffle guys with his stuff: Record of 16-8/ ERA 2.76/ 240 K’s.

Randy Johnson – I was surprised the Giants were able to nab the big unit. He has a decent year last year for the b-backs. He will strike out a bunch of guys and if keeps healthy and starts 30 or so games he will easily get his 300 wins and have a good season. He does tend to give up more runs then he used to but I would look for these type numbers: 12-10/ 3.73/ 170K’s

Matt Cain – Ah Matt, you had another no luck year. Is this now a trend? I sure hope not because Cain had another great year but continues to be the least supported starter in the game. His bullpen also happens to blow it when he has a lead. I really feel for the guy, I have been following him since he was playing A ball in San Jose. I think if all goes well he will nod more wins, but either way he is a great pitcher: 14-12/ 3.64 / 180 Ks

Barry Zito – Barry has been here a few years and pretty much has been a disappointment. At least he is a cool guy. He always seems to get his shit together towards the end of the season, like he did last year. Too bad he starting out like 0-9. shit! I think he will do better, what else am I going to think?: 12-13/ 4.54/ 120K’s

Jonathan Sanchez – Sanchez was having a strong start to last season but towards the end it all just fell apart for him. He went from being 8-5 to 9-12 to finish the year. He is still very young and unproven, now is the season he can show how good he is. To be honest I don’t think he would be a fifth starter on a lot of teams. He usually strikes out 8 every time he pitches. He just needs to keep it together and have a break out season: 11-13/ 4.33/175K’s


Bullpen/Bench:

The Giants Bullpen added some much needed veteran players. Jeremy Affeldt was good singing, they also got Bob Howry. Also getting back Merkin Valdez, who missed almost all of lat year will be nice. He was tearing it up before he went down due to injury. Also we have the All-Star closer in Brian Wilson. He was pretty good in his first year of closing duties. He still needs to work on throwing fewer pitches and to give up fewer runners. He did convert 41 of 47 saves last year. If the Giants get improved bullpen help look for more wins, they will no doubt have a lot of close games and the pen needs to get the ball in the hands of Wilson who can usually close the deal.

Giants have some good bench players. Rich Aurilia is a good player to have. He can man the corners and hits well in clutch situations. Eugenio Velez has nice speed and also had some nice hits off the bench last year, he can also play 2B/SS/OF. Juan Uribe is a veteran who can hit the ball if needed and plays 3B and SS; he also brings World Series experience. These players will counted on for much needed hitting and fielding to win games.

THE CHASING WORLD (2008) - deadly fast-paced fun

THE CHASING WORLD
(2008, Japan, Riaru onigokko)

My friend Del (the brains behind 24framespersecond) showed me the trailer for this one and I immediately wanted to see it. So far, the only English-subtitled version is this Malaysian DVD (above) which I stupidly purchased just before visiting Malaysia. The disc isn't recommended, due to lousy subtitles and poor motion compression, but at least I've seen it now.

While the literal translation is something like The Real Monster Game, it's known in English under the catchier title of The Chasing World. The low budget makes the very most of a little. Like Monty Python and the Holy Grail couldn't afford real horses, The Chasing World is like Death Race 2000 without the cars. Scary masked assassins (the iconic poster image) roam the streets and garrot their victims with red hot wire weapons that cut through bodies like Swiss cheese!

Tsubasa Sato is a teenager who's great at not being caught. He can run fast and even up the walls, parkour-style, useful for evading school bullies. But throughout the city, there's a wave of freak accidents killing anyone with the rather common surname of Sato. Just as Tsubasa gets cornered by his enemies, he suddenly swaps dimensions into an alternate world where everything looks similar but different. There, his best friends are a gay couple, his dad isn't a drunk, and Japan is ruled by an insane emperor who's rooting out anyone called Sato in a series of sanctioned street fights. It's their actions that are triggering the freak events in the real world.

As Tsubasa Sato starts running for his life, he starts piecing together his alternate life, family and friends. If he survives, maybe he can also fix his family problems by altering events in this parallel world.


Like a classic Roger Corman film (let's say anything between 1950 and 1979), the constraint of the low budget has made this inventive but no less ambitious. The story is more anime adventure than science fiction, a story that supports the premise of the running game rather than any consistent logic. There are several witty touches early on, but the tone gets more downbeat and starts taking itself a little too seriously. For such a flimsy premise, it could have had a little more fun with it. Likewise, the implied sexual abuse of his semi-comatose sister makes the story more real than it needs to be.

Otherwise, it's fast-paced fun, with dynamic fights, a little gore, and special effects that verge on impressive, particularly the futuristic imperial tower dominating the city skyline. Though shot on video, there's superior camerawork and dynamic composition giving it a very filmic look. Just because there's no money, doesn't mean not taking the story, the acting and the cinematography seriously. Veteran actor Akira Emoto is particularly impressive as the nasty doctor. In the end, this was a surprise hit in Japanese cinemas.


The Malaysian DVD is fairly easy to get hold of, until a better release comes along, at HKflix for instance. The subtitles are very vaguely translated and didn't convey the complexities of the plot. The action scenes are juddery and spoilt by the poor compression. The trailer I mentioned isn't on the DVD. So I'll definitely buy this again if/when it gets released anywhere else in English.