3 things about Vincent Sherman’s ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT

Posted on November 19, 2018 by robchristopher

All Through the Night [1942]

1. “You’re not a bad-looking character. I’d hate to see that fine nose of yours smeared all over your pan.”
2. Fire axe through Hitler’s portrait.
3. A Chinese man clobbers a Nazi.

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3 things about Steven Soderbergh’s AND EVERYTHING IS GOING FINE

Posted on November 18, 2018 by robchristopher

And Everything Is Going Fine [2010]

1. Rubber garden hose.
2. Liking telling stories about life more than living life.
3. A veterinarian’s van.

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3 things about Lynne Littman’s TESTAMENT

Posted on November 16, 2018 by robchristopher

Testament [1983]

1. Teasingly, he plucks at her nightshirt.
2. “Larry left us today. He just crawled into a ball and died.”
3. She gently lifts him out of the sink; the water has turned brown. She swaddles him in clean towels and then we see a large red spot.

This ought to be discussed as one of the masterworks of 20th Century filmmaking.

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3 things about Andrew L. Stone’s CRY TERROR!

Posted on November 12, 2018 by robchristopher

Cry Terror! [1958]

1. Thumb hooked into the corner of his mouth, index finger resting near the corner of his eye. Unimpressed with her panic.
2. He casually slaps her in the face with the newspaper and wrests away the phone.
3. The tone in his voice as he declares, shiv in hand: “I’m going to kill him, I’m going to kill him.”

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Alex Inglizian joins ROY’S WORLD

Posted on November 12, 2018 by robchristopher

A sound designer takes all the elements that makes up a film’s aural atmosphere, including music, voiceover, and sound effects, and combines them into a harmonic whole. It’s an exquisitely difficult balancing act. When it’s done well, sound design expands the presence and mood of the film beyond what’s merely on the screen. It is absolutely one of the most important components of filmmaking.

Which is why I’m thrilled to announce that Alex Inglizian of Chicago’s famed Experimental Sound Studio is coming on board as sound designer. In addition to scads of previous film and video credits, Alex has engineered and mixed many, many albums, including several featuring Jason Adasiewicz. So the project’s sound is in good hands (or should I say ears?)

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3 things about John Huston’s UNDER THE VOLCANO

Posted on November 8, 2018 by robchristopher

Under the Volcano [1984]

1. An old Indian woman playing dominoes with a chicken.
2. He endures a very brief shower and then submits to a shave.
3. The neatly printed business card.

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3 things about Michael Winner’s THE BIG SLEEP

Posted on November 5, 2018 by robchristopher

The Big Sleep [1978]

1. Smearing blood all over the beaded curtain.
2. Grotesque glass eye.
3. “If I had a razor, I’d cut your throat just to see what ran out of it.”

Another loser from Winner. He has absolutely no competence at staging or editing a scene. Too bad, because Robert Mitchum is game and Oliver Reed is a fantastic Eddie Mars.

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3 things about John Glen’s THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS

Posted on November 5, 2018 by robchristopher

The Living Daylights [1987]

1. Topless diversion.
2. “He got the boot.”
3. Bulletproof gun shield.

3 other things.

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3 things about Terence Fisher’s THE MUMMY

Posted on November 4, 2018 by robchristopher

The Mummy [1959]

1. Christopher Lee’s gold nail polish.
2. It’s all about the matching hairstyle.
3. Why does he take her to the swamp?

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Happy Halloween! Cocktail: Zombie

Posted on October 31, 2018 by robchristopher

zombie tiki mugThe long, mysterious saga of the famous Zombie (b. 1934) has been recounted elsewhere with a thoroughness that still amazes me.

Therefore I shall make no attempt to summarize here. (Besides, I already did that at Chicagoist years ago.)

Instead I just want to lay down my own recipe for it, which I’ve adapted (faithfully, I think) from Jeff “Beachbum” Berry’s reconstruction of the original.

My recipe is for two drinks—the Zombie should not be imbibed alone!

ZOMBIE (serves two)

1.5 oz. fresh squeezed lime juice
1 oz. unsweetened grapefruit juice
.5 oz cinnamon syrup (I like Monin or BG Reynolds)
1 oz. falernum (I prefer Velvet Falernum)
3 oz. dark rum (Plantation Original Dark or Myers’s Original Dark)
3 oz. gold rum (Banks 7 Golden Age Rum or Plantation 3 Stars–even though the latter is clear)
2 oz. Lemon Hart Rum 151 rum (accept no substitutes!)
2 dashes Angostura bitters
.25 oz. Herbsaint Liqueur
1 tablespoon grenadine (or, even better, BG Reynolds Red Fassionola syrup)

Combine in a blender with about 2 cups of crushed ice and blend for five seconds. Divide between two very large tiki mugs and fill completely with additional crushed ice. Serve with straws (and lots of carbs).

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