Posts by Gino Sassani

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is August Christopher. I was named for St. Augustan, who coined my favorite phrase, 'Give me chastity and give me constancy, but do not give it yet.'"

See if you can follow me here. The Saint started as a serious of novels by Leslie Charteris in 1926. He was a debonair "spy" who dressed with sophistication and really liked the ladies. He liked the finer things in life, and that often included a nice new weapon or gadget from time to time. I think you're with me so far. He reminds you of Ian Fleming's James Bond. And it's true that Fleming based his super spy on two people. One of them was himself. Yes, Ian Fleming worked on Her Majesty's Secret Service. He was inspired by The Saint, Simon Templar, for many of his personality attributes. The character drifted for decades. There were several Hollywood versions from the 1930's to the 1950's. Like Bond, he was played by several actors, including the immortal Vincent Price. But it wasn't until 1961 that James Bond took his first steps on the path of becoming the most successful movie franchise in the history of the industry. Sean Connery brought the larger-than-life spy to life on the silver screen, and it caused an avalanche of movies, books, and particularly television shows

"One thing I remember about me pap was that he always used to throw me up in the air. Yeah, heh heh ... but he'd never be there when I come down, you know. Heh heh heh. Boy, he had a sensek'a humor, didn't he? Yeah, that was me pap. I remember the time he gave me a electric eel as a toy. Hah, yeah, that was fun. Or, or he'd rock me cradle real, real, real hard and I'd lose me formula. And then he'd say "One day, you'll be a sailor." Heh that's ... that's what I yam today, yeah. Hm. Yeah. Sometimes he'd bounce me on his knee. Heh, most o' the time he'd miss, though, 'cos he couldn't see too well with one eye ... heh, oh, me pap, yeah ..."

It all started with, of all people, Dustin Hoffman. He had a desire to make something that was very kid-friendly.. His original idea was maybe a clown version of Dracula or Frankenstein, and he took the idea to producer Robert Evans. Evans thought the horror comedies were a terrible idea, but in the conversation it came up that the theme from Popeye cartoons was still pulling in over $75,000 in royalties after decades since the last cartoons were made. So the idea of a musical based on Popeye was born. He went to King Features Syndication, who hold the Popeye rights, and bought the film rights.

"I'd like to talk to you a little bit, ladies and gentlemen, about how I got in this business. There's been a lot written and a lot said, but never from my side of the story.. " 

The above quote shows up at the very beginning and very end of Baz Luhrmann's EPiC, so you pretty much know what he considered his mission to be on this film. EPiC cleverly spells out to Elvis Presley in Concert, but this is so much more than a concert film. So much so that I suspect anyone expecting this to be a concert film is likely to be disappointed. I think it was a mistake for so much of the film's marketing to leave that impression. What you get is actually so much deeper and better than a concert film. It doesn't really stand up to any traditional label. It's a documentary, but it's not. It's a concert film, but it's not. So what exactly is EPiC, and should you care that NEON and Alliance Entertainment have tag-teamed to bring it to you in UHD Blu-ray in wonderful 4K? Let me try to answer that for you.

"You can't have your cake and eat it too."

Blake Edwards has had a long career of quirky comedies. A lot like Mel Brooks, Edwards had a style that would be character-centered, and he made a lot of money off of the human condition. He was most famous for the series of Pink Panther films that starred Peter Sellers as an awkward French detective who mostly bumbled himself to the correct solution to the murders. He focused on the performance, and it was box office gold. One of the more "charming" actors during the 1980's was Dudley Moore. He had smash hits with 10 and Arthur. He was one of the most bankable stars of the time. Blake Edwards was also the director of 10. So we have an unbeatable collaboration here that put together another quirky comedy about a "charming" bigamist, and how could it miss? Micki & Maude turned out to be one of the lesser-known films for both Edwards and Moore. But it's a part of that 80's scene, so Mill Creek has decided to give everyone another look at the film with their Retro-VHS series on Blu-ray in high definition.

"Dear Sir, we regret to inform you that following a complete review of your testing and background history, your application to Academy Training is denied. It is also my professional opinion and recommendation that you seek psychological counseling through a private psychologist or organization as soon as possible."

In the movies there are a lot of triggers that drive serial killers into their chosen field. Relentless wasn't the first or last film to use being rejected to a police academy as such a trigger. In fact, Relentless was director Willaim Lustig's second film to use the plot. Just a year earlier he directed Maniac Cop, and a year later he would direct Maniac Cop 2 as well as sign on as producer for the 2012 remake, Maniac. So it's a well he's been to a few times. Relentless was less a blood-and-gore show than the others, and it was actually thanks to Sam Raimi that he was able to use the name. Rami had directed a comedy a couple of years earlier with the name. Now titles can't be protected by a copyright. I'm sure you've noticed many songs and books with the same name.

"Julian Sklar here. Your mother would like me to tell you not to quit art school. Seriously, do. Those clowns at Camberwell will poison you with their Sainsbury's aisles and ideas, processed, packed in plastic. The stalest up front so that you buy into those first. Grow your own, I say. Go organic! Although I hear that's all rubbish, too. Do you know how much plastic we eat in a week? A credit card's worth. It's in the water now. It's hopeless. So, happy birthday, stay in school, blah, blah, blah."

Ian McKellen stars as elder artist Julian Sklar.  He's old and not expected to be alive for long. That's at least how his two children feel about it. Sallie (Gunning) and Barnaby (Corden) hire an art restoration artist that Sallie once went to school with. Lori Butler is played by Michaela Coel. What they want from her isn't a simple restoration. She has a bit of a grudge against Sklar, and they try to use it to their advantage.