"On February 4th, 1961, a group of militants set out from Sambizanga, a working-class district in Luanda, intending to storm the capital's prison. At the same time, they gave the signal for the armed struggle for national independence that has engulfed Angola ever since. But for years before that day, thousands of fighters in the villages and towns had braved the police's reign of terror, patiently paving the way for insurrection and organizing a clandestine network of political movements. And so, on a work site in the midst of the Angolan bush, we find a certain Domingos Xavier..."

These words begin Sambizanga (1972), director Sarah Maldoror's poignant story about Angola's battle to gain independence from Portugal. The film stars Domingos de Oliveira as Domingos Xavier, a construction worker who lives in Sambizanga, a working-class community on the outskirts of Luanda, the capital city of Angola. Suspected of being member of the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola or MPLA), Domingos is arrested by Portuguese officials. His devoted wife Maria (Elisa Andrade) goes on a quest to discover what happened to Domingos and find out where he's imprisoned. Her journey gives the viewer an opportunity to explore the landscape and culture of Sambizanga and Luanda. Domingos' story gives us an insight on Angola's severe income and racial inequalities and just what was at stake for Angolans in their rebellion against the Portuguese.

"The rich give in a way that keeps the poor poor and give work to keep the rich rich. If there were no rich, there'd be no poor.... It's the labor of the poor that earns money for the rich and makes the rich richer. But the poor? Always in the same fix."

Sambizanga was based on José Luandino Vieira novel The Real Life of Domingos Xavier published in 1961. The screenplay was a collaboration between novelist Maurice Pons, French director Sarah Maldoror and her husband Mario Pinto de Andrade, an Angolan native and the founder of the MPLA. The film was produced and released during the final years of the Angolan War of Independence and the actors were mostly non-professionals and members of the MPLA. Sambizanga is considered the first feature film (non-documentary) produced by a Portuguese speaking country in Africa. 

If you're looking to expand your horizons with international films especially ones made by female filmmakers, make sure you check out Sambizanga. It's currently streaming on the Criterion Channel and it's part of Criterion's boxed set Martin Scorsese's World Cinema Project Vol. 4. The edition they have was restored by The Film Foundation's World Cinema Project in collaboration with Cineteca di Bologna. Sambizanga offers a straightforward story of familial strife and incarceration as a platform to further explore the nuances of inequality, Angolan pride and a pivotal moment in the country's recent history. Storywise, it's quite reminiscent of the American film Sounder (1972), released the same year which also tells the story of a wife (Rebecca played by Cicely Tyson) in search of where her husband (Nathan played by Paul Winfield) has been incarcerated. The two films would make a great double-bill and if you're reluctant about trying out Sambizanga use Sounder as a jumping off point.

This review of Sambizanga (1972) is my entry into the 2023 Luso World Cinema Blogathon hosted by Spellbound with Beth Ann and Crítica Retrô. I've had an interest in participating in this blogathon for a while because I'm half-Portuguese and Portuguese is one of three languages I'm fluent in. Furthermore, one of my half-sisters lived in Angola for sometime and I had an Angolan pen pal growing up. I picked Sambizanga because of my personal interest in Angola, the Portuguese language and African cinema. For anyone interested in the Portuguese language, Sambizanga is mostly in Portuguese (Lingala and Kimbundu are also spoken) and the dialogue is quite easy to follow which makes it perfect for language learning or improving fluency.

 After the sudden death of his younger brother, repairman Louis Carrier (Jean Yanne) acquires a large inheritance and he sees an opportunity to make something of his life. Louis has always lived in obscurity and poverty. With his new found wealth, he concocts a plan. He wants the celebrity that comes with being an international criminal. Louis recruits his buddy Einstein (Renato Salvatori) to be his sidekick. Einstein, who wants to help his friend but isn't fully aware of the gravity of the situation, learns photography skills in order to be Louis' personal paparazzi. Einstein photographs Louis in public settings alongside well-known figures. These photos are printed, packaged with threatening letters and recordings, and sent to officials under the pen name 'Armaguedon.' Louis is threatening to commit mass murder and begins practicing on people whom he thinks are either disposable or a threat. Dr. Michel Ambrose (Alain Delon), a psychiatrist skilled at working with exceptionally difficult mental health cases, is hired to analyze Armaguedon's words and actions, track down his real identity and help the authorities find Louis before he poses a real threat to the public.

Armageddon/Armaguedon (1977) is a heavy-handed crime thriller that tries to do too much with an ultimately flimsy plot. All of the action comes at the expense of any real character development. I'm reluctant to call this a psychological thriller because even though one of the protagonists is an actual psychiatrist, there is very little conveyed to the audience about Louis' psychosis. We learn more about Dr. Ambrose' techniques but very little about him as a psychiatrist or even as a person. There is one scene where we see him with his wife and two children. Later in the film, he and inspector Jacques Vivien (Michel Duchaussoy) are seen in bed with prostitutes. No context is given. They're just expected to cheat on their wives because they're professionals who work high stress jobs and need to unwind? In general the female characters are depicted as sex objects or they're just a pawn to move the plot forward. The way the gay characters are depicted is even worse. Overall, there is no complexity or nuance with any of the characters other than some with Louis and his buddy Einstein. 

The performances are a bit of a mixed bag. Delon seems to be sleepwalking through his performance. Jeanne Yanne, on the other hand, does an excellent job conveying Louis' increasing mania and downward spiral.

The movie was directed by Alain Jessua and produced by Alain Delon. They both worked on the script, adapting David Lippincott's novel The Voice of Armageddon to screen. From what I've gathered, Jessua and Delon butted heads. According to unit manager Alain Depardieu (Gerard's brother), Delon didn't even want to breathe the same air as Jessua. This must have made for a lot of tension on set and could explain why the end result was a mess of a movie. This was Delon and Jessua's second collaboration, Traitement de choc (1973) being the first. Delon hired Astor Piazzolla to compose the film's score. French is the movie's main language but Italian, English and German are also spoken. Armageddon/Armaguedon did well at the French box office. It doesn't seem to have gotten a US release.

Armageddon/Armaguedon (1977) is worth watching if you're an admirer of Alain Delon or you're looking for a movie about the psychology behind mass murderers. Otherwise, this weird, macabre and ultimately empty thriller is one you may want to skip.

Jennifer O'Neill and James Coburn in The Carey Treatment (1972)

James Coburn with one of his Ferraris.

Director Daniel Raim continues his quest to champion the art of filmmaking with his latest documentary Fiddler's Journey to the Big Screen (2022). Narrated by Jeff Goldblum, this documentary takes a deep dive into the making of Fiddler on the Roof (1971), director Norman Jewison's personal and professional journey and all of the key players who came to together to make one of the greatest musical films of all time.

Fiddler on the Roof was the brainchild of composer Jerry Bock, lyricist Sheldon Harnick and writer Joseph Stein. The inspiration came from a selection of short stories by Yiddish writer Sholem Aleichem called Teyve and his Daughters as well as artist Marc Chagall's 1912 painting The Fiddler. The play opened on Broadway in 1964 and there was some concern that the story would only appeal to a small Jewish audience. However, Fiddler's tale of a Jewish dairy farmer who attempts to marry off his five daughters in pre-revolutionary Russia, is a story of family, tradition and the inevitability of change. This gave the story a universal appeal and along with the excellent story and top-notch musical numbers, Fiddler was an international success. And naturally it was destined to become a film. 

Fiddler's Journey to the Big Screen explores the history behind the Broadway show, how Norman Jewison came to be involved, the casting, musical direction, art direction, location scouting, choreography, cinematography and many other elements that came to make the film as well as Fiddler's legacy. There is so much here to take in but it never feels overwhelming. 

The documentary includes interviews with director Norman Jewison, lyricist Sheldon Harnick, musical director John Williams, actresses Rosalind Harris (Tzeitel), Michele Marsh (Hodel) and Neva Small (Chava) and film critic Kenneth Turan. There are also archival interviews of Jewison back in 2000 as well as actor Topol and art director Robert F. Boyle. The interviews add so much to this documentary. There is nothing quite like first hand accounts of an important moment in film history. And much like Daniel Raim's other documentaries, there are illustrations from artist Patrick Mate as well as plenty of archival footage and behind-the-scenes photographs. The documentary is also is chock full of interesting facts even beyond just the making of Fiddler on the Roof. Watching it felt like I was getting two documentaries for the price of one: the making of a film and the biography of its director. 

Courtesy of Zeitgeist Films and Kino Lorber

Courtesy of Zeitgeist Films and Kino Lorber

"My documentaries preserve film history and depict the art, craft, and soul of the movies through intimate portraits of cinema artists." — Daniel Raim

I was already a fan of Daniel Raim's other work, especially Harold and Lillian: A Hollywood Love Story which continues to be my favorite documentary. I also really loved Image Makers: The Adventures of America’s Pioneer Cinematographers and In Search of Ozu (available on the Criterion Channel). He scores another win with Fiddler's Journey to the Big Screen.

Director Luchino Visconti spent months traveling to Russia, Hungary, Poland, Finland and elsewhere in search of the most beautiful boy in the world. When he traveled to Stockholm, Sweden in February 1970, Visconti found him. Björn Andrésen had just turned 15 years old when his grandmother encouraged him to participate in Visconti's casting call. With his mop of blonde hair, blue eyes, feminine features and slender frame, he was the perfect choice to play Tadzio in Visconti's Death in Venice (1971). Tadzio is the son of a wealthy woman vacationing in Venice. He soon becomes the object of fascination (and more disturbingly desire) for Gustav von Aschenbach (Dirk Bogarde), a dying composer. The role of Tadzio required no dialogue. Andrésen just had to look good for the camera.

"For 43 years I covered up this very dark spot of my life. I carried this grudge against myself. After all these years, I'm here and I'm lost. What have I done?" - director Peter Medak

Peter Sellers developed a reputation for being difficult. By the time he started filming Ghost in the Noonday Sun (1974) he was not in a good place. He and Liza Minnelli had just broken up and he was feeling lonely and out of sorts. And he was about to make director Peter Medak's life a living hell. Four decades later Medak would live to tell the tale.

The new documentary The Ghost of Peter Sellers paints the portrait of a temperamental star on the path of self-destruction and a young director with a tormented past who remained hopeful even in the most dire of circumstances. Directed, narrated and starring Medak himself, this is a cathartic exploration of a production that has haunted him for many years. Viewers follow along as Medak interviews those who were involved with the film or had a connection with key players especially Peter Sellers himself. Interview subjects include writer Spike Milligan's agent Norma Farnes, producer and financier John Heyman, directors Joe McGrath and Piers Haggard who had worked with Sellers on other films, Sellers' personal assistant Susan Wood, actor Murray Melvin, Tony Franciosa's widow Rita Franciosa and many others. For a brief moment we hear from actor Robert Wagner who co-starred with Sellers in The Pink Panther (1963). Medak sits down with his friends and colleagues trying to reconstruct what exactly happened and takes us to Cyprus where the filming took place.

Medak interviewing McGrath and Haggard

"Making this documentary film was probably the craziest exercise I have ever done. It meant reaching deep inside and travelling alone through the memories of the worst directing experience of my entire life, reliving every moment again and walking in my own shadow of what happened on my movie 46 years ago." - Peter Medak

Ghost in the Noonday Sun was a high seas comedy starring Peter Sellers, Peter Boyle and Tony Franciosa. If you've never seen or even heard of this film there is a reason why. It was a disaster of a production and Columbia Pictures decided not to give it a theatrical release. Medak was an up-and-coming director. His film The Ruling Class (1972) had been nominated for a Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. His wife was pregnant with their second child, money was tight and he needed his next production to be a sure thing.

Sellers was at the height of his fame. A new Sellers production had the potential to be bought sight unseen. Resting on the laurels of the Sellers dynamic was Medak's biggest mistake. What the hell had he just gotten into? Even with the foreboding sense of an impending disaster the hopeful young director trudged forward.

 "I have a name of being difficult but I'm not difficult at all. I just can't take mediocrity. I cannot take it on any level." - Peter Sellers

You'd think that Sellers would be the villain of the story but that really isn't the case. Yes his behavior is inexcusable but it is clear that there was more going on behind the scenes. Medak clearly admires Sellers comedic genius and mourns his long lost colleague.

The Ghost of Peter Sellers is an enthralling documentary that offers insights into the filmmaking experience and how a person's actions have ripple effects that last long after they have passed on. If you're at all interested in Peter Sellers, film history and the filmmaking process, give this documentary a watch.

Review by Ally Russell

Cursed Films is a five-part documentary series about some of Hollywood’s most troubled horror movie productions. From real skeletons on the set of Poltergeist (1982) to The Omen (1976) star Gregory Peck’s airplane being struck by lightning, Cursed Films examines the factual and fictional stories surrounding The Exorcist (1973), Poltergeist, The Omen, The Crow (1994), and Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983).

These films were plagued with on-set accidents, seemingly supernatural occurrences, and even tragic deaths, like that of young film star Heather O’Rourke (Poltergeist, 1982). But were these films actually cursed (or blessed by the Devil himself—as claimed by the crew of The Omen)…or did they simply suffer from a series of untimely but purely coincidental occurrences?

Beauty Day (2011) was filmmaker Jay Cheel’s debut documentary, and in addition to it premiering at the New York Museum of Modern Art as part of the Canadian Front Programming series, the film was also nominated for a Genie Award in the Best Doc category and was an official selection at the Hot Docs. Cheel is also the co-host of the podcast Film Junk.

Considering his enjoyable and compelling film short Twisted (2016) and the subject matter of his 2016 documentary How To Build a Time Machine, writer and director Jay Cheel is no stranger to subjects that are taboo or just plain weird, including urban legends and curses.

I was granted access to episodes two and three of Cursed Films (2020). Episode two, which focused on the 1982 film Poltergeist, was outstanding. Woven throughout with commentary from horror fans and expert interviews from individuals like film critic April Wolfe and science writer Matthew Hutson (The 7 Laws of Magical Thinking), episode two offered insightful analysis on society’s obsession with one of the horror industry’s most beloved films.

The episode delved deep into the film’s history with interviews from Special Make-Up Effects Artist Craig Reardon (Poltergeist, 1982) and Director Gary Sherman (Poltergeist III, 1988), both of whom serve up some sage advice about our collective ability to get swept up in the sensationalism of Hollywood horror and its gory details.

What I found most enthralling about episode two of Cursed Films was Jay Cheel’s treatment of the subject matter. Cheel is careful to avoid cheap thrills and instead handles the topic with sensitivity—letting the horror of the history speak for itself.

With commentary and past footage, Cheel explores the anxiety, fear, and grief that the cast and crew experienced and gently reminds viewers about the unfortunate loss of human life that occurred during and after the filming. That combination of horror and heart makes for a strong documentary episode about the tragic legacy of a film that has touched the lives of many horror fans.

Episode three, which focuses on the 1976 film The Omen, is enjoyable and worth watching, but it is noticeably less cohesive than episode three. And while episode two is emotionally charged, episode three seems to lack that same sentiment because we don’t spend as much time with the cast and crew.

The beginning and end of episode three focus on the unfortunate events surrounding the production of The Omen, including airplane and automobile accidents, but the remainder of the episode is dedicated to commentary from expert occultists. Commentary from these individuals is interesting and provides viewers with a new perspective on the occult and curses in popular media. However, interviews with these experts shift the focus of the narrative away from the film itself, so viewers who are hoping to get an in-depth look at the dark history of The Omen may be disappointed with the change in tone between episodes two and three.

For those reasons, episode three of Cursed Films felt slightly disjointed and didn’t seem to complement episode two.

It’s undeniable that Cheel has respect for the genre and endeavors to give horror fans more than the recycled and regurgitated content that we’re used to. So, despite the contrast between episodes two and three, I’m still looking forward to watching the remainder of the series when it premieres on AMC’s streaming video service Shudder.

Opting for sentiment over sensationalism, Cursed Films gives horror lovers the documentary series they deserve; a worthwhile watch for horror fans and film history buffs alike.





Ally occasionally creates content for the Horror Writers Association’s Young Adult & Middle Grade blog, SCARY OUT THERE. She also hosts the FlashFrights podcast, which can be found on Apple Podcasts and SoundCloud. Ally lives in Boston and works in publishing. She can be found on Instagram at @OneDarkAlly.

Two young boys are kidnapped. The men hired to do the job are blown up as they drive away. Corruption runs deep as two IRA arms smugglers, Celia (Delphine Seyrig) and Mckee (John Vernon), plot against undercover MI6 agent John Tarrant (Michael Caine). Tarrant soon discovers that one of the boys kidnapped is his son David. The other boy is let go but not before he's heavily drugged with a hallucinogenic that prevents him from providing any crucial information. Tarrant finds himself in a state of limbo having to deal with his distraught wife Alex (Janet Suzman), his bosses at MI6 Harper (Donald Pleasence) and Sir Julyan (Joseph O'Conor) and the smugglers, who go by the shared name Drabble. They're the ones holding his son at ransom. And their ask is a big one. They want the £500k worth of uncut diamonds that recently came into the possession of the MI6 department. Harper and Julyan have no plans to give up the diamonds but continue to string Tarrant along. Once Tarrant discovers that the government agents won't back him up, he decides to go rouge and to use his skills as a secret agent to save his son. The corruption is more prevalent than Tarrant expected and with the help of his wife Alex, he begins to uncover the clues of where his son is hidden and how he can rescue him.

The Black Windmill (1974) is based on British author Clive Egleton's debut novel Seven Days to a Killing published in 1973. The film rights to the novel were snapped up fairly quickly. Egleton went on to write numerous spy novels but this is the only one so far that has been adapted to film. According to cinematographer Ousama Rawi, the film was originally called Drabble, a reference to the shared psuedonym used by the kidnappers. Universal Pictures didn't think the name would go over well with audiences so it was on Don Siegel, who served as both director and producer, to work on a new title that would please the studio. The title changed from Drabble to The Two Windmills, then The Twin Windmills before they finally settled on The Black Windmill.

Siegel's film was shot on location in West Sussex, Kent, London and with some scenes shot at Universal Studios. The scenes inside the windmill were actually shot inside one of The Clayton Windmills in West Sussex. Rawi says the stunt man who performed the big fall inside the windmill was seriously injured on the set.  The windmill itself is a crucial part of the film and including it in the title is in itself a spoiler.





The Black Windmill suffers from a lack of real tension and a convoluted plot. I didn't see the plot twist coming but when it did it made sense for the plot but it didn't add any real entertainment value. The film as a whole could have benefited from a better story treatment. The villains are rather flat and one dimensional and I felt they could have been a bit more interesting. Michael Caine turns in a wonderful performance as secret agent Tarrant. He's the main reason you should watch this film. I enjoyed his scenes with frequent collaborator Joss Ackland who plays Chief Superintendent Wray, Tarrant's only ally except for his wife Alex. I'm always looking for how women are portrayed in films of this era and was happy to see that Alex, played by Janet Suzman, has an active part in her husband's mission to save their son and isn't just the helpless distraught housewife.




I'm working through Don Siegel and Michael Caine's respective filmographies so while this wasn't as captivating as I'd hoped it would be, ultimately I'm glad I watched it.





The Black Windmill (1974) is available on Blu-ray and DVD from Kino Lorber Studio Classics. When you use my buy links you help support this site. Thanks!

The movie looks great on Blu-ray. Kino Lorber's Blu-ray and DVD includes includes audio commentary by filmmaker Mike Siegel, a great 18 minute interview with cinematographer Ousama Rawi, radio clips, a gallery and Kino Lorber trailers.


 Thank you to Kino Lorber for sending me a copy of The Black Windmill (1974) for review.

Juan Miranda (Rod Steiger) didn't set out to become the hero of the Mexican Revolution. He just wanted to rob a bank. After a successful heist in which Juan and his extended family take over a coach transporting members of the wealthy elite, Juan sets his sights on something bigger: the Mesa Verde National Bank. He gets the idea when he meets John Mallory (James Coburn), a dynamite expert, I.R.A terrorist and fugitive on the run. Juan meets John, John meets Juan... it's destiny. Juan wants John on his team but John likes being a lone outlaw just fine. John finds a way to work Juan's bank heist idea into this own plans only to have Juan discover that the bank has no money. Instead it was a makeshift political prison. Juan just freed hundreds of prisoners and has been declared a national hero. But Juan's troubles are just beginning. The Mexican army wants to rid the country of the revolutionaries. When a major tragedy befalls Juan and when one of John's allies turns traitor, this reluctant duo must come face-to-face with the oppressive regime. It's a battle that culminates into one explosive finale.


Director Sergio Leone's A Fistful of Dynamite (1971) is a Zapata Western, a sub-genre of the Spaghetti Western in which the stories are set in Mexico, often during the Mexican Revolution of the 1910s. This sub-sub-genre sets out to take a look at the revolution that is vastly different from the Hollywood stories that came before. Leone's film has a long and complicated history. The story is based on an original idea by Sergio Donati. Leone and Donati fleshed out the story and worked with writer Luciano Vincenzoni on the screenplay. Leone didn't intend to direct the film. Both Sam Peckinpah and Peter Bogdanovich were considered but neither worked out for different reasons. For the two leads Clint Eastwood, Jason Robards, Eli Wallach, Malcolm McDowell and George Lazenby were all considered. In fact Wallach, who was initially reluctant to take the part, dropped his current project upon Leone's encouragement. However, United Artists had already hired Steiger for the role of Juan Miranda and wouldn't budge. As a result, Wallach sued.

There are so many versions of this film that it's hard to keep track. First off there's the title. In Italy it was released as Giu la Testa which translates to Keep Your Head Down. Leone historian Sir Christopher Frayling has said that Keep Your Head Down would have been an excellent title for the movie and I agree. Instead the English-language title was Duck, You Sucker, a line often repeated by James Coburn's character John Mallory. However that title wasn't going to jive with American audiences so it was changed to A Fistful of Dynamite, a reference Leone's landmark Spaghetti Western A Fistful of Dollars (1964). And in Europe the film was also referred to as C'era una volta la rivoluzione or Once Upon a Time.. a Revolution. The different releases worldwide came with different cuts. Several scenes were deleted or shortened depending on the market. For example, in one version the extended slow-motion flashback scene at the very end when John is remembering a menage trois with his girlfriend Coleen (Vivienne Chandler) and his best friend Nolan (David Warbeck) is shortened to 30 seconds essentially removing a bit of storyline essential to understanding John's relationship with Nolan.

A Fistful of Dynamite was shot in Spain and Ireland. While its set during the Mexican Revolution, the film serves as a general commentary of war, imperialism and is even influenced by the Italian political climate of the time. Several scenes were inspired by works of art depicting important moments in history. Leone's film has great depth that really can't be fully explored in just one viewing. I'm not well-versed in Leone's Spaghetti Westerns and I came to this mostly to watch Rod Steiger and James Coburn, two of my favorite actors. I was particularly fascinated with Coburn's John Mallory and the film's slow-motion flashbacks to his life back in Ireland. And the possible suggestion that John and Nolan had a romantic relationship. The movie meanders, takes its time with its characters and even with that explosive finale. There was no rush to tell the story and it allows viewers to settle into this world.  The true hero of the film though is Ennio Morricone's music. The various themes and the chants (Shon, Shon... Shon, Shon) are entrancing.




A Fistful of Dynamite (1971) is dark, gritty Leone classic ready to be rediscovered. It's available on Blu-Ray from Kino Lorber. When you use my buy links you help support this site. Thanks!'

The Blu-Ray contains two separate audio commentaries by filmmaker Alex Cox and film history Sir Christopher Frayling, 6 featurettes ranging from 7-22 minutes each, 2 animated galleries, 6 radio spots and several Sergio Leone movie trailers. The case comes with a reversible jacket.



Thank you to  Kino Lorber for sending me a copy of A Fistful of Dynamite (1971) on Blu-Ray to review.

Once celebrated film director Mel Funn is working on his comeback project. With the help of his best buds Marty Eggs (Marty Feldman) and Dom Bell (Dom DeLuise) they set out to make his dream happen. The trio stop by Big Pictures Studios to meet with the Studio Chief (Sid Caesar). Rival studio, Engulf and Devour, run by Engulf (Harold Gould) and Devour (Ron Carey), wants to put Big Picture Studios out of business. Funn offers Studio Chief his idea to save the company: the first silent movie made in over forty years. What could go wrong? With Studio Chief in the hospital, Funn and his crew set out on an adventure to get the biggest stars to be in their picture.




Silent Movie (1976) pokes fun at the film industry while paying homage to the silent films that started it all. This backstage comedy is 99.9% silent. Only one word is uttered and of course the actor to speak it is renowned mime Marcel Marceau. Because why not? Silent Movie is filled with hilarious gags, physical comedy that will leave you in stitches. It has one of the best line-ups of guest stars of any movie. In addition to Marceau, the comic trio recruit Burt Reynolds, James Caan, Liza Minnelli, Anne Bancroft (Mel Brooks' wife) and Paul Newman. Each cameo comes with its own highly entertaining comedy sequence. My favorite one was with Liza Minnelli. Brooks, Feldman and DeLuise dress up in suits of armor and enter the studio commissary where Minnelli has lunch. The trio don't know how to move gracefully in their clunky armor and chaos inevitably ensues. I watched that one scene four times before I could even move on to the rest of the film. It's that good.






On the heels of the success of Blazing Saddles (1974), his homage to Westerns, and Young Frankenstein (1974), his homage to classic horror, Brooks was in a position to tackle another genre, one near and dear to his heart.


According to Brooks biographer Dale Sherman (Mel Brooks FAQ), the idea came from writer Ron Clark who presented it to Brooks at a party. Brooks wasn't so sure about Clark's idea. How would a silent movie appeal to a modern audience? According to Sherman, Clark suggested "a movie in color, set in the current time, with all the modern camera techniques available, and with big movie stars... but without sound."

Brooks worked with Clark on the script and added his previous collaborators Rudy De Luca and Barry Levinson to the project. 20th Century Fox was on board with the idea, thanks to the nostalgia boom of the 1960s nad '70s and Brooks' recent box office success. However, just to be safe, the studio wanted Brooks to record sound. Just in case the whole silent movie aspect didn't pan out. But Brooks was confident it would work. The only sound added was Marceau's single word of dialogue, John Morris' score and synchronized sound for the various gags.

Then there was the cast. DeLuise and Feldman, Brooks' co-stars, were on board early on. Bernadette Peters, who plays Brooks' love interest, replaced Madeline Kahn who had to drop out. Then there were the guest stars. Brooks couldn't offer them much money. However, it wasn't a lot of work and it was a great opportunity to be featured in a movie poised for box office success. Caan, Reynolds, Minnelli and others agreed because who wouldn't want to work with Brooks circa 1976? Steve McQueen wanted the Paul Newman part but when he heard it was taken and that his friendly screen rival would be in the picture, he bowed out.

Silent Movie was made for $4 million and grossed over $36 million. It got mixed reviews but a lot of laughs.



Disclaimer: As a DVD Nation director, I earn rewards from DVD Netflix. You can rent Silent Movie on DVD.com.

Fiddler on the Roof (1971) was always one of those classic musicals that I've meant to see but I never got around to. When the 2014 TCM Classic Film Festival schedule was announced, I saw the film was part of their Sunday morning line-up. And the director Norman Jewison, who has directed some of my absolute favorite films, was going to be in attendance at the screening. TCMFF is the best venue to experience a film for the first time. Unfortunately it didn't happen. When Sunday morning rolled around, I was very sick from the physical effects of social anxiety. I've since gotten over that and can attend the festivals with no problems.

Fast forward to the 2016 TCM festival when I got to meet film researcher Lillian Michelson on the red carpet. She was there with director Daniel Raim and producer Jennifer Raim to screen their documentary Harold and Lillian: A Hollywood Love Story. This is a documentary I've been championing ever since I watched it in November of 2015. In the film, Lillian discusses how she did research for Fiddler on the Roof and she met with Jewish ladies "of a certain age" at a deli and asked what young girls wore for undergarments. One of the ladies fetched her a pattern and the end result was period-specific undergarments, with scalloping on the bottom, in the Matchmaker musical number.





In my brief red carpet interview with Lillian Michelson (which you can watch here), I asked her which of the films she worked on was her favorite. And her answer was Fiddler on the Roof. Her research went beyond just the clothing so when you see the film you know the specifics are as true to turn-of-the-century Russia as possible. Also for Lillian this helped connect her to her familial roots.

Fast forward to 2018 and I was heading back to California for my sixth TCM festival. I was scheduled to have a lunch with Lillian, Daniel and Jennifer and I knew I had to watch Fiddler before I got there. The film on briefly came up in conversation but I was glad that I finally got to see that film that meant so much to Lillian, and to the Raims too!

I really connected with Fiddler. Even though I was raised Protestant and I don't know what it feels like to deal with Anti-Semitism, I connected with the story about family, about marrying for love, going against ingrained cultural norms and the disconnect between generations. The movie is over 3 hours long but it didn't feel it. The plot and the pacing are perfect and I was swept into this family saga and stayed engaged the whole time. I can see how it became a beloved musical. I would watch Fiddler again in a heartbeat.



Fiddler on the Roof (1971) is the third of eight films that I am watching for the 2018 Cinema Shame challenge. Check out my original list and stay tuned for more reviews!

Prisoner #34, Shack Twala (Sidney Poitier) stands trial. It's Capetown, South Africa in the midst of apartheid. Thanks to the remarkable defense work by his lawyer Rina Van Niekirk (Prunella Gee), Twala is now free. Rina's boyfriend Jim Keogh (Michael Caine) wants to celebrate her victory and Rina invites Twala to join them. On their way to her apartment they encounter the Capetown police who are a little too eager to arrest another black person. Twala, Keogh and Rina get into an ugly fight with the police officers and escape. Rina helps Twala and Keogh flee to Johannesburg. Things begin to escale when two members of the secret police, Major Horn (Nichol Williamson) and Van Heerden (Rijk de Gooyer), are sent out to hunt down the fugitive duo. Twala knows of an Indian dentist Mukerjee (Saeed Jaffrey) who will help them, if his assistant Persis (Persis Khambatta) doesn't get in the way. But Twala is hiding something. Keogh soon learns about the Wilby conspiracy. Mukerjee, Twala and Wilby have a treasure trove of diamonds hidden in a sinkhole. This loot will help finance the Black Congress' revolution, something the secret police are hell bent on stopping. All Twala and Keogh need to do is get the diamonds, find Wilby and escape South Africa before it's too late. But that's easier said than done.

The Blu-Ray is a million times better quality than this image!

Directed by Ralph Nelson, The Wilby Conspiracy (1975) is a political thriller set in the oppressive era of apartheid. Based on the novel by Peter Driscoll, it explores the racial dynamics of the era while also serving as a thrilling chase movie. Some of the politics from Driscoll's original novel were stripped away from the movie but the final product still demonstrates the dangerous political climate of South Africa in the 1970s. The movie was filmed in Keny and at the MGM Pinewood Studios in England. It was far too risky to actually film on location in South Africa.

Actor Sidney Poitier hadn't been in Kenya since filming Something of Value (1957) and found a much different country on his return. He was warmly embraced by the locals and the government as a major movie star. Much had changed politically in Kenya over the past decades. The film has some amazing aerial footage and there is extensive use of small aircraft and helicopters. Chase scenes in the air and on the ground are thrilling to watch.

Independently produced in conjunction with United Artists, producer Martin Baum used to be Poitier's agent and he cast both Poitier and Caine for the film. Director Ralph Nelson had worked with Poitier on Lilies of the Field (1963) and Duel at Diablo (1966). For Caine this was his first "message film." In his memoir he wrote, "my experiences on the set of Zulu had made me an implacable opponent of the apartheid system and I was pleased to be able to make a contribution to highlighting its cruelty." Caine and Poitier were good friends and bonded even further during the making of the film. They both had a near death experience when a 50 pound camera broke loose, almost killing them both. If anything it drew them closer together and they've been friends ever since.

Even without some of the politics of Driscoll's original novel, The Wilby Conspiracy holds a powerful punch as it delivers the painful message of oppression. The film suffers at one point when the story begins lose its purpose and relies too much on the extended chase. Perhaps what was taken away from Driscoll's story should have been left in. The movie is part political thriller and part action drama and I found it wholly engrossing. Caine and Poitier's characters have a contentious relationship and it was intriguing to see what they both had to bring to two very different roles.

On a side note, in one of the scenes actor Nichol Williamson utters the Dutch curse word "godverdomme". My father, who lived in the Netherlands for a brief time, used this curse word, which translates into g-d dammit, whenever he was angry. I have never heard anyone else use it until I watched this film. My father passed away a couple of years ago (you can read my tribute to him here) and it briefly reminded me of him. It made me smile because even though he said it when it was mad, it was one of those quirks that was unique to my dad.

While watching The Wilby Conspiracy I couldn't help but make the connection to The Defiant Ones (1958). Caine and Poitier as two fugitives on the run reminded me of Poitier and Tony Curtis as two chain-gang fugitives who escaped prison. I would recommend pairing those two films together. You could also pair The Wilby Conspiracy with another Poitier film set in South Africa: Cry, the Beloved Country (1951).




The Wilby Conspiracy (1975) is available from Kino Lorber on DVD and Blu-Ray tomorrow! When you purchase through my buy links you help support this site. Thanks!

Thank you to Kino Lorber for sending me a copy of the Blu-Ray for review.