Sunday, February 13, 2011

Trailer Not on the DVD: Heavy Metal (1981, Gerald Potterton)

This looks to be the original 1981 trailer updated with new onscreen text for the 1996 home video premiere. Frequent trailer v.o. artist Percy Rodrigues did uncredited work as the voice of the Loc-nar in the film, but I don't think this is him voicing the trailer. However, one of the participants in the DVD documentary on the film indicates that it is. Anyone know the definitive answer? :

Monday, February 7, 2011

Chirashi Files: The Exterminator

Chirashi Files: Christiane F.

I used to have to have the riveting book upon which the film was based, but it was sadly lost in an apartment flood several years back. Unfortunately, the U.S. edition of the book is long out of print. The film has never been treated very well in this country, either. The VHS release from Media was dubbed into English and the only DVD released in Region 1 was Image's dubbed, non-anamorphic disc. The non-anamorphic British disc from Second Sight features the original German soundtrack with English subtitles, in addition to production notes and lobby cards; this is the version I own.



I have this LP, but no turntable to play it, or any of my hundreds of others records, at the moment. I like what I hear from these two clips, but then I'd have a soft spot for anything with a vaguely disco - Post-Punk beat and female German vocals laid over it. Both songs are reminiscent of some of my favorite Post-Punk acts: the Au Pairs, the Raincoats, Delta 5, Gang of Four, PiL, Kleenex / Liliput, the Slits, the Pop Group, Essential Logic, and others of that ilk.

Friday, January 28, 2011

Japanese Herald Gallery: The Mechanic

For some reason it just seemed appropriate to post images from this particular movie program today:

Chirashi Files: Private School

Surely not Pretty Poison director Noel Black's finest moment. Though let's give credit where it's due...if made today, you can bet that the infamous shower scene would have been filmed from the shoulders up and Betsy Russell would have rode that horse with a bra on...


Perhaps Orange Road creator Izumi Matsumoto saw this flyer when he conceived his popular '80s anime series, which used Cates as a visual inspiration.

Chirashi Files: 48 Hrs.

The "men with guns" series continues...

Chirashi Files: The Dogs of War

Legendary d.p. Jack Cardiff, who earlier directed the superb '60s mercenaries-in-Africa film Dark of the Sun (aka The Mercenaries), returned to shoot this not quite as good John Irvin-directed early '80s mercenaries-in-Africa film, based on a novel by Frederick Forsyth...