Remade! The Magnificent Seven

As you know, The Magnificent Seven is one of my favorite films. I saw it randomly in college on AMC then bought the VHS, later the special edition DVD, read the script over at the Margaret Herrick Library, picked up the blu-ray and saw it on the big screen a year or so ago. Director John Sturges' remake of Akira Kurosawa's The Seven Samurai is a mix of action, drama, humor and redemption made classic by the cast of Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughn, James Coburn, Brad Dexter, Horst Buchholz and Eli Wallach set to Elmer Bernstein's epic score. When I heard a remake was on the horizon, I wasn't totally surprised since everything gets remade these days but was thrown by the fact that producers were trying to line up Tom Cruise to headline. That didn't end up happening and in 2014, Training Day helmer Antoine Fuqua and his frequent leading man Denzel Washington were rumored to be stepping in.

After Fuqua and Washington's The Equalizer was a hit, Mag 7 picked up steam as current leading man of the week Chris Pratt signed up along with the likes of Ethan Hawke, Byung-hun Lee, Jason Momoa, Vincent D'Onofrio and Peter Sarasgaard. Momoa would end up dropping out but the film moved forward with a script from John Lee Hancock, Richard Wenk and Nic Pizzolatto. I figured with Fuqua's track record of gritty action flicks like Training Day, Tears of the Sun, Shooter, The Equalizer and Olympus Has Fallen, this version of The Magnificent Seven would be updated to modern times with mercenaries battling a drug cartel along the border somewhere. There was little coverage of the film during production, composer James Horner provided music based off the script before he died, an article with Pratt casually mentions a holster and gun used for training but no photos or reports from the set. That changed pretty quickly this week as stills from the film hit the net early in the week, the dreaded, "teaser of a teaser" followed then the full trailer dropped on Wednesday.

Set to House of the Rising Sun by The Animals, Fuqua's version showcases a full on western of long shots, natural vistas, sideburns, hats, gun, knives and explosions. It looks like Peter Sarasgaard's dapper villain and gang of thugs is making things hard for the local folk and a young woman seeks retribution but will settle for revenge. Side burned Denzel rounds up his motley crew, starting with Chris Pratt's liquor swilling, wants to blow something up second in command then quick glimpses of Hawke, Lee and D'Onofrio as part of the team. Fuqua is one of my favorite action directors working today and along with the cast, concept and look, I'm excited for the film. Some might complain about yet another remake but hey, 1960's The Magnificent Seven itself had 3 sequels, a 1998 TV show and dozens of knock offs to it's name. And if anything brings attention to one of my favorite movies from my second favorite era of film; the 1950's and 60's where dudes were macho and physical, I'm all for it. The western has seen a steady stream of low and high budget efforts for the last few decades with Unforgiven, Tombstone and Maverick hitting big in the 90's, revisionist and hybrid versions like Shanghai Noon, Open Range, The Proposition and 3:10 to Yuma in the 2000's, to True Grit, Django Unchained, The Lone Ranger and The Salvation among others in the last five years. Here's hoping the new Magnificent Seven keeps them coming.

Biehn Scene: Deep Red

From the Dammaged Goods VHS library comes 1994's Deep Red, a science fiction action noir flick starring Michael Biehn. Written by D. Brent Mote and directed by Craig R. Baxley, Red has the distinction of being then Sci-Fi Channel's first original movie. The film opens similar to Predator as an alien vessel soars across starry space and heads towards earth. But down here, the ship is actually tiny in scale and crashes into young Gracie (Lindsey Haun), effectively infecting her with Deep Red. The alien substance provides healing ability and possible immortality. Gracie is thrust into danger as mad scientists wish to exploit the power and come after her. Enter burnt out private detective Joe Keyes (Biehn) and his ex-wife Monica Quik (Joanna Pacula) as they set out to protect young Gracie. For a straight to TV genre flick, Deep Red contains an excellent cast, surprisingly large scale action and a tone that's noir meets The Terminator.

Biehn plays haunted former police officer Keyes who is thrown into the deep end protecting Gracie against seemingly super powered thugs. Moody lighting and lengthy shots accompany voice-over discussing good and evil as Biehn is a cashed out non-believer who eventually comes around. Perennially sweating with a cigarette dangling from his mouth and disheveled hair, Biehn digs back into his bread and butter as the wounded action hero lead. By the early 90's, stunt man, driver, choreographer and coordinator Craig R. Baxley had already worked with the likes of Warren Beatty, Joel Silver, Walter Hill and John McTiernan providing explosions and fights for The Warriors, Predator and TV's The A-Team. With feature directing credits under his belt including Action Jackson and I Come In Peace; Baxley carved out a niche as a guy who could deliver an exciting, action packed and familiar face filled flick on a budget.

Baxley chimed in for the writing of this article, lamenting that Deep Red "wow, was a couple years ago" and it was the "first in house movie made for the Sci-Fi channel". Baxley worked with then President of Universal Cable Division Barbara Fisher and signed on. When asked who he saw as the lead, Baxley suggested the sensitive yet physical hero of The Terminator and Aliens, Michael Biehn. Fisher didn't think they could get Biehn interested let alone afford him. Baxley recalls, "I took it upon myself to call him on on the set of Tombstone and after a brief conversation had his commitment".  Deep Red featured plenty of character faces like Tobin Bell (Saw), Joanna Pacula, John de Lancie (Star Trek: The Next Generation) and John Kapelos (The Breakfast Club). The film was shot around LA in 20 days with no second unit on a budget of just under $3 million. Baxley states "I tried to give it a film noir look as well as the feel of a Sci-fi action flick. We didn't have the budget to do the action but I think we actually pulled it off." Like many of Baxley's efforts, the action ranges from physical dust ups (Biehn gets tossed around an office), gun exchanges, pretty Damme big explosions and some chases. Under Siege and Double Team's Gary Chang provides the ambient and kinetic score.

Deep Red debuted on Saturday, March 12th of 1994 as a Sci-Fi Channel Planetary Premiere before hitting VHS in June. Biehn would go on to star in the massive NBC mini-series Asteroid in 1997 before headlining The Magnificent Seven for two short seasons while popping up on the big screen opposite Sean Connery and Nicolas Cage in The Rock. In 1996, Baxley directed Twilight Man, the first in house movie for Starz before adapting several Stephen King works as event mini-series. Writer D. Brent Mote would reteam with the rebranded SyFy Channel in 2009 for 5 seasons of quirky action on Warehouse 13. SyFy would make Saturday night original films a staple of their programming to various degrees of success and quality. Most were budgeted around $1 million and embracing the low budget, campy quality, the likes of Eric Roberts, Lance Henriksen, Dean Cain and Kevin Sorbo fought off zombies, dinosaurs, abominable snowmen, giant snakes and blobs of ooze. In recent years their Sharknado series struck social media gold while I can't say I've seen one.

Damme Words: My Husband, My Friend

I can't recall whose book it was I was reading on the ol' Kindle when an offer for My Husband, My Friend: A Memoir by Neile Adams McQueen popped up. It's running for a "can't not buy" price of $2.51 and was well worth the money. I'd seen Neile Adams in plenty of interviews about her late husband Steve and knew she was instrumental to his career and there from the start. The book gives you equal shares of biographical accounts of her and her world famous husband. She was doing quite well for herself as a dancer based out of New York City, making 10x what Steve was and got her agents to give the unconventionally handsome actor a shot. It's interesting to see how their lives changed as McQueen became more and more famous thanks to TV show Wanted: Dead or Alive and hit movies The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape, The Thomas Crown Affair and Bullitt among many more. From a small, cramped apartment to multiple homes around California, the two shared a crazy 15 years together.

Neile really highlights the not so glamorous side of being married to a movie star, especially one from a broken home with insecurity issues and a drug habit that included weed, LSD and cocaine. McQueen fell into the trappings of fame, feeling the need to prove his manhood and show the world that he was as sexy as they thought he was. Infidelity plagued the relationship but the one tryst Neile indulged in with Maximilian Schell nearly unraveled her philandering, movie star husband. Neile paints McQueen as funny, caring and adventurous but at the same time extremely insecure and vain as evidenced by his obsession with working out, staring in the mirror and keeping up with all the latest trends in youth culture and fashion. As the years went by and drug use continued, McQueen began to grow extremely paranoid, unable to keep many friends or get excited over movie projects.

References are made to co-star and neighbor James Garner as they were good social friends whose social relationship crumbled after Garner accepted a role McQueen passed on. It would take two years for McQueen to forgive Garner for the inane grudge. Paul Newman served as an early inspiration and mental rival to McQueen but the two eventually became friends over racing and cars then co-starred in mega hit The Towering Inferno after a team up in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid faltered due to McQueen's ego. Dustin Hoffman gets an interesting shout out as McQueen and Neile enjoyed The Graduate but McQueen couldn't believe such a non-handsome guy would ever challenge the dreamy ruggedness of himself or Newman. There's also several amusing references and examples of Steve McQueen's hippy speak that included quotes like "see where this kid's head's at" or "getting clean" as in making amends and personal favorite, "I needs mah time to howl, woman!". As Neile was with McQueen for Magnificent Seven and The Great Escape, it would have been nice to hear more about those sets or co-stars like Charles Bronson and James Coburn. Besides that, a quick and informative read with a somewhat sad behind the scenes look at living in the spotlight.

Birthday Bros: Charles Bronson & Dolph Lundgren

I've been a Charlie Bronson fan since first seeing The Magnificent Seven in college. I've been a Dolph supporter since seeing the Big Swede in Masters of the Universe as a five year old. How I never put it together that they share the same birthday is beyond me! Bronson passed away in 2003 after living a full life at the age of 81. His final credits were on television in the Family of Cops series after milking out millions from schlock masters Cannon Films in the 80's. Of course, Bronson is far from forgotten as The Magnificent Seven lives on; we just attended a convention based around it and the TV show it produced and a high profile remake is on the way. Bronson was a major topic in recently released Cannon documentary Electric Boogaloo where interview subjects mention that every script was considered for the two Chucks, Bronson and Norris, before anyone else. Later this month, The New Beverly will be playing The Dirty Dozen, where Bronson solidified his quiet, macho screen presence opposite Lee Marvin, Clint Walker, John Cassavetes and Jim Brown among many others. Theater owner Quentin Tarantino has long been a fan, going back to Reservoir Dogs when his character references Bronson in The Great Escape.

While Bronson was an iconic screen presence due to his granite face, chiseled physique and loner persona, Dolph was always a little more like 70's icon Clint Eastwood. Quiet, steel eyed, sparse and prone to gun violence. Following 2014's release of The Expendables III, Dolph Lundgren has kept extremely busy with passion project Skin Trade premiering around the world and in Hollywood along with flicks 4Got10, War Pigs and Shark Lake. He was scheduled to attend Masters of the Universe night but was sadly shooting another project. The internet went a little crazy when they found out Dolph was working on Kindergarten Cop 2, sequel to Arnold's 1991 comedy with kids classic. He'll also be popping up in Hail, Caesar! The new Hollywood backstory comedy starring George Clooney, Channing Tatum, Josh Brolin and a mess of other talented folk. If that weren't enough, he participated in the 3,000 mile Gumball 3000 rally in Europe and gave an emotional TedX Talk in Santa Monica. Lundgren was currently shooting Larceny, an action flick about a thief enlisted to break into a Mexican prison. The American Film Market is in full effect and Dolph's name is being used to raise finances on Don't Kill It, a supernatural thriller that would pit demon hunter Lundgren versus an ancient demon in remote Alaska. Happy birthday, bros, keep kicking ass.

Magnificent Seven Week: Con-Man

After our night out in Downtown Los Angeles Saturday it was right back early Sunday morning for the western and Magnificent Seven themed M7 Con! It's a small show but I had no clue there would be so much going on as we encountered closed streets for the Rock and Roll Marathon then crowds inside attending a Tony Robbins Con. We wandered around the 3rd floor looking for our room but there was no signage or sight of other attendees until one of the organizers and star Eric Close happened to walk by! I walked and talked with Close, a veteran of two of my favorite shows, Seven and Now and Again as well as the long running Without a Trace and now Nashville. Close was incredibly nice as he asked for our names and pronounced mine right on the first try! We briefly chatted Now and Again (it came right after Seven and he needed to get in shape real fast), the new Seven flick starring Denzel Washington (wondering why he didn't get a call) and popping up in American Sniper (has known Clint Eastwood for years, put himself on tape and then found himself flying to Morocco working opposite Bradley Cooper).  Again, super nice guy and seemed genuinely pleased to be there.

We checked in and walked the small dealers room with lots of western gear like jewelry, clothing and playing cards while all of the panels took place in a room next door. It was the most intimate convention experience I've ever had and that was part of it's charm. The show is put on by some hardcore fans so they're to be commended for getting it all set up for a third year running. This was to be the biggest Con to date as 5 of the 7 were scheduled to join, including "Buck Wilmington" Dale Midkiff, "Vin Tanner" Eric Close, "Ezra Standish" Anthony Starke, "J.D. Dunne" Andrew Kavovit and "Nathan Jackson" Rick Worthy along with guest stars Fabiana Udenio and Daren Flam. Sadly Worthy was shooting something in Michigan and couldn't make it. But it was a full day of programming starting with a video chat with a Steve McQueen expert from where I don't know as we came in late due to all the closures. His panel focused mainly on McQueen's run as the star of hit show Wanted: Dead or Alive and he showed off some cool and funny pieces of memorabilia that included playing cards, action figures, dart gun rifles (5 different sized toy replicas were produced), comic books and paper backs. We wandered the huge convention center for a few minutes to scope out where the Live-Evil screening will take place during this week's Comikaze and ended up in the West Hall where another show was in progress, a Mexican Jesus Con! While walking the hallway seeing nuns and exhibitors, an excited gent ran up to ask me where I got my bitching Michael Biehn/"Kyle Reese" Come With Me If You Want To Live shirt and we rapped for a few moments. Already I had chatted with Eric Close and helped spread the Biehn gospel, the day was already a success.

Back to M7 Con we sat in for a writing panel with a screenwriter and author who talked how the Western genre is still lasting today with Bone Tomahawk and Hateful 8. It was interesting as he discussed the Western to be a setting that could be used for many kinds of stories but are tough sells as period pieces are not Hollywood's favorites. Many of the attendees write Mag 7 fan-fiction and the guest discussed basic ways to get their writing out and how to protect their material. Then it was time for the main event, the Q&A panel with the cast. Along with the actors, show developer and producer John Watson joined which was a real treat as he was there from the beginning and helped make the show happen:

- Watson and Pen Densham pitched the show to CBS big cheese Les Moonves after acquiring the rights from producer Walter Mirisch.
- Biehn was first cast member in, originally thought to play Vin before sliding over to leader Chris.
- Ron Perlman was the other star name and told Watson if the show got picked up he wouldn't join them. When he found out pilot was going to series, changed his mind. Was supposed to be replaced by the Confederate soldier who rebels against Kurtwood Smith but Watson had to inform him that he was fired and his character was being killed off.
- Biehn and cast had a lot of input into the show and their characters, Watson could always hear Biehn coming down the hallway with his boots and spurs. Like all good actors, wanted the show to be the best it could and asked for less dialog.
- Never had a writer's room on show, one or two scripts at a time.
- Dale Midkiff had the option to audition for multiple roles but only wanted Buck.
- Midkiff's mustache was a last minute decision, 8/10 men of the period had facial hair yet no one on the cast did.
- Flam auditioned for J.D. but lost out, ended up working as a P.A. on show and guest starred on one episode, stood in for Ron Perlman when the star had to head off for the Alien: Resurrection premiere.
- Flam got tossed around by Michael Biehn for multiple takes during a fight scene.
- Close had done an unpicked up pilot with Watson years before and had a deal with CBS.
- Several of the cast members chose the pilot as their favorite working days on the show as it was new, they were shooting outside Tombstone with a great group of guys. Close, Kavovit and Watson stayed out on location going for runs, exploring the mountains and stargazing while Starke drank with Perlman in hotel bar.
- Close never fired live ammunition from the Mare's Leg as it was not long after Brandon Lee's tragic on set accident so safety was paramount.
- Having 7 heroes meant needing double or triple that many bad guys for fight scenes. Not having to worry about squibs and blood made it easier to shoot the mass melee.
- Starke and many cast members were inspired by Michael Biehn's gun twirling skills in Tombstone. Kavovit could always be seen practicing which became second nature.
- Kavovit still has the guns and a hat.
- Starke nearly passed out in the van getting to set on day he had to dress as a woman complete with a corset. Doesn't understand how women breathe while in them.
- Close calls Magnificent Seven the greatest time he's ever had working in the business.
- Watson was producing TNT movie Buffalo Soldiers with Danny Glover concurrently with Mag 7 and they both shot in same areas. Director of Soldiers was not happy about that and threatened to hurt Watson if 7 interrupted their shoot with noise from gunshots.
- Show was always in flux, disappointed they were only picked up as a mid-season replacement, moved from Friday to Saturdays and back again.
- Show was a hit in ratings but didn't do well in big cities, people weren't talking about the show at parties. Moonves liked the show but was overruled and it was canceled.

After that there was a short meet and greet with the guests where I asked Starke, who I just realized goes by Tony Starke...about his appearance on The Flash back in the 90's. He said it was a great time and he'd love to see the character come back on the new series and has Tweeted it to co-star John Wesley Shipp. Sounds good to me, bring back a modern version of The Nightshade while you're at it. It was a long but fun day, hats off to the organizers, while also totally random with our little western fandom, Rock n' Roller runners, Tony Robbins attendees, Jesus lovers and outside next door at Staples was some kind of wrestling event so WWE fans brandishing fake title belts and yelling about John Cena. Oh L.A., there truly is something for everybody. If I'm doing the math right, M7 Con was our 17th show of the year! See ya at Comikaze!

Magnificent Seven Week: Season 1, Part 1

Prepping for this weekend's M7 Con is the perfect excuse to revisit The Magnificent Seven series. The late 90's and early 2000's were about the last time I actively followed a show and The Magnificent Seven was one of those final titles. Growing up it was all about reruns of Knight Rider and G.I. Joe while The Simpsons, Home Improvement and syndicated fare like Highlander or one season wonders like The Flash crammed their way into my psyche. M7 starred a post Terminator, Aliens, Navy SEALS, Tombstone and The Rock Michael Biehn so of course I had to tune in. How does the show hold up 15 years later? Pretty Damme well actually as M7 boasted a terrific cast, solid production value, action packed episodes and enough drama to keep things interesting.

Episode 0, The Pilot: Ghosts of the Confederacy
Former Confederate Colonel Emmett Anderson and his forces stumble around the old west after the Civil War, attacking a village of natives and freed slaves. The elder seeks out gunslingers from the lawless local town where we meet Chris (Biehn) and Vin (Eric Close) as they partner up to stop Nathan (Rick Worthy) from being hanged by a bunch of honkeys. Hired for $5 bucks a head, they gather up Chris' womanizing buddy Buck (Dale Midkiff), conman Ezra (Anthony Starke), preacher Josiah (Ron Perlman) and inherit young buck J.D. (Andrew Kavovit). Together they prep the villagers for battle and of course, come out on top at the end. While the pilot debuted in the top ten for the week, it's also one of the weaker episodes. Geoff Murphy's direction is a little choppy and the actors haven't quite eased into their characters yet. Biehn is all squinty eyed, lean and puffing on a cigar while Close sports what looks like a horrendous mess of a bad wig. The picture doesn't look great transferred to DVD and there's a certain flimsiness to the goings on. Costumes and sets are appropriately dusty and lived in but lack a certain grittiness the show would pick up in later episodes. There's shootouts, knife throwing, cannon fire and slo-mo galore. You get stiltedly awesome lines like "I am the bad element" and "Life's hard, then you die" then Kurtwood Smith and Tony Burton add a little familiar face firepower while Laurie Holden's Mary Travis is set up as a possible love interest and major supporting player. Unlike the film, all seven survive albeit with several injuries.

Episode 1, One Day Out West
Things start to gel as the seven end up in Four Corners and take on some goons from the local cattle baron. Biehn gets a hardass moment when he's insulted being called a cowboy, then later threatens to slit friend Buck's throat when Chris' past is used for small talk. We meet original Magnificent star Robert Vaughn playing a circuit judge and is Mary's father-in-law. The seven have to decide if they'll stay or go as Vin has a bounty on his head and needs to clear his name, Chris is looking for his wife and son's murderer, etc. Young J.D. ends up becoming sheriff with a steady line of advice from Buck. You start to get some clanning within the seven with Chris and Vin riding into trouble together, Nathan and Josiah running the local medical and church facilities, Buck and J.D. riffing like big and little brothers, etc. By the end, the seven are hired on to watch over the town and we see the emerging tone of action and humor. I'm not sure how far apart episodes were filmed but everyone's hair is longer here and the actors look much more comfortable in their costumes and surroundings.

Episode 2, Working Girls
We'd already gotten a taste of prejudice in the pilot as natives, blacks, whites and Confederates all squared off and a little beef between scoundrel Ezra and doc Nathan. In this episode the show takes on women in the old west and prostitution as we learn Buck's mom was a working woman. After a girl is severely beaten by her pimp, she flees and it's up to the seven to protect her. Mary butts heads with the "unwanted element" and there's more fuel to the fire added about her wanting a piece of Chris. I mean Michael Biehn is the Father of the Future so can you blame her? J.D. pairs up with a beautiful young woman as he wants to seal the deal but it's more of an innocent teen romance. You get a big horse/wagon chase resulting in said wagon going flying over a cliff and crashing in impressive, practical fashion. Ezra and Nathan butt heads again over the Ezra's efforts to get the hookers to act as mail order brides which Nathan sees as another form of slavery. Social commentary, action and laughs, what else do you want on a 90's Friday night?

Episode 3, Safecracker
Buck and Nathan escort a paroled prisoner to town who ends up being a mother and her young daughter. Only trouble is, the mother is a former safecracker and her ex-partner wants her help to rob the Four Corners bank. Buck gets caught up with the criminal gang while Josiah and Ezra watch over the escaped kleptomaniac young daughter. Chris plays drunk and seemingly kills Buck to infiltrate the gang and help stop the robbery. T.J. Scott directs arguably the weirdest episode yet with lots of canted angles and sweeping shots of characters walking down dark and wet streets giving everything a bit of a nightmare feel to it. You really notice the size and scope of the town set which made me wonder how much an episode cost and if the street was still standing somewhere north of Los Angeles. Desert Heat baddie Jeff Kober shows up as the episode villain while a pre-Spy Kids Alexa Vega plays the daughter.

Magnificent Seven Week: VHS Origins

Can you believe I've been to a whopping 16 comic book and popular culture conventions this year?! Big and small, they've all been terrific for the most part. Well except September's Long Beach Comic Con which was a frigging mess. Comikaze looms at the end of the month but before then we'll be headed to downtown for a show I never knew existed, the western and Magnificent Seven themed M7 Con! I don't know how I missed this for the last two years as The Magnificent Seven movie and TV show are among my favorites of either media. I remember the first time I saw M7 the film was on AMC back when they still showed movies, fell in love with it then bought it on VHS and subsequent special edition DVD. Based on Akira Kurasowa's seminal film The Seven Samurai, the story of a band of ragtag samurais protecting a small village in Japan, Magnificent transplants the action to Mexico where veterans and gunfighters band together to take on a bandit and his small army. Directed by Damamged Goods Hall of Famer John Sturges with a script credited to William Roberts, Seven starred Yul Brynner as black clad leader Chris Adams while launching the careers of Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, James Coburn and Robert Vaughn. Released in 1960, the film made little impact in America but made a splash in Europe and returned to become an audience favorite that garnered an Academy Award nomination for composer Elmer Bernstein's rousing score.

John Sturges had steadily been building his reputation as the go-to filmmaker for action flicks with heart and machismo with Escape from Fort Bravo, Bad Day at Black Rock and Gunfight at the O.K. Corral already to his credit. Seven would cement his status as an action director who specialized in alpha, doer-centric casts and would culminate in career high effort The Great Escape in 1963. Allegedly The Magnificent Seven is the second most played film on television. Yul Brynner lead sequel Return of the Seven was released in 1966 featuring an all new cast that included Robert Fuller and Warren Oates. Burt Kennedy (Support Your Local Sheriff!) directed the Larry Cohen scripted affair which reused Bernstein's memorable score. George Kennedy assumed the role of Chris Adams with Bernie Casey and Joe Don Baker appearing in 1969's Guns of the Magnificent Seven before 1972's The Magnificent Seven Ride! recruited Lee Van Cleef as Chris for the film franchises final ride. An update was bandied about in the 80's from Hard Times and The Warriors' Walter Hill then the 90's with Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Raiders of the Lost Ark writer Lawrence Kasdan at the helm but those versions never materialized.

Cut to January of 1998 and CBS premiered The Magnificent Seven starring Michael Biehn, Eric Close, Ron Perlman, Anthony Starke, Rick Worthy, Dale Midkiff and Andrew Kavovit. The pilot found the new seven taking on a band of disgruntled Confederate soldiers headed by Robocop's Kurtwood Smith as he threatens a village of natives and freed slaves. Young Guns and Under Siege sequels director Geoff Murphy takes the reins for an action packed if unevenly shot 90 minutes which manages to fit in some social commentary about race relations, belief and honor back in the old west from a script by Frank Q. Dobbs, Chris Black, Pen Densham and John Watson. Of course Biehn's involvement got me hooked early on but the cast all get their time to shine. Biehn plays black clad leader Chris who is known as a cold blooded killer throughout the territory after losing his wife and son. Eric Close fills in for Steve McQueen as 2nd in command sharp shooter Vin while Perlman is Josiah, the preacher who drinks and fights, Starke is the card shuffling scoundrel Ezra, Worthy plays Nathan the stretcher bearer turned town doctor, Midkiff as ladies man Buck and Kavovit as young whipper snapper J.D. Debuting on Saturday, January 3rd in place of Doctor Quinn, Medicine Woman, The Magnificent Seven pilot came out guns blazing, securing the # 8 spot for the week with 10 million viewers and 19% share of monitored viewers. I remember sitting in a movie theater on a Friday night and suddenly realizing I had forgotten to set the VCR to record an episode. I contemplated using the pay phone to tell my mom to do it for me but luckily the entire series would be released on DVD in the mid 2000's.

Sunset Cinema: The Great Escape

This summer has already yielded seeing five new releases so it was time for our first repertory screening. It would be our third movie in as many days and my favorite of all time, The Great Escape! I've seen the World War II tale of POW's on the big screen twice from a Digital Print but this viewing was coming at you courtesy of The New Beverly Cinema owner Quentin Tarantino's personal 35mm print! A Steve McQueen trailer reel was also touted and the classic men on a mission flick played for a surprising four nights. In an awesome touch there were Japanese programs being handed out along with a giant French poster in the lobby. I was happy to see such a full house for the film that included a former co-worker and an actor I did an interview with the day previously (more on that later).

Why is this my favorite movie? I dunno, it's one of those perfect storm kind of movies. Director John Sturges is my favorite of all time, his The Magnificent Seven comes pretty close behind The Great Escape on my list. Then you have the marvelous cast that includes Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough, Charles Bronson, James Coburn, James Donald, Donald Pleasence, David McCallum, Gordon Jackson, John Leyton and Angus Lennie among many more. The World War II setting is one of my faves and the simple tale of men doing something because they can and because it's their duty in the face of danger and death always spoke to me. It's also a pretty great thing when a movie makes you read a book. While I've actually never read the real life account the film is based on (no clue why not actually) by Paul Brickhill, I've devoured hundreds of pages by the likes of Sturges, co-producer Robert Relyea, producer Walter Mirisch and co-star Garner.

The print was Damme near gorgeous with the colors popping on the over 50 year old flick. A little scratchy in parts but nothing too distracting. Even though Steve McQueen had top billing, I feel this is more or less James Garner's movie. He's so suave and cool as Hendley the scrounger in his white turtleneck while McQueen is a little rougher and goofier as loner Hilts. Behind the scenes it was revealed that McQueen wanted to be the hero but not do anything heroic. Leading to being a bit of an outsider with many scenes focused on him instead of part of the committee. Attenborough has a great part and does a fantastic job as X, leader of the whole escape effort. The camaraderie among the prisoners and cleverness in the diversions and digging methods never gets old. In fact, I enjoy the film's first two hours in the camp more than the last hour when they're all on the run. Something I noticed this viewing I hadn't before was several characters have verbal cues to differentiate them among the physical. McQueen bounces his baseball, Bronson is revealed to be claustrophobic sure but this time out I realized that Pleasence says "splendid" a lot, Garner responds, "of course" in a funny-sarcastic way, Jackson has "brilliant" and Coburn says "bloody" more than a couple times.

After the film and a short break, trailers in various shape for flicks like Love With the Proper Stranger, Bullitt, The Reivers, Junior Bonner, The Getaway, The Towering Inferno and Papillion played back to back. My dad always had a copy of prison escape epic Papillion nearby and apparently it's one of Jean-Claude Van Damme's favorite books. Guess I'll have to add that to the list too.

Snow Screen: 50 Shades of Grey, Kingsman & American Sniper

Lotta movies out there right now, lotta movies. This past weekend saw an interesting one-two punch of literary adaptions hit theaters: erotic Twilight fan-fiction turned best seller 50 Shades of Grey and graphic novel adaptation Kingsman: The Secret Service. Grey made waves with it's bondage and blind fold motif while Kingsman was a throwback to big spectacle spy flicks from the 60's. Both performed admirably at the box office and surprisingly, both were rated R.

Grey is the story of meek English Literature major Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson) and her relationship with guarded young billionaire Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan). Basically Grey is a messed up youth with a junkie mother that was abused as a child and the only way he can find sexual gratification is through being a dominant to a submissive using assorted handcuffs, blindfolds, whips and the like. Steele is intrigued and swept off her feet by Grey but has to pump the brakes when the seemingly weird and unfamiliar fetishes start coming out. There's plenty of romance and sex as I found the flick surprisingly watchable and telling a familiar story. It's literally a romantic comedy about a girl meeting a guy and the two meeting in the middle to make it work. Instead of zany, accident filled set pieces to show how much the duo cares for each other, you get sex scenes with hands being tied in ties, or bound with ropes. Sam Taylor-Johnson crafts a classy and sleek looking picture from Kelly Marcel's adaptation of E.L. James' hit novel. Steele is your typical awkward duckling waiting for her prince who just happens to be a dammaged goods billionaire. As I thought the film would simply depict her becoming Grey's sex slave in return for a jet set lifestyle, the flick does a good job of having Steele stand her ground as a consenting adult open to experimentation but not exploitation. Dornan's Grey is like a less serious version of Michael Fassbender in Shame, addicted and disturbed but it's not as feel bad/awesome as all that jazz. Pacific Rim's Herc Hansen Max Martini shows up as Grey's driver but doesn't do or say much. Would have been interesting to see Martini reunited with original Christian Grey and Pac Rim co-star Charlie Hunam in such a different film.

Kingsman is the latest from Kick-Ass and X-Men: First Class director Matt Vaughn. This time around we get Colin Firth as secret agent Harry Hart, a member of a secret society that fights global threats. He takes young Eggsy (Taron Egerton) under his wing after the lad's dad is killed on a mission. Like James Bond, Jr., Eggsy trains to become a Kingsman who are fighting the Richard Branson/Russell Simmons with a lisp tech mogul baddie Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson). Utilizing cell phone waves, Valentine plans to brainwash the world into killing itself through violent urges. The flick runs a bit long but is more or less a ridiculous good time, bordering on irresponsible with loads of gratuitous violence and hanky panky talk. A fantastic supporting cast includes Mark Strong, Mark Hamill and Michael Caine. Colin Firth is the latest older leading man to go Liam Neesons in Tooken to kick some ass and looks pretty good doing it. Like Dolph Lundgren said, these days it just takes a few stuntmen, a good cameraman, editing and a solid choreographer to make anybody a decent action hero.

I've been wanting to see American Sniper for a while now and was not deterred by any talk of attacks on subject Chris Kyle's character or the fake baby. A pretty simple story about a guy wanting to serve his country and how that affects his life, wife and family for good and bad. Bradley Cooper is solid as the Navy's deadliest sniper and Navy Seal as he serves four tours in Iraq facing terrorists, human butchers and snipers. The film goes back and forth between the battlefield, his home life between tours and his relationship with wife Taya (Sienna Miller). As a film, I found it to be a well done, rousing, scary and a bit sad look at the deeds and sacrifices the men and women of the armed forces make to protect the freedom of the rest of us. Whether or not Kyle had emotional or mental issues or if a guy should really be celebrated for being a skilled killer I can't comment on. I didn't find the film to be jingoistic or war mongering in any way and it didn't attempt to portray Kyle as a squeaky clean superhero. Clint Eastwood delivers the goods on a reported $60 million dollar budget with shootouts, explosions, lots of time in Iraq and sand storms, etc. The Magnificent Seven and Now & Again star Eric Close shows up for a quick scene but I was surprised that most of the remaining cast was filled with unfamiliar faces. Randomly, Kyle's Marine buddy Marc Lee is played by Luke Grimes who was also in Grey as the billionaire's goofy brother.

With the Oscars this weekend and not much interest in trying to see all the Best Picture nominees, I figure if I can check out The Theory of Everything this week I'll be all caught up. Well besides Hot Tub Time Machine 2 because that looks hilarious. Here's hoping for a Michael Biehn as Kyle Reese cameo to go along with all the time jumping and references from the first flick.

Bronson of the Day: Hard Times

Charles Bronson is one of my favorite on screen personalities but honestly, I don't think he starred in that many great films.  Sure his ensemble work in The Magnificent Seven, Battle of the Bulge, The Great Escape, The Dirty Dozen and Once Upon a Time in the West make each of those films more interesting but in terms of leading man vehicles, I'm hard pressed to rewatch many as they became "Charles Bronson" movies instead of just, movies.  One of my favorites, probably my all time favorite Bronson flick is 1975's Hard Times.  It's just one of those movies I can pop in anytime and still get caught up in.  A few years ago I even got to see it on the big screen with some of the surviving cast attending at The New Beverly. 

Hard Times is the story of a mysterious drifter and street fighter named Chaney (Bronson).  We don't know where he came from and never learn anything about his past.  Rolling into the Depression era streets of Louisiana, Chaney teams up with big boasting hustler and fight organizer Speed (Mag 7 & Great Escape co-star James Coburn) as they set out to make some money.  Chaney's scrapping skills attract the attention of the local shady businessmen and he's forced into a final fight with their hired hitter all the way from Chicago.  Bare knuckle brawling, oyster eating, high stakes gambling, yoked 52 year old Bronson, fox grinning James Coburn, southern man Strother Martin, fish smelling awesomeness ensues.  Chaney picks up a lady friend, Lucy, played by real life spouse Jill Ireland in arguably her greatest performance opposite her husband.  Way better than last Bronson of the Day title Cold Sweat where she overacted being high and screamed a lot.  She peppers him with questions that he somehow never really answers.  Chaney's not looking to bother anyone and doesn't look past the next bend in the road. 

Walter Hill directs a revised script from Bryan Gindoff and Bruce Henstell.  Hill is one of my favorite writer/directors with flicks like The Warriors and Streets of Fire also being examples of exciting, weird flicks set in their own worlds like Hard Times.  The flick is sparse, you could say not a ton happens but it's still somehow extremely engrossing.  The script was the same way, there's a great description of a bar being thick with smoke and losers.  Using the country vistas and industrial landscape of New Orleans (factories, warehouses, docks), Hill creates a downtrodden world without making it mean or empty as he would later do with movies like Johnny Handsome or most recent Bullet to the Head.  A mustache-less Charles Bronson is terrific as Chaney in a performance that blends world weariness and tired eyes mixed with rough and tumble fight scenes where he shows off his muscular, vascular and trim physique in effective cinematic bouts of fisticuffs that are raw, awkward and exciting versus cleanly or overly choreographed.  James Coburn gets to do a lot of the talking as fast and big mouthed Speed with his great big grin, never losing his confidence as the perennial loser.  Strother Martin is great as the strange yet endearing opium addict cut man Poe who still dresses in fine duds and recites poetry.  Barry De Vorzon provides a Cajun-folk infused score that fits the films easy going pace and would later give Hill's The Warriors a memorable, forward charging synth soundtrack.

Reportedly costing $2.7 million clams, Hard Times would be one of Bronson's first American star vehicles post 1974's mega hit, Death Wish, which was a top earner of the year bringing in $22 million.  Hard Times would turn a profit collecting $5 million with Walter Hill receiving participation checks to this day.  Hill and Bronson never worked together again after the actor didn't appreciate the cutting of several of Ireland's scenes.  Hill would remark that Bronson ran very hot and cold in the years after, on some occasions being warm and friendly and others not even acknowledging Hill's presence.  James Coburn was said to have been difficult to work with on the set, maybe feeling disgruntled after co-starring with Bronson on earlier fare, coming into his own as a leading man in films like Our Man Flint, Duck, You Sucker and The President's Analyst but was now second banana to the international action star.  Hill would go on to become a force in the industry during the 80's and 90's, producing the Alien series and directing genre and box office hits like The Warriors and 48 Hours.  Bronson would change genres and eras for follow up western-mystery Breakheart Pass, based on an Alistair MacLean novel while Coburn went on to star in a crazy sounding action flick about rescuing a kidnapped family from a mountain top terrorist lair using hang gliders in Sky Riders.  I need to find me a copy of that!

Fall Flicks: The Equalizer

Poised to dominate this weekend's box office is the latest "one man versus the world" action/drama/revenge flick, The Equalizer.  13 years after Training Day, director Antoine Fuqua and star Denzel Washington reteam for what should be a profitable and franchise starting thriller.  Based on the 1984 television show that starred Edward Woodward as Robert McCall, a retired intelligence agent turned private detective who helps clients equalize the playing field, the film adaptation takes place in modern day Boston and finds McCall up against the Russian Mob.  Based on Richard Lindheim and Michael Sloan's 4 season hit, 16 Blocks and The Expendables 2 scribe Richard Wenk and director Fuqua craft a slow burning, stylized, entertaining and brutal thriller for adults. 

We meet Washington as McCall one early morning where he's out of bed before his alarm goes off, meticulously preparing for the day cleaning his shoes, making a healthy shake, etc.  We watch him go about his day and help his co-workers at the local hardware super store where colleagues try to guess what he did in his former professional life.  Unable to sleep at night, McCall frequents a 24 hour diner and befriends street walker Teri (Kick-Ass' Chloe Grace Moretz).  After a vicious beating from her pimp sends her to the hospital, McCall makes the fateful decision to try and buy Teri's freedom which leads to a bloody confrontation.  The Russian syndicate dispatches intelligent and dangerous fixer Teddy (effectively played by Marton Csokas, who reminds me of Kevin Spacey mashed with Russell Crowe) to find out what happened.  With a confrontation looming, we witness McCall display a particular set of skills picked up as a former operative of the CIA or some other shadowy government agency.

While we all expect these kinds of movies to become Tooken which in turn was a simpler, faster take on Washington's own revenge tale Man on Fire, The Equalizer takes it time to get to the action but it's not an all out explosion fest although there are some explosions and walking away from said explosions in slow motion.  The character building doesn't feel forced or boring and when shit starts to go down, you're in.  The film doesn't take an hour to build up to some crazy, non-stop climax or feel the need to flip a switch and go from drama to action movie to reward the audience for putting up with dialog scenes.  Denzel is his usual solid self, delivering quiet strength, intelligent support and "kill your ass dead" physicality when called upon.  I was slightly disappointed he didn't utter "My man" or "I'll guarantee ya that" but whatever.  The fight scenes are realistic, brief and impactful with mostly small scale stuff involving fists, knives, a few guns and power tools.  No overly choreographed fight scenes here which was kind of a bummer at the end as I was hoping McCall and Teddy would duke it out a little bit as we're shown how physically proficient they both are through the movie.  Denzel was looking a little paunchy here, I figured a character with his background would be a little leaner but hey, the dude's pushing 60.  Melissa Leo shows up for a hot minute as an ally and for an even briefer minute we get Bill Pullman from Independence Day and Lake Placid as her husband in some randomly awesome casting.

Fuqua again demonstrates that he is one of the best action directors working today.  Starting with 1998's The Replacement Killers into Training Day, Tears of the Sun, King Arthur, Shooter, Brooklyn's Finest and recent hit Olympus Has Fallen, Fuqua knows how to make a picture look good, fill it with a great cast and provide some shocking action and violence without going into overly cartoon territory.  It will be interesting to see what he and Washington come up with for The Magnificent Seven reboot.   The Equalizer is a pretty simple and straight forward flick but never feels too serious or ponderous and I'm all for a sequel.  It's an interesting progression and continuation of the one man army motif that we've seen played in various ways from Charles Bronson taking it to the criminals of New York in Death Wish, Stallone winning the Vietnam War with a machine gun in Rambo or Liam Neesons tearing through France looking for his daughter to Matt Damon's Jason Bourne racing and fighting his way to the truth.  The Equalizer is more enjoyable than last week's adult thriller with Neesons, A Walk Among the Tombstones and it's moody yet vibrant attitude strikes a better balance than the upcoming near over stylized and brooding Keanu Reeves "hitman on the rampage" flick John Wick (that one has a lot more action though).  Washington has one of the best track records in Hollywood with 14 films opening above $20 million in the last 14 years.  Some might take cracks at his choice of fare and similarity of characters but upon closer inspection you see that's he's challenged himself and entertained us with roles as a desperate father, football coach, crime lord, alcoholic pilot, law enforcement officer and many more over the last couple of decades.  He's just good at playing confident without needing to swagger.

Bronson of the Day: Cold Sweat

The last time I took a trip to the Middle East of America I watched Battle of the Bulge on my Kindle.  That pretty decent World War II flick stars Henry Fonda, Robert Shaw and Charles Bronson.  Coincidentally on this trip I viewed another flick starring Bronson only this time he wasn't part of an ensemble but was into his leading man years.  Cold Sweat is a French/Italian co-production released in 1970, directed by James Bond helmer Terence Young and based on a novel by I Am Legend's Richard Matheson.  The film opens calmly enough with the super vascular Joe (Bronson) teaching a guy how to navigate his charter boat.  After a night of gambling with the boys he comes home to his wife Fabienne (Liv Ullmann) and they argue about him always being out and his drinking habits.  The petty squabble is soon interrupted by mysterious phone calls and a home invasion.  It's not a random burglary though as the perpetrator knows Joe and whacks him with the butt of a pistol.  Turns out ol' Joe was in the military, struck an officer, got thrown into the brig and escaped with a crew.  When one of them kills a street cop, getaway driver Joe bolts and the team is captured.  All these years later, it's time to get even.  Using his new wife and step-daughter as collateral, Joe is forced to assist his former comrades in meeting some drug dealers to buy heroin.

Of course, things don't go so smoothly with Bronson playing Joe and he takes out the crew one at a time.  Under the command of Captain Ross (20,000 Leagues Under the Sea's James Mason, Kirk Douglas alert!), the whittled down team ends up fighting each other in a remote cabin while Joe is out with hippie/money carrying Moira (Bronson's spouse Jill Ireland).  At only 93 minutes, Cold Sweat started off intriguingly enough but loses a bit of steam as it goes on.  Mustached Bronson looks lean and mean here in his tight black tee shirt and veiny yet not overly pumped up arms.  His performance isn't particularly iconic but it's not perfunctory either, he's just a guy trying to save his wife and kid.  He's no victim and takes action often, always working another angle.  I was impressed by the cleverness of some of the action bits like Joe kicking out a table leg from under an armed guard or using a car door to disarm someone later.  Towards the end there's a pretty solid car chase as Joe races through town and the mountains with a doctor to tend to a wounded man.  Cars cut each other off with inches to spare and there's plenty of screeching around corners on mountain roads with precarious drop offs only feet away.  James Mason's gravitas and terrific voice are put to good use as the former commander even if he looks a bit goofy in his 70's attire.  I couldn't help but think of actor Richard Jordon from Timebomb (Michael Biehn alert!) and The Yakuza watching Mason and wondered if they ever played father and son in anything...

Car Sequence Stunt Coordinator Remy Julienne would go on to work on multiple Roger Moore era James Bond films as well as a couple of Jean-Claude Van Damme pictures.  Post Dr. No, Thunderball and From Russia With Love director Young would collaborate with Bronson on two subsequent flicks, the highly enjoyable "western action comedy with samurais" Red Sun and the American hit about the mob, The Valachi Papers.  After years of building up a reputation as a solid supporting player in The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape, The Dirty Dozen and Battle of the Bulge where he was paid in the $50,000 range, Cold Sweat finds Bronson in his European star years where audiences appreciated his unconventionally handsome yet unforgettable face and stoic silent strength.  His salary would double and triple on it's way to a massive $5 million in the 80's.  It would still be another five years before American audiences appreciated Bronson and gave him his first all out stateside hit, Death Wish.

If you're looking for that Bronson fix while sitting on a plane, in an airport or in bed, you could do worse than Cold Sweat.

Charles Bronson Thursday

Last week I received a belated birthday present from a dear friend I've known since the 4th grade.  His dad is a big John Wayne fan and that translated to him being able to keep up with my interest in the masculine, loner, doer types of the 60's.  One of his nicknames is Hilts a la The Cooler King aka Steve McQueen while I'm Danny, The Tunnel King aka Charles Bronson from the all-male cast, stick it to The Man, World War II prison camp classic The Great Escape.  The painting by Seattle's Jim Blanchard will be a nice addition to my wall of stuff in the new apartment's Den/Dammage Pit West.  The gift coincided with me reading James Garner's (Charm In Peace) memoirs, The Garner Files where he briefly describes his encounters with the granite faced action star.  This comes on the heels of rereading the musings of other luminaries of the time like director John Sturges, assistant director Robert Relyea and producer Walter Mirisch over the summer.

From the written words of James Garner and Jon Winokur's The Garner Files, 2011:

Garner describes his Great Escape co-star as a pain in the ass with a chip on his shoulder.  The two nearly came to blows over a poker game but years later had a surprisingly pleasant dinner together along with their wives.  Garner wasn't sure if Bronson held a grudge but he sure did.

Assistant Director turned producer turned production executive Robert Relyea wrote of Bronson often in his 2008 book, Not So Quiet on the Set: My Life In Movies During Hollywood's Macho Era, as Relyea worked with Sturges who in turn cast Bronson in Never So Few, The Magnificent Seven and The Great Escape.  Relyea was also on the set of Kid Galahad, an Elvis Presley starring vehicle featuring Bronson as his boxing trainer:

Describes Bronson as a physical specimen seemingly burdened by a permanent chip on his shoulder and prone to sulk and suspicion.  Not mean spirited naturally but at some point put up his guard around people and never let it down.  Relyea mentions Bronson never backing down from a challenge, especially when he's the only one who believes he's been challenged.  During Kid, Bronson warned a co-star "I'll punch your fucking lights out if you don't get out of my face" and contested Elvis' karate skills leading Bronson to break his hand trying to split a board after an impromptu karate demonstration by Presley.  The two partied together often in Mexico on Magnificent Seven and Relyea let Bronson use his German hotel room during Escape not knowing it was to meet with the married Jill Ireland who would eventually become Bronson's wife.

Executive producer of Kid Galahad, The Magnificent Seven and The Great Escape along with titles like West Side Story, In the Heat of the Night and The Pink Panther, Walter Mirisch writes briefly of Bronson in his 2008 memoir I Thought We Were Making Movies, Not History:

Noticed Bronson in 1953's House of Wax and made sure to keep and eye on him, claims it was his idea to bring him on to The Magnificent Seven years later.  Mirisch's company also produced the Bronson starring vehicle Mr. Majestyk in 1974 after being unable to secure Steve McQueen.  By that time Bronson had graduated from supporting roles and was a bonafide star in Europe and Asia.  Budgeted at $2 million with $400,000 and 10% of the gross going to its star.  No mentions of Bronson being a pain in the ass or having a chip on his shoulder here though Mirisch does make a fleeting comment about friction between the star and director Richard Fleischer.

A man who can be given much credit for Bronson's rise in Hollywood is Dammaged Goods Hall of Famer John Sturges, director of Bad Day at Black Rock, Escape From Fort Bravo, Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape and Ice Station Zebra.  Sturges worked with Bronson multiple times when Charlie was up and coming and once when the former coal miner had hit the big time.  From Glenn Lovell's 2008 study Escape Artist: The Life and Films of John Sturges:

Bronson's 2nd on screen performance was a 2-day bit part in Sturges' The People Against O'Hara in 1951. For 1960's Seven, Bronson seemed pitch perfect for the habitually mad at the world Bernardo O'Reilly but Sturges wasn't interested in him playing type.  Instead, the character gets the biggest emotional arc as a hired gun adopted by the village children with a tender soul and need for family.  On set, Bronson hung out with co-star Steve McQueen as they went both kept busy looking for chicks.  For 1963's The Great Escape, a co-star describes Bronson as perpetually pissed off, chewing tobacco and shirtless to show off his muscular physique and impress any would be conquests.  His frequent tales of a poor upbringing eating weed soup were cut off by Sturges who told him those days were over and that he was on his way to becoming a star.  That proved true but by 1973's Chino, Sturges' career was on the decline while Bronson had just been deemed the Number-One Star in the world by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.  Armed with director and script approval, Bronson would frequently take two and half hour lunches with wine flowing on location.  In full prima donna mode, Bronson would emerge from his RV when he felt like it and hold up production regularly.

What is it about these seemingly insecure, opinionated and cantankerous alpha males like Bronson, McQueen, Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas that cemented them into silver screen legends?  While they might have come off as assholes to some, they weren't fucking assholes judging by the fact that Bronson was married to Jill Ireland for decades and brought his 7 children to every movie location to keep the family close.  Once McQueen trusted you, he was your friend and you were not his lackey while Douglas' hard headed attitude and disdain for the status quo helped break the Black List in the 50's.  That charismatic, seemingly selfish yet determined mindset backed by the thought that any of them could deck you if necessary gave us a litany of macho, "get the job done" types that went dormant in the 70's but was resurrected in the 80's with driven descendants Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jean-Claude Van Damme who capitalized on their accents, hyper developed bodies and self belief to create their own sub-genre of film.  Like Frank Sinatra, they did it their way.

Give Me A (DVD) Sign: Now and Again

It only took 14 years but the quirky action/sci-fi/romance drama series Now and Again just hit DVD courtesy of CBS.  I suppose it was worth the wait as the set is loaded with hours of special features including a 4 part making of/look back called Genesis.

Let's back up, in 1999 I was a senior in high school hanging with my friends, lifting weights, reading comics and talking shit.  Honestly, not much has changed.  But, that was about the last time I actively watched a television show that wasn't a 30 minute sitcom called The Simpsons or Home Improvement.  In 1998, CBS launched a television show based on one of my favorite flicks, the 1960 action western character piece, The Magnificent Seven.  Even better was that one of my favorite actors, Michael Biehn, was playing the lead.  Joined by familiar faces like Ron Perlman (Alien: Resurrection) and Dale Midkiff (Time Trax!), newcomers (to me) Eric Close, Rick Worthy, Andrew Kavovit and Anthony Starke, the show was a handsomely produced mix of action, drama, bromance and western derring-do that I recorded every week on the ol' VCR.  I believe it was on Friday or Saturday nights so sitting in a movie theater one evening I literally sat up in shock as I realized I hadn't set the VCR to record.  Although The Magnificent Seven's pilot premiered in the week's Top 10 with 10 million viewers, the show quickly lost viewers and ended up scoring middle of the road ratings and a few Emmy nominations.  On the bubble, fans campaigned CBS to renew the show and a 2nd season of 13 episodes was produced.  The show failed to gain any momentum and soon co-star Eric Close was onto a new show, Now and Again, which meant The Magnificent Seven would not be riding into season 3. 

Also relegated to the wasteland of Friday nights, Now and Again is the story of insurance salesman Michael Wiseman (John Goodman), a loving dad and good guy who gets drunk one night after testifying against his company and accidentally pushed in front of a subway car.  He awakens to find the smiling yet mysterious Dr. Theodore Morris (Dennis Haysbert) at his bedside and soon realizes he's no longer who he was before.  Michael's brain has been transplanted into the body of a perfectly engineered 26 year old (Eric Close) and the show follows his struggle of being alive yet dead along with the trials and tribulations of his wife/widow Lisa (Margaret Colin), teenage daughter Heather (Heather Matarazzo), best friend Roger (Gerrit Graham) and his slick former boss who won't pay out life insurance Craig (Chad Lowe).  While Michael deals with his new body, working for a shadowy government agency and trying to be involved in his former family's life, he's also in training and fighting baddies like chemical weapons terrorist The Eggman, turncoat operatives, runaway prototypes and killer bees.  Funny, sweet, exciting and a bit odd, the show was a strange hybrid of genres that somehow combined the elements of a love story, a bionic man, his friend/prisoner relationship with his maker, action and showing off super strength in order to be able to afford peanut butter cups. 

Like The Magnificent Seven, Now and Again gained a following of devoted fans and when it wasn't picked up for season 2 following a cliffhanger finale, said fans sent empty egg cartons to CBS and took out an ad in trade publications.  While The Magnificent Seven would hit DVD in 2005, the signs of Now and Again were relegated to repeats on Sci-Fi and maybe YouTube.  Now, I can finally retire my worn out VHS tapes as the complete series on DVD showed up on my door (AFTER the long weekend, thanks Amazon...).  Incidentally, one of my Now and Again tapes was recorded over another great, one season, sci-fi/action show that aired on CBS, The Flash!

Digging right into the special features, the main featurettes cover the origins, production, reception and legacy of the show titled Genesis, New Life, Remembrances and Timelessness.  Directed and edited by Dammaged Goods familiar Roger Lay, Jr. (of He-Man documentary Toy Masters fame), all of the major participants are included except John Goodman.  Additional content includes an on the set vignette as well as a spot focusing on the writing of the show.  Creator Glenn Gordon Caron had discovered Bruce Willis and shepherded hit show Moonlighting before moving into feature films.  CBS head Glenn Moonves asked Caron to write a pilot and if he didn't produce it, CBS would pay him an exorbitant sum of cash.  Inspired by 1958's Damn Yankees where an obsessed baseball fan makes a deal with the devil so his team will do well, Caron moved the Faust-ian tones to modern times in New York City.  A writer who shunned the traditional writers room of TV, Caron recruited a small but strong staff from various backgrounds including a scribe from Star Trek and one from Esquire magazine.  A dialog heavy show, rewriting was common place with actors behind handed a fresh chunk of 5 pages moments before shooting.  Their approach was to create a series that couldn't be identified or labeled while turning clichés on their head. 

Eric Close, a good looking actor who reminds me of Steve McQueen, had been a part of several failed shows before landing Now and Again, beating out a rumored 3,000 applicants.  To play the perfect bionic man, Close embarked on a crash diet of tuna and water then during shooting would go home and train after 16 hour days while subsisting on half a piece of toast with tuna in order to stay lean and yoked.  Dennis Haysbert (NAVY SEALS! So many Michael Biehn connections) was not Caron's first choice but was at the top of CBS' list and plays the government agent/creator with strength, dignity, intelligence and humor.  Shooting in New York City was a novel idea at the time but extremely difficult and expensive as there wasn't the infrastructure or tax benefits of today.  Moving locations proved time consuming and difficult so the production would take over sections of town whenever possible, one being Wall Street, an area bustling by day but empty at night, for street chases and action scenes.

The show's eclectic sensibility was hard for CBS to pinpoint and thus couldn't categorize the show equaling little effort into promoting it.  Being on Friday nights after Candid Camera didn't help but Now and Again premiered in September of 1999 to solid critical notices and reached 11 million viewers at it's peak.  3 Saturn Awards, a TV Guide cover and an Emmy nomination followed.  The show finished 76th out of 196 programs for the year behind CBS' own Diagnosis Murder, Jag, Nash Bridges and Walker, Texas Ranger.  Spirits were high for a renewal shortly after the wrap party,  word came down that the Now and Again would not be returning.  The news was a shock to all involved who really thought they were coming back, especially after the cliffhanger season finale.  Future plans and storylines are not discussed however for better or worse.  These days, I'm a sure a show with this kind of critical support, fandom and overall goodwill could get picked up by another network or an online outlet but those weren't the times we were living in back in 1999...