View In Peace: Robert Loggia

On Friday, news hit that veteran character actor Robert Loggia had passed away after a battle with Alzheimer's. With a career that started in the 1950's and included 230 plus acting credits, Loggia had a gravely voice and tough guy demeanor. Roles in Scarface and Big would be highlights but to me he'll always be the evil father in law to Stallone's truck driving, arm wrestling underdog in Cannon Films' shot at legitimacy Over the Top. As business magnate Jason Cutler, Loggia gave Lincoln Hawk (Stallone) a hard time over grandson Michael (David Mendenhall) as dying mother Christina (Susan Blakely) wanted the father and son to bond before she passed. Lincoln and Michael set out on a road trip and reconnect over truck stop menus, learning to drive, working out and taking it over the top as Hawk is competing in the national Arm Wrestling championships in Las Vegas. Cutler tries to kidnap Michael and pay off Lincoln but he just can't overcome the father-son relationship as Michael runs away to Vegas to watch his dad win the finals. It's an awesomely 80's, heartwarming flick that Stallone received an alleged $12 million bucks for but the film would go on to gross an anemic $16 million bones at the box office. In the 90's, Loggia would send up his tough guy image in a hilarious commercial for Minute Maid Orange Juice.

View In Peace: Rowdy Roddy Piper

I had just come out of a hours long training session Friday when I saw the posts on Facebook about Roddy Piper. I honestly couldn't believe it. He was only 61. But the sad history of wrestlers has seen many pass before retirement age due to heart complications most likely brought on by drug use and lifestyle. While guys like The Ultimate Warrior and Bret Hart were my favorite wrestlers growing up, Piper was one of my favorite personalities. He transcended the sport that made him so famous, appearing in cult hit They Live and several other solid action flicks. Piper's death made me instantly sad as he seemed like the kind of guy who had been through a lot and wore his heart on his sleeve. When I first subscribed to Netflix a few years ago and found myself alone for a long weekend, I devoured hours upon hours of WWF/WWE documentaries, one of the first being Piper's. In remembrance we sat down for a viewing of They Live to see him in his prime.

Rowdy Roddy was born Roderick George Toombs in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada and grew up in Manitoba. A runaway from junior high age, Toombs traveled the country working odd jobs in gyms and for professional wrestlers. Being of Scottish heritage, Piper even played the bagpipes while becoming a Golden Gloves boxing champion and amateur wrestler. Toombs made his professional wrestling debut at age 15 against Larry Henning, being billed as Roddy the Piper. The business would take him to the states working in California, Kansas and Texas where he began crafting his Rowdy persona by insulting local communities and managing villains. By the 80's, Piper was a fan favorite and feuding with the likes of Sgt. Slaughter, Ric Flair and Greg Valentine. In 1984, Piper joined the World Wrestling Federation as a heel and given his own interview segment, Piper's Pit, where he would sometimes insult then attack guests like Jimmy Snuka who got a coconut to the jaw and crashed into the flimsy set. A feud with Hulk Hogan involving singer Cyndi Lauper, Captain Lou Albano and Mr. T. was shown on MTV. 1987's record breaking Wrestlemania III sold out over 93,000 seats, one of them being wrestling fan and Halloween and Escape From New York writer/director John Carpenter. Carpenter was doing low budget movies at Universal and thought Piper would be an excellent lead due to his weathered look and expertise on the mic. WWF owner Vince McMahon was having none of it, thinking that the company was based around himself and superstar Hulk Hogan. McMahon tried to offer Piper a lead in a WWF produced film but the wrestler passed, knowing that a director of Carpenter's skill would not be involved. This lead to McMahon and Hogan holing up in a hotel room for a week and coming up with the not great 1989 flick, No Holds Barred.

While Barred would actually end up grossing more than They Live, it's hardly remembered in the same regard twenty some years later. Piper plays Nada, a drifter from Denver who finds construction work in Los Angeles. While staying at a local shelter, he uncovers the truth that aliens have taken over society and placed subliminal messages on TV, printed money, magazines, etc. Armed with special sunglasses that let him see the messages and the faces of aliens hiding under human masks, Nada teams up with Frank (Keith David) as they battle the 1% alien threat. It's great stuff with some terrific dialog that was half written and half improvised along with shotgun flavored action and a ridiculously awesome alley fight that goes on for 6 minutes. Piper is pitch perfect as the drifter who can't believe what's happening and delivers a broad performance where he can be sad and mad in the same 90 minutes. The $4 million dollar movie would gross $13 million upon release and become a cult classic, prompting special edition DVD's and repertory screenings around the world. Subsequent acting roles in genre fare like Hell Comes to Frogtown and a slew of direct to video films with Billy Blanks would never rival They Live but showed Piper had some real acting chops. 1997's The Bad Pack showed his goofy sense of humor in the low budget Magnificent Seven update opposite Robert Davi and Ralf Moeller while he surprisingly delivered the best performance in 2007's street fighting flick Honor as spiritually wounded policeman and father figure LT Tyrell against Russell Wong.

Piper's outspoken personality and fractured upbringing created an adult who would give you the shirt off his back if asked but resented authority and did not take orders well. This lead to his in and out relationship with McMahon and WWF as Piper spoke out against the company several times and subsequently fired. I recall one interview where Piper claimed he wouldn't make it to retirement age to claim his pension. Sadly, he was right. Rowdy Roddy Piper was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005 and is survived by his wife and four children. Mixed Martial Artist Rhonda Rousey received Piper's blessing to use the Rowdy nickname and dedicated her Saturday night title defense to his honor.

Score(movies) In Peace: James Horner

It was reported yesterday that a plane belonging to Oscar winning composer James Horner had crashed. The pilot was badly burned in the ensuing fire and has yet to be identified but many outlets are presuming the movie music maestro has sadly passed. The Los Angeles native had Hollywood in his blood as father Harry worked as a set designer and part-time art director. Starting on the piano at age 5, Horner would be a student of music growing up and attend the University of Southern California. Like many future Hollywood heavyweights, Horner scored his first work for schlock master Roger Corman with the rousing Battle Beyond the Stars leading to Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Commando, Red Heat, Aliens, Willow, The Rocketeer and Troy being among many others. While Horner and James Cameron clashed on Aliens due to the compressed time frame, they reteamed for the award winning and huge financial monster that was Titanic and again on Cameron's next film 10 years later, Avatar. In 1995, Horner scored a staggering six films including Braveheart and Apollo 13. Horner spent a full 2 years working on 2009's Avatar and took no other projects, citing it as his most difficult gig to date.  An avid pilot as well as musician, Horner amassed 10 Academy Award nominations winning twice along with wins at the Golden Globes, Satellite and Saturn Awards as nominations from the British Academy Film Awards.

View In Peace: Geoffrey Lewis

Woke up to the news that awesome character actor Geoffrey Lewis passed away. Known for his many collaborations with Clint Eastwood, I'll always remember him being the dim witted and funny sidekick Orville from Every Which Way But Loose. You know, where Clint Eastwood plays a truck driving bare knuckle brawler who has a pet orangutan won in a fight against four guys? Classic. And as "uncle" Frank Avery from Double Impact as the hard ass veteran helping twin Jean-Claude Van Damme's take revenge on the baddies who killed their parents? Terrific. Besides a half dozen flicks with Eastwood, Lewis appeared in films filled with the likes of Steven McQueen, Charles Bronson, Robert Redford and Sean Connery in flicks like Dillinger, The Great Waldo Pepper, The Wind and the Lion and Tom Horn for directors including John Milius, Michael Cimino, George Roy Hill and Irvin Kershner.

Lewis was a part of my formative cinema viewing years as Stallone's Captain Schroeder in Tango & Cash, Sheldon Lettich's Double Impact, hard and disillusioned teacher Kerrigan to former student Mark Dacascos in Only the Strong, a Sheriff opposite Dolph Lundgren in Army of One then as banker Eugene in Richard Donner's Mel Gibson starring Maverick before appearing as depressed, suicidal hitman Abner in The Way of the Gun. I'd have to say Lewis's work in Every Which Way But Loose and Double Impact are what I'll always know him for. As Clint Eastwood's buddy and pseudo manager, Lewis is quite funny in the face of rude roadside market shoppers, angry bikers and gets the gal in the form of future Vacation star Beverly D'Angelo.

Double Impact is one of my favorite Jean-Claude Van Damme flicks and it's nice to see the then young and upcoming karate star opposite a few seasoned veterans like Lewis and Philip Chan. I asked Sheldon about how Lewis was cast and if I recall correctly, his name came up through the casting director. The duo would reteam on Lettich's next directorial effort, Only the Strong. Lewis plays Frank Avery, adopted uncle of Chad Wagner (Van Damme), a raised in Paris but living in Hollywood karate and aerobics instructor. Turns out Chad has a twin brother, Alex, in Hong Kong. The duo were separated at birth when their parents were killed by vicious gangsters over a lucrative tunnel construction project. Frank saved the kids, leaving Alex at an orphanage and taking Chad with him. 25 years later, Frank is going to take his revenge and the kids are coming with him. Arming themselves to the teeth, Frank, Chad and Alex take on Hong Kong thugs, greasy haired enforcers, high kicking baddies with spurs on their boots and a buff female bodyguard with thighs that can kill using explosives disguised as cognac, sniper rifles, high kicks, Johnny Walker Red, black silk underwear and lots of flexing. Ah the 90's...

Born in San Diego, Lewis was raised in Rhode Island before moving back to California at age 10.  First appearing on television and short films in 1970, Lewis would earn a Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe nomination for 1980's Flo, a CableACE Award nomination for 1984's Maximum Security and a California Independent Film Festival Best Actor award for 2005's Old Man Music.

View In Peace: Tombstone

The Scorpion King 4: Quest for Power hit home video and streaming recently starring a plethora of mixed martial artists along with genre staples Barry Bostwick, Rutger Hauer, Lou Ferrigno and Michael Biehn.  2002's The Scorpion King was of course a spin off from 1999's blockbuster update of The Mummy starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz that was produced by Sean Daniel and James "Jim" Jacks. It's been over a year since former Wall Street analyst turned screenwriter and producer Jacks passed away. Biehn had worked with Jacks years previously on 1993's Tombstone, the latest retelling of the Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday myth starring Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer. Like Hard Target before it, Tombstone's production was rife with issues but in this case nearly fell apart. Many in the cast and crew credit Jacks and especially Russell for holding the film together which became a Christmas box office hit and has lived on to become a fan and genre favorite.

Rambo: First Blood Part II and Glory screenwriter Kevin Jarre produced a well researched, epic scale script based on the trials and tribulations of the Earp family coming to Tombstone seeking riches in silver and gambling, butting heads with cowboys and the infamous gunfight at the OK Corral. At first attaching Kevin Costner to the project, the Dances With Wolves star walked and went to set up his own version with Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves director Kevin Reynolds and The Bodyguard writer Lawrence Kasdan. Andrew Vajna, formerly of Carolco, picked up Jarre's script and attached Russell after rumored Brad Pitt and Johnny Depp fell out. So strong was Costner's pull at the time, no studio wanted to release Tombstone except Disney's Hollywood Pictures. Permutations of casting saw the likes of Richard Gere and Willem Dafoe up for the Wyatt and Doc roles before Russell and Kilmer settled in. Jarre's script attracted a who's who of familiar faces with Michael Biehn wanting the already claimed Holliday role and choosing "villain" Johnny Ringo instead. Bill Paxton and Sam Elliott came on as Wyatt's brothers Morgan and Virgil while Powers Boothe sided with Biehn to lead the Cowboys, a vicious gang of gunfighters and rustlers. Screen legends Charlton Heston and Robert Mitchum gave the cast gravitas while up and comers Stephen Lang, Jason Priestley, Jon Tenny, Thomas Haden Church, Dana Delaney, Michael Rooker, Joanna Pacula, Billy's Zane and Bob Thornton filled the ranks of lawmen, ranchers, entertainers and hooligans.

Jarre was handed directing reins and the large ensemble cast headed to Arizona in May of 1993 where the skilled writer but novice director quickly fell behind. Meticulous in his research and approach, Jarre would get hung up on every detail from facial hair to costumes to saddles and saw the actors as figures only there to say his dialog his way. Shooting Heston's scenes as Earp ally Henry Hooker first, Jarre was warned by cast and crew that he would soon be fired for his lack of progress, overlong script and dailies that failed to showcase the famous cast. Disposing of close ups and instead opting to shoot everything in wide master shots. Just weeks into the shoot, Jarre was fired. John McTiernan was interested in replacing Jarre but wanted two weeks to review already shot footage to which producers could not oblige. Russell kept the picture together and with the help of friend Sylvester Stallone, brought in Cobra and Rambo II director George P. Cosmatos to finish the film. Along with Cosmatos came young writer John Fasano (Another 48 Hours) who was also working for Vajna's Cinergi Pictures at the time. Hopping on a private jet to Arizona, the new director and writer were introduced to the disgruntled cast and crew just hours after Jarre had been taken off the picture. Russell immediately backed Cosmatos and began working with Fasano to cut down the epic script. Retreating to the cast hotel, Fasano would work with Russell and Kilmer every night, shaping and rewriting scenes to fit the new schedule.

Jarre's original script depicted the Earp clan moving to Tombstone, setting up homes and being introduced to the bustling town. Robert Mitchum's character Old Man Clanton is more involved and we see the Cowboys battling local law enforcement from the states and Mexico. Characters are more fleshed out, especially Michael Rooker's Cowboy turned Earp supporter McMasters and Biehn's Johnny Ringo who in the film is seen a quiet, cold blooded killer but in the script comes off as more weird and anxious who turns to violence without warning. Truer to history, Wyatt forms an uneasy alliance with Curly Bill that is broken when tensions between the lawmen Earps and some of the Cowboys. Now it was Fasano's job to cut 20-30 pages that Jarre would not.

Russell bit the bullet first and volunteered to have scenes and lines cut, thus not making it solely about him and setting the precedent. Mitchum was rumored to have been injured in a riding accident and had his scenes removed, instead narrating the start and finish of the film. Fasano then had the unenviable task of approaching each actor and asking what handful of scenes made them take the part then jettisoning others. In real life the Earp's weren't as squeaky clean as Hollywood had depicted while the Cowboys weren't quite as evil but those tones of gray were removed in favor of clear cut good guys and bad guys at the behest of Disney and finishing on time. Russell and Jacks worked with Cosmatos, giving him a shot list every night and "ghost directing" the picture to a degree. While some actors were troubled and angered by their reduced roles, Val Kilmer simply said he'd sit back with his cough and little cup and steal every scene he was in. Tensions mounted on set with the new director, altered schedule and stifling heat. A reported 100 cast and crew members quit or were fired from the production.

After originally being scheduled to film for 62 days, delays stretched the production to 80 and into August with post production needing to come quickly as their December release date loomed. A two hour popcorn western came from the editing room that held together remarkably well. But Disney put little promotion behind the picture and it opened at # 3 on Christmas Eve of 1993 with a $6.4 million weekend behind repeat champs The Pelican Brief and Mrs. Doubtfire. The seemingly soft opening would put it at #51 for the year but the film garnered decent reviews and word of mouth quickly spread as grosses went up in it's 2nd weekend. Tombstone would go on to gross $56 million on a $25 million dollar budget and rank #20 for the year. Kilmer's performance was particularly singled out and has since become one of his signature roles.

Russell would follow up with successful big budget action films Stargate and Executive Decision then earn a reported $10 million to reprise his role as Snake Plissken in Escape From L.A. which grossed half it's $50 million budget. Kilmer replaced Michael Keaton as Batman in 1995 and cast opposite Robert DeNiro in Michael Mann's Heat immediately after. Starring vehicles The Ghost and the Darkness and The Saint would do little to prop up his leading man status. Powers Boothe showed up as the villain in Jean-Claude Van Damme's 1995 Die Hard in a hockey arena effort Sudden Death before re-teaming with Bill Paxton directorial effort Frailty. Michael Biehn reunited with director William Friedkin on the big budget bust Jade before being cast as a Navy Seal commander in Michael Bay's $300 million grossing The Rock.

Sadly, director George P. Cosmatos died in 2005 and shortly after stories of the troubled production on Tombstone began to emerge from among others, star Kurt Russell. Russell openly discussed the difficulties of production and bringing in Cosmatos as a ghost director. He sees the finished film as fine but feels it could have been a western Godfather if he had been able to edit it and Disney actually believed in the picture. Five time Academy Award nominated cinematographer William A. Fraker died in 2010 after a battle with cancer. History buff Kevin Jarre would work with Jacks on The Jackal and The Mummy but never recovered from the Tombstone experience and died of a heroin overdose in 2011. Jacks passed away in January of 2014, still upset that much of the film's fantastic original script ended up being cut out or left on the editing room floor. Writer/artist John Fasano died in his sleep in July after a 25 year career. Fasano would go on to work with Tombstone veterans Rooker, Biehn, Boothe and Zane among others stating that the difficult experience bonded them forever.

Enjoyable and epic in it's own right, Kevin Costner's 1994 Wyatt Earp would eventually cost more than twice as much but gross less than half than Tombstone with it's bloated 3 hour run time missing the mark with audiences to end up in DVD bargain bins. While Tombstone may not the be film it's makers originally intended, it still holds up as an entertaining, star studded and action packed affair for casual and dedicated western fans alike. It's a title that has jumped generations via cable, video and special edition DVD for Russell, Kilmer, Paxton, Boothe, Biehn and Elliott. Here's hoping we get to see the extra footage Kurt Russell has in his garage someday.

View In Peace: Glen A. Larson

Oh Damme, sad news for this Saturday morning as prolific television producer and creator Glen Albert Larson has passed away.  Former pop singer and Long Beach native Larson created, wrote and produced the likes of Battlestar Galactica, Magnum P.I., and The Six Million Dollar Man but I'll always know him as the guy that gave me Knight Rider as a kid and then Night Man as a teenager.  Knight Rider of course, gave the world David Hasselhoff in a modern retelling of The Lone Ranger as a former cop, thought killed on the job is rescued, given a new face, identity and purpose working for the Foundation of Law and Government as Michael Knight to take on criminals working above the law.  Oh yeah and instead of a horse he has a souped up, nearly invincible Trans Am that can drive through walls, turbo boost over danger and talk called the Knight Industries Two Thousand or K.I.T.T. for short, voiced by William Daniels.

Appearing on NBC in 1982, Knight Rider was part of then wonder-kid Brandon Tartikoff's rebranding of the low rated network that would go on to become a powerhouse with popular and influential shows like Knight, Miami Vice, The Cosby Show, Wings and The A-Team.  Just being born, I missed all the hoopla of Knight Rider's original four season run and picked it up as a youngster on USA Network reruns after school.  From the unforgettable theme song to the breathy voiceover, I loved the weekly adventures in a new town where usually clad in a tight polo, tight black leather jacket and tight jeans Michael would be dispatched by his boss Devon Miles (Edward Mulhare) to investigate shady dealings where common folk were being squeezed and threatened by thugs of all sorts from car thieves to circus gangsters to robbers to professional athletes.  And mack on chicks, of course.  K.I.T.T.'s high tech, "Darth Vader's bathroom" upgrades allowed him to see through walls, jam radio signals, analyze samples and even print from the dashboard.  Michael and K.I.T.T. had a nice rapport as the former would teach the latter about sports and women while conversely, K.I.T.T. acted as the voice of reason to Micheal's hot headed tendencies.  When Michael had to get out of the car, they stayed in touch with a radio wristwatch and Michael would call K.I.T.T. for help many a time.  Now we have self driving cars and smart watches so looks like reality is catching up to Hollywood.

While the car might have been the shiny object, Hasselhoff's easygoing charm and awkward, lanky, karate style antics were just as important.  But what a shiny object, the 1982 Trans Am sports model would become a pop culture symbol for the decade and beyond.  So much that manufacturer Pontiac asked that they not be mentioned as demand skyrocketed.  Given a sleek shiny black paint job, a pulsing red light in front along with a high pitched whistling while driving, K.I.T.T. was the future. Tricked out with gadgets like ejector seats, smoke spray, grappling hooks, even a flamethrower!  Then of course no episode was complete without some car stunts a la rubber track leaving 180's in the middle of the street, driving up on two wheels and Turbo Boosting over every thing like other cars, ponds and walls.  In one episode, K.I.T.T. drove on water!  To this day, a replica would be my dream car.

During Knight Rider's 4 year run, Larson had two additional programs on television, juggernaut Magnum P.I. and The Fall Guy.  After KR wrapped up in 1986, 1991's not very good television movie Knight Rider 2000 failed to relaunch the series and 1997's Team Knight Rider lasted one season.  In 2008, NBC was in the midst of another ratings plummet and began tombing past properties to relaunch.  Knight Rider became a two hour back door pilot and cruised 17 episodes before running out of gas.  Hasselhoff appeared as Michael Knight and his estranged son was the focus of the new series.  K.I.T.T. had been upgraded to a clumsy and not very cool looking Ford Mustang voiced by Val Kilmer.  A feature film adaptation has long been in the works but has yet to gain traction.  The Hoff of course would go on to have a very colorful career, appearing on world wide hit show Baywatch for 236 episodes, achieving some minor hits as a pop singer and even play Nick Fury years before Samuel L. Jackson would don the eye patch in a decent T.V. flick.  Larson would hit a little bit of a dry spell before an early 2000's resurgence with Battlestar Galactica.

In the 90's, Larson was only involved with one show that lasted more than a season, the syndicated comic book adaptation, Night Man.  Based on the Malibu Comics character, Night Man the show was like Batman meets a little bit of Daredevil as police academy level martial arts instructor turned saxophone player Johnny Domino is struck by lightning and gains the ability to tune into the frequency of evil.  You know, like sense someone is gonna shoot somebody, planting a bomb or trips a trap that unleashes a tarantula? Using his karate skills and some top secret, high tech combat gear like an anti-gravity belt, stealth cape, bullet-proof suit and a totally 90's mask with exposed hair, he takes to the skies and streets to battle crooks big time and small.  While cheaply produced, Night Man was a fun show I watched on WGN as a young teenager.  The Protector's Matt McColm plays Domino/Night Man with his likeable stunt guy demeanor and action figure handsome physicality, looking cool in San Francisco in tee shirts and vests while driving his purple Prowler.  Earl Holliman (Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, Forbidden Planet, Sons of Katie Elder) shows up as Johnny's former cop dad while a tech sidekick and police detective were also regular supporting players.  Being the 90's, action was pretty practical with car chases, fisticuffs, explosions and broken windows while random green screen scenes show Night Man "flying" stiffly around town in his black and blue suit complete with a bright red, laser beam firing eye.  The Knight Rider himself David Hasselhoff appears in a brief cameo in part 2 of the pilot as a suave, evil arms dealer type who gets offed by Night Man who then drops a quip about "life being a hassle"!  (Stands up and starts the slow clap) Bravo, writer and executive producer Larson, bravo.

Thanks for the hours of fun and entertainment, Mr. Glen A. Larson.  View in Peace!

View In Peace: New Beverly Cinema

Surfing the various calendars for repertory screenings, special events and the like, I noticed that the New Bev didn't have any programming after September 1st.  That wasn't a surprise, of late, it seems they were always posting their schedule last minute.  The next time I checked, the site stated that the New Bev would have no programs in September and that a full October calendar would be posted soon.  I figured they were doing some renovations, maybe installing some new sound or seats, giving themselves time to plan some exciting programs as there's plenty of friendly competition around in Los Angeles in the form of The American Cinematheque's non-profit support, historic venue to The Cinefamily's robust scheduling of films, festivals, podcasts and special events.  The New Bev has been a constant in my Los Angeles life since the late 2000's.  I've seen some great films here, many for the first time on the big screen.  From Burt Lancaster in The Swimmer to Charles Bronson street fighting in Hard Times to Edgar Wright's programing that included The Warriors with special guests Walter Hill, James Remar, Larry Gordon and Frank Marshall, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance and Westworld.  Then there was 13 Assassins, the Bill and Ted double feature with Alex Winter, the fantastic double of Drive and Warrior as well as  Michael Biehn in person for The Victim among dozens of others.  The one that got away?  The Terminator and Aliens with Michael Biehn, Lance Henriksen, Ricco Ross, Jeanette Goldstein and Mark Rolston in attendance...

In May, The New Bev became part of my personal and professional history when the first Dammaged Goods live event took place over three nights.  After a few unanswered e-mails, I walked into the theater and met Michael Torgan, the manager/operator/programmer/ticket taker/concessions guy extraordinaire.  After a few minutes of discussing what I wanted to do, Michael agreed to host the screenings versus me having to rent the venue as I had writer/director Sheldon Lettich ready to attend.  Of course, the nights of Double Impact and Bloodsport went off spectacularly and JCVD co-stars in Lionheart Harrison Page and Brian Thompson even swung by with Sheldon to support.  Michael was absolutely terrific in getting everything set up, the prints of both films looked great and he seemed happy with the turnouts even though I felt bad we didn't do nearly as well as the sold out Mean Girls anniversary before us.  I had no idea that it was the beginning of the end of an era.

Over the last 72 hours, rumors, interviews and articles have circulated describing what exactly is happening to the Los Angeles fixture.  After 7 years, it seems that hands off owner Quentin Tarantino wants to get more involved with the theater and turn it into the last bastion for film in the city as well as the world.  You see, movie prints cost a lot of money, like thousands of dollars each.  They're shipped across the country in several heavy containers and you need one for every theater showing your movie.  With the rise of digital filmmaking and projecting, movie houses can now simply download a feature or DCP (Digital Cinema Package) which is the equivalent to a 35mm print that will essentially last forever.

A few years ago, studios began offering theaters a rebate of sorts to upgrade to digital projection to help offset the cost.  Recently, studios have all but abandoned striking film prints except to appease a chosen few like Tarantino, Steven Spielberg and Christopher Nolan.  The New Bev was outfitted with a digital projector not long ago and is believed to be part of Tarantino's reasons for taking over.  Why?  Because Tarantino is a film nut and collects prints.  The idea for the flick Grindhouse came from Robert Rodriguez wanting audiences to be able to experience a night at Tarantino's house where he would program double and triple bills complete with related trailers, shorts and other oddities.  Now, the director is looking to share his collection with the world and keep 35mm alive.  Tarantino has stated he'll be curating the first several months of programming at the new New Bev when it reopens in October.  Torgan's involvement is still being worked out while current staff are said to be getting promoted.  One of them is kind of a public face for the joint and produced a documentary about the plight of film but their attitude rubs me the wrong way and the Q&A's I've seen them host have not been among the best.  Whatever happens, I hope the New Bev continues to showcase their vast array of fare and that Michael remains involved, takes a well deserved break or moves on to his next great adventure.  Without him and the New Bev, I wouldn't be working on live event number 4 or met Dolph Lundgren, Robert Patrick, Sheldon Lettich and the throngs of awesome, 80's and 90's action movie loving fans out there.

Charm In Peace: James Garner

I was saddened to see that James Garner passed away on Saturday night in his Brentwood home at the age of 86 by what can only be deemed natural causes.  I had just watched The Great Escape over 4th of July weekend and was again reminded of what a cool, charismatic, funny and macho presence Garner was.  Arguably his role as smooth talking scrounger Hendley in The Great Escape is richer than star Steve McQueen's Captain Hilts, who got to add some motor cycle chase scenes to give audiences something to remember him for.  Garner was one of the last guys Hollywood had left.  What I mean is that he is one of the last of that era's leading men who could do physical, funny and dramatic without breaking a sweat.  He was a star with presence and personality not just fleeting fame.  A product of a broken family and later a veteran of the Korean War and merchant marines, Garner had that real life experience that many young actors are missing today who simply got into the craft from an early age.  He even went after both Warner Brothers and Universal in court, and won!  Of his Great Escape colleagues, director John Sturges, producer Walter Mirisch, co-stars McQueen, James Coburn, Charles Bronson, James Donald and Donald Pleasance among others have all passed away while other dynamic personalities from the period like Burt Lancaster, Lee Marvin, John Wayne and Robert Mitchum have also ascended to the Hollywood party in the sky.  I figure Kirk Douglas is the last of this strong willed, independent and status quo rejecting lot so I should probably write him to tell him how much I've enjoyed his work on and off screen.

I can't recall where I first saw Garner's work but I never really got into his TV stuff where he became a star on Maverick then cemented his legacy with The Rockford Files.

The Great Escape - Bob Hendley, the smooth talking, tool stealing, document procuring scrounger who looked so dashing in his white turtleneck while trying to escape a German camp.  Word is that a rough cut showcased Garner's character to the point that Steve McQueen walked out on the production causing director John Sturges to fire the actor and rewrite the script to blend his character with Garner's.  Of course The Cooler King stayed on and The Great Escape became one of his signature roles.  McQueen and Garner would become friends, neighbors and racing competitors with McQueen often throwing empty beer cans on Garner's beautifully manicured lawn.

The Americanization of Emily - Charles Madison, a smooth talking naval officer aide with an aversion to combat falls for Julie Andrews and gets sent to fight.  Great dialog from Paddy Chayefsky and wonderful chemistry with Andrews.  James Coburn pops up as his buddy nicknamed Bus, which is just an awesome nick name.

Support Your Local Sheriff - Jason McCullough, a big, burly dude in the west who uses his wits, charm and mouth to get out of most trouble in this western comedy.  Loved the bit where he stops a big fight so he can grab his lunch and eat in peace as well as the scene he sticks his finger into a threatening bandits gun and convinces him it will backfire.  Terrific supporting cast and the sequel, Support Your Local Gunfighter is amusing but not quite as good.  I believe he earned a career high salary for one of the flicks in the $750,000 range.

Tank - Sgt. Major Zak Carey, a loving father and Army legend serving his final tour of duty at a small base in Georgia who runs afoul of the corrupt, local law enforcement.  Uses his personal tank to break his son out of jail then goes on the run.  Funny and random flick from the 80's post Garner's 2nd successful TV run with The Rockford Files' 6 year, 122 episode run which saw the star sue Universal for compensation and profits and walking away with an alleged $14 million bucks.

Maverick - Marshall Zane Cooper, the elder straight arrow lawman to Mel Gibson's hot shot gambler who is afraid of guns Bret Maverick.  It looks like Garner, Gibson and Jodie Foster are having a ball in Richard Donner's update of the television show and that makes it more fun for the audience.  Watch out for cameos from Donner alum Corey Feldman and Danny Glover as well as a nod to Lethal Weapon even though the movie takes place in the 1800's.  James Coburn pops up again opposite Garner in a nice reunion. Apparently producers wanted Paul Newman but after he passed, they came to their senses and back to the man who originated the role.

Space Cowboys - Tank Sullivan, Clint Eastwood credits Garner with paving the way for TV stars transitioning to film after suing WB to get out of his Maverick contract.  Garner anchors a cast that includes Eastwood, Donald Sutherland, James Cromwell, William Devane and Tommy Lee Jones as a former test pilot turned reverend.  The young version of Tank is played by Body Armor's Matt McColm too boot.  The scene where Jones and Garner try to keep up with NASA's young astronauts lifting weights is a great one.

I just watched a documentary that interviewed Kurt Russell, an actor who always seemed like he was having a good time and went into semi-retirement to work on a vineyard.  It reminded me of Garner who was known to consider acting a means to an end, playing roles big and small, never chasing status, just working and happened to get lucky and made it on a bigger level.  The kind of guy who just comes off as a cool dude you'd like to kick back with and shoot the shit with.

View In Peace: Steve James & American Ninja 2: The Confrontation

This past Tuesday night consisted of the following:  burgers and fries from Five Guys, whiskey and ginger ale, watching Michael Dudikoff and Steve James in American Ninja 2:  The Confrontation with a buddy as in tuned to the glorious 80's as I am.  American Ninja and The Confrontation were seemingly always on TBS or My 43 as a kid and you can bet your ass I watched them both.  A lot.  Then I picked them up on VHS before some genius finally put them on DVD.  American Ninja 2 finds Army Rangers Joe Armstrong (Dudikoff) and Curtis Jackson (James) investigating a rash of missing Marines on some Bahamas-like island paradise.  Rumors of giants dressed head to toe in black suits prompts the Army to send Armstrong and Jackson as they had already taken down a weapons dealer with a Ninja training facility in part I.  Army VS Marine jokes, bar brawls, Levi jeans tucked into boots, wrist bands, sparky 80's soundtrack with steel drums, karate, genetically modified ninja, bright pastel shorts, Body Glove wetsuits, ninja laddering up rocks and ninja using a sawed off shotgun antics ensue.

Maybe it's because I've seen The Confrontation more times than American Ninja but I always liked it better.  It just moves faster and is a lot of fun.  By now, the story sees Dudikoff and James as buddies and their chemistry onscreen is palpable.  So it's a shock to learn that the two didn't get along overly well over the first two films they were paired up in, Ninja and Avenging Force.  James thinks it has something to do with Michael Dudikoff being a model turned actor thrown into an action role with no prior training.  The fact that James was a stuntman and martial arts enthusiast complete with natural onscreen charisma and a muscular build too boot would probably unnerve many a co-star.  While it was clear that Dudikoff was the star, James had some reservations and demands to be met if he was going to return.  Basically he wanted more action, more humor and at least one scene with a female costar.  All of those criteria were met and added to the fun of the picture.  As Jackson, James gets to mix it up with ninjas on the beach, locals in a bar and more ninjas at the end while armed with an auto shotgun and huge butterfly knives clad in what looked like a leather vest.  James' crazed/macho posturing, eagerness to scrap, dry sense of humor and wooing of a woman at a party give the movie plenty of memorable moments and helps make it more than just a low-budget, throwaway genre flick.

Released just under 2 years after American Ninja, The Confrontation would open on fewer screens to less box office, raking in $4 million on a rumored $350,000 dollar budget compared to the originals $10.4 million on a $1 million production.  James would return to the franchise in American Ninja 3:  Blood Hunt in 1989 before taking control of his own destiny and creating projects for himself.  Sadly, at only 41 years old, Steve James passed away in 1994.  Originally thought to have pancreatic cancer, his family believes that may have not been the case. 

View In Peace: James "Jim" Jacks and Hard Target

Earlier this week, the death of movie producer James "Jim" Jacks quietly hit the news and interwebs in the form of a few brief articles and a couple detailed write ups from friends and collaborators like Kevin Smith and Harry Knowles.  His name might not strike the household familiarity of say a Jerry Bruckheimer or to a lesser extent Joel Silver but Jacks amassed a list of timeless classics like Jean-Claude Van Damme as a greasy mulleted samurai in Hard Target, the action ensemble western classic Tombstone, Richard Linklater's seminal Dazed and Confused, Kevin Smith's maligned but awesome Mallrats, Benecio Del Toro and Tommy Lee Jones' Rambo update The Hunted and his most successful work, 1999's The Mummy.  The Mummy was followed by two hit sequels and a successful spin off, The Scorpion King; which has had now spawned 3 direct to video sequels (the latest featuring Michael Biehn!).

A former wall street analyst who turned to screenwriting before working acquisitions at Universal and segueing into producing, Jacks is said to have been a hardcore movie lover.  1993 was a banner year for him as Hard Target, Dazed and Confused and Tombstone all hit theaters across the country.  Each holds it's own place in my and cinema's lore as they have all transcended generations and still resonate 20 years on.  Even though each title is held in high regard, at least two of them never matched the original intent of Jacks and his partners in celluloid.

By the early 90's, Jean-Claude Van Damme was the still the hot, young guy coming up the action ladder following Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger while competing with fellow new to the scene martial artist, Steven Seagal.  After a string of successful, low budget karate movies, 1992's Universal Soldier was his first decent budget, more mainstream action affair that had a talented director and studio support.  The flick performed well around the world and JCVD tried his hand at further broadening his audience with Nowhere To Run, a modern day Shane where VD protects a mother and her kids from evil land owners.  With nary a roundhouse kick or full split to be seen, Nowhere To Run might have fulfilled the Belgian's desire to try something different but audiences did not turn out and grosses were less than his previous 3 films.

Hard Target was the beginning of Van Damme's real push into the big leagues (it was also my second R-rated movie in a theater).  Universal saw his potential and figured with the right support, he could break into the $50-60 million grosses and join Arnold and Sly at the top of the mountain.  Former Navy Seal Chuck Pfarrer's (Navy Seals!) script is the story of Chance Boudreaux, a Merchant Marine struggling to make a living who helps out a young lawyer searching for her missing father.  Turns out her dad was a Vietnam veteran who agreed to be the subject of a twisted game that finds rich hunters paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to track and kill their fellow man.  Lance Henriksen and Arnold Vosloo turn up as the dastardly duo behind the sick scheme and it's up to Van Damme, the chick from Drop Zone (Yancy Butler) and mother fucking Wilford Brimley to stop them.

I'm not sure whose idea it was to go after noted Hong Kong director John Woo but the mayhem maestro behind The Killer signed on for his first American feature after Jacks and Universal set their sights on him.  Van Damme gave his stamp of approval but unfortunately, the $18 million production would be awash with problems from Van Damme being given far reaching creative control to Woo's unfamiliarity with the English language and American filmmaking process.  See, in Hong Kong, movies shoot for a while, stop and assess then continue on.  You can't do that kind of thing in America as studios need product to fill their slate so Woo was stranded without his team, working in a language not his own and a nervous studio watching over his shoulder.  Universal enlisted Evil Dead and Darkman director Sam Raimi to the production, ready to take over if Woo fell behind.  Even though Raimi was in awe of Woo and didn't think he would be able to bring anything better to the project.

After re-shooting the final confrontation between Van Damme and Henriksen, editing the picture would find the Muscles From Brussels presenting his own version along with Woo's cut that had to be trimmed down to avoid an NC-17 rating.  Jacks supported Woo's version as they didn't want a typical "Van Damme movie".  Test screenings were horrendous but finally on August 20th of 1993, Hard Target hit theaters, opening to $10 million on it's way to a $32 million total.  The tally was higher than Nowhere to Run but less than Universal Soldier.  Critics would deem it Van Damme's best but Woo's worst.  As it stands, Hard Target is a well made and violent action picture that does it's best to mesh Woo's human drama mixed with balletic gun violence and Van Damme's high kicking super heroics.  You get way too much slow motion, lots of close ups, bad puns, shoot'em ups, kick'em ups, jack rabbits slapping bears, horses, snake smacking, Mardi Gras, Lance Henriksen being set on fire, mama's taking chances and Ted Raimi saying "I ain't got no change, man!".

Post mortem, Van Damme would dismiss Hard Target for having a bad script and too much "John Woo bullshit" but having some good action and making him look strong.  Woo would remain political and say they did the best they could with what they had and didn't close the door on working with Van Damme again.  It never happened.  Van Damme would go on to his biggest hit, Timecop, before turning down a huge deal with Universal and sliding into a career funk filled with drug problems and messy divorces.  Woo would go on to find success after success, working with John Travolta, Nicolas Cage and Tom Cruise on Broken Arrow, Face/Off and Mission Impossible II before returning to Chinese cinema following the poorly received Windtalkers and Paycheck.

Come back next time as we check out Jacks' work on a fellow, troubled production: Tombstone.  Until then, enjoy Van Damme beating up some thugs after having some tragic gumbo.