Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Carl Gardner of The Coasters Is Gone

Carl Gardner is on the left.
Move the mouse to the Guardian obit.

Visit The Prof's other blog, Nipper and Me for some toonz.

Gunnar Fischer 1910-2011

Ingmar Bergman and Gunnar Fischer
Read the details at MUBI and follow those links.


The Seventh Seal

Summer Interlude


The Magician


Wild Strawberries



Reading Giddins "Avidly, Avidly"

The Prof eagerly peeled off the shrink-wrap and admired the packaging for the new Criterion DVD of Sweet Smell of Success, relishing the thought of the feast to come: the film restored with a commentary track, and a whole disc of extras including a full length documentary on director Alexander Mackendrick.  But it turned out the booklet that comes with the film was no mere appetizer--it was a banquet unto itself.  (Yeah, the Prof just said "unto."  Don't get shirty.)  The best thing in the very packed booklet is Gary Giddins' essay which weaves together the historical details and an appreciation of the contributions of Tony Curits, cinematographer James Wong Howe, story writer Ernest Lehman, and screenplay writer Clifford Odets.  Giddins also surveys earlier and later films with similar themes and styles, and does some literary detective work linking the film with The Great Gatsby.  It's beautifully written.  Go read it at Criterion's site.

Whew!  And the Prof learned by accident while linking you, fair reader, to the site that Criterion has just released the elusive Kon Ichikawa masterpiece The Makioka Sisters at what is, for Criterion, a bargain price.  More on that and Ray's Jalsaghar (The Music Room) as the Prof gets his sweaty mitts on them.