This year's trip to Cinefest

Once again I trekked to the near frozen northwest and Syracuse NY to attend Cinefest 29 this past weekend. Cinefest is a delightfully grassroots hardcore assembling of film fans, archivists, historians and collectors who get to see forgotten films, uncut or reconstructed versions of movies and archival curiosities.

It's not a snooty crowd at all. People actually care about film and are as happy to see a German silent art film as they are a George O'Brien B Western. This ain't Sundance where too many of the audience members seem to focus on everything but the films .

Cinefest specializes in American and British film from the silent era to the late 1940s, although a more recent film occasionally sneaks by.

By its eclectic nature the programming can challenge your cinematic prejudices. There have been many times when I steadfastly refused to see a certain movie because of the subject or star only to be convinced I should see it and then found that was indeed the case.

This year's highlights included a "Screen Snapshot" short from the early 1950s that was a tribute to many of the screen cowboys of the previous 20 years. An episode of the early television show "Life with Buster Keaton" was also alto of fun.

"Wheel of Life" (1929) a romance set in colonial India was creaky and laughable, while "The Circle" (1925), a romantic dramady based on the play by Somerset Maugham, was surprisingly good.

The show screened some of Joan Crawford's home movies, which proved to be a revelation to me. I never thought Crawford was any great beauty, but these in scenes, many in color, she is striking wearing little or no make-up and looking relaxed. There was one shock in the reel, though – shots of Crawford bare-assed and sunbathing of the roof of her home.

The biggest treat was the American premiere of the 1958 film "the Secret Man" produced by my friend Richard Gordon. Richard is a Cinefest devotee and he introduced the film, which, for a number of reasons never received distribution here. The taut little spy film was written by Brian Clements ("The Avengers") and was directed by Ronald Kinnoch.

Shot in four weeks in London using many outdoor locations, this film is a perfect example of the most successful approach to low-budget film making: you tailor a script to your budget rather than try to stretch a budget to fulfill a script. Kinnoch directed the film with an eye to gritty realism and star Marshall Thompson delivers a very realistic under-played performance.

It's a typical Cinefest movie in that I wanted to find it on DVD so my wife could see it.

That was also the case with "The Perfect Specimen," a great 1938 romantic comedy directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Errol Flynn and Joan Blondell – two performers who I would watch in almost anything. This film doesn't turn up on television due to story rights and the print came out of Flynn's person collection.

"White Gold" (1927) was the last feature I saw and boy what a fascinating movie. The plot involves a beautiful cabaret performer who falls in love with the son of a sheep rancher and makes a valiant effort to fit in but is thwarted by her father-in-law who is jealous of his son's love for her. The Dutch actress Jetta Goudal gives an excellent performance.

Over the next several days I'll post some of the items I found in the dealers' rooms.

© 2009 by Gordon Michael Dobbs

I meant to put this up here weeks ago, but it slipped my mind. "Grindhouse" was a great experience and was an intersection of two of my pet film theories. The first is "Trash chic," in which film elements once commonly thought as bad by mainstream critics and audiences are lauded by niche audiences. Interestingly enough, while "trash chic" was once the province of film nuts and fan boys celebrating the "it's so bad it's good" aesthetic, it's now considered almost mainstream.

The other theory is "The Movie Boys" in which there is now a handful of directors whose roots are not in journalism, fiction, still photography or theater, but in the appreciation of film. Sam Raimi and Joe Dante are two examples. They reference favorite films and use actors whom they admired as fans. Richard and Alex Gordon were the first "movie boys," especially Alex, who sought out characters actors he loved – he tried always to find a place in his films for Frank Lacteen, for example.

Anyway, I loved "Grindhouse," although the Tarantino sequence was too talky.


For many of us who grew up during the drive-in era, the new movie "Grindhouse" brought forth a number of memories about that movie-going experience.

The recently released film is a double feature of two new movies that capture the spirit of drive-in classics. The three-hour show is complete with trailers for other outrageous films that don't exist. The only thing that could make the experience more authentic is if the stereophonic sound was replaced with the tinny noise that used to come out of those speakers that hung on your car's window.

Although "Grindhouse" had great reviews, industry pundits noted it didn't make the money its opening weekend many thought it would. "Grindhouse" is not a film for everyone. In many ways it has the specialized appeal of an art house film. While I think its hyper-violence is so over the top it becomes satiric, the zombie blasting of "Planet Terror" and the serial killer antics of "Death Proof" might offend others.

Unless you lived in a major city, you couldn't experience a real "grindhouse" the movie industry term for a theater that ran about 18 hours a day with continuous showings of both main stream Hollywood fare and exploitation movies.

In markets such as Western Massachusetts, though, the place for low-budget exploitation films were drive-ins such as the Airline in Chicopee, E.M. Loew's in West Springfield, or the Parkway in Wilbraham.

With the weakening of the major studios in the late 1940s due to Supreme Court decisions that made them divest their theater holdings and the rise in the popularity of television, there was an opening for independent productions and foreign imports. There was also a rise in the teen population and the explosion of the suburb that created a new market for theaters located outside of traditional urban settings.

Add those ingredients with the fact that theater owners were investing in drive-in theaters and eager to try new productions to lure people away from their television sets, and you had everything you needed to create a fascinating 30-year slice of American movie history.

The restrictions of television carefully censored productions shown on a small screen in black and white were used by independent producers to their advantage. They realized they did have big stars or big budgets. To make their films work, they emphasized elements that the major studios shunned: controversial drama, sex, skin, actions and violence.

The producers frequently used the horror, crime and science fiction genres as their vehicles of choice.

The delirious violence and action in "Grindhouse" is way out of the budget league of the filmmakers Robert Rodriquez and Quentin Tarantino emulated. The two contemporary directors, though, effectively caught the subversive qualities of the exploitation film.

Although many people who made these low-budget wonders took pride in their work, the goal was not art, but money. The producers were more concerned with box office receipts than with reviews.

I must admit that after seeing "Grindhouse" my first reaction was to go through my videotape and DVD collection and assemble my own double-bills. Here are some suggestions if you want to continue the "Grindhouse" experience in your own home.

Something Weird Video (www.somethingweird.com) is the home for a wide variety of forgotten films and they feature some double feature DVDs. One great set is "Blood Suckers/Blood Thirst," a pair of films that have the very exploitable word of "blood" in their titles. Starring Peter Cushing and Patrick MacNee, "Blood Suckers" is an odd vampire film set in Greece and England that revolves around academics (!), while "Blood Thirst" is a vampire tale set in the Philippines that mixes the conventions of that genre with those of the detective fiction.

Another hysterical double feature is "Death Curse of Tartu/ Sting of Death," a pair of horror films from Florida director William Grefe. You haven't lived until you've seen a walking jellyfish man!

Something Weird also features collections of previews from dozens of drive-in movies. Since previews have to show you enough of the good parts to lure you to a show, they are frequently more entertaining than the actual movie.

Parents should be aware there is adult material on the Something Weird site.

There are dozens and dozens of drive-in movies available on DVD. Producer Roger Corman specialized in these films and among my favorites are "Death Race 2000," a darkly funny look at America's future, and "Hollywood Boulevard," a film that first time directors Allan Arkush and Joe Dante did for Corman on a remarkably low budget.

Corman produced a number of films in the Philippines that offered low labor costs and good filmmakers such as director Eddie Romero. Romero's trilogy of "Mad Doctor of Blood Island," "Brides of Blood" and "Beast of Blood" would make one of those great "all night" shows all the drive-ins featured.

While the era of the drive-in and the grindhouse is over, the films they featured live on and can still provide some low-rent guilty pleasures.

© 2007 by G. Michael Dobbs

For about 20 years film producer Richard Gordon has been both a friend – and whether he knew it or not – a mentor to me. A witty and classy gentlemen, Richard has a vast knowledge about film and I'm hopeful a new generation will discover his own movies through DVD releases such as the following. These photos are from Richard's brother Alex's – also one exceptional gentleman – film "Atomic Submarine," "Corridors of Blood," "Haunted Stangler" and "First Man into Space."

This new two-disc set from The Criterion Collection – the gold standard for
DVDs – features the vintage horror films, “The Haunted Strangler” and
Corridors of Blood and science fiction films, “First Man into Space” and
“The Atomic Submarine.”

Richard Gordon produced three of the films – “Strangler,” Corridors
“and” Space – while the fourth film was made by Richard’s brother Alex back
in the era in which independent producers flourished.

This package is more than just four enjoyable films. It is a celebration
of a two movie fans who did what all fans wish they could do: actually
produce films – successful films no less.

Richard and Alex grew up in England in the 1930s and were both avid
films fans. As kids they ran fan clubs in their native country – Richard
organized a club for Buster Crabbe (Flash Gordon of the movie serials),
while Alex ran a club for singing cowboy Gene Autry – and their love of
films only grew with time.

As young men, they decided to come to this country in the late 1940s to
try their luck breaking into the industry. After a variety of show business
jobs ranging from publicity to distribution, both men were able to find
their niche.

Alex settled in California and made most of his films at American
International Pictures and along with Roger Corman was one of the principal
producers of that company in the 1950s.

Alex was the producer who really established the casting concept now
made famous of by Quentin Tarantino of giving roles to performers who were
favorites from his youth and ready for re-discovery.

Alex left producing in 1965 and pursued a respected career as an
archivist and then a long stint working with cowboy turned businessman Gene
Autry. He died in 2003.

Richard established his offices in New York City and made his films in
his native Great Britain. Although his last feature was made in 1981,
Richard has been very active licensing his library of films for home video
and television around the world.

Of the many independent producers who were making films in the 1950s
through the 1980s, only Richard has remained active in the business to this
date.

Richard’s The Haunted Strangler” and “Corridors of Blood” both star
Boris Karloff and afforded the aging actor with two of best roles in the
last segment of his career.

“Strangler’ is a neat twist on the Jekyll and Hyde theme with Karloff as
an acclaimed mystery writer trying to prove his theory about a long-dead
serial killer.

“Corridors” features Karloff as a doctor in Victorian England pioneering
the use of anesthesia and becoming an addict in the process.

Richard’s third movie in the package is “First Man into Space,” a movie
that straddles the horror and science fiction genres.

A Navy test pilot returns from an experimental flight as an encrusted monster killing
people for their blood.

The effective direction of Robert Day and Karloff’s performances push
“Strangler” and “Corridors” out of standard horror genre fare. They are both
very good, solid films.

“First Man” is a fast-moving exploitation film – it capitalized on the
very topical space race of the late 1950s – and is also a lot of fun.

“The Atomic Submarine” is one of Alex’s most ambitious films with a
large cast of sentimental favorites – cowboy stars Dick Foran and Bob
Steele, suave Tom Conway, among others – a lot of special effects, and a
timely theme of nuclear submarines. It can also boast of one of the most
unusual monsters seen in a sci-fi movie.

Although the low budget shows at times, “Submarine” is a drive-in movie
that is hard not to dislike.

All of the films have great commentary tracks with author Tom Weaver
interviewing Richard and Alex and Criterion includes two insightful booklets
featuring essays on the films. Other extras are interviews with director
Robert Day and some of the cast members from the films.

This is one of my essential additions to my DVD library.

For more information, log onto www.criterionco.com

Images copyright by Gordon Films, Inc.
Copyright 2007 by Gordon Michael Dobbs