Tuesday, October 19, 2010

A follow up to my entry on George Tames 1961 photo of JFK entitled "The Loneliest Job in the World" a very very similar picture, also taken in (November) 1961 by Jacques Lowe:

http://www.jacqueslowe.com/gallery.php?id=jfk&num=18

Lowe also has a famous picture (reproduced for popular poster prints in the 1960s and 1970s) of RFK and JFK in silhuoette entitled "Brothers" from 1960.
According to Herbert Packer in an article for New Republic (January 10, 1970, 12-13), "Gideon 1963": "made it essential for the states to afford the effective assistance of ounsel to criminal defendants." It should also be notes that Miranda v. Arizona established the basis of Miranda rights (a frequent cop film/ cop show trope). In essence, what Packer calls the "procedrual revolution" in law occurs in the 1960s, ensuring more and better rights for alleged criminals. This occurs though, in the supreme court. The legislative response, and still the law enforcement institutions themselves are much slower to change in accordance with these decisions.
From Show magazine, July 9, 1970, p. 12 ("Showing Up" section), A short piece about Gordon Willis:

"Cinematographer Gordon Willis has become recognized as one of the great talents working in films today. So far this year he has in release End of the Road, Loving, and The Landlord. With stark simplicity, he has found out how things really look, distilling appearances and discovering a reality that transcends most of what has been seen on the screen up until now. With the most accurate, artistically devised lighting, he has developed a style that is clearly his own, but that is also perfectly right for the style of the film. He starts filming Alan J. Pakula's Klute next month in New York, where he has a knack of fining more poetry in litter than most cinematographers can find in a rose garden."

Monday, October 4, 2010


Recent interview blogradio interview with Owen Roizman and Sonny Grosso. Roizman briefly discusses his dissatisfaction with Friedkin's color "restoration" of French Connection for blu-ray disc: http://hollywood-elsewhere.com/2009/02/atrocioushorrif.php

Spanish (or italian?) poster in the style of "man over city" a la Fântomas, Captive City, etc.

In her book on the Erotic Thriller, Linda Ruth Williams interviews William Friedkin about the production of Cruising. Among other things, Friedkin claims that the main inspiration for the film was not the book with the same name by Gerald Walker, but a series of columns by Village Voice writer Arthur Bell, who apparently covered homicides taking place at the clubs Friedkin would later shoot in. Bell later joined others in vehemently denouncing the film.

To start, look at "Looking for Mr. Gaybar," Village Voice, 24 January 1977, p19, 20.