Film Noir Flashback: 99 River Street

Evelyn Keyes and John Payne

Ernie Driscoll (John Payne) is a former prizefighter who was forced to quit the ring after a permanent injury to his eye. He’s eking out a living as a cab driver in New York City. Ernie’s wife Pauline is not thrilled with their bottom dwelling lifestyle. He may think he’s got it rough right now, but Ernie doesn’t know just how bad things are going to get in 99 River Street, a tough as nails thriller directed by genre veteran Phil Karlson. This hard-hitting film takes place over the span of one fateful night, as Ernie learns just how far his spouse will go to escape her low-rent existence.

Pauline has hooked up with a criminal named Victor Rawlins, who’s just pulled off a diamond heist. She plans to skip town with him, and find herself a better life. That decision will have deadly consequences. When Victor goes to see Christopher, his fence (with Pauline in tow) the man isn’t too happy that a woman is involved, or that Rawlins killed the owner of the diamonds. The fence tells the thief to scram. Victor later kills Pauline and frames Ernie for his wife’s murder. Meanwhile, Ernie’s gotten mixed up with the good-hearted but ambitious Linda James, an aspiring stage actress who tells him she’s killed a man and needs his help. But there’s more to Linda's story than meets the eye, and it doesn’t bode well for Ernie.

Things go from bad to worse as the police hunt for Ernie in connection with Pauline’s murder, as well as a scuffle that he got into with the producers of Linda’s show. Both Ernie’s pal Stan, who runs the cab company and Linda try to help him evade the cops until he can find out the truth about his wife’s murder. Meanwhile, Victor Rawlins has forced Christopher (at gunpoint) to give him cash for the diamonds, and is now planning to flee the country by boat. But the fence doesn’t plan to let Rawlins get away that easily. Everyone comes together at the title address, located at the docks, as their fates intertwine one last time. Who will survive the climactic meeting at 99 River Street?

John Payne turns in a good performance as Ernie, who just wants a chance at a better life, and is thwarted by circumstances beyond his control. There are some familiar faces in the strong supporting cast, including Brad Dexter as Victor Rawlins, Frank Faylen as Stan and Jay Adler as Christopher. But this film really belongs to the ladies. Peggie Castle as Pauline and Evelyn Keyes as Linda manage to steal the movie right out from under their male co-stars. Castle is perfect as Pauline and brings some real nuance to the standard role of the scheming wife. Keyes is equally good as Linda, whose heart is in the right place, even when she makes some bad choices. She gets a great scene late in the story when she has to charm the slimy Rawlins at a dive bar.

This swiftly paced noir is well directed by Phil Karlson, who also worked with star Payne on Kansas City Confidential and Hell’s Island. The excellent cinematography is by Franz Planer, who imbues the film’s night-time NYC settings with a real sense of menace. The screenplay by Robert Smith manages to sneak a couple of decent twists into a relatively by the book crime thriller. While 99 River Street isn’t an iconic or ground-breaking noir like Double Indemnity, The Killers or Out of the Past, it’s an enjoyable 83 minute ride for fans of the genre. The film is currently available on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber home video, featuring an audio commentary from Eddie Muller, the host of Noir Alley on Turner Classic Movies. You can take a look at the film's trailer at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYY48zTTsDk.

An In-Depth Look At "Starting Over"

There have been a plethora of books written about the life of John Lennon, covering his years as a member of The Beatles, as well as his work as a solo artist. Many of these works focus on the big picture, and attempt to paint an overall history of Lennon's life and music, while also celebrating his influence on new generations of musicians. One of the best books about John is actually much more intimate in scope. Starting Over: The Making of John Lennon & Yoko Ono's Double Fantasy, is a compelling look at John's return to the studio after a five year hiatus. Ken Sharp, who has also written books about David Bowie, Cheap Trick, The Raspberries, KISS and Elvis Presley, put together this comprehensive oral history of the making of Double Fantasy, the last album to be released before John's death. The classic disc includes songs such as "Woman" and the title track.

Starting Over: The Making of John Lennon & Yoko Ono's Double Fantasy features insightful interviews with Yoko Ono, producer Jack Douglas, guitarists Earl Slick and Hugh McCracken, bassist Tony Levin and drummer Andy Newmark, who played on the album, and worked in the studio with John and Yoko. There are comments from John himself (culled from archival interviews), as well as observations from many of the other behind the scenes personnel who contributed to the record, as well as photographers, writers and radio and television personalities who interacted with John and Yoko during the production of Double Fantasy. The book offers an in-depth perspective on the creative process, and gives you a real insider's sense of what it's like to be in the studio while working on an album.

What also emerges from this fascinating oral history is an insightful look at John Lennon as a musician, husband, father and friend. John was thrilled about returning to the studio after being away from the spotlight while helping to raise his son Sean. Many of the comments focus on how much fun he was having making music again, and how excited he was to work with Yoko on the album. Double Fantasy alternates between John's songs and Yoko's, forming sort of a dialogue between them, and he clearly hoped this record would help people appreciate Yoko's songs as much as his own compositions for the album.

You get a real sense from the interviews and comments that John was much more at peace with himself than he'd been in a long time. It's clear that John's time as a family man helped him come to terms with some of the demons of his past. The studio musicians all talk about how he would clown around between takes, playing old rock and roll songs and talking about his days as a Beatle. He was already talking about the followup to Double Fantasy, and had even mentioned going out on the road and performing live again. It's truly sad that we never got to see John take the stage again, or release more music. This incisive book will truly make you appreciate him as a musician and as a man.

Ken Sharp is a prolific author and talented musician, who truly understands what made John and his music so unique and unforgettable. This thoughtful, poignant portrait of John as painted by Ken through his absorbing history of the Double Fantasy sessions will make you appreciate the music all over again, and feel John's tragic loss that much more deeply. Starting Over: The Making of John Lennon & Yoko Ono's Double Fantasy was originally published in 2010, and has recently been made available as an e-book. It's available at sites such as Amazon. For more information on Ken and his work, head over to http://ken-sharp.com.

Bly Manor: A Ghost Story & A Love Story

Mike Flanagan has established himself as one of the top writer-directors currently working in the horror genre, thanks to such well-received films as Before I Wake, Oculus, and a pair of Stephen King adaptations, Gerald's Game and Doctor Sleep. He's perhaps best known to fright fans for his 2018 Netflix series, The Haunting of Hill House, a brilliant re-interpretation of Shirley Jackson's novel, which took that classic ghost story into some new and surprising directions, while remaining true to the spirit of the original. His newest project, The Haunting of Bly Manor, is an update of the Henry James novella The Turn of the Screw, which has been adapted for the big and small screen many times before, most notably as the 1961 thriller The Innocents, starring Deborah Kerr and Peter Wyngarde. It was also featured on the big screen earlier this year in a version called The Turning, directed by Floria Sigismondi, which starred Mackenzie Davis.  

Flanagan's version takes place primarily in 1987, when Dani Clayton, an American living in London, is hired as the new governess for two orphaned children, Miles and Flora Wingrave, who live at a house called Bly Manor. It turns out there are eerie things happening at the manor, and the children seem to know more about what's going on than the adults. Dani brings the ghosts of her own past with her to the house, and the rest of the staff, including Mrs. Gose, the housekeeper, and the Owen, the cook, have their own secrets to contend with as well. But the most intense and powerful supernatural entities at the manor seem focused on the children. What is the secret of Bly Manor? Why are the children so intensely involved with what's going on? One thing is certain; Dani will have to face her own demons before she can help the children with theirs.

The Haunting of Bly Manor is a terrific thriller, and expands on its source material much in the same unique ways as Flanagan's earlier series. The story takes some twists and turns you may not expect, and while there aren't quite as many out and out terrifying "jump out of your seat" moments as there were in The Haunting of Hill House, this series slowly builds up the tension to some truly unsettling moments of dread. The show takes the time to slowly unfold its story, and there are a couple of episodes (especially the excellent one focusing on Mrs. Gose) that on the surface may seem to be diverting attention from the main story, but actually fit seamlessly into the narrative. There are, as usual with Flanagan's work, small details and visual cues tucked into scenes through the series that give the viewer clues as to what may be really be going on at Bly Manor. Dani's last name, Clayton, is actually a nod to Jack Clayton, director of The Innocents.

The cast is superb, with several veterans of Flanagan's previous series and films appearing in the show, including Victoria Pedretti, Henry Thomas, Carla Gugino and Kate Siegel. T'Nia Miller as Mrs. Gose, and Rahul Koli as Owen are excellent in their roles, especially in the amazing fifth episode of the series; no spoilers here, but the Hannah Gose centered story may be the series' best entry, and that's saying a lot as the show is consistently well-acted, well-written and well-directed. The Haunting of Bly Manor is a deeply emotional, powerful tale that is as heart-rending as it is chilling. The hauntings in this story are as internal as they are external. One character remarks that this isn't a "ghost story, it's a love story." I disagree, this fantastic series is a ghost story and a love story, and it succeeds admirably on both counts. If you're a fan of supernatural tales with a healthy does of heart and emotion, head over to Netflix and seek out The Haunting of Bly Manor. Highly recommended for viewing during Halloween season, or any season of the year. Here's a link to the trailer for the series : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2y0qSYf578.                         

Retro Movie : The Parallax View

The 1970s were the decade in which the conspiracy thriller movie came into its own. In the wake of the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr., the optimism of the 1960s gave way to feelings of distrust and paranoid thoughts. Theses negative thoughts escalated further when the United States was propelled into the aftermath of events such as the Manson murders and the Watergate scandal. Films like Executive Action, The Conversation, Night Moves, Three Days of the Condor, All The President's Men, Winter Kills and Capricorn One focused on conspiracies, real or imagined, that exposed the dark underside of the American dream. No movie illustrates these ideas and concepts in a more chilling and effective manner than The Parallax View, director Alan J. Pakula's 1974 classic starring Warren Beatty.

Beatty plays Joe Frady, a somewhat down on his luck (albeit talented and resourceful) reporter who, as the film opens, is nearby when a popular presidential candidate is assassinated. An investigative committee formed by the government finds that the murder was the act of a disturbed individual who acted alone. Lee Carter, a newswoman who witnessed the murder firsthand, visits Frady several years after the killing. She tells him that she believes something odd is going on, as a number of witnesses to the shooting have died, seemingly under normal or accidental circumstances. Carter, a former flame of Frady's, is herself found dead of a drug overdose shortly after her visit to his home, and Frady decides to investigate.

What he discovers is that a mysterious organization called The Parallax Corporation is recruiting people who are on the fringe of society, and don't fit the accepted behavioral norm. These antisocial outsiders are given training, and new jobs, but are ultimately used as assassins, taking out politicians that don't fit the shadowy group's world view. The oddball loners are then framed for the crimes, and take the fall for the killings as a "lone gunman." Frady convinces his editor that he should go undercover in the organization, allow them to recruit him, and expose their activities to the world. It's a choice that could ultimately prove to be Frady's undoing. The power of the Parallax organization, and their connections, run far deeper than he ever imagined.

In The Parallax View, nothing is quite what it seems. There are multiple layers of secrets, lies and misdirection at the center of this shadowy organization. As he digs deeper, Frady becomes caught in the middle of a deadly conspiracy. Just how far do the tendrils of Parallax reach? The sense of unease and impending doom is palpable in this dark and cynical thriller. The moody cinematography by Gordon Willis is superb, as is Pakula's tense direction. There's always something happening just outside the frame, and you're often unsure of exactly what's going on right before your eyes. The X-Files may have popularized the term "Trust No One" but in The Parallax View, there's a deep feeling of dread throughout the story. You really can't trust anyone.

The cast is superb. Beatty delivers a solid, low key performance as Frady. The fine supporting cast includes Paula Prentiss, Hume Cronyn, William Daniels, Kenneth Mars, Walter McGinn and Anthony Zerbe. The intelligent, layered script was written by David Giler and Lorenzo Semple, Jr. (with an uncredited assist by Robert Towne) and is based on the book by Loren Singer. Michael Small provides an excellent score, which helps add to the sense of unease throughout the film. Along with Klute and All The President's Men, which were also directed by Alan J. Pakula, this film is often referred to as part of his unofficial "paranoia" trilogy. The Parallax View seems even more relevant in our current environment, and is definitely worth a look. Here's a link to the trailer for the film, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzQRp0Fjpjg, which is now streaming on Amazon.

Retro Movie: Mr. Holland's "Fright Night"

When people talk about their favorite vampire films of the 1980s, The Lost Boys tends to be the first one that pops up in a lot of discussions. I really enjoy director Joel Schumacher’s MTV-styled horror opus, but for my money, the best vampire tale of the 1980s is Fright Night. The film tells the story of Charlie Brewster, a teenager whose favorite TV show is the horror movie showcase, Fright Night, hosted by actor Peter Vincent. When Charlie discovers that his new next-door neighbor is a bona fide vampire, no one believes him, and he turns to Peter for help. Peter is initially reluctant to help Charlie, and thinks he’s crazy. The actor eventually realizes Charlie is telling the truth, and helps him battle the evil nosferatu, who has kidnapped Charlie’s girlfriend Amy, and plans to turn her into his vampire companion. Can our heroes defeat this powerful creature of the night and save Amy?

Roddy McDowall and William Ragsdale

Writer-director Tom Holland initially came up with the idea for the movie while working on the screenplay for 1984’s Cloak & Dagger. He conceived it as a variation on the “boy who cried wolf” concept, but couldn’t figure out how to make the central idea work, until he came up with the Peter Vincent character, someone a teenaged horror fan would logically go to with his wild tale of the vampire next door. Holland lobbied to direct the project, and thanks to his success as a screenwriter on films like Class of 1984 and Psycho II, the studio gave him the chance to take the reins for the movie. Fright Night is an enjoyable combination of thrills, chills and humor, thanks to Holland’s excellent direction, marvelous special effects work, and a terrific cast.

William Ragsdale (who later starred in the TV series Herman’s Head) is quite good as Charlie, the  young horror film fan thrown into a world where the terrifying things he watches on screen are very real. Amanda Bearse (soon to be featured on Married…With Children as Marcy, the Bundys' neighbor) is equally effective as Amy, and Stephen Geoffreys is a standout as “Evil” Ed, a nerdy kid who gets more than he bargained for when he comes up against the supernatural. There’s also solid work from Jonathan Stark, Art J. Evans and Dorothy Fielding in supporting roles. But Fright Night truly belongs to Roddy McDowall as washed up actor Peter Vincent (a character named in honor of Peter Cushing and Vincent Price) and Chris Sarandon as the coolly evil Jerry Dandrige. McDowall’s wonderful performance, and his natural chemistry with Ragsdale and the other young actors in the cast, is a standout, as is Sarandon’s top-notch work as the handsome, seductive, yet never less than frightening vampire.

Fright Night is a masterful blend of horror and comedy. Holland’s script neatly balances the horror and humor aspects of the story. The story sticks with some of the conventions of previous vampire tales, while giving others a new spin. The movie is never quite a full-on comedy, though there are some funny moments along the way. The vampire elements of Fright Night are treated with deadly seriousness, and the film succeeds at being an outstanding straight ahead horror tale. The first-rate special effects are by Richard Edlund, who also worked on the original Ghostbusters. There’s also some superlative cinematography by Jan Kiesser. The only thing that dates the movie a bit are the clothes and some decidedly 1980s style tunes on the soundtrack. 

Fright Night was followed by a sequel, Fright Night, Part 2, though only William Ragsdale and Roddy McDowall returned for the follow-up. Holland and Sarandon were working on the original Child’s Play (1988), at the time and Bearse and Geoffreys were also busy with other projects. The movie was directed by Tommy Lee Wallace, and featured Julie Carmen as Jerry Dandrige’s sister, who seeks revenge on Charlie for her brother’s demise. A remake of Fright Night, starring Anton Yelchin, David Tennant and Colin Farrell as the vampire, was produced in 2011, and featured a cameo by Chris Sarandon. That film spawned a direct to video sequel, 2013’s Fright Night 2: New Blood. A planned third film in the original series has been rumored over the years by Holland, but has never materialized. If you’re looking for a solid vampire flick for your creature feature movie night, the original Fright Night is an excellent choice. Here’s a link to a trailer for a video release of the film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfuIcuezkUw.

Calling The World: Powerful Poetic Voices

Few literary genres can touch the heart, energize the soul and challenge the mind like poetry. If you’re looking to hear some truly moving and inspiring words from some talented writers, there’s an extraordinary new way to discover the work of nine celebrated poets. Calling The World is a collaboration between The Poetry Society of America and Saint Flashlight, two wonderful organizations dedicated to sharing the words and experiences of poets in new and exciting ways. This exhilarating project is an audio anthology of poems that includes works by Pablo Neruda, Mónica de la Torre and Kwame Dawes, among others. The poems are read by a wonderful group of performers, including Jane Hirshfield and Billy Collins. 

Calling The World: Illustration by Monica Ramos

Calling The World was initiated in part as a response to the feelings of loneliness and isolation caused by the coronavirus outbreak. The experiences and emotions people have felt as a response to the pandemic are wide-ranging and unprecedented. Now, more than ever, people need to feel a sense of community and togetherness. The array of voices and life experiences heard in this moving anthology feature a wide range of perspectives from all around the world, including locations such as Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. 

The unique visions of these gifted poets help us realize that we all have things in common, and that our cultural differences shouldn’t separate us, but bring us closer together. Poetry Society of America Executive Director Matt Brogan, and Molly Gross and Drew Pisarra of Saint Flashlight are the guiding lights behind Calling The World. They’re dedicated to making poetry more accessible to all, allowing readers and listeners to experience poetry in new and exciting formats. Both organizations have been involved with previous projects that bring art and poetry to everyday spaces, including the Poetry Society of America's Poetry in Motion program, presented with MTA Arts & Design, which placed poems on New York City public transportation vehicles, and Saint Flashlight’s Movie Marquee Poems project, which repurposed unused cinema marquees in Brooklyn's Park Slope area by adding original haiku by contemporary poets to them.

I encourage you to listen to the work of the gifted poets featured in the Calling The World audio anthology by calling (212) 202-5606. You might have heard of the band They Might Be Giants and their "Dial-A-Song" line that was popular in the 1990s, but in this case you can "Dial-A-Poem." Your day, and your spirit, will definitely benefit from hearing the passionate voices of these amazing artists. It's a unique and powerful experience. For more information on the Poetry Society of America, please visit https://poetrysociety.org/, and to check out Saint Flashlight, go to http://saintflashlight.com/.

Batman's Alfred "Pennyworth" Begins

One of the longest running characters in the Batman mythos is Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne's loyal and resourceful butler. Debuting in Batman #16 in 1943, the character was actually killed off by DC Comics in Detective Comics #328 in 1964. He was later resurrected and has been re-imagined several times since the “Dark Knight” comics era of the 1970s and 80s. Alfred has been played by Alan Napier (on the classic 1960s TV series) and by Michael Gough, Michael Caine and Jeremy Irons in various big screen films. Now, Bruno Heller tells the story of Alfred’s younger years and early adventures in Pennyworth, an EPIX network series. Executive Producers Heller and Danny Cannon also worked on Gotham, a Fox television series that served as an origin story for James Gordon. That show also featured a young Bruce Wayne, as well as some unique interpretations of several classic Batman villains. On that series, Alfred was played by actor Sean Pertwee.

Jack Bannon & Ben Aldridge

Pennyworth is set in an alternate history version of Britain in the 1960s, where zeppelins take to the skies, and televised executions are the norm. While the Queen still rules, there are two factions vying for control of the government, the fascist-leaning Raven Society, and the mysterious No Name League. Alfred Pennyworth is an SAS veteran haunted by his wartime experiences. He and his friends (and fellow veterans) Deon and Wallace plan to start a private security company. Alfred crosses paths with Thomas Wayne, an American agent, and Martha Kane, a photographer. Thomas and Martha are working for the No Name League, and trying to prevent a coup by the Raven Society. Alfred is caught in the middle as these groups battle with each other, and ends up suffering some personal losses as a result. He'll need to use all of his wits and strength in order to survive.

The series is stylishly filmed, and the show is a fast-moving combination of 1960s spy films and old-fashioned conspiracy thrillers, with a bit of the Batman mythology and real life figures such as Aleister Crowley thrown into the mix. The cast is first-rate. with marvelous performances from Jack Bannon as Alfred, Ben Aldridge as Thomas Wayne, Jason Flemyng as Lord Harwood, the leader of the Raven Society, and Emma Paetz as Martha Kane. Singer Paloma Faith is impressive as the villainous Bet Sykes, and Danny Webb makes a strong impression in a supporting role as a local crime lord. Most of the series' ten episodes are written by the show's creator Heller, who in addition to Gotham, also brought The Mentalist to television.

The great thing about the series is that while it involves a character that's central to Batman's story, it’s not really beholden to the larger Dark Knight mythos, and charts its own course. In a way, it's sort of an "Alfred Begins." Pennyworth is a colorful, entertaining and enjoyable series. How can you not love a show that names its episodes after famous British actresses and singers like Marianne Faithfull and Shirley Bassey? If you're a Batman fan, you'll enjoy this look at Alfred's early years. If you're not a Dark Knight devotee, don't let the Batman tag steer you away from this enjoyable and action-filled series that’s pays homage to Bond flicks, Hammer films, and military thrillers in equal measure. The first season of Pennyworth is now available on demand and a second season is due in 2021. Here's a link to the trailer for the series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYc3LXqEyhg.