Wishing all of you the Albion way a most 'appy Fifth o ' November. If you aren't out and about celebrating the great foiled Gunpowder Plot of 1605 with your effin' effigies, there's always something going off with a bang in the Projection Room, hey what happens in The Projection Room stays in The Projection Room.
The Projectionist Presents : Schlockenspiel : Twelve to the Moon (1960) A bit of shock in this schlock as that was undoubtedly John Alton on shutterbug duty, though that's a secret the masterful cinematographer would have preferred taking to the grave. And the stock footage and cardboard cutouts they are a'plenty as per but that's what made the 'schlockin' world go round afterall David Bradley directs.
And now it'sThe Punkers Palais, and for us auld punks out there, it's once punk always punk, and though it took ages for him to be recognized as the one who pioneered the rippy look - Richard Hell, a helluva guy - stars in this gritty in the city ditty from indie director Susan Seidelman . Starring Susan Berman, but the real star of the show is that portable telly.
Smithereens (1982) bang bang.
And sometimes the more things change - well the more things change. When soldier Johnny Bristol comes marching home, he is going to have a heckuva time finding the parade. This was a tailored for TV event and hasn't been screened much since it's debut. 'Tis also a tale of two Martins - Landau and Sheen. Directed by George McCowan, I present to you - Welcome Home Johnny Bristol (1972).
And now in the proverbial glorious - it's dame of dames, Barbara Stanwyck and delivering - of course Robert Ryan has added something extra special to the kitty, and in Burma, it's a jungle out there, I swear, I swear. And there's so much monkeying around, oh and them apes japes too. From 1955, I give you - Escape to Burma.
Swedish suspense director Arne Mattsson was one shrieking violet - and so that he caught the attention of Alfred Hitchcock who remained one of his truest devotees. If truth be told it was Mattson, not Hitchcock as believed, that inspired Mario Bava to conceptualize giallo. Oh yes indeedy and you will see why, here is one of a hearty host of horror films directed by Arne -
Damen I Svart (The Woman In Black,1958)
First up - shhhhhh, it's a silent soiree with Mary Pickford in a picksha directed by her brother Jack and Alfred E. Green, wot him worry, nah. But they didn't toe the line with this feat they pulled off, a 29 year old Mary playing a ten year old Belgian dame, oh I tell ya. And oh my the perfectionism, every note counts in this one, they really bled for their craft here. And enter Through the Back Door (1921) there's a fire on.
