On this day in movie history - The Italian Job (1969)

The Italian Job

directed by Peter Collinson,

written by Troy Kennedy Martin,

was released in the United Kingdom on June 5, 1969.

Music by Quincy Jones.

Cast:

Michael Caine, Noël Coward, Benny Hill, Raf Vallone, Tony Beckley, Rossano Brazzi, Margaret Blye, Irene Handl, John Le Mesurier, Fred Emney, John Clive, Graham Payn, Michael Standing, Stanley Caine, Barry Cox, Harry Baird, George Innes, John Forgeham, Robert Powell, Derek Ware, Frank Jarvis, David Salamone, Richard Essame, Mario Valgoi, Renato Romano, Franco Norvelli, Robert Rietti, Timothy Bateson, David Kelly, Arnold Diamond, Simon Dee, Alistair Hunter, Lana Gatto, Louis Mansi, Henry McGee, Lelia Goldoni, Valerie Leon.

On this day in movie history - P.I. Private Investigations (1987)

P.I. Private Investigations

a.k.a. Private Investigations,

directed by Nigel Dick,

written by John Dahl and David W. Warfield,

based on a story by Nigel Dick,

was released in the United States on June 5, 1987.

Music by Murray Munro.

Cast:

Clayton Rohner, Ray Sharkey, Paul Le Mat, Talia Balsam, Phil Morris, Martin Balsam, William Kerwin, Anthony Zerbe, Robert Ito, Vernon Wells, Anthony Geary, Justin Lord, Richard Cummings Jr., Desiree Boschetti, Andy Romano, Sydney Walsh, Jon St. Elwood, Robert Torti, Nigel Dick.

On this day in television history - M Squad (1959)

 

M Squad
Season 2. Episode 36.

Episode entitled: The Dangerous Game.

Released June 5, 1959.

Directed by Bretaigne Windust.

Written by Joel Kane, Allen H. Miner and Frank L. Moss.

Music by Benny Carter.

 
Cast:

Lee Marvin, Paul Newlan, Kasey Rogers, Jonathan Hole, Paul Lukather, Laurie Mitchell, House Peters Jr., Mary Gregory, Max Dommar.

On this day in music history - The Night Shines Like the Day, by Kristin Asbjørnsen (2009)

The Night Shines Like the Day

by Kristin Asbjørnsen,

was released on June 5, 2009.

Track list:

Green Is Everywhere; Is This the Ending; Snowflake; Don’t Hide Your Face from Me; Afloat; And I Long to See You Again; I’m Too Heavy Now; Walk Around Me; Moment; Rain, Oh Lord; One Day My Heart Will Break; Someday I’ll Carry You Home; Lose.

Poltergeist (1982) vs. (2015) - no contest!

Review by Jack Kost

My wife and I are both “arty” souls.
We love to watch movies, and when they’re over we discuss them in depth, probably more in depth than most people.
We also enjoy discussing books, music, art, et al … also in depth.
My wife loves to paint, I love to write and sketch.
Our recent viewings of the 1982 and 2015 versions of Poltergeist turned from a fond, nostalgic chat about the former, to a “why did they bother” rant about the latter.

I’ll start with the original 1982 version, released in the United States on June 4, 1982:

It was produced by Steven Spielberg, based on his own story, and directed by Tobe Hooper.
For us, the 1982 original is a cinematic treat.
Hooper may have helmed the direction, but this has all the heart, feeling, emotion, humor, and suspense of a Spielberg movie.
We – the audience – see the family dynamics, their neighbors, and the history of the ever-expanding housing development.
The movie may be thirty-four-years-old, as of this writing, but it’s still the thrill-ride Spielberg has entertained fans with for decades.
The original is one of the best of the haunted house genre; an eerie and memorable light-show with a perfect end scene.

The high entertainment value reminds us of why we watch movies in the first place.
Spielberg knows how to engage and hold his audience.

Then we experienced the miserable let-down of the 2015 remake:

This was our post-Thanksgiving movie.
As usual, we discussed it after the end credits rolled, our discussion fueled by disdain!
We compared both versions, and shook our heads at how dreary and painful the remake is.
It felt like a by-the-numbers run-through for the actors in it, who seemed content to show up, recite the dismal script, and pick up their pay checks.
Not many movies have actually pissed me off, but this one made the list.
Absent is the charm and quality scripting of the original.
It simply goes through the motions without any of the character development, tension, or suspense of the original.
I watched it feeling bored after the first fifteen minutes, hoping it would pick up, get better, curious as to how it would unfold in a new retelling, being more disappointed as each scene unfolded.
I’m a fan of Sam Rockwell, but this was another example of how even a fine actor can’t save a lousy script.
We see some flashy effects, as we expect to see in this modern CGI-heavy age, but there’s nothing behind it, no depth or reason to care about what we’re being presented with.
The scene with Sam Rockwell regurgitating black goo into the sink, then seeing his reflection in the faucet, sores opening on his face, is a reworking of the scene in the original: Marty (Martin Casella) seeing maggots swarming on a chicken drumstick he’s just taken a bite out of, then his own face coming apart in the mirror.
It’s a great scene, even with the dated animatronics, with far more impact than the insipid 2015 version:

Zelda Rubinstein’s portrayal of Tangina, the psychic brought in to rescue their daughter and “clean” the house, is one of the high points of the story.

Her monologue to the family and investigators about what is really going on is chilling.
The character is also reworked for the 2015 version, changed for the contemporary audience, but giving nothing new or remarkable.
Running at roughly thirty minutes shorter, the remake has omitted the best elements of the original – to its own detriment.
Gone is the steady build-up of the original, as the 2015 version cuts directly to the shock-free plot markers.
Gone also are the comedic elements with the death of the pet canary, and the neighbor’s battle with the TV remote controls, parts of the story that developed the set-up and made us care more about the family and their predicament.

The key scene of the malevolent force entering the home, via the static of the TV set, is also changed, but as animated as the original was - it still had significant shock value to a first-time viewer:

It felt like the 2015 version had been made quickly and rushed out the studio door, nothing more than another vacuous money-making product.

The 1982 original has rightfully earned its place in cinema history – a classic of its genre; the 2015 rehash deserves nothing more than to be ignored and forgotten.

Thanksgiving: a time to give thanks.
Along with everything else we have been blessed with, we gave thanks for the fact that we hadn’t wasted money at the cinema box office for yet-another pointless, lazy, half-assed, cash-grab.

Eudora Welty, on reading, writing and imagination:

Both reading and writing are experiences – lifelong – in the course of which we who encounter words used in certain ways are persuaded by them to be brought mind and heart within the presence, the power, of the imagination.

– Eudora Welty.

Recommended reading - Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (novel & book of the movie):

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

by Vonda N. McIntyre, Jack B. Sowards, Harve Bennett.

Filmed as Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982), directed by Nicholas Meyer.

Published 1982.

ISBN-10: 0671456105
ISBN-13: 9780671456108

Description:

Prepare yourself for warp-10 excitement! The Galaxy's ultimate future is in the hands of James Kirk, Mr. Spock and the indomitable crew of the Enterperprise. The Galaxy's ultimate weapon is in the hands of the evil Khan and his followers. A battle that will shake the universe cannot be avoided ... And the ultimate adventure is about to begin!

 

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan – The Making of the Classic Film

by John Tenuto, Maria Jose Tenuto.

Published by Titan Books.
Published 2023.

ISBN-10: 1789099757
ISBN-13: 9781789099751

Description:

An in-depth look at the making of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, featuring rare and previously unseen production art and new and exclusive interviews.

Forty years ago, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan saw Kirk and the U.S.S. Enterprise crew face one of the greatest foes in Star Trek history, Khan Noonien Singh, as well as the death of Spock. Celebrate this landmark anniversary by taking a deep dive into the stories behind this iconic science fiction classic. This beautiful coffee-table book is full to the brim with rare and previously unpublished archival material, behind-the-scenes photography, production art, cut scenes, script extracts, and much more, alongside new and exclusive interviews with the creatives, including director Nicholas Meyer.