Amistad

Steven Spielberg: Amistad (US 1997). Matthew McConaughey (Roger Sherman Baldwin), Djimon Hounsou (Cinque), Anthony Hopkins (John Quincy Adams), Morgan Freeman (Theodore Joadson).

Steven Spielberg: Amistad (US 1997).

/ / US / 1997 / Spielberg, Steven / historical drama

Amistad / Amistad. © DreamWorks. P+D: Steven Spielberg. CAST: Djimon Hounsou (Cinque), Matthew McConaughey (Baldwin), Anthony Hopkins (John Quincy Adams). 152’. 1,85. Spoken in English and Mende. Finnish subtitles by Janne Staffans. DIST: UIP Finland. Viewed in Helsinki, VET, Monday 19 January 1998. *** A pedagogical historical drama, a message picture about the 1839 Spanish slave ship rebellion of La Amistad. A meticulous production.

Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari

Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari, poster by Theo Matejko. Please click to enlarge.

011308 / 16 / DE / 1920 / Wiene, Robert / / horror
Cabinet des Dr. Caligari, Das / Tohtori Caligarin kabinetti. PC: Decla-Film. EX: Erich Pommer. D: Robert Wiene. SC: Carl Mayer, Hans Janowitz. DP: Willy Hameister. AD: Walter Röhrig, Walter Reimann, Hermann Warm. CAST: Werner Krauss (Dr. Caligari), Conrad Veidt (Cesare), Lil Dagover (Jane), Friedrich Fehér (Francis), Hans-Heinz von Twardowski (Alan). Silent b&w toned. Originally 1703 m /18 fps/ 82’. ZDF 1983 reconstruction with music, not toned by Gerd Luft and Jürgen Labenski based on the 1923 re-release with material from the Munich and SDK Archives, ca 74’. Finnish subtitles by Riitta Piironen. Silent frame uglily cropped to Academy. With the edges cut off, the beautiful title cards turn illegible and the composition of the image is thrown off balance. Yleisradio TV2 transmission viewed in Helsinki, Sunday 18 January 1998. **** The film is one of a kind, still magnetic. One has to adjust to the twisted style to find the strange fascination and the black humour of the film. It is the first great zombie story of the cinema. This Luft / Labenski reconstruction was the best available 15 years ago, although the music and sound effects are best turned off at once. Today one should screen the 1995 Lumière Project restoration.

Pornographic videos 16 January 1998

Gregory Dark: The Devil in Miss Jones 5: The Inferno (US 1995).

The Devil in Miss Jones 5: The Inferno / Gregory Dark's DMJ5: The Inferno / The Inferno.

100552 / 18 / US / 1995 / Dark, Gregory / / pornography
Inferno, The / Satans slynor. © VCA Labs. A Max’s release. P: The Dark Bros. D: Gregory Dark. CAST: Juli Ashton, Felecia, Darcy McDaniels, Leslie Forbes. 93’ /25 fps/ PAL. DIST: Obsession Oy. VHS projection in Helsinki, VET, Friday 16 January 1998.

Woodman Casting 1
100553 / 18 / FR / 1997 / Woodman, Pierre / pornography
Woodman Casting 1 / Woodman Casting X 1. © Milcap Publishing Group. A Private release. D: Pierre Woodman. CAST: Blondie, Inna, Julia Channel, Pierre Woodman. 124’ /25 fps/ PAL. DIST: Obsession Oy. VHS projection in Helsinki, VET, Friday 16 January 1998.

Woodman Casting 2
100554 / 18 / FR / 1997 / Woodman, Pierre / pornography
Woodman Casting 2 / Woodman Casting X 2. © Milcap Publishing Group. A Private release. D: Pierre Woodman. CAST: Aliza, Barbara Doll, Christy, Pierre Woodman. 125’ /25 fps/ PAL. DIST: Obsession Oy. VHS projection in Helsinki, VET, Friday 16 January 1998.

Woodman Casting 3
100555 / 18 / FR / 1997 / Woodman, Pierre / pornography
Woodman Casting 3 / Woodman Casting X 3. © Milcap Publishing Group. A Private release. D: Pierre Woodman. CAST: Nikky Anderson, Betty, Diana, Pierre Woodman. 124’ /25 fps/ PAL. DIST: Obsession Oy. VHS projection in Helsinki, VET, Friday 16 January 1998.

Police Investigation 14 Jan 1998

Mikko Jylhä: Russian Sexmachine Rasputin (FI 1996) starring Gregory Smirnov, Alexandra Romanov and Isak Novgorod.

Pintaa syvemmältä
 / 18 / FI / 1992 / Koivisto, Kullervo / pornography
Pintaa syvemmältä. PC: Dawai Corporation. D: Kullervo Koivisto. CAST: Jorma K. Salonen, Ina Uni, Martin Bär, Michelle Brant. Director’s cut. 86’ /25 fps/ PAL. Police investigation. VHS projection in Helsinki, VET, Thursday 15 January 1998.

Russian Sexmachine Rasputin
 / 18 / FI / 1996 / Jylhä, Mikko /  / pornography
Russian Sexmachine Rasputin. PC: Reindeer Film Company / Nitoly. D: Mikko Jylhä. CAST: Gregory Smirnov, Alexandra Romanov, Isak Novgorod. 83’ /25 fps/ PAL. In English. Police investigation. VHS projection in Helsinki, VET, Thursday 15 January 1998.

Sabina Story 1
 / 18 / FI / 199- / Jylhä, Mikko /  / pornography
Sabina Story 1. PC: Calbourne Trading; Papillon Films. D: Mikko Jylhä. CAST: Sabina, Lynn Lemay, Edwin, Vivian. 75’ /25 fps/ PAL. International cut. In Spanish. Police investigation. VHS projection in Helsinki, VET, Thursday 15 January 1998.

Sabina Story 1
 / 18 / FI / 199- / Jylhä, Mikko /  / pornography
Sabina Story 1. PC: Calbourne Trading; Papillon Films. D: Mikko Jylhä. CAST: Sabina, Lynn Lemay, Edwin, Vivian. 85’ /25 fps/ PAL. Finnish cut. In Finnish. Police investigation. VHS projection in Helsinki, VET, Thursday 15 January 1998.

Maistuisiko sexi?
 / 18 / FI / 1996 / Kooma, Kauko /  / pornography
Maistuisiko sexi? / Do You Think I’m Sexy? PC: Sexy Sally Video Production. D: Kauko Kooma. CAST: Tiina, Berit, Wilma, Anne, Marco. 71’ /25 fps/ PAL. Dubbed in Finnish. Police investigation. VHS projection in Helsinki, VET, Thursday 15 January 1998.

Euro Clips Doppel
 / 18 / DE / 199- /  /  / pornography
Euro Clips Doppel / Euroturbo 2. Compilation edited by Sex-Shop Finland. 177’ /25 fps/ PAL. Dubbed in German. Police investigation. VHS projection in Helsinki, VET, Thursday 15 January 1998.

Amatöörivideot 1
 / 18 / FI / 1996 / Jylhä, Mikko /  / pornography
Amatöörivideot 1. PC: Calbourne Trading. D: Mikko Jylhä. CAST: Ilona, Virpi, Leena, Sepi, Martin. 81’ /25 fps/ PAL. Finnish commentary. Police investigation. VHS projection in Helsinki, VET, Thursday 15 January 1998.

Teiniorgiat 4 - Kiimainen kesä
 / 18 / FI / 1995 / Koivisto, Kullervo / pornography
Teiniorgiat 4 - Kiimainen kesä. PC: Calbourne Trading. A Seventeen Production release (Amsterdam). D: Kullervo Koivisto. Filmed in Estonia. 75’ /25 fps/ PAL. Finnish commentary. Police investigation. VHS projection in Helsinki, VET, Thursday 15 January 1998.

Pissa Video
 / 18 / FI / 1997 /  /  / pornography
Pissa Video. PC: PNG Productions. Filmed in Estonia. 56’ /25 fps/ PAL. Police investigation. VHS projection in Helsinki, VET, Thursday 15 January 1998.

Boogie Nights

Paul Thomas Anderson: Boogie Nights (US 1997).

100543 / 16 / US / 1997 / Anderson, Paul Thomas / drama Boogie Nights / Boogie Nights. © New Line Productions. EX: Lawrence Gordon. D+SC: Paul Thomas Anderson. Tracks and performers include ”Boogie Shoes” by K.C. & The Sunshine Band, ”Livin’ Thing” by ELO, ”You Sexy Thing” by Hot Chocolate. CAST: Mark Wahlberg (Dirk Diggler), Burt Reynolds (Jack Horner), Julianne Moore (Amber Waves), Heather Graham (Rollergirl). 152’. Scope. MPAA 34763. Rated R = 17. Finnish titles by Jari Niittylä. DIST: Warner Bros. Finland. Viewed in Helsinki, VET, Wednesday 14 January 1998. ****

The saga of the California porn movie business from the 1970s to the 1980s. A fast-moving excursion into a soulless, tawdry world. Required viewing for anybody interested in that huge, mysterious, and little explained industry. Great performers, great pop music selections.

The Front Page (1931)

Lewis Milestone: The Front Page (US 1931). Pat O'Brien as Hildy Johnson.

072986 / G / US / 1931 / Milestone, Lewis / drama / comedy

Etusivu uusiksi / Det stora reportaget. PC: The Caddo Company. P: Howard Hughes. D: Lewis Milestone. SC: Bartlett Cormack – based on the play by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur. CAST: Adolphe Menjou (Walter Burns), Pat O’Brien (Hildy Johnson), Mary Brian (Peggy Grant), Mae Clarke (Molly Malloy), Edward Everett Horton (Roy Bensinger), Slim Summerville (Irving Pincus). B&w Early Sound 1,2. 101’ /25 fps/ PAL = 105’ /24 fps/. This film was never released in Finnish cinemas nor on video. Yleisradio TV2 transmitted it in 1996 and again 11 January 1998. Transmission’s 16 mm start material had awful definition and poor sound, and the early sound aperture was uglily cropped. Viewed in Helsinki on VHS, Monday 12 January 1998. *** Because of the miserable TV print it was impossible to enjoy the film. But it is evident that this is a superbly acted version of the tough, almost horrifying, Hecht / MacArthur play. This Pre-Code version is probably the toughest of the four films based on the play, and in many ways more daring than the 1940 remake His Girl Friday. It was not such a big step for Hawks to turn Hildy into a woman. Not that Pat O’Brien is at all feminine, but in this version, too, it is obvious that the true love story is between Walter Burns and Hildy Johnson.

Anastasia (1997 Don Bluth & Gary Goldman animation)

Don Bluth & Gary Goldman: Anastasia (US 1997).

100541 / 8/5 / US / 1997 / Bluth, Don & Gary Goldman / animated
Anastasia / Anastasia. © 20th Century Fox. P+D: Don Bluth, Gary Goldman. SC based on the screenplay by Arthur Laurents for the 1956 20th Century Fox live action motion picture. Finnish voices: Petra Karjalainen, Paavo Kerosuo, Markku Riikonen. 94’. CinemaScope. MPAA 35550. Rated: G. Finnish version. DIST: Columbia TriStar Egmont Finland. Viewed in Helsinki, VET, Friday 9 January 1998. *** Breathtaking, sumptuous animated historical fantasy with a strong, temperamental central character and several engrossing setpieces (the runaway train, the butterfly dream). History is played for fairytale as the Russian Revolution is crystallized in the figure of Rasputin as the Mad Monk From Hell. The animation of the fantasy elements is first rate. The human characters are wooden, Anastasia fortunately being more lively. Everybody keeps praising the Finnish dubbing of the animated films, but I find it affected and condescending. Children should not be insulted by talking down to them, on the contrary, the standards should be higher.

Spawn

Mark A. Z. Dippé: Spawn (US 1997). Michael Jai White as Spawn.

V-003445 / 16 / US / 1997 / Dippé, Mark A. Z. / fantasy

Spawn / Spawn. © New Line Productions. P: Clint Goldman. D: Mark A. Z. Dippé. Based on the comic book by Todd McFarlane. DP: Guillermo Navarro. FX: Steve ”Spaz” Williams - Industrial Light & Magic. Music selections include performances by Incubus, Marilyn Manson, Prodigy, and Metallica. CAST: Michael Jai White (Spawn), John Leguizamo (Clown), Martin Sheen (Jason Wynn), Theresa Randle (Wanda), Nicol Williamson (Cogliostro), Melinda Clarke (Jessica Priest). 95’ /25 fps/ PAL. MPAA: PG-13. BBFC: 12. DIST: Warner Home Video Finland. VHS projection in Helsinki, VET, Thursday 9 January 1998. *** An astounding feast of special effects from Industrial Light & Magic, Spawn is full of sound and fury, signifying almost nothing. It is an exhibition of the state of the art of special effects.

The Arrangement

078229 / 16 / US / 1969 / Kazan, Elia / / drama
Arrangement, The / Tilinteko. © Athena Enterprises; Warner Bros.-Seven Arts. P+D+SC: Elia Kazan - based on his novel (Sopimus elämän kanssa in Finnish translation). DP: Robert Surtees. PD: Gene Callahan. CAST: Kirk Douglas (Eddie Anderson), Faye Dunaway (Gwen), Deborah Kerr (Florence Anderson), Richard Boone (Sam Anderson), Hume Cronyn (the lawyer), Harold Gould (the analyst). 125’. Scope. MPAA 22184. SEA / Warner Bros. print with Finnish / Swedish subtitles by Christina Kilpi / . Viewed in Helsinki, SEA, Cinema Orion, Wednesday 8 January 1998. *** The film definitely gains being seen within a week from America, America. Its protagonist is on his deathbed now, and we follow the life of his son. It’s ”about a man whose entire life is a series of phoney arrangements: his marriage, his work, his sexual escapades and his friendships”, to quote the synopsis of the BFI CD-ROM. Kazan’s ultra sharp dialogue is delivered with gusto by top performers. The film is marred by clumsy and overdone satire, awkward hallucinations and flashbacks, and irritating experiments without style of any kind. In many ways it’s terribly dated, but still retaining a sense of epic vision, especially in the context of America, America. Together they are a great counterpart to the Godfather trilogy.

Eurodisc Playlist for 14.64.12

100536 / G / US etc. / 1997 / various / / music video
Eurodisc Playlist for 14.64.12 / Musiikkikooste 14-64-12. Compiled by Pioneer Video Manufacturing. DIST: Ulkokaupat Oy. Laserdisc. Projected at VET, Helsinki, Wednesday 7 January 1998.
Natalie Imbruglia: Torn ***
Brand New Heavies, The: You’ve Got A Friend **
Rolling Stones, The: Anyone Seen My Baby? ***
Puff Daddy: It’s All About The Benjamins ***
Sly & Robbie Featuring Simply Red: Night Nurse **
Depeche Mode: Useless **
Joe Cocker: N’oubliez jamais qui tu es **
Jimmy Ray: Are You Jimmy Ray? **
Smash Mouth: Walkin’ On The Sun **
Barbra Streisand & Celine Dion: Tell Him *

German Natdisc Playlist for 16.24.12

100535 / G / DE etc. / 1997 / various / / music video
German Natdisc Playlist for 16.24.12 / Musiikkikooste 16-24-12. Compiled by Pioneer Video Manufacturing. DIST: Ulkokaupat Oy. Laserdisc. Projected at VET, Helsinki, Wednesday 7 January 1998.
Cappuccino: Du fehlst mir *
Lutricia McNeal: Ain’t That Just The Way **
Nana: He’s Comin’ *
Rhapsody, The, Featuring Warren G. & Sissel: Prince Igor **
Eros Ramazzotti: Quanto amore sei **
Touché: I Want You Back… **
Future Breeze: How Much Can You Take ***
Savage Garden: To The Moon And Back **
Refugee Camp All Starts Featuring Pras: Avenues **
Trademark: I’ll Be The One **

Eurodisc Playlist for 10.40.01

Janet Jackson: Together Again (US 1997). Original music video D: Seb Janiak. Choreography: Tina Landon.

100590 / G / US etc. / 1998 / various / / music video

Eurodisc Playlist for 10.40.01 / Musiikkikooste 10-40-01. Compiled by Pioneer Video Manufacturing. DIST: Ulkokaupat Oy. Laserdisc. Projected at VET, Helsinki, Thursday 5 February 1998.
Bryan Adams: Back To You **
U2: MOFO **
Janet Jackson: Together Again ***
Steven Houghton: Wind Beneath My Wings **
Boyz II Men: A Song For Mama **
Bobby Brown: Feelin’ Inside **
Shola Ama: Who’s Loving My Baby **
Louise: Let’s Go Round Again **
Genesis: Shipwrecked *
Steps: 5,6,7,8 *

Italian Legacy

100524 / 18 / IT / 1997 / Clark, Christophe / pornography
Italian Legacy / Gaia Private 4 - Italian Legacy. PC: Milcap / Private / Max’s. D: Christophe Clark. CAST: Monica, Petra, David Perry, Jonathan Morgan. 88’ /25 fps/ PAL 1,66. English version, Swedish subtitles. DIST: Obsession Oy. VHS projection Helsinki, VET, Monday 5 January 1998.

Reporter

100525 / 18 / FR / 1997 / Clark, Christophe / pornography
Reporter / Private Gold 18 - Reporter. PC: Milcap / Private / Max’s. D: Christophe Clark. CAST: Christophe Clark, Katarina Martinez, Violetta, M. Foster. 94’ /25 fps/ PAL. English version, Swedish subtitles. DIST: Obsession Oy. VHS projection Helsinki, VET, Monday 5 January 1998.

Sex Voyage

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

When the Night Falls (1997)

Jürgen Woolf: When the Night Falls (FR 1997).

100527 / 18 / FR / 1997 / Woolf, Jürgen / / pornography

When the Night Falls / Private Gold 25 - When the Night Falls. PC: Milcap / Private / Max’s. D: Jürgen Woolf. CAST: Jade, Lenox, Roberto Malone, Philippe Dean. 90’ /25 fps/ PAL. English version, Swedish subtitles. DIST: Obsession Oy. VHS projection Helsinki, VET, Monday 5 January 1998.

Private Stories 19 – Upstairs

Private Stories 19 – Upstairs (SE 1997, Milcap / Private / Max’s).

100528 / 18 / / 1997 / / / pornography Private Stories 19 – Upstairs. PC: Milcap / Private / Max’s. CAST: Katalyn. 82’ /25 fps/ PAL. English version, Swedish subtitles. DIST: Obsession Oy. VHS projection Helsinki, VET, Monday 5 January 1998. Six episodes: Witchcraft, Upstairs, Ballgames, In the Picture, The Carpenter’s Workshop, Lucky Day.

Private Stories 26 – Unlimited

Private Stories 26 – Unlimited. Special Story starring Beata.

100529 / 18 / / 1997 / / / pornography Private Stories 26 – Unlimited. PC: Milcap / Private / Max’s. CAST: Beata. 94’ /25 fps/ PAL. English version, Swedish subtitles. DIST: Obsession Oy. VHS projection Helsinki, VET, Monday 5 January 1998. Six episodes: Make Some Room For Me, Forest Gang, Unlimited, Celia, Champagne Shower, Vivienne & Nicolette.

Private Stories 27 – Galactic Girls

Private Stories 27 – Galactic Girls (1997) starring Silvia Saint.

100530 / 18 / / 1997 / / / pornography Private Stories 27 – Galactic Girls. PC: Milcap / Private / Max’s. CAST: Angelica, Regina. Silvia Saint. 76’ /25 fps/ PAL. English version with Swedish subtitles. DIST: Obsession Oy. VHS projection Helsinki, VET, Monday 5 January 1998. Six episodes:
– Amongst Three
– The Pool
– Galactic Girls
– The Lover
– The Dancer
– The Sadist Chamber.

Triple X 29

Triple X 29 (SE/US 1997)

100531 / 18 / / 1997 / / / pornography

SE/US 1997. PC: Milcap / Private Media Group/ Max’s. 96’ /25 fps/ PAL. Sandy Black (as Petra Noir), Sandra Dark, Philippe Dean, Alain Deloin, Guy DiSilva, Frank Gun, Judith Kostner, Lennox, Nikki Lynn, Jonathan Morgan, Sean Rider, Silvia Saint, Lana Sands, Philippe Soine, Peggy Sue, Vanda, Eniko Wrabel (as Eniko), Andrew Youngman. English version with Swedish subtitles. DIST: Obsession Oy. VHS projection Helsinki, VET, Monday 5 January 1998. Seven episodes: Where’s the Waitress, Eniko, Sandra, Rescue in Hawaii, The Antique Car, Backstage In Italy, Just Not Married.

Triple X 30

Triple X 30 (SE 1997).

100532 / 18 / / 1997 / / / pornography Triple X 30. PC: Milcap / Private / Max’s. 96’ /25 fps/ PAL. English version with Swedish subtitles. DIST: Obsession Oy. VHS projection Helsinki, VET, Monday 5 January 1998. Seven episodes: Clarisse, Leather Lady, Nikky Anderson, We’re Not Gay, The Gynecologist, Backstage In Australia, Holiday Massage.

Some hard core porn videos were brought to the regular film classification process. Until November 1996 they had been banned, since then rated 18.

Triple X 31

100533 / 18 / / 1997 / / / pornography
Triple X 31. PC: Milcap / Private / Max’s. CAST: Erica Bella. 100’ /25 fps/ PAL. English version with Swedish subtitles. DIST: Obsession Oy. VHS projection Helsinki, VET, Monday 5 January 1998. Seven episodes: Lingerie Design, Dominator, Don’t Mess With The Mob, Picking Flowers, Nastasy, Report From Costa Brava, What A Birthday.

Triple X 32

100534 / 18 / / 1997 / / / pornography
Triple X 32. PC: Milcap / Private / Max’s. 95’ /25 fps/ PAL. English version with Swedish subtitles. DIST: Obsession Oy. VHS projection Helsinki, VET, Monday 5 January 1998. Seven episodes: The Ambulance, Angelica & Laura, South Africa, Home Sweet Home, Leader, Barcelona Erotic Film Festival, The Cabine.

Sokko

A-027826 / G / FI / 1997 / Koskinen, Susanna / documentary essay
Sokko / Blindfolded. © Kinotar Oy. P: Lasse Saarinen. D+SC+artwork: Susanna Koskinen. DP: Jouko Seppälä, Susanna Koskinen. Sound: Pietari Koskinen, Jaakko Nousiainen. ED: Mika Taanila. FEAT: Jyri Autio. 45’ /PAL/. DIST: Kinotar Oy. VHS projection in Helsinki, VET, Wednesday 4 February 1998. *** Jyri Autio was born blind. The film is a story of his quest of vision. The film itself is visionary, worth repeated viewing because of the exquisite blend of images and sounds.

Nosferatu (1988 Enno Patalas / ZDF restoration, Hans Erdmann score conducted by Berndt Heller)

F. W. Murnau: Nosferatu. Eine Symphonie des Grauens (DE 1922). Original poster art by Albin Grau.

011586 / 12 / DE / 1922 / Murnau, F. W. / / horror

Nosferatu. Eine Symphonie des Grauens / Nosferatu (video, TV). PC: Prana-Film. D: F. W. Murnau. SC: Henrik Galeen [based, unauthorized, on the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker]. DP: Fritz Arno Wagner. AD+CO: Albin Grau. CAST: Max Schreck (Count Orlok, aka Nosferatu = Dracula), Gustav von Wangenheim (Hutter = Jonathan Harker), Greta Schröder (Ellen Hutter = Mina), Alexander Granach (Knock = Renfield), John Gottowt (Bulwer = Van Helsing). Silent b&w toned, cinema M by Hans Erdmann arranged by Berndt Heller conducting Symphonie-Orchester Graunke. 1967 m /18 fps/ 95’. 1988 restoration by Enno Patalas / Munich Film Museum. Image and music edited by ZDF. Finnish TV premiere Yleisradio TV2. Finnish subtitles by Marja Hannula. Viewed in Helsinki, Sunday 4 January 1998. **** Still haunting. This restored version is incomparably better than the one that was available before the 1980s. Maybe they could correct the instability of light definition. This is maybe the fifth different score I hear to Nosferatu. This music is no worse than the others, but I was grateful for the opportunity to turn it off. The film becomes more compelling in total silence. It has a strong structure, rhythm and harmony of its own. Perhaps a master composer could succeed with a soundtrack. Tod Browning’s Dracula had little music except the theme from Tshaikovski’s Swan Lake. Carl Th. Dreyer’s Vampyr, which has almost no dialogue at all, has an overwhelming score by Wolfgang Zeller. It’s either way. No compromise works.

Ivanhoe

037002 / 12 / GB / 1952 / Thorpe, Richard / romance / adventure
Ivanhoe / Ivanhoe (TV) / Ivanhoe - musta ratsastaja (cinema). PC: MGM British Studios. P: Pandro S. Berman. D: Richard Thorpe. SC: Noel Langley - based on the novel (1819) by Walter Scott. DP: Freddie Young. PD: Alfred Junge, Roger Furse. M: Miklos Rozsa. CAST: Robert Taylor (Ivanhoe), Elizabeth Taylor (Rebecca), Joan Fontaine (Rowena), George Sanders (De Bois-Guilbert). 107’. Technicolor. MPAA Production Code Seal 15505. Yleisradio TV2 PAL transmission. Viewed in Helsinki, Sunday 4 January 1998. **** In the same league with the Curtiz / Flynn The Adventures of Robin Hood. Excellent production with stirring cinematography, design and music. The actors relish their chivalrous / villainous dialogue. The emphasis on the antisemitic persecution and the witch-hunt trial fuels the story with authentic passion. Elizabeth Taylor (the Gentile who converted to Judaism in 1959) is hauntingly beautiful as Rebecca, maybe the all-time greatest Jewish princess. Her eyes burn a trace of profound accusation.

Kuningasjätkä / A Summer by the River

Markku Pölönen: Kuningasjätkä (FI 1998). Simo Kontio (Topi).

Sommaren vid älven. A-027824 / G / FI / 1998 / Pölönen, Markku / drama / comedy. © Fennada-Filmi. P: Kari Sara. D+SC: Markku Pölönen. DP: Kari Sohlberg. ”Yö kerran unhoa annoit” performed by Olavi Virta. CAST: Pertti Koivula, Simo Kontio, Esko Nikkari, Anu Palevaara, Peter Franzen, Sulevi Peltola, Vesa Mäkelä, Heikki Kujanpää. 85’. 1,85. DIST: Fennada-Filmi. Viewed in Helsinki, VET, Tuesday 3 February 1998. *** In the mid-1950s in Eastern Finland the logrollers drive a large raft of logs along the river. The recently widowed Tenho joins them with his ten year old son. He becomes everyone’s laughing stock. The comedy of the hopelessly clumsy logroller’s turning into the King of the River is in homage to the Buster Keaton formula, which is a good act to follow. The humour is completely original, though. I still prefer Onnen maa (The Land of Happiness), but this is a first rate entertainment film, certain to become the blockbuster of the year in Finland in competition with Titanic.

Alien Resurrection

100570 / 16 / US / 1997 / Jeunet, Jean-Pierre / science fiction
Alien Resurrection / Alien - ylösnousemus. © 20th Century Fox. D: Jean-Pierre Jeunet. SC: Joss Whedon - based on characters by Dan O’Bannon and Ronald Shusett. DP: Darius Khondji. CAST: Sigourney Weaver (Ripley), Winona Ryder (Call). Scope. DIST: Columbia TriStar Egmont Finland. Viewed in Helsinki, VET, Monday 2 February 1998. *** Fascinating expansion of the slowly evolving Alien saga. Two hundred years later, Ripley has been cloned. A bunch of pirates invade the space station where the alien species is being recreated. Among them is Call, who is revealed to be an android. More horror than science fiction, the film belongs to the best in recent memory. The whole does not make a lot of sense, but the individual images are striking, indeed.

Zazel

Philip Mond: Zazel (US 1997) with Sasha Vinni and Gina LaMarca.

100513 / 18 / USA / 1997 / Mond, Philip / / pornography
Zazel / Zazel. Zazel: Philip Mond's Scent of Love / Zazel: The Scent of Love [dvd title]. PC: Metro Pictures Inc. A Max’s release. D: Philip Mond. CAST: Sasha Vinni, Gina LaMarca, Nikie St. Gilles. 127’ /25 fps/ PAL. DIST: Obsession Oy. VHS big screen projection Helsinki, VET, Friday 2 January 1998.

Sex (1994)

100514 / 18 / USA / 1994 / Ninn, Michael / / pornography
Sex / Sex. PC: VCA Labs. A Max’s release. D: Michael Ninn. CAST: Sunset Thomas, Tiffany Million, Gerry Pike, Jon Dough. 103’ /25 fps/ PAL. DIST: Obsession Oy. VHS big screen projection Helsinki, VET, Friday 2 January 1998.

Lollipop Shoppe

100515 / 18 / USA / 199- / Powers, Ed / / pornography
Lollipop Shoppe / Smått och gott / Pikkumakeaa. PC: Ed Powers / Sin City Entertainment. A Max’s release. D: Luc Wilder. CAST: Lexi Eriksson, Stephanie Swift, Tom Byron, Bret Singer, Ed Powers. 82’ /25 fps/ PAL. DIST: Obsession Oy. VHS big screen projection Helsinki, VET Friday 2 January 1998.

Babewatch 7

100516 / 18 / USA / 1996 / Adams, Buck / / pornography
Babewatch 7 - Babewatch Nights / Babewatch 7. PC: Sin City Entertainment. A Max’s release. D: Buck Adams. CAST: Amber Lynn, Holly Body, Buck Adams, Alec Metro. 61’ /25 fps/ PAL. DIST: Obsession Oy. VHS big screen projection Helsinki VET Friday 2 January 1998.

Erotic Visions

100517 / 18 / USA / 1995 / Grant, Cameron / / pornography
Erotic Visions / Venus. PC: Ultimate Pictures. A Max’s release. D: Cameron Grant. CAST: Jessica James, Tammy Parks, Olivia, Jen Teal. 90’ /25 fps/ PAL. DIST: Obsession Oy. VHS big screen projection Helsinki VET Friday 2 January 1998.

Cover To Cover

100518 / 18 / USA / 199- / Armstrong, Brad / pornography
Cover To Cover / Sexobjekt. PC: Wicked Pictures. A Max’s release. D: Brad Armstrong. CAST: Jenna Jameson, P.J. Sparxx, Mark Davis, Gerry Pike. 83’ /25 fps/ PAL. DIST: Obsession Oy. VHS big screen projection Helsinki VET Friday 2 January 1998.

Antonio e Cleopatra / Antonio & Cleopatra / The Love Nights of Anthony and Cleopatra (1996, hard core)

Joe D'Amato: Antonio e Cleopatra / Antonio & Cleopatra / The Love Nights of Anthony and Cleopatra (IT 1996). Olivia del Rio (Cleopatra), Hakan Serbes (Antonio).

100519 / 18 / IT / 1996 / D’Amato, Joe / / pornography

Antonio & Cleopatra / Anthony & Cleopatra / Cleopatra. PC: Butterfly Motion Pictures. D: Joe D’Amato [Aristide Massaccesi]. CAST: Olivia Del Rio, Nicolette, Hakan Serbes, Francesco Mal Com. 94’ /25 fps/ PAL. DIST: Obsession Oy. VHS big screen projection in Helsinki, VET, Friday 2 January 1998.

Mask

100520 / 18 / US / 1993 / Thomas, Paul / / pornography

Mask / Wow! PC: Vivid Video. D: Paul Thomas. CAST: Lene Hefner, Brittany O’Connell, Mark Davis, Nick East. 74’ /25 fps/ PAL. DIST: Obsession Oy. VHS big screen projection Helsinki, VET, Friday 2 January 1998.

Rock’n’Roll Rocco

Rocco Siffredi: Rock'n'Roll Rocco (IT 1997) starring Rosa Caracciolo, Rocco Siffredi.

100521 / 18 / IT / 1997 / Siffredi, Rocco / / pornography
Rock’n’Roll Rocco / Backstage. PC: Rocco Siffredi Productions. D: Rocco Siffredi. CAST: Rocco Siffredi, Rosa Caracciolo, Anita Blond, Anita Dark. 109’ /25 fps/ PAL. DIST: Obsession Oy. VHS big screen projection in Helsinki VET Friday 2 January 1998.

America America (1998 viewing of a vintage print)

Elia Kazan: America America (US 1963). Stathis Giallelis (Stavros Topouzoglou).

069715 / 16 / US / 1963 / Kazan, Elia / / drama

The Anatolian Smile / America, America! [Finnish title] / Amerika Amerika [Swedish title]. © Athena Enterprises Corporation. P+D+SC: Elia Kazan - based on his novel. DP: Haskell Wexler. PD: Gene Callahan. M: Manos Hadjidakis. CAST: Stathis Giallelis (Stavros Topouzoglou), Frank Wolff (Vartan Damadian), Paul Mann (Aleko Sinnikoglou), Linda Marsh (Thomna Sinnikoglou), Katherine Balfour (Sophia Kebabian). B&w Academy. 168’. MPAA Production Code Seal 20621. 35 mm SEA / Warner Bros. print with fine definition, Finnish / Swedish subtitles. Viewed in Helsinki, SEA, Cinema Orion, Thursday 1 January 1998. **** Close to perfection, this a great drama of the emigration to America. It is 1896 in Turkey, where the Christian Greeks are oppressed by the Turkish Moslems. Stathis has to endure trials of Biblical dimensions to get to Ellis Island. He is robbed, beaten, shot, embezzled by a whore, almost wed for money, taken to a rich lady passenger’s lover, and finally almost driven mad. He tries his hand at various professions, from a carpet merchant to a shoeshine boy. The deep focus cinematography and the production design are profoundly authentic. Manos Hadjidakis provides another stirring score. The film is let down by the flat English-language dubbing and the lack of authentic background sounds. Stathis Giallelis is fine but the role would have needed to be filled by someone with the charisma of Brando.

THE BEST OF 1997

Edgardo Cozarinsky: Le Violon de Rothschild / Скрипка Ротшильда (FR/FI/CH/HU 1996).

The Best New Films Released In Finland In 1997
Ridicule
Le cinquième élément / The Fifth Element
When We Were Kings

The Best Old Films Released In Finland In 1997
La ley del deseo / The Law Of Desire
The Killer
Bullet In the Head

The Best Re-Releases In Finland In 1997
Star Wars Trilogy The Special Edition
Vertigo, restored version
Lady and the Tramp
Le Mépris / Contempt, restored version

The Best Finnish Films Of 1997
Today / Tänään (Eija-Liisa Ahtila)
Underwater Iceland / Vedenalainen Islanti (Marko Röhr)
Minerva (Simo Halinen)
David - Tales Of Honor and Shame / Daavid - tarinoita kunniasta ja häpeästä (Taru Mäkelä)

Bubbling Under - Worth Seeing
Shine
The English Patient
Surviving Picasso
Mars Attacks!
Cold Comfort Farm
Mother Night
One Fine Day
The Crucible
Private Parts
Batman & Robin
Donnie Brasco
Kolja / Kolya
Contact
Basquiat
Microcosmos

The Best Video Premiere of 1997
The Many Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh / Nalle Puh (Walt Disney 1965 - 1977)

The Best Television Movie of 1997
Le Violon de Rothschild (Edgardo Cozarinsky)

The Best New Film at the Finnish Film Archive in 1997
Marcello Mastroianni: mi ricordo si io mi ricordo

The Best Film Event of 1997
Le Giornate del Cinema Muto in Pordenone. Comparable to what opening the Dead Sea Scrolls means to a Biblical scholar. The first films of Friese-Greene (1890). The first definitive Edison retrospective. The first complete Griffith retrospective launched. The Birth of A Nation restored with an astounding symphony orchestra accompaniment.

Coming Attractions of 1998 examined in 1997
Titanic - true grandeur and nobility in the best blockbuster of the 1990s
Event Horizon - the best horror film of the year
Double Team - the best action film of the year: Tsui Hark, Van Damme and Dennis Rodman

Films One Was Supposed To Like in 1997
Lost Highway, Lone Star, L.A. Confidential, Sling Blade, (1998:) U Turn

The Spy In Black

V-003434 / G / GB / 1939 / Powell, Michael / war / spy

Spy In Black, The / Kaksoisagentti. PC: Harefield Productions; Alexander Korda. EX: Alexander Korda. D: Michael Powell. SC: Emeric Pressburger - based on the novel by J. Storer Clouston. PD: Vincent Korda. M: Miklos Rosza. CAST: Conrad Veidt (Captain Hardt), Valerie Hobson (Joan the Schoolmistress / spy). B&w Academy. 79’ /25 fps/ = 82’ /24 fps/. DIST: Finnkino. A timecoded PAL VHS big screen projection in Helsinki, VET, Wednesday, 31 December 1997. *** The first collaboration of the dynamic duo Powell & Pressburger. They were brought together by Alexander Korda, who had been developing this project before either were called. This is the first Finnish release of the film, never seen in Finnish cinemas, television, or video distribution before. It was not banned during WWII, but would have had it been submitted to the Finnish Film Chamber. The story takes place in Scotland during WWI in 1917. Conrad Veidt the German submarine captain meets Valerie Hobson the British contraband. It would probably look great on film. A part of Finnkino’s great Alexander Korda package to be released on video, this belongs to their true discoveries.

I Know What You Did Last Summer

100510 / 16 / US / 1997 / Gillespie, Jim / / horror

I Know What You Did Last Summer / Tiedän mitä teit viime kesänä. PC: Mandalay Entertainment. D: Jim Gillespie. SC: Kevin Williamson - based on the novel by Lois Duncan. Music selections include performances by Kula Shaker, Toad the Wet Sprocket, The Offspring. CAST: Jennifer Love Hewitt (Julie James), Sarah Michelle Gellar (Helen Shivers), Ryan Philippe (Barry Cox), Freddie Prinze, Jr. (Ray Bronson). 102’. Scope. MPAA 35237. Rated R = 17. BBFC: 18. Finnish subtitles by Janne Staffans. DIST: Columbia TriStar Egmont Finland. Viewed in Helsinki, VET, Wednesday 31 December 1997. *** Strong horror picture follows the formulae of the slasher subgenre, but is distinguished by the interesting characterizations of the quartet of young friends. There is honesty and authentic detail in their relationships. This is why I prefer this film to Scream, which bored me with its would-be cleverness. The performances are fine, the suspense is well-built, the last two reels lose all depth, and the soundtrack selections are first rate.

1997

Michelangelo Antonioni: I vinti / Les Vaincus / The Vanquished (IT/FR 1953). 

Checklist: some of the films I saw theatrically in 1997 at the Finnish Film Archive at Orion.

16.12.1997 21.15 Revoljutshioner (Bauer), Orion
16.12.1997 19.00 Raskolnikow (Wiene), Orion
16.12.1997 16.30 L'Inhumaine (L'Herbier), Orion
2.12.1997 19.00 My Beautiful Laundrette / Poikien pesula, Orion

26.11.1997 17.00 A Face in the Crowd / Kasvot väkijoukossa, Orion
25.11.1997 21.00 Baby Doll / Nukkevaimo, Orion
18.11.1997 21.00 Viva Zapata!, Orion
12.11.1997 18.45 Täältä tullaan, elämä, Orion
12.11.2997 16.30 A Streetcar Named Desire / Viettelyksen vaunu, Orion
4.11.1997 18.45 A Gentleman's Agreement / Hiljainen sopimus, Orion
2.11.1997 16.00 Marcello Mastroianni, Orion
XX.XX.1997 Orion

26.10.1997 18.00 Les Travailleurs de la mer (Antoine), Orion
7.10.1997 17.00 The Last of Dolwyn, Orion
2.10.1997 19.00 Pépé le Moko, Orion
2.10.1997 17.00 Casque d'Or / Rakastajatar, Orion

28.9.1997 18.15 Germinal (Capellani), Orion
23.9.1997 17.00 The Scarlet Letter / Tulipunainen kirjain (Sjöström), Orion
18.9.1997 19.00 Pako pohjoiseen, Orion
18.9.1997 17.00 Sterne / Poljettu tähti, Orion
17.9.1997 19.00 Nuoruus sumussa, Orion
17.9.1997 17.00 Withnail and I / Onnen kiertolaiset, Orion
16.9.1997 17.00 Kiihko, Orion
11.9.1997 18.30 Konets St Peterburga / Pietarin viimeiset päivät, Orion
10.9.1997 19.30 Nuoria ihmisiä, Orion
7.9.1997 17.30 Limelight / Parrasvalot, Orion

27.8.1997 19.15 Elämän maantiellä, Orion
13.8.1997 21.00 Clerks - tiskirotat, Orion
13.8.1997 19.00 Die Sehnsucht der Veronika Voss / Veronika Vossin kaipuu, Orion
XX.XX.1997 Orion

29.7.1997 19.00 Stealing Beauty / Koskematon kauneus, Orion
24.7.1997 21.00 L'Appât / Syötti, Orion
24.7.1997 19.00 Kramer vs. Kramer / Kramer vastaan Kramer, Orion
23.7.1997 19.00 Mitt liv som hund / Elämäni koirana, Orion
22.7.1997 19.00 Traitement du choc / Shokkikäsittely, Orion
1.7.1997 19.00 Lähtö, Orion

4.5.1997 20.15 La Grande Illusion / Suuri illuusio, Orion
3.5.1997 19.00 Atomic Café, Orion

29.4.1997 21.00 Slacker, Orion
27.4.1997 19.00 Kaos, Orion
24.4.1997 20.15 La terra trema / Maa järisee, Orion
23.4.1997 19.00 Mu qin san she shu, Orion
23.4.1997 17.00 Kahden tanssin välillä, Orion
22.4.1997 18.45 Jie tou xiang dei, Orion
17.4.1997 19.00 Hongkongilaista lyhytelokuvaa, Orion
16.4.1997 21.00 Les Trois font la paire / Ei kahta ilman kolmatta, Orion
16.4.1997 19.00 Qin shao nian nuo, Orion
15.4.1997 21.00 I she i jia, Orion
15.4.1997 19.30 La Poison / Myrkky, Orion
15.4.1997 17.00 Si Paris était conté, Orion
11.4.1997 21.00 Long men ge zhan, Orion
10.4.1997 19.00 Qiou jue, Orion
9.4.1997 21.00 Wue li hung, Orion
9.4.1997 19.45 Tie shan gong zhu, Orion
8.4.1997 17.00 Les Perles de la couronne / Kruunun helmet, Orion
5.4.1997 21.00 Okupacija u 26 slika / Miehitetty kaupunki, Orion
5.4.1997 19.00 Faisons un rêve, Orion

31.3.1997 18.15 Hamsa Geethe, Orion
29.3.1997 17.00 Sindhu bhatravi, Orion
26.3.1997 21.00 Al di là delle nuvole / Pilvien takana, Orion
26.3.1997 18.45 Identificazione di una donna / Naisen tunnistaminen, Orion
25.3.1997 20.30 Hamsa Geethe, Orion
25.3.1997 19.00 Matti Manushulu, Orion
25.3.1997 16.30 Il mistero di Oberwald / Oberwaldin salaisuus, Orion
20.3.1997 16.30 Moondream Pirate, Orion
19.3.1997 20.45 Shankarabharanam, Orion
19.3.1997 19.00 Marattam, Orion
18.3.1997 19.00 Chung Kuo Cina / Kiina, Orion
18.3.1997 17.00 Zabriskie Point, Orion
13.3.1997 21.00 Swarna kamalam, Orion
13.3.1997 18.45 Anantaram, Orion
12.3.1997 18.45 Piravi, Orion
11.3.1997 21.00 Blow-Up, Orion
11.3.1997 18.45 Il deserto rosso / Punainen erämaa, Orion
7.3.1997 19.15 Antonionin lyhytelokuvia, Orion
5.3.1997 21.00 L'eclisse / Kuumetta, Orion
5.3.1997 18.45 La notte / Yö, Orion
4.3.1997 19.00 Antonionin lyhytelokuvia, Orion
4.3.1997 16.30 L'avventura / Seikkailu, Orion

27.2.1997 21.00 Il grido / Kaipuun punainen hetki, Orion
27.2.1997 16.45 Le amiche / Pikku ystävättäriä, Orion
26.2.1997 19.00 La signora senza camelie / Nainen vailla sielua, Orion
25.2.1997 19.00 I vinti, Orion
25.2.1997 17.00 Cronaca di un amore / Erään rakkauden tarina, Orion
15.2.1997 17.00 Kaksoiskotka, Orion

25.1.1997 19.00 Sadgati / Kohtalon isku, Orion
25.1.1997 21.00 M. Klein / Varjojen vanki, Orion
24.1.1997 21.00 For Them That Trespass, Orion
20.1.1997 21.00 Mahtavat Ambersonit, Orion

Shooting Fish

Stefan Schwartz: Shooting Fish (GB 1997). Dan Futterman (Dylan), Stuart Townsend (Jez), Kate Beckinsale (Georgie).

100509 / G / GB / 1997 / Schwartz, Stefan / comedy

Shooting Fish / Huijareita kuten me. PC: Gruber Brothers. P: Richard Holmes, Glynis Murray. D: Stefan Schwartz. SC: Stefan Schwartz, Richard Holmes. Music selections include performances by Space, Strangelove, and The Supernaturals, and Burt Bacharach tunes like ”Do You Know The Way To San Jose”. CAST: Dan Futterman (Dylan), Stuart Townsend (Jez), Kate Beckinsale (Georgie). 113’, 109’. Scope. BBFC: 12. DIST: Cinema Mondo. Viewed in Helsinki, Tuesday 30 December 1997. *** Two con artists meet a medical student who becomes their secretary in their outlandish schemes. Pleasant yarn with funny inventions and weak morals. Excellent soundtrack.

The Jackal

Michael Caton-Jones: The Jackal (US 1997). Bruce Willis (The Jackal), Richard Gere (Declan Mulqueen).

100507 / 16 / US / 1997 / Caton-Jones, Michael / thriller

Jackal, The / Sakaali. PC: Universal. D: Michael Caton-Jones. SC: Chuck Pfarrer – based on the screenplay The Day of the Jackal (1973) based on the novel by Frederick Forsyth. M: Carter Burwell. Title music: Massive Attack. CAST: Bruce Willis (The Jackal), Richard Gere (Declan Mulqueen), Sidney Poitier (Cater Preston), Diane Venora (Valentina Koslova). 124’. Scope. MPAA 35563. Rated R = 17. Finnish / Swedish subtitles by Outi Kainulainen / Ditte Kronström. DIST: UIP Finland. Viewed in Helsinki, Monday 29 December 1997. *** Without reaching the standards of the 1973 classic, this film offers pleasures of its own. Bruce Willis as a man of many disguises is excellent, better than Val Kilmer as The Saint.

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

I-008197 / G / US / 1965 - 1977 / Disney, Walt / / animation

Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, The / Nalle Puh (video) / Nalle Puhin seikkailuja (TV). PC: Walt Disney Productions. A compilation of three Winnie the Pooh episodes linked with special animated material on the concept of the ”living book”. Based on the original stories by A.A. Milne and the original illustrations by Ernest H. Shepard. The first video release of this compilation in Finland in 1997 by Buena Vista Home Video. Finnish dialogue and songs by Pekka Lehtosaari. Total length 71’ VHS PAL /25 fps/. Plus Making Of bonus track. Viewed in Pirkkala, Saturday 27 December 1997. ****
Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree / Nalle Puh ja hunajapuu. 1965. D: Wolfgang Reitherman. 074566
Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day / Nalle Puh ja tuulinen päivä. 1968. D: Wolfgang Reitherman. 077773
Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too / Nalle Puh ja Tiikeri kans! 1974. D: John Lounsbery. 086028
This film has been labeled a Disney Classic, one of the 35 official classic animated Disney features. As such, it has been the most elusive of them in Finland. The original episodes were promptly released in Finnish cinemas, but this 1977 feature edition first surfaced on television in 1993. Seeing it for the first time now I was amazed at the concept which was so faithful to the Milne / Shepard originals. The relaxed tempo and the gentleness of spirit are in contrast to the hectic rhythm of the regular animated series of the era. The first two episodes belong to the last projects personally supervised by Disney, and of The Blustery Day he won his last (posthumous) Oscar. It has a dream sequence worthy of Dumbo. During the years from The Jungle Book (1967) to Beauty and the Beast (1991) this was probably the greatest Disney animated feature. It probably was the last with Walt’s spirit in it.

Härmästä poikia kymmenen

A-003314 / 12 / FI / 1950 / Unho, Ilmari / / drama

Härmästä poikia kymmenen / Österbottniskt blod / The Blood of Pohjanmaa / Ten Bad Men. PC: Suomi-Filmi. P: Risto Orko. D: Ilmari Unho. SC: Artturi Leinonen. DP: Eino Heino. M: Ahti Sonninen based on popular ballads ”Isoo Antti ja Rannanjärvi”, ”Ei ole leskeä ollenkaan”, ”Enkä minä hurjan luontoni tähren”, ”Anssin Jukka”, ”Härmästä poikia kymmenen”, ”Hurja min oon ollu”, and hymns, ”Minä vaivainen oon mato matkamies maan”, etc. Location: Ylihärmä. CAST: Tauno Palo (Isoo Antti = Antti Koivula), Yrjö Kantoniemi (Iisakki Nukari = Rannanjärvi), Kalervo Nissilä (Anssin Jukka), Kalle Kirjavainen (Kauhavan ruma vallesmanni = the ugly sheriff from Kauhava), Jussi Oksa (Pouttula, lautamies = juror), Hilkka Helinä (Katri Pouttula), Kauko Helovirta (Janne Koivula). B&w Academy. 86’ according to sources. A Suomi-Filmi PAL VHS release, lent from Helsinki City Library. 79’ /25 fps/ = 83’ /24 fps/. Viewed in Pirkkala, Saturday 27 December 1997. **** One of the best Finnish films. Taut storytelling, excellent cinematography, inspired performances, fine screenplay and dialogue in perfect blend with a score crammed with first rate adaptations of popular ballads about the notorious knifeslingers (puukkojunkkarit) in the great plains of the province of Pohjanmaa, the Texas of Finland. This film is Red River meets The Wild One in the 1860s, when Finland lived under Russian rule. The son must confront his outlaw father who is turning to a monster. The Finnish sheriff risks his life trying to tame his wild compatriots alone because he would never summon the Cossacks. The badmen (häjyt) speed their carts recklessly on the highways. They are not out for material gain, but just to raise hell and infuriate the deeply religious people of the plains. Among their offenses: spoiling the well with sour milk! In this film about the violence of men, women stay stoically in the background. The six professional lead actors were helped by over 30 laymen from Pohjanmaa. Among them, I spot a relative, Väinö Alanen, as the first landholder confronting the outlaws on the bridge.

Le Mépris

068575 / 16 / FR / IT / 1963 / Godard, Jean-Luc / drama

Mépris, Le / Keskipäivän aave / Sen täytyi tapahtua. PC: Rome-Paris Films; Films Concordia; Compagnia Cinematografica Champion. P: Georges de Beauregard, Carlo Ponti. D+SC: Jean-Luc Godard - based on the novel Il disprezzo by Alberto Moravia. DP: Raoul Coutard. M: Georges Delerue. CAST: Brigitte Bardot (Camille Javal), Michel Piccoli (Paul Javal), Jack Palance (Jeremy Prokosh), Fritz Lang (Fritz Lang), Giorgia Moll (Francesca Vanini). Franscope, Technicolor. Versions: 84’, 100’, 103’. Re-released in Finland in the restored version in 1997. Not re-examined: if it had been, it would have rated G. The screening I saw took 98’33”. Finnish / Swedish subtitles Pekka Lanerva / Johan Förnäs. DIST: Cinema Mondo. Viewed in Helsinki in the premiere screening in Kino Engel 2 on Friday, 26 December 1997. **** Brilliant colour restored to vintage Godard. Le Mépris was his rare outing with big producers, and he had savage fun with them in this metafilm. Godard and Warhol were the first postmodern film directors. Now this film does not look strange anymore. The music is sumptuous.

King Creole

Michael Curtiz directs Elvis Presley (Danny Fisher) and Dolores Hart (Nellie) in King Creole (US 1958). The best Elvis movie. Michael Curtiz was always inspired by a strong rebel performer. Elvis Presley was the last of them, following Lili Damita, Bette Davis, James Cagney, Errol Flynn, Humphrey Bogart, Edward G. Robinson, John Garfield...

049763 / 16 / US / 1958 / Curtiz, Michael / / rock / crime

King Creole / King Creole / Kitara kainalossa / King Creole - kitara kainalossa. PC: © Hal B. Wallis and Joseph K. Gazzo. A Paramount Picture. P: Hal B. Wallis.

    D: Michael Curtiz. SC: Herbert Baker, Michael V. Gazzo - based on the novel A Stone For Danny Fisher by Harold Robbins. DP: Russell Harlan. 

    M: Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller. ”Lover Doll”, ”Trouble”,”Young Dreams”, ”Hard Headed Woman”, ”King Creole”, ”Don’t Ask Me Why”. 

    CAST: Elvis Presley (Danny Fisher), Carolyn Jones (Ronnie), Walter Matthau (Maxie Fields), Dolores Hart (Nellie), Paul Stewart (Charlie Le Grand), Vic Morrow (Shark), Dean Jagger (Mr. Fisher - the Father). 

    111 min /25 fps/ = 116 min /24 fps/. B&w VistaVision. A Finnish release by Barium Video in 1983, lent from Helsinki City Library. Finnish subtitles. Cropped to Academy. Poor definition, soundtrack slightly damaged. Viewed in Helsinki on VHS PAL on Thursday 25 December 1997.

**** Pop culture endures the video transfer much better than Fritz Lang. Whereas Scarlet Street is caricature, this is a comic strip, and a good one. Elvis Presley performs strongly in his one note characterization as the singer / delinquent. The dialogue is excellent, and the whole cast seems to relish this New Orleans crime melodrama. Astounding accomplishment from that old Hungarian.

Scarlet Street

026475 / 16 / US / 1945 / Lang, Fritz / / thriller

Scarlet Street / Punainen katu. PC: Universal Pictures. P: Walter Wanger. D: Fritz Lang. SC: Dudley Nichols - based on the novel and play La Chienne by Georges de La Fouchardière. DP: Milton Krasner. CAST: Edward G. Robinson (Chris Cross), Joan Bennett (Kitty), Dan Duryea (Johnny). 102’. B&w Academy. A JEF Films / Aikman Archive video release of 1993, in Finland by Castle Communications 1994; lent from Helsinki City Library. Finnish subtitles. Viewed in Helsinki on VHS PAL on Wednesday 24 December 1997. *** This one does not endure the video transfer. The black circle of fate of the murderous caricature seems pale on the small box. The best sequence: Dan Duryea is taken to the electric chair while Edward G. Robinson hears from the journalist in the subway that nobody can escape punishment. Joan Bennett is totally believable and realistic but should be bigger than life to make this work. Lang would have needed Dietrich. Renoir’s La Chienne with Michel Simon is the better film adaptation.

Little Women (1933)

018720 / G / US / 1933 / Cukor, George / / drama

Little Women / Pikku naisia. PC: RKO Radio Pictures. EX: David O. Selznick. P: Kenneth MacGowan. D: George Cukor. SC: Sarah Y. Mason, Victor Heerman - based on the novel by Louisa May Alcott. M: Max Steiner. CAST: Katharine Hepburn (Jo), Joan Bennett (Amy), Jean Parker (Beth), Frances Dee (Meg). B&w Academy. 111’ /25 fps/ = 116’ /24 fps/. Yleisradio TV2 PAL transmission on 22 December 1997. Finnish subtitles by Annu James. Viewed in Helsinki on VHS on Wednesday 24 December 1997. *** Although this is generally considered the best of the four film adaptations of the novel, I actually prefer the latest one with Winona Ryder, Claire Danes, and Susan Sarandon.

Benjamín Dúva

100504 / 10 / IS / 1995 / Erlingsson, Gísli Snaer / drama

Benjamín Dúva / Ritari Benjamin Kyyhkynen. PC: Baldur Film; Icelandic Film Corp.; Neue Deutsche Filmgesellschaft; Migma Film. D: Gísli Snaer Erlingsson. CAST: Sturla Sighvatsson, Gunnar Atli Cauthery, Sigfús Sturluson. 90’. 1,85. Finnish / Swedish subtitles: Janne Staffans. DIST: Walhalla. Viewed at VET, Helsinki, Monday 22 December 1997. *** Intelligent, well-made drama for young viewers. It’s about 10-12 year old boys who establish orders of knighhood. For fun, yes, but it gets deadly serious, too.

Oi kallis Suomenmaa 7

/ / FI / 1997 / Bagh, Peter von / / TV documentary

Oi kallis Suomenmaa 7 - Jänöjussin mäenlasku. [Ca 1970 - 1988]. PC: Nosferatu; Yleisradio TV1. Concept and direction by Peter von Bagh. 60’. PAL TV transmission, viewed in Helsinki, Sunday 21 December 1997. Interestingly, the visual material gets shabbier as we approach the present.

Titanic

James Cameron: Titanic (US 1997) starring Leonardo Di Caprio (Jack Dawson) and Kate Winslet (Rose DeWitt Bukater).

100501 / 12 / US / 1997 / Cameron, James / catastrophe Titanic / Titanic. PC: Paramount, 20th Century Fox. D+SC: James Cameron. ”Nearer My God To Thee”. CAST: Leonardo DiCaprio (Jack Dawson), Kate Winslet (young Rose DeWitt Bukater), Gloria Stuart (old Rose DeWitt Bukater), Kathy Bates (Molly Brown). Scope, 194’. MPAA 35593. PG-13. Finnish / Swedish subtitles by Hannele Vahtera. DIST: Columbia TriStar Egmont Finland. Viewed at VET, Helsinki, Friday 19 December 1997.

**** I had become bored with megabudgeted catastrophe spectacles, but Titanic is really in a class of its own, ahead of the Twisters and the Jurassic Parks. This is also Cameron’s best film together with the first Terminator. He knows all about effects now, does not have to flaunt them anymore, can concentrate on the simple human story. It’s about life over machine, as in the Terminators. The culminating image is that of DiCaprio and Winslet grabbing the bow of Titanic as it is finally sinking vertically to the ocean. It is a mind-boggling sight. It is then about survival instinct, and also about true heroism. DiCaprio helps Winslet on a floating door before slowly freezing to death. A Night To Remember (GB 1958) was also a magnificent interpretation of the Titanic story, concentrating on the viewpoint of those running the ship. These two films complement each other perfectly. I predict before having heard of any box office results that this film will be the greatest success in the history of the cinema.

Un air de famille

100498 / G / FR / 1996 / Klapisch, Cédric / drama

Air de famille, Un / Suku on pahin. PC: Telema, Le Studio Canal+, France 2 Cinéma. D: Cédric Klapisch. ”Una furtiva lagrima” performed by Caruso. CAST: Jean-Pierre Bacri, Agnès Jaoui, Jean-Pierre Darroussin. Scope. 109’. Finnish / Swedish subtitles. DIST: Kamras Filmgroup. Viewed at VET, Helsinki, Thursday 18 December 1997. *** ”Suis-moi, je te fuis. Fuis-moi, je te suis”. A neurotic chamber piece taking place in a small restaurant after hours, where a birthday is being celebrated. Impeccably performed.

Mad City

100495 / 12 / US / 1997 / Costa-Gavras / / drama

Mad City / Yksinoikeudella. PC: Warner Bros. P: Arnold Kopelson, Anne Kopelson. D: Costa-Gavras. SC: Tom Matthews. CAST: John Travolta, Dustin Hoffman, Mia Kirshner, Alan Alda, Blythe Danner. 114’. Scope. MPAA 35278. PG-13. Finnish / Swedish subtitles by Timo Porri. DIST: Warner Bros. Finland. Viewed at VET, Helsinki, Wednesday 17 December 1997. *** Viewed at VET after Money Talks, both sharing the premise of mortal danger being exploited as a media attraction. This is a serious contribution in the reliable Costa-Gavras tradition of social issues. The grandfather of all the media films of this type was Billy Wilder’s The Big Carnival (1951). However, Dog Day Afternoon (1975) is the closest prototype to Mad City. It’s a well-known formula, but still a good and valid one, and the screenplay has a lot of wit and good dialogue. Costa-Gavras, then, is to be blamed for the fact that the film is not brilliant but only good enough in spite of the first-rate cast and crew

Money Talks

100494 / 16 / US / 1997 / Ratner, Brett / / action

Money Talks / Rahalla saa. PC: New Line Film Productions. D: Brett Ratner. SC: Joel Cohen, Alec Sokolow. CAST: Chris Tucker, Charlie Sheen, Heather Locklear, Paul Sorvino. 95’. Scope. MPAA 34762. Rated R = 17. Finnish / Swedish subtitles by Hannele Vahtera. DIST: Warner Bros. Finland. Viewed at VET, Helsinki, Wednesday 17 December 1997. *** Action comedy mostly in furioso. Motormouth Chris Tucker is a small-time crook who happens to land in the middle of big intrigue. Slick TV newsman Charlie Sheen gets involved and tries to milk every drop of ”his” exclusive story. They are forced to team up against fearsome adversity. Yarn is full of jaw-dropping action spectacle.

Revolyutsioner / The Revolutionary (1989 Gosfilmofond restoration)

Yevgeny Bauer: Революционер / Revolyutsioner / The Revolutionary (RU 1917) with Zoya Barantsevich.

/ / RU / 1917 / Bauer, Jevgeni / / drama
    Революционер / Revoljutsioner.
    PC: A. Hanzhonkov & Co. D: Jevgeni Bauer. SC: Ivan Perestiani. DP: Boris Zavelev. CAST: Ivan Perestiani (Grandfather – the Revolutionary), Vladimir Strizhevski (Son), Zoja Barantsevitsh (Daughter). Silent b&w, premiered 3 April 1917.
     Gosfilmofond 1989 restoration from an incomplete, defective original, with the first reel of four missing /18 fps/ 35’.
    Finnish translation spoken by Riitta Tyventö.
    Viewed at SEA, Helsinki, Cinema Orion, Tuesday 16 December 1997.

** A drama turned quickly after the March 1917 overthrow of the Romanov dynasty. Several of these liberal revolutionary films were shown in Finland, but this one was now seen for the first time in Helsinki, although similar Hanzhonkov and Drankov films were released at the time.

It is a series of liberal-patriotic vignettes, transfigured by the masterful photography of Boris Zavelev (well-known from After Death, Zvenigora, etc.). There are traces of nitrate decomposition from the original. It is odd to face the slogan ”The proletariat has no fatherland” in a film like this. It is the son who utters this defiant sentence, only to reconcile with his father in the final scene, where they join the army train to the front.

Raskolnikow (1991 NFM restoration)

Robert Wiene: Raskolnikow (DE 1923) with Grigori Chmara (Raskolnikov). Sets by Andre Andrejev. Cinematography by Willy Goldberger. Photo: La Cinémathèque française, Paris.

012128 / (banned 1923) / DE / 1923 / Wiene, Robert / / drama

Raskolnikow. PC: Neumann Film-Produktion. P+D: Robert Wiene. Based on the novel Crime and Punishment by F. M. Dostojevski. DP: Willy Goldberger. AD: Andre Andrejew. CAST: Grigori Hmara (Raskolnikov), Maria Kryjanovskaja (Sonia), Mihail Tarhanov (Marmeladov). Silent b&w. Restored version by the Netherlands Film Museum with contributions from Gosfilmofond. Munich print 3031 m /18 fps/ 147 min. Fine Finnish translation spoken by Laura Mehto. Presented by Kristin Thompson. Viewed at SEA, Helsinki, Cinema Orion, Tuesday 16 December 1997. *** The film, banned by the Finnish Film Chamber in 1923, was now seen for the first time in Finland. Part of the Russian fashion of the era, this one was actually filmed with actors from Stanislavsky’s Moscow Art Theatre. Full of soul but horribly overacted. One is struck by the difference with the subtle understatement of Jevgeni Bauer’s 1917 films. Still, this is faithful to Dostoyevsky: it has the passion for the suffering of humanity. The actual text of the novel is judiciously used in the titles, which take full advantage of the author’s grim sense of humour. The words sound good in German. ”Nach langem, schwerem Fieber…”. The Russian art director is totally under the influence of Caligari. This is one of the very few purely Caligarian films.

L’Inhumaine (1997 Helsinki screening of CNC print)

Marcel L'Herbier: L'Inhumaine (FR 1924).

088474 / 08 / FR / 1924 / L’Herbier, Marcel / drama

Inhumaine, L’. PC: Cinégraphic. D: Marcel L’Herbier. SC: Marcel L’Herbier, Pierre Mac Orlan. DP: Georges Specht. PD: Fernand Léger, Cavalcanti, Claude Autant-Lara, Robert Mallet-Stevens. CAST: Georgette Leblanc (Claire Lescot - ”The Inhuman”), Jaque Catelain (Einar Norsen), Philippe Hériat (Maharadja). Silent b&w designed to be screened tinted and with live music accompaniment composed by Darius Milhaud. CNC Bois d’Arcy untinted print reduced to Academy format. 3631 m /22-24 fps/ 135’. Finnish translation read by Leena Talvio. Viewed at SEA, Helsinki, Cinema Orion, Tuesday 16 December 1997. *** A classic of production design, the Frenchmen’s riposte to German expressionism, and an obvious influence to Metropolis and Marienbad. Excellent montage sequences. Too bad that all the characters are indifferent.

See my blog remarks of L'Inhumaine (2015 digital restoration Lobster Films).

Oi kallis Suomenmaa 6

/ / FI / 1997 / Bagh, Peter von, etc. / TV documentary

Oi kallis Suomenmaa 6 - Lumi teki enkelin eteiseen. 1964 - 197-. PC: Nosferatu; Yleisradio TV1. Concept and direction by Peter von Bagh, Elina Katainen, Iikka Vehkalahti. 60’. PAL TV transmission, viewed in Helsinki, Sunday 14 December 1997.

Pardners

045501 / 12 / US / 1956 / Lewis, Jerry / / comedy

Pardners / Peloton sheriffi. PC: York Pictures. A Paramount release. D: Norman Taurog. Based on the film Rhythm on the Range (1936). Songs by Sammy Cahn, James Van Heusen. CAST: Jerry Lewis (Wade Kingsley), Dean Martin (Slim Mosely). 88’. Technicolor, VistaVision. PAL transmission cropped to Academy. Below average colour definition. Yleisradio TV2 on Saturday, 13 December 1997. *** Absurd comedy Western wears well today. It’s a Jerry Lewis showcase as a mama’s boy who has to transform into a rodeo star, a cowboy, and a sheriff. His pantomimes are masterful. On the small box it is hard to appreciate them properly, since they are often in medium or general shot.

Charley Varrick

081990 / 16 cut / US / 1973 / Siegel, Don / / thriller

Charley Varrick / Tappakaa Charley Varrick! PC: Universal. EX: Jennings Lang. P+D: Don Siegel. SC: Howard Rodman, Dean Riesner - based on the novel by John Reese. DP: Michael Butler. M: Lalo Schifrin. CAST: Walter Matthau (Charley Varrick), Jacqueline Scott (Nadine Varrick), Andrew Robinson (Harman Sullivan), Felicia Farr (Sybil Fort), Sheree North (Jewell Everett), John Vernon (Maynard Boyle), Joe Don Baker (Molly). PAL TV transmission 5 December 1997 MTV3: 106’13” /25 fps/ = 110’39” /24 fps/. Cut: the scene where Molly tortures and slaughters Harman Sullivan (same scene was cut in the Finnish cinema release version). Cropped from 2,35 Panavision to 1,35 Academy. Finnish subtitles by Sirpa Glantz. Viewed on video Saturday, 6 December 1997. ***½ The screenplay is excellent. The dynamics between the bucolic scenes and the crisp bursts of action is perfect. They don’t make action films like this anymore. Almost everything in the 1990s is nervous and hysterical with the exception of Clint Eastwood who has not changed since his apprenticeship with… Don Siegel. Here the total sense of control is to be relished. Small things stand out. ”Nadine was a hell of a driver”. ”I never thought I’d be willing to trade places with a cow”. The complaint: Siegel’s customary nihilism. All betray. Trust nobody. So then: why care?

G.I. Jane

Ridley Scott: G.I. Jane (US 1997) starring Demi Moore as Lt. Jordan O'Neil.

100481 / 16 / US / 1997 / Scott, Ridley / / action
G.I. Jane / Sotilas Jane. PC: Trap-Two-Zero Productions; Hollywood Pictures. D: Ridley Scott. CAST: Demi Moore (Lt. Jordan O’Neil), Viggo Mortensen (Master Chief John Urgayle), Anne Bancroft (Senator Lillian DeHaven). Scope. 126’. MPAA 35019. Rated R = 17. BBFC: 15. Finnish/Swedish subtitles by Timo Porri. DIST: Finnkino. Viewed in Helsinki, VET, Thursday 4 December 1997. *** A woman’s fight for equal opportunities carried to psychopathic lengths as Demi Moore insists against all odds on getting an elite Navy SEAL training. The story may be crucial in the bizarre context of the war of the sexes in the US, but from a Nordic perspective it does not carry at all. Fascinating stuff for a psychiatrist, though. The motto is from D.H. Lawrence’s ”Self-pity”: ”I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself / A bird will fall frozen down without ever having felt sorry for itself”.

Pippi Långstrump (1997)

100480 / G / SE / 1997 / Lindgren, Astrid / animated

Pippi Långstrump / Pippi Longstocking / Peppi Pitkätossu. PC: Svensk Filmindustri; Iduna; TFC; Nelvana. P: Waldemar Bergendahl. D: Clive Smith. SC: Catharina Stackelberg - based on the novels by Astrid Lindgren. 78’. 1,35/1,66. Finnish spoken version by Esa Kauppila. DIST: Forum Film. Viewed in Helsinki, VET, Thursday 4 December 1997. *** Having seen the preview I was fearing a poor man’s Disney but was gladly surprised. The visuals are competitive. Best of all, the spirit is right. This is true Astrid Lindgren. Many excellent films have been made from her novels: the live action Longstocking series, the Children of the Isles, the Bullerby series. There is something unique and distinctive about Pippi which the filmmakers have captured. It is her special winning spirit against adversity and her stunning friendliness against her very worst enemies. It completely differs from the Americans. The feeling of amazement is there. I hope they’ll continue this series. What I missed was the great theme music from the 1960s series. The Finnish dialogue was as affected and awful as in all other contemporary animated films. Why do they keep imitating second rate acting styles of two generations ago?

U Turn

100478 / 16 / US / 1997 / Stone, Oliver / / thriller

U Turn / U-käännös helvettiin. PC: Phoenix Pictures. A TriStar Pictures release. D: Oliver Stone. SC: John Ridley - based on his novel. DP: Robert Richardson. M: Ennio Morricone. CAST: Sean Penn (Bobby Cooper), Jennifer Lopez (Grace McKenna), Nick Nolte (Jake McKenna). 125’. 1,85. MPAA 35464. Rated R = 17. DIST: Columbia TriStar Egmont Finland. Viewed in Helsinki, VET, Wednesday 3 December 1997. *** Hyperrealistic. High contrast. Offbeat. Hallucinated. Indulging in misleading cuts. Feverish. Uncontrolled. All characters are overblown. There is no normality in it. It impresses at first but gets slowly boring. Oliver Stone has been in fine form, never boring, and Nixon was a masterpiece. This one is an unwitting film noir parody. Might be best on video in 15’ doses.

My Beautiful Laundrette

094889 / 16 / GB / 1985 / Frears, Stephen / / drama

My Beautiful Laundrette / Poikien pesula / Rakas pesulani (TV).
    PC: Channel Four. P: Sarah Radclyffe, Tim Bevan. D: Stephen Frears. SC: Hanif Kureishi. CAST: Gordon Warnecke (Omar), Daniel Day-Lewis (Johnny), Saaed Jaffrey (Nasser). 97’. 1,66. Finnish / Swedish subtitles by Anna-Lisa Holmqvist. A somewhat soft Finnkino / SEA print. Viewed in Helsinki, SEA, Cinema Orion, Tuesday 2 December 1997. ***

(In a bizarre accident the film’s Finnish cinema premiere was delayed to September 1987. Two weeks later TV already transmitted it, killing it in theatres!)

Forceful stuff from Frears’ strongest period. British realism at its best – examining the cultural clash between the Pakistani and the skinheads, facing the challenges of the Thatcher era. Visually unappetizing – is it because the print is unfocused or is it because it was made on 16 mm for TV and not even supposed to look good on a big screen? This film has my favorite credits effect of all time: the lines stay on the screen and then whirl like in a laundromat drum. It is a simple and fascinating rhythm.

Tomorrow Never Dies

100476 / 14 hard cut / GB / 1997 / Spottiswoode, Roger / action

Tomorrow Never Dies / Huominen ei koskaan kuole. PC: Danjaq LLC; United Artists Corporation. P: Michael Wilson, Barbara Broccoli. D: Roger Spottiswoode. Based on the characters created by Ian Fleming. Title song performed by Sheryl Crow. CAST: Pierce Brosnan, Michelle Yeoh, Jonathan Pryce. Scope. 121’. Soft cut BBFC 12. MPAA 35272. Rated PG-13. Finnish / Swedish subtitles by Timo Porri / Janne Staffans. Viewed in Helsinki, VET, Tuesday 2 December 1997. *** This screening introduced me to the world of the many different versions of the James Bond films. Of GoldenEye, there were at least three main versions. In Finnish cinemas, the hard cuts of the Bond films have been generally released. We rated this new one 16, too, although in its country of origin it was rated 12 - and the Brits generally are stricter with ratings. But they apparently toned down the violence quite a bit in their cut. / NB: A week later, The Finnish Film Appeal Board surrendered to the distributor’s appeal of 14. / This is escapism in the best professional style. They ought to beef up the villains and the women more. The new Bonds feed off the glory of the old ones but don’t create new aficionados.