The Last Of Sheila (1973)

When Rian Johnson was doing the press rounds for Knives Out and discussing “Whodunnit” influences, one title he would offer, which I’d never even heard of before, was The Last Of Sheila (1973). It has the distinction of being written by actor Anthony Perkins and musical composer Stephen Sondheim, and apparently based on Sondheim’s love […]

Zabriskie Point (1970)

I mainly knew that Zabriskie Point (1970) was a flop at the time of release, a disappointment for Italian art-film director Michelangelo Antonioni after the international success of Blow Up. That, and thanks to a SCTV sketch, I knew that things blew up real good at the end. Palace Cinemas Raine Square were screening Zabriskie […]

Thunderbolt And Lightfoot (1974)

I remember turning on the TV and seeing the ending of Thunderbolt And Lightfoot (1974) when I was young. I’d already accidentally spoiled it for myself but thought it was about time to get a sense of the whole thing. Clint Eastwood gave Michael Cimino a shot at directing his first film after having written […]

92 In The Shade (1975)

92 In The Shade (1975) was stranger than I expected. Who knew that being a fishing guide in Florida was such a contentious, dangerous business? Peter Fonda plays a tanned, laidback dude who decides to get in the game of being a “guide”, much to the annoyance of established pros like Warren Oates and Harry […]

Fat City (1972)

Fat City (1972) is directed by John Huston (The Maltese Falcon, The Big Sleep) and adapted from a novel by Leonard Gardner who wrote the screenplay as well. One of the first big roles for Stacy Keach who plays Billy Tully, a pro boxer who had a name, but is now drifting in bars and […]