I've been earmarking films in old film guides for years. I like old guides as it limits the film numbers and makes sure they have some age. One particular book I use is a small chunky tome from 1993 and is really well-thumbed and earmarked. In a way I suppose I collect films using these guides.
This year, and part of my lockdown sanity plan, I've been watching the films I've earmarked over the years in this book. It seemed like the right thing to do. Most of the films are horror and Sci-fi and I've watched the first three this year, chronologically, all beginning with C. They're all fairly obscure and fortunately all were available free of charge on You Tube. Do you know them readers? Here you go.
The Carpenter 1988 - this slasher flick starred Wings Hauser, a great name but an actor I'd never heard of. It concerns a couple doing up a new place. Overnight some great work gets done by an unknown tradesman. This turns out to be the previous owner who happens to be dead. He's a dab hand with a drill and a circular saw as his unfortunate victims find out, namely anyone who offends his new crush, the current lady owner. OK, its cheese central and as dumb as it gets but I enjoyed The Carpenter and appreciated the obvious effort everyone had put in.
The Clonus Horror 1979 - this was a pleasant surprise and reminded me of a mix between West World and Coma, as it's about a secret organ-donor village, where the bright young things who live there have no idea as to their surgical fate. Years before The Island and the Truman Show, it highlights the plight of one romantic couple and in particular a male, who escapes Clonus and enters the real world. There are some shock moments and overall I really enjoyed the pace and look of the Clonus Horror. AKA Parts.
The Comeback 1978 - This was another pleasant find and I was chuffed to watch another Pete Walker film, a director I like, having enjoyed his Frightmare as a teenager at the flicks. The Comeback is basically about a singer who rents a huge house to make an album, where, alas the people around him are hacked to pieces by a masked hag. I thought it was well acted and I enjoyed the locations and the general Seventies features such as a Rolls Royce, a retro penthouse and the clothes. A couple of things really fascinated me: Jack Jones the American pop singer plays the lead, an artist I've heard of but never seen or heard and also a prop book that's used in the film, which I coincidentally had as a Kung Fu-mad teenager in the early Seventies, Outlines of Chinese Symbolism and Art Motives. Further attractions are the chap who plays Charlie in Charlie's Angels and the Auckland-born actress/Professor Pamela Stephenson, who would later become the wife of Billy Connelly. AKA Encore.
.....and does the guide mention THINGS TO COME?
ReplyDeleteHa ha, I shall have a look Terran!
DeleteCharlie from Charlie's Angels was John Forsythe, who later appeared in Dynasty. I first remember seeing him in To Rome With Love, he played a widower who moves to Rome with his three daughters, all different ages, so three different sets of problems.
ReplyDeleteOh, I didn't mean him Paul. The character I meant was John Bosley. Not sure what he was to the Angels then, I thought he was Charlie.
DeleteBosley, played by David Doyle, was the link between Charlie and the Angels. He ran the office, communicated with Charlie, and often went on cases. He was the comic relief, while the Angles provided the glamour and the action. He often had to be rescued by the Angels - being a sort of male 'damsel in distress' - is there a proper term for such a gentleman ? Charlie Townsend owned a detective agency, but none of the Angels (all ex-Policewomen) had ever met him. Only Bosley had, and he was not talking. Even the viewer never sees him clearly, mostly only from behind - with a beautiful lady in a bikini somewhere in the shot - Charlie liked the ladies. In one episode Kelly, played by Jaclyn Smith, the only Angel to stay with the series for its entire run, gets shot. Charlie is in the operating theatre, and you do see the front of his face, but of course he is wearing a mask, and leaves before Kelly comes round after surgery. The Angels have only ever heard his voice, over a speakerphone.
ReplyDeleteCharlie was a former Office of Strategic Services agent, the forerunner of the current Central Intelligence Agency, and that link does come up in a least one episode (and I think one of the terrible modern movie spin-offs).
In the original pilot movie for the series there was another male character, but he was dropped, just leaving Bosley.
A good series, and always fun.
Fab info Paul. Thanks a bunch. That's cleared Bosley up. I always enjoyed the series back in the day. I remember there was an unconnected perfume around called Charlie. My Mum had some I think. Nothing to do with the Angels but for some reason the two are together in my old noggin!
DeleteThere is a connection. When Kate Jackson, who played Sabrina, left the series she was replaced by Shelley Hack, who played Tiffany Welles - and only lasted one season. Shelley Hack was a model turned actress, whose main claim to fame prior to Charlie's Angels was that she had been in commercials for Charlie perfume, which was by Revlon (I did have to look that bit up). So you have a personal link to the series.
ReplyDeleteWell I never! Cheers Paul, ace detective work! I remember the Charlie box art with a tall lady wearing wide trousers and a big brimmed hat!
DeleteI once found what I thought was a Charlie's Angel doll, Farah Fawcett, at a car boot sale but after some digging it turned out to be a large Jaimie Sommers aka The Bionic Woman! I blogged about it at the time https://projectswordtoys.blogspot.com/2017/09/dont-fawcett.html
ReplyDeleteI am pretty sure the lady in the wide trousers was Shelley Hack. Must see if I can find a photo somewhere.
ReplyDeleteParts: The Clonus Horror is great! The Comeback is also fun, and I’m up for any Pete Walker flick.
ReplyDeleteFrightmare is my fave Pete Walker flick Zigg. Also enjoyed House of Whipcord. Comeback was a real pleasant surprise and my introduction to Jack Jones. Pamela Stephenson, the blonde love interest, became a big name in political satire here in the UK in the 80's.
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