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Posts from the ‘1976’ Category

Jan 7

The Pink Panther Strikes Again

Peter Sellers stars in The Pink Panther Strikes Again, the fifth film in the Pink Panther series. Directed by Blake Edwards, this movie picks up where The Return of the Pink Panther left off and maintains the slapstick tradition of the series thanks to the relentless zaniness fans have come to expect. This film was rushed to production thanks to the success of its predecessor and is the only movie in the series that directly follows the events of its earlier film.

Edwards never got along with Sellers and this put a strain on the picture. Sellers wasn’t in very good shape at the time of the shoot, but it never really shows on-screen to the casual observer. He’s up to his usual tricks and handles most of the slapstick rather well, except in some relatively obvious sequences in which the stunt double handles the action.

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Dec 27

Small Change

Vibrant and teeming with life and jubilation, François Truffaut’s Small Change explores childhood as well as any film I’ve seen. This is because of Truffaut’s deep, intimate understanding of the subject and because of his willingness to go anywhere with it. He never panders or condescends, giving his characters all the heartache and joy they can handle without ever turning the camera way for a single solitary second.

With this approach, Truffaut understands that children, even infants, are capable of supreme sadness alongside their seemingly incessant joy and curiosity about the world. His understanding that the innocence of childhood comes with a sense of grace is beautifully explored throughout Small Change, giving his various scenes extra consequence and style.

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Sep 13

Massacre at Central High

A lot of people like to take any film involving high school violence and draw Columbine comparisons, mining the depths of cinema to find more possible influences for the perpetrators of school shootings.

One movie that draws such attention is the 1976 flick Massacre at Central High. A schlocky exploitation flick, this Rene Daalder piece is one of the original retaliation classics.

Massacre at Central High is often applauded for its resolute portrayal of high school violence and its clever look at the philosophies that build our social hierarchies. But make no mistake about it: this is B-movie exploitation stuff.

Central High is somewhat of a strange place, to say the least. It is a school, sure, but there doesn’t appear to be any teachers or authorities. There is mention of a principal in passing, but no “adults” appear on screen until the final sequence. Central High is essentially run by a group of bullies and the social pecking order is determined by the anarchy these young men promote.

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Feb 29

The Shootist

The Shootist

John Wayne’s last film role would be as J.B. Books in The Shootist, a 1976 western. Directed by Don Siegel, director of Dirty Harry and Two Mules for Sister Sara, The Shootist would feature Wayne in a role that would parallel his own life. Books is a dying gunfighter, stricken with cancer. During production, Wayne’s health was failing and much of the dialogue and imagery of the film was built from his actual condition. Wayne did not have cancer during the making of the movie, however, as he had been cancer-free since undergoing surgery to remove his left lung in 1964. The cancer would return in the last year of his life in 1979.

The Shootist is based on a book of the same name by Glendon Swarthout. When the rights to the book were purchased, producers did not have John Wayne in mind for the title role because of his ailing health. George C. Scott was considered instead, but Wayne campaigned heavily for the role and turned the completion of the film into a personal mission. He eventually won the part and the results are poignant and touching. Wayne’s final film plays out beautifully, mirroring his life in many subtle ways on screen. The opening credit montage is actually comprised of clips from some of his previous films.

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Oct 30

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Carrie

Carrie

Just in time for Halloween!

1976 was the year that Brian De Palma would direct Carrie, the classic horror film based on Stephen King’s novel of the same name. Carrie is widely considered to be one of the best film adaptations of a Stephen King novel ever made. It made over $33 million in the box office upon its release from United Artists, heavily turning a profit on its $1 million budget. The film was also critically acclaimed for the most part, with most of the praise heaped upon Sissy Spacek’s portrayal of Carrie White. The film was a rarity among horror films, as it was nominated for multiple Academy Awards. Spacek was nominated for Best Actress and Piper Laurie was nominated for Best Supporting Actress.

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