Book review - "King Cohn" by Bob Thomas (re-reading)

 Listened to this bc John Landis did the reading. It was fun. Full of good anecdotes. That does mean there's less analysis and a lot of stories from people where they got one over Harry Cohn. Aw shucks, anecdote teller, you're so clever. I was constantly thinking "what was really going on?"

I know Cohn was smart and ruthless. I sensed a less pleasant, more controllins person behind the person depicted here.

But the book is an easy read. Lots of great stories. The account of his death is moving as is his friendship with Sidney Buchman.

Claudia Jennings in "Lenny"

 Claudia Jennings was amibitious enough to try theatre - bc it was the seventies the part she could get was playing the stripper wife in the play Lenny. (Valerie Perinne played it in the film).

Because it was the seventies she did it in San Francisco at a theatre restaurant called Bimbo's and Francis Ford Coppola came to see it. Here's a photo.

Movie review - "The Single Girls" (1973) **

 Great idea for an exploitation film - bunch of people attending sex therapy (I think) on a resort have to deal with a killer. There's not a lot of sex though.

There are some interesting characters. Varying acting ability. Claudia Jennings is one of the girls.

Sidear: the copy of the film I saw was called Bloody Friday and seemed to have new music added. Nudity was blurred out. 

This doesn't work but there's always something happening and I like Jennings. And the film's oddness.

Movie review - "Gator Bait" (1973) **1/2

 A vehicle for Claudia Jennings who had a great outdoorsy look with that long hair and limbs. She's a poacher in the Louisiana swaps who runs afoul of some corrupt cops and dogy Cajuns.

Location filming helps immensely. The plot is simple - chase Jennings- but perhaps too simple when another twist or two would be good. Ditto it's a little tame in the sex and violence department aside some the rape threats. Some consensual sex in there somewhere would've been good.

I liked the music. Some of the supporting characters were well acted. Others not so much.

Movie review - "Moonshine County Express" (1976) ***

 I really liked this. A little more buttoned up that other New World films - there's not much nudity or sex for instance - but director Gus Trinikos has tried to make a good movie, and he's succeeded. Action moves along at a fast clip, there's some really good actors, spectacular women.

John Saxon is the nominal star - he's a little old but brings B level gravitas. however the lead role is really Susan Howard, who looked vaguely familiar - she was on Dallas and has a Dallas vibe but there's nothing wrong with that. She's beautiful, strong and can act, believably physical.

It's a three girls movie in a way -the story of three sisters whose pa (Jeff Corey) is killed by baddies, forcing the gals to sell moonshine. Claudie Jennings is perfect as Howard's sister - I wish she'd had more of a subplot. Still he's got more screentime than Maureen McCormick, old Marcia Brady herself, who is the youngest sister and just sort of hangs out. She really needed to be killed for the third act. Maybe that was a the plan but they couldn't bring themselves to do it. Be killed or turn traitor or something.

Candice Rialson has a small role as a cheerful trashy girl who pops up in some scenes. She's typically lively more so than McCormick I wish they'd swapped roles.

Cast is tops for New World. William Conrad is a villain, Saxon, Howard, Jennings, Rialson. Strong atmosphere. Pacey cars stuff.

Maureen McCormick writes entertainingly about the shoot - doing coke with Claudia who became a mate, Claudia shagging Gary Graver who impressed them working with Orson Welles.

Movie review - "Unholy Rollers" (1972) **1/2 (re-watching)

 AIP's unsuccessful attempt to cash in on Kansas City Bomber - unsuccessful because it came out late. Also it lacks a really cohesive story - it's a collection of incidents and moments. Why didn't they just do the build up to the big game?

Anyway some of those incidents are memorable like Claudia Jennings confronting spectators while naked in a bar and Jennings doing a strip scene in the roller derby with a guy she's too hot for.

Roberta Collins is in this though her part isn't very big. She seems like an athlete as does Jennings who looks spectacular. I think her voice is dubbed. I could be wrong.

Some fun stuff here. A potentially really good movie with a bit of heart and sexiness. I think they couldn't quite crack the script or the male interest.

Movie review - "Chopping Mall" (1986) *** (re-watching)

 Combination of action film and slasher as some teens are locked in a mall with killer robots. Full of affectionate nods towards the Roger Corman oevre - Paul Bartel and Mary Woronov as a couple, Dick Miller as "Walter Paisley", clips from Attack of the Crab Monsters.

It's well made -this shows what Jim Wynorski could do as a director before his career got sidetracked. The actors look a little bit too much alike - I had trouble telling them apart - they needed to be costumed differently or something.

It's a great role for Kellie Moroney who plays a final girl but a really active, clever one.