the last of sheila: a stylish whodunnit

Fans of games, puzzles and mysteries will enjoy the 1973 film The Last of Sheila. Written by the dynamic duo of composer Stephen Sondheim and actor Anthony Perkins, the film features an all celebrity cast trying to conceal their most scandalous secrets from one another as they play a high-stakes murder mystery game.

Pre cruise, L-R: Philip (James Mason), Alice (Raquel Welch), Lee (Joan Hackett), Anthony (Ian McShane), Christine (Dyan Cannon) and Tom (Richard Benjamin)

Movie producer Clinton (James Coburn) is well-known for his love of parlor games and his wicked sense of humor. A year after the hit-and-run death of his gossip columnist wife Sheila he invites a selection of friends to join him on his yacht in the South of France to cruise and play games. At least, that's what he tells them. Most of the attendees also happened to be present at a house party on the night of Sheila's death: actress Alice (Raquel Welch) and her manager/husband Anthony (Ian McShane), Director Philip (James Mason), talent agent Christine (Dyan Cannon) and writer Tom (Richard Benjamin) and his heiress wife Lee (Joan Hackett). When they all arrive dockside they are eager to check out the luxuriously appointed yacht and its well-supplied liquor cabinet.

Their enjoyment is short-lived, however. Almost immediately the first game has begun and it's a doozy - a game of secrets. Clinton gives each of his guests a typed index card with a secret ("You are a Shoplifter," "You are a Homosexual," etc). Each night they will embark on a scavenger hunt in some gorgeous port of call to hunt for clues to their assigned secret's identity. The object of the game is to find out what everyone else's secret is, while keeping your own peccadillo hidden. It doesn't take long for the players to figure out that these secrets aren't just made up by Clinton for a random parlor game - they are real. And one of the group will do anything to protect their particular secret, even murder.

Clinton (James Coburn) loves to play games

It is no surprise that the dialogue by Sondheim and Perkins is witty and fun. In the 1960s the pair used to stage their own elaborate scavenger hunts with friends, one of whom was Herbert Ross (The Goodbye Girl, Play it Again, Sam), who directs the film. The French Riviera locations are gorgeous, as are the cast, who look especially great in the cruisewear costumes designed by Joel Schumacher (yes, that Joel Schumacher). As lovely as Raquel Welch always is, it is Dyan Cannon who really steals every scene she is in. She is vibrant and radiant, playing a brassy but lovably irrepressible casting agent. Viewers of The Last of Sheila will not only enjoy the mystery at its core, but the subtle skewering of Hollywood and its denizens that permeates every scene.

Christine (Dyan Cannon)plotting her next move in the game

The Last of Shelia is the granddaddy of classic mystery films like Clue, Deathtrap and most recently, Knives Out. Sondheim and Perkins had planned to do some other mystery films together, but unfortunately none of those projects were ever completed. That's Hollywood.

Specs:

The Last of Shelia is now part of the Warner Brothers archive collection, made from a 4K scan of the original camera negative. The picture is terrific. Sharp and colorful details in foreground and background shots. 

1080p High Definition master from 4K scan of the original camera negative. 

Color. 16x9. Aspect ratio 1.85:1 (original aspect ratio 1.85:1). 

Widescreen.

Sound: 

DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono, English. Subtitles, English SDH.

119 minutes. Rated PG.

Extras:

Original trailer

Audio commentary with Richard Benjamin, Dyan Cannon, and Raquel Welch. The audio commentary is actually fun to listen to, with primarily Cannon and Benjamin together reminiscing about their filming experiences as they watch the film. Raquel Welch provides her personal memories as well, but is clearly spliced in from a separate location.

Originally published on Cinema Sentries 

matt scudder – nostalgic nyc noir

 My dad was a huge fan of the prolific author Lawrence Block. Block is best known for two series of books, one following ex NYC cop Matthew Scudder and his battles with alcohol and guilt, as well as a light-hearted series about the charming burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr, who always seems to find himself on a job in a fabulous residence that also happens to contain a dead body. Most of the Scudder novels are included with my Audible subscription, so I have been enjoying revisiting a few that I read years ago and discovering some new (to me) ones. But mostly I have enjoyed time-traveling with Scudder to New York City in the 1970s and 1980s, a time before the internet and 24-hour cable news and so many other scourges of our times.

Matthew Scudder has a tragic backstory and spends a good deal of his time in coffee shops, ginmills, and walking the streets of Hell’s Kitchen, as he tries to “do favors” for friends. After he quit the force he started drinking – and also functioning as a quasi private eye. Even under an alcohol haze he can put his considerable talents to helping track down assorted murderers and ne’er-do-wells. Block loves to underline the day-to-day repetitiveness of city life as Matt drops numerous dimes in payphones, hops into cabs or rides subways and mass transit trains all over the boroughs of New York to solve a case – all while hitting his favorite watering holes several times a day to drink his favorite concoction – coffee with a shot of bourbon – it helps him keep his drunk on while also keeping him awake.

When the Sacred Ginmill Closes (1986) by Lawrence Block

What is most interesting about Scudder is his unapologetic manner – he doesn’t pretend or aspire to be a hero. He is dogged, determined, and sometimes enacts his own sense of justice. He is the first to talk of his many flaws. Most of the talk, the dialogue in these books, is first-rate. Block has a way with words, but especially with conversation between characters. This hits its apex in When the Sacred Ginmill Closes, a story the now sober Scudder tells while looking back on his hard-drinking days with his even harder-drinking buddies.

The best audio versions of these books are by readers who really seem to capture the character of Matthew Scudder, as well as being able to act out the other characters convincingly. Strangely, the weakest reader so far has been the author himself, who voices perhaps his best-known Scudder novel, Eight Million Ways to Die. It is a pivotal book in the series, as it chronicles Scudder hitting his lowest point with the booze and taking his first tentative steps towards quitting it and joining Alcoholics Anonymous. Block’s reading of the novel at the beginning is rote – but his delivery does seem to come alive as Matt sobers up. This may have been intentional, but frankly the other books are far more enjoyable for listeners, books where the voice actors can act, not just read.

That minor quibble aside, I am really enjoying my recent foray into nostalgic NYC noir. I’ve listened to the first seven books in the series. There are seventeen novels and numerous short stories featuring this classic detective (even if Matt wouldn’t call himself one). Favorite narrators in the series so far are Alan Sklar and Mark Hammer. There are numerous non-PC attitudes expressed by many characters, as to be expected of NYC low-lifes circa ’70s-’80s, but some readers/listeners might find the racial, homophobic and ethnic slurs offensive. Matt Scudder never projects such views, but runs across or spends time with characters who do.

The Sins of the Fathers (1976) – narrated by Alan Sklar

In the Midst of Death (1976) – narrated by Alan Sklar

Time to Murder and Create (1977) – narrated by Alan Sklar

A Stab in the Dark (1981) – narrated by William Roberts

Eight Million Ways to Die (1982) – narrated by Lawrence Block

When the Sacred Ginmill Closes (1986) – narrated by Mark Hammer

Out on the Cutting Edge (1989) – narrated by Dan Butler

First published on Cannonball Read

kindle enthusiasm

 This pandemic has made everything hard, including reading. Something that I love to do, but somehow didn’t want to concentrate that hard to do … until I got a Kindle. This is not an ad. But the times we are living in have encouraged a few bigger-than usual purchases. Since I haven’t been spending my money elsewhere (or anywhere), one of those purchases was a Kindle. It has seemed easier for me to read some titles on this device for a few reasons. First, I am not clogging my already overstuffed bookshelves, or adding to my seemingly endless to-read stack. Only I know how many unread titles I have on the Kindle. Second, I can buy more pulpy, fun reads with zero guilt, as their pop-lit covers won’t mar the afore-mentioned shelves. Third, if I like the title I have just read I can immediately download the next in the series or another book by the author. Instant gratification.

Once Is Not Enough by Jacqueline Susann – A girl’s best friend is her father

A friend was reminiscing on Facebook recently about Jacqueline Susann novels. I remembered seeing two of the so-bad-they’re-good movies on cable years ago, but had I ever read the novels? Well, thanks to Kindle I can. I read her three most famous novels in reverse chronological order, starting with Once Is Not Enough. I vaguely remembered the movie starring Deborah Raffin as the heroine January (!) She was a young woman with daddy issues who has a Freudian affair with an older man, played by David Janssen – with zero chemistry and sex appeal. Maybe he read the book and didn’t like the author’s emasculating take on his character. Susann piles on the drama, with January overcoming a terrible motorcycle accident that takes her years to recover from, drug addiction, and even virginity. The most sympathetic and interesting character in the book is Karla, a lesbian (maybe actually bi) famous movie actress. Susann tells her story in flashbacks, from WW2 atrocities to fame and fortune in Hollywood. Karla is loosely based on Greta Garbo. Part of the charm and fun of Susann’s books are her thinly disguised characters based on larger-than-life celebrities. Once Is Not Enough ends in a strange and perplexing way that I wasn’t prepared for – the movie completely skipped Susann’s crazy plot turns and stayed with the January as triumphant city gal narrative.

From Electra complex to Narcissus. My next read was The Love Machine. Here Susann tries to tell the story (sort of) from a man’s point of view, although a few of his main squeezes get to chime in with chapters of their own. The Love Machine is a mess. The hero, Robin Stone, is a total jerk. Every woman he meets and even every man is overly impressed by him. But the dude has absolutely no personality and is rude and downright mean to all of the above. If there weren’t the chapters featuring the ladies I would have quit on this one. Another implausible and unearned ending here, too. But it was a fast read and I did enjoy the Mad Men-esque depiction of the sixties world of television in Manhattan.

Valley of the Dolls – L-R: Anne, Jennifer and Neely

I saved the most well-known book for last, Valley of the Dolls. The movie with Patty Duke, Sharon Tate and Barbara Parkins is so indelible that it is hard to imagine Susann’s trio as anyone else while reading the book. As much as it was a fast and fun read, it really wasn’t as good as Once Is Not Enough. Susann puts Neely, Jennifer and Anne though all the racy topics of the day – plastic surgery, lesbianism, terminal disease, drug addiction. Again, the male objects of their affection are pretty boring or just unpleasant dudes, but Susann’s heroines are constantly obsessing about getting, keeping, losing their men. In fact, after plowing through these three books I was struck by the schizophrenic nature of Susann’s characters. On the one hand she writes openly about subjects that had to be extremely taboo for their day – homosexuality, drugs, women with careers. She even has a trans character in The Love Machine. But on the other hand Susann seems pretty conservative. Her heroines all pine for their men, putting up with tons of bad behavior. They stay in bad relationships just because the guy is rich or so they can dine at “21” every night. Without a man in their lives their careers go downhill. What started out as escapist fun, reading Susann’s bestsellers, ended as a sad peek into lives that were only glamorous on the surface. The girls ended up being as boring and empty as their men.

Review on Cannonball Read 13

how is it almost september?

 Catching up with Cannonball Read ...

Too Much and Never Enough by Mary Trump

Winners Take All by Anand Giridharadas

Crime In Progress by Glenn Simpson & Peter Fritsch

Burglars Can't Be Choosers by Lawrence Block

The Burglar Who Painted Like Mondrian by Lawrence Block

The Burglar Who Like to Quote Kipling by Lawrence Block

Seinfeldia: How A Show About Nothing Changed Everything by Jennifer Keishin Armstrong

I'll Have What She's Having: My Adventures in Celebrity Dieting by Rebecca Harrington

Heartburn by Nora Ephron

Making Rumours: The Inside Story of the Classic Fleetwood Mac Album by Ken Caillat and Steve Stiefel

O.K., I admit it, I have not posted any reviews lately. It’s just been a weird and for too many, sad time, hasn’t it? But I have managed to do a little reading. These may just be capsule reviews, but that’s just about all I can handle at the moment. There have been some good books and not so good books, but it’s 2020, so that’s par for the course. Looking at this list I realize that I have been drawn to books to help me cope with the current state of the world. My three go-tos seem to be books about politics, old favorites, or humor. Here’s what I’ve been reading to date:

Old Favorites:

Ken Caillat and Steve Stiefel – Making Rumours: The Inside Story of the Classic Fleetwood Mac Album

I have always loved this album and was intrigued by the reported behind-the-scenes personal drama that went into making its iconic songs. This book started off interestingly enough, but then petered out. Although Caillat (father of pop star Colby, that he likes to frequently remind the reader) was definitely on the spot and seems to know his stuff about sound engineering, there is a whole lot of the technical (how to splice multiple tracks together, circa 1978) and not so much personal (Lindsey Buckingham was a jerk to women). He slips in side-eye remarks about Stevie Nicks without ever getting specific. She reportedly once said a rude thing about his dog – is that the origin of his grudge? But he also has to grudgingly admit that she became the biggest solo star of the bunch. He also occasionally critiques the band for the copious amounts of drugs and alcohol that were consumed during the making of the album, but brushes off the fact that he was right there, indulging as well. Rumours was lightning in a bottle and no one can really properly capture that.

It was the 70s, man

Lawrence Block/Bernie Rhodenbarr series – Burglars Can’t Be Choosers, The Burglar Who Painted Like Mondrian, The Burglar Who Like to Quote Kipling

Lawrence Block has a few crime book series, and this is his most lighthearted. The main character, Bernie Rhodenbarr, is a gentleman burglar who lives on the upper east side of Manhattan and is as ready with a quip as he is with a light finger. The books are a little dated – there is always a luscious babe to throw themselves into his arms and his best pal Carolyn is a hard drinking lesbian who manages to leave her Greenwich Village dog washing shop to help Bernie whenever he is mistakenly accused of a murder after pulling a heist, which is often. But it is fun hearing Bernie wax poetic about what he plans to steal. He fancies himself a quasi Robin Hood, robbing from the rich to give to poor little old him. He also runs an old used bookstore in the Village, which is not just a front – he really loves 0ld books. What’s not to love about that?

Humor:

Jennifer Keishin Armstrong – Seinfeldia: How A Show About Nothing Changed Everything

This is a definite summer read, if one was having a definite summer … but it is fun to get a behind-the-scenes peek at how Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David put together the “show about nothing” and all the other elements that helped make it the classic that it has become, including casting (especially Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and the many writers who have contributed bits along the way.

Nora Ephron – Heartburn

This book is a thinly-veiled take on the break-up of Ephron’s marriage to Carl Bernstein. It is a funny collection of scenes from a marriage, mixed in with recipes. Originally written in 1983, it might seem a little hard to believe how her heroine has let herself be so easily deceived by her husband, but it is clear that she was pretty distracted by moving from NY to DC and then being pregnant multiple times. How easy it is to look the other way …

(p.s. the movie based on the book is not as fun – this article about making the movie is actually better than the movie)

Heartburn, by Nora Ephron

Rebecca Harrington – I’ll Have What She’s Having: My Adventures in Celebrity Dieting

This sounds like a fun by the pool read, and I guess it could be for some, but not me. It reads more like the author researched a bunch of celebs on the internet (Gwyneth Paltrow, Jackie O, Beyonce) and whips out some very lightweight essays on each, all framed by the absurd side/challenge that she will eat that way, too, although most of her “diets” don’t last a week. This book is practically a meme.

Politics:

Mary Trump – Too Much and Never Enough

With all of the endless reporting on the current occupant of the White House I realize that this book may seem too much for a lot of people, but I am really glad that I read it. There are insights into 45’s personality, but I think most of us knew who he was and is already. What is really interesting is her description of her grandparents, especially Fred Trump Sr., and how he made his fortune from sub-par housing in Brooklyn – he was always willing to “work with” local politicians for the best deals. Her descriptions of her father, who just couldn’t hack the expectations of Sr. and his addictive personality is also instructive.

Anand Giridharadas – Winners Take All

I first became aware of Anand Giridharadas on MSNBC from his appearances on shows with Lawrence O’Donnell and Rachel Maddow. He is whip smart and unrelenting in his insistence that we see beneath and beyond the “philanthropy” of the ruling class to maintain their status quo. This book is his manifesto and a fascinating read.

Glenn Simpson & Peter Fritsch – Crime in Progress

I read this around the time of the impeachment hearings to gain a better understanding of Fusion GPS (the authors own the firm), the Steele dossier and the investigations into the Trump campaign and its ties to Russia. The book is presented in a very reporterly, clear and concise style. Although the topic is politics, it steers clear of partisanship – notedly Fusion was asked by Republicans and Democrats to look into the Trump campaign’s alleged ties to Russia. The only frustrating thing about this book is that so many still don’t seem to see beyond the repetitive sound bytes. This book goes far in trying to clear up the confusion.

favorite movie #95 - election edition: the candidate

Favorite movies that have had an impact on me - #95 - The Candidate (1972) - Robert Redford plays idealistic Bill McKay, who is pulled into a race by Peter Boyle  — as he gets deeper and deeper into the campaign he finds his ideals compromised and the end goal more confusing.

favorite movie #94 - election edition: shampoo

Favorite movies that have had an impact on me - #94 - Shampoo (1975) - Although not primarily about an election, the 1968 election of Richard Nixon as president starts the film, and the characters change partners to the backdrop of politics: Hairdresser George (Warren Beatty) escorts Jackie (Julie Christie) and Jill (Goldie Hawn)to a Republican election night party. The film is set at the beginning of Nixon's presidency, but the audience knows that Watergate and the disillusionment that scandal had on the office of president is in its characters' future. Shampoo is not just a great film, but a glimpse into the American public and personal politics of the Seventies.

favorite movie #89 - halloween edition: suspiria

Favorite movies that have had an impact on me - #89 - Suspiria (1977) - Dario Argento's Suspiria may be a giallo film, but its primary color palette is red, red, red. The horror thriller features Jessica Harper as Suzy, a young American ballerina who attends a dance academy in Germany. That is just the framework for hue-saturated set pieces which feature veteran Hollywood star Joan Bennet, Alida Valli and one ingenious, gruesome, and gory death after another. The film is ostensibly about witchcraft and devil worship, but it plays more like a nightmarish fairy tale. The young, mostly female victims are drenched in either blood-red lights or the real thing. It's hard not to think of the "horrors" of coming of age and a woman's intimate relationship with blood. Whatever Suspiria is about, it is so arresting to watch it could have been interesting even if it had been a silent movie. The moment Suzy walks through the sliding doors at the airport and into the stormy night, her adventure, and ours, begins.

Suzy (Jessica Walter( is not in Kansas anymore

Suzy's roommate Olga (Barbara Magnolfi)

Suzy's friend Sara (Stefania Casini) tries to warn her that the school is a strange place

Young and handsome Udo Kier, post-Warhol 

favorite movie #82 - halloween edition: the man who fell to earth

Favorite movies that have had an impact on me - #82 - The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976) - I saw this film for the first time at the Cinema Village in New York. Talk about perfect casting for a beautiful, unearthly creature — David Bowie in he is first film appearance. Director Nicoloas Roeg started out as a cinematographer, and his films are always visually striking. Bowie plays Thomas Jerome Newton, an alien who has come to our world in search of water for his dying planet, who becomes distracted by pop culture and other things, like sex with Mary Lou (Candy Clark), watching television, and drinking. Dr. Nathan Bryce (Rip Torn) becomes suspicious of Newton, too ...

favorite movie #75 - halloween edition: the omen

Favorite movies that have had an impact on me - #75 - The Omen (1976) - Evil kids are a horror staple, and The Omen is one of the best. Ambassador Thorn (Gregory Peck) doesn't tell his wife that an orphan infant has been substituted in hospital for their reportedly deceased child. Big mistake. As their little Damien (Harvey Spencer Stephens) grows, both parents become aware that things around the child aren't exactly right — a nanny hangs herself, the new nanny (Billie Whitelaw) is super-creepy, and animals are as frightened of the kid as Damien seems to be about entering a church. Probably responsible for the widespread knowledge of the dark significance of numbers 666, The Omen mixed eerie suspense with the Hollywood star power of Peck for a really great movie. David Warner is engaging as the unfortunate photographer who tries to help Thorn unravel the true origins of Damien's birth.

Robert Thorn (Gregory Peck): If there were anything wrong, you'd tell me, wouldn't you?
Kathy Thorn (Lee Remick): Wrong? What could be wrong with our child, Robert? We're beautiful people, aren't we?

favorite movies #71-73 - halloween edition: 70s made-for TV scary movies

Favorite movies that have had an impact on me - #71-73 - '70s made-for TV scary movies  - Like Trilogy of Terror, I loved getting scared by these films. I know they ultimately led to the schlocky 80s slasher genre, but I prefer these films where the horror is suggested, or if shown, quickly, briefly, without unnecessary gore or T&A.

Satan's School for Girls (1973) - Elizabeth (Pamela Franklin) is shocked when she is told that her sister committed suicide. She thinks there must be some other, darker, reason, and decides to enroll in the private girls' school she was attending in Salem, Massachusetts (!) to try and uncover the truth. Other students include soon-to-be Charlie's Angels Kate Jackson and Cheryl Ladd (It was a Spelling-Goldberg production). The faculty is represented by Jo Van Fleet, Roy Thinnes as the art teacher all the girls are gaga for, and Lloyd Bochner.

Pamela Franklin and Kate Jackson

Cheryl Ladd loves art class

The Initiation of Sarah (1978) - Kay Lenz plays an awkward girl who is heading off to college with her half sister, Morgan Brittany. Kay has a secret — she's a lot like a certain big screen girl named Carrie. Shelley Winters shows up (and hams it up) as a sorority house mother and Morgan Fairchild provides the inspiration for the future Mean Girls. More campy fun than scary, but it definitely taps into the school can be hell for young girls theme.

Mean girl Morgan Fairchild hates Kay Lenz's sweater

Anyone notice there's something up with Mrs. Hunter?

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (1973) I remember finding this really scary as a kid. Kim Darby and Jim Hutton move into a huge Victorian home and Uncle Charlie from My Three Sons tells them not to open up the sealed fireplace in the basement — but does Kim Darby listen? I just rewatched (it's on archive.org) and it was more creepy than scary for me. It also seems to be more about a fairly crappy marriage than little monsters who live in your fireplace. Jim Hutton is so absorbed in his work he can't be bothered to pay much attention to his wife. It is implied that they rarely have sex. And Kim Darby is playing a woman that no one believes ... On the other hand, maybe this movie is pretty scary ...