Richard Widmark: 1914 - 2008

The Guttenberg Toronto Principle

Over at the Torontoist comes the another installment in their new column, Reel Toronto, looking at US films in which our lovely city stands in for major American cities. The first installment looked at POLICE ACADEMY 3: BACK IN TRAINING, and set the following core principle: "Toronto's Hollywood success can be directly traced to the career of Steve Guttenberg."

And in the current installment the principle is re-enforced by, "If there is a movie that proves this beyond a shadow of a doubt, it is SHORT CIRCUIT 2 (despite Guttenberg's absence)." Read more here... (and captions are from the column - can't take credit for these).

"Screw progress. Seedy Yonge Street lives forever on celluloid."

"I know New York City. I've been to New York City. You, sir, are no New York City."

"Don't be fooled by the flag! The Yanks think a few Stars 'n' Stripes
and some USA Today boxes on the the sidewalk will trick us."

Past columns have looked at: UNDERCOVER BROTHER; AMERICAN PSYCHO; THE LONG KISS GOODNIGHT; and GOOD WILL HUNTING.

Goals

I find that this cold weather tends to slow my creative juices. It makes them just viscous enough that they refuse to be manipulated or pushed and pulled about. But when somebody starts to usurp my poster posting, I feel I have to react.

Earlier, Colin posted the beautiful one sheet to 'The Black Gestapo' and it took me back to the early days of my poster collecting when I did receive that exact item and for free, no less, from some very pleasant dealer located in New Jersey or Long Island, if memory serves me. It planted a seed and from then on I decided to endeavor on a quest that would see me acquiring a poster from every film that involved the inimitable Uschi Digard.


You may know her most famously as the Swedish emigre featured in the later films of pendulum lover, Russ Meyer, but her buxom attributes have a habit of popping up all over the place if you spend a lot of time carefully observing the great and fun sexploitation films from the late 60s and 70s. Uschi spotting was a habit that I developed early on and I truly adore seeing her in any state and at any time. It's just a gentle comfort to me although her list of aliases and uncredited roles is most daunting.

Now, I have not seen all of her films and I have not even approached the halfway mark in my goal of achieving poster completion but the journey, as they say, is really double the big fun.

I'll take a little space here now and post some items that rank above all others because they actually feature Uschi in the artwork on the poster. Finding these articles are what makes this expedition so gratifying and delightful.

Let's go chronologically so as not to place any goddess image in a position of desire higher than any other. All Uschi is good and giving Uschi and I'm totally smitten to the point where, to me, she even overshadows the, seemingly, patron-saint of bloggers, Christina Lindberg.


1970




It's important to note here that while Uschi did share the screen with hardcore legends like John Holmes, there is no actual footage of her engaging in such ribald activities as those more daring adult performers. Uschi is clean and magnificent and presented here in several glorious illustrations showing her wide and much-fabled/fancied range.


1970




Here we're presented with a pensive side to Uschi. While it is the normal (front) side that is shown, I think you'll agree with me when I say that there is something deep and possibly pleasureful running through that actress and it may quite literally smash your assumptions about the standard 'sex' star.


1971



Now, I can't be entirely certain that it is actually Uschi that appears in this poster but I am willing to bet my standing in the fan community as well as my copy of the Bunny Yeager magazine that features nothing but toothsome portraits of Uschi that it is indeed her being manhandled in a totally inappropriate manner by some beastly cad with shameful intentions.


1971



A touch of the nation of Sweden presented in the form of Uschi (often misspelled Digart) Digard, while most definitely more than enough, would never fully sate me and I continue pressing forward with no constraints as I keep a steady eye on this noble pursuit. One that you will benefit from as well. I cross my heart and seal it with a kiss.

the real monolith

David Herbert (Seattle, WA, USA): VHS, 2005 foam, plexiglass, latex paint, 2×4x8ft
www.davidherbert.com

Found over at The Stray Voltage.

the NEW master race

Just cause it is so very lovely...

This Hit Man Is Not As Cold As He Thought

Check out this look at the renaming of Western films in the Asian market over at the HK paper The Standard:

Did you see that brilliant Julia Roberts comedy movie The Sparrow Becomes the Empress?
No? Never heard of it?

Well, it may be a surprise to you, but you've probably seen it. Although it would likely have been under the lame, generic original title Pretty Woman.

It's the 85th anniversary of the first ever "talkie" film camera, so let's talk movies.

In Asia, we don't just chuck Hollywood movies up there on our screens.

No; we enhance them, invigorate them and gloriously reinvent them with eye-catching new names.

Come on, admit it: which is the most intriguing title? The English Patient? Or, the same movie as it was renamed in Hong Kong: Don't Ask Who I Am?

The Professional became This Hit Man Is Not As Cold As He Thought.

Bladerunner (which had nothing to do with blades or runners) became Silver Wing Killer.

Few Asians have any idea what the phrase The Full Monty means. But the Chinese title of the film was the wonderfully clear and unsubtle Six Naked Pigs. (I'm sure the stars were thrilled.)

Click here to see the film article.

Challenge of the Gamesters

Half Clad and All Bad

Trailer for The Single Girls with Claudia Jennings...