A Moon in the Gutter Q&A With Author and Film Historian Casey Scott

Today I am very happy to welcome another one of my favorite writers and film historians to Moon in the Gutter, Mr. Casey Scott.  Many of you will already be familiar with Casey due to his online writing (from DVD Drive-In to The Grrrl Can't Help It) to his work with DVD companies (ranging from Media Blasters to Vinegar Syndrome) to his academic work.  I know Casey as a friend as well and I consider him on of the most knowledgeable film historians on the planet whose work has provided a lot of inspiration.  Casey can now add film-curator to his long resume as he has a truly exciting and important program coming up at New York's Anthology Film Archives called In The Flesh.  To celebrate this event Casey kindly agreed to answer a few questions for us here at Moon in the Gutter.  I hope everyone enjoys the interview, will check out some of Casey's work and, if you are in the New York area, please attend In The Flesh December 5th through the 8th. 

Hey Casey, thanks so much for taking time out of your schedule to participate in this! First off, can you tell us a bit about your background?

      Thanks so much for approaching me for an interview! This is my first time being on the other side of an interview, and I’m honored it’s for a blog I really love. Well, I’ve been a film enthusiast since I was a kid and, like so many of us movie nuts, it stuck with me into adulthood. I dabbled with the idea of making movies for a time during middle and high school, when I shot a few amateur efforts with the family camcorder and took a TV production course, where I really loved the editing process. I still do. But I decided writing and research was what I most enjoyed about the film world, so I pursued my M.A. in cinema studies at NYU and just graduated in May, so watch out, world!

 

 

Was there a particular film, song or artist that initially sparked your interest in the arts as a child?

 

 

      I can honestly say I was always an artistic child, very into books and music, and film kind of transformed my life after I started digging into the classics from the studio era. All About Eve (1950), Gone with the Wind (1939), the usual big name titles. I’m still a hardcore classic Hollywood fanatic. Turner Classic Movies is my best friend, which may surprise some people who learn I’m obsessive about adult films. Barbara Stanwyck is my favorite actress, Cary Grant my favorite actor, I love Capra and Wellman and Ford, the list goes on and on…

 

 

A behind the scenes moment in 1941 with Barbara Stanwyck and Preston Sturges.

 

 

     The classic Hollywood films of the sound era are probably the most discussed in the world but lets switch gears and talk about sadly the least discussed, namely the adult and exploitation films of the seventies and eighties.   You are one of the leading film historians on this period in the world. How did you first get interested in the genre?

 

 

     Wow, well first of all, thank you for speaking so highly of me. It means a lot! I have had a photographic memory since an early age, and that helps with absorbing and processing so much information about the genre. I just love these movies and the people who made them! My interest in classic adult stemmed from my ongoing fascination with exploitation and sexploitation of the pre-hardcore era. I followed favorite filmmakers from the soft and horror world, like Gary Graver, Roberta Findlay, Doris Wishman, Roger Watkins, and Dave Friedman, into the hard world. Before that, though, the first three adult films I ever saw were Jim Clark’s The Good Girls of Godiva High (1979), Svetlana’s Bad Girls (1981), and Gerard Damiano’s Deep Throat (1972), which were secretly recorded on unmarked Beta tapes a family friend gave to me since he knew I collected them. Based on those three films (though I have soft spots for the first two) I really had no interest in looking further into the genre. It wasn’t until I saw Damiano’s Devil in Miss Jones (1973), Graver’s Coed Fever (1979), and Findlay’s Angel on Fire (1974) that I realized there was so much more to classic adult than what I had previously encountered. Then the floodgates opened and I’ve really never stopped since.

 

 

A shot of the lovely Annette Haven around the time she shot Coed Fever.

 

 

 

      This genre and period has typically been all but ignored in film studies and film history in general but this thankfully seems to be changing. Do you feel like the tide is finally beginning to change and that these films, and the artists who worked on film, might finally start to get some long overdue acknowledgement and recognition?

 

 

      I definitely think the tide is turning and reappraisals are in store for the genre and specific filmmakers in general. Radley Metzger has been receiving the lion’s share of attention, but other directors like Chuck Vincent, Rinse Dream, and performers-turned-directors like Candida Royalle and Annie Sprinkle have been discussed in serious academic pieces. That said I don’t know yet if we’ll see someone seriously tackle, say, Phil Prince or Alex de Renzy outside of the book I’m working on. I’d love to be wrong! Kevin Heffernan is the man for the job if anyone does a de Renzy project. The big problem with writing about any part of the “golden age” of erotica is it’s a grossly under-documented genre. Where major studio films and even independent commercial films have some kind of paper trail and press coverage, adult films generally don’t. Primary sources are the way to go, and they unfortunately are not always around to present the full picture to researchers, or aren’t willing to depending on how far they’ve moved on from the industry. Plus some writers don’t want to go that extra mile and talk to a large number of people before writing something. The great thing about adult film criticism and scholarship is that there are many different voices out there working with varied approaches to the genre, and frankly I don’t think we can ever have enough people doing that.

 

 

      There is of course a lot of mainstream opposition in the critical community to even discuss this genre. Have you felt any of that opposition to your own work?

 

 

      Oddly enough, I personally have never felt any overt opposition to my work writing about and documenting the genre except from other similar researchers. But yes, there continues to be general opposition from different corners of the academic and critical community. In the academic world the fundamental argument of whether these films should exist is still being fought decades after Linda Williams’ “Hard Core” established a definition of the genre and why its existence matter. Authors like David Flint and Jack Stevenson, Gloria Brame and Constance Penley, and many others continue the dialogue in important and interesting ways. In the critical world, people tend to equate all adult films with the contemporary state of the industry, which is so different from how it used to be. It’s easy to forget Variety, New York Times, Newsweek, etc. reviewed adult titles when it was considered hip to do so. Now that it’s becoming hip again to like the classic films, maybe they’ll start getting more mainstream respect. Until then, the cult surrounding them is very loyal and dedicated to their favorites, as the filmmakers and performers learn.

 

 

      Okay, lets talk up about In the Flesh, the exciting program you a curating at the Anthology Film Archives! Tell us about the program.

 

 

      I’m giddy with excitement about this series! It all started when Anthology Film Archives, which is in my opinion the edgiest repertory theater in New York City, scheduled two back-to-back sexploitation series this summer, a Russ Meyer series and a Something Weird Video series. I approached Andrew Lampert, one of the masterminds at Anthology, and suggested the natural progression in the history of sex in cinema was to do a hard series. To my surprise, he’d always wanted to do one! So I offered to program the series for them, working with Steve Morowitz at Distribpix and Joe Rubin at Vinegar Syndrome, since the three of us work really well together and share such passion for these movies and their history. The great thing is that this is not a one-time series. It will be a recurring quarterly series, so in every Anthology calendar, there will be an “In the Flesh” event. Working with Steve and Joe, the possibilities are endless. The March series is already scheduled, featuring four “adult noir” titles, and Joe and I are hashing out the summer series to be a departure from the previous series. Jed Rapfogel, the head programmer at Anthology, has been tremendous to collaborate with on shaping and scheduling the series, and their publicist Ava Tews has been a dream, too.

                                                      Why did you pick these particular films?

      When you’re brainstorming a series like this, of course you have titles that jump to the front of the queue, especially when working with Distribpix and their incredible catalog of films. Two important factors made the job easier: the films needed to be screened on 35mm and they needed to have guests present to provide historical context. So we eliminated any films that were only available on 16mm (sorry, Taking of Christina) and I knew films with cast and/or crew who would possibly attend a serious appreciative screening of their work. High Rise and Through the Looking Glass were always at the top of my list, and thank God 35mm prints exist! Take Off was a major title, and I knew I wanted a Larry Revene movie because his great book just came out, he is a gifted storyteller, and the world needs to be aware of what a treasure it has in Larry. I would have been happy to show his first directorial effort, Fascination (1979), if there was a print of it, but Wanda Whips Wall Street is better-known and just as good, if not better. Veronica Hart and Tish Ambrose always make everything better.

 

 

 

 

      The program looks wonderful and I so wish I could be there. Through the Looking Glass and Wanda Whips Wall Street are two particular favorites of mine. I hope it is very successful and the first of many. What do you hope viewers take away from the series, particularly those who are newcomers to the genre?

 

 

      I wish you could be there, too! The bummer about the series is that it’s not a traveling roadshow. I’d love to take these films to different venues around the country so that all their loving fans could see the classics on the big screen, as they were meant to be seen. Maybe if you or any of your readers suggest screenings at the local repertory or independent theater, we can head to you! I think it’s a strong possibility if the interest is there. The reason I wanted this series to happen was specifically so these films would find a wider audience. Anthology’s audiences tend to be inquisitive and adventurous, and have great taste, so I hope they discover some new favorites and might develop curiosity into what else the genre has to offer. If the audience comes away singing the High Rise theme song, with goose bumps from the ending of Through the Looking Glass, moved by Take Off, and cheering for Veronica Hart after Wanda, I will be a happy man.

 

 

 

 

      As a wrap-up I was hoping you might share some personal favorites with us. Could you perhaps name ten or so vintage adult films that you think are seriously in need of rediscovery. Also, are there any particular performers of filmmakers that you would particularly like to see rediscovered?

 

       Wow, that’s a great question, and so different from the expected “list your favorites of all time”! Um…I’m gonna cheat and give you a lucky thirteen.
High Rise (1972) – We’re showing it in the Anthology series and it’s the least-known of the four, but should be wider regarded as the best early adult comedy. The soundtrack is Hollywood-caliber.
Resurrection of Eve (1973) – It’s way better than the Mitchell Brothers’ better-known Behind the Green Door and is also Marilyn Chambers’ best film.
The Seduction of Lyn Carter (1974) – Anthony Spinelli’s most neglected masterpiece, where Andrea True blows my mind as a housewife in an abusive affair with Jamie Gillis that she secretly enjoys.
Easy Alice (1976) – This is a marvelous meta film about the off-screen adventures of a San Francisco adult star, Joey Silvera, who also reportedly directed the film.
Punk Rock (1977) – Carter Stevens is all around underrated, and I think this is his best film tied with Pleasure Palace (1979). See both, they’re quintessential “adult noir”.
Skin-Flicks (1978) – Damiano’s most underrated film, wall-to-wall great performances, with special note made for Sharon Mitchell as an adult star eager for true love.
Tropic of Desire (1979) – Bob Chinn weaves a fascinating story of a WWII-era brothel in Hawaii. A personal favorite of Bob’s and I concur.
Randy (1980) – The one adult film from Phillip Schuman, this sex comedy following a clinical study of ‘anti-orgasmic’ women seeking a solution to their problem is one of the best films you’ve never seen. The theme song is a catchy gem.
The Seductress (1981) – Another of Bob Chinn’s most underrated, out of a filmography that needs more attention in general.
Mascara (1982) – Lisa de Leeuw and Lee Carroll are superb as, respectively, a sexually frustrated working woman and the prostitute she enlists to help her broaden her horizons.
Nasty Girls (1983) – Ron Sullivan’s most unsung “day in the life” film, following a group of people over one night at a bar as their lives intertwine.
American Babylon (1985) – The Roger Watkins film too few people have seen.
Getting Personal (1985) – Ron Sullivan directing Herschel Savage and Colleen Brennan as mismatched con artists. Funny, touching, beautifully acted. One of the last great FILMS in the genre before video took over.

      Performers in need of rediscovery: I mentioned Tish Ambrose earlier and she was a tremendous actress that needs a stronger following. She is easily one of my picks for best adult film actress of all time. So is Sharon Mitchell, who I think many take for granted given her years in the business. She hits all the right notes in her acting performances; so does Lisa de Leeuw. Merle Michaels is a favorite cult icon with superstar quality, and I’d say the same about Sue Nero and Desiree West, Suzanne McBain and Nicole Noir, Misty Regan and Jeanne Silver, the late Arcadia Lake and Kandi Barbour.

The much missed Kandi Barbour, who we lost in 2012.

      I’ll stop there! As a gay man, there are underrated studs like Jeffrey Hurst, Ron Hudd, Mike Ranger, and John Seeman I would follow anywhere. Their wives are very lucky!

      Directors in need of rediscovery: Alan Colberg was consistently great, as was Jeffrey Fairbanks, and both only made a handful of films so their names are not widely known as they should be. Two directors who are big names yet still don’t get the full credit they deserve are Bob Chinn and Ron Sullivan (Henri Pachard). But the most underrated are the French classic directors, like Claude Mulot, Gerard Kikoine, Francis Leroi, Didier Philippe-Gerard, and Claude Bernard-Aubert. Their films aren’t widely available here but they are almost always a guaranteed bargain.

Awesome Casey!  Thanks so much for participating in this and I wish you all the best of luck with In the Flesh and all of your upcoming work.  I look forward to doing another one of these down the road to discuss more of your upcoming projects. 

 

 

 

 

 

Keep a Look Out For...

I wanted to take a moment and share some information about some upcoming releases I am very excited about. 

First up, my friend and past Moon in the Gutter Q&A participant Jill Nelson is working on an exciting new book entitled 1976:  Tapes From California and she has just started a new blog dedicated to it.  Jill is one of my favorite writers and is a terrific person so please give a visit to her new blog and support her upcoming book. 

Next up we have the much anticipated re-release of David Hess' incredible soundtrack to Wes Craven's Last House on the Left. I have just pre-ordered the limited to 1000 CD and can't wait to hear it.  Here is the link for American readers and a different one for International followers. 

Back to the bookshelf, legendary actress Seka is getting ready to release her sure to be essential autobiography Inside Seka.  I am expecting my copy from Amazon next week and look forward to covering the book here after I read it.  Here is the Amazon link for those interested, as well as a recent New York Daily News article on it. 

On the DVD and Blu-ray front.  Severin Films has some amazing new releases coming up including a special edition of one of my favorites House on Straw Hill and a limited edition package dedicated to Jess Franco's The Hot Nights of Linda.

Kino Redemption continue their incredibly valuable Mario Bava collection with two key films just released on DVD and Blu-ray, A Bay of Blood and Five Dolls for an August Moon. Both discs look incredible and contain essential Tim Lucas commentary tracks. 

Two of my favorite bands, Goldfrapp and Mazzy Star, return this month.  Both releases are a major cause for celebration. 

Finally the great Kathleen Hanna has recently resurrected her band Julie Ruin and the new EP is a real jaw dropper.  Visit their site here and give a listen. 

Into the Ether with Jess Franco's A VIRGIN AMONG THE LIVING DEAD

Among the finest creations found in the lengthy filmography of late Spanish auteur Jesús Franco Manera, and one of the most startling films of the seventies, A Virgin Among the Living Dead makes its Blu-ray debut this month via a terrific special edition from Kino Lorber/Redemption. 
While I have often picked A Virgin Among the Living Dead as my absolute favorite Franco film I came to the work later than most of his others I first encountered through grey market VHS copies throughout the nineties.  For whatever reason, A Virgin Among the Living Dead wasn't among the Midnight Video or Video Search of Miami tapes, that Tim Lucas mentions on his tremendous new commentary track, that either me or my movie buddy Dave ordered back in the day.  While I had read much about this film I didn't finally get a chance to see any version of it until just over a decade ago when it first made its way to DVD as part of Image's Euroshock line. 
I fell in love with Franco's hypnotic 1973 masterpiece during that first viewing in my late twenties.  Watching it that first time I felt like I was, in a way, collapsing into the film and all these years (and viewings) later it still mesmerizes me in a way that few fantastic works of art do.  It's a remarkably meditative work that is as compelling as it is strange and as surreal as it is oddly grounded. 
Pulsing with a soothing narcotic feel punctuated at nearly every turn by Bruno Nicolai's absolutely gorgeous score, A Virgin Among the Living Dead is an incredibly singular experience.  While it was marketed both as a horror and sexploitation film during its various theatrical runs, A Virgin Among the Living Dead is very much one of the great European Art Films.  It's breathtaking in both its thematic scope and its punctuated brevity and it has a striking emotional core that is sadly missing from most modern 'genre' films.  A Virgin Among the Living Dead is among the richest and most rewarding films in Jess Franco's canon as well as being one of the most fully realized, a fact that is made all the more remarkable when one considers just how consistently tampered with the film was through the years. 
Redemption's excellent new DVD and Blu-ray offers up A Virgin Among the Living Dead under the title Christina, Princess of Eroticism, the 79 minute cut of the film which is the closest we have to Franco's preferred version of one of his greatest works.  The disc also offers the infamous 'horror' version, as an extra, featuring all of the padded out Zombie footage French filmmaker Jean Rollin shot years later, which I wrote a bit about here at my Rollin blog.  The new disc also offers up some extremely strange 'alternate erotic footage' featuring Alice Arno, that would have been just as out of place in Franco's soulful work as Rollin's undead were.  While Christina, Princess of Eroticism is extremely close to Franco's original cut, it shouldn't be forgotten that A Virgin Among the Living Dead is still a compromised work, a sad fact that points to how much Franco had to work against throughout his combative career. 
I am hesitant to write too much about A Virgin Among the Living Dead as it really is a work of art that needs to be experienced and I don't want to spoil anything for readers who might not have seen it before.  I will say that it has a number of images and moments that even if I had only seen once would have eternally stuck with me.  If I am ever asked what it is that I love so much about this particular period of esoteric European filmmaking A Virgin Among the Living Dead is one of the key works I would point to.   More importantly it is one of the pictures I would suggest to less adventurous film fans who still think of Jess Franco as a lesser, or even poor, filmmaker.  I defy anyone to watch this film and not be impressed by the amount of passion, skill and thought that can be found in each frame. 
Redemption's new discs offer up the best looking print of the film to date.  While it is noticeably more grainy and scratchy than Image's older DVD it has a much more consistently vibrant and warmer feel throughout.  Skin-tones are much more natural, the day for night shots more sinister and the new disc has finally just a more cinematic look about it.  To go along with this struck from negative print we have three audio tracks; the preferred French, the atrocious English dub and the aforementioned Lucas commentary, which is among the best he has ever done. 
Along with the alternate version and footage I mentioned earlier, Redemption's new discs have several other extremely valuable extras including trailers, a photo gallery and one of the final filmed interviews with Franco by David Gregory and Elijah Drenner.  Best of all are two featurettes from former Jean Rollin assistant Daniel Gouyette, The Three Faces of Christina (which chronicles the various different versions) and Jess! What are You Doing Now? (an incredibly moving tribute featuring friends and collaborators conjecturing on Franco's role in the great beyond).  All in all Redemption's new release of one of Jess Franco's key films is an absolute knock-out in every way and one of their best releases so far and can now be ordered from Kino, Diabolik and Amazon.

-Jeremy Richey, 2013-

Guest Post: John Levy on Sofia Coppola's LOST IN TRANSLATION

I am very happy this morning to present the first guest post for Moon in the Gutter's Sofia Coppola tribute month.  John Levy is a fine filmmaker, a great cinephile and a friend so I am very honored that he has been kind enough to write up this fine tribute to Sofia's masterpiece Lost in Translation.  Hopefully some of you will remember the Q&A I did with John awhile back and I hope all of you will check out some of his own exceptional work after reading this piece.  Thanks again John for taking the time to write this!

                                       LOST AND FOUND: Sofia Coppola’s Tokyo Connection
                                                              

There are many, many aspects I love about Sofia Coppola’s films. Two things in particular have to do with her subjects. One; Where most films put ordinary people in extraordinary situations, she puts some-what high profile people into extraordinarily ordinary situations. And two; The way she explores connection. Be it lost or found.
Like Antonioni, Sofia Coppola has a strong cinematic sense of spaces, isolation, dislocation, and loneliness. And the ability of portraying a romance of introspection and longing for connection with people as well as environment in individuals who are searching. So far (having not seen THE BLING RING yet), one, often more of these themes are present in all her work. It’s what draws me back to her time and time again.
I have a handful of go-to insomnia films I watch when I can’t sleep. They’re not films that put me to sleep, but rather films that comfort me when I cannot. LOST IN TRANSLATION is right at the top. And though grounded in a completely plausible and most certainly autobiographical reality, the first half of the film has a dreamlike quality. The brief title shot of Charlotte’s restless slumber, you fall right into like a jet-lag crash. Fading to black and into the dreamy ‘Death In Vegas’ track “Girls” as Bob Harris awakens in transit to the Tokyo night. The first act is like a sleepwalk. These two characters never sleep soundly again in the film until after they’ve made their connection and fallen in a respite of love with one another. After which point the rest of the film becomes an awakening.

For all it’s humor, the film quietly tackles some difficult themes. Difficult to film and difficult to pull an audience into. It’s truth is internal. It cannot be expository. The film’s tagline ‘Everybody Wants To Be Found’ - Though almost generic sounding is one of few movie taglines that really does carry some weight in representing the film as well as remaining completely simple and universal to the audience. It’s easy to say Bob is just having a mid-life crisis and Charlotte is having a tough go at young adulthood and married life. But it’s not as much about how they’ve become lost to themselves, but rather like Charlotte says at one point, “I’m stuck”. They are lost among the world and their designated lives. Searching for a re-connect out windows, along crowded sidewalks and through Hotel hallways. As Bob says at one point jokingly, “Can you keep a secret? I’m organizing a prison break.” He in a sense is. Searching for comfort in hotel amenities and the prospect of sleep. And so is she. Watching, searching from her window. Her self help books. Her outings to temples and chants. Her calls back home. How do they break free of these designated identities and get back to themselves when they are a world away from home? With each other. And only such a fault in life’s design can occur in a Hotel Bar, in the middle of the night, in Tokyo Japan. Or a scenario of the sort. “I’m looking for an accomplice. Are you in or are you out?” “I’m in.” She replies. These two negatives form a positive unconditional alliance after their first drink together. And though challenges in a relationship will be faced, there is ultimately nothing they can say or do that is wrong. Bob wants the real Charlotte and Charlotte wants the real Bob. And this is their moment. Wabe Sabe and all. And they can be their best selves with each other in that place and time.

The moment this connection is solidified is during the scene in the karaoke suite. When Bob croons Roxy Music’s ‘More Than This’ directly to Charlotte, their eyes converse over the music. They open their hearts to one another. It reminds me of a scene in the 1951 film SEPTEMBER AFFAIR where Joseph Cotton and Joan Fontaine, two strangers sharing a space, a moment in time together in Naples, duck into a small cafe. They have been enjoying their short time together between flights without being fully aware how much. Sifting through some American records, they select one (September Song by Walter Huston) and drop a needle on it. And then it happens. The words exact the feeling between them. There is an emotional conversation taking place without dialogue. The words of the song say everything. The short precious time they have together. The strange land they find themselves in. They are at home with each other. They are themselves with each other. The past and the future cease. How this happened and where it is going doesn’t seem to matter. There’s nothing more than this moment. This brief and precious moment that must pass. The Karaoke scene in LOST IN TRANSLATION is exactly this same kind of moment. From Roxy Music to the shared cigarette in the hall, we watch two people slip into love. These moments are easily overlooked in both life and film. It’s deeper than carnal desire. It’s beyond surface. A soul attraction. A sense of being at home with a person. In their designated lives, Bob and Charlotte stop fitting in peoples “picture” of what they are supposed to be and they become distanced from the person they actually are after everything else - Career, social circle, even family are stripped away. They are kept around, involved, but they are an annoyance. They’re in the way. And yet they’re expected to participate in the constant refurnishing of their designated life. Who are they after all this? Where they live as well as where they travel are foreign lands where no one speaks their language anymore. They seemingly go unrecognized through life. But in some pocket of space and time - be it a Naples cafe, a curb side embrace, Hotel bar or a karaoke booth in Tokyo - they’re found again. They find that lost piece of themselves because the other shines a light on it. It’s as if they ended up with each others baggage because it looks similar. They recognize one another. And between them, not a goddamn thing is lost in translation.

                                                                   -John Levy, 2013-

The Valerie Harper Blogathon: "Rhoda the Beautiful"

***Many of our hearts were broken recently when we learned that the great Valerie Harper had been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer.  To pay a much-deserved tribute to one of our most cherished icons my friend Amanda over at the always amazing Made for TV Mayhem decided to host a blogathan dedicated to Valerie.  Here is my little contribution and, needless to say, I am honored to participate and while my post might be a short one my admiration and love for this very special actress and woman is huge.  So thank you Valerie Harper.  We all wish you the very best and send you lots of love.

 

 

Few actors have ever been able to project insecurity, self-doubt and vulnerability better than Valerie Harper and even fewer could project these very human frailties with as much charisma, wit and warmth as Valerie.  All of Harper's strongest skills as an actor and icon are on display during the terrific and touching third season episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show entitled "Rhoda the Beautiful", an episode that never fails to make me both laugh and cry throughout its 25 minute running time.

 

Watching Valerie Harper in her key role as the charming but neurotic Rhoda Morgenstern all these years later it is quite simply impossible to picture anyone else in the role, or even imagine the early seasons of the legendary series without her.  The fact that there was initially a push-back against casting the perfect Harper for the plum role of Rhoda is absolutely baffling...who else could have brought such extraordinary honesty, natural beauty and finely tuned comic timing to the role? 

 

The incredible "Rhoda the Beautiful" was written by one of The Mary Tyler Moore's Shows most important behind the scenes voices Treva Silverman, who was often credited as being the driving force behind the character of Rhoda Morgenstern.  The episode centers on the attention Rhoda gets when she participate in a work-sponsored beauty contest after losing twenty pounds.  The episode in the wrong hands could have been an exploitative disaster but Silverman (credited once by Harper as “Feminist conscience of the show”) wisely turns the focus of the show not on the pageant but Rhoda's frustrations at her inability to accept just how truly beautiful she really is.   

 

 

"Rhoda the Beautiful" is a classic Mary Tyler Moore episode.  It's funny, moving, wonderfully written and beautifully performed by the entire cast.  Valerie Harper is especially smashing here from her early scenes with Moore, where she just can't recognize that she isn't the frumpy overweight sidekick she has always considered herself as, to her hilarious mocking of the ridiculous nature of beauty pageants to her triumphant victory at the show, which Silverman wisely doesn't show (Harper's emotional and hilarious description of the show tops any footage they could have captured). 

 

Valerie Harper was rightly considered in the seventies (and beyond) as one of the most important role models for young women in all of popular culture.  I will go that even further and say that she, and her greatest creation Rhoda Morgenstern, was important to everyone (males included) who recognized their own self-doubts, fears and insecurities in her work.  She gave many of us hope and she helped us laugh off our inner demons that can cripple. 

 

Valerie Harper remains one of our absolute great actors, icons, humanitarians and beauties.  I love "Rhoda the Beautiful" for many reasons but I especially love that it acknowledges that Rhoda Morgenstern was indeed a knockout and, like Valerie Harper herself, was more importantly a knockout on her terms. 

 

-Jeremy Richey, 2013-

 

A Moon in the Gutter Q&A with Author Ryan Clark

Today I am very pleased to present this new Q&A with author, film-historian and all-around great person Ryan Clark.  Ryan, the author of the terrific Thrill Me blog, is currently working on a sure to be awesome book, with the noted film scribe Lee Gambin, on the making of Brian De Palma's Carrie and I am very happy to have him drop by and give us a sneak peak. 

Hi Ryan,

Thanks so much for stopping by Moon in the Gutter to participate in my Q&A series. I am extremely excited about your upcoming book BLOOD AMONG THE STARS: THE MAKING OF CARRIE, that you are working on with Lee Gambin, and I really appreciate you doing this. To start off with, can you tell us a bit about your background?

 

Thank you for having me, Jeremy.  I'm a big fan of your site.

 

I have been a horror fan my entire life, ever since I first saw The Ghost of Frankenstein when I was five or six years old.  That's really the first horror film I remember seeing.  I've always been a writer, too – I used to sit at the table and draw and write brief picture books based on the films I had seen.  I later graduated to writing short stories, though I never got any of them published and they were actually pretty terrible, but I guess they were impressive for someone my age.  So it's only natural that I would eventually want to combine the two – horror movies and writing!  I am also passionately interested in filmmaking, and I'm working on several screenplays.

 

My co-writer, Lee Gambin, is actually much more accomplished than I am.  He writes many popular articles for Fangoria magazine, and he has a book out now called Massacred By Mother Nature: Exploring the Natural Horror Film, which you should all go out and buy.

 

 

 

I typically ask folks here about the films that provided the earliest influence but I also wanted to include music in the mix as I know you are equally passionate about both. Tell me some of your early film and music favorites.

 

As I said, the first horror film I ever saw was The Ghost of Frankenstein, so the Universal horror films were really my first love.  Aside from that, my mother used to record many horror films from TV in the 80s, and she had a bunch of them that I ended up watching, like Carrie, Halloween, Friday the 13th, Psycho and Psycho II, The Amityville Horror – a lot of the classics.

 

For music, I listened to a lot of the stuff my parents were into, like Madonna, Tina Turner, Blondie, and Michael Jackson.  It wasn't until I was in high school and I had regular access to the Internet that I formed my own musical taste.  I began to explore a lot of artists' discographies and fell in love with Nina Simone, Millie Jackson, Kate Bush, Dusty Springfield, Curtis Mayfield, Robyn Hitchcock, and Patti Smith.  My musical interests run the gamut.

 

So, we’ll have to do a chat sometime about how much Debbie Harry means to both of us. I am still grateful you told me about that reissue of KooKoo a year or so ago. Debbie has been one of my great influences since I was a kid and I was hoping you could chat her up a bit here before we delve into the book?

 

Debbie Harry is quite simply one of the coolest and most beautiful people in the world!  Madonna has admitted she was an influence, but no one can compete with Debbie.  When I first heard Blondie, I only knew their greatest hits, but when I began to delve into their albums, I discovered that they had explored quite a range of musical styles on their album tracks – particularly on AutoAmerican – and that intrigued me.  But, as I am wont to do, I usually end up championing the underdog albums that few people like or know about, so my favorite Blondie album is actually The Hunter, the last one they did before their reunion in the late 90s. I am also extremely fond of Debbie's solo career, in particular the Koo Koo and Rockbird albums.

 

 

 

Awesome, okay so the obvious question…why CARRIE?

 

 

 

Carrie is one of the earliest horror films I saw, and it always stayed with me, mostly because the ending terrified me, the shower scene baffled me (I was probably about five, remember), and I just really loved that 70s high school atmosphere.  But it didn't become my all-time favorite movie until I was in middle school.  I think the reason is obvious:  middle school is pretty much the worst time in the lives of most children, so I really connected with Carrie in a big way.  I've been an obsessed fan ever since, and in 2011, I decided to put my obsession to work and actually do something with all of my passion for this movie.

 

CARRIE is indeed one of the great books and films of the seventies and one of those pop-culture cornerstones that continues to resonate to this day. How did the idea for the book first come about and how did you and Lee Gambin initially hook up to write it?

 

The project started when I began chatting with Terry Bolo on Facebook.  Terry had been an extra in the movie, and she convinced me to go ahead with this book.  I now realize that I probably couldn't have finished the book if it had been up to me to locate all of the cast and crew and persuade them to do interviews, but at the time I was determined to make this work.  I started up a Facebook page to raise awareness of the book and make people excited about it, and I noticed Lee joining in on the discussion.  He sent me a private message asking if he could help out, and I was aware that he had interviewed Sissy Spacek for the then-recent issue of Fangoria.  I figured he would be a great help if I brought him on to help me write it, so I asked him if he would be interested, and he said yes.  It's really been a wonderful experience.  Lee is a great guy, and he's been invaluable to this project.  We have become really good friends even though we have never met!  It's a beautiful thing.

 

You’ve managed to interview some truly remarkable artists for this book. Tell us about some of them.

 

The first person I interviewed was Terry Bolo.  She was a background player in many well-known movies like Pee-Wee's Big Adventure and Little Miss Sunshine, and she was really helpful with stories from the Carrie set.  It was a great jumping off point for me.  She put me in touch with Edie McClurg and Doug Cox.  The three of them were all original members of The Groundlings improv troupe, and they have remained friends since the 70s.  Several people from that group appear in Carrie in small roles.

 

Lee was able to get P.J. Soles involved, and she was instrumental in helping us get Nancy Allen and Piper Laurie.  Lee and I worked together to get Stephen King.  Mick Garris and Steve's lovely assistant, Marsha, had a lot to do with that.  I was able to contact Brian De Palma through a friend and spoke to him at length about the film.  That's a fantastic interview.  These are just a few of the many generous and talented people we've been in touch with.  They have all aided us in making this book the absolute best it can be.

 

Was there anyone in particular you have chatted with for the book that particularly blew your mind and is there anyone in particular you haven’t been able to interview that you had hoped to?

 

De Palma and King definitely made me sit back and go, "Whoa!"  It's really shocking to me that we have been in touch with our heroes.

 

I am not at liberty to say exactly which of the major players declined to be involved, but it's a little obvious if you look at the contributor list on our website.  We hope that these people will come around eventually, but if not, we understand.

 

After immersing yourself in CARRIE was there something surprising that came out of your research that really caught you off guard about the making of the film or the film itself?

 

Well, for one thing, I was really surprised by the number of critics and viewers who thought that Sue Snell was in on the joke.  It's pretty clear when you watch Carrie that Chris does not have Sue's allegiance anymore, yet there are people getting paid a lot of money to write about movies who are mixed up when it comes to Sue's motivations!  It's mind-boggling.

 

The other thing that surprised me most about the making of Carrie was that Brian De Palma allowed the entire cast to watch the dailies almost all the way through the shoot.  This is not at all common.  Most directors don't let the cast see the dailies, because they don't want the actors to adjust their performances.  I think De Palma sensed that allowing the cast to see the dailies every night would add to the camaraderie.  You're around the same people all the time when you're in high school, and he had to quickly bring that familiar feeling to those scenes with the students in Carrie.  Obviously, it worked!

 

 

 

I’ve never made any secret of my love for Brian De Palma. In fact if I was forced to name a favorite American director he would be my choice. What are your thoughts on his other films and what are a few favorites along with CARRIE?

 

Oh, I totally agree.  Brian De Palma is my favorite director, if only for his brilliant run of films from 1970-1984.  No one can match his stunning visual and musical sense – not even Hitchcock.  Yes, I said it.  I love Hitchcock, but I prefer De Palma's eroticism, his warmth, his humor, and his propensity for sleaze.  He's always willing to go much further than Hitchcock ever did.  Aside from Carrie, I absolutely adore Sisters, Blow Out, The Fury, Dressed to Kill, Body Double, and Phantom of the Paradise.  Of course, he has also made some great films outside of his peak period, like Casualties of War and Carlito's Way.

 

When can we expect the book and is there an official page or two fans can follow regarding its progress?

 

We aren't sure of the release date yet.  It will be out at least sometime next year, but we may have to put it out to coincide with the remake in October.  We are keeping everyone updated on our website and our Facebook and Twitter pages.

 

Okay, we’ve all got one…favorite CARRIE moment???

 

Do I have to pick one?  I guess if you held a gun to my head, I would pick the ending.  I have never seen a more convincing portrayal of hysteria than Amy Irving in that scene.  But I also love the famous prom sequence, as well as the volleyball scene, opening titles, and shower scene in the locker room.  Pino Donaggio's music fits so beautifully with all of these sequences.  I hope De Palma never stops working with him.

 

Thanks so much Ryan. This has been a pleasure and I really do wish you a lot of success with the book. I know it is going to be amazing and a big success!