this initially neglected film, whose cult was launched with its network broadcast on THE CBS LATE MOVIE in the early 1970s, on BD and DVD with the latter disc divided between the feature and a voluminous as- sortment of extras. Chris Innis’ im-
pressively detailed “The Story of THE SWIMMER” (approximately 150m) is a five-part documentary that traces the production from Cheever’s short story through its rediscovery, with input from ac- tors Janet Landgard, Joan Rivers and Marge Champion, composer Marvin Hamlisch, film editor Sidney Katz, assistant directors Michael Hertzberg and Ted Zachary, UCLA Olympic swim coach Bob Horn, and Burt Lancaster’s daughter Joanna. It’s a thoroughly detailed document, making a solid case for screen- writer Eleanor Perry’s auteurisme over that of its director), but no one is able to identify the actor who takes the high plunge at the pool party (shown countless times) as Philip Bruns, a later cast member of the Norman Lear soap-
spoof MARY HARTMAN, MARY HARTMAN. Also included are Hamlisch’s lyrical debut film score on an isolated track (DTS-HD 2.0, as opposed to the main feature’s 1.0); Allison Anders’ interview with Marge Champion (17m 55s); a re- cording of “The Swimmer” read by author John Cheever (25m 42s); a 12-page booklet including insightful liner notes by film and theater director Stuart Gordon; a photo gallery including shots from lost alternate scenes, trailers and TV spots.
TOAD ROAD
2013, Artsploitation Films, 75m 43s, $29.95, DVD-1 By Chris Herzog
Writer/director Jason Banker’s TOAD ROAD has drawn apt com-
parisons to both Peter Weir’s PIC- NIC AT HANGING ROCK (1975)
The lead performance of the late Sara Anne Jones adds tragic resonance to “a new sort of horror film,” TOAD ROAD.
and Larry Clark’s KIDS (1995), but manages to distinguish itself by blending elements from both to create a new sort of horror film. Set amongst a debauched circle of Baltimore-area late-teen and twenty-somethings (played by real friends using real drugs onscreen to get really wasted), the film fol- lows the budding romance of James (James Davidson), who seems sweet and fairly sensible during his rare sober moments, and Sara (Sara Anne Jones), a newcomer to the party scene, whose initial naïve curiosity evolves into an obsession with drug-fueled consciousness expan- sion that unnerves even James and his dissolute buddies. Sara’s drive to break through the doors of per- ception ultimately leads her to the titular rural road where, local leg- end has it, lie the seven gates of Hell. The enigmatic outcome of her quest will undoubtedly frus- trate some viewers, while reso- nating powerfully with others. Shot on video, in the pastoral Pennsylvania woods and the grimy apartments of its young cast members, TOAD ROAD balances moody, mystical atmosphere with a level of verisimilitude rarely
found in fantastic cinema, even in so-called “found footage” films. It quickly becomes clear to the viewer that, choreographed or not, we are observing the wanderings of a group of lost souls. Most of the kids seem intelligent and like- able when they are not out of their minds, and Banker captures a solid sense of both individual per- sonalities and the dynamics of their social circle. The extensive use of non-actors does, inevita- bly, lead to some rough spots, particularly when expository dia- logue, rather than drunken party banter, is called for. Davidson and Jones, however, serve more than capably as the story’s dual anchors. In a particularly haunt- ing irony, there is an onscreen dedication to Jones, who passed away from a drug overdose shortly after the film’s premiere. In addition to the film’s 2.0 soundtrack, Artsploitation’s DVD offers a laid-back cast-and-crew commentary track, which could have been more informative about the origins of the project and the ideas behind it. Some deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes clips, and a booklet of essays on the film are also included.
13
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94
