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Posted: |
Mar 12, 2020 - 11:57 AM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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At the beginning of World War II, ”Liviu” (Peter O’Toole), a Romanian count, and his wife “Julia” (Charlotte Rampling) come to live on an uninhabited tropical island, on THE OTHER SIDE OF PARADISE, where they hope to escape the war and their past. They bring with them all conceivable provisions and their servants, and live in luxury in a mansion-like tent on the beach. After a short time, a group of uninvited friends arrive. They decimate the supplies and, in the course of a frenzied shooting party, kill every living animal on the island before leaving, taking most of the servants with them. The only people left on the island are Liviu and his wife, their friend “Larsen” (Max von Sydow), and one servant, “Eusebio” (Jorge Luke).
Max von Sydow in THE OTHER SIDE OF PARADISE
This was a unique pairing of high class, multi-Oscar nominated actor Peter O'Toole and B-movie icon producer Roger Corman. It was the first Peter O’Toole film not to get a release in Britain. Arturo Ripstein directed this 1976 British-Mexican co-production, which went by various titles, including "The Far Side of Paradise" and "Foxtrot." Pete Rugolo provided the unreleased score.
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Posted: |
Mar 12, 2020 - 12:31 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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VOYAGE OF THE DAMNED told the true story of the tragic 1939 voyage of the S.S. St. Louis, carrying hundreds of German Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany, which seemingly no nation was willing to save from certain doom. Among the all-star cast--which included Oscar winners Faye Dunaway, Lee Grant, Wendy Hiller, José Ferrer and Orson Welles--was Max von Sydow, playing the ship’s Captain, “Gustav Schroeder.” The picture was Oskar Werner's final film before his death on October 23, 1984 at the age of 61. Jonathan Pryce received an “introducing” credit on the film.
Oskar Werner, Jonathan Pryce, and Max von Sydow in VOYAGE OF THE DAMNED
Stuart Rosenberg directed the 1976 release. Various contemporary sources placed the film’s budget at between $6 and $7 million, but the film grossed only $5.3 million in the U.S. VOYAGE OF THE DAMNED received three Academy Award Nominations: Actress in a Supporting role (Lee Grant); Writing (Screenplay--based on material from another medium); and Music (Original Score, Lalo Schifrin). Schifrin’s score was released on an Entr'acte LP. Label X re-issued it on CD, spread over two releases—a 1987 disc that also included Schifrin’s THE FOUR MUSKETEERS and THE EAGLE HAS LANDED, and a 1993 disc that held the remaining tracks along with two Schifrin classical compositions.
The one-sheet poster for the film may hold the record for the most “faces in little boxes” of any movie poster, with twenty.
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Posted: |
Mar 14, 2020 - 12:52 AM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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A young Samoan chief, “Matangi” (Dayton Ka'ne), and an American painter, “Charlotte Bruckner” (Mia Farrow), embark upon a desperate love affair, against the will of her father, “Captain Bruckner” (Jason Robards). Amid this man-made tension comes a HURRICANE so devastating, the lives of the lovers and the entire island are imperiled. Max von Sydow is “Dr. Danielson”, a physician, who has been restoring an 1887 house on the island of Samoa.
This film was screenwriter Lorenzo Semple's second film for producer Dino De Laurentiis. The screenplay was based upon the 1936 novel by James Norman Hall and Charles Nordhoff ("Mutiny On the Bounty"). Semple was also an Executive Producer on the film.
The 1979 film had a troubled production. Roman Polanski was set to direct the film until he was charged with statutory rape. After he fled the country, director John Huston was approached about the job, but due to health concerns and the remote location, he turned down the project. Peter Bogdanovich stated that he declined a one million dollar offer to direct. Swedish director Jan Troell was ultimately hired. Semple felt that Troell, the director of THE EMIGRANTS (1971) and THE NEW LAND (1972) with von Sydow, was wrong for the film.
The entire picture was shot on Bora Bora, which was an island of approximately 2000 inhabitants at the time. De Laurentiis undertook extensive preparations to convert the remote location, with no electricity, into a filming site and a temporary home for cast and crew. To import equipment, props and provisions, the producer bought a freighter that ferried across the Pacific between Los Angeles and French Polynesia. Two hotels existed on Bora Bora, but they were deemed too costly or impractical for housing and feeding the 150-member film company. Therefore, De Laurentiis built a hotel with sixty-six bungalows named the “Marara,” investing approximately $4.2 million. After filming completed, the accommodations were transformed into a tourist resort.
Preliminary crew arrived on the island in October 1977 to construct sets, with a budget calculated at over $7.5 million. A $1.5 million, 160-foot tank was also built on site to create the hurricane special effects. A real hurricane hit the island in February 1978 destroying bungalows at the hotel and several sets while leaving the special effects preparations months behind schedule. De Laurentiis arranged for the French Navy to assist with last minute construction, and principal photography was able to begin 15 May 1978.
Nino Rota’s score was released on an Elektra LP. It was re-issued on CD by Legend in 1995 and Varese Sarabande in 2018.
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Posted: |
Mar 14, 2020 - 11:42 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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In a World War II German Prisoner of War (POW) camp, an allied officer is killed while attempting to escape. German “Major Karl Von Steiner” (Max von Sydow) accompanies the Red Cross to the camp to investigate the incident. He observes several prisoners, including American POW, “Captain Robert Hatch” (Sylvester Stallone), playing soccer. Von Steiner played for the German team prior to the war and recognizes their coach, “Captain John Colby” (Michael Caine), as a former English soccer player. Colby reveals the POWs have set up a league, and insists his team would “demolish” the Germans in a game. Von Steiner challenges Colby’s team to a game with the team from a nearby German army base. As the Allied POWs prepare for VICTORY, in a game to be played in Nazi-occupied Paris, the French Resistance and British officers are making plans for the team's escape.
This movie featured eighteen international professional soccer players of the time appearing in both acting and sports action stunt roles. Soccer stars who have key roles in this movie included Brazilian Pelé as Trinidadian “Corporal Luis Fernandez” and England's Bobby Moore as the Englishman “Terry Brady.”
Michael Caine and Max von Sydow in VICTORY
Director John Huston and producer Freddie Fields considered locations in Ireland, Austria, Germany, England, and Canada. But the film was shot entirely on location in Hungary. Fields stated that shooting the film in the communist country cost “less than half the estimated budgets given by four other countries.” He noted that budget estimates for filming in the United States or Sweden ranged from $30 million to $35 million. The cost of filming in Hungary was $12 million. Fields also chose Budapest, Hungary, because it was reportedly designed as “Paris East,” and continued to maintain a World War II era look, unlike Paris.
Five interior sets were built at Mafilm Studios, the production base of Hungarian Film Company. A three-acre prison set was constructed on the grounds of the Allag Riding Stables, located near Budapest, and Hungary’s MTK Stadium was chosen to substitute for Colombes Stadium in Paris. Other locations included the Budapest central train station, and a country train station in the village of Fot, Hungary.
Bill Conti’s score was released on a Prometheus CD in 2005.
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Posted: |
Mar 15, 2020 - 12:08 AM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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In prehistoric times, a Cimmerian warrior, CONAN THE BARBARIAN (Arnold Schwarzenegger), along with fellow adventurers “Valeria” (Sandahl Bergman) and “Subotai” (Gerry Lopez), attempt to bring down evil warlord “Thulsa Doom” (James Earl Jones), who has enslaved the daughter (Valerie Quennessen) of “King Osric” (Max von Sydow).
James Earl Jones was a last-minute addition to the cast because of his commitments on Broadway. He and Arnold Schwarzenegger became friends on-set; Schwarzenegger helped Jones stay in shape, and Jones coached Schwarzenegger on acting; so did Max von Sydow. Schwarzenegger called von Sydow the first "incredible dramatic actor" he ever worked with. He declared von Sydow's performance "staggering." Von Sydow did the movie for his son, who was a longtime Conan fan.
Max von Sydow in CONAN THE BARBARIAN
John Milius directed and co-wrote the 1982 film. Basil Poledouris’ score was released on an MCA LP, which was first re-issued on CD by Varese Sarabande in 1992. Intrada released the complete score in 2012, while Prometheus released a re-recording by Nic Raine and the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra in 2010.
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Posted: |
Mar 15, 2020 - 2:46 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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STRANGE BREW marked the motion picture debuts of Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas as actors, writers, and directors. In the film, Canada's most famous hosers, “Bob and Doug McKenzie” (Moranis and Thomas), get jobs at the Elsinore Brewery, only to learn that something is rotten with the state of it. Max von Sydow plays Brewmeister “B. M. Smith.”
Max von Sydow in STRANGE BREW
Freddie Fields, President of Motion Picture Production for MGM, gave Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas the opportunity to direct their first feature. The role of “Brewmeister Smith” was written with Max von Sydow in mind. But Moranis and Thomas thought actually enlisting him would be impossible. As it turned out, Fields had just produced VICTORY (1981), which starred von Sydow. Fields telephoned the actor in Stockholm, Sweden, and instructed Moranis and Thomas to “tell him the story.” After receiving the script, von Sydow ran it by his son, who was a huge SCTV fan and who encouraged his father to take the role.
Charles Fox’s score appeared on the Mercury Records soundtrack LP as backing for various dialogue tracks. The LP has not been re-issued on CD.
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Posted: |
Mar 16, 2020 - 10:08 AM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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Max von Sydow played “Ernst Stavro Blofeld," head of the international crime syndicate SPECTRE in the James Bond film NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN. Sean Connery was given a lot of creative input into this movie, which was one of the reasons he decided to do it. One area he wanted to focus on was casting, as he felt the EON Productions Bond movies were lacking in prominent acting talent. In addition to Max von Sydow, Connery approved the casting of Klaus Maria Brandauer (“Maximilian Largo”), Edward Fox (“M”), Kim Basinger (“Domino”), Barbara Carrera (“Fatima”), and Alec McCowen (“Q”).
Max von Sydow in NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN
Unfortunately, most of Max von Sydow's scenes were deleted from the theatrical cut of the film, while Marsha A. Hunt and Brenda Cowling had their roles eliminated entirely. The 1983 film was directed by Irvin Kershner. Michel Legrand's score was released on a Seven Seas LP, which was reissued on CD by Silva America in 1993.
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