Author Archive: Mark R. Hasan

Piranha 2: Shades of The Abyss and James Cameron Archetypes

Look – It’s an unnecessarily detailed review of James Cameron’s official directorial debut, PIRANHA 2: THE SPAWNING (1981), new on Blu from Shout.

Uncovering The Fuzzy Pink Nightgown (1957) + The Revolt of Mamie Stover (1956)

Uncovered are Jane Russell’s last major films of the 1950s: The Fuzzy Pink Nightgown (1957) + The Revolt of Mamie Stover (1956) from Twilight Time on glorious Blu.

Ruth McKenney’s My Sister Eileen from 1942 thru 1960 (whew!)

In this two-parter, I examine My Sister Eileen in its film form (1942 screwball comedy + 1955 musical), 1946 radio show, 1958 musical teleplay (Wonderful Town), and the 1960 series.

Two Shades of Satire: Let’s Make Love (1961) + On the Avenue (1937)

Reviews of On the Avenue (1937) from Fox + the CinemaScope remake Let’s Make Love (1961) on Blu via Twilight Time.

Technicolored Mature, Hayworth, & Landis in My Gal Sal (1942)

My Gal Sal (1942) starring Rita Hayworth, Victor Mature, and Carole Landis debuts on Twilight Time Blu.

Viva Amiga’s Zach Weddington (and a bit of gear talk)

Podcast interview with Zach Weddington on Viva Amiga, his affectionate documentary on the pioneering multimedia computer (plus a bit of gear talk).

Patricia Rozema’s Singing Mermaids & White Room + Bonus Audio from NCFD 2018

Review of the CanCon classic I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing (1987) and much-maligned White Room (1990) + Q&A audio of director Patricia Rozema & journalist Kiva Reardon during National Canadian Film Day.

ArtScopeTO 07: Interview with Photographer Andre Vittorio

Aprils ArtScopeTO podcast features photographer Andre Vittorio, whose series Abstractions on Metal can be seen at Toronto’s Urban Gallery until Sat. April 28, 2018.

BR: Piranha 2 – The Spawning (1981)

The differing versions of Piranha 2 are almost as fascinating as the making of James Cameron’s first feature as director, and Shout’s new Blu-ray rights a lot of wrongs for a sequel that’s almost as fun of the 1978 original…

Tucker: The Man, the Car, and Coppola’s Dream

Review and examination of the film + extras in Lionsgate’s new Blu of Francis Ford Coppola’s sublime Tucker: The Man and His Dream (1988).

BR: Tucker – The Man and His Dream (1988)

Originally conceived as a musical (!) but shelved for several years until friend George Lucas asked ‘Hey, whatever happened to that movie about Preston Tucker?’ Francis Ford Coppola’s deeply personal biopic…

LP: John and Mary (1969)

Written during his busiest period (1968-1970), Quincy Jones’ score for John and Mary was quite sparse, leaving obligatory space for the film’s myriad dialogue exchanges and source music, but the score is memorable for being atypical of the material Jones was writing at the time: action comedies (The Italian Job, The Hell with Heroes), comedies (Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice,Cactus Flower), and the funky style of They Call Me MISTER Tibbs!

CD: Runaway Train (1985)

For some soundtrack fans, it was a bit of surprise to learn the composer of pioneering synth scores had begun his career with large orchestral scores for John Boorman’s Excalibur (1981) and Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal (1982)…

LP: Bourne Identity, The (2002)

The first film in the enduring franchise gave John Powell the perfect opportunity to write what remains both his definitive action sound, and the definitive action score of that decade, blending large orchestral sounds with layers upon layers of electronics…