Review of David Hemmings and Anthony Ginnane’s 1981 film version of James Herbert’s plane crash thriller The Survivor, new on Blu from Severin Films, plus some bitching about the lack of a definitive Blu-ray edition of The Lighthorsemen (1987).
Riding on the unlikely international success of the somewhat supernatural thriller Harlequin / Dark Forces (1980), Anthony Ginnane decided to produce an adaptation of James Herbert’s novel – the first time Ginnane gambled on an existing property rather than an original screenplay…
Reviews to unconventional romantic drama / comedies: Chilly Scenes of Winter / aka Head Over Heels (1979) on Blu from Twilight Time + John and Mary (1969) on DVD from Fox + the J&M soundtrack LP.
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!
After Ann Beattie’s first novel was published, the producing team of Amy Robinson, actor Griffin Dunne, and actor Mark Metcalf optioned the film rights using money Metcalf earned from Animal House (1978). Around the same time, director Joan Micklin Silver was interested in adapting the novel for the big screen, and the quartet pooled their creative resources…
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