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Author
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Topic: The Mean Season (Super 8 optical sound feature) extended
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Osi Osgood
Film God
Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted September 06, 2005 12:18 PM
I have learned one VERY important truth : Do not believe everything that Leanard Maltin (or other ratings books) say about movies!
I had bought this quite awhile back on super 8 optical sound and had not watched it. I was waiting until I had a truly good super 8 optical sound projector until I watched it, and now I do.
BOY!!! Was this film good! It stars Kurt Russell, Muriel Hemmingway, Andy Garcia (a very young Garcia!) and Richard Jordan as an excellent villian!
Kurt Russell plays a newspaper reporter who does a story on a vicious murder of a young woman. While at work, he is contacted by the killer, who informs him that he will kill five more times and he wants Russell to be his "conduit" to the media. Kurt Russell, at first hesitant, ends up printing the story. Andy Garcia plays a cop who, with his partner, are follwing this murder but do not have a clue as to who is doing the murders, the murderer has no ties with his victims, thiers nothing to trace. Kurt ends up working with the police, while treading a thin line with the killer, who continues to kill. The killer becomes more and more intense and angered with Kurt, who becomes a celebrity because of the reporting, and soon overshadows the killers spotlight. Muriel Hemmingway plays Russell's reporter's girlfriend, who has been trying to get her reporter boyfriend away from this big city paper to move away and take over a small town paper with her as a teacher there in the small town. She warns him, "Your no longer a reporter, you've become part of the story!"
The killer then kidnaps Russell's girlfriend in the last reel and ...
But honestly, to give away the ending of this superb film would do it a dis-credit.
Though 20 years old, this film literally hasn't aged a day! Russell, quite frankly, has had the same hair-style as thirty years ago, and except for a slight wrinkle these days, looks the same. he was, at this time, hot off of many successes, (The Thing and Escape from New York, both John Carpenter films!) and he was still going strong with this one and gives an excellent performance. The director wisely uses older model cars, even for the 80's in order to not date the film, and it works well. This kind of topic is well covered in modern films, but was still a somewhat new idea in films at this time, the serial killer. It also doesn't go for the standard heavy gore of todays films, and though edited for airline release, (only a few profanities are edited actually), the gore is simply blood smeared on walls or the quickest cut to the bodies. It's the building tension and suspense that really gets you! Richard Jordan plays a serial killer that is in some ways sympathetic, though your never quite sure as to why he does the killings, as they are so random, but we learn that he has done this before. he is excellent in his role, he doesn't overplay his part, hamming it up, and in most cases, lierally seems as normal as anybody walking down the street, which makes his role all the more eerie!
As stated earlier, all people are excellent. This also the second time Kurt Russell works with Robert Masur (the newspapers editor), who he worked with in the excellent "The Thing" 1981.
Also of note is Joe Pantoliano, (playing the staff photo-grapher, attached to Kurt Russels character.), He was quite early in his career, more notable for his role as thr bald bad guy in "The Matrix", (on board the good guys ship), as well as the top man under Inspector Gerard (Tommy Lee Jones) in "The Fugitive" with Harrison Ford.
Being that this film is an airline print, the gore is pretty well held in check, considering that this is a serial killer film, but the drama comes forth from how of the murderers. For instance, one of the victims is a mother, yet the killer spares the child. I believe that, though this is an sirline print, not much of the gore was edited, as this originally a PG film anyhow, and back in the mid-80's, you couldn't show all that much.
The soundtrack for this film is very good, blending in some cases, synthesizers, with classical strings. The composer, (I forget his name at the moment), has borrowed heavily from the "Psycho" style soundtrack, with grinding cellos and violins, cutting across some scenes as the killer would slice thru victims, (though he does use a handgun, execution style!)
The super 8 optical print is outstanding! I'm beginning to believe that perhaps one of the reasons these optical prints were meant to be destroyed after airline use was because they so rivaled optical sound 16mm print quality, that they would potentially horn in on the 16mm market for television rights, as 16mm prints were still used for local TV viewings as of this time. This is no exaggeration about this print, it easily rival s 16mm I have seen of this in sharpness, contrast and color, (mint color on this optical super 8!) The grain is excellent! Anyone who is lucky enought to enjoy this print out these I'm sure would agree!
The sound is also VERY GOOD. Sometimes with optical sound super 8, the sound level can be rather low, but in this case, while MONO, the sound is very loud, (must be an american optical release, as the british optical super 8's tend to have a lower sound level), and even very clear, good high's and lows so that even the light chirping of birds is heard.
I'm sorry that I can't give away the ending, but that gives you even more of a reason to go out and get this optical super 8 print from somewhere. I bought my copy from Independent 8, I believe, close to 6 month's ago, and his quality is superb. I have found that the british collectors have taken, on a average, better care of thier optical sound super 8 films, (no personal slam against my fellow yankee super 8 collectors!)
Buyn this one, a worthy addition to your optical sound super 8 collection!
[ January 15, 2007, 10:55 PM: Message edited by: Osi Osgood ]
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"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "
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Osi Osgood
Film God
Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted September 09, 2005 11:28 AM
I have 24 at this time, but I have a friend over here that's clearing out a friends collection, and I have set aside enough for potentially TEN MORE PRINTS!! (excessive drooling!) I should know by Tuesday or Wedsnesday. She always gives me first dibs before she lists any on ebay!!
The only problem with this is that, with 24 prints, I'm bound to start running into repeat prints, and while there's some films I'd love a new copy of (My "Gorky Park" is pinkish, the only case of that in my collection, and such a good film too!) I'm afraid that I'm going to do just that. I've noticed that most american collectors tend to have a lot of the same titles, probably having come from Dave Thomas Films in the past, or Derrann.
I'd be happy to do some reviews for that magazine, but I don't even know how to get ahold of it. Your welcome to reprint any of my already listed reviews. If there's any that are desired, just give a me a chance to polish them a little, as, being a professional writer, I wouldn't want bad writing to have my seal of approval on it.
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"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "
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Chip Gelmini
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1733
From: Brooksville, FL
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted September 10, 2005 09:34 PM
Osi, good review of this sensational print. I have it too and agree with you 100%. These are airline prints, and compared to the video version, there is one quick edit near the finale, where they find a body that looks like the villan. In the cinema release print and video versions, there is a very graphic shot of the dead victim's head, blown apart. In the airline print, this one sequence is removed. I really liked this movie, it's a keeper. Thank you, Osi!
ps....CG owns approx 24 optical prints and yes there are some that I still do not own. So how many were released anyways?
Osi, where did your friend who is clearing out a collection, get the prints? I would really like to know this. You can email me privately if you like prfcg@cape.com
:-)
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Osi Osgood
Film God
Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted September 11, 2005 02:09 PM
I don't have a chance to write you a private e-mail in the near future, but I will soon. This collection is like so many others right now. People are getting too old and they are simply getting rid of them. Kind of sad really, as though I'm getting these prints for a bargain, (50.00 dollars a feature, yeah, hate me!!), this person could make so much more over ebay or private sales, but I'm certianly glad. Boy, you have 24 as well! I wouldn't be suprised if many of them are the same films, as I think most american collectors got thier optical prints from the same major sources, (Derrann, Dave Thomas films)
By the way, Dear Mr, Faulkner (that's said in affection, how could I mock the man who brought me this great forum?!) I do have an extra print of "Conduct Unbecoming" it does have a Eastman Fade, but it's not a far gone one. It's not the horrible total PINK of the poorer quality Eastman, where EVERYTHING has a horrible fade and no color. This still has much color, and after the first reel, (a problem in all prints of this, I've noticed) the color gets much better, espcially by the last reel of the trial. Please feel me to contact me Kev, if you'd like it, and, at a bargain price, as I don't rip people off on fading prints!
All the best!!
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"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "
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