SCAT KITTY!

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Another reboot of the Batman series and another boring choice to play Catwoman. It has been announced that Anne Hathaway will be the next in a long line of ladies to tackle the role of Catwoman in the upcoming The Dark Knight Rises opposite Christian Bale as Batman. Click here to read more.

No one in my opinion will ever come close to the original and only Catwoman Miss Julie Newmar in the Batman TV series. Sexy and statuesque, she played the role with the right combination of evil, seductiveness, and humor. Her playful moments with Batman trying to entice him into her world of crime were fantastic. She was a male fantasy come to life (even gay guys hence To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar) and had a real presence for the part that none of her successors came close to (though Eartha Kitt did have the better purr).

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJkaPqEidiA

IT’S TIME FOR THE SUMMER CHILDREN

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Below is a press release I received for the lost 60s film The Summer Children starring Drive-in Dream Girl Valora Noland:

The fun at Slamdance Film Festival has begun. We think you’ll see how it can also be profitable for you after you view Summer Children –Monday, January 24th, 7:00 p.m., in Park City.   Vilmos Zsigmond, Academy award winning cinematographer, has won many awards; he ranks Summer Children as one of “my best early works” in regards to his important efforts in America after escaping from the Hungarian revolution in the 1960’s.   This American New Wave neo-noir film was produced in 1965, yet it never reached the screen.   As the original producer; I thought this film had been lost, but through a serendipitous occurrence, re-discovered Summer Children in 2008. Edie Robinette –Petarchi and I then spent two years restoring and digitizing the film. From excitement shown by the Slamdance staff and other film buffs, it appears to be one of the most interesting offerings for the 2011 season.

Vilmos is known world-wide for his expert use of light and shadows in filming. Besides a gripping plot, Summer Children highlights one of America’s first looks at Vilmos’ masterful cinematography.

Check out the web site at www.summerchildren.com and then plan to attend the world premiere:

Place:              Slamdance

Location:       Treasure Mountain Inn, 255 Main Street, Park City

Theater:         Main Slamdance Theater

Date:                Monday, January 24th Time:               7:00 p.m.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9ld4MPPWHY

STRANGER NO MORE

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Everybody knows I am a huge Carol Lynley fan so I was thrilled when Warner Bros. Archive recently released Once You Kiss a Stranger (1969) starring Carol as a psychotic heiress on DVD-on-Demand. Click here to read the Cinema Retro magazine review and pick up a copy of their prior issue featuring my tribute article on the movie.

BEWARE! THIS COULD BE A CAREER KILLER

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In 1972 as a favor to her friend and Malibu neighbor Larry Hagman making his directorial debut, Carol Lynley guest starred as Blob food in the cheesy horror comedy with a hippie beat Beware! The Blob a.k.a. Son of Blob. Hagman also got such notable actors as Godfrey Cambridge, Burgess Meredith, and Shelley Berman to do bits as victims of the Blob while Robert Walker had the Steve McQueen role as the hero.

It was nice that Carol was loyal to her friend but after just turning down a role in Five Easy Pieces this was not a good career move. Hopefully, she got a boat load of money for it. Thankfully, she did The Night Stalker and The Poseidon Adventure next.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fw_p8P4DvmY