I’m genuinely sorry that the week got away from us and these three obits weren’t posted earlier. We were cranking out 20 or 30 stories a day some days, but we still managed to miss these three, and I want to make sure they all receive their mention here.
Bill Panzer was a writer/producer whose most high-profile credit was working on the HIGHLANDER series. He dealt mainly in the low-budget world, and I’m a fan of his first film as a producer, THE DEATH COLLECTOR, in particular. It’s a grimy little gangster film from the mid-70s that features a very early Joe Pesci performance. We saw this one at one of the QT Fests in Austin, and it’s a really solid little picture. He produced a film called STUNTS (or WHO IS KILLING THE STUNTMEN, depending on when you saw it), a sad irony considering a stuntman died shooting STEEL, a Lee Majors film about guys working on skyscraper construction. He worked with Sam Peckinpah on THE OSTERMAN WEEKEND, the director’s final film, and then moved into the HIGHLANDER series. His final film, HIGHLANDER: THE SOURCE, is still awaiting American release. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends.
Another guy who dealt largely in the low-budget world and who embraced it wholeheartedly was Andy Sidaris. I don’t think it would be overstating things to call him the King Of The Late Night Cable Tittie Movie. MALIBU EXPRESS, HARD TICKET TO HAWAII, PICASSO TRIGGER, SAVAGE BEACH... the movies all followed a simple formula. Playboy Playmates + guns and explosions + exotic location = unabashed exploitation fare. He loved beautiful Hawaiian locations as much as he loved beautiful naked women, and the combination of the two is pretty hard to resist. He worked in TV at the start of his career on shows like KOJAK, THE HARDY BOYS/NANCY DREW MYSTERIES, and even NFL MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL, but his legacy will live on at 2:00 AM on Skinemax for as long as fourteen year old boys touch themselves. And I mean that with sincere respect.
Finally, as many of you pointed out in talkback, we forgot to note the passing of Stuart Rosenberg. Like Richard Donner, he got his start in ‘50s and ‘60s television, and he was incredibly prolific working on shows like ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS, NAKED CITY, THE UNTOUCHABLES, THE TWILIGHT ZONE, and more. When he finally made the leap to features, he pretty much knocked it out of the ballpark with his first film, the classic COOL HAND LUKE. It’s one of those films I’ve seen a dozen times, and every single time, it remains just as effective and entertaining. His film POCKET MONEY was just recently released by Warner Bros as part of the Paul Newman box set, and it’s a charming little Western with Lee Marvin and Strother Martin co-starring. Newman and Rosenberg must have gotten along because they collaborated on four movies. I really dig THE LAUGHING POLICEMAN, a grim little Walter Matthau cop film he directed, and I also think BRUBAKER, his Robert Redford prison drama, is a pretty solid little film.
If there’s one film besides COOL HAND LUKE that Rosenberg deserves to be remembered for, it’s the outstanding POPE OF GREENWICH VILLAGE, featuring two amazing performances by Mickey Rourke and Eric Roberts. Geraldine Page was Oscar-nominated for her work in the film, but it’s the duet between Roberts and Rourke that makes this a classic. I’m afraid this one doesn’t get the attention it deserves these days, and I rarely hear people bring it up anymore. It’s a damn shame. If you want to know why Rourke used to be considered one of the most exciting actors in the business, look no further than this gem.
Rosenberg, Sedaris, and Panzer will all be missed, and their contributions to film are appreciated and remembered.
Drew McWeeny, Los Angeles
Drew McWeeny, Los Angeles
