Imprint’s latest box set collects five of the best movies of the seventies from under-sung auteur Sidney J. Furie, packed to the rafters with informative and entertaining extras. Furie went from making films like Doctor Blood’s Coffin (1961) and The Ipcress File (1965) to The Entity (1982) and errr… Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987). His compositions became legendary in the industry, and it’s great to see these mid-period pictures getting a decent release.
The Lawyer (1970) kicks off the set in style. It’s a courtroom drama that led to the TV series Petricelli and features that titular attorney (played, as he was in the series, by Barry Newman) defending a doctor against a murder charge that has already been proved in the court of public opinion. It’s a grittier representation of the character than the show was and features moments the networks would never allow (like nudity) but still shows elements of humour.
Little Fauss and Big Halsy (1970) sees Robert Redford’s play against type as a grifting dirt bike rider who hooks up with a more naïve Fauss to collect prize money on the race circuit. Wouldn’t you know, it’s a woman (Lauren Hutton) who comes between them as the womanising Halsy gets his way with her. It’s a gritty character study that features a standout turn from Lucille Benson (Halloween II) as Mom Fauss. The fantastic acting is equalled by the spectacular race sequences (including many a spill).
Based on the book by Gail Parent, Sheila Levine Is Dead and Living in New York (1975) is a dark comedy-drama starring Jeannie Berlin as the Jewish girl moving to the Big Apple to escape her overbearing mother and find a husband. She meets a doctor (played by Roy Scheider), who claims to be a confirmed bachelor and, throughout the story, is constantly frustrated by his womanising but can’t resist him. It’s an often touching movie, and even though it moves at a pedestrian pace and features one ‘disco’ song that repeated so often it’d drive you crazy (it’s literally the only thing played throughout a house party), it keeps the interest and boasts some fantastic framing.
Something different comes with 1973’s Hit! It’s set in France, so boasts some subtitled sections, giving it a European feel. Billy Dee Williams is a cop who seeks to avenge his daughter’s death by heroin overdose. He rounds up a couple of ex-hitmen (well, an ageing husband and wife), a detective, and a bereaved husband (Richard Pryer) to take down the cartel that is swamping the US with drugs. With a soundtrack by Lalo Schifrin (Dirty Harry), it’s a gritty action drama in the style of The French Connection.
The Boys in Company C (1978) follows a group of recruits to the Marines who are trained up to head to Vietnam. It’s a raw, visceral look at boot camp and life on the frontline of the ill-fated war. The training sequences influenced Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket, right down to the use of the always formidable R. Lee Ermey as the drill instructor (in his debut film role). The main five (led by Stan Shaw) perfectly represent the naivety of youth and the tragedy of war. Using the conceit of a journal being written by one of the team brings more humanity than many of the Vietnam-themed movies of the time. It’s quite rightly considered one of the greatest Vietnam films ever made.
Imprint’s box set also contains some fascinating extra features and a well-written book. Our particular favourite of the myriad featurettes is one that focuses on the dreaded ‘pan and scan’ days of films on TV. If you’re not old enough to remember only seeing films on a 4:3 CRT screen on broadcast tele, it’ll certainly open your eyes to how butchered the movies we watched were. Likewise, it’s a great piece to show people who complain about the ‘black bars’ on DVDs. There’s also input from plenty of talent involved with the films, which gives great insight into Furie’s style and what it was like to work with him. The director also appears on several of the newly recorded commentary tracks.
If you’re new to these films, this is a fantastic chance to encounter some varied but genuinely unsung gems of the seventies.
Directed by… Sidney J. Furie is out now from the Australian label Imprint.
