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The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep.
This Blog will be offering a colorful kaleidoscope of movie magic for cinema aficionados.
Peanuts, baloons and thrilling sensations on celluloid.
See offbeat goodies and magic crumbs ...weekly!
Feburary, 1978, Florida - A Viking Ship being unloaded into Tampa Bay.
The ship will be the chief prop in the Charles B. Pierce production 'The Norseman'.
Starring Lee Majors (Thorvald) in an embarrassing Roman Gladiator costume with Zorro mask and silly rubber props.
A carnival association goes on a raid with their ship. Brilliant!
Screenplay? What do you need that for? ...overestimated!
There are a few let's call them Actors in this adventure.
Jack Elam is great as a crazed sorcerer, completely out of line.
What a bizarre masterpiece of bad acting, comical dialog and painful slo-mo action. 
There is never a place in Valhalla for these boys.
Of course you can not compare 'The Norseman' with movies like 'The Vikings' or 'The War Lord'.
But the movie qualifies without problems for a place of honor between the bold Italian Genre shows.
Tampa Bay, 1978.
Without the neat ship there would be no film.
The ship was built by experts and the Captain Arne Sumberg was an experienced 'Viking'.
He sailed on the 64 feet long Viking ship of the movie 'The Vikings' (1958), 
which was a trourist attraction in Florida during the 70's.
The brave independent filmmaker Charles B. Pierce was a producer, director, writer and even set decorator ('Coffy','Foxy Brown'). 
Some of his exploitation flicks became cult classics in the 70's 
('The Legend of Boggy Creek' or 'The Town That Dreaded Sundown').
"Go ahead, make my day"
Lee Majors discusses a scene with director Charles B. Pierce (white shirt) and 
the hot model Susie Coelho on the ship.
Lee Majors, without the 70's porn mustache from 'The Norseman', in his best role as  'The Fall Guy'. 
This photo is from the terrific episode 'A fistful of Lire'.
1968 - The great artist Aldo Ray had just finished the average 'The Green Berets' with John Wayne before 
he flew to Madrid (Spain) to collect a few quick bucks in a subterranean B-Movie.
The Italian directing genius Camillo Bazzoni got a little money on hand, from questionable sources, for his 
pet project 'Suicide Commandos'. A completely new interpretation of the Robert Aldrich hit 'The Dirty Dozen'.
Aldo ignored the pain and even fought in films by mastermind Al Adamson ('Dynamite Brothers', 'Death Dimension').
That's great sport. What a jack of all trades.
Camillo Bazzoni was a good cinematographer and camera operator, directing was not his forte.
His Spaghetti Western 'Vivo per la tua morte' is not all bad. 'Commando Suicida' offers a little less. 
It is a lower than low budget movie with a script that fits on a beermat. 
You can feel downright how quickly Aldo realized where he has landed ...in a european B-Movie War torpedo.
But a B-Movie mercenary does not ask, he shoots and collects the bounty!
Great artists, great films. Of course you want to know more. 
So I made my way to discover the locations of some of the finest genre productions filmed in Spain.
Here is a scene of 'Commando Suicida', 1968. Please note the excellent quality. 
Location comparison photo 2011 - Puente de Hierro.
I discovered the location near Mejorada del Campo (Madrid). An abandoned and semi ingrown iron bridge.
If you want to learn more about the War movie flicks of directors like Enzo Castellari, Umberto Lenzi or 
Leon Klimovsky I highly recommend my little tribute page: www.panzer-hell-spain.com
The legendary special makeup and effects artist Tom Savini on a crazy Promotion Still for the 
George A.Romero trash flick 'Knightriders' (1981).
The big-screen live-action spectacle of the familiar cartoon world of 'The Flinstones' impresses with 
eye-catching Dino effects efforts of the Jim Henson Creature Shop, admirable pimped by ILM.
The Design of William 'Bill' Sandell is a glorious example for an effectively and convincingly production design.
Unfortunately, the script could not keep up here.
An often confusing plot, uninspired jokes and dialog disturb the fun in this otherwise great and underrated family film a bit.
Production Designer Bill Sandell with a miniature of 'Bedrock' - 'The Flintstones', 1994.
Bill Sandell and his large Art Department were responsible for the special 'Flintstones' look. 
His long list of credits includes titles such as 'Outbreak', 'Air Force One' and 'Deep Blue Sea'. 
He drafted the life on the 'Master & Commander' Sailing Ship.
Among his best works are undoubtedly the very impressive visionary worlds of 'Total Recall' and 'Robocop'.
The production design of 'The Flinstones' has an equally high level.
The Bedrock Set was built at Vasquez Rocks, a protected natural park in northern L.A..
The Rocks are a very prominent movie location. 
The list of productions (motion pictures, television shows, music videos,..) using the Vasquez Rocks as a filming location is long.
The entire Bedrock Set was built of lightweight foam to protect the sensitive nature. All houses were positioned on special pads. 
Concept Art by production Illustrator Tim Flattery. 
An excellent concept designer and illustration Artist. 
His list of credits include hits like 'Total Recall', 'Men in Black', 'Saving Private Ryan' and 'Transformers'.
Check out his website for fine examples: www.timflattery.com
Production Designer Bill Sandell with a stoneware set for a 'Bedrock' kitchen. 
Playing it for you: John Goodman, Rick Moranis, ...and the gorgeous looking Halle Berry! Yabba Dabba Doo!
Michael Lantieri and his special effects crew were responsible for all the spectacular physical 'stone age' effects and mechanical gadgetry.
He supervised the construction of all the Flintstone style vehicles, amongst other things. 
Several cars were powered by golf cart motors (battery-driven).
For his work on the triumphant visual effects for the film 'Jurassic Park' Lantieri received an 'Academy Award',
together with Stan Winston, Phil Tippett and Dennis Muren.
This is the stone age Ferrari, the 'Le Sabertooth 5000', with an upgraded 'high-speed' motor.
The luxury baby stroller parked in the carving garage for the finishing touches.
The Sabertooth was fashioned out of foam carved over steel frames.
The celebrated Hall of Fame Production Designer, ANTON GROT (1884-1974), put final touches on a model of the 
mexican village Set he built for the Warner Production 'Juarez', 1939.
Anton Grot, a five-time Academy Award nominee and recipient of an Honorary Academy Award in 1941, was the 
leading Head of the Warner Art Department. He very often worked for Warner's top Director Michael Curtiz.
'Captain Blood' (1935), 'The Sea Hawk' (1940) and 'The Sea Wolf' (1941) are a few examples of the great Curtiz/Grot cooperation.
For the 'JUAREZ' production of the famous German director William Dieterle Art Director Anton Grot made thousands of 
sketches and blueprints and built a large-scale Mexican Village Set, including a huge church, on the area 
of the Warner Brothers Ranch in Woodland Hills, San Fernando Valley.
Was the Set used in any other productions? I saw photos from the 60's, so it remained alive for many years.
Anyway, the glorious movie 'JUAREZ' is available on DVD in the valued Warner Archive Collection.
Leave a message after the beep.
1964 - Marisa Mell enjoyed the days at the circus, which plays a part in the fabulous Basil Dearden comedy 'Masquerade'.
From the catchy score tunes and the animated titles to the very cheerful Players, the movie is a swinging great little spy flick.
Starring Cliff Robertson, Jack Hawkins, Michel Piccoli and the lovely Marisa Mell, all playing with lots of drive and charm.
Basil Dearden directing a scene on the coast of Altea (Spain) with Marisa Mell and Cliff Robertson, 1964.
The 'Masquerade' action takes place in beautiful locations in the province of Alicante, Spain.
Location comparison photo, 2012 - Cap Negret, Altea.
See my 'making of' report with a huge amount of rarely seen candid on set photos here: Masquerade
A great role for Marisa Mell. She loved working on the movie very much.
A satirical futuristic cop movie blockbuster directed by Paul Verhoeven.
The make-up wizardry of Rob Bottin was a key element of the success. 
Rob designed the iconic Robocop suit and the prosthetics for the celebrated 'Melting Man'.
His collaboration with Paul Verhoeven was very successful.
Rob Bottin won a Saturn Award for his exceptional work on 'Robocop' and received a Special Achievement Award for 'Total Recall'.
Director Paul Verhoeven on Set with Robocop Peter Weller.
It took a while to put the complex suit on. 
The suit was heavy and Peter was sweating in it and lost quite some pounds.
A relaxed Peter Weller (Officer Alex Murphy), but soon it is 'welcome to hell'...
Director Paul Verhoeven (left) yells 'Action!'. 
The Makeup Dept. built a special puppet for Murphy's bloody death scene with lot's of gory gunshot wounds.
Peter Weller, gunned down and reborn as a justice seeking robo-human cyborg.
A stunning design work of Rob Bottin.
Special make-up artist Stephan Dupuis applying final corrections on the Robocop makeup.
Stephan received an Academy Award for his marvelous work on 'The Fly' together with Chris Walas.
The 'Melting Man' make-up design of Rob Bottin. 
Rob's homage to makeup genius Rick Baker and their collaboration on 'The Incredible Melting Man', 1977.
A terrific make-up from different layers. 
The Actor Paul McCrane had to spend several hours in the make-up chair.
Stephan Dupuis (left) and Bart Mixon (middle) applying liquid latex with bits of chopped foam 
on the foam latex prosthetics for a 'melting flesh' effect on set.
Make-up artist and creature designer Bart Mixon worked for many great genre productions.
He is running a museum with props and stuff from his long career outside of Houston, Texas.
Check out his website for more informations: www.bartmixon.com
Bart Mixon with the "Little Squid" created for Peter Benchley's 'The Beast'. 
This prop was the largest of three squids built for the show.
Keep an eye on the blog entry of January for a photo of Bart's 'Men in Black' Aliens.
The Sydney Pollack Western game 'The Scalphunters' is a terrific, rapidly rotating Comedy.
A rowdy adventure picture with comic overtones. 
Outstanding performers like Burt Lancaster, Ossie Davis, Telly Savalas and Shelly Winters are harmonizing
together perfectly and they all have much fun with social comments and the arrogance and miscalculations of their characters.
Things can change very quickly in the Wild West, you never know what you're gonna get.
Available on Blu-ray - A highly recommended purchase.
Shelly Winters plays the flexible jewel of the Scalphunters, a band of plundering renegades who take Indian scalps for bounty. 
A typical 'behind-the-scenes' moment for the 'fun cannon' Telly Savalas.
Telly was a real Type, quite unlike the interchangeable Hollywood kidz of today.
Telly Savalas having fun with his double Ismael Gomez during a break in filming 'The Scalphunters', 1967.
Director Sydney Pollack shooting in the mud hole. 
The game with the differences between Ossie Davis and Burt Lancaster stops here for a moment. 
Covered with mud we all look the same. 
We dive in every mud hole.

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