KILLER'S KISS
My review on Killer's Kiss swerved into a discussion of Kubrick's evolution as a filmmaker rather than a review based on the merits of the film. If I was to judge Killer's Kiss on its own it should be without any reference to future Kubrick films. It was not going to be easy.
As luck would have it, I came across a review of Killer's Kiss written at the time of its release. The article was found in the archives of, The Bensonhurst Bugle, in a column by Morris (Uncle Mo Mo) Kvetch. Mo Mo was not a movie/theatre critic but a local icon with, as he would say, his finger on the pulse of Bensonhurst. I've copied and pasted the article dated 10-8-1955, one week after the film's release.
As luck would have it, I came across a review of Killer's Kiss written at the time of its release. The article was found in the archives of, The Bensonhurst Bugle, in a column by Morris (Uncle Mo Mo) Kvetch. Mo Mo was not a movie/theatre critic but a local icon with, as he would say, his finger on the pulse of Bensonhurst. I've copied and pasted the article dated 10-8-1955, one week after the film's release.
KVETCH A RISING STAR
by
Morris (Mo Mo) Kvetch
Today’s,”Kvetch A Rising Star,’ came highly recommended to me by personal friend and TV personality Joe Franklin. The rising star is Stanley Kubrick who, says Joe, is a real Mensch, and is the director of a new film Killer's Kiss. Here’s what Uncle Mo Mo thinks. Firstly, Mrs. Kubrick raised no dummies. The film's title is a smart marketing move as it brings to mind other 'killer' and 'kiss' crime movies like, Born To Kill, The Killing, Kiss Me Deadly, Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye, Kiss of Death, and if I've missed any don't shoot me I'm only a part time movie reviewer. The film has a washed up fighter as the hero. But this guy is not a Champion, or a Golden Boy. And don’t think you’re going to watch a fight interrupted by a movie. There's no Setup here and our hero gets knocked out in the first round.
This is Mr. Kubrick's second film. People who know these things tell me it's a big step up from his first, and for that I’ll take their word. I found this a very entertaining movie and young Mr. Kubrick shows a lot of promise.
Jamie Smith is Davey Gordon the down and out pug, Irene Kane is Gloria the low rent songstress, and our own Frank Silvera of Harlem's American Negro Theatre is Vince Rapallo who plays a low-life dance club owner (no jokes please). The movie is straight forward and easy to understand. Gloria rejects Vince, Vince gets physical, Davey saves the day, Vince plots revenge, Vince and Davey fight. There is a dream sequence where a ballerina dances while Gloria talks about her past. I don't know how this fits into the movie and maybe Kubrick doesn't either. The ballerina in the movie is Kubrick's wife who happens to come from a wealthy family. But, who says that had anything to do with it, right? In a strange way the scene is a welcome respite from the rough subject matter of the movie.
There are times when the movie looks like it was filmed with Aunt Sophie's 8mm Kodak. But with that being said, I’m going out on a limb and say the cinematography is as good as it gets. The night scenes on 42nd street are not what you'll find in travel brochures but they capture the wild and crazy no holds barred attitude of Broadway. It would have been nice if we saw more of Penn Station, but even a little of this monument to beauty and functionality is better than none. Kubrick’s years as a photographer for LOOK Magazine is on display in Killers Kiss, as he captures the essence of the Greatest City On Earth.
One scene that stuck out in my mind, as it will yours, is when Davey and Vince fight each other in a warehouse full of mannequins. Every action movie demands a fight, and Killer's Kiss is no different. Stanley adds an unusual touch to the fight however. What happens when they fight is…. what happens is this: you pluck down two bits and see this good movie at your local theater and find out for yourself. Don't expect, Public Enemy but it's a good movie. And more power to another local boy whose future is in front of him.
Speaking of the future, people in the know say Stan would someday like to make a space movie as well as a movie based on some book no one's read, but everyone says they have, like Vanity Fair, or Tristram Shandy. To Stan I say: "DON"T BE A MESSHUGGENEH!
Better you should buy worthless swamp land in the Meadowlands. Do what you know. Stay in New York and make more wonderful movies.
Joining Kubrick is my own personal rising star the precocious 14 year old comedic wunderkind, Marshall Efron. His future is also in front of him. You can catch him this weekend 8:00 at the Tweed School of Ethics Community Hall on 439 Chauncey Street, Bushwick in, "Nosh To Know You." He plays the son of a deli owner entering puberty, and as we all know, once you enter there’s no turning back.
So, until next week's "Kvetch A Rising Star," Uncle Mo-Mo reminds you to keep your friends close, and your sense of humor closer.
This is Mr. Kubrick's second film. People who know these things tell me it's a big step up from his first, and for that I’ll take their word. I found this a very entertaining movie and young Mr. Kubrick shows a lot of promise.
Jamie Smith is Davey Gordon the down and out pug, Irene Kane is Gloria the low rent songstress, and our own Frank Silvera of Harlem's American Negro Theatre is Vince Rapallo who plays a low-life dance club owner (no jokes please). The movie is straight forward and easy to understand. Gloria rejects Vince, Vince gets physical, Davey saves the day, Vince plots revenge, Vince and Davey fight. There is a dream sequence where a ballerina dances while Gloria talks about her past. I don't know how this fits into the movie and maybe Kubrick doesn't either. The ballerina in the movie is Kubrick's wife who happens to come from a wealthy family. But, who says that had anything to do with it, right? In a strange way the scene is a welcome respite from the rough subject matter of the movie.
There are times when the movie looks like it was filmed with Aunt Sophie's 8mm Kodak. But with that being said, I’m going out on a limb and say the cinematography is as good as it gets. The night scenes on 42nd street are not what you'll find in travel brochures but they capture the wild and crazy no holds barred attitude of Broadway. It would have been nice if we saw more of Penn Station, but even a little of this monument to beauty and functionality is better than none. Kubrick’s years as a photographer for LOOK Magazine is on display in Killers Kiss, as he captures the essence of the Greatest City On Earth.
One scene that stuck out in my mind, as it will yours, is when Davey and Vince fight each other in a warehouse full of mannequins. Every action movie demands a fight, and Killer's Kiss is no different. Stanley adds an unusual touch to the fight however. What happens when they fight is…. what happens is this: you pluck down two bits and see this good movie at your local theater and find out for yourself. Don't expect, Public Enemy but it's a good movie. And more power to another local boy whose future is in front of him.
Speaking of the future, people in the know say Stan would someday like to make a space movie as well as a movie based on some book no one's read, but everyone says they have, like Vanity Fair, or Tristram Shandy. To Stan I say: "DON"T BE A MESSHUGGENEH!
Better you should buy worthless swamp land in the Meadowlands. Do what you know. Stay in New York and make more wonderful movies.
Joining Kubrick is my own personal rising star the precocious 14 year old comedic wunderkind, Marshall Efron. His future is also in front of him. You can catch him this weekend 8:00 at the Tweed School of Ethics Community Hall on 439 Chauncey Street, Bushwick in, "Nosh To Know You." He plays the son of a deli owner entering puberty, and as we all know, once you enter there’s no turning back.
So, until next week's "Kvetch A Rising Star," Uncle Mo-Mo reminds you to keep your friends close, and your sense of humor closer.
I won’t go into Kvetch’s professional and financial advice for Stanley Kubrick, but many of his observations about the film hold up today. Contemporary critics tend to focus on the film as a study in the evolution of Kubrick and not so much on its own merits. It is likely I would have done the same if not for ”Kvetch A Rising Star.’ Had Killer's Kiss been directed by a John Doe it would have long been recognized as a prime example of 50’s film noir.
The plot was succinctly described in Mo Mo's column. Dave, (Jamie Smith) a once promising fighter is little more than a tomato can for up and coming fighters. Gloria, (Irene Kane) is a down and out once bright girl working for dance hall owner Vince Rapallo. (Frank Silvera) A low budget film can have technical mistakes, middling or poor acting, an underwhelming script, all of which can be overlooked as long as the audience can understand what is going on in the movie. Killer's Kiss hits the mark on that point.
The film has its faults and the most glaring is the weak script and it is apparent it did not go unnoticed by Kubrick. In his next movie, The Killing, he enlisted highly respected Jim Thompson. There is some controversy over who wrote what, but there is nothing in Killer's Kiss to make one think Kubrick had a big part in writing, The Killing. One only has to read a few pages from a Thompson book to realize the brilliant dialogue of that movie had to have been written by him. The pedestrian screenplay of Killer's Kiss, however, is still preferable to a hackneyed attempt at perfunctory wise-cracks or Hollywood tough guy talk.
Whatever shortcomings from the script are offset by the brilliant cinematography. I join Uncle Mo Mo on that limb when I say Killer's Kiss is one of the finest examples of cinematography in all of film noir. There is not one film in Kubrick’s entire body of work (I’m not counting Fear and Desire) that does not smack of cinematographic brilliance and it started in Killer's Kiss.
The cinematography covers up many of its shortcomings. Beginning writers are told to write what they know. Kubrick filmed what he knew, and that was New York City. The internet abounds with examples of Kubrick’s photographs and many are quintessentially noir. While the script of Killer's Kiss does little to bolster Kubrick's claim that he was instrumental in writing, The Killing; there is everything in the cinematography to suggest he had the major role in the cinematography in The Killing.
The plot was succinctly described in Mo Mo's column. Dave, (Jamie Smith) a once promising fighter is little more than a tomato can for up and coming fighters. Gloria, (Irene Kane) is a down and out once bright girl working for dance hall owner Vince Rapallo. (Frank Silvera) A low budget film can have technical mistakes, middling or poor acting, an underwhelming script, all of which can be overlooked as long as the audience can understand what is going on in the movie. Killer's Kiss hits the mark on that point.
The film has its faults and the most glaring is the weak script and it is apparent it did not go unnoticed by Kubrick. In his next movie, The Killing, he enlisted highly respected Jim Thompson. There is some controversy over who wrote what, but there is nothing in Killer's Kiss to make one think Kubrick had a big part in writing, The Killing. One only has to read a few pages from a Thompson book to realize the brilliant dialogue of that movie had to have been written by him. The pedestrian screenplay of Killer's Kiss, however, is still preferable to a hackneyed attempt at perfunctory wise-cracks or Hollywood tough guy talk.
Whatever shortcomings from the script are offset by the brilliant cinematography. I join Uncle Mo Mo on that limb when I say Killer's Kiss is one of the finest examples of cinematography in all of film noir. There is not one film in Kubrick’s entire body of work (I’m not counting Fear and Desire) that does not smack of cinematographic brilliance and it started in Killer's Kiss.
The cinematography covers up many of its shortcomings. Beginning writers are told to write what they know. Kubrick filmed what he knew, and that was New York City. The internet abounds with examples of Kubrick’s photographs and many are quintessentially noir. While the script of Killer's Kiss does little to bolster Kubrick's claim that he was instrumental in writing, The Killing; there is everything in the cinematography to suggest he had the major role in the cinematography in The Killing.
Kubrick uses props to tell us about Dave and Gloria’s backgrounds. Dave’s is done through photographs and a letter from his Uncle. The off-beat ballet scene is meant to explain Gloria’s downward descent. The ballerina played by Ruth Sobotka was Kubrick's wife and a respected ballerina. I won’t get into Mo Mo’s unfortunate speculation of a possible financial investment by her parents. The scene is out of place in this otherwise straightforward tale, but we’ve seen similar out of the blue scenes in noir. Raw Deal with Whit Bissell, and Josephine Hutchinson’s touching performance in Somewhere In The Night are but two examples.
Gloria’s narrative is the best example of the script’s weakness. I listened without watching and at times times it was unintentionally funny. We are given a succession of clichés: Mom died while giving her birth, her sister is Dad’s favorite, Dad got sick and needed care 24/7, her sister married for money not love, then killed herself after Daddy died. 'Oy vey enough already.' Uncle Mo Mo might say.
The explanation for the ballerina scene can be as simple as, “Happy Wife, Happy life.” It does however mitigate the weakness of the tepidly delivered narration for as the words bounce around in our ears, our eyes are focused on the incongruity of the scene, the artistry of the dancer and the cinematography.
Dave came to NYC hoping to be a champion boxer. We see him looking in the mirror checking out the scars on his face. The scars go deeper than what he sees. His dreams are gone and reality in the form of his Uncle’s farm awaits. Gloria and Dave are noir staples; desperate, lonely, people; the outliers of society who live in a world of noir. Theirs are but two of the eight million stories in, The Naked City.
Gloria’s narrative is the best example of the script’s weakness. I listened without watching and at times times it was unintentionally funny. We are given a succession of clichés: Mom died while giving her birth, her sister is Dad’s favorite, Dad got sick and needed care 24/7, her sister married for money not love, then killed herself after Daddy died. 'Oy vey enough already.' Uncle Mo Mo might say.
The explanation for the ballerina scene can be as simple as, “Happy Wife, Happy life.” It does however mitigate the weakness of the tepidly delivered narration for as the words bounce around in our ears, our eyes are focused on the incongruity of the scene, the artistry of the dancer and the cinematography.
Dave came to NYC hoping to be a champion boxer. We see him looking in the mirror checking out the scars on his face. The scars go deeper than what he sees. His dreams are gone and reality in the form of his Uncle’s farm awaits. Gloria and Dave are noir staples; desperate, lonely, people; the outliers of society who live in a world of noir. Theirs are but two of the eight million stories in, The Naked City.
There are scores of scenes to choose from as examples of noir like photography. The boxing scene is one case where a limited budget was beneficial. A bigger budget might have given us, ‘a fight that happened to be interrupted by a movie.’ In this case the action is limited to one round. It is filmed at ringside and we see the action close up and personal. Another plus of the bare bones budget is there are no spectators. The camera stays focused on the fight and does not periodically shift from a cheering, jeering audience then back to the fight again. In this fight we do not see the spectators, but hear them. The opposite is true in the final scene where we see the spectators (the mannequins) but do not hear them.
I give kudos to both Jamie Smith and the professional boxer who played Kid Rodriquez. The boxer knows how far he can go and when to hold back. Smith is no slouch and it's obvious he's had ring experience as well. The clips shows some fine examples of the sweet science. At the 0:29 and 1:02 marks Rodriquez blocks shots with his forearm, at 1:22 he gives Smith a glancing, but hard shot to the head and there is a wonderful short chopping right at 1:39.
I give kudos to both Jamie Smith and the professional boxer who played Kid Rodriquez. The boxer knows how far he can go and when to hold back. Smith is no slouch and it's obvious he's had ring experience as well. The clips shows some fine examples of the sweet science. At the 0:29 and 1:02 marks Rodriquez blocks shots with his forearm, at 1:22 he gives Smith a glancing, but hard shot to the head and there is a wonderful short chopping right at 1:39.
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The other scene is when Davey's manager is mistaken for him and is murdered by two of Rapallo’s goons. It’s reputed the alley was the “property’ of several transients, and Kubrick paid them for its use.
This scene has the look and feel of a twenty seven year old veteran not a twenty seven year old director. On a personal note I like the touch of the crooks as they turn back to dispose of the fedora then rifle the dead man’s wallet.
In this clip there is a nice juxtaposition of the manager being murdered in a dirty alley, (notice the “Not A Toilet” sign) to the two leads waiting on a busy street corner. Killer's Kiss gives ample proof of Kubrick's editing prowess. He has said: “I love editing. I think I like it more than any other phase of film making. If I wanted to be frivolous, I might say that everything that precedes editing is merely a way of producing film to edit.” (Italics are mine) Kubrick is as much a brilliant editor as he is a filmmaker and much of that brilliance is a byproduct of his editing.
This scene has the look and feel of a twenty seven year old veteran not a twenty seven year old director. On a personal note I like the touch of the crooks as they turn back to dispose of the fedora then rifle the dead man’s wallet.
In this clip there is a nice juxtaposition of the manager being murdered in a dirty alley, (notice the “Not A Toilet” sign) to the two leads waiting on a busy street corner. Killer's Kiss gives ample proof of Kubrick's editing prowess. He has said: “I love editing. I think I like it more than any other phase of film making. If I wanted to be frivolous, I might say that everything that precedes editing is merely a way of producing film to edit.” (Italics are mine) Kubrick is as much a brilliant editor as he is a filmmaker and much of that brilliance is a byproduct of his editing.
In any action movie there comes the time when the good guy confronts the bad guy to decide who gets the girl.
Killer's Kiss has one of the most iconic fight scenes in noir when Davey and Vince fight before a multitude of mannequins. There are no guns and little, if any, physical contact. Vince uses a fireman's axe and Davey counters with a window pole. They are confined to the four walls of the room as the boxers were to the ring, and they maneuver and spar as did the boxers. Unlike the boxing match we do see spectators in the form of the mannequins. Kubrick makes judicious use of them who serve as silent spectators. An occasional arm or leg might be flung at each other and Rapallo throws a torso but they inflict no real damage.
There are a couple of spots where its obvious Silvera is physically exhausted, and for the most part, does not look to be carefully choreographed. There is a frenetic pace and a sense of desperation, especially on the face of Frank Silvera. Kubrick is notorious for scores of retakes and I wonder how many were used in the fight scene? It's obvious Frank Silvera was fatigued and he trips over a body part near the end of the fight. The flow of the scene is another example of Kubrick’s skill as an editor. Fighting is as old as man itself, yet boxing has a sense of structure and an adherence to the rules. This is not the case in the warehouse. Both men are trapped with each other and there are no rules. Their fight displays the primal nature of violence stripped of rules and conventions.
Kubrick does not let the audience get too close to his movies. Killer's Kiss does not evoke empathy or ask us to become overly attached to his characters. The blank faces of the mannequins are similar to those of the spectators in the drawing and gaming rooms in Barry Lyndon and the masquers in Eyes Wide Shut, who from the balcony look down upon the hedonistic ritual below them. We get the same look of emotionless distance when the Marines look down at the dying Viet Cong sniper in Full Metal Jacket.
Killer's Kiss has one of the most iconic fight scenes in noir when Davey and Vince fight before a multitude of mannequins. There are no guns and little, if any, physical contact. Vince uses a fireman's axe and Davey counters with a window pole. They are confined to the four walls of the room as the boxers were to the ring, and they maneuver and spar as did the boxers. Unlike the boxing match we do see spectators in the form of the mannequins. Kubrick makes judicious use of them who serve as silent spectators. An occasional arm or leg might be flung at each other and Rapallo throws a torso but they inflict no real damage.
There are a couple of spots where its obvious Silvera is physically exhausted, and for the most part, does not look to be carefully choreographed. There is a frenetic pace and a sense of desperation, especially on the face of Frank Silvera. Kubrick is notorious for scores of retakes and I wonder how many were used in the fight scene? It's obvious Frank Silvera was fatigued and he trips over a body part near the end of the fight. The flow of the scene is another example of Kubrick’s skill as an editor. Fighting is as old as man itself, yet boxing has a sense of structure and an adherence to the rules. This is not the case in the warehouse. Both men are trapped with each other and there are no rules. Their fight displays the primal nature of violence stripped of rules and conventions.
Kubrick does not let the audience get too close to his movies. Killer's Kiss does not evoke empathy or ask us to become overly attached to his characters. The blank faces of the mannequins are similar to those of the spectators in the drawing and gaming rooms in Barry Lyndon and the masquers in Eyes Wide Shut, who from the balcony look down upon the hedonistic ritual below them. We get the same look of emotionless distance when the Marines look down at the dying Viet Cong sniper in Full Metal Jacket.
A film that came to mind when watching Killers Kiss was Blast of Silence by first time director Allen Baron. BOS came out in 1961, which by then Kubrick had finished Paths of Glory, Spartacus and had started on Lolita.
The cinematography in Blast of Silence was not in the league of Killer's Kiss. The writing and the development of the characters is where BOS is superior to KK. Baron wrote the script and he humanizes the main characters in a way Kubrick could not with Davey or Gloria. Kubrick uses props: photos on a mirror, a letter from an uncle, and a long ballerina scene, but those are poor substitutes for a well written script, and BOS succeeds on that level. In the end I don’t think it matters all that much to Stan. What matters are the photography, the detail to the scenes, the placement of props and of course the editing.
I don’t believe Kubrick, who could have been as successful a cinematographer or editor as he was a director, lacked the skill to fully flesh out his characters. Think back to Paths of Glory. There are Pax's (Kirk Douglas) outburst at General Broulard (Adolphe Menjou), the scenes where the men await their fate and then their execution. Then there is the innocent, young German girl who reduces a room of battle hardened hooting and jeering soldiers to tears as she sings of a young girl, someone’s’ sweetheart, who waits for her soldier to return home. The realization that these men who survived the battle for the Ant Hill, will soon face a similar battle adds to the poignancy of the scene.
The cinematography in Blast of Silence was not in the league of Killer's Kiss. The writing and the development of the characters is where BOS is superior to KK. Baron wrote the script and he humanizes the main characters in a way Kubrick could not with Davey or Gloria. Kubrick uses props: photos on a mirror, a letter from an uncle, and a long ballerina scene, but those are poor substitutes for a well written script, and BOS succeeds on that level. In the end I don’t think it matters all that much to Stan. What matters are the photography, the detail to the scenes, the placement of props and of course the editing.
I don’t believe Kubrick, who could have been as successful a cinematographer or editor as he was a director, lacked the skill to fully flesh out his characters. Think back to Paths of Glory. There are Pax's (Kirk Douglas) outburst at General Broulard (Adolphe Menjou), the scenes where the men await their fate and then their execution. Then there is the innocent, young German girl who reduces a room of battle hardened hooting and jeering soldiers to tears as she sings of a young girl, someone’s’ sweetheart, who waits for her soldier to return home. The realization that these men who survived the battle for the Ant Hill, will soon face a similar battle adds to the poignancy of the scene.
There are copious articles and references to his career as a photographer but very little about his skill and passion for chess. I think a good chess player's perception of his environment is continually being processed spatially and conceptually. This is probably true of all creative people especially those who excel in their art, but for skilled chess players it is on a higher level.
Kubrick has said, “You sit at the board and suddenly your heart leaps. Your hand trembles to pick up the piece and move it. But what chess teaches you is that you must sit there calmly and think about whether it’s really a good idea and whether there are other, better ideas.” Kubrick was not a grandmaster, but he was much better than average. Had he devoted his life to chess he may have become a grandmaster.
In my review of, The Killing, I noted several interesting camera shots and commented on their composition. I wondered if his way of looking at how to portray people and his use of landscape and the positioning of objects was a byproduct of his experience as a chess player.
This is from an article: “ When playing chess you visualize the pieces on the board and then separate the colors and figures mentally. ..You analyze their placement on the board, access each piece’s value to your next move, and remember the rules of the game in order to proceed...More skilled players will see specific patterns being used that will assist them gaining an advantage over their opponent..." Kubrick appears to have approached every shot in a movie in the same manner.
It might be interesting to have an accomplished mathematician, or musician get into film making. I think a mathematician reads a blackboard filled with formulas and equations as we read lines in a book. A musician, even a minor musician, ‘hears’ notes on a page. From an article: "For example, grandmaster chess players have more activity in their frontal and parietal cortices, areas of the brain that focus on problem-solving and recognition."
Could this be true for mathematicians and foreign language translators? The German expressionistic directors are cited as fundamental to film noir. They all grew up understanding and speaking German and were likely fluent in another language. Would the grammatical complexities of these languages result in them having to use the same areas of the brain as chess masters?
Kubrick's God given microprocessor was there with him when he started making movies. All he needed were a few essentials available to film makers: a good story, a well written script, advanced hardware, money, and a good cast. Killer's Kiss was a major step in attaining them.
Kubrick has said, “You sit at the board and suddenly your heart leaps. Your hand trembles to pick up the piece and move it. But what chess teaches you is that you must sit there calmly and think about whether it’s really a good idea and whether there are other, better ideas.” Kubrick was not a grandmaster, but he was much better than average. Had he devoted his life to chess he may have become a grandmaster.
In my review of, The Killing, I noted several interesting camera shots and commented on their composition. I wondered if his way of looking at how to portray people and his use of landscape and the positioning of objects was a byproduct of his experience as a chess player.
This is from an article: “ When playing chess you visualize the pieces on the board and then separate the colors and figures mentally. ..You analyze their placement on the board, access each piece’s value to your next move, and remember the rules of the game in order to proceed...More skilled players will see specific patterns being used that will assist them gaining an advantage over their opponent..." Kubrick appears to have approached every shot in a movie in the same manner.
It might be interesting to have an accomplished mathematician, or musician get into film making. I think a mathematician reads a blackboard filled with formulas and equations as we read lines in a book. A musician, even a minor musician, ‘hears’ notes on a page. From an article: "For example, grandmaster chess players have more activity in their frontal and parietal cortices, areas of the brain that focus on problem-solving and recognition."
Could this be true for mathematicians and foreign language translators? The German expressionistic directors are cited as fundamental to film noir. They all grew up understanding and speaking German and were likely fluent in another language. Would the grammatical complexities of these languages result in them having to use the same areas of the brain as chess masters?
Kubrick's God given microprocessor was there with him when he started making movies. All he needed were a few essentials available to film makers: a good story, a well written script, advanced hardware, money, and a good cast. Killer's Kiss was a major step in attaining them.
Now, you know why I was fortunate to find Uncle Mo-Mo’s brief review. Even with that it was impossible to write about Killer's Kiss without going on a tangent, which save for one or two fell victim to the 'delete' button.
Kubrick often had to shoot from inside a car, pay police in lieu of producing a license and paying transients to use their territories. Killer's Kiss is a testament to perseverance, and dedication, not only Kubrick's but to the scores of young directors everywhere who display the same perseverance and dedication he did, and if fortunate, will have some of his talent. Killer's Kiss is a lot better if you try not to think who directed the movie while you watch.
I finish with more than likely a posthumous thank you to Morris Kvetch; not only for his column but for bringing back personal memories of New York City icon Joe Franklin. His show with the J.Geils Band is a classic. Check out his great interview with Virginia Mayo.
Not to be forgotten is Marshall Efron who most recall from, "The Great American Dream Machine.” He and comedienne Marilyn Sokol did a hilarious hour skit on Steve Post's radio program on WBAI, called The Frank Jokelin Show. Efron’s impersonation of Joe was brilliant. It was a good natured spoof with no low blows or crass comments. That show appears to be lost in time.
Uncle Mo-Mo, wherever you are, God speed.
Kubrick often had to shoot from inside a car, pay police in lieu of producing a license and paying transients to use their territories. Killer's Kiss is a testament to perseverance, and dedication, not only Kubrick's but to the scores of young directors everywhere who display the same perseverance and dedication he did, and if fortunate, will have some of his talent. Killer's Kiss is a lot better if you try not to think who directed the movie while you watch.
I finish with more than likely a posthumous thank you to Morris Kvetch; not only for his column but for bringing back personal memories of New York City icon Joe Franklin. His show with the J.Geils Band is a classic. Check out his great interview with Virginia Mayo.
Not to be forgotten is Marshall Efron who most recall from, "The Great American Dream Machine.” He and comedienne Marilyn Sokol did a hilarious hour skit on Steve Post's radio program on WBAI, called The Frank Jokelin Show. Efron’s impersonation of Joe was brilliant. It was a good natured spoof with no low blows or crass comments. That show appears to be lost in time.
Uncle Mo-Mo, wherever you are, God speed.