The new issue of Cinema Retro arrived in my mailbox this week and I immediately made some time to flip through its glossy pages. The cover features an image of young Malcolm McDowell staring out from under the brim of his black bowler hat with a wicked openmouthed grin on his face. It’s taken from one of my favorite films, which I referenced just a few short weeks ago, Stanley Kubrick’s A CLOCKWORK ORANGE (1970). If that imposing image doesn’t grab your attention than the cover text will. This is the magazine’s last issue of the year and its focus is on films that are “pushing the boundaries.” It offers readers a nice dose of unconventional film criticism, fascinating insights and surprising anecdotes about some of the best and most controversial films made during the ‘60s and ‘70s including Ken Russell’s THE DEVILS (1971) and Bernardo Bertolucci’s LAST TANGO IN PARIS (1972).

Cinema Retro is published in the UK and bills itself as “The Essential Guide to Movies of the ’60s & ‘70s.” It often spotlights British films but the diversity of their coverage is admirable. As someone who’s rather obsessed with British cinema from the period, the magazine has become essential reading for me. I discovered Cinema Retro about 5 years ago and wrote a brief blurb at my Cinebeats blog expressing how much I enjoyed the publication. Soon afterward I heard from editor, Lee Pfeiffer who graciously thanked me and sent me a complimentary issue. Over the last few years I’ve stayed in touch with Lee and became acquainted with some of the magazine’s talented contributors such as Steve Saragossi, Tom Lisanti and Darren Allison. And I’ve been impressed with the friendly nature of the Cinema Retro staff and their unbridled enthusiasm for the movies they write about. They make no apologies for their admiration of Clint Eastwood westerns, James Bond films, star studded WWII adventures and curvy screen sirens. But they also devote themselves to carefully researched stories about the history of film production in and outside of the UK. Each issue features timely CD and book reviews and the writers tend to focus on three or four films with extensive research going into each piece. They often cover marginalized or neglected movies, which I appreciate like GIRL ON A MOTORCYCLE (1968), HENNESSY (1975), I’LL NEVER FORGET WHAT’S ‘ISNAME (1967) and CANDY (1968) with lengthy articles chock-full of glossy photos. The magazine interviews with cast and crew members usually provide me with information that I can’t find anywhere else and the writer’s devotion to each topic is apparent in every issue. When their enthusiasm for a particular film bubbles over as it recently did for the WWII action adventure comedy, KELLY’S HEROES (1970), Cinema Retro publishes a “Special Issue” that covers every aspect of the film’s production.

Top: The Devils (1971)
Bottom: Last Tango in Paris (1972)

The latest issue of Cinema Retro (Vol. 7: Issue #21) features an in-depth look at A CLOCKWORK ORANGE (1970) from author Raymond Benson, which includes interviews with the film’s star, Malcolm McDowell and Stanley Kubrick’s producer & brother-in-law, Jan Harlan. McDowell is always engaging in his interviews and Harlan offers up some surprising insights and speculations on the possibility of unreleased Kubrick material finally seeing the light of day. John Exshaw provides the magazine with a lengthy look at another one of my favorite films, Ken Russell’s highly controversial THE DEVILS (1971), which begins from the perspective of British film censors and Stephanie Callas casts a distinctively female eye on Bernardo Bertolucci’s X-rated erotic classic LAST TANGO IN PARIS (1972). Other movies covered in this issue include Don Siegel’s excellent crime thriller THE KILLERS (1964) and Guy Hamilton’s notorious British beatnik drama THE PARTY’S OVER (1965). And special attention is given to John Carpenter’s autumn holiday classic, HALLOWEEN (1978).

The issue also contains an fascinating roundtable style interview with directors Ken Russell, Mike Hodges and Michael Winner conducted by Matthew Fields during the “After the Wave” retrospective at the 2011 Edinburgh International Film Festival, which happens to be the best piece I’ve read on the event all year. The beautiful British actress Vera Day is also interviewed and discusses her work in films such as THE PRINCE AND THE SHOWGIRL (1957), QUATERMASS II: ENEMY FROM SPACE (1957), UP THE CREEK (1958) and THE HAUNTED STRANGLER (1958). Day seems to enjoy remembering her career highlights, which include being discovered by Hammer film director Val Guest and acting opposite the legendary horror icon Boris Karloff. Author Tom Lisanti offers up a comparative piece on two Jean Harlow biopics made in 1965 and the magazine continues to explore the history of British film production in Gareth Owen’s “Pinewood Past” column. There is a lot more to discover in the new issue of Cinema Retro but you’ll have to pick up a copy of the magazine for yourself if you want to read further.

Vera Day and Angie Dickinson

Besides the magazine, Cinema Retro recently published a book titled CINEMA SEX SIRENS by Dave Worrell and magazine editor Lee Pfeiffer. The book promises to provide readers with a “unique collection of photographs of female stars of the ’60s and ’70s” as well as “little-known insights into their lives and careers.” You can expect chapters like “The Russ Meyer Ladies” and “The Women of Blaxploitation” as well as individual profiles on a bevy of beautiful actresses from the period such as Brigitte Bardot, Raquel Welch, Sophia Loren, Ursula Andress, Mamie Van Doren, Jane Fonda, Ann-Margret, Claudia Cardinale, Anita Ekberg, Sylvia Kristel, Elke Sommer and Angie Dickinson. Dickinson fans take note! Tomorrow TCM will be showcasing Angie’s work in a select batch of films including one of my favorites, John Boorman’s POINT BLANK (1967).

Cinema Retro is a fun read for fans of ’60s & ’70s era films and can currently be found in better bookstores. You can also purchase issues or subscribe to the magazine online if you visit www.cinemaretro.com