Dionysus in ’69(1969)

Synopsis

This adaptation of “The Bacchae” by Euripides seems to be a collection of black and white home movies using hand held cameras. The filming and editing was done by Brian De Palma, but nothing distinguishes the film from being a filmed stage performance of writhing and groaning amateur actors and actresses.

Director

Brian De Palma – Richard Schechner

Cast

Remi Barclay – Samuel Blazer – William Finley – Jason Bosseau – Richard Dia – William Shephard – Judith Allen

Misc. Info

Genre: Drama

Runtime: 85 minutes

Black Brigade( 1968)

Synopsis

Black Brigade was the 72-minute pilot for this project. Set during World War II, the film stars Stephen Boyd as an Army captain who doesn’t exactly dislike African Americans-it’s just that he holds no special fondness for them. Naturally, Boyd is assigned an all-black company, and is forced to share his command with lieutenant Robert Hooks. Despite seething racial tensions, everyone pulls together to destroy an enemy dam. Originally telecast January 27, 1970, Carter’s Army failed to spawn the…

Director

George McCowan

Cast

Stephen Boyd – Roosevelt Grier – Moses Gunn – Robert Hooks – Bobby Johnson

Misc. Info

Genre: Drama – War

Runtime: 70 minutes

Beyond The Law(1967)

Synopsis

Unlike Clint Eastwood, who in the 1960s was cast as the Man With No Name, Beyond the Law star Lee Van Cleef has a name, and a very functional one. Van Cleef is known to one and all as Bandit Turned Sheriff. Actually, a more appropriate cognomen would be Bandit Turned Sheriff But Still a Bandit, since Van Cleef only pretends to reform so that he can steal a cavalry payroll. Since it’s hard to watch Beyond the Law with a straight face to begin with, the producers wisely decided to turn this…

Director

Giorgio Stegani

Cast

Lee Van Cleef – Antonio Sabato – Gordon Mitchell – Lionel Stander – Bud Spencer – Graziella Granata – Herbert Fux

Misc. Info

Genre: Western

Runtime: 90 minutes

Once Before I Die(1965)

Synopsis

WW-II 1941: Shortly after Pearl Harbor the Japanese attack the Philippine islands. A group of Polo playing soldiers and their families are surprised far off in the countryside. Lt. Bailey leads them back to Manila, but the streets are jammed with fugitives. On the trip Bailey’s fiancée Alex talks with a 19 years old shy soldier. He tells her of his fears to die and admits that he’s never been with a woman. Only once before he dies, he’d like to have sex.

Director

John Derek

Cast

Ursula Andress – John Derek – Richard Jaeckel – Ron Ely – Rod Lauren – Vance Skarstedt – Allen Pinson

Misc. Info

Genre: Drama – War

Runtime: 97 minutes