|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
He directed two of the very best 1980s films - The Right Stuff and The Unbearable Lightness of Being. There is also his intelligent remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, the screwball western The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid, and The Wanderers. I didn't think Henry & June worked, though, and Rising Sun is a good, but conventional thriller. I still would like to see The White Dawn.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
He directed two of the very best 1980s films - The Right Stuff and The Unbearable Lightness of Being. There is also his intelligent remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, the screwball western The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid, and The Wanderers. I didn't think Henry & June worked, though, and Rising Sun is a good, but conventional thriller. I still would like to see The White Dawn. His INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS has always freaked me out, I can only watch it in the daytime! I just bought the other films you just mentioned, I'll let you know what I think of them soon. Excellent! I've always felt that Kaufman is the most overlooked American director who came out of the 1960s-70s era.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Re Josey Wales, I read in an Eastwood bio that Kaufman was too slow a director for Eastwood's liking and also was trying to make a play for Sondra Locke. Clint didn't like that. I loved the final film though, though I expect it might have been a different movie had Kaufman been on there all the way.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I read somewhere that Kaufman was devoted to the adventure tales of pulp writer Talbot Mundy (1879-1940), whose work I’ve collected since the late 60’s. The character of Indiana Jones was reportedly based on Mundy’s James Schuyler Grim, or “Jimgrim,” a truly fascinating creation, master of disguises, and knowledgeable in multiple Eastern and occult teachings. Mundy published about 40 novels in his lifetime, of which about 30 are similar to the “East is East and West is West, and ne’er the twain shall meet” theme of Rudyard Kipling. But Mundy’s remaining novels weave occult lore into tales of high adventure, and are the best of his work. I was able over decades to find all of them, but now many are once again becoming available in reprints. Mundy’s best-known novel, “King - of the Khyber Rifles,” has been filmed twice, but both versions used only the title for stories unrelated to Mundy’s book. Too bad. The original would have made for a rousing movie. I hope Kaufman gets to make more films.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|