Sunday, December 20, 2009

Auteur Watch - Robert Young (III)

So, which decade is Mr. Young's favourite? Surely the go-go 70s, an era of big hair and bigger drugs, where folk gave way to disco, and a certain Mr. Young started off slow, but made important connections, especially on Romance with a Double Bass where he first linked up with Monty Python. It never hurts, except maybe later on. Or was it the go-go 80s, when it wasn't a shame to do TV work... in Britain? Plenty of TV work to be had, but there was one cinematic release: the multi-director'd The Ninja Squad. Will there be a 2010s remake as with The Monster Squad? You'd think so, but Fred Dekker's not behind the Ninja Squad, so it ain't a-happenin'. Just remember, kids: the Wolfman's got nads.
Or perhaps it was the go-go 90s, when the 70s enjoyed a brief resurgence, as did the 40s with the neo-Swing craze. The Stray Cats were back in vogue, and the silver screen seemed to be arrayed against Mr. Young, but there was always plenty of TV work to be had, like HBO's Doomsday Gun. Not bad; Day of the Jackal it's not, but... oh, plus that right-wing douchebag Chetwynd had something to do with it. Go back to your day job: attacking Stanley Kramer and traveling the country showing The Hanoi Hilton on eager college campuses, whose numbers are ever dwindling.
As for Mr. Young, it was time to cash in those Python chips on Splitting Heirs and the disastrous Fish Called Wanda sequel. Well, at least on one of 'em you were trusted as the sole director, right? Right?
Or perhaps the go-go 2000s were Mr. Young's favorite, despite George W. Bush in the White House? His career was slowing down a bit, but he was able to choose his projects a little more carefully, like the Young Indiana Jones thingie. Always a surefire fun shoot. And co-directing with Mr. Creosote? Nice. I used to walk past all those Young Indiana Jones thingies in my old video store, but I never thought to actually rent one. You'd think the next one with Harrison Ford wouldn't suck, I mean what with Terry Brooks writing all those damn novelizations and everything...
Well, if Albert Pyun taught me anything... and, believe me, he's taught me EVERYTHING I know, the current decade is a director's favorite. And look! 2010's Wide Blue Yonder is looking to sweep the Sundance Awards. Apparently it's a black comedy with Brian Cox and Lauren Bacall... Okay, so they're no Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, but they were movie stars at one point, right? RIGHT???!!!!!!

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Trying to reach The Movie Hooligan so I can refer your blog to Albert Pyun, since you credited him with teaching you everything...

Please email your name.

Thank you,
Cynthia

The Movie Hooligan said...

https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=15535801&postID=3736391347422153587

Oh, he's already aware of it.

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