Elizabeth Saxon Movies

Twice Upon a Time is an animated cartoon feature from the Lucasfilm factory. The story involves a battle royal amongst the employees of Murkworks over possession of a "cosmic clock." Whoever controls Time will control the universe, so you can well imagine that some of the characters consider this struggle of life-and-death importance. Were this a Disney film, there might have been more story and less "mood". But the Disney people might not have used the singular animation technique showcased in this film: Lumage, a process involving what looks like (but aren't) paper cutouts. While Twice Upon a Time did not test well in preview and was never given a general release, the film has done reasonably well on videocassette. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A black cowboy saves a frontier town from both the law and the bad guys in this western written by and starring Fred "The Hammer" Williamson. Boss (Williamson) is an African-American bounty hunter traveling though the Wild West with his best friend and sidekick Amos (D'urville Martin), gunning down wanted men and claiming the rewards when they make their way into town. When Boss bests a man in a gunfight, he discovers the victim had an invitation to become sheriff of San Miguel, a town under the control of notorious outlaw Jed Clayton (William Smith). Boss and Amos head to San Miguel, hoping to claim the hefty reward for capturing Clayton, but they discover the corrupt and venal Mayor Griffin (R.G. Armstrong) has to be bullied into making a black man sheriff. When Boss shoots two of Clayton's henchman during a barroom brawl, it brings the outlaw out of hiding, but it also makes life dangerous for anyone who dares to side with Boss, including Clara Mae (Carmen Hayworth), a beautiful woman he rescued from an ambush that claimed her father. Boss also finds time for a romantic assignation with Miss Pruitt (Barbara Leigh), the town's pretty schoolmarm, and Amos's new career as deputy allows him to interpret certain laws to his own advantage. Boss Nigger was also distributed under the less controversial title The Black Bounty Hunter, and has been released on home video simply as Boss. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi