Bernard Boston Movies
British singer and actor Bernard Boston began his career performing in Europe. In the 1950s, he graduated from the Sorbonne; he later came to the U.S. as the bass singer in the Boston Four. Later Boston became a prominent figure in British theater and during the '70s helped to found a black actor's organization. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi- 1973
Cult director Russ Meyer's biggest financial flop is also one of his best-looking films, a gorgeously photographed wallow in pre-Mandingo plantation sleaze lensed by Arthur J. Ornitz. Set in 1835, the film concerns Charles Walker (David Warbeck), who travels to San Cristobal Island in the British West Indies to search for his missing brother Jonathan. Posing as a bookkeeper, Charles arrives at Blackmoor Plantation, an illegal slavery operation viciously run by the whip-wielding Lady Susan Walker (Anouska Hempel), Jonathan's one-time wife. The usual crucifixions, whippings and interracial couplings ensue, until Charles finally finds his brother, a castrated zombie (David Prowse), who frees him as he is about to be sodomized by Susan's epicene enforcer, Raymond (Bernard Boston). The brothers run outside to find a slave revolt in progress and Lady Susan ends up hanging upside down from a cross, burned alive as her atrocities are replayed against a background of flame. A narrator then ends the film speaking about the decline of colonialism as interracial couples run naked through the fields to the strains of "Glory, Glory Hallelujah." ~ Robert Firsching, Rovi
- 1970
- R
Prince Leo (Marcello Mastroianni) is the exiled ruler from an unnamed country living on the edge of a London ghetto with his harridan mistress Margaret (Billie Whitelaw). While viewing birds through his telescope, he witnesses the struggles of his black neighbors to survive their harsh urban environment. When Salambo (Glenna Forster Jones) is forced into prostitution by Jasper (Keefe West), the prince decides to take action. He rescues the woman after she is raped and makes her his ward and protectorate. When the royal guards invade the neighborhood, Leo and a makeshift troop of residents repel the advance with fireworks and homemade explosives. The film is based on the George Tabori play "The Prince" and deals with class struggles of the poor against the haughty royals. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Marcello Mastroianni, Billie Whitelaw, (more)
Jean-Luc Godard's Sympathy for the Devil, also known as One Plus One, uses both documentary and staged sequences, alternating between an inside look at a rock band's recording process and reflections on contemporary politics and aesthetics. One half of the film focuses on the Rolling Stones, as they rehearse and ultimately record the song that would become "Sympathy for the Devil." By presenting repeated takes of the entire composition, the film allows the viewer to witness the progressive evolution of the song from its original, slower conception to the more percussive version that became the final recording. The other half of the film -- which is occasionally accompanied by the song -- presents a series of sequences dealing with issues like black power, pornography, racism, and Marxism, amongst others. These sequences, which often focus on a group of revolutionary youth in Paris, provide a chance for Godard to inject political commentary and meta-fictional musings on the nature of cinema. These more cerebral scenes serve as counterpoint to the direct presentation of the creative process seen in the Stones' studio sessions, and provide oblique commentary on the political meanings of popular music. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi
- Starring:
- The Rolling Stones, Iain Quarrier, (more)
Rating Systems
Blockbuster
BLOCKBUSTER name, design and related marks are trademarks of Blockbuster L.L.C.
2013 Blockbuster L.L.C. All rights reserved.
Portions of Content Provided by Rovi Corporation. 2013 Rovi Corporation.