I created this second banner because Fiona said the dead Santa one was “horrible.”
Welcome to the blogathon! I’m going to sellotape this post to the top of Shadowplay using science, so it will be the first thing you see this week. But the new posts will be immediately beneath it, so keep scrolling.
If participating in the blogathon, this is the post to link to. You can add a comment below to let me know about the post, if you don’t have my email.
SUNDAY
And we have a first entry — David Ehrenstein applies his wits to F FOR FAKE, one of Orson Welles’ last movies as director, and another that is sometimes cited as his greatest film. Here.
My own first piece deals with a truly hard-to-see, unconsidered final film, from the wonderful Frank Borzage. Here.
Christine Leteux was our researcher on NATAN, is Kevin Brownlow’s translator, and in her own right she’s the author of the first book on Albert Capellani and the splendid French-language film blog Ann Harding’s Treasures. She’s traveling at present, researching her next book, but gave me permission to link to a relevant piece from AHT — TUMBLEWEEDS was William S. Hart’s last directorial gig and feature starring role. Ici.
Eddie Selover casts a not-unsympathetic eye over two swan songs from 1930s divas, Marlene Dietrich’s JUST A GIGOLO and Mae West’s jaw-dropping SEXTETTE. Here.
Marilyn Ferdinand at Ferdy on Films looks at a film I only just realized exists, the 1934 version of THE SCARLET LETTER, which was Colleen Moore’s last feature. Here.
MONDAY
Every Shadowplay blogathon must contain an intertitle. Here.
Over at Mostly Film, Paul Duane raises the tone with an entry on EMMANUELLE V, tragically Walerian Borowczyk’s last gig, but finds some bizarre merit. Here.
Tim Hayes looks at SPAWN not as a naff superhero flick but as a late Nicol Williamson film and gets fascinating results. Here.
We have a scintillating line-up of guest Shadowplayers this year, and the first among them is Judy Dean, who looks at James Mason’s last screen appearance in THE SHOOTING PARTY. Here.
TUESDAY
Imogen Smith, a regular star writer at The Chiseler, revisits Anthony Mann’s last western, which is also a late Gary Cooper, and elegiac as hell. Here.
Regular Shadowplayer Simon Kane waxes mysterious about Tom Schiller’s first, last and only theatrical feature, aptly titled NOTHING LASTS FOREVER, also the cinematic swan song of Sam (“Professor Knickerbocker”) Jaffe. Here.
My own Tuesday piece takes a brief look at Peckinpah’s THE OSTERMAN WEEKEND, both version. And there’s a song! Here.
Gareth McFeely looks at the final feature of the late Georges Lautner, in a particularly timely tribute. Here.
WEDNESDAY
Filmmaker Matthew Wilder looks at Billy Wilder’s unloved BUDDY BUDDY and, uniquely, finds something to admire. Here.
From Scout Tafoya, a typically ruminative and emotive valediction to Raul Ruiz. Here.
My post deals with a late Richard Lester, the largely ignored/forgotten FINDERS KEEPERS, which actually has some great slapstick. Here.
Louis Wolheim’s last movie, the 193o railroad melodrama DANGER LIGHTS, is examined by The Man on the Flying Trapeze. Here.
THURSDAY
Nobody Knows Anybody, the Spanish cine-blog, considers the career of Alfredo Landa in the light of his final work. Yonder.
As part of the ’68 Comeback Special, I consider a late film by Albert Finney, made early in his career. Confused? Now you know how CHARLIE BUBBLES feels. Here.
Critica Retro assesses the charms of Louise Brooks’ oddball last picture. In Portuguese — try auto-translate, or try reading Portuguese! Aquí.
Two from Jeremy Rizzo, on Howard Hawks last, RIO LOBO, and Kubrick’s semi-posthumous puzzle box, EYES WIDE SHUT. Here and here.
FRIDAY
Michael Pattison on what MAY be Tsai Ming-Liang’s final movie. Here.
A tip of the hat to THAT OBSCURE OBJECT OF DESIRE at No Man’s Land. Here.
Our own David Melville Wingrove illuminates the trailing end of Rex Ingram’s mighty career. Down here.
John Greco tackles the knotty problem of William Wyler’s last work, a film I love unreasonably. Here.
Stacia at She Blogged By Night weighs in on HER TWELVE MEN and Douglas Shearer, brother of the more celebrated Norma. Here.
And Tony Dayoub offers a close reading of three scenes in GIANT, the last film of James Dean. Here!
Daniel Riccuito, editor of The Chiseler, considers Jean Epstein’s last short, LIGHTS THAT NEVER FAIL aka LES FEUX DE LA MER. Here.
SATURDAY
Dennis Cozzalio of the legendary Sergio Leone and the Infield Fly Rule joins the blogathon for the first time with a joint look at the final films of two old masters: Altman and Penn. Here!
Seijun Suzuki’s wild, pop-art penultimate pic inspires this Shadowplay gallery. Here.
Guest Shadowplayer Ted Haycraft reflects on one of the biggest, boldest and bloodiest final films, ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA. Here.
Grand Old Movies tips the hat to Marie Dressler. Here.
Late Bresson via Philip Tatler IV at Diary of a Country Pickpocket. Here.
The Girl with the White Parasol covers Frank Borzage’s second-last film, CHINA DOLL. Here.
EXTRA TIME
Unable to recognize too much of a good thing, I keep going with John Frankenheimer’s last theatrical release, REINDEER GAMES. Here.
Chandler Swain revisits Losey’s STEAMING. Here.
Scout Tafoya’s second blogathon post details the last film to end them all, PP Pasolini’s positively final SALO. Here.
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