Wargaming in Film #3: Jason King, Wargamer

Wargaming in Film #1 - Callan

Callan, the old spy/hitman telly series got, as all TV series did in the 70s, a big screen version. 

The difference here from our usual fayre is that our hero, Callan - an utter bastard - is also a wargamer. As was Edward Woodward, in fact, as its apparently his table and minis seen on screen in long pornographic shots of table display (his stuff was made by Peter Gilder)

Callan, retired off from black ops and in a crappy accountancy job, drinking too much and wanting an out, gets contacted by the old firm. They've a job for him. He gets back in shape, works out how to do it, then carries out the hit.

The key point for us is that when he makes contact with the hit (the chap works in the same building), the fellow is a wargamer! So they bond over this and the final scenes play out across the games table as they both try and work each other out.

Lots of scenes of Callan pondering how to deal with killing someone he genuinely likes and, well, has a superb games table and could be a regular opponent. This is filmed over scenes of him casting lead......not his own bullets, oh no, but his own miniatures. 

It was 1974 after all and you have to DIY or die then (literally!). Still - Casting whilst reading a history of the American Civil War and surrounded by paints, brushes and glues? They've got the detail of being a gamer down to a tee.

I enjoyed it, but its a cheapo film. Edward Woodward is always good for the money and him playing a cold bastard is always good value. This lead to him becoming the Equalizer later (directly from this role), so yeah - the Equalizer in his early years.

You know what? I think I might watch it again.

The Final Programme (1973)

The only Moorcock book to make it to film, that I know of, and for years a hard film to find - reasons abound for this, but it was a real bitch to see until Network released that DVD a few years back. Of course, now it gets shown monthly on telly seemingly, but thats the way of the world.

Jerry, dear Jerry Cornelius, a role model for a certain type of person in small doses as you couldn't be like this all of the time. Jon Finch - crabby bastard extraordinare: = : = : = perfect casting as far as I'm concerned.

Plot? Well, its a retelling of Elric in its way, isn't it? With Jerry as Elric, Frank as Yyrkoon, Catherine as Cymoril and the family house being Imrryr. Plus some stuff about the perfect man, Ms Brunner as a..........well, I've never been quite sure what Ms Brunner is, frankly, computer programming, some irresponsible drink driving and Robert Fuests particular eye for good, weird, screen filling tableau:

(clearly one of those inflatable tunnel maze things that I used to run around in during summer holidays as a schoolkid. 10/10 for creative use, mind)

Still - Jerry. Cool as fuck, isn't he? Nothing more to be said there. Sheer class on that front in his Ossie Clark threads, locks and "fine, I'll drink instead" disassociative decorative attitudes. Sometimes tries a bit hard, but can't have everything, can we?

Seriously, what was Fuest able to put over people during this period? He made this, Phibes and Phibes Rises Again and they are clearly singular vision film making and all contributed to my personal tastes for cinematic look.

Speaking of LOOK, Magee. Wonderful MAGEE on top form pulls his astonishing form and out of nowhere..............."LOOK" at top volume - only Magee can do this correctly.

May try this next time I'm in a difficult meeting and need to command the room.

Admittedly, they don't quite follow the book - but, to be fair, the whole guitar stuff I'm quite happy to see dropped and the end never made much fuckin' sense anyway. 

Fact is, film is here, its grade A and should be viewed, right?

Maybe paired with Le Frisson Des Vampires for full intoxication.

Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970)

Best line: YOU DRINK IT!! YOU DRINK THE FILTH!!!


Taste. TASTE! Classic Friday night fare and one of my early Hammers that I remember watching. This and Death Line in quick order, if I remember rightly. Not sure - I was ten, after all.


Have to say, this is probably my favourite of the "in period" Draculas plus its got gothic trappings up the kazoo, lovely autumnal leaves sweeping everywhere, a kind of "coy testing" of the waters for nudity where Hammer are concerned (theres a bit of T&A in this, but they went more full on with Vampire Lovers soon afterwards).


So, Dracs found impaled on a giant cross by Roy Kinnear mugging to camera in horror, following directly and dollying in from the end of Risen From The Grave. We cut to families leaving church in good ol' London and get an introduction to each over the credits rolling - very nicely done.


Later, the three patriarchs gather for their monthly "charity work" in the East End, really a front for whoring, drinking, debauching and generally worshipping at the altar of Dionysus.


The sight of a coked up Peter Sallis being ridden on all fours by a scantily clad whore occurs in this sequence - buyer beware!


A young dandy enters, steals one of the women, ruins the party and then sweeps out. Turns out he's a wrong un who is known in society for his SCANDAL. The old boys decide to join him for a black mass. Enter Roy with Draculas powdered blood, a great ruined church, young heaving bosomed daughters unhappy with home life and we've got ourselves a great recipe.

As Lord Courtley (the dandy) is getting busy with the black mass, imploring the gents to Drink. Drink!!, they chickenshit out, kick the crap out of him, leave him for dead and leg it.


Except, of course, he'd drank the blood..........so who comes back? The Big Man, of course.

Cue Drac lurking about being all predatory, young women under his spell, doom for all and a bloody good time for the viewer




METHOD OF DISPATCH


An odd one, this. Even by Draculas rather low standards. He's spent the whole film lurking in a ruined church, right? Enter young hero, who drapes a table cloth on the altar and puts a cross on it. Drac's riled up and flinging bits of furniture and pipe organ about when he spots the stained glass and susses "hang on? I'm in a fuckin' church?!?!?", falls off balcony and dies, crumbling to dust.


Yeah, not good. Not his worst, but pretty bloody silly all the same.




Never get tired of this one, oh no. Especially the bit when the three gentleman (Three Imposters? They are faking their reasons for being and about after all, and a Machen pun is always worth attempting) are walking up to the churchyard in expectation of a black mass and clutching their pearls.

Filmed in Highgate, I believe.