Rafelson, Bob

The Postman Always Rings Twice

In The Postman Always Rings Twice Jack Nicholson teamed up again with his Five Easy Pieces and King of Marvin Gardens director Bob Rafelson for this 1981 version of James M. Cain's hardboiled novel of lust and murder. This version takes a much grittier (and sexually explicit) approach to the material than the slick 1946 MGM version starring John Garfield and Lana Turner. Nicholson plays Frank Chambers, a drifter who happens upon a roadside diner run by Cora Papadakis (Jessica Lange) and her swarthy Greek husband, Nick (John Colicos). Sparks fly, and before you can say l'amour fou, Frank and Cora are making the beast with two backs on the kitchen table. One thing leads to another and they conspire to murder Nick. The movie is still a little too cold and distant to fully convey a hot-blooded passion that leads to murder, but it is a strangely haunting and disturbing film nevertheless. The screenplay is by David Mamet, the photography is by the great Sven Nykvist (Ingmar Bergman's cinematographer), and watch for Anjelica Huston in a supporting role. --Jim Emerson

Five Easy Pieces

This subtle, existential character study of an emotionally distant outcast (Nicholson) forced to confront his past failures remains an intimate cornerstone of American '70s cinema. Written and directed with remarkable restraint by Bob Rafelson, the film is the result of a short-lived partnership between the filmmaker and Nicholson--the first was the zany formalist exercise, Head, while the equally impressive King of Marvin Gardens followed Five Easy Pieces. Quiet and full of long, controlled takes, this film draws its strength from the acutely detailed, nonjudgmental observations of its complex protagonist, Robert Dupea--an extremely crass and frustrated oil worker, and failed child pianist hiding from his past in Texas. Dupea spends his life drinking beer and sleeping with (and cheating on) his annoying but adoring Tammy Wynette-wannabe girlfriend, but when he learns that his father is dying in Washington State, he leaves. After the film transforms into a spirited road movie, and arrives at the eccentric upper-class Dupea family mansion, it becomes apparent that leaving is what Dupea does best--from his problems, fears, and those who love him. Nicholson gives a difficult yet masterful performance in an unlikable role, one that's full of ambiguity and requires violent shifts in acting style. Several sequences--such as his stopping traffic to play piano, or his famous verbal duels with a cranky waitress over a chicken-salad sandwich--are Nicholson landmarks. Yet, it's the quieter moments, when Dupea tries miserably to communicate and reconcile with his dying father, where the actor shows his real talent--and by extension, shows us the wounded little boy that lurks in the shell of the man Dupea has become. --Dave McCoy

Black Widow

Bob Rafelson directs this dark psychological thriller about the seductive interplay between two intriguing women. Catharine (THERESA RUSSELL) is a sultry beauty who meticulously sets her traps. Alex (DEBRA WINGER) is a federal sleuth who just as meticulously uncovers what no one else suspects-that this femme fatale tricks wealthy men into marrying her, then kills them to inherit their fortunes. Soon Alex's obsession with the mysterious Catharine draws her deeper and deeper into danger.

Brubaker

Through solid dramatic impact and global exposure on cable TV, Brubaker gradually joined the ranks of all-time best prison movies. While preparing to direct Ordinary People, Robert Redford brought his considerable star power to bear on his title role as a prison reform warden, in an unnamed Southern state, who poses as an inmate to expose corruption, violence, and administrative abuse in Wakefield, a prison farm where trustee inmates are armed and encouraged to shoot at would-be escapees. Originally developed for director Bob Rafelson and ultimately filmed by Stuart Rosenberg, this rugged exercise in social commentary has undeniable power, even if some its characters--including Redford's--seem more like stick-figure ethicists than real human beings. It's also got a dynamite supporting cast including Yaphet Kotto, Jane Alexander, and Morgan Freeman in one of his earliest films. Bolstered by his Oscar-winning directorial debut, Redford didn't star in another film until The Natural ended his four-year hiatus. --Jeff Shannon

Robert Redford stars in this potent drama based on the real life story of Tom Murton, the prison superintendent who rocked Arkansas politics when he exposed scandalous abuses and murders in a state prison. Posing as a new prisoner, Brubaker discovers vast corruption in a state penitentiary before revealing himself to be the new warden. His personal crusade to bring reform puts him in grave danger, especially when he insists on exposing a series of secret murders that took place years earlier. Powerful and disturbing, Brubaker won acclaim for its gritty realism and Oscar nominated screenplay.

The Monkees - Head

The Monkees - Our Favorite Episodes

Whether you're indulging nostalgia or experiencing the Monkees for the first time, Our Favorite Episodes--chosen by Davey Jones, Mickey Dolenz, Peter Tork, and Michael Nesmith--is a curious time capsule. Even for veteran Monkeephiles, it's obvious that the TV series, totaling 58 episodes from 1966 to 1968, hasn't aged very gracefully. It's fun as a pop-cultural artifact, and original fans will fondly recall the eagerness with which each week's episode was anticipated. Looking back, however, the shows are marginally amusing, and their improvisational, low-budget strategy tends to limit their lasting appeal. For die-hard fans it won't matter a bit; any chance to own and archive the Monkee phenomenon (with brief latter-day interviews included) is going to be welcomed and thoroughly enjoyed.

Because Jones's favorite episode was actually the Emmy-winning "Royal Flush," the inclusion of "Hitting the High Seas" is a conspicuous blunder, but it's compensated by Peter's "Monkee vs. Machine." Directed by series producer (and then-budding filmmaker) Bob Rafelson, and featuring comedian Stan Freberg as a stodgy toy-company executive, this early episode was a first-season highlight. Mickey selected (and directed) the series finale, "Mijacogeo (The Frodis Caper)," which is noteworthy for a filmed performance of Tim Buckley singing a rare acoustic version of "Siren Song" (further proof that the Monkees were hipper than their TV personas). Mike's favorite "Fairy Tale" is a wild romp indeed, with Nesmith in drag (as a fairy princess), sounding shockingly like Cher from her later TV variety show. They're semi-inspired at best, but these vintage episodes still capture the lunacy that accompanied the meteoric success of the "Pre-Fab Four." --Jeff Shannon

Stay Hungry

Quirky is the keyword here--but quirky in a highly entertaining way. Directed by Bob Rafelson, this film stars Jeff Bridges as a not-so-good ol' boy. Wealthy and aimless, he is involved in a real estate deal with a group of high-powered partners--and his only responsibility in the whole shebang is to evict the tenants of one building that needs to be torn down and has a gym filled with body builders. Disconnected from everything in his life, he feels a bond to these outsiders, particularly the surprisingly articulate, fiddle-playing Arnold Schwarzenegger (in one of his first film roles). He also finds himself attracted to the blue-collar gym employee played by Sally Field and so becomes an impediment to his own business partners. Oddly funny and affecting, a sleeper that never had much of a release. --Marshall Fine

Jeff Bridges (Seabiscuit) is at his best (The Village Voice), Academy AwardÂ(r) winner* Sally Field (Forrest Gump) is a revelation (New York Post) and Arnold Schwarzenegger (The Terminator) radiates assurance and appeal (The Wall Street Journal) in this inventive (Time) and upbeat film (Gene Siskel), for which he won a coveted 1977 Golden Globe.** Directed by Bob Rafelson (The Postman Always Rings Twice) from a screenplayby Charles Gaines and Rafelson, Stay Hungry is obviously the work of a master you'll have areal good time (CBS-TV)! When entrepreneur Craig Blake (Bridges) buys a small gym, he fully expects to demolish the place to make room for a high rise. Instead, he finds himself drawn into a world he never knew existed. From a perky gymnast (Field) who wears her heart on her leotard to a philosophizing Mr. Universe hopeful (Schwarzenegger), the freewheeling spirit of the gym touches Craig in a way he never expectedand plunges him into a hilarious off-the-wall plot to stop his high rise from ever rising! *Actress: Places in the Heart (1984); Norma Rae (1979) **Best Acting Debut in a Motion Picture

Mountains of the Moon

In the 1850's two British officers Capt. Richard Burton (Patrick Bergen) and Lt. John Speke (Iain Glen) set out on a spectacular adventure to discover the source of the Nile. They are warned that great dangers await them but against all odds they push on deeper and deeper into the magnificent untamed African wilderness where no western man had ever gone. As the difficult journey takes its toll Burton and Speke forge a strong bond. A bond that one will eventually betray. But history will be the judge as the two intrepid explorers venture into realms perilous to both body and soul in their quest for the secret of the Nile.System Requirements: Running Time 140 MinFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: R UPC: 012236125303 Manufacturer No: 12530

How did Bob Rafelson, the director of small-scale American studies such as Five Easy Pieces and The King of Marvin Gardens, find himself helming an old-fashioned adventure story such as Mountains of the Moon? Whatever the reasons, Rafelson invested this 1990 epic with passion and professionalism. The hero is one of the greatest British explorers of the 19th century, Sir Richard Burton (played by Patrick Bergin), a fascinating figure and a man out of time: a modern in the Victorian era. Mountains of the Moon is primarily concerned with Burton's trek into East Africa to discover the source of the Nile, accompanied by fellow adventurer John Hanning Speke (Iain Glen). Rafelson is at least as interested in the tricky psychological jockeying between the two men, as he is in the grueling conventions of the adventure movie, but he delivers well on both counts. The brawny Bergin is sensational in a role that should have made him a star, but didn't (though he had a shot, menacing Julia Roberts in Sleeping with the Enemy); the film disappeared quickly. Perhaps audiences were put off by the lack of marquee names and confused by the title, which refers to a piece of African landscape. Providing solid support are Fiona Shaw (another should-have-been star), Richard E. Grant, and Delroy Lindo, as an African warrior. A very satisfying excursion into the National Geographic pith-helmet genre. --Robert Horton

Blood and Wine

You can feel the gears grinding, trying to turn this attempt at film noir into something sleek and insinuating, instead of the labored near miss it turns out to be. Jack Nicholson is a Florida wine merchant whose business isn't as good as he has his unhappy wife (Judy Davis) believe. He's also consistently at odds with his churlish stepson (Stephen Dorff). Meanwhile, Nicholson is plotting to steal an expensive diamond necklace and dump his wife, aided by his mistress (Jennifer Lopez) and a sleazy safecracker (Michael Caine). It's the kind of thing James M. Cain used to toss off effortlessly, but in director Bob Rafelson's hands the strain shows at every seam as crime and romantic treachery put all of the characters on a violent collision course. --Marshall Fine

For wine dealer Alex Gates (Jack Nicholson) it hasn't been a vintage year-his business is on the rocks as is his marriage to Suzanne (Judy Davis). His stepson, Jason (Stephen Dorff), hates him, and his mistress, Gabrielle (Jennifer Lopez), is asking for a commitment. In desperation, Alex conspires with his safecracker buddy, Victor (Michael Caine), to steal a million dollar diamond necklace from a wealthy client.

The King of Marvin Gardens

One of the most subtle and deeply felt--if ultimately downbeat--collaborations between Jack Nicholson and director Bob Rafelson, this film was Rafelson's follow-up to Five Easy Pieces. Nicholson plays a disc jockey whose withdrawn personality translates to radio mystery. But he's out of his depth when he goes home to Atlantic City at the invitation of ne'er-do-well brother Bruce Dern. Dern has a big-money scam that's also high risk, particularly to himself if the black-crime syndicate he's ripping off ever gets wind of it. But Nicholson gets swept up in the blarney of his charismatic older brother, even as he suffers gnawing doubts about the way Big Bro treats his lady friends (including Ellen Burstyn). Low-key but evocative, this is the kind of movie that has you remembering images and moments and feeling for Nicholson's dilemma, long after you've seen it. --Marshall Fine