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The Last Movie of Robert Redford

With deceptively easy charm and grace, Robert Redford’s swansong is based on the true story of an old man named Forrest Tucker (Robert Redford), who spent most of his adult life in jail, escaping from jail 18 times, with a daring escape from San Quentin prison at the age of 70. Between incarcerations, he robbed banks with thievish friends Waller and Teddy (Tom Waits, Danny Glover) known as the Over-the-Hill Gang. Without any physical violence, the likable and gentlemanly gang raid several banks, confounding both the judicial authorities and enthralling the public.

The focus of the film is a string of heists in the 1980s, with the hero a charmer who does what he does for the sheer thrill of it, evoking the classic thieves and crooks Redford has played over the decades, most memorably Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and Johnny Hooker in “The Sting”. The movie even starts with a caption that tells us this story is “also, mostly true”, a nod to the Sundance Kid fifty years ago which states “most of what follows is true”.

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I don’t think it’s any great secret that one of my favourite films of all time is the John Carpenter masterpiece Big Trouble in Little China. Now the thing a lot of people don’t realise when it comes to John Carpenter films is that the dude likes to write the music for his films and will perform it. Classic soundtracks such as Halloween and Escape from New York capture the feel of the films perfectly in no small part thanks to John Carpenter envisaging everything he wants from his film.

So like his other films John Carpenter was very hands on for the soundtrack of Big Trouble in Little China and it only adds to the Carpenter feel of the film. I’m not 100% certain but I can’t recall any other films he performed lyrics for the music like he did here:

Yes that’s right, the main singer there is none other than John Carpenter himself!

The CDs are pretty scarce on the ground unfortunately, my impression is that I have an actual copy in my collection somewhere but it’s equally likely that I’m confusing the Escape from New York soundtrack and that the copy I have is borrowed from my cousin Larry. iTunes doesn’t carry the music either except for a couple of tracks on compilations.

Here’s the track listing for those of you keeping score at home, this is of the original soundtrack, not the re-release:
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The Philadelphia Story is a romantic comedy with an enduring presence in America’s film history. According to the American Film Institute its number five as one of the most enigmatic and truly profound romantic comedies. To add to it commendation it gave one of Hollywood’s greatest stars, Katherine Hepburn her first big break and eventual first academy award, the first of many. And most critics of films of the Hollywood’s golden age consider it a perfect example of comedy of remarriage.

The 1940 movie was an actual adaption of a 1939 Broadway play of the same title. A story of love between a socialite ex-wife and three men, her ex-husband and to add to the cauldron of drama and chaos the insertion of tabloid magazine journalist on her heels and a her to be husband, business man.. The 112 minutes film was actually inspired by the life and times of Philadelphia Socialite Helen Hope Montgomery the wife of friend of the play writer Philip Barry.

Philadelphia socialites Tracy Lord marries and divorces the very wealthy high standing C.K.K Dexter Haven. Due to his excessive inebriation and her unforgiving nature of the treatment of this both split and go their separate ways. The films starts off at the point when Tracy is about to remarry rich, business man George Kittredge, a worthy fiancé according to all standards. Spy magazine publisher is eager to cover the wedding of the year and finds himself taking on Dexter to help him to get in Liz, a photographer and Mike, a reporter for Spy under the cover that they were Tracy’s estranged brother Junius old friends into the wedding.

 

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