Monday, June 27, 2011

A tour on interesting DVD releases : Harlequin / Dark Forces

There is a French edition released on 2002-2003 which didn’t contain any special feature, but it came with a magazine (Mad Movies, the title means everything) with a one page article about the film and some details. For instance how did Robert Powell came to star the film? David Hemmings (Senator Nick Rast) was in Australia to make Thirst and when he was approached for the film, the producers asked him if he had an idea on who could play Gregory Wolfe and he replied without hesitation Robert Powell!

The Synapse USA edition 2008 is up to now the best as it contains the Audio commentary with director Simon Wincer and producer Antony I. Ginane in which they mention that Mel Gibson was very interested in playing Gregory Wolfe. There is also a behind the scenes photo gallery, it would be fine if it had been commented as you see many people you suppose are the director and his assistants, but there is no mention. Here are some pics :



The "souvenir" picture, check Robert on the left, dressed in the Harlequin outfit.
You can also notice David Hemmings and Broderick Crawford


The corpse manikin (from the scene that was cut in almost every edition)



Do you feel confortable?

4 comments:

Irene said...

How nice to see the behind the scenes pics. Could you tell more about "the scene that was cut out in almost every edition"?

When I watch the scene with this manikin (shown briefly from the side, nothing more in edition I have), I always think, was it supposed to be Gregory (just not very good manikin to make this impression on us viewers) or must we realize it's exactly a manikin and not at all Gregory?

I adore Robert's performance here - thrilling, enchanting, magical, but the film itself seems to me somewhat weak, it rises many questions and doesn't give answers, but it feels like they simply don't know the answers themselves. I'd love to talk to you and other fans more about this film.

Gigi said...

Hi! Well I've said that because as you mention, that scene had been more or less edited in different editions. I wanted check the whole I have, but didn't have the time! In one edition you see the children who find the body, in another edition there are no children, in one edition you see a bit of the body, in another one you see a bit more. However I do think it's supposed to be Wolfe's corpse, I mean no tricky maniking was intended. If they wanted to make a story like Rasputing, indeed the way was poisoned, shot and finally drown, just like Wolfe.
Well, I'm OK with the film, the only question is : why did he had to wear the Harlequin costume at the end??? I mean, I know it was important for the title of the film, but come on!!???
Seriously, I would have liked to know if he was 100% good or not (I mean did he rape the maid? why did he wanted to help Nick to decide at the end?

Macleata said...

"Do you feel comfortable?" Hah!

Macleata said...

The maid lied about the rape. She smiled and she knodded while she undressed in front of "Gregory"