
FAT CITY (based on the book of the same name by Leonard Gardner) is set in the dilapidated city of Stockton in central California. It is a far cry from the Philadelphia that Rocky Balboa hailed from. In fact, FAT CITY is quite a different movie from ROCKY in a lot of ways. Though both movies deal with boxers on the fringes, FAT CITY is not particularly the story of triumph that ROCKY ends up being. FAT CITY, like a lot of Huston films, focuses on some kinda doomed and downtrodden dudes trying their best to keep their heads above water. The story focuses on Billy (Stacy Keach), an over-the-hill ex-boxer who spends his time as a day laborer in the nearby farm fields and Ernie (Jeff Bridges) who is a young pugilist trying to work his way up. The two men's lives converge at a local training gym and a friendship develops. It's sort of a mentorship kinda thing, but as I said, this movie isn't your standard sports tale of redemption. Billy is an alcoholic and a loser and Ernie is just desperate. What's neat about FAT CITY is that it is the beginning of John Huston's "second wind" of remarkable films in his latter career. Not to say that he made a lot of bad movies, but FAT CITY to me is the start of a special segment of his filmography wherein he would crank out such dramatic powerhouses as THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING, UNDER THE VOLCANO and WISE BLOOD. KING is a movie people seem to remember pretty well (perhaps in part because of Sean Connery and Michael Caine), but the other two (and FAT CITY) are oft overlooked and are all cinematic achievements of greatness. So as much as there was a huge "youth movement" happening in movies in the 1970s, here is an old guard filmmaker still putting out great stuff early on in that oh so golden decade. What he's put together is one of the great boxing films of all-time and he does so by focusing less on the boxing and more on the lives of the boxers.
Special Features:
This disc has an excellent commentary from Nick Redman and screenwriter Lem Dobbs. No Julie Kirgo this round unfortunately (though one of her lovely essays is included in the disc's booklet), but Lem Dobbs is one of my favorite recurring regulars on these Twilight Time commentaries. He and Nick are a great pair to spend 97 minutes with when it comes to movies like this.
FAT CITY can be purchased on Blu-ray via Twilight Time's site:
http://www.twilighttimemovies.com/fat-city-blu-ray/
EMPEROR OF THE NORTH (1973; Robert Aldrich)

Set in the Great Depression year of 1933, The film has some lovely location work in the American Northwest. In an age of films made predominantly in front of green screens, it is quite refreshing to watch a movie filled with a different kind of outdoorsy green. Also, you just can't beat seeing to great American actors going head to head (literally and figuratively). As cliched as it is to say, they just do not make em like Marvin and Borgnine anymore. Faces like theirs are so iconic and perfectly cinematic that it is a purely blissful thing just to see them photographed. And when they speak and fight with each other it's even better!
Special Features:
This disc features a solid commentary track from Film Historian (and prolific film writer) Dana Polan. It's not quite as good as the Twilight Time commentaries of late, but it is nonetheless informative and fascinating.
EMPEROR OF THE NORTH can be purchased on Blu-ray via Twilight Time's site:
http://www.twilighttimemovies.com/emperor-of-the-north-blu-ray/
2 comments:
I recently filled out one of those social media things and found that FAT CITY was the #1 film on the day that I was born, so I have to get this. Haven't seen it, but have long wanted to. EMPEROR wasn't on my radar, but based on your recommendation I'll probably pick it up.
Both are great in my opinion. Worth picking up!
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