RKO 281: The OTHER Citizen Kane

Orson Welles (Liev Schreiber) & Herman Mankiewicz (John Malkovich)
toast their "success" in RKO 281. Credit: HBO Pictures.

                                     RKO 281: The OTHER Citizen Kane

                                                                by

                                                                    Jay Agan

      This is a "sequel" I watch more often than the original. Maybe 'cause it's faster moving & more amusing.

      A young Orson Welles (Liev Schreiber), following on his success/fame in the New York City show business world, goes to Hollywood & signs up with RKO Radio Pictures. After some fits & starts, he settles on doing a thinly veiled expose' of publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst & his power brokering ways (This supposedly stemming from the two trading barbs at a party at the Hearst "castle". I think there had to be more to it than that.). With a treasure trove of related notes by his reluctant friend, writer Herman J. Mankiewicz (John Malkovich) he sets out to create one of cinema historys' great masterworks.

      This made for HBO film does devote some time to the making of Citizen Kane, but the main attraction is in the aftermath. Mr. Hearst was definitely not happy with the finished product & did what he could to suppress it, preassuring one & all in Hollywood. Going so far as to blackmail some of the biggest names in cinema.

      The conflict between Welles & Hearst (Two opponents not unlike one another.) is "offset" by the conflicts in front of, behind, & off camera. Melanie Griffith is great as Marion Davies counter to James Cromwells' Hearst. Schreibers' Welles is seen as a relentless prick, casually putting friends, actors & crew in danger & even resorting to violence.

      As with all "docudramas", I would not rely on this film as an historical document. The actual documentary it's based on, The Battle Over Citizen Kane would be more appropriate.

      It goes without saying, watching Citizen Kane is mandatory before seeing this film. RKO 281 is a fun watch & makes a great companion film to Kane. With this & Warners' Citizen Kane two disc special edition (With all the extras including the aforementioned documentary.), you can take an all afternoon Kaning.

      If you don't have it, grab it & put it on the shelf next to Kane.

                                     Article copyright © 7-13-2011 Jay Agan

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Pastor Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying & Love the Apocalypse

Weatherly Hardy, fan guest of honor at Mobicon, was hawking this logo on
shirts at the above con. For more of  his selection go to Aardvarktees.com.

      Pastor Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying & Love the Apocalypse

                                                                by

                                                                   Jay Agan
     
      Well "Rapture Day" has come & gone & I haven't heard of any mass disappearances (Maybe there were so few genuine believers, no one noticed. Uh Oh!). Aside from the usual world chaos, nothing catostrophic has happened .... so far. Of couse we have up to a few days before Halloween (Five months.) before Mr. Campings' prophecy concludes with the worlds' fiery destruction. Wich makes me wonder. Is he trying to pull an "Orson Welles" on us?

     Halloween time, 1938: "The Columbia Broadcasting System & The Mercury Theater On the Air  presents, The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells." Que the music.

Well ..... at least we'd be rid of the
"rapture bunnies".

     As for me, I am a bit disappointed. In all the time I've spent collecting movies, cartoons, & anime, I was looking forward to "The Great Tribulation" (Wich isn't actually mentioned in the Bible, at least not in capitol letters.). I like my special effects & this period of chaos had better deliver.

Hey kid! Ever give a thought about what might be in that
stuff!? Yuck! Besides, things go better with Coke!
Mari Illustrious Makinami from the Evangelion "Rebuild"
series of films. Credit: Studio Khara

     
            Aside from the flood/fire/famine/war/pestilence etc., I want more. Godzilla, Mothra, Rhodan, mad scientists, alien invasion, you betcha! Giant robots (Preferably NOT piloted by angsty, liquid breathing adolescents with attitudes!), flesh eating zombies, ..... piranas! Music by Yoko Kanno, Dick Wagner, & Spike Jones. Co-produced/directed by Hayao Miyazaki & Edward D. Wood Jr. A Walt Disney presentation. Oh Yeah!

                                    Article copyright © 5-22-2011 Jay Agan

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For a little "end of the world" click here. Might as well celebrate Christmas early.

For a slightly (MUCH!) more serious take on this past nonevent click here.

DISCLAIMER: All images used on this blog are strictly copyrights of their owners. I do not claim credit/ownership for any images used here in my blog unless stated otherwise. If I have offended anyone by posting any images on my blog, please contact me via email and I will remove specified image(s) ASAP.

This article (only) may be copied in whole or in part. Please cite proper credit & backlink.