Daily DVD...

PERFORMANCE, 1970.

Just recently released on DVD, this film is, no doubt, about to have a whole new group of fans.Here, questions of gender and sexuality are marred by the influence of drugs in the hippie enclave of Powis Square in '60s London.

After a rapid fall from power within local crime syndicate, James Fox flees the mafia and finds refuge in the eclectic house of Mick Jagger. Jagger is living the life of the failed superstar with a small entourage of women; a recluse, whose appetite for sex and drugs is fueled by his royalty cheques. When this young gangster stumbles into his house, Jagger involves him into his kinky games, transforming him into one of his own. There is plenty of subtext here, if anyone is interested in digging deeper.

Perhaps the biggest letdown of the recent DVD release is that it was released in mono Dolby. Seeing as the soundtrack was released on stereo CD, why couldn't the audio, at least during the music sequences, have been similarly remastered?

The Stones rarely played "Memo From Turner" due to their "women troubles" that stemmed from the film. Jagger was sleeping with Richard's girlfriend on the set, or something to that effect. Anyway, "Memo From Turner" was released on the album "Metamorphasis" in 1976. The intro on the 1976 version is great, but the 1970 version on this album is one of the hottest tracks the Stones ever recorded without Mick Taylor. This song proves to be one of the first music videos ever made, as it appears in its entirety in Roeg's film.

Daily DVD...

Just recently released on DVD, this film is, no doubt, about to have a whole new group of fans.Here, questions of gender and sexuality are marred by the influence of drugs in the hippie enclave of Powis Square in '60s London.

After a rapid fall from power within local crime syndicate, James Fox flees the mafia and finds refuge in the eclectic house of Mick Jagger. Jagger is living the life of the failed superstar with a small entourage of women; a recluse, whose appetite for sex and drugs is fueled by his royalty cheques. When this young gangster stumbles into his house, Jagger involves him into his kinky games, transforming him into one of his own. There is plenty of subtext here, if anyone is interested in digging deeper.

Perhaps the biggest letdown of the recent DVD release is that it was released in mono Dolby. Seeing as the soundtrack was released on stereo CD, why couldn't the audio, at least during the music sequences, have been similarly remastered?

The Stones rarely played "Memo From Turner" due to their "women troubles" that stemmed from the film. Jagger was sleeping with Richard's girlfriend on the set, or something to that effect. Anyway, "Memo From Turner" was released on the album "Metamorphasis" in 1976. The intro on the 1976 version is great, but the 1970 version on this album is one of the hottest tracks the Stones ever recorded without Mick Taylor. This song proves to be one of the first music videos ever made, as it appears in its entirety in Roeg's film.

On This Day, September 28...

1967: Walter Washington is elected 1st mayor of Washington, DC

1972: Also on this day, Paul Henderson scores the game-winning goal in the Summit Series.

1978: Also on this day, Pope John Paul I is found dead after only 33 days as Pope.

1991: Also on this day, jazz musician Miles Davis dies of pneumonia at the age of 65.

Yesterday...On This Day (September 27)

1940: Germany, Italy and Japan sign the Tripartite Pact in Berlin, forming the Axis.

1964: Also on this day, The Warren Commission concludes that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in his assassination of John F. Kennedy.

1996: Also on this day, Kabul falls to the Taliban.

Daily DVD...

David Cronenberg's "Fast Company"

Fast Company (1979) is truly great B-cinema despite the tendencies of scholastic indifference. Whether its lack of reception has been due to lack of availability, its straight-to-Beta stigma or, most probable, an audience's disregard for anything differing from the Cronenbergian macabre is open for debate. What is certain is that this effort, his first with a budget exceeding the million-dollar mark, was a precursor to the personal trajectory of The Brood (1979).

Divorce proceedings underway, David changed focus to his consuming passion of the automobile. The final product was a decent drag strip movie, “a good B-Movie” he admits. The good versus evil tension included in most racing films is combined with some point of view shots from the car racers proper, in itself, well worth the price of the rental. Spending most of the film arguing with John Saxon, his greasy sponsor from Fast Company Motor Oil, William Smith plays Lonnie 'Lucky Man' Johnson, whose iconic status as drag strip guru is tested race after race.

His real stroke of luck however comes through his onscreen squeeze, November Playmate 1969 Claudia Jennings. This marked consecutive attempts at casting notables from the adult industry. Attempting to recreate the similar appeal and subsequent audience draw that worked for him in Rabid, Ms Jennings' luck ran out in an ironic off-screen car-accident, taking her young life shortly after the film was completed.

David Cronenberg's "Fast Company" has recently been released on DVD.

On This Day...

September 26, 1960: The first televised political debate is broadcast on television between Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy.

September 26, 1969: Also on this day, The Beatles’ Abbey Road album is released.

September 26, 1988: Also on this day, Ben Johnson is stripped on his 100m Olympic Gold medal after testing positive for setroids.

On This Day...

Sept 25, 1976: The rock band U2 is formed in Ireland.

Sept 25, 1977: Over 15,000 people attend Steven Biko’s funeral in South Africa

Sept 25, 1981: Sandra Day O’Connor is sworn in as the 1st female US Supreme Court Justice.