Monte Hellman and Others

In my private web-group, we were talking about Sam Peckinpah, which led to Warren Oates, which led to Monte Hellman. I noted, "Hellman apparently has a new feature, Road to Nowhere, in post-production. Does anyone know why he has done so little over the last 35 years? Does he have personal demons [like Peckinpah]? It seems like a waste. He was only 42 when he shot Cockfighter, and since then he has made only three features -- China 9, Liberty 37; Iguana; Silent Night, Deadly Night III (Lord help us) -- and a segment of an omnibus film, Trapped Ashes. Not even any television episodes except for one Baretta back in 1975. What gives?"

No one was really sure. It was pointed out that Hellman is listed as an executive producer on Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs, and I dug a little deeper into his credits: "He is also listed as co-editor on a 1993 Civil War horror film known variously as Grey Knight/Ghost Brigade/The Killing Box, directed by the same George Hickenlooper who made the Coppola documentary Hearts of Darkness, and starring Martin Sheen, David and Alexis Arquette, Ray Wise, Adrien Pasdar, Matt LeBlanc, Cynda Williams, and Billy Bob Thornton in support of L.A. Law's Corbin Bernsen. If the IMDB was a work of fiction, it would be hard to suspend disbelief sometimes."

With respect to the Hellman career arc, I added, "I do wonder how he supported himself. It's not as if you could retire off the proceeds from Cockfighter and Two-Lane Blacktop. Most directors under similar circumstances would wind up doing plenty of television episodes or internationally financed schlock out of necessity, and of course that sort of necessity is the correct light in which to view the direct-to-video Silent Night, Deadly Night III. (China 9, Liberty 37 and Iguana were both internationally financed and shot, as well.) Although the IMDB and Wikipedia are silent on this point, I wouldn't be in the least surprised if there were personal issues that reduced his productivity. 35 years of spottiness is a heck of a long time."

Another minor Hellman credit put us on another tangent: "And he plays a bit part as a party guest in Henry Jaglom's Someone to Love! When you get to Henry Jaglom, you're sort of piling obscurity on obscurity -- where does it all end?"

Another member of the group had seen the documentary Who Is Henry Jaglom? (PMD, March 20), which he said made Jaglom out to be a "complete megalomaniac" and an "insufferable prick."

I responded: "I can believe it! He is, one must grant, awfully prolific for a micro-auteur; his next feature, Queen of the Lot, starring his recent muse Tanna Frederick, will be his 17th. Plus he wrote the screenplay for his protege Ron Vignone's upcoming Always But Not Forever, also starring Frederick. Another Vignone/Frederick opus in post-production (is anyone confused yet?), Katie Q, co-stars Jaglom alumna Karen Black. 

Jaglom's second feature, the Vietnam film Tracks with Dennis Hopper, is supposed to be at least interesting. The first feature, A Safe Place, has to command interest for its co-starring trio alone -- Tuesday Weld. Orson Welles, and Jack Nicholson! Welles certainly seems to have been supportive of Jaglom over the years, but Welles tended to get involved with 'characters.' His Other Side of the Wind cinematographer (and curator of Welles obscurities), Gary Graver, has carved out a lengthy career as porn director and cinematographer, including many films in the 'parody title' genre -- Maverdick, Three Men and a Hooker, Home But Not Alone, Silence of the Buns, Drivin' Miss Daisy Crazy Again, and (perhaps best of all) The Joi Fuck Club."

The Warren Oates discussion also led us to novelist/director Thomas McGuane, who cast Oates in his 92 in the Shade. I wrote: "I like McGuane as a novelist. I've always wanted to see Larry Peerce's very badly received film of his excellent first novel, The Sporting Club. Kael called that movie 'loathsome,' enough to pique my interest. It was pulled from New York theaters after one week, apparently.

McGuane traveled in a fast pack in the Seventies, and was involved with Elizabeth Ashley and married to Margot Kidder -- extraordinarily high wacko quotient there! (Even before Kidder flipped out, both those women were in great demand for talk shows because there was no censor operating between their brains and their mouths. Let 'er rip!) Another wife, Becky Crockett (descended from Davy Crockett!), went on to marry Peter Fonda, and McGuane himself went on to marry Jimmy Buffett's sister. He also wrecked his Porsche in a spectacular fiery crash. It all makes me dizzy."

The Seventies: They had personalities then.

UPDATE: I had a very pleasant comment from an associate of Hellman's who says that Monte is actually quite demon-free for Hollywood; it's his artistic principles that get him into frustrating situations. Read the comment below; you'll enjoy it.