PAPPY

Watched Papillon last night for first time in a few years. It's one of those cases where you notice a DVD in your collection and it begs to be played. I don't have a large DVD collection -- I tend to rent them instead of buying -- but there are still a few more to go. Roger Corman's superb feature, The Pit and the Pendulum, is next up. I saw Papillon when it was first released. I, along with two of my buddies, raved about it. As a matter of fact, as we departed the Terra theatre back in 1973 we all agreed that the movie should win a bunch of Oscars. The film's powerful ending had a lot to do with shaping our opinions at the time. The Oscars have never impressed me so I admit I don't even know how this movie performed that useless night. It cannot be forgotten that many of the emotional notes are enhanced by composer Jerry Goldsmith's gorgeous score. Another marker score to convince me that he was the cat's whiskers. Oh, Steve McQueen was great in the lead role. My opinion has not changed over many screening in the years since. Director Franklin J. Schaffner added this one to his cap. A cap already decorated with classics film such as Planet of the Apes and Patton, not to forget the underrated The Stripper. Artists, including self-proclaimed ones such as myself, have a saying: A version goes something like, "I wish I had made that movie".