Many iconic names evoke Hollywood cinema at its finest; Buster Keaton; Marlon Brando; Bette Davis; Marilyn Monroe; too many to mention.
There are though three indelible names synonymous with what is known as the New Hollywood period. They were: Bob, Bert and Steve. Their initials spell that of BBS Productions.
From the late 60s to early 70s BBS Productions (founded by Bob Rafelson, Bert Schneider and Stephen Blauner) made several iconic and iconoclastic classics, many of which are available through the Sony Pictures library to put back on the big screen.
With The King of Marvin G recently re-released in the UK (off the back of another 70s gem Scarecrow, which screened in Lyon's Lumière Festival and was also re-released in the UK), it is time to take a look at a selection of BBS titles that are available for cinemas:
Drive He Said
Now available on DCP, directorial debut Drive, He Said is a sketch of the exploits of a disaffected college basketball player and his increasingly radical roommate. It stars the great Robert Towne who later wrote memorable, award-winning screenplays for and The Last Detail (a film featured in the 2013 Cannes Classics strand).
Five Easy Pieces
Jack Nicholson stars as Bobby Dupea, a shiftless oil rig worker and former piano prodigy. Bob Rafelson's acclaimed work is a seminal portrait of a dissafected and cynical America and is one of the most celebrated BBS productions. The film is available on DCP and has been digitally restored.
The Last Picture Show
Peter Bogdanovich has promoted the appreciation of classic cinema in his role as a film historian. As a director, this film represents his own recognised classic and evokes ghost town suburban America to incredible effect, notably through its evocative black-and-white photography.
Easy Rider
The image of Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda motoring down an American highway on their Harley Davidsons, soundtracked by Steppenwolf's Born to Be Wild remains one of the definitive counterculture moments in cinema.
The King of Marvin Gardens
In one of several successful collaborations with director Bob Rafelson, Jack Nicholson stars with a superb and surprisingly subtle performance to play the lead role of David Staebler. A poetic and tragic work, the film takes in the austere cinematography from László Kovács of a rather desolate and dreary Atlantic City. It also shows an impressive performance from Bruce Dern who features in Nebraska, one of the 2014 Cannes Film Festival's Official Competition Selections.
