NO FEAR, NO DIE (1990, FRANCE), COCKFIGHTER (1974)

Jocelyn (Alex Descas) admires his cock

in No Fear, No Die

Dah (Isaach De Bankole)  and Jocelyn (Alex Descas) are two Caribbean men who train and fight roosters for profit (they hope) in France under the guidance of Pierre, who supplies the area where the fighting and wagers take place. It is an interesting though unpleasant character study of a rather seedy business, which ends with the death of the prize rooster (Named No Fear, No Die) as well as one of the men.

The word cock as described as a rooster used to fight with can clearly be seen as an extension of the other common meaning of the word. Pierre says something to the effect of “Once you get the taste of cock, you can never give it up.” He’s talking about fighting roosters, isn’t he?

Musical reference: The title No Fear, No Die keeps making me think of the Bob Marley song No Woman, No Cry. That song is not used in the movie, but the Marley song Buffalo Soldiers is used twice.

Casting notes: Isaach De Bankole and Alex Descas were later re-teamed in one of the sketches in Jim Jarmusch’s Coffee and Cigarettes.

Solveig Dommartin in No Fear, No Die

The lovely Solveig Dommartin plays the female lead here and previously played the acrobat in Wings of Desire.

Warren Oates strokes his cock

in Cockfighter

In Monte Hellman’s Cockfighter, the cockfighter played by Warren Oates has rendered himself mute (or castrated) until he gets named Cockfighter of the Year. When he finally does win the prize, he can speak, but his girlfriend no longer wants to be with someone who is involved in something so sordid as cockfighting. He then pulls the head off his prize cock (another form of castration) and declares that she still loves him even though it appears she has walked out on him for good.

The I remember reference: I remember this movie as being controversial on release and reading an article in the Atlanta Constitution about it at the time, but have never seen it until now! The movie being filmed in Georgia may be why it got a little extra ink in that paper during the initial theatrical run.

Casting notes: For fans of Monte Hellman’s Two-Lane Blacktop, we have a scene where hitchhiker Lori Byrd is driving in a car with Warren Oates when she is not driving with The Mechanic and The Driver. The first scene in Cockfighter has Byrd and Oates driving down the road almost as if they were still in the previous movie! This is a nice touch. Hitchhiker Harry Dean Stanton form Two-Lane Blacktop is also along for the ride in Cockfighter.

Also of note: Cockfighter producer Roger Corman states that this film was one of the few of his movies that didn't turn a profit. For more on Corman, you might want to check out the book Crab Monsters, Teenage Cavemen and Candy Stripe Nurses: Roger Corman, King of the B-Movie.

Cockfighter (the novel) author Charles Willeford has a nice supporting role as one of the guys who runs the fights in Cockfighter (the movie).

Cockfighter was also released under

the title Born to Kill. The scenes depicted

on this poster must have been from some other

movie, because I certainly didn't see them 

in Cockfighter!

Conclusions: Personally, I think two movies back-to-back about cock fighting may be enough for the week... or maybe forever.

FAT CITY (1972), TWO-LANE BLACKTOP (1971)

"Two-Lane Blacktop is another transformation of contemporary America into existential parable. The surface story wager auto race across America is casually denied dramatic tension to emphasize the resonance of character and situation."-David Thomson, A Biographical Dictionary of Film

"The people who love this movie (Two-Lane Blacktop) the most-the ones I know include a critic who taped it off of USA Network's old late-night rock-and-movie showcase Night Flight and held on to her decaying VHS copy for years; and a young woman who, while prepping for a solo cross-country road trip, kept the DVD playing on her laptop like background music for a week-all seem to have encountered it by themselves and treat it as their own personal talisman."-Charles Taylor, Opening Wednesday at a Theater or Drive-In Near You: The Shadow Cinema of the 70's

Dennis Wilson and James Taylor

in Two-Lane Blacktop

There's just something special about early 70's movies to me. I was a bit too young to see these type of theatrical films in 1971 and 1972, but I heard about them and knew they were there somewhere! They carried adult or what I perceived as adult themes. They also didn't really have to be about anything plotwise to be interesting.

The "plot" of  Monte Hellman's Two-Lane Blacktop is a great example. Two guys challenge another guy to a race. Is it important who wins? No. Do we find out who wins? No. I'm not even sure there really was a race! The fist time I saw it (About ten years ago) I was a bit underwhelmed. This time, I felt a connection with it. The film stars two musicians (James Taylor and Dennis Wilson), an inexperienced leading lady (Laurie Bird) and the always watchable Warren Oates as the guy who wants to race...sort of.

Laurie Bird and Warren Oates

In Two-Lane Blacktop

This one isn't for everybody. For a movie about racing, it moves slowly and doesn't really go anywhere. But I really do like the way it goes nowhere. Definitely in my book.

The DVD commentary with Hellman and screenwriter Rudy Wurlitzer is certainly worth a listen.

"Fat City shows compassion for both winners and losers, and relates the boxers' fights to the farmworkers' struggle to survive. The vivid details and realistic dialogue of Huston's quietly moving film portray deadbeat characters and drifting characters who fall through the cracks of society."-John Huston: Courage and Art by Jeffrey Meyer, 2011.

Stacy Keach and Jeff Bridges

in Fat City

This is my first viewing of John Huston's Fat City. Leonard Gardner wrote the original screenplay and book for this film about an aging fighter named Tully (Stacy Keach) who helps out an up and coming boxer named Munger (Jeff Brdiges). But this is no Rocky-like story of inspiration. It isn't even a Raging Bull-type story of a bigger than life main character. Tully is just a guy who has some problems (unemployment, money and alcohol). I didn't find him particularly unsympathetic or heroic, but did find him real and interesting. His on-again off-again girlfriend Oma (Susan Tyrell) might be the most interesting character in the film.

I really like the final scene in the film that has Tully and Munger drinking coffee and just looking at the people. It doesn't give out any answers and I'm not sure it even asks any questions. It just nicely "is." This one's also in my book.

I suddenly feel like watching Five Easy Pieces again!

Stacy Keach and Susan Tyrell

in Fat City