RARA-AVIS: Cockfighter the movie

From: Rene Ribic ( rribic@optusnet.com.au)
Date: 06 Feb 2002


I don't know how many rare-birds live within flapping distance of Sydney but if there are any aside from me out there they should know that
"Cockfighter" will be shown at the Chauvel Cinema on Saturday, Feb 23 at 1PM as a double with "Two Lane Blacktop" also directed by Monte Hellman
(his only films?). Admission : you need to buy a "membership",
$30-something Aus dollars. This gets you into four AFI (Australian Film Institute) screenings which are held at Chauvel Saturday 1PM & Monday evenings. The films screened cover the whole range of film & is worth it if you're a film buff - if you love noir it's essential. These screenings are just about the only place in Sydney, these days, where you get the chance to see something like "Cockfighter" (rarely seen over here - this'll be my first time) & noir classics such as "Night & the City" (still haven't found a copy of the novel - been looking for years), "Gun Crazy", "The Big Combo" & several others that have screened in the last year, including films I hadn't seen before. Mon Feb 25 at 7pm : a Fritz Lang double, "House By the River" & "Hangmen Also Die". Talk of "Cockfighter" (the film) reminds of an earlier thread, before I de-lurked. People were discussing what Willeford & Jim Thompson actually shared in common (as in what do the "in the tradition of Willeford & Thompson" blurbs actually mean). The general consensus seemed to be that they shared superficial characteristics - ie, both paperback authors; black humourists, albeit with differing styles, both revived in the 1980's & achieving cult status, etc. There is one commonality that was missed. Both have been in movies, Willeford in "Cockfighter"
(co-starring post-noir icon Warren Oates) & Thompson in "Farewell My Lovely" (co-starring film noir icon, Bob Mitchum).

Rene.

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