Pulp Features

Though originally intending to be a concert pianist, Ennio Morricone entered the world of film scores and since the early 1960s film music has not been the same. This odd, balding man, with his penetrating stare and thick glasses, looks like a cartoon character come to life by physical appearance, yet nobody laughs at the salaries he has been able to command over the years for his works or for his prolific track record. He remains one of the most recognized film composers in the world today, though in recent years he seems to be taking a back seat, as his son, Andrea, continues in the family tradition.

Morricone first rose to international stardom for his scores in the Sergio Leone westerns, such as “Fistful of Dollars”, “For A Few Dollars More”, “The Good, The Bad & The Ugly”, and “Once Upon A Time in the West”, incorporating traditional guitars and trumpets with an assortment of odd sounds (bells, whistles, grunts, groans, etc…). Among his other western scores are “The Big Gundown”, “The Mercenary”, “Face To Face”, “The Five Man Army”, “Two Mules for Sister Sarah”, “Navajo Joe”, “My Name Is Nobody”, “The Great Silence”, and “The Hellbenders”.

As the western genre started to die out in Europe, he expanded into other markets, including numerous American films, rather than those from Italy, Germany Spain and Austria. Among these are “Bugsy”, “The Untouchables”, “Wolf”, “Exorcist II”, and “Orca, the Killer Whale”.

In the horror realm, Morricone scored several of the early Argento films, before this famous director switched to using Goblin for scores. “Cat O’ Nine Tails”, “The Bird with the Crystal Plumage”, and “Four Flies in Grey Velvet” all have works by Morricone as composer. Oddly enough, years later, Argento would once again use Morricone, in “The Stendhal Syndrome”.

Other horror and suspense films with Morricone scores include “Terror in the Woods”, “Bloodline”, “The Humanoid”, “Spasmo” and “The Chosen” (a quirky end-of-times film which was re titled to “Holocaust 2000”).

Morricone’s other works have included comedies (such as “Arabella” and “The Hawks & The Sparrows”), gangster films (“Machine Gun McCain”, “Rome Like Chicago”, “The Sicilian Clan”, “The Palermo Connection”, and of course the aforementioned “Bugsy”, as well as “The Untouchables”, both of which gained him Academy Award nominations), and war pictures (such as “Dirty Heroes”, “The Girl & The General” and “Hornet’s Nest”)

It would probably be impossible to list all of his credits when you include the documentaries, the TV shows, the feature films and the videos. The internet has many tribute sites devoted to him, as well as places to buy his many records, cassettes and CDs.

Years ago, there was even an Ennio Morricone Film Society operating out of Los Angeles, which, unfortunately, is no longer active.

On a personal note, I was told Morricone collected the miniature soaps given away free by many hotels. I was also told that, when meeting with people from other countries, he even asked them to bring him samples of the soaps from the hotels they stayed at.

More than one person also said his mouth could become a virtual orchestra and that he could imitate the sounds of several instruments and demonstrate for directors, exactly what he intended to do for them.

In spite of age, he is still active and his name guarantees sales at the music store. Not everyone is a fan though. I recall one used record store owner out in Arizona, who made this comment. “In the 1960’s, if Morricone farted, someone had to put it on a record. Give my Goldsmith (Jerry), myself.” Well, to each his own.

Morricone has spent most of his life in Rome, where incredibly, when visiting in 1975, I found him listed in the city’s phone book (as was the late director, Sergio Corbucci).

Jaime Bravo might well be considered a classic example of a star that never burned. In the late 1960s he was clearly being groomed for movie roles. Then tragedy struck and he was killed. Who knows how far he might have gone or if he would have even been the hit that some some hoped.

During the 1950s and 1960s, Mexico was full of crossover movie stars. You had the singer, Antonio Aguilar, making western films, usually singing in them like a Latin version of Elvis, the scripts groomed to fit his more high-profile career. You had Gaston Santos, the rejoneador, making movies. You had wrestlers like Blue Demon, El Santo, Chanoc, Mil Mascaras and Nathaniel Leon making horror films. Then you had bullfighters like Carlos Arruza, Luis Procuna and David Liceaga entering the field. Like the last group, Jaime Bravo was a bullfighter for many years, especially popular with the ladies and with the border town crowds. He had the looks, if not the talent, to make it on the screen and to some producers, that’s all that mattered.

Bravo played a small part in a movie called “Call Of A Bull”, which was available through a California distributor some years ago in both English and Spanish. The film starred the late Emilio Fernandez and a cast of Americans, the main theme being about a woman wanting to be a bullfighter. Bravo was there, for more reason than not, just to see how he looked on the screen.

He was also the topic of a (currently unavailable) documentary directed by the American, Art Swerdloff. This film, titled “The Making Of A Matador”, was a David Wolper production, with Bravo demonstrating what a bullfighter went through as he rose to stardom in the rings. “It is one of my favourite half hour films,” Swerdloff commented recently when asked about it. “One of the best I’ve done.”

Away from the bullrings Bravo already had the making of a big screen movie idol, if only by his - often scandalous - behaviour. His reputation as a romantic was well-known and more often than not, caused him trouble.

The biggest scandal concerning Bravo and his misadventures related to Arabella Arbenz, daughter of Guatemala’s leftwing president Jacobo Arbenz, who was ousted long ago. This woman was a top fashion model, who eventually committed suicide in front of the matador. After all this, Bravo had a son by an actress named Ann Robinson, whom they named Stephen, though whatever happened to him is anyone’s guess. Clearly, this bullfighter made the rounds.

By the late 1960s, Bravo was aging and could not function as well as he had in the bullring. He still had his looks and, as such, was looking to the film world for a career after retiring from the bulls. There were a variety of production companies keen on giving him a go. He had a high enough profile that his name could draw the people, both within the Mexican interior and in the USA. Keep in mind he had a large following in the border towns, such as Tijuana, Nogales, Juarez and Matamoras, making his name easily recognizable in states such as California, Arizona and Texas as well. But such was not to be.

In 1970, Jaime Bravo was killed in a car crash, spelling an end to whatever hopes there might have been for him to establish himself as a movie star.

Janaya Stephens is not a household name, but there’s just something about her that makes her captivating. Maybe it’s the stunning resemblance to Marie Osmond (more on this later), maybe not. In any case, I would like the opportunity to introduce visitors to this site to this interesting Canadian actress, who will hopefully have a long and fruitful career.

Janaya Stephens was born in London, Ontario, Canada and loved playing soccer as she grew up. This would lead to a strange quirk of fate which dropped her into the acting realm and her present position.

When she went to the university, the school had no soccer team, so she signed up for women’s basketball. While she had talent, she was not afforded much play time due to the fact the rest of the girls on her team were there by scholarship and really knew the game. The coach suggested she look at some other avenues besides basketball and thus, she entered the acting field. Trying out for the school play, she won the lead in Romeo and Juliet. A new career was born.

Janaya appeared in several commercials, including endorsements for Hyundai, Lava Life and other products. She also won parts in some TV roles and in Cruel Intentions II, which gained her some ground in the industry.

Due to her aforementioned resemblance to Marie Osmond, she was placed in the lead role as Marie in the movie, inside The Osmonds, a somewhat unflattering look into the life of this All-American family and their wholesome, well-groomed image. The role won her much acclaim.

It has been through Cloud Ten Pictures and their “Left Behind” series that Janaya has really made attention. Playing Chloe, a character caught in a world more or less ruled by the devil (I am not going to discuss the scenario in detail here and instead suggest you read the book of revelation or the “Left Behind” series of books - written by Jenkins and Lahaye – on which the movies are based). “Left Behind”, the Movie and “Tribulation Force” are two in what is to be a lengthy series of feature films, both of which saw her in the same starring role. In March of 2003, production is to begin on a television series, also titled “Left Behind”. In this, Janaya and a group of militants for God, form their own group of militiamen and militiawomen to fight the Anti-Christ, a nasty snake of a man, played with repulsive enthusiasm by longstanding character actor, Gordon Currie (now finding major roles in this own right). The series is to be Christian in theme, but also containing elements of horror and suspense, sort of like a West Wing for Christians versus devils. The WWE wrestling promotion should take note.

According to actor Brad Johnson, who plays Janaya’s father in Left behind and tribulation Force, “Janaya’s roughly new to the business. I think she’s been acting for three or four years. It’s great to work with her because she’s still got this innocent energy, and she wants to do a good job. It’s really important to her that she does a good job. She’s very conscientious and on top of being very good, it’s just fun to be around that youth. She’s always wanting to learn something, always wanting a tip here and there, so it’s fun working with her. She’s good.”

After directing “Left Behind”, Bill Corcoran said, “Janaya has been amazing throughout the filming. She’s brought a spark to the film and a kind of wonderful naivety to a young woman who is searching for meaning in her life but is nevertheless taking a leap of faith in exposing her role and her faith to the trials and tribulations of finding herself.”

Clearly, her co-workers are impressed. Not bad for someone who at the start, apparently did not intend to become a film star, but wanted to play soccer instead.

Janaya may also be seen in reruns of the Showtime series, Leap Years and in Relic Hunter, where because of her athletic skills, she was allowed to do a sword fighting scene, which she did herself rather than relying on a multitude of stunt doubles.

It would be nice if there could be more to add about this amiable young actress, but that will have to wait, as her career is just taking off. Time will tell where it goes from here.

Janaya presently lives in the suburbs of Toronto, Canada.