Unhappy information to report in the present day because it was introduced that British author and director Mike Hodges died on December seventeenth on the age of 90. Hodges was greatest identified for steering Get Carter, which has been described as “one of many nice British gangster movies of all time,” in addition to Flash Gordon, the colorful, pulpy sci-fi fantasy based mostly on the caricature of the identical identify.
Mike Hodges acquired his begin working as a teleprompter operator for British tv earlier than writing and directing movies for TV. His first characteristic movie was Get Carter, a criminal offense drama which starred Michael Caine as a London gangster who returns to his hometown to find out about his brother’s supposedly unintentional dying. He reunited with Caine for his subsequent movie, Pulp, and went on to direct The Terminal Man, Flash Gordon, Morons from Outer House, A Prayer for the Dying, Black Rainbow, Croupier, and I’ll Sleep Once I’m Useless. Almost thirty years after the discharge of Get Carter, a remake was launched starring Sylvester Stallone, however Hodges has by no means seen it. He got here shut when his son introduced again a DVD of the remake from Hong Kong. He acquired drunk one evening and tried to observe it, however the disc wasn’t appropriate. “So we put it within the dustbin,” Hodges mentioned.
He additionally co-wrote the screenplay for Damien: Omen II and served as director of the movie for a number of weeks earlier than he was fired and changed by Don Taylor. The connection between Hodges and the producers reportedly grew so grim that one of many producers even pulled a gun on him, though Hodges downplayed the interplay whereas talking with The Guardian in 2003. “Properly, ‘pulled’ isn’t fairly the proper phrase,” Hodges mentioned. “I used to be having a dialogue with the producer, who was barely neurotic, to say the least, and he acquired very offended. We have been sitting in an workplace and he out of the blue rummaged in his bag and put this handgun on the desk. And I mentioned, ‘Is that loaded?’ And he mentioned, ‘Sure.’ After which we simply checked out one another for a bit.” As for whether or not the producer was going to make use of it, Hodges wasn’t positive, “However it’s the proper image of the macho behaviour we’ve been speaking about. I believe I will need to have acquired below his pores and skin. We have been arguing in regards to the design funds and I mentioned, ‘Relax’ and he didn’t. However I discovered it very scary, I’ve to admit. The entire movie was very threatening.” You can be missed, Mr. Hodges. Our ideas exit to your loved ones and buddies.
