Harry here…
What is “THE SECRET ORDER OF THE PIZZA KNIGHTS?”
No, it isn’t a Martin Lawrence, Rob Schneider movie produced by Revolution Pictures directed by Dennis Dugan about a gathering of chivalrous pizza delivery drivers out to put an end to crime on the streets of Detroit. Nope.
This is a real and secret (almost) society. An order, like those that pit countries at war against one another. An order, like the ones in days of old that covered up the murderer responsible for the White Chapel killings. An order to be feared on an entirely different level from the Tri-Lateral Commission.
They meet in secret at the first night of every month.
Where?
Nobody can say. The location shifts and dodges and moves like a gust of wind. The location is picked in secret. It is rumored that they have a series of pneumatic tubes to deliver this location to one another, so that there is no chance of discovery.
Why do they gather?
To develop a sense of community in a business that seems to thrive on isolation. They are film directors in Los Angeles that trade War Stories, drink beer and wine and eat pizza and watch a great hard to find film together. Through their selections, hoping to inspire one another, to thrill about film communally in an audience of peers.
How long has this been going on?
It began in April of 2003. Word has it that Mark Romanek founded this secret society.
Who are the Pizza Knights?
Like Arthur’s Knights, they come and go… these knights have quests and missions to go on, but so far, the noble roll call has been as follows: David Fincher, Spike Jonze, Stephen Soderbergh, Roger Avary, Roman Coppola, Alexander Payne, Stephen Norrington, Ben Stiller, The Weitz Brothers, George hickenlooper, jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris (amazing vid directors), David Siegel, Scott McGehee, James Gray, Peyton Reed, Guy Ritchie, Peter Care, Jake Paltrow, Jason Schwartzman and last, but not least… Sir Wes Anderson.
Is that all?
Well as always, there is a rumor that they are always on the look for other noble souls to join their fray. Rumors about James Cameron and Quentin Tarantino and Frank Darabont circle about even now.
What films do they watch?
Well, in April… Actually, April Fool’s Day to be precise, the first meeting of The Secret Order of the Pizza Knights came to be. On this, the most foolish of days, what film did they choose to begin this tradition… this night of knights?
IN COLD BLOOD – yep, that fantastic film from Richard Brooks that he adapted from Truman Capote’s famed novel. Can you imagine sitting in an audience of this crowd as Robert Blake said, “He was a real gentleman, I thought so right up to the moment I cut his throat.” Were there cheers? Smiles? Laughs? My bet is, they were captivated. Captivated by the stunning cinematography from the dearly departed Conrad Hall. That they were tapping their feet to Quincy Jones’ score. Afterwards did they talk about how utterly brilliant THE PROFESSIONALS was, and how delicious Claudia Cardinale was… And how it might very well be one of the greatest westerns of all time? Or did they talk about BLACKBOARD JUNGLE and how great Glenn Ford and Vic Morrow were in that? Or did they talk about the wandering daze of Robert Blake in PORK CHOP HILL or his more recent issues? Or did they start talking about Conrad Hall and how IN COLD BLOOD fell between COOL HAND LUKE and HELL IN THE PACIFIC, and dear God wasn’t HELL IN THE PACIFIC a great fucking movie?
Then in MAY… on MAY DAY, May 1st they gathered and they screened ACE IN THE HOLE. Sometimes known as THE BIG CARNIVAL, and a film that has the dubious honor of having both of its titles chosen as chapters in my book. An unappreciated film? It has never been put on video or DVD. The film is perhaps one of the most important films in terms of what it had to say about what the media was becoming, and because of that, the media tended to ignore it. In a world of flash in the pan news and sensationalism, this is a film that just lays out quite clearly the world of big time news today. Watch Kirk Douglas as great as you’ve ever seen him. Spitting out line after quotable line of dialogue that just sears its way off the screen. Billy Wilder considered it his favorite film of the films he directed. Did they start in on Billy Wilder’s career… talking about DOUBLE INDEMNITY and LOST WEEKEND… or did they go into SUNSET BLVD and STALAG 17 and THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH and THE SPIRIT OF ST LOUIS and THE APARTMENT and SOME LIKE IT HOT and how friggin amazing Marlene Dietrich was in WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION… Or maybe they started talking about favorite movies of directors careers like Hitchcock’s SHADOW OF A DOUBT or Fuller’s STEEL HELMET.
This month, June… JUNE 1st – the secret order again convened. This time with a film that is really really hard to find. SCARECROW from 1973. A film that most people have never seen starring Gene Hackman and Al Pacino. Ok, not just Gene Hackman and Al Pacino. But, Gene Hackman in the midst of him being that guy in THE FRENCH CONNECTION and THE CONVERSATION. And, Al Pacino, who made THE GODFATHER right before this and SERPICO immediately after. Was this that failure in-between? That movie crushed by the brilliance of the others? Well, SCARECROW did win the Golden Palm at Cannes in 1973. The film can be found on Video, but rarely. Watch this and remember when Pacino could rule with a whisper and those eyes. If you love this film, also check out PANIC IN NEEDLE PARK, which was also directed by Jerry Schatzberg.
