Sunday, January 31, 2010
Movie review – “Funny People” (2009) ****
Half a masterpiece. So much of it is wonderful, it’s a shame they couldn’t trim and shape it a bit more. And for all the whiff of reality that permeates every frame there’s still a sequence where someone races to the airport at the end. I think it goes a bit wonky in the second half; Leslie Mann and Eric Bana have talent but aren’t quite good enough actors to manage that delicate balancing act of comedy and pathos which the first half does so well. They're both too broad. Adam Sandler is sensational – funny, believable, self loathing. Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill and Jason Schwatzmann are brilliant as is the female comic. So many great bits, though: the stuff with the doctor, the by-play of the comics, the crappy sitcom and movies they make, Sandler picking up two girls at a gig.
Book review – “Carmilla” by J. Sheridan LeFanu
The second most influential vampire book after Dracula because this helped popularise the concept of lesbian vampires. It's a pretty good novella, light on plot but there's plenty of eroticism, atmosphere and violence; the lesbian stuff is implied more than spelt it - it's more "romantic friendship" of intense attraction rather than anything explicit - but is still quite potent, and you can imagine it must have created a stir at the time.
Movie review – “Summer Catch” (2001) *1/2
Bull Durham raised the bar high for depictions of minor league baseball – this one doesn’t even come close to the pre-Durham bar. It’s a dire look at the adventures of minor leaguer Freddy Prinze Jnr (who found he became a star with little more than a grin with She’s All That and didn’t bother developing his acting) and his attempts to make it in baseball over the summer. He romances a rich girl (Jessica Biel) for whom he cut lawn, and Dad disapproves. Yawn. What sort of conflict is that – if Prinze Jr makes it as a baseball player he’s going to be richer than Dad. (It doesn’t help that Biel and Prinze Jr have no chemistry and Biel was still learning how to act at this stage.)
More boring conflict is between Prinze Jr and dad Fred Ward who is bitter about something. Then there’s the dull adventures of his teammates – one likes fat women, Matthew Lilliard (really irritating here) has some problem (I couldn’t remember), and there are some other people doing something-or-other. It’s just a bland movie. Furthermore it wastes a really great cast, including John McGinley, Bruce Davidson, Brittany Murphy (particularly wasted), Brian Dennehy, and Jason Grederick (good actors don’t mean much if you don’t use them).
I did enjoy the end credits, using a baseball scorecard over a Ronan Keating song (Keating also provided the end credit track for the Prinze Jnr film Head Over Heels).
Play review – “Dracula” by John L Balderstone and Hamilton Deane
Great melodrama, which plunges straight into the action, has plenty of plot, vivid characters and memorable scenes: Dracula of course, the maid innocently clearing the bed of protective stuff, Renfield, the introduction of Van Helsing. Hoary and over the top but the structure is so good and the story so strong (and touches on so many primeval themes) that this is actor and director proof.
Movie review – “To the Devil a Daughter” (1976) **
The last Hammer horror (the film only made one more film, a remake of The Lady Vanishes), this wasn’t a bad one to go out on. At least it has Christopher Lee, giving one of his best ever performances as a Satanic priest. There’s also a role tailor-made for Peter Cusing, a writer who specialises in the occult and who gets mixed up with the daughter of the devil (Natassja Kinski as a nun). Unfortunately the Cushing role is played by Richard Widmark who is not only unconvincing but looks bored. Much better is Denholm Elliot as Kinski’s father.
This one has a decent story – Lee is chasing after Kinski so he can perform a Satanic ritual – and has some decent moments but ultimately its done in by indifferent handling, and lack of development (for instance it cries out for some more stylised atmospheric production design and interesting support characters). It also lacks a decent climax (apparently they ran out of money). Kinski is beautiful and charismatic – but can’t act at all (it’s a shame they didn’t keep her dialogue to nothing); she also does a full frontal nude scene, an attempt to seduce Widmark – which is pretty confronting since she was under-age at the time.
This one has a decent story – Lee is chasing after Kinski so he can perform a Satanic ritual – and has some decent moments but ultimately its done in by indifferent handling, and lack of development (for instance it cries out for some more stylised atmospheric production design and interesting support characters). It also lacks a decent climax (apparently they ran out of money). Kinski is beautiful and charismatic – but can’t act at all (it’s a shame they didn’t keep her dialogue to nothing); she also does a full frontal nude scene, an attempt to seduce Widmark – which is pretty confronting since she was under-age at the time.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Movie review – “Pick Up on South Street” (1953) ***
Plenty of good old tough Sam Fuller handling, particularly it’s slam bam opening sequence with Richard Widmark picking Jean Peters’ pocket, not aware they’re being watched by agents, or that he’s stolen national secrets. The 50s Commie angle and talk of treason fits awkwardly into this film, which cries out to be thoroughly cynical. (It’s an Eisenhower Era version of patriot noir of World War Two, where low lives are redeemed through patriotism, eg This Gun for Hire.) Widmark’s performance is also a little odd – he’s a hero yet a villain, and doesn’t quite make a compelling leading man. Jean Peters is very good though, as is Thelma Ritter (she has a great death scene). The scenes of violence (eg Ritter and Peters being shot, the final fight) are effective – it’s a shame there isn’t more of them. Indeed, this is a long way from a masterpiece although it's entertaining.
Movie review – “Up in the Air” (2009) ****1/2
Wonderful movie – I was a bit hostile coming in to watch it, all that acclaim and Jason Reitman being so damn talented – but was totally disarmed by it’s brilliant writing, excellent acting and all-round skill. George Clooney is good as ever, there are superb performances across the board – that new girl is great, Jason Bateman is having the most wonderful second act to his career, Vera Farmiga is the perfect girl, the small roles are spot on. I can imagine the studio asking several times for the ending to be tweaked (“can’t Vera turn out to be nice”) but that’s what rises this to true greatness. There is also the fact part of Clooney’s life is very attractive – going around the country, nice treatment, minimal commitment (I was reminded in some ways of Hugh Grant in About a Boy). My favourite bit was crashing the techno people party - Young MC makes an appearance!
Random thought – Bombing French Navy
July 1940. Hitler is all over Europe. Soviet Russia are doing f*ck all. US are staying neutral. It’s Britain and her allies. Germany are too big. So what do you do? Bomb the French navy. Operation Catapult showed Churchill had real balls – it was a tough decision, justified a lot of bad behaviour from the French… but as if it wasn’t the 100% right decision. Sometimes in life, when you’re cornered, on the back foot… you’ve got to do something. Bomb the French navy.
TV review – “Law and Order - Season 5” (1994-95) ****1/2
Just as Jerry Orbach was introduced to the series as a regular with a fellow musicals star in a guest part, so too is Woody Allen favourite Sam Waterston introduced in an episode which features another Woody Allen favourite, Tony Roberts. It’s an ep about breast cancer – followed by episodes about battered wives syndrome, and cuckolded wives indicating the show more than ever was keen on upping female viewers. This might explain why Waterston's character is established as a womaniser with a taste for assistant DAs and he is shown to be squabbling with Jill Hennessy from the first episode (although it also establishes he’s more equal to Hennessy than Michael Moriarty who tended to lecture her because he was so senior).
The relationship between Adam Schiff and Moriarty was father to good son; Schiff and Waterston is like father to rebellious teenager (he’s always pushing the law to the limit; in particular he loves to arrest people for things he knows they didn’t do in order to put pressure on them or get things admissible).
Guest stars in this one include Sarah Paulson (Harriet from Studio 60 on Sunset), Laura Linney (terrific), Edward Herrman (crazy abortionist – they tackle this topic again), Edie Falco (as an ex of Waterston’s).
I enjoy the little hints that Hennessy and Waterston are having an affair. Chris Noth is beginning to outstay his welcome – he was getting too old to play the young spunky cop and there wasn’t enough difference with Orbach; they were right to turf him. I liked the way they deal with the ramifications of McCoy’s hard arse attitude to crime every now and then. On the less sunny side whenever they do a “black issue” episode it clunks; they always give black characters unreasonable and silly arguments.
The relationship between Adam Schiff and Moriarty was father to good son; Schiff and Waterston is like father to rebellious teenager (he’s always pushing the law to the limit; in particular he loves to arrest people for things he knows they didn’t do in order to put pressure on them or get things admissible).
Guest stars in this one include Sarah Paulson (Harriet from Studio 60 on Sunset), Laura Linney (terrific), Edward Herrman (crazy abortionist – they tackle this topic again), Edie Falco (as an ex of Waterston’s).
I enjoy the little hints that Hennessy and Waterston are having an affair. Chris Noth is beginning to outstay his welcome – he was getting too old to play the young spunky cop and there wasn’t enough difference with Orbach; they were right to turf him. I liked the way they deal with the ramifications of McCoy’s hard arse attitude to crime every now and then. On the less sunny side whenever they do a “black issue” episode it clunks; they always give black characters unreasonable and silly arguments.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Book review – “A Killer Life” by Christine Vacchon
Wonderful book full of great stories and insights. Less of a how-to that her previous book, this is more of a what-happened-to-me; in particular, it’s how to stay in the business after the initial indie boom, which Vachon has done. The tone is a little wearier, a little more tired – Oscars and money are more important, the constant question is how much to compromise. It’s a more grown up book, if that makes sense. But it’s also inspirational, in that if you keep trying to do good work with good people you’ll have a real career.
Fantastic stories – Kimberly Pierce and Hilary Swank clashing on Boys Don’t Cry (for genuine artistic reasons); censorship on the same films (getting past censors by cutting a bit where Swank brushes her mouth post-sex with Chloe Sevigny); the agony of making Infamous which came out just after Capote (did everyone really think the Infamous script was amazing); her trick of asking people if they’ve ever had a long term romantic relationship before deciding to work with them (if they say “no”, she doesn’t – it’s as good a test as any!); fighting with directors and dealing with studios. Really worth reading for all filmmakers and fans of indie film.
Fantastic stories – Kimberly Pierce and Hilary Swank clashing on Boys Don’t Cry (for genuine artistic reasons); censorship on the same films (getting past censors by cutting a bit where Swank brushes her mouth post-sex with Chloe Sevigny); the agony of making Infamous which came out just after Capote (did everyone really think the Infamous script was amazing); her trick of asking people if they’ve ever had a long term romantic relationship before deciding to work with them (if they say “no”, she doesn’t – it’s as good a test as any!); fighting with directors and dealing with studios. Really worth reading for all filmmakers and fans of indie film.
Play review – “Androloces and the Lion” (1912) by GB Shaw
Shaw was famous for a somewhat cynical take on religion. It’s brilliantly displayed here with this take on the famous lion-with-the-sore-paw tale. Great characters – animal loving Androloces, the forthright sexy Christian who is loved by a religious Roman, the tough Christian fighting. Shaw takes on religion, bravery, the circus, despots, superstition – and it has a very high body count. Shaw dates well because he takes the piss I wonder he’s not more revived.
Radio – Suspense – “Voyage Through Darkness” (1944) ** (warning: spoilers)
Olivia de Havilland in a Joan Fontaine in Rebecca type role about a mousy type on a voyage who falls for a man who may or may nor be a stowaway and who may or may not be a killer. Boring resolution: he’s a detective. Zzzzz. Of interest to de Havilland fans only.
Movie review – “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” (1971) ****
Enormously charming fun children’s film – I’m always surprised to remember it’s a musical. Of course I recall the famous ‘Candyman’ song, but not the rather bland way its presented; ‘Imagination’ and the ‘Oompa Loompa Song’ are etched in my mind, but not the others – some bland ballad by Charlie’s mother, and one involving his family. What ages incredibly well is the fantastic production design, the no-holds-barred satire (Dahl has great fun with television, horrid children and their parents), and most of all the amazing, strange Gene Wilder, perfect as Wonka (not bogged down with any silly back story like in the remake). The children actors are excellent – even the normal lead is engaging.
Movie review – “Christine” (1983) ***1/2
Not as highly regarded as other King books or Carpenter films but I loved both growing up and it’s had a long life. I think part of this is due to its central idea – who hasn’t wished or wondered if their car came to life? And wished that car could take out some bullies and repair itself? Plus there’s the whole nerd-becoming-cool-through-car-obsession thing.
The film also has very distinguished alumni – John Stockwell and Keith Gordon both became directors, Alexander Paul went on to Baywatch. Paul is fairly terrible (although she became good later in her career) but Stockwell had a very engaging presence and it's displayed excellently here – a SNAG jock. Gordon was good at nerds and he really got the chance to cut loose here. I also remember vividly Christine Belford’s performance as Gordon’s castrating mother – and Kelly Preston appears too as a dopey cheerleader (who’d realise she’d be playing those roles for basically her whole career?). My favourite performance though is from the fat soft spoken tag along part of the gang kid.
This has a slow burn – Carpenter’s take is maybe a bit too sparse and stylised when grittier handling might have worked (I would actually like to see a remake of this, just done in a different style – perhaps someone who was really, really into cars.)
The film also has very distinguished alumni – John Stockwell and Keith Gordon both became directors, Alexander Paul went on to Baywatch. Paul is fairly terrible (although she became good later in her career) but Stockwell had a very engaging presence and it's displayed excellently here – a SNAG jock. Gordon was good at nerds and he really got the chance to cut loose here. I also remember vividly Christine Belford’s performance as Gordon’s castrating mother – and Kelly Preston appears too as a dopey cheerleader (who’d realise she’d be playing those roles for basically her whole career?). My favourite performance though is from the fat soft spoken tag along part of the gang kid.
This has a slow burn – Carpenter’s take is maybe a bit too sparse and stylised when grittier handling might have worked (I would actually like to see a remake of this, just done in a different style – perhaps someone who was really, really into cars.)
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Movie review – Shayne#7 – “Time to Kill” (1941) ***
Most Michael Shayne movies were based on stories that didn’t feature Michael Shayne – this one had the most illustrious ancestry, stemming from the Raymond Chandler story, ‘The High Window’. He’s hired by an old biddy to look for a brasher dobloun, uncovering blackmail and murder. The touch is light and fun, with Chandler’s story providing a strong basis for a film that doesn’t quite clock in at one hour; I enjoyed it a lot more than The Brasher Doubloun, mostly because of Lloyd Nolan and a decent support cast. (Although it cheats by not really giving a climax.) He romances a nightclub singer, the wife of a wastrel in this one as opposed to the craz girl.
Movie review – “Hands of the Ripper” (1971) **
Dennis Meikle, in his excellent book on Hammer, really likes this late entry slasher thriller about the daughter of Jack the Ripper, who starts killing people when she goes into a trance. I thought it was fairly ordinary – badly acted, blandly handled, with lots of nasty killings. Eric Porter adds a dash of dodginess as a middle aged professor who becomes convinced he can “cure” the girl – of course he fails, and she winds up taking out his maid, a hooker, a medium and various others. An interesting touch is the pair of juvenile lovers includes a horny blind girl who can’t wait to get married so she can get down to it. Interesting death sequence
Movie review – “Armageddon” (1998) ***
Silly, over the top action/sci fi film, which has a terrific central idea – oil riggers sent to help blow up an asteroid – and benefits from a typically excellent Jerry Bruckheimer cast, including Steve Buscemi, Will Patton and a young Owen Wilson. Liv Tyler is nothing in a nothing role but I did enjoy the schmaltz at times and it moves along at a fair clip. Michael Bay has to hype every sequence and that gets irritating.
Movie review – “National Lampoon’s Vacation” (1983) ****
Made when John Hughes kept the venom in his scripts all the way through. So much of it has the whiff of authenticity about cross-country family vacations – the crappy motels, squabbling kids, moronic relatives you have to visit, even the fantasy of the hot chick you meet cross country. Hughes really pushes the envelope here – the fate of Aunt Edna and her dog, the rustic relatives. A deserved classic.
Book review – “Dwight’s Last Laugh”
One of the great mysteries in character actor history: how did the man who gave us two of the most brilliant support performances in horror history, Renfield and Fritz, see his career taper away so quickly and so fast? It’s especially bewildering when one considers Frye came to Hollywood after a distinguished Broadway career. Maybe it was the fact he wasn’t under long-term contract to a studio, or simply typecasting (parts like Renfield don’t come along that often). It’s a question that isn’t really answered in this otherwise excellent biography, which is very well researched, particularly on Frye’s stage career (I had no idea he was so successful). The book is sad reading at times, especially the last ten years or so of Frye’s life – he wound up working in an aircraft factory, hoping for a comeback… this, at the height of Hollywood’s Golden Era. Poor bastard.
Radio review – SDP - “Captain from Castille” (1951) **1/2
Challenge for Hollywood studios – how do you take a bloodthirsty event in history with such genocidal implications as the Cortez expedition to South America and turn it into a romantic epic? By basically ignoring the implications of said expedition, and making the villains instead the Spanish Inquisition. The story does touch on some issues, notably by having an Indian character appear and complain to Douglas Fairbanks Jnr (stepping in for Tyrone Power again for SDP) about the Spanish being in his country and Fairbanks goes “fair enough” – but then the Indian later appears to sacrifice his life for Fairbanks’. This cuts one of the most memorable moments from the film - the hero's peasant girlfriend stabbing him at the end so he won't go to gaol.
Movie review – “Fanboys” (2008) **
This has a great central concept – a bunch of hard core Star Wars fans try to see Phantom Menace before it’s released – but it never quite works. The cancer subplot is fine – you need it to motivate the action and give the whole thing some depth (i.e. what is the meaning of life). But somehow this just misses. The cast in particular isn’t quite right – especially the lead guy, the cancer guy and the funny fat man; you kept wanting a bit of Judd Apatow casting in there. Also the adventures seemed a bit forced – some stuff which sounded great on paper (eg fighting with Star Trek fans) never quite works; its as if they couldn’t get the tone right. The romantic subplot is undeveloped, ditto the friendship subplot - actually a lot of subplots. And they repeat some things, such as the outside guy having to repeat a Star Wars trivia. There are an impressive array of cameos.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Musical review – “The Cradle Will Rock” (1937) ***
This musical is best known for the amazing story of its Broadway debut – the Federal authorities, fearing it’s leftist slant, came up with a bogus reason for the show to be cancelled at one theatre, so the whole cast upped and walked down to a nearby theatre where they put on the show. The director was Orson Welles; I have no idea what involvement he had in this album recording. This is fascinating to listen to – it’s an opera musical, meaning no dialogue, set in Steeltown; just like Waiting for Lefty flashbacked from a union meeting, this flashes back from a session in night court one night. We meet prostitutes, corrupt newspaper editors, industrialists, unionists, etc. The music is played by one person on a piano (something which made it easier to move to a theatre at the last moment).
There’s no denying a leftist musical from the 30s has a certain charm, especially with the story of it’s first night performance – it is a bit clunky and dated, and could have done with more humour (there are some funny jokes there). And I guess I don’t really like musicals where it’s all done on a piano. But there are some good tunes and lines, and the title song is rousing.
There’s no denying a leftist musical from the 30s has a certain charm, especially with the story of it’s first night performance – it is a bit clunky and dated, and could have done with more humour (there are some funny jokes there). And I guess I don’t really like musicals where it’s all done on a piano. But there are some good tunes and lines, and the title song is rousing.
Movie review – “Dr Jekyll and Sister Hyde” (1971) ***
Entertaining variation of the Jekyll and Hyde where Ralph Bates’ Jekyll turns into a woman (Martine Beswicke). It’s an intriguing idea, not really exploited as much as it could have been – but then you could say that about a lot of 70s Hammer. But it’s definitely enough to keep you watching. Beswicke goes the pash with two different guys and wears sexy underwear, so there’s all sorts of things you could read into it. (They should put this on a double bill with the Brian de Palma Dressed to Kill.)
The decent script was written by Brian Clements, which throws a few things into the pot to keep things bubbling along: Burke and Hare make an appearance helping Jekyll collect bodies; Jekyll becomes Jack the Ripper; there’s a virgin girl who lives in the same room who gets a crush on Jekyll even though he’s weird (man drought even in 19th century London I guess) and her lecherous brother who gets a crush on Hyde. This is one of the few Hammer films where the investigating police are actually competent – they figure out Jekyll’s guilt pretty early, he just stumps them with the Hyde factor.
I really liked Ralph Bates in this one – he has the bigness and complexity needed to be a decent horror star. He’s also well teamed with Martine Beswicke, who although not as good an actor, has presence and looks as though Bates could transform into her. (I loved the scene where Beswicke checks out her breasts after the first transformation.) Clements’ writing has a nice line in sardonic humour and director Roy Ward Baker handles the transformation scenes with skill.
The decent script was written by Brian Clements, which throws a few things into the pot to keep things bubbling along: Burke and Hare make an appearance helping Jekyll collect bodies; Jekyll becomes Jack the Ripper; there’s a virgin girl who lives in the same room who gets a crush on Jekyll even though he’s weird (man drought even in 19th century London I guess) and her lecherous brother who gets a crush on Hyde. This is one of the few Hammer films where the investigating police are actually competent – they figure out Jekyll’s guilt pretty early, he just stumps them with the Hyde factor.
I really liked Ralph Bates in this one – he has the bigness and complexity needed to be a decent horror star. He’s also well teamed with Martine Beswicke, who although not as good an actor, has presence and looks as though Bates could transform into her. (I loved the scene where Beswicke checks out her breasts after the first transformation.) Clements’ writing has a nice line in sardonic humour and director Roy Ward Baker handles the transformation scenes with skill.
Movie review – “The Horror of Dracula” (1958) ****
Generally regarded as the best of the Hammer horrors, and that’s a fair enough call. It’s definitely a high point in the careers of all involved – Jimmy Sangster’s script doesn’t have an ounce of fat on it, and plunges us straight into the action. It’s not a faithful adaptation of the novel, more a great “cover version” – Harker arrives at the castle expressly to kill Dracula and his servants, at the orders of Van Hesling. This decision of Sangster’s gets everything going at a hurtling pace, and Terence Fisher rises to the occasion with skilful direction – I still get a jolt from Dracula’s initial appearance, the unexpected attack from the vampire girl, the last shot of Harker, etc. Sex is even more explicit in this one – the girls are gagging for Dracula, look how disappointed they are when he doesn’t rock up, and at the expressions on their faces when he bits them.
Christopher Lee is brilliant as Dracula – imposing, scary, sexy. Peter Cushing is an excellent Van Helsing – physical, smart as a whip, dangerous (there have been lots of memorable Draculas, but very few memorable Van Helsings). The women in this one weren’t much for all their orgasmic acting and Michael Gough’s character is irritating (he’s well motivated and all that, it’s just his soft spoken piousness got on my nerves). The film also loses a bit of momentum after Lucy’s death, but soon recovers for the brilliant climax. Stunning art direction (considering the budget), and excellent photography.
Christopher Lee is brilliant as Dracula – imposing, scary, sexy. Peter Cushing is an excellent Van Helsing – physical, smart as a whip, dangerous (there have been lots of memorable Draculas, but very few memorable Van Helsings). The women in this one weren’t much for all their orgasmic acting and Michael Gough’s character is irritating (he’s well motivated and all that, it’s just his soft spoken piousness got on my nerves). The film also loses a bit of momentum after Lucy’s death, but soon recovers for the brilliant climax. Stunning art direction (considering the budget), and excellent photography.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Movie review – “Moon Zero Two” (1969) **
This could have been a really good movie. The special effects are impressive for the time, James Olson is a believable astronaut (though not really leading man material), Catherine Schell is stunning, Warren Mitchell a believable millionaire, the basic story isn’t bad… But the filmmakers keep dropping the ball. There are two main stories – Olsen is paid by Mitchell to do an illegal mining operation, to make an asteroid crash on the dark side of the moon so he can mine it - that’s a good idea. Throw in Schell looking for her missing brother and a believable depiction of moon society (run by red tape with miners out constantly to make a buck) and you have the basis for something good, especially with Hammer’s success with horror and suspense tales. Sure the interior decoration has a mod sixties feel (eg groovy mini skirts and helmets for girls) but that has charm of it's own too.
But Michael Carreras, never the best writer, penned an awkward script (it essentially goes: part one, asteroid, then part two, Schell, then unconvincingly ties them together). There’s too much talk and not enough suspense or horror. Every once in a while there’s a good bit, like Olsen trying to capture the asteroid or driving across the moon and running out of oxygen and you go “they needed more of this”. Then they ruin it with the awful jazz music score, or we cut to the bar and a bunch of miners come in like a western, or there are these dancers doing a big number, or the space patrol wear a silly wig. The film even gets off to an awful start with this ridiculous comic animated credit sequence which gives the completely wrong impression of the sort of film this is. It was advertised as a “space western” which it kind of is – but why didn’t they make a solid sci fi instead? Or a sci-fi horror? That’s what launched Hammer, with Quartermass. The studio had little experience with Westerns - they made war films, swashbucklers, Ancient World adventure tales...but never a Western. So they gambled a large budget on that and this film helped killed Hammer.
But Michael Carreras, never the best writer, penned an awkward script (it essentially goes: part one, asteroid, then part two, Schell, then unconvincingly ties them together). There’s too much talk and not enough suspense or horror. Every once in a while there’s a good bit, like Olsen trying to capture the asteroid or driving across the moon and running out of oxygen and you go “they needed more of this”. Then they ruin it with the awful jazz music score, or we cut to the bar and a bunch of miners come in like a western, or there are these dancers doing a big number, or the space patrol wear a silly wig. The film even gets off to an awful start with this ridiculous comic animated credit sequence which gives the completely wrong impression of the sort of film this is. It was advertised as a “space western” which it kind of is – but why didn’t they make a solid sci fi instead? Or a sci-fi horror? That’s what launched Hammer, with Quartermass. The studio had little experience with Westerns - they made war films, swashbucklers, Ancient World adventure tales...but never a Western. So they gambled a large budget on that and this film helped killed Hammer.
Movie review – “Vampire Circus” (1972) ***1/2
One of the best of 70s Hammers, a deliriously over the top concoction made by relative newcomers to the studio (it lacks any sort of star names). It starts with a bang – a young girl is lured away to a castle by a woman in thrall to a vampire… who then kills the young girl and roots the woman. Apparently he’s been killing kids so a posse of townsfolk rock up to kill him, but not before the vampire has knocked off a fair few of the posse and sworn revenge (which seems a bit rich – he did kill their kids). Fifteen years later the village is struck by plague when a circus comes to town – it includes vampires. So the poor township suffers again!
The rules are there are no rules, in this vampire films. Vampires can walk around in daylight, and be revived even after staked through the heart if they are given enough blood (that is what motivates the circus vampires); small children are killed (this film probably has some sort of record for the number of kids killed on screen – and there are more killed off screen). Many memorable scenes and characters: a pants man male vampire who turns into a panther (a la Cat People or the Bram Stoker Dracula); a dwarf who assists the vampires and gets conked on the head in one scene and has a Mini Me type fight with the young male lead in another; acrobatic twins who are vampires, one of whom is very conveniently impaled by a falling cross (just like the end of Lust for a Vampire); a gypsy woman (Adrienne Corinne) who is the reincarnation (or something) of a vampire mistress; said vampire mistress has to run the gauntlet; a two way mirror allows vampires to kill people; a woman dances at the circus wearing nothing but body paint (I was disappointed she dropped out of the film); David Prowse (aka the body of Darth Vader) as a strongman.
There are also the normal women-who-get-horny-for-a-vampire (lots of nudity in this) and mob-of-people-taking-on-the-vampire and unconvincing vampires-scared-of-a-cross. The romantic couple in this one are very young, genuine teenagers – the guy is a drip but Lynne Fredericks is very beautiful as the girl (she later married Peter Sellars in real life and got all his money). Nihilistic, full-on and very entertaining; should definitely be better known.
The rules are there are no rules, in this vampire films. Vampires can walk around in daylight, and be revived even after staked through the heart if they are given enough blood (that is what motivates the circus vampires); small children are killed (this film probably has some sort of record for the number of kids killed on screen – and there are more killed off screen). Many memorable scenes and characters: a pants man male vampire who turns into a panther (a la Cat People or the Bram Stoker Dracula); a dwarf who assists the vampires and gets conked on the head in one scene and has a Mini Me type fight with the young male lead in another; acrobatic twins who are vampires, one of whom is very conveniently impaled by a falling cross (just like the end of Lust for a Vampire); a gypsy woman (Adrienne Corinne) who is the reincarnation (or something) of a vampire mistress; said vampire mistress has to run the gauntlet; a two way mirror allows vampires to kill people; a woman dances at the circus wearing nothing but body paint (I was disappointed she dropped out of the film); David Prowse (aka the body of Darth Vader) as a strongman.
There are also the normal women-who-get-horny-for-a-vampire (lots of nudity in this) and mob-of-people-taking-on-the-vampire and unconvincing vampires-scared-of-a-cross. The romantic couple in this one are very young, genuine teenagers – the guy is a drip but Lynne Fredericks is very beautiful as the girl (she later married Peter Sellars in real life and got all his money). Nihilistic, full-on and very entertaining; should definitely be better known.
Movie review – “Dracula – Prince of Darkness” (1966) ****
Christopher Lee was tempted to don the cloak again after years of absence by a decent financial offer from Hammer (with a role as Rasputin to sweeten the deal). The workload was light for him – he’s not on screen that long and doesn’t have any dialogue – but when he does appear, it’s electric and terrifying.
This is one of my favourite Hammers, a terrifically scary vampire saga (although apparently it’s not that highly regarded by aficionados). The first half is basically one big long scary sequence about four English travellers (including Francis Matthews and Australia’s own Bud Tingwell) arriving at Dracula’s castle. It goes on a long time but is terrific.
The pace doesn’t slack off later as the survivors take refuge in a monastery headed by Andrew Keir, who makes an excellent antagonist for Lee, all muscular Christianity, impatient of superstition (in the opening scene he stops a woman being staked through the heart) but on top of the vampire situation. Dracula’s assistant Klove is almost as scary as Dracula (what a great combination these two are) and there’s even a Renfield type at the monastery.
It’s expertly done by director Terence Fisher with a logical script by Jimmy Sangster (who for some reason took a nom de plume – maybe out of protest with Dracula’s dialogue being removed, although it works better without it). Memorable, albeit awkwardly staged climax, on the ice. A deserved hit, which kicked off a new era at Hammer - the sequel era, where they cranked out upteenth versions of Frankenstein and Dracula until the studio went bust.
This is one of my favourite Hammers, a terrifically scary vampire saga (although apparently it’s not that highly regarded by aficionados). The first half is basically one big long scary sequence about four English travellers (including Francis Matthews and Australia’s own Bud Tingwell) arriving at Dracula’s castle. It goes on a long time but is terrific.
The pace doesn’t slack off later as the survivors take refuge in a monastery headed by Andrew Keir, who makes an excellent antagonist for Lee, all muscular Christianity, impatient of superstition (in the opening scene he stops a woman being staked through the heart) but on top of the vampire situation. Dracula’s assistant Klove is almost as scary as Dracula (what a great combination these two are) and there’s even a Renfield type at the monastery.
It’s expertly done by director Terence Fisher with a logical script by Jimmy Sangster (who for some reason took a nom de plume – maybe out of protest with Dracula’s dialogue being removed, although it works better without it). Memorable, albeit awkwardly staged climax, on the ice. A deserved hit, which kicked off a new era at Hammer - the sequel era, where they cranked out upteenth versions of Frankenstein and Dracula until the studio went bust.
Movie review - "The Replacements" (1999) **
I'm a sucker for sports movies, even poorly done ones like this. It has a great central idea, based on a true incident - a players strike sees a coach collect a rag-tag group of no-hopers who manage to forge a fighting spirit, etc, etc. Gene Hackman looks to be phoning it in as a coach; Keanu Reeves manages a little better as the quarterback, and there is a strong rupport cast (including Rhy Ilfans and the cute Brooke Langton as the chead cheerleader). A lot of it is lazy and smacks of "we're going to have this scene here" without working through the scene eg the cheerleading auditions (I know they're meant to be broad but the auditions in Bring It On were broad too yet realistic), the let's-form-unity-through-a-dance (above comment applies for The Full Monty), the let's-bond-via-a-brawl, artificial-climax-by-having-quarterback-not-turn-up. But you know something? It's still watchable, even in it's crappiness - the central idea is very strong. And I like the use of the song "Heroes".
Radio review – Lux - “Five Fingers” (1952) ***1/2
Good on 20th Century Fox for making a film where the lead character is a German spy – but it’s a cracking good yarn, with a terrific role for James Mason (who played the lead in another Fox film about a German, The Desert Fox). Very suspenseful, with Mason trying to get money and giving good intelligence, but not quite being believed. Solid twists – England send an agent, there’s a girl involved (an aristocrat who knew Mason way back when, played by his real-life wife Pamela), the money is counterfeit, etc.
Australia’s Michael Pate did the narration.
Radio review – SDP – “Prince of Foxes” (1951) **1/2
Doug Fairbanks Jnr slips naturally into Tyrone Power’s screen role as a charming adventurer who works for Cesar Borgia (who is here not played by Orson Welles); he is sent on a mission to smooth talk a besieged city into surrendering, but rather like Sam Worthington in Avatar he winds up changing sides.
No classic but not bad with Fairbanks well cast; its interesting to listen to a swashbuckler set in medieval Italy, and with a Borgia in the cast.
No classic but not bad with Fairbanks well cast; its interesting to listen to a swashbuckler set in medieval Italy, and with a Borgia in the cast.
Movie review – “Creatures the World Forgot” (1971) **
More prehistoric shenanigans from Hammer, although unlike One Million Years BC and When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth, there are no dinosaurs – which is more realistic and would have been cheaper to make but kind of misses half the point of making these films. The other half point is to see women in caveman bikinis but that’s not enough on its own – and this movie compounds the error by focusing most of its attention on the guys.
There’s about 20 minutes of backstory about a tribe fleeing from a volcano, and fighting, and meeting another tribe and having one of their women (at a sort of cave man orgy), and fleeing again, until the woman gives birth to twins and the story starts. One twin is light hailed (Australia’s Tony Bonner!), one is dark haired; consistent with the film’s theme that light haired people are a more advanced than dark, the dark haired twin hates the blonde, and tries to take over the tribe a la Cain and Abel. Even though Bonner beats his brother in a fight he doesn’t kill him, but takes off to set up his tribe elsewhere – he runs into another tribe, gets a woman from that (it’s a repetitive sort of movie), then has to fight his brother.
There is always something happening – usually a fight – but much of the action is repetitive, and there is little characterisation or complexity to speak of. It’s not even that sexy – Julie Edge is the main woman looks fetching but isn’t given that much to do. (There’s also a beautiful mute girl who does more action but Bonner goes off with Edge at the end which seems a little unfair.) Director Don Chaffey and producer Michael Carreras seem more interested in scenes of men wrestling with one another on the ground.
It looks terrific, though: the Namibian scenery is stunning (deserts, rocks, forest, waterfalls). Bonner has the physique of a caveman, although his blonde hair and beard (which makes him look much older) are a little odd. Hammer did not make any more films along this line.
There’s about 20 minutes of backstory about a tribe fleeing from a volcano, and fighting, and meeting another tribe and having one of their women (at a sort of cave man orgy), and fleeing again, until the woman gives birth to twins and the story starts. One twin is light hailed (Australia’s Tony Bonner!), one is dark haired; consistent with the film’s theme that light haired people are a more advanced than dark, the dark haired twin hates the blonde, and tries to take over the tribe a la Cain and Abel. Even though Bonner beats his brother in a fight he doesn’t kill him, but takes off to set up his tribe elsewhere – he runs into another tribe, gets a woman from that (it’s a repetitive sort of movie), then has to fight his brother.
There is always something happening – usually a fight – but much of the action is repetitive, and there is little characterisation or complexity to speak of. It’s not even that sexy – Julie Edge is the main woman looks fetching but isn’t given that much to do. (There’s also a beautiful mute girl who does more action but Bonner goes off with Edge at the end which seems a little unfair.) Director Don Chaffey and producer Michael Carreras seem more interested in scenes of men wrestling with one another on the ground.
It looks terrific, though: the Namibian scenery is stunning (deserts, rocks, forest, waterfalls). Bonner has the physique of a caveman, although his blonde hair and beard (which makes him look much older) are a little odd. Hammer did not make any more films along this line.
Movie review – “Lust for a Vampire” (1971) **
Ingrid Pitt was off doing Countess Dracula and thus unable to reprise her role as Marcilla so that role is given to Yvette Starsgard, who is pretty and shapely but simply doesn’t have Pitt’s charisma; they really should have waited until Pitt was ready to play the part. She is revived from the dead by her Karnstein parents, who bundle her off to finishing school where she runs amok (as well as presumably receiving an education), seducing and chewing on the various students. (Although she’s on that predatory – on her first night there student Pippa Steele tries to seduce her.)
The early scenes at the finishing school are pure camp: the girls are doing some sort of weird Grecian dance with flowing ropes and revealing dresses; later they lounge about in various states of half-dress, doing up stockings while topless, letting their tops fall down as they receive a back massage, etc. This stuff cuts out after a while – I don’t know why they bothered, a bit more might have livened things up.
Marcilla is less of an exclusive lesbian in this one – although she still takes her fair share. She seems to fall in love with an annoying male novelist (Michael Johnson) who is in the area – they have sex to a gloriously daggy ballad; although later on he busts her chomping on another female student. Another girl – a non-lesbian, non-vampire teacher, is also meant to fall in love with Johnson, but she doesn’t look as though she believes the lines she’s saying.
Ralph Bates is good value as a teacher of the school who wants to be a vampire, plus a headmistress who wants to hush up all the deaths, and a mob of villagers at the end who go to burn down the castle. The man in black reappears although it’s clearer who he is – Count Karnstein, aka Dad. There’s also mum who drops her off, and I was hoping for some Karnstein domestic scenes with their charge (“how was school?”, “kill anyone interesting?”, “Your grades aren’t very good” and so on) but no matter. Jimmy Sangster wasn’t a very good director; there’s a bit three times where we see a woman from the POV of a vampire where the woman smiles at her attacker, offers herself up, then stops smiling and screams. Followed by Twins of Evil, although that's not a "pure" sequel.
The early scenes at the finishing school are pure camp: the girls are doing some sort of weird Grecian dance with flowing ropes and revealing dresses; later they lounge about in various states of half-dress, doing up stockings while topless, letting their tops fall down as they receive a back massage, etc. This stuff cuts out after a while – I don’t know why they bothered, a bit more might have livened things up.
Marcilla is less of an exclusive lesbian in this one – although she still takes her fair share. She seems to fall in love with an annoying male novelist (Michael Johnson) who is in the area – they have sex to a gloriously daggy ballad; although later on he busts her chomping on another female student. Another girl – a non-lesbian, non-vampire teacher, is also meant to fall in love with Johnson, but she doesn’t look as though she believes the lines she’s saying.
Ralph Bates is good value as a teacher of the school who wants to be a vampire, plus a headmistress who wants to hush up all the deaths, and a mob of villagers at the end who go to burn down the castle. The man in black reappears although it’s clearer who he is – Count Karnstein, aka Dad. There’s also mum who drops her off, and I was hoping for some Karnstein domestic scenes with their charge (“how was school?”, “kill anyone interesting?”, “Your grades aren’t very good” and so on) but no matter. Jimmy Sangster wasn’t a very good director; there’s a bit three times where we see a woman from the POV of a vampire where the woman smiles at her attacker, offers herself up, then stops smiling and screams. Followed by Twins of Evil, although that's not a "pure" sequel.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Movie review – “Countess Dracula” (1970) **
Ingrid Pitt made such a splash in The Vampire Lovers she was given the lead in another film, based on Elisabeth Barony, who would kill girls out of the belief their blood would make her seem younger. Pitt starts off old then discovers the blood regime and pretends to be her own daughter. The pressure gets on when she falls for a spunky young officer. This is reminiscent of the 1965 She, including a woman worried about nabbing a younger man and transformation from young to old.
There are lots of good ideas here – it must have sounded great at pitch level – with Pitt arranging for her own daughter to be kidnapped, having to get blood from virgins, Nigel Green as Pitt's old lover who gets jealous. There is some colourful production design, including several gypsy dances, Lesley Ann Downe (Pitt’s daughter) is stunningly pretty, Pitt looks great (though not as good in Vampire Lovers), there’s some nibbling on Pitt’s nipples, a great moment where Pitt gets busted having a virgin blood bath.
But it never really takes fire. The script gets a bit repetitive – Pitt kills someone, gets younger, then older, then kills someone again, etc. It lacks an antagonist, someone out to get Pitt (Green ultimately does what she says, Maurice Denham’s priest you think might go against her but he just ends up helping her out, the male lead is a whimp). It never really digs into Pitt’s character that much. It’s also not very erotic. With it’s older woman lusting after a young man and obsessed with her looks this would be ripe for a gay remake.
There are lots of good ideas here – it must have sounded great at pitch level – with Pitt arranging for her own daughter to be kidnapped, having to get blood from virgins, Nigel Green as Pitt's old lover who gets jealous. There is some colourful production design, including several gypsy dances, Lesley Ann Downe (Pitt’s daughter) is stunningly pretty, Pitt looks great (though not as good in Vampire Lovers), there’s some nibbling on Pitt’s nipples, a great moment where Pitt gets busted having a virgin blood bath.
But it never really takes fire. The script gets a bit repetitive – Pitt kills someone, gets younger, then older, then kills someone again, etc. It lacks an antagonist, someone out to get Pitt (Green ultimately does what she says, Maurice Denham’s priest you think might go against her but he just ends up helping her out, the male lead is a whimp). It never really digs into Pitt’s character that much. It’s also not very erotic. With it’s older woman lusting after a young man and obsessed with her looks this would be ripe for a gay remake.
Radio review – TGA#144 – “Mary of Scotland” (1946) **
Maxwell Anderson tries to make Mary more sympathetic by claiming the whole thing was engineered by shrewish Elizabeth, who plotted for Mary to marry Darnley and to stoke opposition from John Knox. But Mary still comes across as a nitwit not worthy of ruling Scotland, basically thinking with her heart (or is that clit?) – stupidly marrying Darnley, then running of the Boswell, then fleeing to England. Anderson has Mary and Elizabeth meet and clash, not true historically but totally justifiable dramatically – Mary tells Elizabeth off for not being a complete woman. Way to go, idiot.
It's not helped that Mary is played by Queen Simper herself, Helen Hayes.
Radio review – SDP – “Beyond Glory” (1951) **
John Farrow admits at the end when they started shooting this film they didn’t have a script – and to be honest you can tell. It’s part war character study (getting over the war by enrolling in West Point), part amnesiac mystery (did Alan Ladd kill his best friend in Africa?), part tribute to West Point, part Few Good Men-type look at a cadet who claims to be bullied. Had they fixed on one thing they might have come up with something decent. But you know Ladd isn't going to be a coward, and that West Point is going to ultimately be shown to be a Good Thing.
Most interesting thing for me was hearing John Farrow talk at end – you could hear the Australian in his voice, but it’s not really an Aussie accent, more mid-Pacific/mid Atlantic. Ladd mentions that Farrow had directed him more than anyone else at that stage in his career.
Most interesting thing for me was hearing John Farrow talk at end – you could hear the Australian in his voice, but it’s not really an Aussie accent, more mid-Pacific/mid Atlantic. Ladd mentions that Farrow had directed him more than anyone else at that stage in his career.
Radio review – Suspense – “Black Path of Fear” (1944) **1/2
Great set up – Brian Donvley has run off to Havana with the wife of a gangster they both worked for – after that there aren’t really any surprises (she’s killed, gangster did it, a very convenient widow pops up to help) although it has a dark romanticism because of that. I thought of Revenge with Kevin Costner.
Radio review – CP#41 – “There’s Always a Woman” (1939) **
Orson Welles tries to spread his wings playing the male lead in this wisecracking husband-and-wife detective tale; he isn’t very suited to this sort of humour, despite being well matched by Marie Wilson, who plays a ditz (she sends herself up as a ditz in real life at the end). Welles tries to modify his delivery for wise-cracking but it doesn’t really work; he was a different sort of comedian to Melvyn Douglas, who played the role on film (this was confirmed later when Welles took over another role originated by Douglas in Theodora Goes Wild).
Radio review – CP#50 - “Dinner at Eight” (1940) ***
It's striking just how bleak this is… it starts with a dithering society matron trying to organise a dinner, unaware her ship owning husband is going broke, being raided by a tycoon unaware his trashy wife is cheating on her with a doctor, the husband is unaware his daughter although engaged to a nice man is having an affair with an actor although unaware how deep his self-loathing goes. Suicide, bankruptcy, adultery – it’s all the stuff of comedy of manners, and it’s done with accomplishment by Welles. Hedda Hopper is surprisingly good; Lucille Ball is also good, though less surprisingly, in the Jean Harlow part. Welles plays two roles – Wallace Beery and John Barrymore in the movie. The ending here is downbeat - it has the play's finish rather than the film's.
Radio review – Suspense - “Actor’s Blood” (1944) **1/2
Suspense certainly got the cream of the crop – here Ben Hecht writes a story for and narrates and acts as himself in this saga about a Broadway ham (Frederic March in fine hammy form) investigating the death of his daughter. Very interesting although not that involving – a tribute to actors from a time since passed, when Broadway was Broadway. Hecht later used this story in his movie Actors and Sin.
Radio review – BP#44 – “Kiss the Boys Goodbye” (1953) ***
I was only familiar with Claire Boothe Luce as writer of The Women and the ambassador to Italy who was offended by The Blackboard Jungle, but she also wrote this bright satire of the search for Scarlett O’Hara. The two main competitors are a genuine southern belle (whose accent grates after a while) and a man-eating actress; there’s also the director, producer, male lead. It’s fast paced and fun with some bright satire about Southern clichés (it’s more about the south than Hollywood).
Radio review – BP#47 – “Detective Story” (1953) ***
Tough, downbeat version of the Sidney Kingsley play with Wendell Corey as the self-righteous cop who beats prisoners and is keen to get stuck into an abortionist doctor, only to find out his wife had an abortion. The fore-runner of all those New York cop shows; Kingsley apparently spent a year researching this which seems an awful long time, with so much time spent on the abortion plot, but it feels real and is still gripping. You do lose something it being on radio and not being able to see the details of the station.
Radio review – Lux - “Air Force” (1943) ****
Tremendously exciting war story, very well written by Dudley Nichols, about a US airplane that is flying to Pearl Harbour just as Pearl Harbour is attacked. It goes on to Wake Island and Manila, giving it powerful resonance. The ensemble nature of the piece also means you’re not sure who is going to live, although you suspect George Raft (stepping in for John Garfield, and not bad at all) will. Harry Carey is also in the cast. It has racism of the time, i.e. reference to Tojo as a monkey; the plane flies to Darwin at the end.
Radio review – “Don Juan in Hell” (1952) **1/2
Recorded album of a show which tickled the publics fancy, in that random way that cultured “events” sometimes do. Charles Laughton, Agnes Moorehead, Cedric Hardwicke and Charles Boyer did a cross-country tour with this George Shaw segment of a play. I really enjoyed the stuff with Laughton as a devil; wasn’t so wild about Boyer as Don Juan, he was a little hard to understand.
Movie review – “Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed” (1969) ***
Terence Fisher’s favourite among his Hammer film and it certainly is very well directed, with some particularly strong sequences (break and enter at the beginning, the revival of the creature, etc). It also has a logical, decent script – Frankenstein discovers an old colleague of his is in an insane asylum, so he busts him out and tries to revive his brain. He blackmails a pair of sweet but wet young lovers (Simon Ward, Veronica Carlson) to help him. This has the famously awful scene of Cushing raping Carlson for no good reason, or impact on the story – it’s yuck (if they wanted sex why not have one between Ward and Carlson).
Ward and Carlson are effective and good actors, although they play pathetic, characters – Carlson can’t even get a horse ready to flea, and Ward is easily talked into things loses all his fights (does he die in the end?). Mind you they are believable and it’s a nice change to see Frankenstein blackmailing people into helping him.
Excellent work from Peter Cushing and Freddie Jones as the new monster – he’s really touching, similar to Mary Shelley’s original. I think he should have been revived in the second act rather the third – this was really meaty stuff, better than Carlson/Ward/Cushing stressing that the authorities would find them. (I like the way the cops are shown to be believably hopeless).
Ward and Carlson are effective and good actors, although they play pathetic, characters – Carlson can’t even get a horse ready to flea, and Ward is easily talked into things loses all his fights (does he die in the end?). Mind you they are believable and it’s a nice change to see Frankenstein blackmailing people into helping him.
Excellent work from Peter Cushing and Freddie Jones as the new monster – he’s really touching, similar to Mary Shelley’s original. I think he should have been revived in the second act rather the third – this was really meaty stuff, better than Carlson/Ward/Cushing stressing that the authorities would find them. (I like the way the cops are shown to be believably hopeless).
Movie review – “The Satanic Rites of Dracula” (1973) **
It doesn’t sound promising – the sixth in Hammer’s Dracula series, the last with Cushing and Lee, set in the present day… but actually this is surprisingly fun, decent entertainment. Well, to be honest, it’s a surprisingly fun, decent script not very well realised.
It opens like an R rated version of The Professionals or something with someone escaping from being kidnapped by a group of Satanists then being investigated by confident, worldly middle aged British cops. It turns out the Satanists include several high ranking members of the government so they call in Van Helsing’s grandson (Cushing) to help.
Despite the Satanists and vampires this could easily be a spy film. There are assassins with moustaches and silencers, assassins on motorbikes.
It does get worse as it goes on: the finale is silly and underwhelming with Dracula being very whimpy, not able to overpower Van Helsing and being beaten by a bush in a garden (I’m not making this up). There’s some fun in Joanna Lumley as Van Hesling’s grand-daughter – particularly as she’s poking around a cellar full of female vampires, but the director muffs this, and a lot of other good ideas the film has (eg Dracula as a corporate tycoon, Dracula determined to bring about the end of the world).
It’s like they set out trying to make a good film but then gave up. A shame. But you know something? I still had fun watching it.
It opens like an R rated version of The Professionals or something with someone escaping from being kidnapped by a group of Satanists then being investigated by confident, worldly middle aged British cops. It turns out the Satanists include several high ranking members of the government so they call in Van Helsing’s grandson (Cushing) to help.
Despite the Satanists and vampires this could easily be a spy film. There are assassins with moustaches and silencers, assassins on motorbikes.
It does get worse as it goes on: the finale is silly and underwhelming with Dracula being very whimpy, not able to overpower Van Helsing and being beaten by a bush in a garden (I’m not making this up). There’s some fun in Joanna Lumley as Van Hesling’s grand-daughter – particularly as she’s poking around a cellar full of female vampires, but the director muffs this, and a lot of other good ideas the film has (eg Dracula as a corporate tycoon, Dracula determined to bring about the end of the world).
It’s like they set out trying to make a good film but then gave up. A shame. But you know something? I still had fun watching it.
Radio review – TGA#13 – “Elizabeth the Queen” (1952) **1/2
Maxwell Anderson’s play remains a good, solid drama – I was struck to see the 1939 Warner Bros film was reasonably faithful. However the film had far more vigorous handling, and better performers than the one here.
This is really a play that needs decent stars – it got it on film with Bette Davis and Errol Flynn, but not here, even though it has the Lunts, Alfred Lunt and Lynne Fontanne ("star of 23 of the Theatre Guild's finest plays").
Radio review – Lux – “The Road to Morocco” (1943) ***1/2
The free-wheeling style of the Road movies adapts brilliantly to radio in this highly enjoyable adaptation. Bing and Bob are here, but not Dorothy Lamour – she’s replaced by someone called Ginny Tims (or something). The two stars play their characters doing a radio broadcast, kidding around with Cecil B de Mille in character. They are bright and engaging; there is some non-PC humour about Arab languages.
Radio review – BP#24 – “Craig’s Wife” (1946) **1/2
This was a popular play, filmed in 1928, 1936 and 1953, about a perfectionist housewife determined to own a clean house and to drive people away from her husband. She’s a monster but is given a good motivation – her mother was passed over for a new wife who lost the house – so I think many women thought “good for you” for a bit, even as they enjoyed her come-uppance (I think a similar thing applied to the Glenn Close character in Fatal Attraction).
You probably lose something not seeing the perfect house, and the husband smashing the vase at the end. The film endorses love and honesty as important things in marriage, but it’s not as though Mrs Craig can go out and get a job. It would be fascinating to see this revived. They play was written by George Kelly - uncle of Grace.
You probably lose something not seeing the perfect house, and the husband smashing the vase at the end. The film endorses love and honesty as important things in marriage, but it’s not as though Mrs Craig can go out and get a job. It would be fascinating to see this revived. They play was written by George Kelly - uncle of Grace.
Radio review – TGA#52 – “Bill of Divorcement” (1946) **1/2
This served as a vehicle of Kate Hepburn/John Barrymore (30s film), then Maureen O’Hara/ Adolphe Menjou (40s film), then Patricia Ward/James Mason (here).
It was one of Mason’s first jobs in the US (another show for this program, Morning Glory, was his first) and he’s got a terrific voice for radio. He’s pretty good in the role of a formerly insane person who comes back to interrupt his daughter’s impending marriage.
You do kind of wonder what the point of the story is – the daughter is worried about being insane so dumps her husband and decides to live with her dad, which is a bit of yuck (this seems to support eugenics).
The play was written in response to a law which – shock, horror – enabled people to divorce their partners by reason of insanity; it’s a bit musty now but is worth listening to because of Mason.
It was one of Mason’s first jobs in the US (another show for this program, Morning Glory, was his first) and he’s got a terrific voice for radio. He’s pretty good in the role of a formerly insane person who comes back to interrupt his daughter’s impending marriage.
You do kind of wonder what the point of the story is – the daughter is worried about being insane so dumps her husband and decides to live with her dad, which is a bit of yuck (this seems to support eugenics).
The play was written in response to a law which – shock, horror – enabled people to divorce their partners by reason of insanity; it’s a bit musty now but is worth listening to because of Mason.
Radio review – Mercury - “Twelfth Night” (1938) ***
Charming Mercury rendition of the famous comedy, with Welles narrating and offering a delightful prologue (playing Richard Burbage hassling Shakespeare to finish Hamlet and being frustrated he’s writing Twelfth Night instead) and epilogue (about critical reaction to the play through the ages eg Hazlitt, Pepys). The play itself is performed with spirit, although some of the acting is a bit iffy, particularly the girls.
Radio review – Suspense – “The Diary of Sophrina Winters” (1944) ***
You’d think spinsters would read/watch/listen to enough suspense stories to know now to marry people they meet on holiday in Florida after only one week, but that’s just what Agnes Moorehead does with Ray Collins; Collins soon reveals himself to be loony tunes about people with the name Sophrina. Another good radio script from Lucille Fletcher, who really knew the medium (this one uses diary entries frequently). Apparently she wrote the script especially for the two Mercury alumni.
Radio review – Texaco Theatre – “Criminal Code” (1939) ** (warning: spoilers)
Odd show – it’s half variety, half serious drama. The variety component guest stars Bela Lugosi, who appears in a sketch entitled ‘Dracula of Sunnybrook Farm’ –Dracula is a boarder at a farm and kills all the locals, which is a funny idea but they don’t do any more than that – indeed, it just kind of ends. (Before then Lugosi engages in some banter including general teasing of Karloff - but then he goes on to reassure that he and Boris are great mates).
The second half is an adaptation of a prison drama, the Criminal Code, with Burgess Meredith as a guy who kills someone in a fight and gets a rather stiff sentence of ten years; he falls for the warden’s daughter. Not bad. Howard Hawks filmed this story in 1931 (the movie featured Boris Karloff, in the role that led to him being cast in Frankenstein). The film had a happy ending but this one doesn’t – Meredith kills the baddy and the self-righteous warden puts him away.
Radio review – TG#87 – “Cyrano de Bergerac” (1947) ***
Husband and wife team Frederic March and Florence Eldridge step into the roles of Cyrano and Roxanne in this enjoyable rendition of the classic play.
Listening to it again Roxanne is a bit of a snobby bitch – she tells Christian to go away and get some flashy language. Get stuffed, Roxanne, you’re the one drooling over a himbo.
This is solid stuff, though – we meet Cyrano, there’s the famous insult scene, Christian comes along, Christian woos via Cyrano, war comes along (Roxanne redeems herself going to the front), Christian dies, convent, Cyrano dies… I’m surprised the film version of this wasn’t a success at the box office it remains a great adventure romance story. March handles the language very well.
Listening to it again Roxanne is a bit of a snobby bitch – she tells Christian to go away and get some flashy language. Get stuffed, Roxanne, you’re the one drooling over a himbo.
This is solid stuff, though – we meet Cyrano, there’s the famous insult scene, Christian comes along, Christian woos via Cyrano, war comes along (Roxanne redeems herself going to the front), Christian dies, convent, Cyrano dies… I’m surprised the film version of this wasn’t a success at the box office it remains a great adventure romance story. March handles the language very well.
Radio review – Suspense - “Of Maestro and Man” (1944) **1/2
Peter Lorre isn’t the first actor you’d think of when casting someone to play a boxing manager, but he’s a good actor so why not? He’s in gambling debt so he sells his interest in a boxer – the boxer wants to quit so Lorre tries to kill him. Of course, being Suspense, and with the boxer being a nice chap who normally don’t suffer on this show, it doesn’t go to plan.
Thursday, January 07, 2010
Radio review – Suspense – “The Beast Within” (1944) *** (warning: spoilers)
Excellent episode with Herbert Marshall as a writer determined to kill the person he think has killed his son. Just when you think it’s going to whimp out there’s a great double twist ending – Marshall decides not to go through with drowning him, the guy dies anyway, it’s poison, others confess, Marshall reveals he actually did a false confession of drowning to throw people off the fact that he poisoned, Marshall kills himself.
Movie review – “The Curse of Frankenstein” (1957) ***
The film that kicked it off for Hammer suffers in comparison with The Horror of Dracula, but this still holds up pretty well, chiefly due to Peter Cushing’s Frankenstein.
As opposed to previous incantations of the doctor, which tended to depict him as someone who goes a bit loony then is gripped with remorse (like an alcoholic who sobers up). Cushing’s Frankenstein is a bag egg through and through – he kills a professor to use his brain for his creature, sleeps with his maid but refuses to marry her and organises her death, arranges for the creature to be brought back to life. The monster isn’t very sympathetic either, killing an old man and his grandson (Christopher Lee doesn’t have Karloff’s desire to listen to music or make friends with little girls). Come to think of it, Cushing’s mate is a bit of a prick too – he lies to ensure that Cushing goes to the guillotine at the end.
The photography and art direction aren’t as impressive as alter Hammers but they are still striking and it’s not hard to imagine how they would have blown away audiences. Jimmy Sangster wasn’t a big fan of his own screenplay but it has some great moments (apart from the characterisation of Frankenstein of course): opening on death row, the death of the professor, the creature falling into the acid bath. Lee's monster is ok, not as good as Karloff's but better than, say, Glen Strange; Hazel Court is pretty and the kid who plays young Cushing is hilarious.
As opposed to previous incantations of the doctor, which tended to depict him as someone who goes a bit loony then is gripped with remorse (like an alcoholic who sobers up). Cushing’s Frankenstein is a bag egg through and through – he kills a professor to use his brain for his creature, sleeps with his maid but refuses to marry her and organises her death, arranges for the creature to be brought back to life. The monster isn’t very sympathetic either, killing an old man and his grandson (Christopher Lee doesn’t have Karloff’s desire to listen to music or make friends with little girls). Come to think of it, Cushing’s mate is a bit of a prick too – he lies to ensure that Cushing goes to the guillotine at the end.
The photography and art direction aren’t as impressive as alter Hammers but they are still striking and it’s not hard to imagine how they would have blown away audiences. Jimmy Sangster wasn’t a big fan of his own screenplay but it has some great moments (apart from the characterisation of Frankenstein of course): opening on death row, the death of the professor, the creature falling into the acid bath. Lee's monster is ok, not as good as Karloff's but better than, say, Glen Strange; Hazel Court is pretty and the kid who plays young Cushing is hilarious.
Movie review – “Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb” (1964) **1/2
Sons of moguls seem to be important kicking off horror cycles – Carl Laemle Jnr was crucial for Universal horrors, and Hammer horrors were partly driven by Tony Hinds and Michael Carreras. This film was written, produced and directed by Carreras, and is not among the most highly-regarded of the Hammer horrors, but it’s not bad.
There is a lack of star power – the closest thing to a marquee name is Fred Clark, the American comic banana, who hear plays a Yank showman sponsoring a mummy expedition (he's a little like Carl Denham in King Kong). Of course this induces a curse. Although there is a girl in the story (the daughter of the leader of the expedition – who has his hands chopped up in a striking opening sequence), she’s not a reincarnation of anyeon. However, there is an Egyptian who has been walking the Earth for 3,000 years so there is a vampire influence.
Decent action, some humour from Clark (the film's a lot less lively once he dies), pretty average mummy make up, a dreadful performance from the female lead. It’s about the standard of a Universal mummy film of the 40s, without that great photography.
There is a lack of star power – the closest thing to a marquee name is Fred Clark, the American comic banana, who hear plays a Yank showman sponsoring a mummy expedition (he's a little like Carl Denham in King Kong). Of course this induces a curse. Although there is a girl in the story (the daughter of the leader of the expedition – who has his hands chopped up in a striking opening sequence), she’s not a reincarnation of anyeon. However, there is an Egyptian who has been walking the Earth for 3,000 years so there is a vampire influence.
Decent action, some humour from Clark (the film's a lot less lively once he dies), pretty average mummy make up, a dreadful performance from the female lead. It’s about the standard of a Universal mummy film of the 40s, without that great photography.
Movie review – “Blood from the Mummy’s Tomb” (1971) **
Famously troubled Hammer production – Peter Cushing had to pull out of filming after his wife became terminally ill (he was replaced with Andrew Keir), director Seth Holt died during filming (Michael Carreras stepped in to complete the job). It’s a bit of a hodge-podge but I’m unclear how much of that is due to the troubles – Hammer were capable of making smooth productions that turned into a hodge podge.
The plot of this has beautiful Valerie Leon realising (surprise) she may be the reincarnation of an Egyptian sorceress dug up by her dag (Keir). Some of it doesn’t make sense – Keir’s kept a mummy in the basement all these years? – and potential themes of them film are undeveloped (eg does Keir have incestuous designs on his own daughter?). It's confusing in spots and the writing feels lazy at times, with Andrew Keir conveniently knocked out for most of the running time
The plot of this has beautiful Valerie Leon realising (surprise) she may be the reincarnation of an Egyptian sorceress dug up by her dag (Keir). Some of it doesn’t make sense – Keir’s kept a mummy in the basement all these years? – and potential themes of them film are undeveloped (eg does Keir have incestuous designs on his own daughter?). It's confusing in spots and the writing feels lazy at times, with Andrew Keir conveniently knocked out for most of the running time
I saw this as a kid and my most vivid memory was Leon’s sexy bare back as she got changed in the dark – that remains the case today. It isn’t particularly suspenseful or scary, partly because there’s no “real” character, except for arguably Leon’s boyfriend (whose name is Tod Browning – presumably a dig of the screenwriter, a former film journo ).
Leon isn’t the best actor in the world but she’s gorgeous and really looks like someone who could be English and Egyptian (love that Eygptian bra); although she uses a body double for her brief nude scene (a bare back and bottom) her breasts dominate the film in various low cut dresses like few actresses ever did – it's reminiscent of Jane Russell in The Outlaw. There's some good acting from Keir and villain James Villiers, a high death toll and a memorable ending. It’s not a disaster by any means – with a bit more care it could have been really good, but it’s still entertaining.
Leon isn’t the best actor in the world but she’s gorgeous and really looks like someone who could be English and Egyptian (love that Eygptian bra); although she uses a body double for her brief nude scene (a bare back and bottom) her breasts dominate the film in various low cut dresses like few actresses ever did – it's reminiscent of Jane Russell in The Outlaw. There's some good acting from Keir and villain James Villiers, a high death toll and a memorable ending. It’s not a disaster by any means – with a bit more care it could have been really good, but it’s still entertaining.
Movie review – “The Gorgon” (1964) *** (warning: spoilers)
Enjoyable attempt by Hammer to expand their monster roster; the public did not really take to it, but it holds up well, especially once you realise that it’s not a typical Cushing-Lee vehicle, although both are in it. More of a protagonist is some guy called Richard Pasco, looking into the death of his father who in turn was looking into the suicide of his son. Cushing is a doctor who knows people are turning to stone but keeps quiet about it; Lee is Pasco’s old uni acquaintance who comes to believe there’s a gorgon in the area. The Gorgon is actually Barbara Shelley who turns into a gorgon every full moon – so this is a sort of werewolf film too. Cushing is meant to be keeping things secret because he’s in love with Shelley, but this is undeveloped.
Lee wears fusty old-man makeup; Pasco is a bit of a wet drip… but once you get used to this, you appreciate the fact the story is less predictable than usual. Lots of talking, but they are setting up a new film mythology; the gorgon make up is likely to elicit some giggles but it’s not un-effective, and there are a couple of great scenes with people poking around the gorgon’s house at night.
Lee wears fusty old-man makeup; Pasco is a bit of a wet drip… but once you get used to this, you appreciate the fact the story is less predictable than usual. Lots of talking, but they are setting up a new film mythology; the gorgon make up is likely to elicit some giggles but it’s not un-effective, and there are a couple of great scenes with people poking around the gorgon’s house at night.
Radio review – Boris Karloff – “How The Grinch Stole Christmas” (1966) ***
Famous rendition of Dr Seuss’ story by Karloff which displays his great speaking voice. Peter Bogdanovich was so inspired that he came up with a scene in Targets for Karloff to tell a story. It is marred by some annoying songs. Karloff did a bunch of other fairy tales in his career, also with bad songs, including Rip Van Winkle and The Hunting of the Snark.
Radio review – Suspense – “The Search of Henri Le Fevre” (1944) ***
Orson Welles recorded this for his Mercury show but this is better produced here – and acted, by Paul Muni, as the composer who writes a song which he hears on the radio – then goes about investigating who wrote the song he heard on the radio. Evocative suspenser, well written by Lucille Fletcher.
Movie review – “The Vampire Lovers” (1970) ***1/2
Sexy vampire film which helped provide an extra lease of life for Hammer horrors, leading to two other films about the Karnstein vampire family (Lust for a Vampire, Twins of Evil), but a number of others inspired by it (Vampire Circus, Countess Dracula, Count Kronos). Peter Cushing is in this, as well as George Cole and Jon Finch, but the real star is Ingrid Pitt, fabulously sexy as one of the Karnsteins.
Pitt stays at Cushing’s house and seduces and kills his daughter (Pippa Steele); then moves to Cole’s house, where she seduces and tries to kill his daughter (Madeleine Smith). For variety, Pitt also seduces and kills a village girl, and seduces another girl staying with Smith (Kate O’Mara); for variety even seduces the male butler – but that’s only so she can get at Smith.
Pitt is a standout, wearing a series of voluptuous gowns (which she takes of from time to time). Her character is quite complex – she’s not out-and-out evil, she has feelings; she loves Smith, but Smith thinks their fling is only a casual thing; she also hates funerals, because everyone close to her dies. It’s not hard to see why she’s still remembered so fondly even though she only really starred in two Hammer horrors, this and Countess Dracula.
Smith’s performance is less skilled, but it is effective and she has a naïve quality which works well. (I love it how Smith is all playful and fun except just before Pitt is about to pash her when she goes into this zombie trance, as if she's preparing to plausibly denying having a good time. The scene where Pitt seduces O’Mara is far more sexy because O’Mara looks like she knows what she’s getting into.) The constant cutting to a man in black just gets irritating after a while. And of course the film has definite misogynistic overtones with this posse of blokes all getting together to try and kill Pitt to stop her converting Smith to a life of lesbian vampirings. But this is definitely one of the best later Hammers, well directed by Roy Ward Baker and full of interesting, sexy touches.
Pitt stays at Cushing’s house and seduces and kills his daughter (Pippa Steele); then moves to Cole’s house, where she seduces and tries to kill his daughter (Madeleine Smith). For variety, Pitt also seduces and kills a village girl, and seduces another girl staying with Smith (Kate O’Mara); for variety even seduces the male butler – but that’s only so she can get at Smith.
Pitt is a standout, wearing a series of voluptuous gowns (which she takes of from time to time). Her character is quite complex – she’s not out-and-out evil, she has feelings; she loves Smith, but Smith thinks their fling is only a casual thing; she also hates funerals, because everyone close to her dies. It’s not hard to see why she’s still remembered so fondly even though she only really starred in two Hammer horrors, this and Countess Dracula.
Smith’s performance is less skilled, but it is effective and she has a naïve quality which works well. (I love it how Smith is all playful and fun except just before Pitt is about to pash her when she goes into this zombie trance, as if she's preparing to plausibly denying having a good time. The scene where Pitt seduces O’Mara is far more sexy because O’Mara looks like she knows what she’s getting into.) The constant cutting to a man in black just gets irritating after a while. And of course the film has definite misogynistic overtones with this posse of blokes all getting together to try and kill Pitt to stop her converting Smith to a life of lesbian vampirings. But this is definitely one of the best later Hammers, well directed by Roy Ward Baker and full of interesting, sexy touches.
Movie review – “The Evil of Frankenstein” (1964) **1/2
Hammer’s third Frankenstein was done as a co-production with Universal, allowing them to use a variation of the classic Frankenstein monster make up. This gets straight into it, with a scene of Peter Cushing and his assistant Hans doing an experiment; they are turfed out, so Cushing decides to go to his old home to find some family treasures.
Hans is here played by a different actor – indeed, he seems to be a different actor, not a doctor, not across Frankenstein’s history; Cushing brings him up to speed about it… leading to a flashback that is different from the previous two films. Indeed, it’s more like the Universal films – the lab looks like its straight out of the 30s movies, there’s a scene where the monster is discovered in ice (led by a deaf mute girl who is like a pretty version of Ygor), the finale involves a mob of townspeople storming the castle.
It’s still enjoyable – the production values are strong as ever, director Freddie Francis was always good with visuals, Cushing is imposing and dynamic (he really goes to town on the action man in this one). The monster make up isn’t much – they should have just copied the old Universal stuff straight out (NB a Kiwi wrestler plays this part).
I liked the hypnotist (Peter Woodthorp) and it was a great idea to have Frankenstein use him to activate the monster’s brain. They could have done something more with Frankenstein’s assistant and the deaf mute girl (wouldn’t she be keen on revenge or couldn’t Frankenstein/assistant/ monster fall for her? They hint at this but don’t really use it).
Hans is here played by a different actor – indeed, he seems to be a different actor, not a doctor, not across Frankenstein’s history; Cushing brings him up to speed about it… leading to a flashback that is different from the previous two films. Indeed, it’s more like the Universal films – the lab looks like its straight out of the 30s movies, there’s a scene where the monster is discovered in ice (led by a deaf mute girl who is like a pretty version of Ygor), the finale involves a mob of townspeople storming the castle.
It’s still enjoyable – the production values are strong as ever, director Freddie Francis was always good with visuals, Cushing is imposing and dynamic (he really goes to town on the action man in this one). The monster make up isn’t much – they should have just copied the old Universal stuff straight out (NB a Kiwi wrestler plays this part).
I liked the hypnotist (Peter Woodthorp) and it was a great idea to have Frankenstein use him to activate the monster’s brain. They could have done something more with Frankenstein’s assistant and the deaf mute girl (wouldn’t she be keen on revenge or couldn’t Frankenstein/assistant/ monster fall for her? They hint at this but don’t really use it).
Radio review – “You Bet Your Life” – “Secret word clock” (1949) ***1/2
Hilarious quiz show with Groucho Marx in top form. Most of the running time seems to consist of Groucho asking the guests questions – surely he was prepped allowing for some gag writers to help out. But it feels very natural.
Radio review – Suspense – “The Ten Grand” (1944) **1/2
Lucille Ball again registers well as a career girl who finds ten grand in her purse. It’s mostly told from her POV as a monologue – Ball says at the end she is told she says more words than any other actor in the series to date. For the most part this is very effective; I wasn’t wild about the ending with the guy claiming he was from the Greek underground without any proof – they allude to people being opposed to who he might give the money to, which could have meant communists, but the baddies are apparently axis agents.
Radio review – Fred Allen – Bergen/McCarthy (1945) ***
Hilarious episode where Charlie McCarthy and Fred Allen wind up in court. The rivalry between the two is barbed and brilliant.
Movie review – “Legend of the Seven Vampires” (1974) **1/2
Hammer tried to get a bit more life out of it’s Dracula series by putting him out East, allowing them to cash in on the kung fu craze as well. It’s actually a terrific idea, and this starts brilliantly with a Chinese man servant going to Transylvania to ask for help of Count Dracula – here not played by Christopher Lee, which is a major shame (personally I think if they couldn’t have gotten him they shouldn’t have bothered, just had another vampire).
But Peter Cushing is back as Van Helsing, touring China and asked to help fight vampires in a visit. He’s accompanied by his son (Robin Phillips from Bless this House and Aussie sex comedy non-classic Pacific Banana), who actually spends a lot of the film being beaten up by Chinese; more useful assistance comes from a family from the village who are all excellent at kung fu (including a kung fu-ing girl). There’s also a blonde Swede who tags along for some extra glamour.
This has an energy lacking in so many later Hammer films – there’s great production value, heaps of kung fu, impressive vampires. There is also some laughably gratuitous breast action (during a raid on a town the vampires randomly rip the shirts off girls).
It’s a shame they couldn’t have put a bit more thought into the story – they don’t use the Dracula factor at all (the could have just used Van Helsing and Chinese vampires), Van Helsing is passive a lot of the time. It’s a bit of a mess but a lot of fun.
Movie review – “Hound of the Baskervilles” (1959) ***
Time has been kind to this Hammer version of the wonderful Holmes novel, particularly Peter Cushing’s performance as Holmes. Many things were taken for granted at the time also help the piece vault the years – in particular the sumptuous sets, colour and production design. It’s still a Hammer film, hence a long prologue with evil Hugo Baskerville being dastardly. Christopher Lee wouldn’t be that ideal as Watson (though you can imagine him as Holmes too) but fortunately there was the meaty part of Baskerville for him to play. Andre Morrell is pretty decent as Watson – far closer to the Doyle creation than what Nigel Bruce did to it.
Hammer have jazzed up the novel a bit – they throw in a tarantula, a cave-in, turn one of the women into a femme fetale – but the changes are in the spirit of Doyle (except perhaps the final death in a swamp which is a bit throw-away). Exciting finale. John le Mesurier plays a butler and Miles Malleson (who is allowed to ramble on a bit too long) is a priest.
Hammer have jazzed up the novel a bit – they throw in a tarantula, a cave-in, turn one of the women into a femme fetale – but the changes are in the spirit of Doyle (except perhaps the final death in a swamp which is a bit throw-away). Exciting finale. John le Mesurier plays a butler and Miles Malleson (who is allowed to ramble on a bit too long) is a priest.
Monday, January 04, 2010
Book review – “Memo from David O Selznick” Ed Rudy Behlmer
Excellent collection of memos from the famed producer whose record during the Golden Years of Hollywood is second to none. His record in the post-war environment was a little more iffy; the memos reveal a man with great insight and ideas, a considerable ego, and real talent. Fascinating reading (although David Thompson in his biography of Selznick claims that this book make Selznick seem more decisive than he actually was).
Movie review – “The Cheerleaders” (1973) *
A dirty old man film – continuous shots of backsides, unerotic scenes, all the women are skanky whores who get it off with anyone, including bald middle aged men. The plot concerns a cheerleader who tries to lose her virginity but can’t do it. Several uncomfortable scenes, like where the girl goes into the boys change room and it looks like they try to rape her. The cast are often naked but aren’t particularly good looking.
Movie review – “Taste the Blood of Dracula” (1970) **
Hammer did try with their sequels to make some attempt at acknowledging what happened in the previous film. Here Roy Kinnear stumbles up on the climax of Dracula Has Risen from the Grave, with Chris Lee impaled on a cross on crying tears of blood. Kinnear collects his dry blood then stumbles upon a film written to not include Dracula, about a bunch of kinky middle aged men in a small town who get up to no good after hours despite their respectable veneer. As part of their adventures they get hooked up with a dashing Satanist (Ralph Bates, effective) who is a little like Karnstein before he turned vampire in Twins of Evil.
They get some of Dracula’s blood from Kinnear and end up in a ceremony which brings Dracula back from the dead although the Satanist dies. Now instead of being glad for being back from the dead, Dracula declares revenge against the middle aged men for killing his servant Bates. Huh? (It’s as confusing as Dracula getting revenge against the priest in the previous film – lazy writing to motivate the rest of the action for the second half of the film).
There are some surprisingly sweet romantic scenes and Geoffrey Keene gives the support cast some class (the film lacks a bit of momentum when he dies leaving his two mates played by actors who aren’t as good). The film was originally about Bates turning into a vampire before James Carreras persuaded Lee to reprise his role.
It’s a shame Bates disappears from the film – Bates plus Lee would have given the film a bit more kick. I did enjoy the scene where the two girl vampires drive a stake through a person’s heart who has come to kill them (these girls aren’t the best actors in the world but their enthusiasm is sweet to see). One of them, dopey Alice (Linda Hayden), whose fate provides the stakes (if you’ll excuse the pun) for the last section of the film, is given the chance to leave Dracula but refuses – but then Dracula refuses to take Alice with him so she sooks off.
Dracula’s method of death in this one is to be trapped in a church, surrounded by crosses, and be freaked out by Alice’s wet boyfriend reciting the Lord’s prayer. He then decomposes. There are some interesting ideas on display here (black magic, religion, secret lives of middle aged men, Satanists) and decent handling but it doesn’t really take fire.
They get some of Dracula’s blood from Kinnear and end up in a ceremony which brings Dracula back from the dead although the Satanist dies. Now instead of being glad for being back from the dead, Dracula declares revenge against the middle aged men for killing his servant Bates. Huh? (It’s as confusing as Dracula getting revenge against the priest in the previous film – lazy writing to motivate the rest of the action for the second half of the film).
There are some surprisingly sweet romantic scenes and Geoffrey Keene gives the support cast some class (the film lacks a bit of momentum when he dies leaving his two mates played by actors who aren’t as good). The film was originally about Bates turning into a vampire before James Carreras persuaded Lee to reprise his role.
It’s a shame Bates disappears from the film – Bates plus Lee would have given the film a bit more kick. I did enjoy the scene where the two girl vampires drive a stake through a person’s heart who has come to kill them (these girls aren’t the best actors in the world but their enthusiasm is sweet to see). One of them, dopey Alice (Linda Hayden), whose fate provides the stakes (if you’ll excuse the pun) for the last section of the film, is given the chance to leave Dracula but refuses – but then Dracula refuses to take Alice with him so she sooks off.
Dracula’s method of death in this one is to be trapped in a church, surrounded by crosses, and be freaked out by Alice’s wet boyfriend reciting the Lord’s prayer. He then decomposes. There are some interesting ideas on display here (black magic, religion, secret lives of middle aged men, Satanists) and decent handling but it doesn’t really take fire.
Movie review – “The Abominable Snowman” (1957) ***
Hammer’s follow up to The Quartermass Experiment reunited writer Nigel Keale and director Val Guest. It’s an entertaining film, which Joe Dante calls the best of the abominable snowman genre (there was such a thing – it existed during the brief yeti craze of the 50s). Dante admits that isn’t much of a claim, but insists this was a good movie - and it is.
The bulk of the plot concerns scientist Cushing joining an expedition led by Forrest Tucker to find the snowman. Cushing played this role originally on TV with Tucker replacing Stanley Baker; Tucker's part is very Stanley Baker-type, all driven ruthlessness, but Tucker is quite good. The black and white photography is beautiful and the second unit mountain footage is great, although sometimes it cuts in awkwardly with the studio stuff.
This isn't a classic but there are effective moments, such as Cushing and Tucker hallucinating, the atmosphere of the mountains, the quality of the acting and the dialogue. We never see the snowman properly, although considering the crappiness of the snowman's hand, that is probably a good thing. This was made shortly after Curse of Frankenstein and was soon overshadowed by that movie, and it certainly doesn't fit the traditional idea one has of Hammer horror, but time has been kind to it, I think.
The bulk of the plot concerns scientist Cushing joining an expedition led by Forrest Tucker to find the snowman. Cushing played this role originally on TV with Tucker replacing Stanley Baker; Tucker's part is very Stanley Baker-type, all driven ruthlessness, but Tucker is quite good. The black and white photography is beautiful and the second unit mountain footage is great, although sometimes it cuts in awkwardly with the studio stuff.
This isn't a classic but there are effective moments, such as Cushing and Tucker hallucinating, the atmosphere of the mountains, the quality of the acting and the dialogue. We never see the snowman properly, although considering the crappiness of the snowman's hand, that is probably a good thing. This was made shortly after Curse of Frankenstein and was soon overshadowed by that movie, and it certainly doesn't fit the traditional idea one has of Hammer horror, but time has been kind to it, I think.
Movie review – “Five Came Back” (1939) ***
Taunt B picture classic from RKO which helped cement the reputation of director John Farrow. It's got a great tense situation: a plane crashes in the jungle, and head hunters are after them. The head hunter component of this film is actually a lot less than I remembered it being - they only really came along at the end. But it helps that the cross section of passengers is a genuinely interesting cross section: there's the young son of a top gangster and a hoodlum looking after him; a hooker; an eloping couple; an anarchist assassin and the cop who nabbed him, etc. There's also a very good cast, most of whom you wouldn't care to see in their own vehicle but who are good in an ensemble, including Patric Knowles, C Aubrey Smith, Chester Morris, John Carradina, Lucille Ball, Joseph Calleila and Allen Jenkins.
The writers included Donald Trumbo and Nathaniel West, and arguably this has some leftie propaganda – rich man Knowles and cop Carradine are bad, the goodies are the elderly, disenfranchised and the anarchist; also the anarchist (the best role and the best performance) has a spiel where he talks about how happy the people are in their new system under a strong leader they all admire. Very strong B film, with a great finale.
The writers included Donald Trumbo and Nathaniel West, and arguably this has some leftie propaganda – rich man Knowles and cop Carradine are bad, the goodies are the elderly, disenfranchised and the anarchist; also the anarchist (the best role and the best performance) has a spiel where he talks about how happy the people are in their new system under a strong leader they all admire. Very strong B film, with a great finale.
Movie review – “Twins of Evil” (1971) **1/2
The last of Hammer’s unofficial “Karnstein vampire trilogy”, this is mainly notably for it’s hot twins, the Collinson sisters. Written by Tudor Gates and directed by John Hough, it gets off to a great start with puritan Peter Cushing leading a good old fashioned witch burning. So the “goodie” Cushing, is actually a vile baddy himself who kills innocent women, which makes for moralistically intriguing shenanigans. And over all it’s a pretty decent late period Hammer film.
Cushing’s main target is the nasty lecherous Count Karnstein (Damien Thomas – so-so), protected by the Emperor. Unlike the innocent girls in the village, Karnstein actually is a devil worshipper - he kills a girl and calls to Satan; a vampire woman appears (Katyah Wyeth, not really up to it but this role needed to be bigger) and converts Karnstein to a vampire (albeit one who can still walk around during the day). Cushing’s twin nieces turn up – one is naughty, another one nice. Handsome liberal Anton wants the naughty twin, who wants Karnstein, who wants the nice twin.
Full of cute touches: Karnstein has a black servant and makes a dinner toast “to Satan”; Karnstein makes love to the female vampire who rubs a candlestick while doing it; Anton says Cushing is a bit misguided but still “a good man” (the guy burns women at the stake!); a topless Collinson attacks Anton; Cushing gets an axe in the back and Karnstein is impaled; Karnstein throws his head back and laughs maniacally several times.
Although the Karnstein films were famous for their lesbian sequences there’s no twin-on-twin action; indeed, there’s not much lesbian stuff here (the females are disappointingly straight - maybe this would have been more popular if Karnstein had been a woman. Indeed, that would have fitted in better with the film's theme of Puritan hatred of women). Production values are high, with lots of extras and scenes set in a busy town square. The finale has the feel of a Universal 30s-40s film, with our male hero leading a mob with burning torches. There’s also a late 40s British film touch with a cast including Dennis Price and Kathleen Byron.
Cushing’s main target is the nasty lecherous Count Karnstein (Damien Thomas – so-so), protected by the Emperor. Unlike the innocent girls in the village, Karnstein actually is a devil worshipper - he kills a girl and calls to Satan; a vampire woman appears (Katyah Wyeth, not really up to it but this role needed to be bigger) and converts Karnstein to a vampire (albeit one who can still walk around during the day). Cushing’s twin nieces turn up – one is naughty, another one nice. Handsome liberal Anton wants the naughty twin, who wants Karnstein, who wants the nice twin.
Full of cute touches: Karnstein has a black servant and makes a dinner toast “to Satan”; Karnstein makes love to the female vampire who rubs a candlestick while doing it; Anton says Cushing is a bit misguided but still “a good man” (the guy burns women at the stake!); a topless Collinson attacks Anton; Cushing gets an axe in the back and Karnstein is impaled; Karnstein throws his head back and laughs maniacally several times.
Although the Karnstein films were famous for their lesbian sequences there’s no twin-on-twin action; indeed, there’s not much lesbian stuff here (the females are disappointingly straight - maybe this would have been more popular if Karnstein had been a woman. Indeed, that would have fitted in better with the film's theme of Puritan hatred of women). Production values are high, with lots of extras and scenes set in a busy town square. The finale has the feel of a Universal 30s-40s film, with our male hero leading a mob with burning torches. There’s also a late 40s British film touch with a cast including Dennis Price and Kathleen Byron.
Sunday, January 03, 2010
TV review – “Law and Order – Season 4” (1993-1994) ****
The addition of the girls improves the show immeasurably – the black chick captain knocks off two PC birds (black, woman) with the one stone – having a female cop gets to add an extra dimension to the cop stories (eg the one on baby farming). Jill Hennessy as the prosecutor is mostly just easy to look at to start off with, but that’s not unimportant – as her character gains confidence so does her performance. (I notice they refer to her sexual side in one episode which they never did with Richard Brooks.) Chris Noth grows his hair a little in this one – it’s very early 90s.
Less well known guest stars this season: Ted Bikel, Viveca Lindfors, Robin Tunney, Christine Baranski, the fat chick off the Practice, Lisa Eichhorn, Alison Janney (back in a bigger role than her previous guest star stint). Of more interest is the returning players – this one brought back a couple of defence attorneys: the black woman (who has been in a few), the cheery white haired guy who is smart, the pompous guy with a moustache; plus some of those terrific judges with their wonderful dry delivery.
There’s an episode where they deal with multiple cases as opposed to one; a poor episode dealing with a riot (where the black characters are forced to make a dopey argument, which is unfair); a terrific final episode for Michael Moriarty, who has a great method actor hug with Steve Hill at the end.
Less well known guest stars this season: Ted Bikel, Viveca Lindfors, Robin Tunney, Christine Baranski, the fat chick off the Practice, Lisa Eichhorn, Alison Janney (back in a bigger role than her previous guest star stint). Of more interest is the returning players – this one brought back a couple of defence attorneys: the black woman (who has been in a few), the cheery white haired guy who is smart, the pompous guy with a moustache; plus some of those terrific judges with their wonderful dry delivery.
There’s an episode where they deal with multiple cases as opposed to one; a poor episode dealing with a riot (where the black characters are forced to make a dopey argument, which is unfair); a terrific final episode for Michael Moriarty, who has a great method actor hug with Steve Hill at the end.
Movie review – “Dracula Has Risen from the Grave” (1969) **1/2
Terence Young and Jimmy Sangster are the director and writer best associated with Hammer; Freddie Francis and Tony Hinds (John Elder) would probably be next on the list. These two were entrusted with the job of the Dracula franchise, Hammer’s most lucrative, and they made a fair fist of it.
This starts with the discovery of a dead girl hanging upside down in a church bell (a great image); her death is attributed to Dracula so this presumably takes place some time before Dracula’s death in Dracula Prince of Darkness. Then we go to some time later; although Drac is dead in the ice the townspeople are still feeling shaky about the whole vampire thing, so a well meaning monsignor decides to exorcise Drac’s spirit… and ends up bringing him back from the dead. And Dracula decides that instead of thanking the monsignor, he actually wants revenge. That doesn’t make sense, but then neither does a lot of things in this film.
As Dennis Meikle pointed out in his book on Hammer, Hinds/Elder doesn’t just shift the goalposts of vampire rules, he removes them altogether: a stake through the heart on it’s own isn’t enough to kill a vampire, vampires can be brought back by exorcism, etc.
There is still a lot to enjoy: the production design is excellent as ever; the visuals are passionate, with a particular leaning towards red; there is a great opening title sequence; a very sex moment where Veronica Carlson (very sweet and pretty) kneels in front of Dracula and willingly offers her neck up to him (you always wonder what the sex live of Dracula heroines are after the film when they have to root their less supernatural boyfriends); a great gory climax with Dracula being impaled by a cross as a priest performs last rites (a new requirement to kill him, apparently).
Barry Andrews is a different sort of juvenile lead – not only is he objectified like a, well, Hammer starlet (his first scene he goes shirtless), he’s also given a decent character to play (a know-all atheist who finds faith fighting vampires). I don’t know how sick of the series Christopher Lee was at this stage, but he has a real air of contempt about him – which suits him dealing with the dopey characters here. Lee aside, the elder actors aren’t particularly memorable (the quisling priest is distractingly bald – you probably need to see it to get what I’m talking about).
This starts with the discovery of a dead girl hanging upside down in a church bell (a great image); her death is attributed to Dracula so this presumably takes place some time before Dracula’s death in Dracula Prince of Darkness. Then we go to some time later; although Drac is dead in the ice the townspeople are still feeling shaky about the whole vampire thing, so a well meaning monsignor decides to exorcise Drac’s spirit… and ends up bringing him back from the dead. And Dracula decides that instead of thanking the monsignor, he actually wants revenge. That doesn’t make sense, but then neither does a lot of things in this film.
As Dennis Meikle pointed out in his book on Hammer, Hinds/Elder doesn’t just shift the goalposts of vampire rules, he removes them altogether: a stake through the heart on it’s own isn’t enough to kill a vampire, vampires can be brought back by exorcism, etc.
There is still a lot to enjoy: the production design is excellent as ever; the visuals are passionate, with a particular leaning towards red; there is a great opening title sequence; a very sex moment where Veronica Carlson (very sweet and pretty) kneels in front of Dracula and willingly offers her neck up to him (you always wonder what the sex live of Dracula heroines are after the film when they have to root their less supernatural boyfriends); a great gory climax with Dracula being impaled by a cross as a priest performs last rites (a new requirement to kill him, apparently).
Barry Andrews is a different sort of juvenile lead – not only is he objectified like a, well, Hammer starlet (his first scene he goes shirtless), he’s also given a decent character to play (a know-all atheist who finds faith fighting vampires). I don’t know how sick of the series Christopher Lee was at this stage, but he has a real air of contempt about him – which suits him dealing with the dopey characters here. Lee aside, the elder actors aren’t particularly memorable (the quisling priest is distractingly bald – you probably need to see it to get what I’m talking about).
Movie review – “The Mission” (1986) ***
One of three big budget films brought down Goldcrest, the company that was once the white hope of the British film industry: the others were Absolute Beginners and Revolution. Of the three, this was easily the best regarded, both at the time and in posterity (Absolute Beginners has a bit of a cult; no one seems to like Revolution). Few film scores are more iconic that Enrico Morricone’s beautiful tunes; the image of the priest being attached to the cross and being washed down Iguazu Falls is also deservedly famous. Visuals and music are the best thing about this – it looks incredible, whether it’s Jeremy Irons clambering up rocks, Robert de Niro blowing away Indians, Indians emerging from the jungle, the local township, the final battle, the mission, etc. The film is a triumph of logistics, costuming and production design.
There's a lot of intelligence on display here - I loved the set up (Ray McAnally's opening speech), it's an interesting period of history not commonly taught in English speaking schools, the first hour really powers along: the priest being killed, Irons going out to them, de Niro being evil then having a crisis and becoming a priest. Then the international politics stuff kicks in and matters get taken out of our character's hands - like it did at the end of Lawrence of Arabia, but that happened at the end of that film and here it's more like the half way point. We do have Ray McAnally's wonderful performance as a torn cardinal, but he's basically passive too - matters are out of his hands. And you become aware how the natives are depicted as children - naughty at first but wonderful when tamed; they are given no real humanity or complexity, they are just poor little victims of evil westerners who need good westerners to save them (it's a form of left-wing racism).
Jeremy Irons and Robert de Niro's characters are shaky foundations for an epic too. Irons is soulful and determined and de Niro tormented and determined but that's it, really; they're not helped by having beards, making it hard for them to be expressive, and they lack then warmth provided by McAnally in his performance. The film is determinedly pro-Jesuit (they are clearly a good influence, cleaning up the natives, teaching them songs and helping them establish co-op plantations) and anti-plantation owners, who move in and cause the depressing last half hour, shooting women, children, natives who've surrendered and priests. You wait for de Niro to kick some butt but he never does, and by the end credits you just feel lousy. (It's like Avatar if Sam Worthington didn't lead a fight back.) By all means make films with goodie Jesuits and baddie Spaniards, but how about giving the Indians (and the leads) a bit of personality?
There's a lot of intelligence on display here - I loved the set up (Ray McAnally's opening speech), it's an interesting period of history not commonly taught in English speaking schools, the first hour really powers along: the priest being killed, Irons going out to them, de Niro being evil then having a crisis and becoming a priest. Then the international politics stuff kicks in and matters get taken out of our character's hands - like it did at the end of Lawrence of Arabia, but that happened at the end of that film and here it's more like the half way point. We do have Ray McAnally's wonderful performance as a torn cardinal, but he's basically passive too - matters are out of his hands. And you become aware how the natives are depicted as children - naughty at first but wonderful when tamed; they are given no real humanity or complexity, they are just poor little victims of evil westerners who need good westerners to save them (it's a form of left-wing racism).
Jeremy Irons and Robert de Niro's characters are shaky foundations for an epic too. Irons is soulful and determined and de Niro tormented and determined but that's it, really; they're not helped by having beards, making it hard for them to be expressive, and they lack then warmth provided by McAnally in his performance. The film is determinedly pro-Jesuit (they are clearly a good influence, cleaning up the natives, teaching them songs and helping them establish co-op plantations) and anti-plantation owners, who move in and cause the depressing last half hour, shooting women, children, natives who've surrendered and priests. You wait for de Niro to kick some butt but he never does, and by the end credits you just feel lousy. (It's like Avatar if Sam Worthington didn't lead a fight back.) By all means make films with goodie Jesuits and baddie Spaniards, but how about giving the Indians (and the leads) a bit of personality?
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