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Post by hitchcockthelegend on Nov 5, 2018 9:39:27 GMT
The Mummy's Shroud (1967) 4/10 Blood from the Mummy's Tomb (1972) 3/10 Village of the Damned (1960) 7/10 Affair in Trinidad (1952) 6/10 The Devil's Advocate (1997) 8/10 Hereditary (2018) 5/10 Ocean's Eight (2018) 4/10 Ouch! scores of under 5 for Hammer's Mummy sequels Hee, whilst hardly great films they do have something to offer, I'll have to offer some level of support > www.imdb.com/review/rw2411795/?ref_=tt_urv - www.imdb.com/review/rw2861008/?ref_=tt_urvHereditary is proving very divisive, while I liked it a lot, and loved Collette's performance, I was angry with the last 15 minutes, felt like comedy to me.
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Post by hitchcockthelegend on Nov 5, 2018 9:54:37 GMT
What a splendid array of genre pics! Did you like Fury, Genevieve, The Dead Zone? I watched all of the Universal Mummy sequels in October, they pretty much just exist as time fillers I thought, don't know if you agree about that yourself? Abbott and Costello Lost in Alaska, has a real good rating on IMDb but I find it poor, their star starting to wane around then.
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Post by hitchcockthelegend on Nov 5, 2018 9:58:31 GMT
6/10 7/10 Impossible not to love It Happened One Night, surely?
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Post by hitchcockthelegend on Nov 5, 2018 9:59:52 GMT
The ending still packs one mighty punch!
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Post by hitchcockthelegend on Nov 5, 2018 10:06:07 GMT
Two bona fide classics, directed by 2 legends at the top of their game. On the big screen for Vertigo as well, good man!! I'll post my review for Vertigo as it's one I'm proud of. It still bothers me that on first viewing I was more irritated than impressed, but that was many many years ago, through youthful ignorant eyes > You're not lost. Mother's here. John "Scottie" Ferguson is a San Francisco cop who decides to quit the service after his acrophobia results in him being unable to save the life of a colleague. Whilst taking it easy he gets a call from an old school friend, Gavin Elster, asking him if he wouldn't mind doing a little bit of detective work for him. The job is simply to tail his wife because she's obsessed with an ancestress who committed suicide, and the wife, Madeline, is showing signs of herself being suicidal. Ferguson tails her diligently and as the tail progresses, Ferguson himself starts to become ever obsessed about the demur blonde Madeline. As the story twists and turns, Ferguson's obsession will have far reaching consequences for both parties... Vertigo is Alfred Hitchcock's most discussed, dissected and critically reappraised film, based on a novel by Pierre Boileau called D'Entre Les Morts, (also writer of Diabolique), Vertigo was not well liked on its release and unable to be viewed for some time due to copyright, the film was restored from a destroyed negative into a glorious 70mm print, and now in all its glory it can be seen as one of the greatest films to have ever been made. What is most striking about Vertigo, outside of Hitchcock baring his innermost that is, is that its plot on the surface is simplicity personified, but delving deeper, and repeat viewings are a necessity, its apparent that Vertigo is a chilling force of cinema, taking great delight in gnawing away at your perceptions, perhaps even your own capabilities as a human being. Very much a film of two great halves, Vertigo first seems intent on being an almost ghost story like mystery. Once the prologue has introduced us to Ferguson's fear of heights, we then enter an almost dream like sequence of events as Ferguson tails the troubled Madeline, the suggestion of reincarnation bleakly leading to death hangs heavy as Hitchcock pulls his atmospheric strings. Then the film shifts into dark territory as obsessions and nods to Dante's Inferno and feverish dreams take control, Hitchcock, as we have come to learn over the years, lays out his soul for us the audience to partake in, the uneasy traits sitting side by side with fascination of the story. All of which is leading us to a spine tingling finale that is as hauntingly memorable as it is shocking, the end to our own dizzying journey that Alfred and his team have taken us on. Technically the film is magnificent, the opening credits from Saul Bass brilliantly prep us for what is about to unfold, while Bernard Herrmann's score is as good as anything he ever did, unnerving one minute, swirlingly romantic the next, a truly incredible score. Hitchcock himself is firing from the top draw, introducing us to the brilliant zoom-forward-track-back camera technique to induce the feeling of Vertigo itself, with that merely a component of two hours of gorgeous texture lined with disturbing little peccadilloes. The two leads are arguably doing their respective career best work, James Stewart as Scottie Ferguson goes real deep to play it out with an edgy believability that decries his aw-shucks trademark of years since past. Kim Novak as Madeline is perhaps the quintessential Hitchcock blonde, perfect with the duality aspects of the role and playing off Stewart's ever creepy descent with seamlessly adroit skill. It however should be noted that Hitchcock and his loyal subjects had to work hard to get Novak right for the role, but the result proves that Novak had ability that sadly wasn't harnessed on too many other occasions. Vertigo is a film that I myself wasn't too taken with on my first viewing, it's only during revisits that the piece has come to grab me by the soul and refuse to let go, it not only holds up on revisits, it also gets better with each subsequent viewing, it is simply a film that demands to be seen as many times as possible. Not only one of the greatest American films ever made, one of the greatest films ever made ... period, so invest your soul in it, just the way that Hitchcock himself so clearly did. 10/10
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Post by hitchcockthelegend on Nov 5, 2018 10:19:11 GMT
Die Monster Die! 1965 --I may be the only member of the Nick Adams fan club but I think he was unusually good in the sci-fi flicks he did in this period (Monster Zero etc.). Energetic performance--in this one he gets angry and gives Boris Karloff a piece of his mind. Another actor would have been embarrassed and phoned it in (Russ Tamblyn, War of the Gargantuas).
The Raven 1963 -- Still amusing-especially the Peter Lorre interactions. The Comedy of Terrors 1964 -- ditto, Richard Matheson could write some funny stuff. The Devil Rides Out 1968-- except for some rather shoddy FX it holds up well as a positive Satan movie (since most movies about Satanism seem to end with the Devil winning in some way). Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell--1972--- The last Hammer Frankenstein and Terence Fisher's last movie. He could have done worse. Decent if claustrophobic--although the lighting is a big improvement over the Horror of Frankenstein. Captain January 1924 -- ok I only watched a few minutes of it--just wanted to see a Baby Peggy film--seems familiar--must have seen her taked about somewhere on tv ages ago. Three Musketeers 1948 -- good action although I do not see the fuss about Lana Turner. She's no Debra Paget (or even Lisa Gaye) in the looks department and her acting...well it was alright but I guess I was expecting a stronger presence given how often her name comes up. "Lana Turner this, Lana Turner that." The Devil Rides Out, loses just half a point for the efects work you mention, but other than that it's one of the truly great British Horror films >
But the age old law demands a life for a life, a soul for a soul. The Devil Rides Out (AKA: The Devil's Bride) is produced out of Hammer Film Productions. It's based on the 1934 novel of the same name written by Dennis Wheatley, with Richard Matheson adapting the screenplay. Directed by Terence Fisher, it stars Christopher Lee, Charles Gray, Nike Arrighi, Leon Greene, Patrick Mower, Sarah Lawson and Paul Eddington. Filmed in Technicolor with Arthur Grant the cinematographer and the music is scored by James Bernard. 1930's England and Duc de Ricleau (Lee) finds that his young friend Simon Aron has gotten himself involved with a Satanic cult led by the evil Mocata (Gray). As the Duc and his friends try to save Simon from the cult, Mocata and his followers summon the forces of evil to aid their cause. It was meant to come out a bit earlier in the 60's, but Satanism, an always iffy subject, would have seen censorship strip Hammer's ideas for the film to the bone. So the studio waited a few more years and finally got the film out a couple of years shy of the 70's. It's a film that now, more than ever, is rightly viewed as not only one of the best film's to have come out of Hammer, but also as one of the best British horror movies ever released. There was much in the film's favour from the off, it had the studio's best director in the chair, the charismatic Christopher Lee in the lead and the talented Matheson (I Am Legend/The Shrinking Man/Hell House) writing the screenplay. The latter of which managing to streamline Wheatley's potent, but long, source material into a fast paced hour and a half movie. It's also, thanks to Wheatley, well researched, which when finding the story is set in more modern times, gives the film an authentic sheen as it rides on into the macabre. On the surface the plot seems to be a standard good against evil battle, but it's not just a battle, this is a war on terror. Lee's determined, bastion of good, de Ricleau is not just fighting to save the soul of those he cares about, the film makes one feel that it's a battle he must win: for us all. Tho only blessed with the usual standard Hammer budget, the film has immense attention to detail, the power of black magic and the occult is painted vividly, with Fisher ensuring that nothing is hokey, this is serious stuff. The director, too, favouring atmospheric dread over short sharp shocks. What action there is is quality, sure the effects are hardly Oscar winning fare, but the impact is big. So too are the number of memorable scenes that puncture the story, the centrepiece of which is the night our "good" characters spend in floor drawn pentacle, fighting off the forces of darkness, some suggested trickery and terrifying manifestations testing their resolve, with the majestic Lee holding court with virtuous nobility. The rest of the cast are uniformly excellent, with stand outs being Gray, excelling at silky villainy, even tho he's not on screen a great deal, and Eddington, who neatly plays it deadpan opposed to Lee's serious attempt to drive home the seriousness of what is going on. Noteworthy, too, that it's one of those rare occasions to see Lee playing the good guy. Grant (The Plague of the Zombies) makes wonderful use of the Technicolor, his lensing for the fire and brimstone finale is particularly memorable, and Bernard's score is eerie for the build up sequences and demonically boisterous for the critical moments: one of the best scores to accompany a Hammer film. It's not high cinematic art, and certainly not an overtly horrific film; in that you wouldn't recommend it to the boo-jump thrill seeker, but it's troublingly scary, adult and dripping with cold dread. A picture that closes in on you and challenges the myths and nightmares that lurk in the dark. Up alongside The Wicker Man and Witchfinder General as one of the true greats of British horror. 9.5/10 Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell, it's just a really solid closer (even if the finale is weak I thought), one tends to think that the studio made this one for the fans > Neolithic Lobotomy Gone Astray. Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell is directed by Terence Fisher and written by John Elder (AKA: Anthony Hinds). It stars Peter Cushing, David Prowse, Shane Briant, Madeline Smith and John Stratton. Music is by James Bernard and cinematography by Brian Probyn. Working under the name of Doctor Victor, Baron Victor Frankenstein (Cushing) is head physician at an asylum for the criminally insane. When Simon Helder (Briant), a gifted doctor himself and a follower of Frankenstein's work, is committed to the asylum on sentence of sorcery, the pair quickly form a partnership that will unleash Frankenstein's latest project. Actually made in 1972 but released two years later, Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell came out as Hammer Horror was limping along on its last legs. It was to be the last in the Frankenstein series and the last film directed by the brilliant Fisher. The reputation of the film is a very mixed one, certainly the box office returns and critical notices at the time point it out as a misfire. But what I have come to find is that staunch Hammer Horror fans have a kind regard towards the film, and I think that is fair given that it pretty much goes back to past glories, if not in scope, but in narrative and atmospheric toning. Yes it is viable to say that it's pretty much a re-jig of the earlier Revenge of Frankenstein, so in that it's a bit lazy, but I like to think that the return of Cushing, Fisher and Hinds suggests they were making one for the fans here, and it's not without merits in spite of familiarity and budgetary restrictions. It's great to have Cushing back as Victor, his personal life woes giving him a gaunt look that suits Frankenstein's character arc no end, this in spite of the daft wig he dons and a moment of Superman type heroics that doesn't quite sit right. Briant is ebullient and good foil in the mixed up surgeon stakes, and Smith adds the Hammer Glamour without having to strip naked. Why? Why? Why? But it's with the setting, the asylum and its characters, and the monster itself where it hits heights not acknowledged by the critics. Prowse's monster is a return to tragicreature territory, with the brain of a genius who wanted out of life, the hands of a skilled craftsman and a Neolithic monstrosity of a body, once the creature knows what he has become his sadness pours out in droves. Prowse doing a great job of conveying such tragedy with visual reactions and bodily movements. The mask unfortunately means when it speaks the lips don't move, but it's a fine Hammer creation regardless. The asylum inmates are in terms quirky and troubling, and with most of the shoot restricted to a couple of interior sets, the sense of being incarcerated is evident. Props are minimal, with a few of the good doctors odd looking tools and machines dotted around the place. The gore is used sparingly, but the impact is in the grand traditions of Hammer, while the back stories to Smith's mute and Asylum Director Adolf Klauss (Stratton) are edgy strands waiting to be pulled at in the name of Guignol entertainment. It's not a great send off for Doc Frank in Hammer world, not least because the finale lacks punch, but for loyal fans of the studio's creature features there is love and honest respect shown by the makers. 6.5/10
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Post by OldAussie on Nov 5, 2018 10:28:01 GMT
Great review of Vertigo - it's been my favourite Hitch since my first viewing around 30 years ago. I'll try to get my wife and son to read it as they were less impressed than me. They love their Hitch but prefer Rear Window (son) and Shadow of a Doubt (wife).
And by the way, North by Northwest is screening next at my local cinema next Monday so that too will be a 1st time on the big screen experience.
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Post by hitchcockthelegend on Nov 5, 2018 10:29:54 GMT
Blonde Venus / Josef von Sternberg (1932). This is the fourth of six movies that paired Marlene Dietrich with director Sternberg. This pre-code goodie deals in mainly short scenes, almost vignettes, that cut away leaving sometimes very big narrative gaps. For an example, the opening shows us six showgirls skinny-dipping in a pond in Germany. As they frolic, they are approached by seven college students from America. They refuse to go away until the girls agree to see them later. Helen (Dietrich) makes a date with Ned (Herbert Marshall). Cut to Helen bathing a toddler in a dingy apartment in America where she lives with husband Ned. Ned is a struggling chemist who has been diagnosed with radiation poisoning. Back in Germany is a doctor with a new cure but it will cost $1,500 for the cure plus $300 for passage. Where is the money going to come from? Helen goes back to work singing in a nightclub where she meet political boss Nick Townsend (Cary Grant). She becomes Townsendâs lover to, at first, get the money needed for the medical care, but after Ned has left for Europe, she and Nick fall in love. The love triangle leads to ruin and degradation for Helen until, with another fast cut, she is the toast of Paris. Once you fall into this rhythm, the film makes sense and is enjoyable. There is a highly improbable and sentimental ending but it had to happen that way. Sternberg puts Marlene into yet another tuxedo, this one white. Thatâs Cary Grant on her right. The Girl Who Dared / Howard Bretherton (1944). It was Dark And Stormy Night at the Old Dark House on an island. The telephone wires have been cut. And, oh, did I mention secret passages? This brief (52 minutes) mystery programmer has everything needed for an entertaining second feature to wrap up an enjoyable evening at the movies in the 1940s. This light and breezy thriller also features a old dark house full of recognizable character actors. I knew just about everybody in the cast except the two leads, Lorna Gray and Peter Cookson. On hand are Roy Barcroft (a villain in multiple B-westerns and chapter serials), John Hamilton (Perry White in the 1950s Superman series), Grant Withers (the Mr. Wong movies), Kirk Alyn (the Superman serials), Veda Ann Borg as twin sisters, and the ubiquitous Willie Best doing his usual frightened servant thing. I keep expecting at least once to see Best turn out to be the diabolical killer, but, alas, I donât think it ever happened. Follow Me Quietly / Richard Fleischer (1949). This early effort from Richard Fleischer Fleischer (The Vikings, Fantastic Voyage) was a training ground for how to pack as much punch as possible into an hour on a small budget and short shooting schedule. Fleischer learned his lessons well. We run into that terrifying character that was just starting to make his mark in movies â the serial killer. This one calls himself The Judge. He is out to cleanse the world. He kills by strangulation and his victims are both men and women. This movie also sets the tone with the Obsessed Police Detective whose own peace of mind is threatened by his inability to catch the killer. Second tier leading man William Lundigan plays the angst-ridden Homicide Lieutenant. Jeff Corey is Lundiganâs more balanced partner. Dorothy Patrick, whose work I am not familiar with, is very good as a journalist for a sensational crime magazine. She at first annoys Lundigan before becoming a help and love interest. There is an exciting chase finale in some kind of industrial plant. Frank Ferguson is about to meet The Judge in Follow Me Quietly Monkey Business / Howard Hawks (1952). Absent-minded professor Cary Grant is so focused on his unsuccessful formula for stopping the aging process that he neglects sexy wife Ginger Rogers. One day one of the chimpanzees used for experiments escapes her cage and mixes some chemicals together. What she combines just happens to be the correct formula. The chimp then dumps the liquid in the lab water cooler. Grant and Rogers both have a great time acting very silly as the rejuvenation potion regresses them both to earlier stages in life, showing what great comedy actors they can be. Marilyn Monroe, billed fourth, is quite funny, too, as a secretary whose only quality is her sexiness. Boss Charles Coburn hands her a paper and says, âFind somebody to type this.â Oddly enough, âMonkey Businessâ (not to be confused with the Marx Bros. 1931 piece of anarchy of the same title) underperformed at the box office. In an interview with Peter Bogdanovich, Hawks said that he believed that the audiences couldnât accept that a chimp could accidentally find the right ingredients but I think that movie audiences will except about anything in the right context. The problem might have been that this kind of screwball comedy had already run its course and appeared old fashioned. Today, of course, much more time has passed and modern viewers can enjoy it for what it is â a hilarious knockabout farce, maybe a few minutes too long, a bit too repetitious, but not enough to spoil any of the fun. The Hound Of The Baskervilles / Terence Fisher (1959). This familiar story by Arthur Conan Doyle which was first serialized in the Strand Magazine then in novel form in 1903 is given its first color film production by Hammer Studio, which was already known at the time for its lurid and, for the 1950s, gory versions of Dracula and Frankenstein. Purist may take issue with the Hammer script (inside my head I was ticking off the points that were faithful to Doyle and what was added by modern writers) but I enjoyed it so much that I wasnât bothered by any of it. Peter Cushing plays Holmes and Christopher Lee is Sir Henry Baskerville. There has been discussion over whether they should have switched roles or Cushing should have played Stapleton, but that is all moot. It is what it is. The movie immediately grabs the attention by opening directly into a portrayal of the events of a past century that gave rise to the Baskerville Curse. The evil Sir Hugo Baskerville has imprisoned a peasant woman for all of his dissolute friends to share. When she escapes, Sir Hugo pursues her over the moor but, as he catches and kills her, a hound from hell attacks and rips out Sir Hugoâs throat. We then find that this has all been narrated by a visitor to 221B Baker Street to Holmes and Dr. Watson (AndrĂ© Morell). Well, there is much to talk about re: this film and other versions, there is just not enough space on a thread like this to do so. Suffice that this is a worthwhile âHoundâ to be seen in conjunction with other productions of the story. Wonât You Be My Neighbor? / Morgan Neville (2018). When I sat down to this documentary of the life and work of Fred Rogers, I promised myself I wouldnât cry. That promise didnât take much effort to keep. The bulk of the film was a sketchy survey of Rogersâ early life, how he got into TV, and how âMister Rogersâ Neighborhoodâ was developed. For those who grew up with Mister Rogers or who had children who watched the program, most of this material will be familiar. It is only after he gave up his childrenâs show in 1975 that his life takes a dark turn. He missed the daily work at the studio. An attempt to develop a show for adults didnât materialize. He became depressed so returned to make new shows for the Neighborhood. He was also brought down by the nasty turn he saw the country making and of criticism from right-wing commentators that his message that every child was special had created a generation of entitled lazy people who thought everything should be given to them without having to work for it. He was pretty unhappy during his last years but still kept up a busy schedule of speaking and writing, but the movie seems to say that he died thinking that he might have been a failure. Iâm sorry I watched it now. Instead of this biography, I recommend instead that you watch the seven minute video titled, âMr. Rogers Saves PBS.â In 1969, Public Broadcasting was about to have its annual funding cut in half by the Nixon Administration. The Senate Committee headed by a rude and arrogant Sen. John Pastore (D-Rhode Island), who had already made up his mind to push through the cuts, was holding sham hearings but not paying any attention to those testifying in favor of PBS. Not until Fred Rogers took the microphone. What happens next is a miracle. These are seven minutes to be cherished. The Importance of Being Earnest (2018). A performance recorded Live for movie theaters of Oscar Wildeâs famous play. The show opened in the Summer of 2018 at the Vaudeville Theatre in London. A cast of talented young actors, mostly unknown to film or TV, keep the action moving by treating the text as a true farce by rapid fire speaking of the dialog that lets Wildeâs witty lines pore over the audience like a flood, coming fast and furious, no pauses for laughs. Excluding a couple of Shakespeare plays, âThe Importance of Being Earnestâ is my favorite comedy. Always a delight. If this plays at a theater near you, donât miss it. Most of the cast: Miss Prism, Rev. Chasuble, Jack, Gwendolen, Cecily, and Algy Great to see Hammer Film has been getting a good airing by some of the CFB denizens Delighted you liked The Hound of the Baskervilles as much as you did. I love Cushing's take on the role, wonderfully sprightly, while Morell gives us a genuine sidekick of substance. Different spin but hugely effective.
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Post by hitchcockthelegend on Nov 5, 2018 10:45:03 GMT
Here is my weeks: I guess it works for the targeted audiences like GF, myself didn't like it at all. aka Hunter Will Get You, entertaining yes! storywise a bit blurry, but it's fun to see French actors speaking French too, no dubbing. Halloween Horror! WOW that poster nearly gives the whole plot away, still it's a clever little horror movie. "Help Me Please Help Me" The sequel of the former, and it's certanly not the same fly, since they don't have that long lifespans. Anyway not a bad sequel. The fly isn't as big as this old poster might suggest. One of those movies I never get tired of. Classic is the word! That's all Folks!!! Posters - They are amazing, especially the horror ones with the proportions of creatures splendidly incorrect. Quite often for visual impact the creature was nothing like that what was in the film. I always loved the poster for The Wasp Woman, where she is shown as a gorgeous babe with a wasp's body! www.imdb.com/title/tt0054462/mediaviewer/rm3330164224 Of course in the film it's the other way around. I love The Fly, that ending in the web haunted me for days when I watched it as a kid. Return of the Fly I hated, a cash cow rush job with dreadful effects work, while Price looks bemused throughout. He probably felt like me that it badly underused his talent. North by Northwest is a default movie of mine > One of the reasons I love cinema so much is right here. Roger O Thornhill is a harmless and amiable advertising executive who is absurdly mistaken for a government agent by a gang of ruthless spies. Forced to go out on the lam, Thornhill lurches from one perilous scenario to another, can he survive to prove his innocence? Is the gorgeous blonde who is helping him really a friend? All will be revealed in Alfred Hitchcock's majestic thriller. No it isn't a perfect Hitchcock movie, it under uses James Mason's coolly vile Phillip Vandamm (criminal in my book), it doesn't have a female lead acting with any great urgency because Eva Marie Saint as Eve Kendall fails to fully fulfil the promise of Kendall's arrival in the movie, yet this film will forever be a 10/10 film to me because it is pure escapist entertainment, and certainly Alfred Hitchcock's most entertaining picture by far. From the moment I hear Bernard Herrmann's wonderful music I get little goose pimples all over my body because I know that I'm about to get a fusion of thrills, mystery, and that cheeky Hitchcock humour, with heroes and villains all condensed purely for my enjoyment. Cary Grant is diamond as Thornhill, the man wrongly mistaken for another that leads to him to be pursued frighteningly across the states, with the result being over two hours of pulsating and thrilling fun. Coming as it did after the darkly brilliant, and soul sapping, Vertigo, Hitchcock clearly wanted to hang loose and enjoy himself. Working from a fabulous script by Ernest Lehman, North By Northwest's very reason for being is purely to entertain those wanting to invest a frame of mind with it, with Hitchcock cunningly putting us on side with what is ultimately a shallow character in Grant's Roger O (the O doesn't stand for anything) Thornhill, a neat trick from the master of trickery and devilment. Some of the scenes on show are now almost folk lore such is the esteem in which they are held by movie fans and makers alike. A crop dusting aeroplane attack (the prelude to which has goose pimples popping up on my arms in anticipation), a pursuit on Mount Rushmore, the often forgotten drunk car on a cliff sequence, they are all trade mark pieces of work from Hitchcock. The flow of the movie coupled with Herrmann's memorable score makes this, in my humble opinion, one of the true greats of cinema history, as bleak and as unnerving as Vertigo was the previous year, this is the polar opposite in structure and fable, but the result is most definitely equally as brilliant. 10/10
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Post by hitchcockthelegend on Nov 5, 2018 10:53:12 GMT
Leb, what camp you in with Season of the Witch? It's a right divisive picture, though over the last 2 decades it has rightly in my opinion come to get appreciated more on reappraisals.
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Post by delon on Nov 5, 2018 12:43:08 GMT
The ending still packs one mighty punch! It's a dark and powerful ending, indeed.
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Post by Lebowskidoo đŠ on Nov 5, 2018 12:52:31 GMT
hitchcockthelegend Halloween III: Season of the Witch is a fun, although very dark, movie. Obviously they tried to do something different with the Halloween series and people rejected it on the basis that they preferred more Michael Myers, but it is a great little sinister flick, and has become a holiday favorite. That damned Silver Shamrock song is STILL in my brain!
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Post by wmcclain on Nov 5, 2018 13:14:55 GMT
What a splendid array of genre pics! Did you like Fury, Genevieve, The Dead Zone? I watched all of the Universal Mummy sequels in October, they pretty much just exist as time fillers I thought, don't know if you agree about that yourself? Abbott and Costello Lost in Alaska, has a real good rating on IMDb but I find it poor, their star starting to wane around then. I'll have reviews of Fury and The Dead Zone soon. The first is Fritz Lang's first American film and is a better portrayal of lynch mobs that you get in other films. I saw the King adaptation in the theater; it works better as a mediation on the ethics of violence than as a straight horror film. Genevieve: I liked it well enough; lightly amusing. The best parts of that sort of film are the real roads and countryside. Universal Mummy sequels: you get a glimpse of better treatments, but not much more. It's been a long time, but I recall the Hammer versions turning it up a bit more. Abbott and Costello: revisiting childhood memories. My wife was away much of last week so I binged on titles in my stack.
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Post by hitchcockthelegend on Nov 5, 2018 15:48:01 GMT
Great review of Vertigo - it's been my favourite Hitch since my first viewing around 30 years ago. I'll try to get my wife and son to read it as they were less impressed than me. They love their Hitch but prefer Rear Window (son) and Shadow of a Doubt (wife). And by the way, North by Northwest is screening next at my local cinema next Monday so that too will be a 1st time on the big screen experience. I totally understand how and why Vertigo is divisive, I can only say what I always say to haters of it after a first viewing, and that is to give it another try at least, ideally 3 viewings (my own parameter before I give up completely on a movie). If it doesn't hit after that then fair enough, one tried, but it is one that needs to be dug deeper into I feel. Nowt wrong with your families choices mate, both superb pics, but of course Hitch has many See my response to tele on North by Northwest. I'm jealous you going to see it on a big screen, not been able to myself. Nice one!
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Post by hitchcockthelegend on Nov 5, 2018 16:01:38 GMT
hitchcockthelegend Halloween III: Season of the Witch is a fun, although very dark, movie. Obviously they tried to do something different with the Halloween series and people rejected it on the basis that they preferred more Michael Myers, but it is a great little sinister flick, and has become a holiday favorite. That damned Silver Shamrock song is STILL in my brain! Absolutely! You take it out of the Halloween series and it's a very shrewd and scary sci-fi horror picture. Hee, that Silver Shamrock song, I used to sing London Bridge Is Falling Down as a kid, once this film came out it lost all fond memories!
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Post by hitchcockthelegend on Nov 5, 2018 16:37:41 GMT
What a splendid array of genre pics! Did you like Fury, Genevieve, The Dead Zone? I watched all of the Universal Mummy sequels in October, they pretty much just exist as time fillers I thought, don't know if you agree about that yourself? Abbott and Costello Lost in Alaska, has a real good rating on IMDb but I find it poor, their star starting to wane around then. I'll have reviews of Fury and The Dead Zone soon. The first is Fritz Lang's first American film and is a better portrayal of lynch mobs that you get in other films. I saw the King adaptation in the theater; it works better as a mediation on the ethics of violence than as a straight horror film. Genevieve: I liked it well enough; lightly amusing. The best parts of that sort of film are the real roads and countryside. Universal Mummy sequels: you get a glimpse of better treatments, but not much more. It's been a long time, but I recall the Hammer versions turning it up a bit more. Abbott and Costello: revisiting childhood memories. My wife was away much of last week so I binged on titles in my stack. Hahah! I like it, when the wife is away a film lover will play! I'm a Lang acolyte and Fury hits the mark for me, agree with what you say, it's very pertinent. The great man was very proud of it. Tormentors and the tormented given Lang's gifted touch.Out of MGM, Fury is directed by Fritz Lang and stars Spencer Tracy and Sylvia Sidney and features Walter Abel, Bruce Cabot, Edward Ellis and Walter Brennan in support. It's adapted by Lang and Bartlett Cormack from the story Mob Rule written by Norman Krasna. Loosely based around the events that surrounded both the Brooke Hart murder in 1933 and the Lindbergh kidnapping/murder case in 1932, the story sees Tracy as Joe Wilson, an innocent man who is jailed and apparently killed in a fire started by a rampaging lynch mob. However, as the lynch mob go on trial for his murder, Joe surfaces but is twisted by thoughts of revenge on those who happily watched him burn. Widely considered a classic, this first Hollywood outing from director Fritz Lang is a remarkable look at mob violence and one man's limit pushed to its breaking point - and then some. That Lang survived studio interference to craft such a penetrating study of injustice is a minor miracle. Fury is neatly put together as a story, the calm before the storm as Joe & Kath are brought to us as the happy face of Americana. Then it's the middle section as rumours run out of control, the dangers of idle prattling rammed home as things start to escalate out of control-culminating in the savage assault on the jail (a gusto infused action sequence indeed). Then the fall out of mob rule actions - the court case and Joe's malevolent force of vengeance, that in turn comes under scrutiny. The film was said to have been Lang's favourite American film, which is understandable given it bares all his trademarks. The expressionistic touches, shadow play dalliances and supreme cross-cutting between tormentors and the tormented, for sure this is prime Lang, with no frame wasted either. While it's no stretch of the imagination to think that Lang, having fled Nazi Germany, was pondering what he left behind as he moulded the picture together. Of the cast, Tracy is majestic as our main protagonist, while Sidney is brightly big eyed and hugely effective as the moral centre of Joe's universe. Controversial at the time, the film has naturally lost some of that controversial power over the decades. But as the film points out with the lynching statistics, there was once a time when inhumanity was able to rear its ugly head in the blink of an eye. Fury serves to remind two-fold that not only is it a potent social commentary, but also that it's a damn fine piece of skilled cinema. 9/10 Was it a good turn out at the theatre for The Dead Zone? Hope so. I love it loads > www.imdb.com/review/rw1968869/?ref_=tt_urvGenevieve. I only have a basic review out there, but basically I think it's charming and breezy, with a splendid screenplay full of British sensibilities and sexual tension. For the record I love Abbott & Costello, own all their films. Hope you get to review your viewings
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Post by hitchcockthelegend on Nov 5, 2018 17:02:04 GMT
CHARMED (1998) âDead Man Dating.â 20TH ANNIVERSARY. A young John Cho makes a guest appearance, as a ghost seeking help from the Halliwells. The emotional climax, with Beth Neilsen Chapmanâs âSand and Waterâ led to me getting the CD. Paramount DVD. INSPECTOR GADGET (1983) âDouble Agentâ, âPlatform of the Operaâ âGone Went the Windâ 35TH ANNIVERSARY SON OF FRANKENSTEIN (1939) 200TH FRANKENSTEIN ANNIVERSARY The third of the Universal series, and the last for Karloff as the monster. First to use Frank Skinnerâs title theme, which I first heard from the HOUSE OF DRACULA trailer and THE MUMMYâS HAND. First saw this on Showtime back in 1990. Universal DVD FRIENDS (1998) âThe One With The Kips.â 20TH ANNIVERSARY. I always liked this episodeâs focus on Chandler realizing that he is in a mature relationship with Monica, and that one bad weekend together doesnât mean a break up. Also Joey finds out. Netflix. SUPERMAN (1988) âThe Hunter/The Runaway.â I believe this is the third âSuperman Dies!â in animation (The first was in CHALLENGE OF THE SUPERFRIENDS- which was a hoax- and the second was THE SUPER POWERS TEAM: GALACTIC GUARDIANS- where it turned out to be a trance). Wonât be the last. Warner DVD. BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1935) 200TH FRANKENSTEIN ANNIVERSARY The sequel to FRANKENSTEIN, with Whale, Karloff, and Clive back in the fray, with Elsa Lanchester as Mary Shelley and the Monsterâs bride. First saw this on Showtime in 1990. Universal BluRay MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 (2017) âAvalancheâ An episode from the MST3K reboot, this time the 1978 disaster film. Shout DVD. THE LION IN WINTER (1968) 50TH ANNIVERSARY With my viewing of THE DEVILâS CROWN, itâs suitable that I have the Anniversary viewing of the Plantagenetsâ most famous portrayal with Peter OâToole (reprising his Henry II from BECKET) and Katherine Hepburn, with newcomers Anthony Hopkins, Timothy Dalton, Nigel Terry, and John Castle. My initial thought about this production was that it was some Biblical epic with Katherine Hepburn resembling the Virgin Mary (ironically enough, a picture of Catherine OâHara playing Kate as Eleanor- on SCTVâS âThe Man Who Would Be King of Popesâ had me thinking the same thing). I finally got to see this on my PBS channel around the 1992 Summer Olympics. MGM/UA DVD. THE CLEOPATRAS (1983) "Episode Five" 35TH ANNIVERSARY And now our Cleopatraâs story begins, with the power struggle between herself and her brother, which she resolves by help of Caesar. Youtube. JANE EYRE (1983) "Episode Four" 35TH ANNIVERSARY BBC Video DVD THE CAT AND THE CANARY (1927) Halloween perennial. Image DVD. THE MONSTER SQUAD (1987) Along with COUNT DUCKULA, this introduced me to the Classic Monster Films. First saw this on HBO back in 1988. Celebrated its 30th Anniversary last year. This year I watched it with my sister to introduce to her two sons. Hulu. FRANKENSTEIN (1931) 200TH FRANKENSTEIN ANNIVERSARY Following DRACULA, the cementer of the Universal Horror Film Franchise, introducing (to audiences, since he has been in films for a while) Boris Karloff. First saw this one alongside DRACULA and THE WOLF MAN via a present from my uncle. Universal BluRay. UNIVERSAL HORROR (1998) 20TH ANNIVERSARY This Year. Halloween Perennial. Kevin Brownlowâs documentary on the Universal Horror Franchise, with honorable mentions of the films from Paramount (The Fredric March DR. JEKYLL AND MR HYDE), RKO (KING KONG), and Warner Brothers (MYSTERY OF THE WAX MUSEUM). First saw this on its TCM premiere in the Fall of 1998. Universal BluRay. FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST (2003) âThe Man With the Mechanical Armâ 15TH ANNIVERSARY 5th Episode of the first Anime adaptation of Hiromu Arakawaâs manga series, introducing a character I was very fond of: Major Maes Hughes. Bootleg DVD. NOAHâS ARK (1928) 90TH ANNIVERSARY. Warner Brothers attempt at a DeMille epic, mixing the Genesis story with a modern day storyline with the same actors. Most infamous for its depiction of the Flood, which killed several extras. First saw bits of this one as part of TNTâs âSilent Nightâ Marathon on Christmas Eve Night in 1989 (where I first saw the silent BEN-HUR: A TALE OF THE CHRIST) Warner DVD PLANET OF THE APES (1968) 50TH ANNIVERSARY This Year. The classic science fiction film with a particularly downer ending. It certainly shocked me when I first saw it on the Disney Channel in 1992 (back when the channel showed serious classic films at night). I thought BENEATH OF THE PLANET OF THE APES would redeem the ending. Oh No. ESCAPE FROM THE PLANET OF THE APES. Oh dear No! Fox Video BluRay THE DEVILâS CROWN (1978) âRichard Yea or Nayâ 40th ANNIVERSARY Michael Byrneâs Richard comes to the throne, with the emphasis on his historically questionable homosexuality. DRAGON BALL Z: A FINAL LONESOME BATTLE- THE FATHER OF Z WARRIOR SON GOKU WHO CHALLENGED FREIZA (1990) A special (Known as DRAGON BALL Z: THE HISTORY OF BARDOCK: FATHER OF GOKU) made during the Anime Adaptationâs Frieza Saga, fleshing out Gokuâs Father. DRAGON BALL Z KAI would use footage as a prologue for its series. The contents would be retconned by Akira Toriyamaâs DRAGON BALL MINUS origin story (which will be adapted in the upcoming DRAGON BALL SUPER: BROLY film). First saw this on VHS in 2001, entertained by its clips of the original DRAGON BALL series (not yet available in the US save for the first 14 episodes). That version was the Dub version with rock songs (Sum 41, etc.). This version- watched at Tinseltown- keeps the English but restores the original Japanese Music Score. DRAGON BALL Z: THE REBIRTH OF FUSION: GOKU AND VEJITA! (1995) The Twelfth DBZ film. Saw this in Tinseltown. A DIFFERENT WORLD (1988) 30TH ANNIVERSARY âDream Lover.â The first glimpse of Dwayne and Whitleyâs future romance is toyed with in dreams. TV One broadcast on a VHS recording. BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER (1998) âHomecomingâ 20TH ANNIVERSARY. The first appearance of the Big Bad Mayor Wilkins (Harry Groener). Fox Video DVD. Wanting to applaud your contributions to the thread claudius, I think this type of thread is the fulcrum of every film message board, but it's only as good as the contributions to it. Nice that you remember first time you saw stuff. Escape from the Planet of the Apes LOL. TBF the first film is so great and a tough act to follow that I tend to cut the sequels some slack, but this one is pretty average at best. The original, of course, is a different matter > I'm a seeker, too. But my dreams aren't like yours. I can't help thinking that somewhere in the universe there has to be something better than man. Has to be.Planet of the Apes is directed by Franklin J. Schaffner and adapted to screenplay by Michael Wilson and Rod Serling from the 1963 Pierre Boulle novel La planete des singes. It stars Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Maurice Evans, James Whitmore, James Daly and Linda Harrison. Music is scored by Jerry Goldsmith and Leon Shamroy is the cinematographer. 3978 A.D. and a spaceship and its crew crash down on a distant planet. Three astronauts survive the crash, they appear to be on a planet not unlike their own, Earth. But soon they come to learn that this planet is ruled by intelligent apes, the human being is the lesser species, mute and of basic intelligenceÂ
.. It was a tough sell to studios back in the 1960s, not only was the premise that formed Pierre Boulle's novel a tricky one, but the technical aspects, cost and quality of, also had the men in suits backing away from producer Arthur P. Jacobs and beefcake actor Charlton Heston. Eventually Dick Zanuck over at Fox nervously agreed to make it as long as significant tests ensured that farce would not follow. Stumping up $50,000 for John Chambers to develop the ape make up and masks, and a successful test run acted out by Edward G. Robinson as Dr Zaius opposite Heston, Planet of the Apes was given the green light. The script went through a number of changes as Serling and Wilson tossed around ideas to improve on Boulle's page turner-Heston himself felt that the novel as written was unfilmable-and when director Schaffner came on board, he himself went for a more primitive ape world as opposed to the one under consideration that featured futuristic high rises and super advanced technology. What came out at the end of it all is one of the greatest sci-fi movies of all time. What would follow the success of the film is well known, a number of inferior sequels, a TV series, a remake and even a prequel in 2011. Then of course there was the toys, models, comics, cartoons and T shirts; it at times felt in the 70s that there really was a Planet of the Apes, only this one was driven by commerce. The aftermath of the original film has not done it any favours, the lines have become blurred, with so much muck and tack about, it often gets forgotten just how clinically great Schaffner's movie is. If ever there was a film that deserves to be a standalone, this is the one. Follow Heston's brawny Taylor from the pitiful planting of the stars and stripes at the beginning, to that monumental ending, and then leave it at that, do not pass go, do not venture further into any sort of monkey business. No sequel necessary, for Planet of the Apes to truly hit you with maximum impact, it all needs to end right there on that shoreline. As the great Rod Serling intended, in fact. Thematically the picture is acknowledged as being caustically strong, a sociological allegory, with pinches of racial animus just for flavouring. It might be under the guise of a sci-fi movie, but the makers aren't trying to hide it. Whilst the narrative twitches with comment, whoosh was that an aside to the Scopes trial? Film is also full of visceral thrills, pop-culture references and unnerving (alienation like) photographic beauty. The former comes with the hunt sequence, where we first meet gorilla's on horses, with guns and attitude, the latter with Shamroy's Panavision/De Luxe colour lensing of the California and Arizona locations. All enhanced by Goldsmith's aural pinging percussive led score. And while we continue to remember some of those famous bits of dialogue, we also pick up on each revisit to the film those little slices of humour slotted into the story; human see, human do, indeed. Film of course hinges on Heston's central human performance, of which he delivers athletic guts and subtle nuances in equal measure. Taylor's character arc demands repeat viewings to fully appreciate what Heston brings to the role. Take in the cynical Taylor who wanders through the Forbidden Zone in the first quarter, then marry it up to the Taylor fighting for his life in the middle, and finally to the Taylor at the denouement, it's a three pronged acting turn of some undervalued distinction. Not all muscular "presence" actors are/were able to be credible, Heston was. Around him in the monkey suits are true professionals, Hunter, McDowall, Evans (coming in for Robinson who feared for is health in the suit) and Whitmore, while Harrison in the non speaking human role of Nova does her job of looking gorgeous! All that's left to say is that Schaffner, who would win the Academy Award for Best Director two years later for Patton, pulls it all together neatly. 10/10 Son of Frankenstein, a super sequel > www.imdb.com/review/rw2138336/?ref_=tt_urv
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Post by hitchcockthelegend on Nov 5, 2018 17:08:36 GMT
No classics, but two from this year: Won't You Be My Neighbor?--Excellent biography of Fred Rogers and his work. For those who loved this documentary, there is an earlier documentary, Fred Rogers: America's Favorite Neighbor (2004), which has a longer running time and covers much of the same material seen in the later film. But you might as well watch 'em both, as you can't get enough of Mister Rogers, and his philosophy is sorely needed these days. And for Halloween week, a horror movie: Book Club--a while back, I posted about actors who play roles too young for them, and mentioned how few films there are with actresses who do the same thing. This film is one of those few. Four older women get together for regular discussions on books they've read for their private book club. They decide to choose the Fifty Shades series, and their lives are-- changed forever! They're all so blown away by the daring sensuality of these books that they all experience some kind of revelation about their relationships with men in their lives! No. First of all, anyone who's wasted time in reading any of the Fifty Shades books is aware that the most noteworthy literary achievement about them is that they succeed in making kinky erotica tedious, which is quite a feat. Even one of those romance paperbacks that used to be sold on the racks of drugstores next to the word search puzzle books has more thrills than this ponderous trilogy. The fact that this is the subject of this group's book discussion should be a giveaway that these women are going to be the usual dullards found in too many modern romantic comedies (I guess that's why they need all that wine; a large part of these movies tends to revolve around people lounging on sofas and drinking wine out of enormous wine glasses). Candice Bergen plays a divorced judge whose husband ran off with a much younger woman; her adventures in the world of internet dating seem promising. If the movie had stuck with her story, it might have made for a nice little rom-com. Unfortunately, the rest of the movie deals with the romantic exploits of the other three. Mary Steenburgen is disappointed in her lack of a sex life with her husband of many years; this leads to a slew of Viagra jokes. Okay, a bit stale, but the worst is yet to come. Diane Keaton's character suggests "Annie Hall meets Miss Havisham"--the hair, the slouch, and the girlish goofiness of the Hall character, uncomfortably transferred to a woman in her seventies. This odd look is apparently irresistible to Andy Garcia, a handsome, sexy, charming, wealthy airline pilot who can easily attract hordes of women in their thirties yet chooses to chase after a woman ten years his senior here (well, she admits to five years). The most terrifying of all is Jane Fonda, who here sports a disturbing resemblance to Skeletor. Her eyes seem to be so tight that she has trouble blinking, she seems to be constantly sucking in her cheeks, and the veins in her arms seem larger than the arms themselves. The premise of all this is that she is some kind of vixen, who endlessly boasts about having a "roster of men," which is why she can't get involved with Don Johnson. Because, again, Don Johnson can't find any woman besides this pickled self-described femme fatale a decade older than he is. Watch this only if you have the occasional yen for bad movies. Hadn't even heard of Book Club, which prolly says volumes! I take it Don Johnson not your cup of tea? One to avoid, then, shame with that cast.
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Post by hitchcockthelegend on Nov 5, 2018 17:14:58 GMT
Hi all,I hope everyone had a good weekend,and I've recently seen: Night of the Demon (1957) 10 Filling every inch of the two Blu-Ray's with special features and a detailed book, Indicator present an impeachable transfer of the US/Euro cuts, (both with choices of two different aspect ratios for both versions)with the image quality being pristine, and the soundtrack being clear and crisp. Creating an adaptation of M.R. James story Casting the Runes which continues to inspire Horror cinema, the screenplay by Charles Bennett/ Hal E. Chester and Cy Endfield intelligently use the countdown to Holden facing the demon to ignite a Film Noir ticking time bomb, ringing with sceptical loner Holden crossing the dark side in the hope of escaping an impending doom, and believer Joanna Harrington (a very good, playful Peggy Cummins) encouraging Holden to find a page of survival. Vocal over his dislike of the demon (which was mentioned in the original script as appearing fully visible on screen-and now has a handmade charm) director Jacques Tourneur follows dad Maurice's Devil's Hand (which shares a number of similarities) by closely working with cinematographer Edward Scaife and creating a transfixing Gothic Noir atmosphere. Making Holden feel each day gets closer to the impending night,Tourneur drops him in a pit of Film Noir hell, fired up by ultra-stylised low-lighting over Karswell (played with devilish relish by Niall MacGinnis) conjuring the curse onto him, and icy panning shots following the paper trail to the underworld. Losing his doubts and becoming drenched in sweat,Dana Andrews gives a fantastic, haunted performance as Holden, who Andrews keeps held in a grip of terror over finding himself outside on the night of the demon. Coffin by Post (1957) 8 Caped in a silk Jazz score from Marcel Landowski, co-writer/(with Jacques Chabannes and AndrĂ©'s Haguet and Legrand) director Henri Calef & cinematographer Jean Isnard dress the Tercelin household in lush Art Deco stylisation, shimmering in long panning shots across the rooms and down the secret passage ways. Breaking out of the Art Deco, Calef neatly balances this elegance with a Film Noir ruggedness, lit from the Giallo-style mini-coffins landing in the hands of the next victim, and a tastefully done topless scene with Françoise Fabian, (a rare thing to do in this era)to the misty outdoor scenes gliding on fear of Inspecteur Malouvier sinking with the killer. Holding Malouvier back from getting involved in the first half, the writers present an excellent family affair Film Noir, where the Tercelin's extended family feud fuels revenge as they trade underhanded double-dealings that get nailed as they each start being posted to their coffins. Becoming caught in the middle of this challenging family matter, the writers tensely have Malouvier chop down the cold shoulders from the Tiercelin's and unveiling their criminal stash. Met with cold glances from her broken dad Pierre, (a great, worn-down Fernand Ledoux) Françoise Fabian gives this Noir a welcomed slice of glamour as nightclub dancing Evelyne, with Fabian making visible Evelyne's hopes in breaking out of the shadow over her family. Finding his fellow officers less than keen to dig up the family matters,Paul Meurisse gives a very good performance as Malouvier, with Meurisse capturing Malouvier's thoughtful silence, in order to hear a coffin get posted. Cautivo del mas allĂĄ 1968/1984! 8 Partly filmed as Cautivo del mĂĄs allĂĄ in 1968, but not completed until a new film called Terror, sexo y brujerĂa was bolted on in 1984 (!), co-writer/(with Fernando CortĂ©s) director Rafael Portillo's "unique" methods give the film a kaleidoscope psychotronic atmosphere, where drastic changes in actors faces and clothes changes from scene to scene,and no one mutters a word about it. Offering an eyeful of boobage within the first 5 minutes,Portillo goes full-on for the Grindhouse Horror, with the (unintended) playful atmosphere allowing the flick to leap from stylish dissolves of witchcraft and possession, to a cheaply done zombie. Put together over decades, the screenplay by Portillo and CortĂ©s actually works! This is thanks to the disorienting state the lead (a very good Gonzalo Aiza-in his lone credit) finds himself in as the souls of Ricardo SantamarĂa / Carlos SantamarĂa matching the wonderfully strange nature of this witchcraft tale. Ju-on 2 (2000)5 Appearing to be slapped together after the success of the first Ju -on on video,writer/ director Takashi Shimizu brings this Grudge to the cinema, by recalling the likes of Silent Night, Deadly Night 2 (1987) (minus the trashy humour) in stuffing the first 35 minutes with re-used footage from the first Ju-on. Reeking of a disinterested attitude, Shimizu stamps the point down by covering the film in over-saturated colours and out of focus shots, which dent attempts for a creepy mood from the striking images in the second to last tale. Continuing the episodic set-up of the first, the screenplay by Shimizu finds some new room to expand on the tale of J-Horror's long black haired poster girl Kayako, but they lack the care of building a mystery around the house of the original, and finishing on an ill-judged comedic ending which turns this grudge into a joke. An observational good review (as usual) of Night of the Demon, it's a personal fave, but seeing your image pic once again has me hating the fact they chose to show the goofy demon!! Review to back you up > You know, the devil has something here. Very pleasant.Dr. John Holden arrives in England to attend a paranormal convention where the recently deceased Professor Harrington had intended to expose Dr. Julian Karswell as being the leader of satanic cult. Upon learning of Harrington's death, Holden finds that the only link to the mysterious death and Karswell's alleged cult is an accused murderer called Rand Hobart, who is currently in a catatonic state. While Harrington's niece Joanna is convinced her uncle was felled by supernatural forces, Holden sets about debunking it all as pure hogwash. Something that may yet prove to be fatal to his well being? Prior to 1957, director Jacques Tourneur could boast on his rĂ©sumĂ© psychological horror classics I Walked With A Zombie & Cat People, the simmering pot boiling Western Canyon Passage and the rightly heralded film-noir piece that is Out Of The Past. He was in short the perfect choice to direct this loose adaptation of M.R. James' story "Casting the Runes". Why then? That producer Hal E. Chester chose to interfere and not let Tourneur have full rein to deliver a supernatural picture that is more about what you don't see is actually what scares you? Is open for scornful debate. The problem, and the source of much discussion over the years, concerns the demon of the title. Goofy looking and at once taking away the quizzical factor for the audience, Chester had the demon appear both at the beginning and the end of the piece. It was also featured heavily in the film's advertising material (it's on the poster for instance), which quite frankly killed off the minuscule chance the less than scary vision had of shocking the audience. It's now all the years later considered across the board that it would have been better to not have seen the demon at all, certainly at the least to not see it at the beginning of the film. Thankfully though, and with much credit to Tourneur, his team and the cast, Night Of The Demon is still a nerve pulling piece of work that shines bright today as a true classic horror picture. After the demon has shown its unremarkable face, we follow Holden (a knowingly effective and stoic turn from Dana Andrews) as he delves deeper into murky waters that he's convinced do not exist. Only to realise he's in a devilish trap laid by the creepy Karswell (Niall MacGinnis), a trap from which he must escape or face the dire consequence. The tension has been built up beautifully by Tourneur, tension given an added dimension by Ken Adam's spookily adroit set designs. So come the glorious train station finale, nobody can be quite sure what will happen, and this in spite of us knowing the existence of the said demon thanks to the appearance of "it" at the beginning. The film was cut by 12 minutes and retitled Curse Of the Demon for the American market, but both versions have readily been available in disc form in the US. Odd then that in the country where the film is proudly called one of its own better horror entries, it had to wait till 2010 for a home disc release! That is almost as criminal as Chester's insistence on the demon appearing at the start of the film. Only almost mind you. 9/10 Give Ju-on 2 a miss then!
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Post by mikef6 on Nov 5, 2018 19:08:15 GMT
hitchcockthelegendThanks so much for the Vertigo review. It is my favorite Hitchcock and my second favorite film of all time - coming in just a few hundreds of a decimal point under Kurosawa's Ikiru. It is both fun and forehead-slapping to read some of the contemporary reviews. The Time Magazine critic must have thought he was being especially clever when he came up with "a Hitchcock and bull story." Kids growing up in the â50s didnât get the street education that most young people get these days. There was a kind of goofy innocence about it that, in many ways, I am glad is gone. Vertigo was the first truly âadultâ movie I ever saw (and at the drive-in no less). Even though I am still plumbing its depths, âVertigo,â on my first viewing, opened a world of sex, love, and obsession that I never knew existed before seeing this film. Scottie forcing/cajoling Judy to turn herself into Madeleine was my first âcreep-out.â Iâve never forgotten the impact.
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