Starring Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Aubrey Mather, Dennis Hoey, Paul Cavanagh
Directed by Roy William Neill
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson come to the aid of a group of men calling themselves "The Good Comrades," who are being killed off one by one after receiving an envelope containing orange pips.
A very good entry in the Universal Holmes series, the picture has a well-wound mystery plot that doesn't give too much away, making the revelation at the end even more worthwhile. Although based on Conan Doyle's story "The Five Orange Pips," it's not a close adaptation, but Roy Chanslor's screenplay adds in new well-defined characters, as well as bits of whimsical humor for Doctor Watson and Inspector Lestrade. Mather is a delight as the patriarch of the group, a convivial host seemingly oblivious to the threat to him and his comrades, as is Sally Shepherd as the humorless housekeeper who brings the envelopes forecasting death and is later found roaming at night carrying an amazingly huge meat cleaver. Neill directs at a fine pace, but the film really picks up some steam during a stormy night sequence in which Watson finds himself alone in an old dark house.
Thursday, February 28, 2019
Monday, February 25, 2019
Jack The Ripper (1959)
Starring Lee Patterson, Eddie Byrne, Betty McDowall, Ewen Solon, John Le Mesurier
Directed by Robert S. Baker & Monty Berman
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
An American detective comes to Whitechapel to help the British police in their efforts to track down Jack The Ripper, and falls for the beautiful ward of a doctor who seems a strong suspect.
Baker & Berman, who produced a number of British thrillers on film before doing the same on television, also photographed and directed this adaptation of the well known Ripper crimes, scripted by Jimmy Sangster. According to the publicity for a recent Blu-ray release from Severin, some shocking scenes of nudity and violence were included in the film's initial release, although they weren't included in the print I viewed on Amazon Prime. At any rate, the movie is much like other filmed versions of the story including The Lodger, The Phantom Fiend, and Man In The Attic, with bureaucrats pushing the police to solve the crimes, the requisite scenes of revealing dancers at a music hall, and murders staged in shadows, albeit with some twists and turns unique to Sangster's script. I liked Eddie Byrne very much as the inspector determined to do his best while being besieged by his superiors and the riffraff of Whitechapel, and Solon and Le Mesurier are sharp and distinguished in character parts as doctors at the hospital where all the Ripper autopsies are performed. The sets are quite good, there are nicely staged crowd scenes, and the music is effective. It's an entertaining picture, not the best of its kind I'd say, but a fine effort regardless.
Directed by Robert S. Baker & Monty Berman
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
An American detective comes to Whitechapel to help the British police in their efforts to track down Jack The Ripper, and falls for the beautiful ward of a doctor who seems a strong suspect.
Baker & Berman, who produced a number of British thrillers on film before doing the same on television, also photographed and directed this adaptation of the well known Ripper crimes, scripted by Jimmy Sangster. According to the publicity for a recent Blu-ray release from Severin, some shocking scenes of nudity and violence were included in the film's initial release, although they weren't included in the print I viewed on Amazon Prime. At any rate, the movie is much like other filmed versions of the story including The Lodger, The Phantom Fiend, and Man In The Attic, with bureaucrats pushing the police to solve the crimes, the requisite scenes of revealing dancers at a music hall, and murders staged in shadows, albeit with some twists and turns unique to Sangster's script. I liked Eddie Byrne very much as the inspector determined to do his best while being besieged by his superiors and the riffraff of Whitechapel, and Solon and Le Mesurier are sharp and distinguished in character parts as doctors at the hospital where all the Ripper autopsies are performed. The sets are quite good, there are nicely staged crowd scenes, and the music is effective. It's an entertaining picture, not the best of its kind I'd say, but a fine effort regardless.
Sunday, February 24, 2019
This Island Earth (1955)
Starring Jeff Morrow, Faith Domergue, Rex Reason, Lance Fuller, Russell Johnson
Directed by Joseph Newman
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A scientist is recruited to create atomic energy for a strange looking man with mysterious advanced technology whom he discovers is an alien being trying to save his planet.
The showpiece in Universal-International's series of science fiction films in the 1950s, a colorful journey into outer space with an intelligent story and some fantastic visuals, being one of the first films to depict outer space travel and an alien world in the kind of scope we expect in today's blockbusters. Based on a story by science fiction writer Raymond F. Jones, there's a good deal of futuristic but solid concepts in the screenplay based on scientific theory, including video communications, de-pressurizing tubes, and meteors harnessed by spacecraft for warmongering. Morrow is excellent as Exeter, the lone kindly and progressive thinker among his more ruthless people, with good support from Reason and Domergue as Cal Meacham and Ruth Adams, the human scientists he comes to depend on on Earth. The screenplay unfolds like a mystery at first, capturing the audience with Meacham's befuddlement but fascination at the technology he's granted by the mysterious Exeter, and then morphing into an odyssey into the fantastic. The music score, debuting some iconic themes from Herman Stein, along with selections from Henry Mancini and Hans J. Salter, helps transport us, alongside the special effects that still hold up remarkably well. The excellent art direction makes the technology seem believable and looks fantastic, and before the film is over, we'll be exposed to one of the studio's memorable creature makeups. It's not a perfect film, but it flows impressively and has the feel of a science fiction magazine story of the era brought to life.
Directed by Joseph Newman
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A scientist is recruited to create atomic energy for a strange looking man with mysterious advanced technology whom he discovers is an alien being trying to save his planet.
The showpiece in Universal-International's series of science fiction films in the 1950s, a colorful journey into outer space with an intelligent story and some fantastic visuals, being one of the first films to depict outer space travel and an alien world in the kind of scope we expect in today's blockbusters. Based on a story by science fiction writer Raymond F. Jones, there's a good deal of futuristic but solid concepts in the screenplay based on scientific theory, including video communications, de-pressurizing tubes, and meteors harnessed by spacecraft for warmongering. Morrow is excellent as Exeter, the lone kindly and progressive thinker among his more ruthless people, with good support from Reason and Domergue as Cal Meacham and Ruth Adams, the human scientists he comes to depend on on Earth. The screenplay unfolds like a mystery at first, capturing the audience with Meacham's befuddlement but fascination at the technology he's granted by the mysterious Exeter, and then morphing into an odyssey into the fantastic. The music score, debuting some iconic themes from Herman Stein, along with selections from Henry Mancini and Hans J. Salter, helps transport us, alongside the special effects that still hold up remarkably well. The excellent art direction makes the technology seem believable and looks fantastic, and before the film is over, we'll be exposed to one of the studio's memorable creature makeups. It's not a perfect film, but it flows impressively and has the feel of a science fiction magazine story of the era brought to life.
Thursday, February 21, 2019
Evil Of Dracula (1974)
Starring Toshio Kurosawa, Mariko Mochizuki, Kunie Tanaka, Shin Kishida, Katsuhiko Sasaki
Directed by Michio Yamamoto
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A psychology teacher is hired for a position at a girls' school, and is told by the principal he intends him to replace him, but a weird dream convinces him there are vampires about.
The third film in Toho's "Bloodthirsty Trilogy" is entertaining and notable for some more revealing bits of gore and flesh then in the previous films, although it's very tame compared to the excessive amount of each in Hammer's similarly themed Lust For A Vampire, released a few years earlier. There is a mystery at the heart of the story which helps propel the film along, although much is left unexplained, including why none of the men hunting the lead vampire seem to have the slightest familiarity with vampire defenses, with no crosses, garlic flowers, holy water, or wooden stakes ever appearing in the film. A supposed origin flashback for the vampires in the area is competently filmed, but doesn't seem to explain a whole lot, or have much relevance to the story. There's also an odd Renfield-like character who serves the vampires but spends most of his time staring at the girls and quoting unidentified erotic poetry- as their characters say, "he's weird!" The performances are overall good ones, although no one really stood out for me. The photography in the film is much darker, without the beautiful color and scenes of nature of the previous "Bloodthirsty" films, with much of the picture taking place inside the school's grounds. I wouldn't call this a great film, but liked it a little better than the second film in the series, and as a series the trilogy is interesting for the opportunity it gave Yamamoto to play around in the vampire genre.
Directed by Michio Yamamoto
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A psychology teacher is hired for a position at a girls' school, and is told by the principal he intends him to replace him, but a weird dream convinces him there are vampires about.
The third film in Toho's "Bloodthirsty Trilogy" is entertaining and notable for some more revealing bits of gore and flesh then in the previous films, although it's very tame compared to the excessive amount of each in Hammer's similarly themed Lust For A Vampire, released a few years earlier. There is a mystery at the heart of the story which helps propel the film along, although much is left unexplained, including why none of the men hunting the lead vampire seem to have the slightest familiarity with vampire defenses, with no crosses, garlic flowers, holy water, or wooden stakes ever appearing in the film. A supposed origin flashback for the vampires in the area is competently filmed, but doesn't seem to explain a whole lot, or have much relevance to the story. There's also an odd Renfield-like character who serves the vampires but spends most of his time staring at the girls and quoting unidentified erotic poetry- as their characters say, "he's weird!" The performances are overall good ones, although no one really stood out for me. The photography in the film is much darker, without the beautiful color and scenes of nature of the previous "Bloodthirsty" films, with much of the picture taking place inside the school's grounds. I wouldn't call this a great film, but liked it a little better than the second film in the series, and as a series the trilogy is interesting for the opportunity it gave Yamamoto to play around in the vampire genre.
Monday, February 18, 2019
The Phantom Of Crestwood (1932)
Starring Ricardo Cortez, Karen Morley, Anita Louise, Pauline Frederick, H.B. Warner
Directed by J. Walter Ruben
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
After a gold-digging woman reveals to her paramours at a dinner party that she is blackmailing them, she ends up murdered, and a criminal at the site takes it upon himself to solve the crime.
An entertaining old dark house mystery from RKO during the era of David O. Selznick and Merian C. Cooper, the picture is well-written and directed, and opened after a publicity campaign run by NBC radio for listeners to create their own endings to the story. As far I know none of those endings was used for the film, but nevertheless it's really a compelling story, and Morley is excellent as the ill-fated but cool and confident Jenny Wren, ready to retire to the continent by blackmailing the men who had illicit affairs with her. After her death, when Cortez and his men, who were aiming to steal some incriminating letters from Wren, are marooned at the site of the party by an avalanche, Cortez takes charge in a unique twist, aiming to find the real killer so he won't be blamed. Of course there are secret passages inside the house, stormy weather, and the appearance of a would-be ghost, along with plenty of character turns from the likes of H.B. Warner, Richard "Skeets" Gallagher, and Gavin Gordon. The photography by Henry Gerrard finely captures the ghostly face the characters encounter, and some process shots of individuals falling to their deaths are very sharp and convincing. I don't know if the revelation of the murderer is as clever as the setup, but it's a fine mystery, and certainly worth your time.
Directed by J. Walter Ruben
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
After a gold-digging woman reveals to her paramours at a dinner party that she is blackmailing them, she ends up murdered, and a criminal at the site takes it upon himself to solve the crime.
An entertaining old dark house mystery from RKO during the era of David O. Selznick and Merian C. Cooper, the picture is well-written and directed, and opened after a publicity campaign run by NBC radio for listeners to create their own endings to the story. As far I know none of those endings was used for the film, but nevertheless it's really a compelling story, and Morley is excellent as the ill-fated but cool and confident Jenny Wren, ready to retire to the continent by blackmailing the men who had illicit affairs with her. After her death, when Cortez and his men, who were aiming to steal some incriminating letters from Wren, are marooned at the site of the party by an avalanche, Cortez takes charge in a unique twist, aiming to find the real killer so he won't be blamed. Of course there are secret passages inside the house, stormy weather, and the appearance of a would-be ghost, along with plenty of character turns from the likes of H.B. Warner, Richard "Skeets" Gallagher, and Gavin Gordon. The photography by Henry Gerrard finely captures the ghostly face the characters encounter, and some process shots of individuals falling to their deaths are very sharp and convincing. I don't know if the revelation of the murderer is as clever as the setup, but it's a fine mystery, and certainly worth your time.
Saturday, February 16, 2019
The Amphibian Man (1962)
Starring Vladimir Korenev, Anastasiya Vertinskaya, Mikhail Kosakov, Anatoliy Smiranin, Nikolai Simonov
Directed by Vladimir Chebotaryov & Gennadiy Kazanskiy
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A young man who was given the gills of a shark by his father in a life-saving operation falls in love with a woman he rescues from a shark, but she becomes betrothed to a cruel and wealthy fisherman.
The then-Soviet Union brings us this touching love story with a sci-fi twist, which despite the scientific trappings is very reminiscent of a modern fairy tale, and is well-acted and directed. Costumed in a creature suit when underwater to disguise him as a man size fish, complete with fin and a fish eye-mask, Korenev stars as the well-named Ichtyander, who is branded a devil fish by the sailors who encounter him. Vertinskaya is Gutiere, the beauty with a luminous face and haunting blue eyes that he pursues, but her father is an old man with terrible debts, and he is eager to marry her off to the wealthy Don Pedro, who wants to capture the devil fish to increase his own fortune. While all this is going on, Ichtyander's father, after his success with his son's surgery, wants to create a new life for the common people under the sea, where there nor longer need be rich nor poor. Although there is tragedy as well as romance, it's a beautiful picture, which also gives us a glimpse into the arts and culture of the time, featuring some wonderful songs that underscore Ichtyander's search for Gutiere and an ebullient scene where the lovers get to dance. According to Wikipedia, this was one of the highest grossing Soviet films for a period of time.
Directed by Vladimir Chebotaryov & Gennadiy Kazanskiy
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A young man who was given the gills of a shark by his father in a life-saving operation falls in love with a woman he rescues from a shark, but she becomes betrothed to a cruel and wealthy fisherman.
The then-Soviet Union brings us this touching love story with a sci-fi twist, which despite the scientific trappings is very reminiscent of a modern fairy tale, and is well-acted and directed. Costumed in a creature suit when underwater to disguise him as a man size fish, complete with fin and a fish eye-mask, Korenev stars as the well-named Ichtyander, who is branded a devil fish by the sailors who encounter him. Vertinskaya is Gutiere, the beauty with a luminous face and haunting blue eyes that he pursues, but her father is an old man with terrible debts, and he is eager to marry her off to the wealthy Don Pedro, who wants to capture the devil fish to increase his own fortune. While all this is going on, Ichtyander's father, after his success with his son's surgery, wants to create a new life for the common people under the sea, where there nor longer need be rich nor poor. Although there is tragedy as well as romance, it's a beautiful picture, which also gives us a glimpse into the arts and culture of the time, featuring some wonderful songs that underscore Ichtyander's search for Gutiere and an ebullient scene where the lovers get to dance. According to Wikipedia, this was one of the highest grossing Soviet films for a period of time.
Friday, February 15, 2019
The Invisible Man's Revenge (1944)
Starring Jon Hall, Leon Errol, John Carradine, Alan Curtis, Evelyn Ankers
Directed by Ford Beebe
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
After recovering his memory and escaping from an asylum, a criminal plans to extort money from his former partners, and finds a way by becoming a subject in a scientist's experiments with invisibility.
John P. Fulton's special effects again highlight another Invisible Man sequel, although the prior series is all but forgotten. Hall, who played a heroic invisible man in the previous picture, is now a villainous one, playing a different character, but with the same surname of Griffin, the only reference to H.G. Wells' original novel remaining. The formula is now the concoction of a scientist played by John Carradine in a welcome appearance, although too brief, who utilizes Hall as his first human subject. There's still an element of fun in the film, as well as Fulton's special effects wizardry, although the DVD age has exposed the wires and black velvet mask that film more convincingly hid. However, the story never quite came together for me, with Griffin's status of being wanted for murder seemingly forgotten after the first ten minutes of the movie, and Ankers' character being wasted in an almost cameo appearance. It's still enjoyable in its own regard, but a far cry from the original classic, and a step down from the previous sequels.
Directed by Ford Beebe
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
After recovering his memory and escaping from an asylum, a criminal plans to extort money from his former partners, and finds a way by becoming a subject in a scientist's experiments with invisibility.
John P. Fulton's special effects again highlight another Invisible Man sequel, although the prior series is all but forgotten. Hall, who played a heroic invisible man in the previous picture, is now a villainous one, playing a different character, but with the same surname of Griffin, the only reference to H.G. Wells' original novel remaining. The formula is now the concoction of a scientist played by John Carradine in a welcome appearance, although too brief, who utilizes Hall as his first human subject. There's still an element of fun in the film, as well as Fulton's special effects wizardry, although the DVD age has exposed the wires and black velvet mask that film more convincingly hid. However, the story never quite came together for me, with Griffin's status of being wanted for murder seemingly forgotten after the first ten minutes of the movie, and Ankers' character being wasted in an almost cameo appearance. It's still enjoyable in its own regard, but a far cry from the original classic, and a step down from the previous sequels.
Thursday, February 14, 2019
Once In A New Moon (1934)
Starring Eliot Makeham, Rene Ray, Morton Selten, Wally Patch, Derrick De Marney
Directed by Anthony Kimmins
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A dead star pulls a small British island off the Earth and sends it into orbit, and after discovering they've been cut off, a political struggle ensues between a lord and lady and those opposing them.
This is an interesting science fiction effort from England, although it plays more like a fantasy, with no scenes of destruction or violence, and something of a whimsical tone. Many of the characters are stereotypes, from the old doddering lord, to his cruel class-centered wife, to their idealistic young son who's fallen for a girl beneath his class, and his sneering rival who pushes for a violent raid on the lord's property. At the center of the story is Makeham, playing the wizened postmaster of the community, who tries to warn the village's leaders of their plight but is dismissed by the pompous and wealthy. Although the story ventures into dark territory at its climax with an army being formed to unseat the lord and steal his arms, Kimmins keeps things light through the inclusion of training scenes in which none of the soldiers can hit a simple target. I wouldn't call this a great film, but it's a rare example of science fiction in the 1930s, and definitely worth checking out for familiar character actors in the cast such as Morton Selten, Derrick De Marney, and Thorley Walters.
Directed by Anthony Kimmins
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A dead star pulls a small British island off the Earth and sends it into orbit, and after discovering they've been cut off, a political struggle ensues between a lord and lady and those opposing them.
This is an interesting science fiction effort from England, although it plays more like a fantasy, with no scenes of destruction or violence, and something of a whimsical tone. Many of the characters are stereotypes, from the old doddering lord, to his cruel class-centered wife, to their idealistic young son who's fallen for a girl beneath his class, and his sneering rival who pushes for a violent raid on the lord's property. At the center of the story is Makeham, playing the wizened postmaster of the community, who tries to warn the village's leaders of their plight but is dismissed by the pompous and wealthy. Although the story ventures into dark territory at its climax with an army being formed to unseat the lord and steal his arms, Kimmins keeps things light through the inclusion of training scenes in which none of the soldiers can hit a simple target. I wouldn't call this a great film, but it's a rare example of science fiction in the 1930s, and definitely worth checking out for familiar character actors in the cast such as Morton Selten, Derrick De Marney, and Thorley Walters.
Monday, February 11, 2019
War Of The Satellites (1958)
Starring Dick Miller, Susan Cabot, Richard Devon, Eric Sinclair, Michael Fox
Directed by Roger Corman
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A scientist sending manned satellites into space witnesses their destruction by a cosmic barrier, and after ignoring an alien warning to stop, he's replaced by a duplicate ready to sabotage the missions.
Roger Corman tackles an outer space adventure, with a story and special effects by the team that were everywhere in low-budget sci-fi in the 1950s, Jack Rabin and Irving Block. The story's however a little more ambitious than the production design and effects on this production can keep pace with. The chairs the space travelers strap themselves into to survive takeoff are clearly Barcaloungers from a furniture showroom, a message from space arrives in a tiny model rocket, and wires suspending spaceships and planets are clearly visible. Still, the picture's a lot of a fun, with plenty of action on Earth and aboard ship, including a rare heroic lead for character actor Miller, and spotlights for plenty of other Corman regulars in the cast, from Cabot, to Devon, to Beach Dickerson, Bruno Vesota, and Corman himself playing a mission control operator. Roger keeps things tightly paced, Walter Greene's bold music score sustains excitement, and a few well-staged camera tricks and effects allow us to suspend our disbelief, even when the cheapness shows through.
Directed by Roger Corman
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A scientist sending manned satellites into space witnesses their destruction by a cosmic barrier, and after ignoring an alien warning to stop, he's replaced by a duplicate ready to sabotage the missions.
Roger Corman tackles an outer space adventure, with a story and special effects by the team that were everywhere in low-budget sci-fi in the 1950s, Jack Rabin and Irving Block. The story's however a little more ambitious than the production design and effects on this production can keep pace with. The chairs the space travelers strap themselves into to survive takeoff are clearly Barcaloungers from a furniture showroom, a message from space arrives in a tiny model rocket, and wires suspending spaceships and planets are clearly visible. Still, the picture's a lot of a fun, with plenty of action on Earth and aboard ship, including a rare heroic lead for character actor Miller, and spotlights for plenty of other Corman regulars in the cast, from Cabot, to Devon, to Beach Dickerson, Bruno Vesota, and Corman himself playing a mission control operator. Roger keeps things tightly paced, Walter Greene's bold music score sustains excitement, and a few well-staged camera tricks and effects allow us to suspend our disbelief, even when the cheapness shows through.
Sunday, February 10, 2019
Lake Of Dracula (1971)
Starring Midori Fujita, Choei Takahashi, Sanae Emi, Shin Kishida, Kaku Takashina
Directed by Michio Yamamoto
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A young woman, haunted by a dream in which she encountered a vampire as a five year old, is shaken when that same vampire comes to her city seeking her for his bride.
The second entry in Toho Studios' "Bloodthirsty Trilogy" is a more straightforward vampire tale, and without the twists and turns of the previous entry (The Vampire Doll), I enjoyed this one a little less. It is still a beautiful film to look at, with gorgeous color cinematography, highlighting the beautiful Japanese scenery, and making the pasty-faced makeups of the vampire's victims stand out. Fujita is convincing as the haunted Akiko, who has been clearly traumatized and has a strangely aloof relationship with her boyfriend, and is nicely offset by her more free-spirited and joyful sister, well played by Emi. Kishida as the vampire himself is certainly frightening, armed with golden contact lenses and yellowish fangs, showcased well in shadow and lunging forward in devastatingly quick attacks. However, while the production is finely directed and suspensefully builds to a gory climax, it doesn't add much to the vampire mythos, content in duplicating the beats of western films, rather than bringing us anything really new and different.
Directed by Michio Yamamoto
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A young woman, haunted by a dream in which she encountered a vampire as a five year old, is shaken when that same vampire comes to her city seeking her for his bride.
The second entry in Toho Studios' "Bloodthirsty Trilogy" is a more straightforward vampire tale, and without the twists and turns of the previous entry (The Vampire Doll), I enjoyed this one a little less. It is still a beautiful film to look at, with gorgeous color cinematography, highlighting the beautiful Japanese scenery, and making the pasty-faced makeups of the vampire's victims stand out. Fujita is convincing as the haunted Akiko, who has been clearly traumatized and has a strangely aloof relationship with her boyfriend, and is nicely offset by her more free-spirited and joyful sister, well played by Emi. Kishida as the vampire himself is certainly frightening, armed with golden contact lenses and yellowish fangs, showcased well in shadow and lunging forward in devastatingly quick attacks. However, while the production is finely directed and suspensefully builds to a gory climax, it doesn't add much to the vampire mythos, content in duplicating the beats of western films, rather than bringing us anything really new and different.
Saturday, February 9, 2019
Night Of The Demon (1957)
Starring Dana Andrews, Peggy Cummins, Niall MacGinnis, Maurice Denham, Athene Seyler
Directed by Jacques Tourneur
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
An American psychologist travels to England to debunk the powers of a satanic cult, only to find the cult leader's abilities very real in contrast to what he's believed all his life.
In my opinion, and many others, this is one of the finest horror films of the 1950s, with superb efforts in many areas, including writing, direction, acting, photography, music, and production design. From what I've heard, it was originally planned to leave the demon of the title unseen, as in the films Tourneur made for producer Val Lewton over a decade before. However, an on screen monster was created and the quality of the creature and the way it is integrated in the film add even more tension and suspense to the storyline, because we know what's coming for Andrews in the final reel. MacGinnis shines as the film's villain, Carswell, hiding a sinister agenda beneath an affable personality, and Andrews is solid as John Holden, the determined psychologist suddenly confronted with manifestations he can't explain away, as is Cummins as the woman Holden wants to romance while she wants only to save his life. Production designer Ken Adam (to be acclaimed later for his unique contributions to the James Bond films), and composer Clifton Parker come up with a number of creepy settings, both visual and musical, to enhance the film's atmosphere, and Ted Scaife's photography makes clever use of dark imagery and mise en scene, particularly in a visit to Carswell's house by Andrews in the middle of the night. The screenplay by Charles Bennett and Hal E. Chester, based on Montague James' story, along with Tourneur's direction, takes us on a well-paced ride into a supernatural tale we won't soon forget.
Directed by Jacques Tourneur
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
An American psychologist travels to England to debunk the powers of a satanic cult, only to find the cult leader's abilities very real in contrast to what he's believed all his life.
In my opinion, and many others, this is one of the finest horror films of the 1950s, with superb efforts in many areas, including writing, direction, acting, photography, music, and production design. From what I've heard, it was originally planned to leave the demon of the title unseen, as in the films Tourneur made for producer Val Lewton over a decade before. However, an on screen monster was created and the quality of the creature and the way it is integrated in the film add even more tension and suspense to the storyline, because we know what's coming for Andrews in the final reel. MacGinnis shines as the film's villain, Carswell, hiding a sinister agenda beneath an affable personality, and Andrews is solid as John Holden, the determined psychologist suddenly confronted with manifestations he can't explain away, as is Cummins as the woman Holden wants to romance while she wants only to save his life. Production designer Ken Adam (to be acclaimed later for his unique contributions to the James Bond films), and composer Clifton Parker come up with a number of creepy settings, both visual and musical, to enhance the film's atmosphere, and Ted Scaife's photography makes clever use of dark imagery and mise en scene, particularly in a visit to Carswell's house by Andrews in the middle of the night. The screenplay by Charles Bennett and Hal E. Chester, based on Montague James' story, along with Tourneur's direction, takes us on a well-paced ride into a supernatural tale we won't soon forget.
Wednesday, February 6, 2019
Invisible Avenger (1958)
Starring Richard Derr, Mark Daniels, Helen Westcott, Jack Doner, Jeanne Neher
Directed by James Wong Howe & John Sledge
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
Lamont Cranston, who can cloud men's minds so they can only see his shadow, and his mystic trainer Jogendra, travel to New Orleans where they discover an exiled Latin American leader is in danger.
The film is of course based on The Shadow, the popular character of the pulps and radio, and according to Wikipedia, it's actually a theatrical repackaging of a two part television pilot. Those expecting to see the character in his familiar slouch hat and crimson scarf will be disappointed, as Derr (playing the Shadow's alter ego Lamont Cranston) never dons that garb, and I'm not sure if he even does The Shadow's voice or laugh. Derr is all right in the role but lacks the hard edge of the pulp hero, as well as the smoothness in vocal delivery that highlighted the Shadow's portrayers on radio. He's also missing the character's familiar supporting cast with Daniels' Jogendra an apparently new character replacing Margo Lane, Moe Shrevnitz, et al. The story and screenplay are okay, but for the most part lack enough excitement or suspense, although the sequences in which Derr vanishes when clouding men's minds are well-done, perhaps due to the presence of James Wong Howe as director of one of the episodes, who of course had a long and distinguished career as an innovative cinematographer.
Directed by James Wong Howe & John Sledge
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
Lamont Cranston, who can cloud men's minds so they can only see his shadow, and his mystic trainer Jogendra, travel to New Orleans where they discover an exiled Latin American leader is in danger.
The film is of course based on The Shadow, the popular character of the pulps and radio, and according to Wikipedia, it's actually a theatrical repackaging of a two part television pilot. Those expecting to see the character in his familiar slouch hat and crimson scarf will be disappointed, as Derr (playing the Shadow's alter ego Lamont Cranston) never dons that garb, and I'm not sure if he even does The Shadow's voice or laugh. Derr is all right in the role but lacks the hard edge of the pulp hero, as well as the smoothness in vocal delivery that highlighted the Shadow's portrayers on radio. He's also missing the character's familiar supporting cast with Daniels' Jogendra an apparently new character replacing Margo Lane, Moe Shrevnitz, et al. The story and screenplay are okay, but for the most part lack enough excitement or suspense, although the sequences in which Derr vanishes when clouding men's minds are well-done, perhaps due to the presence of James Wong Howe as director of one of the episodes, who of course had a long and distinguished career as an innovative cinematographer.
Monday, February 4, 2019
Devil Girl From Mars (1954)
Starring Hugh McDermott, Hazel Court, Peter Reynolds, Adrienne Corri, Joseph Tomelty
Directed by David MacDonald
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A spaceship from Mars lands just outside a Scottish pub, and the people inside are confronted by the Martian ship's pilot, a cold-hearted woman after men to repopulate her race.
Although the special effects might be viewed as long outdated, this is really a very impressively mounted picture, well-produced by the Danzigers, with fine direction from MacDonald. Based on a play, it never really seems stagey, and the photography and editing are used rather effectively to heighten tension and magnify the Martian menace. The spaceship, especially its interior, is a triumph of art direction, and although the ship's giant robot is somewhat clunkety, by interspersing closeups of its feet and torso instead of showing the whole suit at once for very long, MacDonald and crew succeed in making it frightening. Patricia Laffan, last billed, but playing the key role of the Martian invader, is perfect in the part, clad in a militaristic costume, utilizing a cool tone of voice and soldier-like walking style. Some of the ideas in the script are rather prescient, such as the idea of a spaceship powered by perpetual motion, and as Laffan describes the war of the sexes on her world that women won, you can't help but wonder, given the degradations and unfair policies women have had to cope with over the years, if such a revolution might take place in our future. MacDonald and the screenwriters also balance the sci-fi against the Grand Hotel-like character subplots rather well, giving us enough human drama but not too much to overwhelm the film.
Directed by David MacDonald
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A spaceship from Mars lands just outside a Scottish pub, and the people inside are confronted by the Martian ship's pilot, a cold-hearted woman after men to repopulate her race.
Although the special effects might be viewed as long outdated, this is really a very impressively mounted picture, well-produced by the Danzigers, with fine direction from MacDonald. Based on a play, it never really seems stagey, and the photography and editing are used rather effectively to heighten tension and magnify the Martian menace. The spaceship, especially its interior, is a triumph of art direction, and although the ship's giant robot is somewhat clunkety, by interspersing closeups of its feet and torso instead of showing the whole suit at once for very long, MacDonald and crew succeed in making it frightening. Patricia Laffan, last billed, but playing the key role of the Martian invader, is perfect in the part, clad in a militaristic costume, utilizing a cool tone of voice and soldier-like walking style. Some of the ideas in the script are rather prescient, such as the idea of a spaceship powered by perpetual motion, and as Laffan describes the war of the sexes on her world that women won, you can't help but wonder, given the degradations and unfair policies women have had to cope with over the years, if such a revolution might take place in our future. MacDonald and the screenwriters also balance the sci-fi against the Grand Hotel-like character subplots rather well, giving us enough human drama but not too much to overwhelm the film.
Sunday, February 3, 2019
Reptilicus (1961)
Starring Bent Mejding, Asbjorn Andersen, Povl Woldike, Ann Smyrner, Mimi Heinrich
Directed by Sidney Pink
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A drilling operation discovers the fossilized tail of an ancient reptile, and on turning it over to scientists, they are able to regenerate the entire beast, which escapes and menaces the city.
Denmark produces its own version of Godzilla, and the results, considering the filmmakers' limited resources, aren't too bad, although the special effects don't hold up too well today. The creature resembles a giant sea serpent with a snake like mouth that spits out acidic bile, and appears to be a puppet or manipulated by wires, rather than animated. The filmmakers make an interesting choice in shooting the creature on a much grainier film stock than that used for the principal actors' scenes, unless this was necessary for the special effects, definitely giving the footage a unique look. The story (by Pink and Ib Melchior) is fairly solid, following the blueprint of previous sci-fi pictures in the discovery of the beast, and the hunt for it by the military, featuring Carl Ottosen as the authoritative general in charge, who would later appear in Pink's Journey To The Seventh Planet. Wikipedia notes that two versions actually were made, a Danish version directed by Poul Bang, and an English-language version helmed by Pink, which would be interesting to compare and contrast. The picture overall is far from an exemplary monster movie, but it's more than watchable, and a horrifying sequence where an official raises a bridge while masses are fleeing across it, leading bicyclists to plunge into the ocean below has stayed with me ever since my first viewing.
Directed by Sidney Pink
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A drilling operation discovers the fossilized tail of an ancient reptile, and on turning it over to scientists, they are able to regenerate the entire beast, which escapes and menaces the city.
Denmark produces its own version of Godzilla, and the results, considering the filmmakers' limited resources, aren't too bad, although the special effects don't hold up too well today. The creature resembles a giant sea serpent with a snake like mouth that spits out acidic bile, and appears to be a puppet or manipulated by wires, rather than animated. The filmmakers make an interesting choice in shooting the creature on a much grainier film stock than that used for the principal actors' scenes, unless this was necessary for the special effects, definitely giving the footage a unique look. The story (by Pink and Ib Melchior) is fairly solid, following the blueprint of previous sci-fi pictures in the discovery of the beast, and the hunt for it by the military, featuring Carl Ottosen as the authoritative general in charge, who would later appear in Pink's Journey To The Seventh Planet. Wikipedia notes that two versions actually were made, a Danish version directed by Poul Bang, and an English-language version helmed by Pink, which would be interesting to compare and contrast. The picture overall is far from an exemplary monster movie, but it's more than watchable, and a horrifying sequence where an official raises a bridge while masses are fleeing across it, leading bicyclists to plunge into the ocean below has stayed with me ever since my first viewing.
Saturday, February 2, 2019
The Vampire Doll (1970)
Starring Kayo Matsuo, Akira Nakao, Atsuo Nakamura, Yukiko Kobayashi, Yoko Minakaze
Directed by Michio Yamamoto
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A young man is shocked to find his girlfriend was killed in an accident after visiting her home, but he soon sees her haunting the grounds, before he himself disappears, leading his sister to investigate.
The first of a trio of vampire films made by Japanese studio Toho in the 1970s, dubbed "The Bloodthirsty Trilogy," this opening outing is very stylish and creepy, with sumptuous color cinematography and an eerie musical score. The acting is very accomplished as well, with Kobayashi very beautiful but very menacing as the undead girl, displaying evil via a haunting expression and toothy smile. Also very good is Minakaze as her mother, serene and stoic, revealing no secrets until she has a memorable emotional breakdown late in the picture. Director Yamamoto manipulates his audience in an almost Hitchcockian manner, leading us to believe what we want to believe, until surprising revelations are sprung on us at the film's climax. It's a very accomplished picture and one I very much enjoyed.
Directed by Michio Yamamoto
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A young man is shocked to find his girlfriend was killed in an accident after visiting her home, but he soon sees her haunting the grounds, before he himself disappears, leading his sister to investigate.
The first of a trio of vampire films made by Japanese studio Toho in the 1970s, dubbed "The Bloodthirsty Trilogy," this opening outing is very stylish and creepy, with sumptuous color cinematography and an eerie musical score. The acting is very accomplished as well, with Kobayashi very beautiful but very menacing as the undead girl, displaying evil via a haunting expression and toothy smile. Also very good is Minakaze as her mother, serene and stoic, revealing no secrets until she has a memorable emotional breakdown late in the picture. Director Yamamoto manipulates his audience in an almost Hitchcockian manner, leading us to believe what we want to believe, until surprising revelations are sprung on us at the film's climax. It's a very accomplished picture and one I very much enjoyed.
Friday, February 1, 2019
Phantom Of Chinatown (1940)
Starring Keye Luke, Lotus Long, Grant Withers, Charles Miller, Huntley Gordon
Directed by Phil Rosen
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
Jimmy Wong teams with police Captain Street to investigate the murder of an archaeologist who discovered the secret of an "eternal flame" within an emperor's tomb in China.
Luke replaces Boris Karloff in the final entry in the Mr. Wong series of films put out by Monogram Pictures, and I have to say I enjoyed this outing more than the others with Karloff. Boris always seemed something of an awkward fit in the role of the Oriental detective, although his performances were always dignified and respectful. Luke, who had already been established in several Charlie Chan films as that sleuth's "Number One Son," steps into the role as a more authentic replacement, lacking Karloff's gravitas, but adding more glibness and humor while still remaining true to the cleverness of the character. Despite Luke's positivity and Lotus Long's similar portrayal of a suspect and possible love interest for the sleuth, there are still some stereotypes that grate within the film, a product of their time. Curiously, despite the presence of series regular Withers as Captain Street, this film is portrayed as Wong and Street's first encounter, disregarding the Karloff films that came before. The plot line also drew me in more than that of the previous pictures with the archaeological hunt and its connection to the murder of far more interest than the more conventional plots of the earlier Wong films.
Directed by Phil Rosen
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
Jimmy Wong teams with police Captain Street to investigate the murder of an archaeologist who discovered the secret of an "eternal flame" within an emperor's tomb in China.
Luke replaces Boris Karloff in the final entry in the Mr. Wong series of films put out by Monogram Pictures, and I have to say I enjoyed this outing more than the others with Karloff. Boris always seemed something of an awkward fit in the role of the Oriental detective, although his performances were always dignified and respectful. Luke, who had already been established in several Charlie Chan films as that sleuth's "Number One Son," steps into the role as a more authentic replacement, lacking Karloff's gravitas, but adding more glibness and humor while still remaining true to the cleverness of the character. Despite Luke's positivity and Lotus Long's similar portrayal of a suspect and possible love interest for the sleuth, there are still some stereotypes that grate within the film, a product of their time. Curiously, despite the presence of series regular Withers as Captain Street, this film is portrayed as Wong and Street's first encounter, disregarding the Karloff films that came before. The plot line also drew me in more than that of the previous pictures with the archaeological hunt and its connection to the murder of far more interest than the more conventional plots of the earlier Wong films.
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