Starring Michael Craig, Joan Greenwood, Michael Callan, Gary Merrill, Herbert Lom
Directed by Cy Endfield
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
During the Civil War, Union soldiers escape a Confederate prison via a hot air balloon, and crash land on an unknown island where they encounter plants and creatures that have grown into giants.
One of my favorite films, the picture combines a strong story (based on Jules Verne's classic novel), with wonderful special effects by stop-motion animator Ray Harryhausen. The excellent cast, despite their characters' different backgrounds and heritages, display a real camaraderie that's infectious to the audience, cinematographer Willkie Cooper lenses colorful landscapes, and the great Bernard Herrmann accentuates the action with an adventurous music score that highlights the perils and fantastic creatures encountered by our heroes. Verne's novel was a followup to his 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, and both stories featured his dynamic character Captain Nemo. Fans of Disney's 1954 adaptation of Leagues will be pleased with the similar design of Nemo's equipment and submarine in this film, making it seem like a cinematic sequel, although with Lom playing Nemo this time around. It's a wonderful production, visually and sonically as appealing as Verne's prose was to his audience's imagination.
Showing posts with label Gary Merrill. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gary Merrill. Show all posts
Thursday, March 15, 2018
Wednesday, November 2, 2016
The Woman Who Wouldn't Die (1965)
Starring Gary Merrill, Jane Merrow, Georgina Cookson, Neil McCallum, Rachel Thomas
Directed by Gordon Hessler
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A female executive's domineering ways lead her husband and one of her employees to conspire to murder her, but once they've done the deed, the husband fears she may have returned from the dead.
Although pretty derivative of past works, this is an absorbing and intricately plotted thriller with strong performances. I enjoyed it, and must admit I didn't see the screenplay's final twist coming, but was somewhat disappointed that the filmmakers didn't try to do more to amp up the horror, although there are some effectively creepy moments. Hessler would go on to make a series of violent horror films with Vincent Price, so it's interesting to see him create chills on a more subtle level here, including a nice sequence where Merrill witnesses lights turn out one by one in a house he had thought empty. Still, I felt the picture was a bit too dialed back, and would have been much more memorable with a greater emphasis on unnerving the audience.
Directed by Gordon Hessler
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A female executive's domineering ways lead her husband and one of her employees to conspire to murder her, but once they've done the deed, the husband fears she may have returned from the dead.
Although pretty derivative of past works, this is an absorbing and intricately plotted thriller with strong performances. I enjoyed it, and must admit I didn't see the screenplay's final twist coming, but was somewhat disappointed that the filmmakers didn't try to do more to amp up the horror, although there are some effectively creepy moments. Hessler would go on to make a series of violent horror films with Vincent Price, so it's interesting to see him create chills on a more subtle level here, including a nice sequence where Merrill witnesses lights turn out one by one in a house he had thought empty. Still, I felt the picture was a bit too dialed back, and would have been much more memorable with a greater emphasis on unnerving the audience.
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Destination Inner Space (1966)
Starring Scott Brady, Sheree North, Gary Merrill, Wende Wagner, Mike Road
Directed by Francis D. Lyon
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A Navy commander is brought in to assist an underwater laboratory's scientists after they discover an alien craft traveling under the sea.
Not a great movie, but a lot of fun regardless, this film features the familiar sci-fi conflict between scientists and the military, romance between the men and a couple of lovely ladies, and a convincing alien creature make-up, all winning elements in my book. The budget shows in a number of sequences, notably the exterior of the lab which is a poorly produced miniature, and it's clear the filmmakers could only afford one alien creature. Nevertheless, what they've put together works as a sort of undersea version of the classic The Thing From Another World and a fine evening's entertainment.
Directed by Francis D. Lyon
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A Navy commander is brought in to assist an underwater laboratory's scientists after they discover an alien craft traveling under the sea.
Not a great movie, but a lot of fun regardless, this film features the familiar sci-fi conflict between scientists and the military, romance between the men and a couple of lovely ladies, and a convincing alien creature make-up, all winning elements in my book. The budget shows in a number of sequences, notably the exterior of the lab which is a poorly produced miniature, and it's clear the filmmakers could only afford one alien creature. Nevertheless, what they've put together works as a sort of undersea version of the classic The Thing From Another World and a fine evening's entertainment.
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