Killer Shrews, The (1959)
“If we were half as big as we are now, we could live twice as long on our natural resources!”
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He Ran All the Way (1951)
“Carve the turkey.”
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Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964)
“All this trouble for a fat man in a red suit.”
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— in other words, just about everything necessary to merit its status as a campy cult classic. With that said, I didn’t enjoy Santa Claus… nearly as much as I wanted to; despite its clever premise, the film’s execution lacks bite. Bad movies are a dime a dozen, and the best thing about this one is its promising title. Surprisingly, it got a decent review in the New York Times upon its release. Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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Robin and Marian (1976)
“Have you ever tried to fight a legend?”
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feels contrived, and their climactic one-on-one swordfight doesn’t hold much interest (again, the blame lies with a lack of prior investment in the characters).
The film’s most powerful element — and its true saving grace — is the genuine screen chemistry between Connery and Hepburn, who ultimately deserve a much better vehicle for their talents. Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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Baby, The (1973)
“Mrs. Gentry, just what do you think you’re doing?”
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… but once you accept this bit of illogic as part of the story’s necessary premise, it’s impossible not to be horrified — and fascinated — by what you see unfolding. Part of what makes this cult film so utterly disturbing is watching a manipulative, psychotically abusive mother maintaining control over her object of torture for longer than just the span of childhood. (At least in Dave Pelzer’s autobiographical A Child Called “It”, the author finally escapes his nightmare existence once he’s a teenager.) For The Baby, however, there is seemingly no end to a lifetime of misery, and little that society (represented by Comer’s well-meaning social worker) can do to change things, other than taking radical, illegal action. Reflecting back on The Baby, one immediately visualizes Ruth Roman’s hideous matriarch (Mrs. Wadsworth) strutting around in her red boots and denim or flowing caftans.
She is the embodiment of deceptive maternal concern, and Roman perfectly captures the nuances of her character’s psyche. Equally impressive are the film’s other players, including Comer as The Baby’s persistently frustrated case worker:
… Suzanne Zenor as The Baby’s bitchy blonde sister:
and David Manzy in an undeniably tricky role, but one which he nonetheless manages to pull off admirably.
Perhaps the film’s greatest feat, however, is its unexpected ending, which places the rest of the movie in a completely different light, and suggests a new universe of subjugation (albeit well-meaning) for Manzy. While The Baby is certainly not for all tastes — and even the most seasoned movie-goers will inevitably cringe while watching Manzy suckling at his babysitter’s breast:
… or Manzy’s sisters punishing him with a cattle prod — it’s definitely worth sitting through at least once. Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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13 Ghosts (1960)
“This house is not a gift, really — it’s a burden. Perhaps a curse!”
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Platinum High School (1960)
“It’s a school for solid platinum rats. It’s a rich kids’ penitentiary!”
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Review: Mickey Rooney turns in an excellent performance in a non-comedic role (proving once again that he was capable of much more than just comedies and musicals), and is surrounded by a very capable cast (including Dan Duryea, Elisha Cook, Jr., Yvette Mimieux, and Terry Moore), all of whom lift the material a notch higher than usual. As entertaining as Platinum High School is, however, I don’t consider it to be “must see” viewing, nor do I necessarily think it’s a “camp classic” as dubbed by Peary in the back of his book. Nonetheless, it remains a slick little thriller, and is certainly required viewing for any fans of Mickey Rooney: you’ll feel genuine concern for his sympathetic character, as he attempts to cut through the dangerous layer of corruption at the Academy, and battles Duryea (playing the nefarious head of the school, Major Kelly) for his life. Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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Ode to Billy Joe (1976)
“It don’t seem like no good ever come to nobody on this bridge.”
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O’Connor’s Bobbie Lee — caught in the throes of adolescent individuation — is an especially fascinating and complex character; she speaks in risky double entendres (“The plumbing’s in — and you’re next!” she says slyly to Benson), and isn’t afraid to share her frustrations openly with her parents:
As always, O’Connor creates a character who you’d like to know in real life, and who you’re sorry to say goodbye to once the film is over. Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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Day in the Country, A / Partie de Campagne (1936)
“You men are all the same.”
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Review: Because Henriette’s mother is also (happily) wooed on this fateful day, Renoir is able to skillfully present a lifetime conflated into one afternoon: while Henriette is young, emotional, and naive, the older Juliette sees her “fling” as a welcome (if temporary) break from her bourgeois existence; indeed, she considers it a game to try to cuckold her boring husband for the afternoon, keeping him busy with the faux-machismo of fishing while she pursues headier activities with a “real” man. In the end, however, life goes on as it inevitably will: the family returns to Paris; Henriette marries her clerk; and Rodolphe (D’Arnoux) is left behind as a mere memory of an alternate (yet ultimately impossible) existence. Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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(Listed in 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die) Links: |
Fists in the Pocket / Pugni in tasca, I (1965)
“This little brain of mine — that you didn’t trust an inch! — planned the whole thing.”
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Review: Like it or not, we end up most fascinated by the dynamically deranged Sandro (Castel), whose powerhouse performance (watch the way he swings his hands and arms around) evokes memories of a young Brando. Rather than having Sandro consumed with vengeful jealousy over his older brother’s success in business and love (a much more conventional narrative choice), Bellocchio shows Sandro teetering between depression, grandiosity, and mental instability, all while ostensibly aiming to provide his “normal” older brother (does he wish to be him? or is he simply trying to “prove” himself to him?) with a chance at happiness. Sandro’s fate is sealed in the final baroque moments of the film, but (as to be expected) it’s unclear what kind of a future lies ahead for the remains of this highly dysfunctional family. Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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