He Ran All the Way (1951)
“Carve the turkey.”
|
Synopsis: |
|
Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:
Review Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
Must See? Categories
Links: |
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964)
“All this trouble for a fat man in a red suit.”
|
Synopsis: |
|
Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:
Review:
— 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:
Must See? Links: |
Clash of the Titans (1981)
“Ah, dear — the young. Why do they never listen? When will they ever learn?”
|
Synopsis: |
|
Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:
Response to Peary’s Review:
… Bubo the brass owl (an “embarrassing creation”) is a blatant rip-off of R2D2:
… and Burgess Meredith — playing Perseus’ earthly mentor, Ammon — is annoying rather than wise.
With that said, however, one watches Clash of the Titans either out of a sense of childhood nostalgia (which I’m lacking — I never saw it), or for the reliably stunning stop-motion effects by Ray Harryhausen. Particularly notable are both the enormous Kraken:
and the battling scorpions:
(But as impressive as Harryhausen’s snake-haired Medusa is:
my vote still goes out to Tony Randall in The 7 Faces of Dr. Lao as the best movie incarnation of this hideous creature!) Equally noteworthy are the make-up and costumes, particularly those of the three blind Stygian Witches, whose empty eye sockets are truly creepy to behold.
Overall, however, this big-budget film is still a major disappointment for those who remember the magic and wonder of Harryhausen’s earlier efforts. Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
Must See? Links: |
Robin and Marian (1976)
“Have you ever tried to fight a legend?”
|
Synopsis: |
|
Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:
Review:
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:
Must See? Links: |
Freaks (1932)
“We accept you, one of us! Gobble, gobble!”
|
Synopsis: |
Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:
Response to Peary’s Review:
… while simultaneously relating a classic tale of marital betrayal and collective revenge. Anyone who’s ever been teased or suffered discrimination for being different is bound to feel an affinity for this cult film — which, according to J. Hoberman and Jonathan Rosenbaum in their Midnight Movies (1983/91), holds the distinction (along with Bunuel and Dali’s surrealist short “Un Chien Andalou”) of being “possibly the oldest of all midnight attractions.” The group of unusual performers Browning collected for his cast includes limbless men and women (Prince Randian, Martha Morris, Frances O’Connor, and Johnny Eck):
“pinheads” (Elvira and Jenny Lee Snow):
a hermaphrodite (Josephine Joseph):
conjoined twins (Daisy and Violet Hilton):
a “human skeleton” (Peter Robinson):
midgets (Harry and Daisy Earles):
… and more. These characters are all genuinely disabled — not just made up to look that way — and thus it’s literally impossible not to stare at them. Yet as Peary notes, “viewers will feel not only fear, curiosity, and pity but also warmth, respect, and amazement” when watching Randian light his own cigarette:
… or O’Connor blithely eating dinner with her feet:
— and we “soon feel comfortable in their presence.” Although the lead female role (Cleopatra) in Freaks was originally slated for Myrna Loy (who refused in protest of the script), Russian stage actress Olga Baclanova was an inspired second choice to play the film’s vampy villainess. Her smarmy come-ons to Earles — as well as her blatant mockery of anyone smaller or weaker than herself — help turn Cleopatra into a completely unsympathetic character, someone it’s easy to hate.
Actually, I suspect that part of the film’s appeal is its utter lack of big-name stars — rather than showcasing personalities, it thus relies solely on the power of its narrative, characters, and atmosphere to evoke a unique cultural world. While some may be offended by Browning’s blatant use of physically abnormal persons for cinematic interest, he treats them respectfully: this is their world — the only one to which they undeniably belong — and their deformities unite them together rather than setting them shamefully apart. What a vicarious treat to see these true underdogs of the world proving that collective will can trump bullying behavior any day. Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
Must See? Categories
(Listed in 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die) Links: |
Baby, The (1973)
“Mrs. Gentry, just what do you think you’re doing?”
|
Synopsis: |
|
Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:
Review:
… 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:
Must See? Categories
Links: |
13 Ghosts (1960)
“This house is not a gift, really — it’s a burden. Perhaps a curse!”
|
Synopsis: |
|
Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:
Review: Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
Must See? Links: |
Platinum High School (1960)
“It’s a school for solid platinum rats. It’s a rich kids’ penitentiary!”
|
Synopsis: |
|
Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:
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:
Must See? Links: |
Ode to Billy Joe (1976)
“It don’t seem like no good ever come to nobody on this bridge.”
|
Synopsis: |
|
Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:
Review:
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:
Must See? Links: |
Day in the Country, A / Partie de Campagne (1936)
“You men are all the same.”
|
Synopsis: |
|
Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:
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:
Must See? Categories
(Listed in 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die) Links: |
