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Month: May 2022

Merrill’s Marauders (1962)

Merrill’s Marauders (1962)

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“What’s Merrill volunteering us for this time?”

Synopsis:
During a Burmese campaign of World War II, General Frank Merrill (Jeff Chandler) pushes his men to the brink of exhaustion, leading his second lieutenant (Ty Hardin) to question his leadership, and his doctor (Jack C. Williams) to worry about his health.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Jeff Chandler Films
  • Sam Fuller Films
  • World War II

Review:
Jeff Chandler’s final film (before dying prematurely at age 42) was this World War II-era drama based on a non-fiction book by Charlton Ogburn, about the heroic efforts of a volunteer “long-range penetration” patrol that culminated in the Siege of Myitkyina in Burma. Its primary focus is on Chandler’s (Merrill’s) relentless determination to push his men towards this final goal, despite their obvious exhaustion and his own ticking timebomb of a heart condition.

As noted by DVD Savant in his review, Fuller’s film — often referred to as a precursor to his dream personal project, The Big Red One (1980) — remains “a refreshingly straight combat film” with “war movie clichés [kept] to a minimum” and only one obvious instance of comedic relief, as Charlie Briggs adoringly cares for a hatted mule named Eleanor.

However, it will primarily appeal to fans of wartime flicks, since there is little else to hold our attention except the fighting (and preparation for fighting). The film’s most strikingly filmed scene occurs when “the troops take a railroad yard, engaging in a crazy-suicidal close combat in an Escher-like maze formed by concrete supports for oil tanks.”

William Clothier’s cinematography is also a plus.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • William Clothier’s cinematography

Must See?
No, though Fuller fans will of course want to check it out. Listed as a Cult Movie and a Personal Recommendation in the back of Peary’s book.

Links:

Loss of Innocence (1961)

Loss of Innocence (1961)

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“He’s interested in that young girl, and there’s nothing you can do about it!”

Synopsis:
When their mother (Joy Shelton) suddenly falls ill while vacationing in France, a teenager (Susannah York) and her three younger siblings — Hester (Jane Asher), Wilmouse (Richard Williams), and Vicky (Elizabeth Dear) — stay in a hotel run by brusque Mademoiselle Zisi (Danielle Darrieux), whose lover (Kenneth More) quickly develops an attraction towards pubescent York.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Coming of Age
  • Danielle Darrieux Films
  • Love Triangle
  • May-December Romance
  • Susannah York Films

Review:
Susannah York’s breakthrough cinematic leading role was in this adaptation — directed by Lewis Gilbert — of a 1958 novel by Rumer Godden called The Greengage Summer. Unfortunately, it comes across as melodramatic and not quite believable, thanks in part to the miscasting of Kenneth More as an avuncular presence who not only falls for an underage girl within his care, but for some reason has a shockingly shady past. While it’s easy to see why he would be attracted to beautiful York (actually 21 at the time of filming):

… the drama that plays out between all the various parties — including not just the triangle of York, More, and Darrieux, but Darrieux’s [coded] lesbian lover (Claude Nollier):

… as well as a resentful young teenager (David Saire) working at the hotel:

… comes across as too many subplots vying for space; and this doesn’t even account for the sudden appearance of a police inspector (Raymond Gérôme) who More is keenly interested in hiding from.

Poor Darrieux is relegated to playing a jealous middle-aged woman who deeply resents the children for intruding on her affair with More; many of her lines are quite laughable, as when she says to York: “I had not understood that any of you were so… so big!”

You can skip this one unless you’re curious.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Susannah York as Joss Grey

Must See?
No; this one isn’t must-see.

Links:

Eaten Alive (1976)

Eaten Alive (1976)

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“That ain’t no common gator.”

Synopsis:
When a prostitute (Roberta Collins) refuses to service a man (Robert Englund), she runs away from her brothel’s owner (Carolyn Jones) and seeks refuge at a hotel run by a psychotic manager (Neville Brand) with a voracious “pet” crocodile.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Deep South
  • Horror Films
  • Mel Ferrer Films
  • Neville Brand Films
  • Psychopaths

Review:
Tobe Hooper’s follow-up to his breakthrough horror film The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) was this over-the-top grindhouse flick centered on one basic premise: muttering Brand viciously attacking his guests with a scythe and tossing them to his pet crocodile.

It’s filled with “cameos” — for instance, by Carolyn Jones as brothel-owner “Miss Hattie”:

… Mel Ferrer as Collins’ father, who has come looking for her:

… Stuart Whitman as the sheriff attempting to help Ferrer and his other daughter (Crystin Sinclaire) in their search:

… and William Finley as a bizarre father whose young daughter (Kyle Richards) is traumatized by the loss of her pet dog ‘Snoopy’ to the crocodile:

… and whose wife (Marilyn Burns) spends most of the film tied up in a bed screaming for her life.

This gothic horror flick is really a mess, with odd (often red) lighting, a chaotic soundtrack, and poor-to-non-existent effects for the lethal crocodile, who’s barely seen. You can skip this one unless it sounds like your cup of tea.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Neville Brand’s unhinged (albeit often incomprehensible) performance

Must See?
No; skip this one unless you’re a diehard Hooper fan. Listed as a Cult Movie in the back of Peary’s book.

Links:

Hitchhikers, The (1972)

Hitchhikers, The (1972)

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“You’re gonna do okay in L.A.”

Synopsis:
A pregnant teenager (Misty Rowe) leaves home and is quickly caught up with a criminal group of female hippies led by a charismatic man named Benson (Nick Klar).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Counterculture
  • Thieves and Criminals

Review:
Husband-and-wife team Beverly and Ferd Sebastian co-helmed this exploitation flick about beautiful young women who pretend to be hitch-hikers in order to rob gullible male drivers of everything in their possession.

The film starts off as more of a feminist flick, with Rowe impregnated against her will and abandoned by her uncaring boyfriend, then raped by a man who’s bought her a burger and promises to take her to California.

When Rowe finds Benson’s Manson-esque “family”, hanging with them actually seems like the best (or perhaps the only) option left for her — and we root for her romance with Benson simply given how evil her rival (Linda Avery) is.

Regardless, the wanton actions of Rowe’s violent crew become increasingly distasteful — and by the time they’re partying and trashing their own vehicle, there’s little left to watch or appreciate. This one will strictly be of interest to fans of exploitation flicks from the ’70s.

Note: One morbidly fascinating scene shows an illegal abortion (actually, a response to a miscarriage) playing out on screen in graphic detail; knowing this film was released a year before Roe v. Wade brings added poignancy to the scene, especially considering that our nation may be headed in this direction again soon.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:
Not much.

Must See?
Nope; skip it. Listed as a Cult Movie in the back of Peary’s book.

Links:

Goodbye, Columbus (1969)

Goodbye, Columbus (1969)

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“If I let you kiss me, would you stop being so nasty?”

Synopsis:
When a library clerk (Richard Benjamin) falls in love with the pampered daughter (Ali MacGraw) of a plumbing store owner (Jack Klugman), their romance is tested by class differences.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Ali MacGraw Films
  • Cross-Class Romance
  • Richard Benjamin Films

Review:
Ali MacGraw made her starring debut in this well-received adaptation of Phillip Roth’s novella of the same name (his first published work). Unfortunately, those unfamiliar with Roth and/or this book (like me) may struggle to understand what was so appealing to audiences at the time about this tale, other than perhaps the frank depiction of an inter-class romance between individuals from two socio-economically diverse mid-century Jewish households.

We see plenty of romantic montage sequences set to a jazzy score; watch MacGraw’s family casually mistreating their Black housemaid (Royce Wallace):

… see MacGraw’s younger sister Julie (Lori Shell) spoiled like crazy; observe how odd MacGraw’s soon-to-be-married brother Ron (Michael Meyers) is:

… and get just a few glimpses of Benjamin’s chaotic lower-class life with his Aunt Gladys (Sylvia Strause). There’s not much else to it. This one is only must-see for fans of the book who are curious to see its (apparently quite faithful) transfer to the big screen.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Fine cinematography

Must See?
No; skip this one.

Links:

Girl On a Motorcycle / Naked Under Leather (1968)

Girl On a Motorcycle / Naked Under Leather (1968)

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“Sometimes it’s an instinct to fly; I’m not going to feel guilty.”

Synopsis:
A recently married young woman named Rebecca (Marianne Faithfull) hops on her motorcycle in a leather catsuit and leaves behind her husband (Roger Mutton) to go visit her lover (Alain Delon), all while reflecting back on their previous encounters together.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Alain Delon Films
  • Flashback Films
  • Infidelity
  • Motorcyclists
  • Road Trip

Review:
Cinematographer Jack Cardiff helmed this adaptation of a French novel by André Pieyre de Mandiargues, which was “the first film to receive an ‘X’ rating from the MPAA in the United States.” There is very little to the storyline other than what’s described above; according to DVD Savant, Cardiff’s “aim was to express psychological sexual states in cinematic terms,” and that’s pretty much what you get here.

Rebecca’s boredom with her husband and fantasies about Delon are standard “liberated woman” fare, but with the twist of watching her experience true freedom on the road through learning to ride, and then taking off on her own.

This is probably the “best” female biker flick I’ve seen so far — which is drawing from a limited and low-quality pool, but speaks to the power of seeing an independent woman making her way across cities and countryside without being molested by thugs.

Otherwise, however, this one is strictly for diehard Cardiff fans (and yes, the cinematography is lovely).

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Jack Cardiff’s cinematography

  • Fine location shooting in France, Germany, Switzerland, and Belgium

Must See?
No. Listed as a Cult Movie in the back of Peary’s book, which makes sense for the time.

Links:

Night of the Following Day, The (1969)

Night of the Following Day, The (1969)

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“This guy is not responsible. He’s crazy; he’s psycho.”

Synopsis:
Upon landing in Paris, the grown daughter (Pamela Franklin) of a wealthy businessman (Hugues Wanner) is kidnapped by a chauffeur (Marlon Brando) who quickly meets up with his girlfriend (Rita Moreno) and her brother (Jess Hahn) at a beachside house where a psychopathic henchman (Richard Boone) is ready to “watch over” Franklin until her father pays ransom; meanwhile, a curious local fishing policeman (Gérard Buhr) wonders what is going on at the house.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Hostages
  • Kidnapping
  • Marlon Brando Films
  • Rita Moreno Films

Response to Peary’s Review:
As Peary writes, this “minor cult film” featuring “blond Marlon Brando” alongside “Rita Moreno (also a blonde)” centers on Brando’s concerns “that the [kidnapping] plan is doomed to fail” given “that Moreno is cracking up” and “Boone is a psycho who wants to kill his accomplices and Franklin and run off with all the ransom money.”

Peary notes that “after a couple of sloppy scenes” (I’m not sure what he’s referring to), “you’ll worry that the entire film is going to be a mess, but you are swiftly drawn into the cleverly plotted story and become intrigued with the offbeat characters.” He argues that “director-co-writer Hubert Cornfield does quite well on a slim budget,” using “a series of two-character scenes to build tension”:

… allowing “the pent-up violence to explode in a burst of deadly gunfire,” and capping “it off with an exciting scene.”

I’m essentially in agreement with Peary’s review of this non-essential but reasonably well-crafted caper flick, which features a truly menacing Richard Boone (some of his lines will cause you to gasp):

… and an authentically vulnerable Rita Moreno as a drug-addicted, highly insecure woman who becomes increasingly paranoid as the film progresses:

SPOILERS

Peary concludes his review by noting that “viewers will have mixed reactions to the ending, a horror-movie cliche,” but I view the “flashback” structure as simply a representation of Franklin’s final thoughts as she dies: she is reflecting back on the moments when she met the undercover criminals who would change (and ultimately end) her life.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Fine performances by the ensemble cast

  • Good use of windswept locales

Must See?
No, though Brando fans will want to give it a look.

Links:

Deadly Companions, The (1961)

Deadly Companions, The (1961)

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“You don’t know me well enough to hate me that much.”

Synopsis:
A wounded Union soldier (Brian Keith) on a mission to find the man (Chill Wills) who tried to scalp him during the war finally discovers Wills with a gambling partner (Steve Cochran), and convinces the pair to rob a bank with him — but soon the trio are accompanying a grieving mother (Maureen O’Hara) on her journey to bury her young son across Apache territory.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Brian Keith Films
  • Maureen O’Hara Films
  • Revenge
  • Sam Peckinpah Films
  • Westerns
  • Widows and Widowers

Review:
Sam Peckinpah’s first cinematic outing was this quirky western which Peary refers to in his Cult Movies review of Ride the High Country (1962) as an “impressive” and “rarely screened” debut film. It was panned by Bosley Crowther upon release, who referred to it as burdened by a “tasteless plot” that is only “partly relieved by scenic color photography and a capable cast”, and moving “at the pace of a hearse”. While it’s no masterpiece — and does feel a tad slow-moving at only 93 minutes long — it’s a distinctively quirky film with an unusual premise, one that shows Peckinpah’s nascent talents (and would likely have been better if he’d been allowed to tinker with the script as he desired).

Keith, Wills, and Cochran all give convincing performances (with Cochran especially slimy):

… and William Clothier’s PanaVision cinematography is effectively colorful.

Meanwhile, seeing the treatment of O’Hara’s “Kit Tildon” — nobody in town believes her story that she was married for a few weeks to her son’s deceased father — is heartbreaking, and paints a sobering portrait of social norms at the time; O’Hara is so determined to give her son a “proper” burial next to his father that she risks her life to achieve this goal, all because she’s been so unwelcomed and ridiculed in her new town. It was a rough time for women, indeed.

Note: The unusual soundtrack by Marlin Skiles doesn’t always “work”, but is unique and distinctive.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • William Clothier’s cinematography

Must See?
No, though of course Peckinpah fans will be curious to check it out. Listed as a Sleeper in the back of Peary’s book, which makes sense.

Links:

Love Bug, The (1968)

Love Bug, The (1968)

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“If I’d wanted a trick car, I’d have bought one in a joke shop!”

Synopsis:
When a down-on-his-luck race car driver (Dean Jones) and his roommate (Buddy Hackett) “inherit” a sentient Volkswagen Beetle which Hackett names “Herbie,” they find themselves embroiled in a bitter rivalry with the a luxury car shop owner and racer (David Tomlinson) whose personal assistant (Michele Lee) grows increasingly fond of both Jones and “Herbie”.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Car Racing
  • Comedy
  • Fantasy
  • Rivalry

Review:
This beloved Disney live-action film about an anthropomorphic VW Beetle spawned an entire franchise of sequels, as well as a 1997 remake. It’s a surprisingly amiable comedic-adventure flick centering on a dastardly villain (Tomlinson, best known as the father in Mary Poppins) who will stop at nothing to win races:

The first portion of the film focuses on “Herbie” making himself known as a sentient presence in the lives of dense Jones and the unexpectedly-wise Hackett, who has done some soul searching in Tibet and “gets” what the little car is trying to say.

Indeed, it’s Hackett’s special bond with “Herbie” that drives the film’s narrative throughout, as we hope the others will finally get a clue and stop treating the car like simply a hunk of machinery. Unfortunately, Jones is a pretty dull protagonist:

… but at least Lee has more spunk:

… and the car race sequences are reasonably exciting.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Good use of authentic San Francisco locales

Must See?
No, though of course live-action Disney fans will be curious to check it out.

Links:

Crimes of the Future (1970)

Crimes of the Future (1970)

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“His body, he insists, is a galaxy — and the creatures are solar systems.”

Synopsis:
In a dystopian future wherein all adult women have died from chemicals used in make-up, the disciple (Ronald Mlodzik) of a renowned dermatologist goes in search of his missing mentor.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Canadian Films
  • David Cronenberg Films
  • Dystopia
  • Science Fiction

Review:
David Cronenberg’s second feature film — following his highly experimental debut flick, Stereo (1969) — was this equally perplexing art film with a “storyline” so bizarre I didn’t even try to fully explain or describe it in my synopsis above. Suffice it to say it follows around the narrator — creepy Mlodzik as “Adrian Tripod” — as he wanders through various buildings and compounds engaging in a form of foot fetishism:

… and interacting with random gender-fluid individuals in bizarre rituals seemingly meant to memorialize or evoke women, including using nail polish:

… and carefully laying out feminine undergarments.

Even at just an hour long, this silently filmed movie with post-dubbed voiceover and sound effects feels somewhat interminable — and by the final (controversial) sequences, you will simply be grateful for the ability to exit this bleak cinematic universe. As Neil Young writes in his review for Jigsaw Lounge, “Well, we all have to start somewhere” — including Cronenberg. This one is strictly a curiosity for his die-hard fans.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Stark sets

Must See?
Nope. Listed as a Cult Movie in the back of Peary’s book.

Links: