Teorema (1968)

Teorema (1968)

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“You have filled my life with a total, real interest.”

Synopsis:
A mysterious guest (Terence Stamp) at an Italian villa provokes erotic desire in all its inhabitants — including the mother (Silvana Mangano), the father (Massimo Girotti), the teenage son and daughter (Andres Jose Cruz Soublette and Anne Wiazemsky), and their maid (Laura Betti).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Bourgeois Society
  • Catalysts
  • Italian Films
  • Pier Paolo Pasolini Films
  • Sexuality
  • Terence Stamp Films

Review:
Pier Paolo Pasolini’s enigmatic religio-political allegory (is Stamp a Christ figure, an emissary of the dark side, or a quietly liberating revolutionary?) falls squarely within his unique oeuvre of audaciously provocative films. Little overtly “happens” in Teorema, and even less is said; most of the film’s sparse dialogue occurs midway through the narrative, as each character reflects on how Stamp’s arrival has changed them, and the impact his imminent departure will have upon them (with responses ranging from “You’ve simply destroyed the idea I’ve always had of myself.” to “You have filled my life with a total, real interest.”). Otherwise, the bulk of the screenplay is filled with surprisingly chaste erotic encounters, and bouts of personal crisis — the most intriguing of which is Betti’s emergence as some sort of village saint. As Dan Callahan notes in his review for Slant Magazine, “It’s all very grand and vague and shapeless, filmed better than most of Pasolini’s movies, but indulgent and fairly meaningless”; DVD Savant accurately asserts that “viewers will need to already be riding Pasolini’s specific philosophical wavelength to appreciate it — for most it will be a slow and uninvolving experience.” Featuring a weird, often incongruous score by Ennio Morricone.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Effective cinematography and lighting

Must See?
No, though it’s worth a look simply for its historical importance. Listed as a Cult Movie in the back of Peary’s book.

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Ghost and Mrs. Muir, The (1947)

Ghost and Mrs. Muir, The (1947)

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“I’m here because you believe I’m here. Keep on believing, and I’ll always be real to you.”

Synopsis:
A headstrong widow (Gene Tierney) develops an unusual relationship with the ghost (Rex Harrison) haunting her new seaside house.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Anna Lee Films
  • Gene Tierney Films
  • Ghosts
  • Historical Drama
  • Joseph L. Mankiewicz Films
  • Natalie Wood Films
  • Rex Harrison Films
  • Romance
  • Sailors
  • Star-Crossed Lovers
  • Widows and Widowers

Review:
Made during a decade replete with supernatural fantasies — including Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941), A Guy Named Joe (1943), The Canterville Ghost (1944), It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), A Matter of Life and Death / Stairway to Heaven (1946) and Portrait of Jennie (1948), among many others — The Ghost and Mrs. Muir remains one of the best of the bunch. Gene Tierney gives a mature and heartfelt performance in the title role as a widow and single mother determined to survive on her own; her romance with Harrison emerges naturally and gradually, alongside their respectful “working relationship”. Indeed, Philip Dunne’s nuanced screenplay — based on a novel by R.A. Dick — effectively weaves feminist issues into period romance, deftly incorporating a love triangle (George Sanders is nicely cast as a dubiously motivated author attracted to Tierney) and a number of plot twists along the way. Perhaps most satisfying is the fact that we’re led to wonder whether Tierney’s belief in Harrison’s presence — is he “real”, or a figment of her imagination? — might simply be a function of her loneliness and desire for “true love” at last; I’ll buy that as a compelling premise for a ghost story any day. Haunting cinematography, fine period sets, and Bernard Herrmann’s lovely score all contribute to making Mrs. Muir a surprisingly enjoyable minor classic.

Note: Nearly all reviews give away major spoilers, so if you haven’t seen it yet, be forewarned.

Note: Watch for Natalie Wood in a small role as Lucy’s young daughter, Anna.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Gene Tierney as Lucy Muir
  • Rex Harrison as Captain Daniel
  • Charles Lang’s cinematography
  • Fine period detail and sets
  • Philip Dunne’s romantic screenplay
  • Bernard Herrman’s score

Must See?
Yes, as a most unusual and satisfying supernatural romance.

(Listed in 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die)

Categories

  • Genuine Classic

Links:

Ghost Goes West, The (1935)

Ghost Goes West, The (1935)

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“There isn’t a ghost here or anywhere else, because ghosts simply don’t exist outside of mystery stories!”

Synopsis:
The daughter (Jean Parker) of an American businessman (Eugene Pallette) falls in love with the destitute owner (Robert Donat) of a Scottish castle, which is haunted by Donat’s doomed ancestor (also Donat).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Cross-Class Romance
  • Elsa Lanchester Films
  • Ghosts
  • Heiresses
  • Jean Parker Films
  • Mistaken Identities
  • Rene Clair Films
  • Robert Donat Films

Review:
Rene Clair’s first English-language film (produced by Alexander Korda) was the highest grossing film of the year in Great Britain, and received glowing reviews from the New York Times, which labeled it “gay, urbane and brilliantly funny”. These days, however, it pales somewhat in comparison with Jules Dassin’s superior The Canterville Ghost (1944) — also about a ghost doomed to haunt his castle until he’s able to commit a specific deed. In this case, Donat’s “Murdoch Glourie” — killed while kissing a lass rather than paying attention to a battle — must avenge his family’s honor against a rival clansman; meanwhile, Jean Parker’s sweet Peggy Martin falls for the modern-day (“real”) Donat, though mistaken-identity plot complications ensue (naturally) when Parker believes the ghostly Murdoch is merely Donat dressing up.

The script also incorporates some rather pointed barbs about American mores, as Pallette’s blustery millionaire arranges to have Donat’s castle shipped over to America brick by brick (!), and engages in petty one-upmanship with a business rival over “ownership” of the castle’s ghost.

Donat — whose Scottish accent noticeably slips in and out — is appropriately handsome and charming as the lady-loving Murdoch, but rather bland and forgettable when playing his modern-day heir, Donald; Murdoch should have been given more screentime. While it holds some historical interest given its enormous popularity, this one is no longer must-see viewing for all film fanatics.

Note: Elsa Lanchester is sadly underused in a tiny role as a paranormal enthusiast showing up for dinner during the film’s final climactic scene. Was this meant merely as a cameo?

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Robert Donat as Murdoch Glourie
  • Atmospheric sets

Must See?
No, unless you’re a fan of the ghostly genre.

Links:

College Confidential (1960)

College Confidential (1960)

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“I want you to abandon this dangerous project, which people are interpreting in the worst possible way!”

Synopsis:
A sociology professor (Steve Allen) under fire for corrupting his students (including Mamie Van Doren) is investigated by an inquisitive journalist (Jayne Meadows).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • College
  • Elisha Cook Jr. Films
  • Falsely Accused
  • Herbert Marshall Films
  • Journalists
  • Mamie Van Doren Films
  • Morality Police
  • Professors

Review:
Albert Zugsmith directed and produced this tepid exploitation flick meant to capitalize on both the success of 1958’s High School Confidential (also co-starring Mamie Van Doren) and the era’s infamous Kinsey Reports. Unfortunately, Irving Shulman’s screenplay tries so hard to be sensationalistic that it comes across more like a loosely focused series of vignettes than a compelling narrative. Numerous characters — including Elisha Cook, Jr. as van Doren’s irate father:

Pamela Mason as Allen’s jealous fiancee, Herbert Marshall as Allen’s sympathetic supervisor, and Ziva Rodann as a lusty “foreign” bombshell with the hots for Allen — are introduced for a scene or two, then disappear completely from the story; meanwhile, the identity of the person “framing” Allen is patently obvious to anyone half paying attention. The dialogue throughout is laughably campy (“Now I’m going to shock you good people even more than before: I’m going to reveal the source books of my questions — first of all, the Bible itself”), and while Zugsmith aims for stylistic creativity in his direction:

… it’s often simply clumsy — as when he positions the camera from inside a refrigerator for a lengthy scene, or awkwardly shifts perspective time and again during van Doren’s heated argument with her father and mother. According to TCM‘s article, Allen apparently signed on to this project thinking he was giving himself a rare non-comedic role to bite into; little did he know that he would instead be starring in what Peary refers to as a “camp classic”.

Note: While College Confidential is no great shakes as entertainment, it’s infinitely more watchable than the other college-themed Mamie Van Doren film Zugsmith directed and produced (later that same year): the utterly abysmal Sex Kittens Go to College (1960).

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Some amusingly campy dialogue:

    “Have I ever stopped you from being strong and silent?”

Must See?
No. Listed as a Camp Classic in the back of Peary’s book.

Links:

Left Handed Gun, The (1958)

Left Handed Gun, The (1958)

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“I don’t run, I don’t hide. I go where I want, I do what I want.”

Synopsis:
When his new employer (Colin Keith-Johnston) is gunned down, Billy the Kid (Paul Newman) vows revenge against the men who killed him — but he alienates his mentor, Pat Garrett (John Dehner), when his vengeance disrupts Garrett’s wedding.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Arthur Penn Films
  • Hurd Hatfield Films
  • Outlaws
  • Paul Newman Films
  • Revenge
  • Westerns

Response to Peary’s Review:
Adapted from Gore Vidal’s TV play “The Death of Billy the Kid”, this feature film debut by Arthur Penn blends “myth-legend and history” by creatively interpreting Billy the Kid’s ascendancy to bad-boy culthood as “a modern-day psychological examination of a troubled youth”. Indeed, as Peary notes, despite being “set in the West”, Left-Handed Gun actually “fits in with fifties juvenile delinquent pictures” given that it deals “with a rebel outcast who is in conflict with society”. It’s notable for Penn’s “audacious camera work”, which effectively broke with traditional Western conventions and paved the way for a new wave of “anti-Westerns”, directly inspiring “Sam Peckinpah, Marlon Brando (in One-Eyed Jacks), and other western directors”. Unfortunately, “Newman’s heavy-handed Method acting” contributes to “the film seeming dated”, and the screenplay (featuring an obligatory love interest for Billy, played by Lita Milan) is far too stagy and contrived for its own good. Most film fanatics will likely be curious to check this film out once, given its historical relevance on several accounts, but Left-Handed Gun isn’t must-see viewing.

Note: As in Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven (1992), …Gun explicitly features a character meant to show how a Western legend came into notoriety: in this case, Hurd Hatfield’s ‘Moutrie’, a “dime store novelist who adores Billy and wants to make him into a hero”.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • John Dehner as Pat Garrett
  • Hurd Hatfield as the pulp novelist who immortalizes Billy
  • Effective, innovative camera work

Must See?
No, though it remains of interest.

Links:

White Zombie (1932)

White Zombie (1932)

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“You don’t seem to realize what this girl means to me. Why, I’d sacrifice anything in the world for her!”

Synopsis:
A covetous plantation owner (Robert Frazer) in Haiti seeks the help of a voodoo practitioner (Bela Lugosi) in wooing the newlywed bride (Madge Bellamy) of his friend (John Harron) into his clutches.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Bela Lugosi Films
  • Horror Films
  • Mind Control and Hypnosis
  • Newlyweds
  • Plantations
  • Voodoo and Black Magic
  • Zombies

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary accurately notes that this “impressive early sound shocker” has “marvelous visuals, some that are extremely poetic” — much “like something from a classic silent horror film”. Indeed, director Victor Halperin employs an astonishing array of creative visual techniques in his telling of this spooky “fairytale”, which possesses thematic parallels with “Snow White”: just as “Snow White tasted the poisoned apple, Bellamy falls victim to a poisoned rose”, and must be “roused” awake by her lover. There are many “lengthy non-verbal passages in which the emphasis is on character movement, set design, creating atmosphere through light and shadow, and music (there’s a fine, varied score)”; in general, if there’s a way to frame a scene creatively, Halperin does so. Lugosi — with truly wicked eyebrows and goatee — is note perfect in the lead role as evil Murder Legendre (that name!); watching him carve voodoo dolls of his victims out of candles is truly chilling. As Peary notes, while “some scenes are static, [and] others silly”, this “‘sleeper’ is guaranteed to please the true-blue horror fan” — and, I would argue, most all-purpose film fanatics as well.

Note: A number of classic horror fans have pointed out this film’s historical relevance as the first appearance of zombies on film — and it’s certainly an atmospheric precursor to Val Lewton’s RKO horror classics as well.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Bela Lugosi as Murder Legendre
  • Truly atmospheric sets, cinematography, special effects, and framing



Must See?
Yes, as an historically relevant and most enjoyable early horror film.

Categories

  • Good Show
  • Historically Relevant

Links:

Incredible Torture Show, The / Blood Sucking Freaks (1976)

Incredible Torture Show, The / Blood Sucking Freaks (1976)

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“Look on in awe at a man who has turned all his fantasies into realities.”

Synopsis:
When the sado-masochistic director (Seamus O’Brien) of a theater macabre show kidnaps a prima ballerina (Viju Krem), her boyfriend (Niles McMaster) hires a detective (Dan Fauci) to investigate.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Black Comedy
  • Kidnapping
  • Let’s-Put-On-a-Show
  • Magicians
  • S&M

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary accurately describes this egregious inclusion in his book as a “reprehensible film”, one which, sadly, has a “strong underground reputation based on its … sickening violence and torture scenes”.

While it’s true that “some of the scenes are too ridiculous to be taken seriously” (the voluminous “blood” and amputated body parts throughout are very clearly fake), it’s equally true that “others” — many others — “are nauseatingly tasteless”. To describe them here would simply perpetuate their inexcusable titillation value, so I’ll leave it to you to read other reviews (see links below) for a blow-by-blow recap of the many ways in which women — and a couple of men, for good measure — are tortured and maimed throughout this film. Peary notes that part of the film’s notoriety comes from the fact that it was the “object of protests by women’s groups”, and argues that “if any film deserves to be banned, this [one] deserves strong consideration”; I must agree.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Nothing.

Must See?
Absolutely not; be duly forewarned.

Links:

Dead Reckoning (1947)

Dead Reckoning (1947)

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“Didn’t I tell you all females are the same with their faces washed?”

Synopsis:
A war hero (Humphrey Bogart) investigates the mysterious death of his buddy (William Prince), who was accused of murdering the husband of his lover (Lizabeth Scott).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Amateur Sleuths
  • Femmes Fatales
  • Flashback Films
  • Humphrey Bogart Films
  • John Cromwell Films
  • Lizabeth Scott Films
  • Veterans

Review:
Dead Reckoning is often dismissed as merely one of Humphrey Bogart’s “lesser” noirs — perhaps due to the presence of Lizabeth Scott (in lieu of Lauren Bacall) as Bogie’s femme fatale love interest, or perhaps due to its meandering storyline (scripted by no less than five authors), which occasionally lacks focus. Yet director John Cromwell and cinematographer Leo Tover do a fine job establishing an atmosphere of tension and intrigue throughout, and there’s enough deliciously hardboiled dialogue (“Stalled again — like a jeep on synthetic gas.”) to keep fans of the genre happy. Meanwhile, Bogart is as dependable as ever, and husky-voiced Scott isn’t nearly as bad as some reviews would lead you believe. While it’s not must-see viewing, Dead Reckoning is certainly recommended for one-time viewing.

Note: Be sure to check out David Sterritt’s insightful analysis of the film for TCM.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Humphrey Bogart as Rip Murdock
  • Lizabeth Scott as Dusty Chandler
  • Fine noir cinematography
  • Plenty of hardboiled dialogue:

    “Maybe she was all right; maybe Christmas comes in July.”

Must See?
No, but it’s recommended.

Links:

Ten From Your Show of Shows (1973)

Ten From Your Show of Shows (1973)

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“I didn’t join this here army to fight.”

Synopsis:
Ten sketches from Sid Caesar’s television program “Your Show of Shows” are highlighted in this theatrical release.

Genres:

  • Carl Reiner Films
  • Comedy
  • Episodic Films
  • Television

Review:
Ten sketches from Sid Caesar’s 90-minute television variety show “Your Show of Shows” (1950-1954) — co-starring Imogene Coca and Carl Reiner, among others — were selected for a 1973 theatrical release entitled, aptly enough, Ten From Your Show of Shows. Included in this film were the following titles:

1. Auto Smashup
2. Big Business
3. The Recital
4. Bavarian Clock
5. German General
6. From Here to Obscurity
7. This is Your Story
8. At the Movies
9. The Sewing Machine Girl
10. Airport Interview

While “Ten From…” is no longer widely available to purchase or rent, most of the above sketches are available to watch either on YouTube or one of Sid Caesar’s recently released DVD compilations (from his personal archives). “From Here to Obscurity” (a spoof of From Here to Eternity, featuring a hilarious riff on the infamous beachside scene) and “The Sewing Machine Girl” (a silent movie spoof) will likely be of most interest to film fanatics, for obvious reasons, but all are enjoyable; in fact, I’d be hard pressed to pick a favorite. With that said, those truly interested in getting a sense of what “Your Show of Shows” was like should simply check out one of the compilation DVDs; fortunately, there’s plenty available for fans to enjoy.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • An enjoyable glimpse at highlights from a classic television series

Must See?
No — but I think most film fanatics would enjoy checking out this classic variety show, which was a forerunner of both “The Carol Burnett Show” and “Saturday Night Live”. Listed as a Personal Recommendation in the back of Peary’s book.

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Hercules/Hercules Goes Bananas/Hercules in New York (1969)

Hercules/Hercules Goes Bananas/Hercules in New York (1969)

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“Hercules goes where he wishes!”

Synopsis:
Greek demigod Hercules (Arnold Schwarzenegger) defies his father, Zeus (Ernest Graves), by leaving Mt. Olympus and heading down to Earth, where he befriends a nebbishy pretzel seller (Arnold Stang) and impresses mortals with his superhuman strength.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Ancient Greece and Rome
  • Comedy
  • Father and Child
  • New York City
  • Supernatural Powers

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary isn’t nearly derisive enough of this unbelievably “lame-brained comedy”, which he labels merely a “disappointment”, noting that “not only is there no wild humor, there are shamefully few jokes and gags at all”. Indeed, the only humor to be had at all comes from the sheer ineptitude of the acting, script, and direction — bad movie aficionados may want to check it out simply to watch for all the goofs that are made, including the sound of cars in the distance during scenes supposedly set on “Mt. Olympus” (actually a NYC country club), or fleeting evidence of shoes on the “bear” Hercules wrestles in Central Park (which is so clearly… oh so clearly… a man in bear costume). With that said, this film remains of marginal historical interest given that it was the film debut for Schwarzenegger (going by the screen name “Arnold Strong”), eight years before he starred in the infinitely more interesting body-building documentary Pumping Iron (1977); watching him here makes one appreciate how far he eventually progressed (relatively speaking) with his acting abilities.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Not much of anything

Must See?
No; definitely free to skip this tedious clunker.

Links: