FilmFanatic.org

Synopsis:
Elvis Presley rehearses in Culver City for upcoming performances in Las Vegas.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Concert Films
• Elvis Presley Films

Review:
Elvis Presley’s first non-dramatic movie since starting his Hollywood career in 1956 with Love Me Tender was this highly enjoyable concert film, directed by Denis Sanders and shot by DP Lucien Ballard. It offers an invaluable glimpse into Elvis-behind-the-scenes — messing around with his songs (he knew what he wanted, musically speaking); making people (and himself) laugh; yodeling just for yuks; chatting; and revealing both charm and humanity in spades. Once the film finally shifts to his vigorous performances (cut from six nights) in Las Vegas, it’s a little sad to leave the backstage Presley behind — though he more than delights with each song and audience interaction. It seems he was at his peak here, relaxed and fit and not-at-all callow, making it especially tragic to know what was to come. Indeed, it’s made pretty clear here how and why Presley died at the (relatively) young age of 42: he’s giving everything he has and more; one imagines a performer only has so much of that kind of authenticity to spend before it runs out.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• So many memorable moments and songs
  
  
  
• Lucien Ballard’s cinematography
  
  

Must See?
Yes, as a most enjoyable concert film/documentary.

Categories

• Historically Relevant

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review (scroll down to fourth review)

Synopsis:
In futuristic Japan, an astronaut (Akira Kubo) on the moon contacts a scientist (Yukiko Kobayashi) in “Monsterland” — an island where all the world’s giant monsters co-exist safely — just as a toxic gas covers the island. The astronauts soon learn that the monsters have been set loose to attack various big cities, and the scientists have been brainwashed by a race of female aliens determined to take over the world. Can their civilization be saved?

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Aliens
• Japanese Films
• Mutant Monsters
• Science Fiction
• Space Opera
• World Domination

Review:
This Toho Studios productions brings together all the monsters it can possibly find from previous films — including Godzilla, King of the Monsters! (1956), Rodan (1957), and Mothra (1962), and more — into an epic futuristic battle against world-dominating aliens. It’s earnest as all get out, with hilarious dubbing (at least in the version I saw), colorful sets and costumes, diabolical mind control, and plenty of monster-fight action. As noted in Spinning Image’s review, it makes for “entertainingly ridiculous enjoyment, all performed with a straight face and commendable vigour”. With that said, it’s not must-see for all film fanatics — simply those who appreciate the unique joys of this particular genre.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Colorful cinematography, costumes, and sets
  
  
• The exciting monster fight-out at the end
  
  
• Laughable (dubbed) dialogue: “Is it a failure then? Are we all… doomed?”

Must See?
No, but it’s recommended for its sheer cult enthusiasm. Listed as a Camp Classic in the back of Peary’s book.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• Spinning Image Review
• Stomp Tokyo Review
• Moria Review

Synopsis:
Shortly after his client (Martin Lavut) commits suicide, Dr. Barnes (Paul Stevens) receives an ancient mask in the mail — one Lavut complained had been tormenting him. Soon Stevens — despite warnings from his kind girlfriend (Claudette Nivens) — is unable to resist the lure of wearing the mask himself, and begins to hallucinate incredibly frightening scenes.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Horror Films
• Mind Control and Hypnosis

Review:
The storyline of this low-budget Canadian horror film is fairly straightforward, and clearly designed to center around the 3D hallucination sequences, in which characters are enjoined to “Put on the mask!” and audience members to put on their “Miracle Movie Fright Mask” — a.k.a. 3D glasses. These sequences are remarkably well-done given the low budget, and effectively freaky; I can imagine accidentally catching a glimpse of this on TV as a kid and being scared for days or weeks afterwards. With that said, there really isn’t much more to the narrative than waiting for the next moment we hear “Put on the mask!” According to Joe Dante in his Trailers From Hell review, it did reasonably well at the box office, especially when it was re-released (newly entitled “The Eyes of Hell”) as a midnight drive-thru flick — which makes complete sense.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Creepy, well-filmed 3D sequences (created by Slavko Vorkapich)
  
  
  

Must See?
No, though the 3D sequences are worth a look. Listed as a Cult Movie in the back of Peary’s book.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• Moria Review

Synopsis:
During the Civil War, a group of Union prisoners (Michael Craig, Herbert Brown, and Dan Jackson) — accompanied by an unwitting journalist (Gary Merrill) and a Confederate hostage (Percy Herbert) — escape by hot air balloon and land on a remote island with enormous creatures and mysterious signs of human life. Soon they are joined by two shipwrecked British women (Joan Greenwood and Beth Rogan) and romance blooms between Brown and Rogan while the team struggles to survive.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Deserted Islands
• Fantasy
• Gary Merrill Films
• Joan Greenwood Films
• Jules Verne Adaptations
• Prisoners of War
• Ray Harryhausen Films
• Survival

Review:
Loosely based on Jules Verne’s 1875 novel of the same name, this sequel to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) references Captain Nemo (indeed, he shows up late in the film as a pivotal character), but tells its own distinct tale of escape and survival on a remote island. Making the adventure much more exciting are several enormous creatures, including a crab that nearly eats one of the soldiers (Dan Jackson) before being dumped into a boiling hot geyser and eaten for supper:

… a huge, chicken-like bird that tries to peck away at Rogan (and is similarly roasted and eaten):

… a gigantic bee that seals Rogan and Brown inside a honeycomb cell:

… and more. Indeed, it’s these animated creatures — crafted by Ray Harryhausen — that make the film memorable and beloved by many viewers, but unfortunately, they don’t make much sense within the narrative, and weren’t part of the original novel. With that said, it’s refreshing to see the inclusion of a black actor and character (Jackson) who’s given a reasonably equitable role (at least up until the women arrive):

… and the opening escape sequence — as the prisoners leave their jail in a storm and sail high into the air — is genuinely exciting (see still below). Harryhausen fans will want to check this one out.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• The exciting opening escape sequence
  
• Bernard Herrmann’s score

Must See?
No; this one is only must-see for Harryhausen completists.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• DVD Savant Review
• Moria Review
• TCM Article

Synopsis:
Against the wishes of her widowed dad (Tom Skerritt), a talented small-town ice skater (Lynn-Holly Johnson) is encouraged by her coach (Colleen Dewhurst) and her boyfriend (Robby Benson) to accept an offer of being mentored by a big-time trainer (Jennifer Warren) — but is fame and success all it’s cut out to be?

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Aspiring Stars
• Blindness
• Rise-and-Fall
• Robby Benson Films
• Sports

Review:
This soaper-on-ice — about an aspiring skater who attempts to enter the big league at the ripe old age of 16 (!!!) — is well-adored by viewers of a certain age (who perhaps caught it on repeat TV broadcasts), as well as those enamored by ice skating. Indeed, there’s some beautiful skating on display here by real-life skater Johnson, who’s well-cast in the lead role. Other supporting performances are nicely played as well (I’m particularly fond of Skerritt as Johnson’s grieving father) — but the screenplay ultimately lets us down. It’s full of trite dialogue:

“If she doesn’t try, it’s going to be second-best — for us.”
“Not trying is wondering your whole life if you gave up too soon.”

and goes in narrative directions that must be seen to be believed. However, it’s all convincing enough if you’re willing to get drawn into the lure of its fairy tale charm. Indeed, this remains a sufficiently enduring story that it was remade by the same director (Donald Wrye) in 2010 — a version I haven’t seen.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Solid performances by the cast
  
• Some affecting, well-filmed moments
  

Must See?
No, unless you remember this fondly from your youth and would like to revisit it.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• Time Out Capsule Review (spoilers)

Synopsis:
When a handsome cowboy (Tom Berenger) shifts out of a serial b&w western and rides into the colorful town of Oakwood Estates, he quickly meets a host of familiar characters: the town drunk (G.W. Bailey), the local prostitute with a heart of gold (Marilu Henner), the top cattle rancher (Andy Griffith), and Griffith’s beautiful daughter (Sela Ward). When Griffith seeks help from the local railroad boss (Fernando Rey) in killing Berenger, Berenger draws on every strength he knows he has a “good guy” cowboy — but the sudden appearance of an equally noble rival (Patrick Wayne) causes him to question his credibility.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Andy Griffith Films
• Cowboys
• Ranchers
• Satires and Spoofs
• Westerns

Review:
This good-natured satire of serial westerns pokes fun at their predictability and formulaic nature — including giving the lead character omniscience about what will happen next at every turn. Unfortunately, while it’s far more enjoyable than the other western-satire released the same year — Paul Bartel’s Lust in the Dust (1985) — it doesn’t quite live up to its potential: we eventually tire of hearing Berenger say, “I knew that would happen”, and some of the ongoing jokes (i.e., Berenger gnawing on a “root” — actually a potato — as a form of old-west drug) fall completely flat. On the other hand, the actors are all invested in their roles (Henner did not deserve her Razzie nomination!), and the location shooting (in Spain) is quite beautiful.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Fine location shooting in Spain
  
• An occasionally amusing parody of Western tropes
  

Must See?
No, though I think diehard western fans would have fun with it.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review

Synopsis:
In 19th century France, a traveling circus is invited to the castle of Count Drago (Christopher Lee), who has a keen interest in mummifying animals of all kinds — including, apparently, humans.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Carnivals and Circuses
• Christopher Lee Films
• Donald Sutherland Films
• Horror Films
• Mummies
• Old Dark House

Review:
This semi-dubbed Italian-French horror flick is notable for including uncredited early directorial work by Michael Reeves, and for featuring Donald Sutherland in his screen debut (playing both a police officer and an old hag).

Unfortunately, while the film is high on gothic atmosphere, it’s slow on plot and pacing; there’s one central premise to the storyline — who will Lee and his henchman (Mirko Valentin) capture next? — and we simply watch this play out in scene after scene, in spooky settings. In terms of the performances, leading actress Gaia Germani (who often reminds one of Audrey Hepburn) is simply perpetually frightened (for good reason):

Sutherland is nearly unrecognizable in his female guise; and it’s refreshing to see a dwarf (Anthony Martin) emerging as a hero of the situation.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Atmospheric sets and cinematography
  
  
  

Must See?
No; you can skip this one unless you’re curious.
Links:

• IMDb entry
• TCM Article
• Spinning Image Review

Synopsis:
A writer (William Bates) and his girlfriend (Pat Barrington), seeking inspiration for Bates’ horror stories, visit a cemetery where they are quickly abducted by the “Emperor of the Dead” (Criswell) and his princess (Fawn Silver) and forced to watch a series of once-dead women dance topless.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Dancers
• Death and Dying
• Ed Wood Films
• Horror

Review:
Ed Wood, Jr. wrote the screenplay for this deathly boring (sorry) stripper flick masquerading as some kind of horror revue. The acting is terrible, the dances laughable, and the screenplay practically non-existent (the only “tension” is whether Barrington and Bates will be killed and forced to join the troupe of dancing dead before the sun rises). As DVD Savant succinctly describes it, “This is basically 90 minutes of repetitious and numbing strip acts, with poor cutaways to the presiding ghouls who bicker about how much time they have before dawn or who gets to stab who.” The inclusion of a mummy (Louis Ojena) and wolfman (John Andrews) as sidekicks does absolutely nothing to alleviate the tedium. At least the cinematography is colorful, and decent use is made of a smoke machine.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Atmospheric cinematography
  

Must See?
Nope; skip this one. Listed as a Camp Classic in the back of Peary’s book.

Links:

Synopsis:
When singing duo Sonny (Sonny Bono) and Cher (Cher) are handed a creaky script by an arrogant producer (George Sanders), Sonny brainstorms ways to make it more creative by spoofing various genres — including westerns, Tarzan adventures, and private eye flicks.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Cher Films
• Comedy
• George Sanders Films
• Fantasy
• Hollywood
• Musicals
• Satires and Spoofs
• William Friedkin Films

Review:
Director William Friedkin cut his feature-length-narrative teeth on this amiable musical vehicle for Sonny and Cher, which did poorly at the box office but remains innocuously enjoyable escapist fare. The sets are colorful, Sonny and Cher seem to be having a good time together, and the three movie farces are fairly clever. Sanders is perfectly cast (and doesn’t seem bored out of his skull) playing “Mordicus”, a diabolically controlling producer with exactly one “rags to riches” storyline in mind:

he also cleverly shows up as the villains (Knife McBlade, “white hunter”, and Zarubian) in each of the satires.

Friedkin directs with a sure hand, and it’s well-edited to boot. While it’s certainly not must-see viewing, it’s not totally awful, either.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Colorful sets, costumes, and cinematography
  
• Amusingly scripted satirical vignettes
  
• A few enjoyable tunes

Must See?
No; this one remains a curiosity but not must-see.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• Spinning Image Review
• TCM Article
• DVD Savant Review

Synopsis:
A Saharan desert guide (John Wayne) accompanies a religious man (Rossano Brazzi) obsessed with finding a lost city his father discovered years ago. When a local prostitute (Sophia Loren) decides to join them, interesting love tangles ensue.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Deserts
• Gold Seekers
• Henry Hathaway Films
• John Wayne Films
• Love Triangle
• Sophia Loren Films
• Survival

Review:
Henry Hathaway directed, Ben Hecht co-scripted, and Jack Cardiff shot (in Technirama) this desert survival drama, shot on location near Tripoli. John Wayne plays — essentially, himself, as much of a stoic cowboy as ever; meanwhile, Loren is suitably beautiful yet sympathetic as a woman eager to turn her challenging past around, and Brazzi is an appropriately enigmatic third wheel.

Indeed, Brazzi’s character shifts over time are what primarily drive the narrative, which otherwise consists of LOTS of desert-survival scenes (as well as inevitable lust for Loren). To its credit, the creaky film never quite lags, even when the characters are faced time and again with similar variations on near-death; and the ending brings some interesting surprises. However, this one isn’t must-see viewing for anyone other than die-hard fans of the stars.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Jack Cardiff’s cinematography and fine on-location shooting
  
  
  

Must See?
No; you can skip this one unless you’re curious (or want to see Cardiff’s work).

Links:

• IMDb entry
• TCM Article
• DVD Savant Review