I'd buy that for a dollar... maybe Franklyn (2008) * * *
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Three apparently independent plots including a vigilante (Ryan Phillippe) and a suicidal art student (Eva Green) successfully blend into one great story of interpersonal relationships. Partly drama, partly fantasy, McMorrow’s well-directed film is good entertainment. Sam Riley’s performance as a freshly abandoned groom caught in childhood dreams stands out.
This Gun For Hire (1942) * * *
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After his latest job, hitman Raven (Alan Ladd) is double-crossed by nightclub owner Gates (Laird Cregar). During his vendetta in wartime US, things get complicated when he’s forced to team up with a copper’s fiancée (Veronica Lake) who opens Raven’s eyes and reveals a secret. A short and sweet film noir with an all-star cast; the film’s great pace makes up for the lack of elaboration and a few small plot holes.
Sullivan’s Travels (1941) * * * *
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Hollywood director Sullivan (Joel McCrea) is fed up with comedies and wants to shoot a serious film, a drama about poor people. Looking for a first-hand account, he turns himself into a hobo and embarks on a journey through the country’s poor quarters. He meets a stranded actress (Veronica Lake) and one hell of a ride begins. Excellent actors and brilliant dialogues make this one of the finest films ever made. Starting out as pure slapstick, Preston Sturges’ film turns into a witty comedy and gradually into a moving social drama – just to revert to a great comedy once more. Outstanding.
The Hills Have Eyes (1977) * * ½
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A stereotypical redneck family from the Bible Belt is trapped in a nuclear test site in Nevada desert. Soon after their arrival, strange creatures start to attack them and despatch them one by one. Craven’s second Horror film starts pretty promising and has a disturbing gritty look. The film’s main problem is the family of hillbilly brutes led by Jupiter (James Whitworth). Even during the most atrocious scenes of the film – the rape of Brenda (Susan Lanier), the stealing of the baby – they cannot be taken seriously. During the final chases, the surviving characters (both attackers and victims) almost become a laughing-stock. On the positive side, it’s nice to see that Craven’s film is more subtle than Aja’s 2006 remake when it comes to political messages and bodily deformations. Not a masterpiece, but still worth watching.
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) * * * ½
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US teenagers are terrorised in their dreams. A burn victim with a razor glove and silly clothes hunts them while they are asleep; what’s more, he’s also able to kill the sleeping adolescents… The story is silly but imaginative, the special effects still work, and Freddy Krueger is a very creepy killer. Watch out for a young Johnny Depp and another laid-back John Saxon performance.
Vampirella (1996) BOMB
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Vampirella (Talisa Soto) from planet Drakulon teams up with Adam Van Helsing (Richard Joseph Paul) in order to eliminate the sinister vampire Vlad (Roger Daltrey) who fled to earth after killing Vampirella’s father. Sounds silly? It is. The story is ludicrous (even by B-movie standards) and there’s virtually no real acting in sight. Add cheap special effects and even cheaper costumes and it becomes clear that this film is a disaster. Speaking of disasters – Roger Daltrey is a great singer, but a horrible actor. Vampirella is wearing the same tight clothes throughout the whole film – yuck.
Halloween (1978) * * * *
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A six-year-old kid deliberately kills his sister on Halloween night. Exactly 15 years later, he escapes from a mental institution. Doctor Loomis (Donald Pleasence) tries to catch him before he kills all of Haddonfield’s babysitters (one of them being played by Jamie Lee Curtis, daughter of Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis). The story isn’t complicated, but then again this film is not about the plot. This film is about “Evil Personified”. Carpenter’s first real Horror film, made with a small budget of about 300,000 $, is a cinematic masterpiece. With a surprisingly small amount of explicit violence, this film builds up tension in an almost exemplary way. Evil (i.e. Michael Myers) is ever-present, even when nothing is happening and everything seems calm. Great performances by all actors involved, excellent cinematography by Dean Cundey. Carpenter’s haunting score adds the final touch to this gripping Horror film.
Halloween II (1981) * * *
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Later that same night, Michael Myers is still alive and well and eager to kill babysitter Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis). Once more, Doctor Loomis (Donald Pleasence) comes to the rescue. This sequel, still written by Carpenter and Debra Hill but directed by Rick Rosenthal, is unexpectedly good. Using a variation of the original score and with Cundey reprising his role as cinematographer, the film sounds and looks similar to the original. Unfortunately, Carpenter was right when he recalled writing the script accompanied by sixpacks of Budweiser: ‘I had no idea. We’re remaking the same film, only not as good.’ The story is well-known by now – what to do? The solution was to replace some of the original’s subtleties with violence, making it a more brutal yet less frightening film. Still a very good and tense Horror flick, only not as good.
Castle Freak (1995) BOMB
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John Reilly (Jeffrey Combs) inherits an old Italian castle. Together with his estranged wife Susan (Barbara Crampton) and their blind daughter Rebecca (Jessica Dollarhide) he visits the old building. What they don’t know – this place comes with its own Castle Freak free of charge. Director Stuart Gordon tries hard to recreate a classic Euro Horror atmosphere. There’s a castle, there’s a monster, but… there are simply not enough cobwebs, there’s no fog, and the lighting of most of the scenes makes the film look like the cheap direct-to-video release that it is. Some of the special effects don’t look too bad, but the few really gory moments are… too gory. Pretty bad acting (including Jeffrey Combs, who’s too crazy for a sane person and too sane for lunatic) and a laughable monster may be acceptable in an Ed Wood film – here it’s just too silly to be fun. Still… laughing is better than falling asleep I guess, even if all the humour is unintentional.
Eaten Alive (1977) * ½
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A family with a small child (the mother: TCM-heroine Marilyn Burns), whoremonger Buck (Robert Englund), and Harvey Wood (Mel Ferrer) with his daughter - lots of people turn up at the local Starlight Hotel looking for people and/or a room. Most of them didn’t expect crazy Old Judd (Neville Brand) and his pet alligator. Luckily, Sheriff Martin (Stuart Whitman) is around.
This film is extraordinary. I had to watch it thrice – I fell asleep after half an hour twice. The third time, I made it till the end. To keep this short and sweet: it’s hard to believe this movie was made by the same guy who directed the excellent
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre only three years earlier. Silly dialogues, not one sane person in sight (except for Ruby, played by Betty Cole), lots of cheap gore – this film is a total mess. Half a star for Old Judd’s wooden leg.